word up lists 2013-2014 1st sem

Word UpTh e 2013-2014 Word Up LISTS are in this document. Th e lessons are ar-ranged by weeks. Th e purpose of Word Up is to help students learn thevocabulary that is on the SAT test.

Th ere are 20 lists for the year, each list contains 18 words that begin with two consecutive letters of the alphabet, followed by 1 Cultural Knowledge term and 1 Cultural Knowledge acronym, for a total of 20 items per list. With 36 weeks in the school year, this leaves 16 free weeks without a Word Up lesson, which should allow teachers to begin Word Up shortly after beginning a new semester and to fi nish Word Up before exams begin each semester. Even with these free weeks, students should learn and/or review more than 350 words that appear on the SAT, and they should become more familiar with common terms and acro-nyms used in our culture and in the media.

As agreed, tests should be scored as a 20-point daily grade (in the 35% category) and administered every Friday.

Th is document only holds the word lists. Th e tests and keys are enclosed in other digital documents.

Word Up FOR September 9 - 13

aberration (noun) the act of departing from the usual course

abstinence (noun) self-restraint from an action

abstract (adjective) apart from concrete realities; theoretical

acquiesce (verb) to comply silently and without protest

admonish (verb) to caution or advise against something

alienated (adjective) removed or disassociated from friends, family ot home

alleviate (verb) to ease a pain or a burden

alliance (noun) a union or two or more groups

ambiguous (adjective) open to more than one interpretation

baleful (adjective) destructive; harmful

balm (noun) ointment for soothing pain; something that comforts or soothes

banal (adjective) boring; common; ordinary; dull

beguile (verb) to deceive by charm; to make time pass pleasantly

belie (verb) to give a false idea; fail to fulfi ll a promise

belittle (verb) to regard or portray as less impressive or important

belligerent (adjective) quarrelsome; constantly fi ghting

benediction (noun) good wishes; a blessing

benign (adjective) kind and gentle

Cultural Knowledge: Terms

advocacy (noun) giving active support or pleading a cause

Cultural Knowledge: Acronyms

GOP the Grand Old Party, another name for the Republican Party

Word Up FOR September 16-20

ambivalent (adjective) simultaneously having opposing feelings; uncertain

ample (adjective) describing a large amount of something

apprehension (noun) anxiety or fear about the future

arbiter (noun) a judge who decides a disputed issue

assertion (noun) a declaration or statement

assiduous (adjective) hard-working (pronounced uh-SID-yoo-us)

asylum (noun) a place of retreat or security

assimilate (verb) to absorb; to make similar

astute (adjective) shrewd; clever

auspicious (adjective) fortunate or potentially prosperous

austere (adjective) without decoration; strict

benevolent (adjective) favorable; promising

baneful (adjective) poisonous; harmful; destructive

bequeath (verb) to hand down something by will; to pass on something

biased (adjective) prejudiced

bizarre (adjective) markedly unusual in appearance, style, or character

blithe (adjective) joyous; merry; glad

blueprint (noun) a detailed outline ot plan


asylum (noun) obtaining safety in a another country when a persons home country is persecuting him or her for political reasons


RAM Random Access Memory, in a computer

Word Up FOR September 23-27

bombastic (adjective) high-sounding; infl ated; pretentious

brittle (adjective) easily broken when subject to pressure

brusque (adjective) rudely abrupt (pronounced brusk)

