Vocabulary #1
1.
deplorable: wretched, terrible, bad, regrettable
That smell is deplorable; take out
the trash now!
2. discern:
to detect by looking carefully
He was unable to discern the exact
size of the object because it was so far away.
3. frivolous:
not serious, unworthy of serious attention
The frivolous girl worried more
about what to wear to the test than studying for it.
4. imprudent:
unwise, foolish
To run in front of a bullet is a
very imprudent thing to do.
5. indolent:
habitually lazy, idle
A sloth is indolent. The indolent
teenager never woke up before
6. opaque:
not transparent, can’t see through it
Windows are transparent, but doors
are opaque.
7. oppressive:
hard to endure, heavy, difficult to bear
Ms. Taylor gave us 20 hours of homework
one week—it was oppressive.
8. palpable:
capable of being touched
The fear in the room was so great
it was almost palpable.
9. precarious:
unsteady, unstable, dangerously lacking in security
Don’t stand so close to the edge
of the cliff; it is precarious.
10. scruples:
feeling of doubt or guilt about a suggested action, an uneasy feeling arising
from conscience or principle
The man had no scruples; he would
steal from anyone without feeling any guilt.