Lesson 14
Freshmen Vocabulary

1. conciliatory adj having the effect of soothing anger or distrust
   His conciliatory manner finally began to calm the angry customer.
   syn: pacifying, mollifying         ant: antagonistic, hostile
   
   
2. criterion noun a ruler or standard on which judgments can be based
   The criterion Jack followed came from the employee handbook.
   
   
3. cryptic adj mysterious; puzzling; having a hidden or ambiguous meaning
   My job in the Navy was to decode cryptic messages.
   syn: arcane, esoteric        ant: clear
   
   
4. ingratiate verb act in a way to make oneself agreeable/acceptable to others
   He did everything he could to ingratiate himself with the boss, but he was fired anyway.
   
   
5. insipid adj. lacking flavor; bland; dull
   They had come expecting fiery oratory, but his speech was as insipid as cold oatmeal.
   syn: doubtful       ant: credible, believable
   
   
6. lackluster adj. lacking brightness; dull; lacking energy or vitality
   The sales pitch was so lackluster
   syn: drab        ant: sparkle, radiant
   
   
7. quell verb to calm down; to put down or suppress; to put an end to
   She tried to quell the child's fear, but he could not stop shaking.
   syn: squelch, quash        ant: foment, agitate
   
   
8. quibble noun a minor criticism or objection
   Their quibble soon became a bitter argument.
   
   
9. quip noun a clever or witty remark; a sarcastic reply
   After being heckled, the comedian retorted with a quip that made the heckler blush.
   
   
10. tirade noun a long, angry, or vehement speech
    The coach delivered a locker room tirade after his team lost.
    syn: harangue, diatribe         ant: panegyric
    
    
11. trepidation noun a state of alarm or dread; fearful uncertainty
    Late night telephone calls often cause trepidation for the family.
    
    
12. turbulent adj. marked by unrest or disturbance; wild disorder
    The turbulent weather ca used the plane to pitch and roll like a ship in an angry storm.
    
    
13. vanguard noun the front or leading position in an army or movement
    General Pate's division was in the vanguard of the attack.
    
    
14. urbane adj. suave; having the refined manners of polite society
    He was such an urbane gentleman that she felt awkward in his presence.
    syn: sophisticated, cosmopolitan        ant: crude; uncouth
    
    
15. volatile adj. changing quickly; fickle; unstable; explosive
    Because of his volatile nature, no one ever knew what to expect of him at any given moment.
    ant: coercion