Victoria Selective School and John Monash entrance high frequency words and vocabulary

Laconic (adj.) – brief and to the point; effectively cut short Jessica is so talkative that her sister thought the situation warranted conciseness, and her being laconic.

Pithy (adj.) – brief, to the point The professor was not known for talking much, but what he did say was always pithy.

Succinct (adj.) brief, to the point Perhaps the most succinct equations of wave theory come closest in mathematics to defining probability, but chemistry can fairly lay claim to these equations.

Insipid (adj.) – lacking taste or flavor Too much sugar tends to make this otherwise delightful fruit pie insipid.

Iconoclast (noun) – someone who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions Irrespective of his actuating motives, his deeds as an iconoclast will be treated harshly and is answerable in court.

Redundant (adj.) – redundant, superfluous 

At first, taking a standardized test may seem redundant to existing skill metrics such as GPA, certifications, but the GRE is necessary for the college admissions to sort applicants

Superfluous (adj.) – extra, unnecessary 

Massive marketing budgets may seem superfluous when revenues are hard to come by, but it’s indispensable to have them in place in order to get substantial funding and to stay capital efficient.

Profligate (adj.) – recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources The senate is particularly perturbed over our profligate use of natural resources such as forest, oil, water, energy, land and minerals.

Prodigal (adj.) – wastefully extravagant 

Scott had been prodigal of all his energy, money and resources and innovative stratagems and loving kindness.

Prolific (adj.) – fruitful, present in large number 

Ryan is furiously prolific, releasing albums on Maple, Mr. Siebel’s label, as well as his own metallic label, Metalloid

Copious (adj.) – abundant in supply or quantity Mathew insisted that Sophie track all her household expenditures, including every penny spent for hair clips, in copious account books.

Prosaic (adj.) – not challenging; dull and lacking excitement The project was full of prosaic ideas, such as using sand and stone to raise natural walls around monuments built in honor of the late president.

Venerate (v.) – regard with great respect 

In a nod to the religious customs of the Vatican, which popes here venerate, there are plans for a cathedral between the St. Peter’s Square and Mount Street.

Ameliorate (v.) – make, become better Increase in penalties and effective awareness programs would ameliorate the growing pollution levels and there by global warming it may have generated.

Adulterate (verb) alter or debase, often for profit Of all teas, 

I love green tea the most and would never adulterate it with sweeteners; even a pitch of sugar would be a desecration.

Obdurate (adj.) – refuse to change one’s opinion; stubborn 

The teacher couldn’t stand the obdurate student as he yelled at anyone who dared to disagree with his opinions during the debate.

Obsequious (adj.) – obedient or attentive to an excessive degree It was evident that the manager was flattering – from his obsequious manner in receiving his boss.

Capricious (adj.) – given to sudden behavior change 

The recent recession is yet another example of how making rules without forethought and acting without taking the arbitrary and capricious effects these changes in policies have on our economy. 

Fortuitous (adj.) – happening by accident or chance The alignment timing proved to be scientifically fortuitous for planetary astronomers, who already have a orbital satellite stationed around the moon.

serendipity

1. the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

   "a fortunate stroke of serendipity"
2. 
   

Alacrity (noun) – lively and cheerful readiness 

After marriage, Jenny rushed off with excitement to visit her parents, but her father did not accept their marriage with equal alacrity.

Pellucid (adj.) – translucently clear 

The river water was so pellucid that Mary could see clearly that it swarmed with countless small fishes and loaves.

Corroborate (v.) – confirm or give support to 

The police officials said, allegations of misconduct by the officer have been corroborated by video from closed circuit cameras.

Magnanimous (adj.) – very generous or forgiving 

Jaqueline’s magnanimous generosity and limitless loyalty towards her nation and its people is heart touching and is appreciated beyond words.

Scrupulous (adj.) – diligent, thorough, and extremely careful 

The health inspector during his usual visit found pests in the restaurant’s kitchen and hence ordered the owner to observe scrupulous hygiene to stop spreading illness or would issue a immediate closure notice.