buff oon (noun) a person given to coarse or undignifi ed joking

capricious (adjective) impulsive; unpredictable

clandestine (adjective) secretive

clarity (noun) clearness in thought or expression

cogent (adjective) convincing; reasonable

coherent (adjective) logically connected

cohesive (adjective) the condition of sticking together

compelling (adjective) forceful; urgently demanding attention

comprehensive (adjective) large in scope or content

conciliatory (adjective) tending to soothe or pacify

condescending (adjective) treating people as weak or inferior

condone (verb) to forgive or overlook; to excuse

concensus (noun) general agreement

contemptuous (adjective) feeling hatred; scornful

convoluted (adjective) intricate; complex


censorship (noun) the control of what can be said, written, or published


HTML HyperText Markup Language, the coding language for websites

Word Up FOR September 30 - October 4

corroborate (verb) to confi rm; to support with evidence or testimony

copious (adjective) plentiful; having a large quantity

coup (noun) a brilliantly executed plan

crass (adjective) coarse; stupid; vulgar

criterion (noun) a standard for judging; a test (plural: criteria)

cryptic (adjective) diffi cult to comprehend

debunk (verb) to expose the falseness

decorous (adjective) proper; marked by good taste

deleterious (adjective) having a harmful eff ect; injurious

deprecate (verb) to express strong disapproval of; to belittle

derive (verb) to copy or adapt from a source

derogatory (adjective) degrading; belittling

despotic (adjective) exercising absolute power; tyrannical

detrimental (adjective) causing damage or harm

devious (adjective) lying; roundabout; not straightforward

devoid (adjective) completely lacking; entirely without

didactic (adjective) intended to instruct

diff use (verb) to scatter; to disseminate; to soften


civil liberties (noun) civil and political rights (many of which are now called human rights) such as the right to liberty, the right to freedoms of conscience, expression, and religion, and the rights to vote and form political parties


PDF - Portable Document Format, which is any Acrobat Reader fi le.

No word list for October 7 - 11

End of the 1st nine-weeks: Friday, October 11

No word list for October 14 - 18

Word Up FOR October 21 - 25

dilatory (adjective) habitually late

dilettante (noun) one with amateurish or superfi cial understanding of a craft

discredit (verb) to cause to be doubted

disdain (noun) contempt or scorn; (verb) to look down; to regard or treat with contempt or scorn

disingenuous (adjective) not straightforward; crafty

disparity (noun) inequality in age, rank, or degree; diff erence

dogmatic (adjective) stubbornly adhering to insuffi ciently proved beliefs

dubious (adjective) doubtful; of unlikely authenticity

ebullience (noun) intense enthusiasm

eclectic (adjective) made up of a variety of sources or styles

eff usive (adjective) emotionally unrestrained; gushy

egregious (adjective) conspicuously bad or off ensive

eloquence (noun) the ability to speak eloquently or persuasively

elusive (adjective) diffi cult to capture, as in something fl eeting

embellish (verb) to make beautiful by ornamenting; to decorate

embroil (verb) to engage in quarrel; to involve in an argument

emigrate (verb) to leave one country or region to settle in another

emollient (adjective) softening or soothing; (noun) something that softens or smooths

emulate (verb) to try to equal or surpass through imitation


community (noun) a group of people sharing certain values or having certain conditions in common


UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientifi c and Cultural Organization

Word Up FOR October 28 - November 1

endure (verb) to put up with; to survive a hardship

enervate (verb) to weaken; the lessen the strength of

enigma (noun) a puzzle, or a person who is puzzling

enlightening (adjective) informative; contributing to ones awareness

ephemeral (adjective) lasting for only a short time; living for only a day

equanimity (noun) the quality of being calm or even-tempered; composure

equivocate (verb) to avoid making a defi nitive statement

excerpt (noun) a selected part of a passage or scene

exculpate (verb) to free from guilt or blame

fabricated (adjective) made; concocted in order to deceive

facile (adjective) done or achieved with little eff ort; easy

fastidious (adjective) possessing careful attention to detail; diffi cult to please

feral (adjective) savage; untamed

fl agrant (adjective) extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable

fl orid (adjective) [this word] describes fl owery or elaborate speech

fl uid (adjective) easily fl owing

frenetic (adjective) wildly excited or active

fractious (adjective) quarrelsome; unruly

Cultural Knoweldge: Terms

globalization (noun) the process by which governments, businesses, and cultures operate on a world, rather than a local, scale.


