Some Vocabulary Words

Amalgamate
1. To combine, unite, merge, or coalesce
2. Verb
3. Several organizations amalgamated to form a more authoritative group.

Augment
1. To make (something already developed or well under way) greater, as in size, extent, or quantity
2. Verb
3. Heavy snows augmented the snowcapped mountain summits.

Benign
1. Having a kindly disposition; gracious
2. Adjective
3. A benign ruler receives admiration from the masses.

Circumvent
1. To go around or bypass
2. Verb
3. The hackers circumvented the company firewalls to steal sensitive data.

Delineate
1. To portray in words; describe or outline with precision
2. Verb
3. Our instructor delineated the project guidelines in great detail.

Eccentric
1. Deviating from the recognized or customary character, practice, etc.; irregular; erratic; peculiar; odd
2. Adjective
3. Gary’s eccentric behavior caused great concern in the community.

Exacerbate
1. To embitter the feelings of (a person); irritate; exasperate
2. Verb
3. The supervisor’s coarse actions exacerbated his relationship with the employees.

Enigma
1. A puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation
2. Noun
3. The mysterious Bermuda Triangle remains an enigma to scientists even today.

Genuflect
1. To express a servile attitude
2. Verb
3. The monks at the monastery genuflect each morning in reverence to the divine.

Insipid
1. Without distinctive, interesting, or stimulating qualities; vapid
2. Adjective
3. Charles is a common man with insipid personality.

Juxtapose
1. To place close together or side by side, esp. for comparison or contrast
2. Verb
3. By juxtaposing contrasting colors, the artists could clearly see the defining elements of the artwork.

Lackadaisical
1. Without interest, vigor, or determination; listless; lethargic
2. Adjective
3. The lackadaisical efforts of the construction crew destined the building to be an unsafe structure.