Prudent (adj.) – acting with or showing care and thought 

When the food manufacturer discovered toxins in a product sample case of one of its containers, it made a prudent decision to destroy all the boxes from the shipment.

Meticulous (adj.) – very careful and precise 

Queen Cleopatra did beautiful architectural drawings on monuments built around the pyramids, the result of years of obsessive and meticulous hard work by numerous artists and builders. 

Fastidious (adj.) – very careful and attentive 

After the party, Jenny and her brother were fastidious in their efforts to clean up the mess because they knew their parents were on their way home.

Placate (v.) – make (someone) less angry or hostile 

Sam has to double stock divided last quarter and started working at an unsustainable pace in order to placate the company investors and shareholders

Belligerent (adj.) – hostile and aggressive Russia’s public statement has been belligerent, menacing military action against the United States.


Fractious (adj.) – irritable and quarrelsome 

Third world powers are hesitant about sending arms to aid the war, partially due to the fractious politics of the hostile political group abroad.

Mercurial (adj.) – subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood, temperamental 

The mercurial senator, who retained office for more than 25 years, has frequently gone back and forth on his resignation.


Exacerbate (v.) – infuriate, make worse 

Hummingbird declines have been connected to a lack of appropriate habitat so increasing the number of Washington’s hives could exacerbate the issue.

Hackneyed (adj.) – unoriginal and trite 

Girls dreaming their way to a wonderland to marry a prince and live happily ever after was already a hackneyed notion by the time Alice in the Wonderland was written.

Ingenious (adj.) – clever, original, and inventive 

No matter how ingenious a thesis or an analysis may be, it will be quickly invalidated if appropriate field experts haven’t been engaged in the process for feedback.

Impetuous (adj.) – acting or done quickly and without thought or care 

Michael is methodical, barely the impetuous kind, and he has had ample time to come to a consolidated opinion of the university he wishes to apply for.

Belie (v.) – disguise or contradict 

Joe’s cheerful tone belies the grim nature of life in the Indian Countryside and her desperate desire to escape those suffocating circumstances.

Gainsay (verb) – deny or contradict 

Some of the officers were about to reject the project, but it had come from them, they could not well gainsay it.

Esoteric (adj.) – mysterious, obscure 

A couple of months ago, Mr. Niobe submitted a thesis with his analysis and computations — a fairly esoteric mathematical dissent about how best to gather rational generalizations on the origin of the universe theory.

Cacophony (noun) – a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds 

The cacophony surrounding the multi-billion dollar buyout of leading messaging service by a social networking company shook the whole tech industry.

Idiosyncrasy (noun) – a way of thought peculiar to an individual 

Modern technologies are a lot more expensive than their existing alternatives and each has its own idiosyncrasies that be conquered.

Extant (adj.) – in existence; surviving 

Several works produced by Shakespeare during his later years are yet extant at Rome; and far surpassing the rest is his tale of two young lovers, Romeo and Juliet.

Didactic (adj.) – intended to teach, educational 

Though more didactic, Rama’s story of the triumph over evil and of a king’s dharma and nobility is quite powerful and enchanting.

Ostentation (adj.) – pretentious and vulgar display intended to impress, show off 

The movie celebrity is not having a good day because he got another ticket for speeding only two over and driving ostentatiously in his new, cherry-red sports car.

Vociferous (adj.) – loud and clamorous 

The protesters were vociferous in their demands as they screamed outside of the mayor’s house. 

Taciturn (adj.) – reserved or uncommunicative in speech 

Over the past 50 years, as a recruiter, Yuri has come across different types of candidates, some of them speak a lot while some stay taciturn.

Garrulous (adj.) – excessively talkative 

Though not garrulous by nature, Ryan seems to be comfortable with the diverse audiences at the education conference and managed to have conversations with several of them.

Loquacious (adj.) – tending to talk a great deal; talkative 

Julie and Katie were not being loquacious with the other guests because they were too busy making long conversations with their other friends. 