WTO World Trade Organization

Word Up FOR November 4-8

fundamental (adjective) basic; essential (noun) a basic tenet of something

furtive (adjective) done quickly and with stealth to avoid notice

futile (adjective) having no useful purpose; pointless

galvanize (verb) to startle; to spur to action

garbled (adjective) confused; mixed up

garner (verb) to gather; to store away

genre (noun) describing a category of artistic endeavor

ghastly (adjective) shockingly frightful

gratuitous (adjective) given freely; unearned; unwarranted

guile (noun) crafty deceit; treacherous cunning

gullible (adjective) easily deceived

hackneyed (adjective) worn out from overuse, particularly in language

haphazard (adjective) not planned; thrown together

harbinger (noun) something that indicates what is to come; a forerunner

haughty (adjective) arrogant; vainly proud

heinous (adjective) hatefully evil; abominable [pronounced HAY nus]

hierarchy (noun) a group organized by rank

hypocrisy (noun) the practice of pretending to be something one is not

hypothetical (adjective) supposed; assumed


lobbying (verb) attempting to infl uence decision-makers or legislators to support a particular position. Th is term originated when people with special interests waited in the lobby for legislators to come out.


FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency

Word Up FOR November 11 - 15

iconoclast (noun) a person who seeks to overthrow accepted ideas

immaterial (adjective) insignifi cant; unimportant

imminent (adjective) about to occur; impending

impartial (adjective) not in favor of one side or the other; unbiased

impede (verb) to slow the progress of

imperious (adjective) domineering; oppressively overbearing

implication (noun) the act of suggesting or hinting

incontrovertible (adjective) indisputable; not open to questioning

indiff erent (adjective) not caring one way or another

indolent (adjective) lazy

insipid (adjective) uninteresting; unchallenging

integrity (noun) trustworthiness; completeness idealize (verb) to consider perfect

inconsequential (adjective) unimportant

intrepid (adjective) courageous or fearless

incumbent (adjective) imposed as a duty; obligatory; (noun) a politician already in offi ce

inevitable (adjective) certain to happen; unavoidable

impression (noun) a feeling or understanding resulting from an experience

inherent (adjective) inborn; built-in


politics (noun) the process dealing with resolving diff erences in resources, values, and objectives that exist between diff erent human groups

Cultural Knoweldge: Acronym

EU European Union

Word Up for November 18 - 22

innate (adjective) possessed at birth; inborn

intuition (noun) the power of knowing things without thinking; sharp insight

inveterate (adjective) long established; deeply rooted; habitual

impinge (verb) hinder; interfere with

incorrigible (adjective) inable to be reformed

ingrate (noun) ungrateful person

insolent (adjective) insulting in manner or speech

innovative (adjective) introducing something new

irrefutable (adjective) unable to be disproven; incontrovertible

irrelevant (adjective) unrelated to the matter at hand

irreligious (adjective) not practicing a religion or feeling no religious impulses

irreparable (adjective) unable to fi xed or repaired

irresistable (adjective) incapable of being resisted

jargon (noun) words used by people in a particular fi eld of work

jaundiced (adjective) having yellowish skin due to increased pigment in the blood

jaunty (adjective) carefree; jolly

jeopardy (noun) danger of harm

jettison (verb) throwing goods overboard to lighten a ship during a storm


referendum (noun) the process of putting an important issue or question, or set of questions, to the direct vote of the people as a whole, rather than allowing the matter to be resolved by their representatives

