Unit 1, Set B Vocab (12th grade)

Adjective

Able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property.

Example sentence- In an acquisitive society, there is a great deal of emphasis on buying and selling.

Belabor

Verb

To work on excessively; to thrash soundly.
Example sentence- His tendency to belabor the small points often made him miss the big picture.

Carping

Adjective/Noun

As an adjective-Tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way.

As a noun- Petty, nagging criticism.

Example sentence- The trainee resigned after a week rather than put up with the carping complaints of the sales manager.
Most artists choose to ignore the carping of critics and simply go on with their work.

Congeal

Verb

To change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid.

Example sentence- If you do not wash your dishes right away, the food on them will congeal.

Eschew

Verb

To avoid, shun, keep away from.
Example sentence- The young athletes promised the coach that they would train vigorously and eschew bad habits.

Insatiable

Adjective

So great or demanding as to not be satisfied.
Example sentence- People with an insatiable appetite for gossip often do not have compelling stories of their own.

Invidious

Adjective

Offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment.
Example sentence- Bosses should avoid making invidious comparisons between their employees.

Taciturn

Adjective

Habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little.
Example sentence- Woodrow Wilson has the reputation of having a dour and taciturn personality.

Adjective

Capable of being held or defended.

Example sentence- The researchers put forth a tenable theory, but their conclusions would be reviewed carefully by others.

Noun

Generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions.
Example sentence- The university was the fortunate beneficiary of the largesse of many of its graduates.