Equivocate (verb) – to avoid giving a clear or direct answer to a question 

When I asked Rachel if the suit looks good on me, she equivocated a response, avoiding the question by saying she needed it to be somewhere else.



Misanthrope (noun) – person who hates others 

People thought the old woman was a misanthrope since she wouldn’t talk to any of her neighbors let alone help them but they realized how much she loved them when she put a huge bag of candy out at Halloween.

Imminent (adj.) – about to happen 

Some people thought it was outrageous when the media predicted the imminent death of the drug-addicted actress.

eminent

1. 
   

   (of a person) famous and respected within a particular sphere.

Frivolous (adj) – trivial, silly 

Ram was passionate and serious about collecting coins but his friends thought it was a frivolous activity.

Benign (adj.) – gentle, kindly 

Even though the advertisements claim the energy drink is benign, customers may experience some unwanted side effects after consuming.

Malign (adj.) – hurtful, injurious 

Often, people suffering psychological disorders are considered by their families to be under the influence of malign spirits, or showing sign of a physical confliction.



Dissonance (noun) – lack of harmony, disagreement  - opposite word- Resonance

There is a great deal of dissonance between the conflicting evidences produced by both the parties and hence the judge had to close the case on account of lack of sufficient evidence

Inculpate (verb) – accuse or blame 

Although the killer successfully disposed of the murder weapon, his friends provided evidence that could actually inculpate both the killer and the people who tried to cover up the killing. 

Docile (adj.) – compliant, submissive 

Although a trained lion appears docile during the circus acts, it is really a fierce animal when not controlled by a trainer. 

Sporadic (adj.) – occurring at irregular intervals; scattered or isolated 

The doctors are finding it difficult to identify the cause of Tom’s heartaches because of his sporadic heartbeat.

Prevaricate (verb) – deceive; stretch the truth 

Aria does not take bad news well and hence her brother always prevaricates when telling her something she does not want to hear. 

Chicanery (noun) – deception, trickery 

The judge has plenty of reason to suspect chicanery because the lawyer has a reputation of aggressively defending his clients and of getting verdicts of innocence on guilty Policemen.

Eulogy (noun) – praise, exclamation 

Public officials and her friends joined in a chorus of eulogy and remembrances for many days afterward as Michelle signs on the human rights doctrine.

Providential (adj.) – lucky, occurring at a favorable time; opportune 

Sam’s dangerous and providential escape, made her tremble; and so pale did he still look, that she could scarcely believe he was uninjured.

Diffidence (noun) – hesitancy; lack of confidence

A lot of sportsmen attain prominence before they know what to do with it; others put across a diffidence to fame while secretly craving it; and some just don’t treasure their moments in the spotlight.

Disparate (adj.) – essentially different in kind, not allowing comparison 

Chief Puritan and songwriter James Rhodes has led his band through six very disparate albums united by their subtle indifference for listener accessibility.

Plausible (adj.) – seeming reasonable or probable 

Astronomers received data from the unexplored planet which indicates that the possibility of life, at least in the ancient past, is at least plausible.

Sanguine (adj.) – optimistic or positive 

Among those who remain sanguine about the nation’s economic revival, there is always the lively topic of tax reduction policies, the remedy to deflationary recession in the United States.

Soporific (adj.) – tending to induce drowsiness or sleep 

The reality shows aired on TV tend towards the soporific; by contrast, the coverage of soccer game in newspapers is more fun because the pictures counted for everything.

Engender (verb) – cause or give rise to 

The new technology has engendered great hope for the potential development of preventive methods for lethal genetic and severe chronic diseases such as glaucoma and cancer.

Inimical (adj.) – tending to obstruct or harm Though Sarah’s husband is an inimical person who often beats her for trivial reasons, she has always tried to be nice to him.


Recalcitrant (adj) – disobedient, uncontrollable 

Recalcitrant politicians, in interviews on TV and newspaper, raised their concerns over the party’s national policies publicly and were consequently punished for their disobedience. 

