Just Vocabulary | ESL Podcast for learning SAT and GRE vocabulary

Desecrate (verb) Definition:  to insult or damage something sacred, Desecrate originated in the 17th century, from de and consecrate, literally, “to make unholy.” Something may be desecrated by speech or action. Example Sentences: – When...

Malevolence (noun) Definition: 1. the desire to harm someone; 2. bitterness, hatred, or ill will. Malevolence comes from the Latin male, “evil” and volence, “to wish.” Thus, both the noun malevolence and its adjective form,...

Sully (adjective) Definition: dirty or tarnished, especially said of a reputation Example Sentences: – Margie closed her bank account with the large German bank because it had a sullied reputation. – Anthony’s career in politics...

Adulation (noun) Definition: excessive flattery or admiration. Adulation is praise that is often overdone or excessive. Adulation is similar to flattery. While adulation is excessive praise, flattery is praise used to influence someone or to...

Afford (verb) Definition: 1. to be able to spare or give up; 2. to be the cause or source of something; 3. to be able to buy or do something because the resources are available...

Convene (verb) Definition: 1. to arrange (a group of people); 2. to assemble; 3. to meet formally Example Sentences: – During the financial collapse, the FED convened in an emergency meeting. – Boris Johnson is convening his...

Proliferate (verb) Definition: 1. to increase greatly in number; 2. to reproduce rapidly Example Sentences: – Virtual currencies are not going away and they will proliferate to every economy and every part of the planet....

Dictate (verb, noun) Definition: (v.) 1. to give orders or demands with authority; 2. to speak into a tape recorder for later transcription of the text or to speak text to somebody writing it down;...

Bask (verb) Definition: 1. to expose yourself to the warmth of the sun; 2. to derive pleasure and enjoyment from something. To bask in something is to take it in, receive its warmth, or bathe in its...

Cabal (noun, verb) Definition: (n.) 1. a group of people secretly conspiring against something, especially political; 2. a plot by conspirators; (v.) to enter into a conspiracy with others Example Sentences: – The new and...

Urbane (adjective) Definition: showing sophistication and refinement, especially due to extensive travel and wide social experience. Urbane people are sophisticated, polished, cultured, refined. Example Sentences: – Brett is an urbane gentleman who was conversant in the...

Decry (verb) Definition: to openly criticize something or someone, When you decry something, you simultaneously condemn it and discredit it, a formal act. Example Sentences: – The ministry of health has released a statement which decries crowded...

Qualm (noun) Definition:  a feeling of doubt or uneasiness about something, A qualm is a feeling of uneasiness, or a sense that something you’re doing is wrong. Example Sentences: – My mother was anxious at first, but...

Commuter (noun) Definition:  1. person who travels from home to work regularly, usually between a suburb and a city; 2. an inter-city airplane flying short distances to serve remote communities Example Sentences: – Traffic jams...

Tentative (adjective) Definition: 1. unsure, hesitant, or showing a lack of confidence; 2. not finalized, not fully worked out Example Sentences: – AOL and Time Warner signed a tentative agreement until further details of the...