Lesson 15
abase	to degrade someone; to make someone feel horrible and small 
abhor	to hate 
accost	to aggressively stop someone in order to speak to him or her 
acme	the absolute peak. 
aggrieved	bothered because of having been treated badly 
alleviate	to provide relief 
analgesic 	a kind of medication, like aspirin, that relieves pain without putting you to sleep 
anathema 	something that is hated 
anesthesia	something that deadens feeling so as to relieve pain 
anguish	extreme pain 
annihilate	to ruin completely 
avenge	to take revenge on someone else’s behalf 
battery	an unlawful physical assault 
bludgeon	to hit hard with a blunt object 
buffet	to hit something hard and repeatedly 
carnage	widespread killing and slaughter 
chagrin	feeling of frustration or shame due to disappointment
chaos	state of complete disorder 
cherish	to adore, to treat as a precious object 
composure 	calmness; control over one’s emotions 
corrode	to wear away, as if with acid or chemicals 
debacle	when something goes horribly wrong 
decimated	completely ruined 
derision	scorn, ridicule 
desiccated	dried out 
desolate	sad, empty, gloomy 
despondent	completely unhappy 
discomfiture	confusion and embarrassment 
disseminate	to spread (usually referring to information) 
ephemeral	short-lived 
fathom	to understand something, particularly something complex or mystical 
flabbergasted	bewildered, totally amazed 
ignominy	great personal disgrace, dishonor 
inconsolable	so deeply sad that you can’t be comforted 
indignity	something that offends one’s dignity or self-esteem 
mercurial	quick and changeable in temperament 
mortification	total humiliation 
nadir	the absolute bottom 
obliterated	destroyed without a trace 
obloquy	an abusive verbal attack 
perdition	complete ruin
raze	to bring a structure down to the ground 
reciprocate	to return, to respond in kind 
slight	to insult someone, especially in away that involves ignoring or overlooking the person
stigma	a bad mark on someone’s reputation 
treacherous	dangerous; betraying 
tribulation	a great difficulty 

Lesson 16
apian	having to do with bees
apoplectic	really angry
bailiwick	an area in which a person has a special ability or responsibility
baker’s dozen	a set of thirteen
beatitude	perfect happiness and peace
bumptious	aggressively opinionated
congenital	existing since birth.
coruscate	to shine, to flash brightly
cupidity	greed
enervate	to weaken
fray	to shred something; a fight
friable	easily broken up into little pieces
fulsome	offensively fawning
hedge	to avoid answering a question directly
helicoid	shaped like a spiral
husband	to use something economically.
immutable	unchangeable
impregnable	unable to be broken by an outside force
infamous	known for a bad reputation.
infinitesimal	it means “very, very tiny.”
instrumental	necessary in order to bring something about
insuperable	unable to be overcome or gotten rid of
jocular	joking, playful
juxtapose	to put two (usually unlike) things together
lachrymose	crying easily, or making someone else cry
logorrhea	extreme talkativeness, sometimes implying
marshal	to gather people together and organize them
masticate	to grind with the teeth
noisome	offensive to the senses
nugatory	completely unimportant
plastic	easily bent and shaped
quixotic	overly idealistic, romanticized and impractical
racy	shockingly sexual
rent	a rip or tear
restive	active and out-of-control
rheum	a watery discharge coming out of the eyes, nose, or mouth.
saccharine	sickeningly sweet
salubrious	being good for your health or general well-being
scarify	to scratch the skin
seamy	distasteful because of its immorality
seedy	cheap and run-down.
somnambulate	to sleepwalk
spendthrift	running through money wastefully and unnecessarily
spruce	to make something look better
strait	a narrow band of water that joins two larger bodies of water
summarily	brusquely, rudely, without discussion
tyro	a complete, rank amateur
waffle	to keep changing your mind