Ephemeral (adj.) – momentary, passing 

Sophie always knew the relationship with Haden would be ephemeral; she just didn’t expect they would breakup so soon. 

Pusillanimous (adj.) – lacking courage, fearful 

Despite the opportunity for heroism, the captain led his soldiers into a pusillanimous retreat and since then the man has been rated as a coward. 

Vacillate (verb) – go back and forth, be indecisive 

Since his term exams were round the corner, Adam vacillated between going on the family vacation and staying back at home to study.

Fervid (adj.) – intensely enthusiastic or passionate 

During political debates, the candidates hurl fervid accusations at each other while justifying their positions on national issues. 

Enervate (verb) – weaken, wear out 

The blazing heat in mid-June caused dehydration and enervated the shipwrecked crew, leaving them almost too weak to hail the passing vessel.

Tumultuous (adj.) – confused, or disorderly 

During the recent riots, the crowd was tumultuous and went berserk as the police arrest their leader, washing away all that impeded it. 

Reticent (adj.) – secretive, quiet 

The usually reticent Swiss bank acknowledged the policy quandary at an International Monetary Fund meeting in New York this month.

Audacious (adj.) – reckless, daring 

Jim is known for his adventurous style and audacious nature for when he is inside the ring, his audiences would jump off their seats to watch him play with the lion.

Conspicuous (adj.) – obvious, easily seen 

Taxes on the corporates encourage investment and growth, instead of conspicuous consumption. The rich will always be wealthy. It’s the middle class that needs help. 

Innocuous (adj.) – harmless and inoffensive 

Companies that track their visitor’s online behavior have long claimed that the data they collect is anonymous, and therefore innocuous. But the interpretation of the word “anonymous” has changed over time in the online world.

Anachronism (noun) – error in time placement 

With the rate of economic growth in the western countries at its lowest rate in nearly a century, the power wielded by the United Nations can seem like an anachronism.

Erudite (adj.) – well-educated, cultured 

Consuming the books her father supplied, Miss. Jane, who grew up in near poverty, became an erudite, self-educated woman and loves sharing her knowledge with others. 

Bolster (v.) – support or strengthen 

Students having trouble paying college tuition fee may be relieved to hear that the Academic Council has launched new policies that will bolster borrower protections for student education loans.

Ambivalent (adj.) – having mixed feelings, conflicting 

My feelings about Shelly are ambivalent because on one hand she is a loyal friend, but on the other, she is a cruel and vicious thief. 

Enigma (adj.) – difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious 

Bruce Wayne was an enigmatic businessman; no one could ever guess what goes through the master tactician’s mind. 

Euphoric (adj.) – intense excitement and happiness 

The Australian cricket players were all euphoric when the Government declared a bonus pay to each of them as bring the world cup home. 

Pedant (noun) – a person who overemphasizes rules or minor details 

The senior professor was obviously a pedant since she persistently focuses on mediocre details and keeps interrupting me to point out my imperfect pronunciation and grammar usage without letting me make my argument.

Profound (adj.) – very great or intense; thoughtful 

The realities are forcing a profound reassessment of how the Nile, Africa’s only major river, can continue to slake the thirst of one of the continent’s fastest-growing regions.

 Inchoate (adj.) – undeveloped, beginning

 Just after the big bang explosion, before the universe expanded to the gigantic distances, it was an inchoate assemblage of elemental matter. 

Lethargic (adj.) – lazy, sluggish 

In Asia, data on Tuesday showed that Japan’s economy contracted in the three months to September, as exports and domestic consumer spending remain lethargic 

Deride (adj.) – make fun of; insult 

When United States briefly considered withdrawing their forces completely out of Iraq in 2009, several patriots in public conversations derided the idea as a big mistake.

masquerade

1. a false show or pretence.

   "I doubt he could have kept up the masquerade for long"

incarcerate

1. imprison or confine.

   "many are incarcerated for property offences"

incessant

1. (of something regarded as unpleasant) continuing without pause or interruption.

   "the incessant beat of the music"

hubris

1. excessive pride or self-confidence.