Cultural Knoweldge: Acronym

PAC (noun) a political action committee, often called a special interest group

No list for November 25 - 29

Th anksgiving Holidays

Word Up for December 2 - 6

jocular (adjective) humorous; fond of joking

jubilant (adjective) joyful

judicious (adjective) showing good judgment; wise

juncture (noun) the point at which two things join or connect

junta (noun) a council that deliberates in secret upon the aff airs of government

juridical (adjective) assumed by law to exist

jurisprudence (noun) the philosophy or science of law

juxtapose (noun) to place close together or side by side

kindle (verb) to light up a fi re

kinetic (adjective) in motion; moving

kinesis (noun) the movement of an organism in response to a stimulus

kindling (noun) material easily ignited to start a fi re

knavery (noun) deceitfulness in dealing.

knead (verb) to mix and work into a mass, especially with the hands.

knickknack (noun) a small article, more for ornament that use.

lackluster (adjective) lacking brightness; dull

laconic (adjective) brief; using few words

lament (verb) express grief for; mourn


trade union (noun) an organised group of working people who combine their eff orts to improve the conditions of their employment

Cultural Knoweldge: Acronyms

HIV Human Immunodefi ciency Virus

No word list for December 9 - 13

No word list for December 16 - 20: Exams

Winter Holidays, December 23 - January 3

No word list for January 6 - 10

No word list for January 13 - 17: Showcase

Word Up for January 21-25

lamentation (noun) an expression of sorrow or deep regret

lampoon (noun) a sharp satire (verb) to make fun of

lassitude (noun) a state or feeling of being tired or listless

latent (adjective) present but invisible or inactive

laudable (adjective) worthy of praise

laudatory (adjective) giving praise

leeway (adjective) a margin or freedom of variation

lethargic (adjective) sluggish; dull; drowsy

levity (adjective) lightness; lacking seriousness

magnate (noun) a person of great infl uence in a particular fi eld

majestic (adjective) having a lofty dignity

malicious (adjective) spiteful; intentionally harmful

marred (noun) impaired the perfection of

meager (adjective) lack in amount or quality; poor

meander (verb) rambling; wandering aimlessly (pronounced mee-ander)

mediocrity (noun) ordinariness; lack of distinction

meritorious (adjective) deserving praise

methodical (adjective) orderly; having a set system


bipartisan a cooperative eff ort by two political parties


UN United Nations

Word Up for January 28 - February 1

linguistics (noun) the study of the nature and structure of human speech

listless (adjective) lacking energy

lofty (adjective) having great height or a stately manner

lucid (adjective) intelligible; clear-minded

lucrative (adjective) producing wealth; profi table

luminous (adjective) emitting light

lurch (verb) to stagger

lurid (adjective) gruesome; melodramatic; shocking

meticulous (adjective) very careful; attentive to details

migrate (verb) to move to another country or region

miser (noun) one who saves greedily

mitigate (verb) to make less severe

mobility (noun) the ability to move or be moved\

mock (verb) to attack with ridicule; (adjective) false

monarch (noun) a single ruler: king, queen or emperor

monotonous (adjective) boring; unvarying in tone or content

morose (adjective) gloomy; ill-tempered

mosaic (noun) a picture made of small pieces of stone or glass


ideology an integrated system of ideas about politics, values, and culture.


CSA Confederate States of America

Word Up List for February 4 - 8

mundane (adjective) ordinary; commonplace

negate (verb) to destroy the validity of something

nonchalance (noun) carelessness; lack of concern

novel (adjective) original, new and diff erent

novice (noun) a person who is new at something

nullify (verb) to make invalid or worthless

obliterate (verb) to wipe out or remove all traces

obscure (adjective) not known; diffi cult to understand

obsessive (adjective) overly preoccupied

objective (adjective) not aff ected by personal feelings

obsolete (adjective) outdated

offi cious (adjective) marked by excessive eagerness to off er unwanted help

ominous (noun) signaling something evil is about to happen

omniscient (adjective) having complete knowledge

opaque (adjective) not transparent; hard to understand

opportunist (noun) one who takes advantage of an opportunity without regard for any moral principles

parochial (adjective) having a narrow scope

parsimonious (adjective) stingy; excessively frugal or sparing


pundit a political analyst or commentator who usually works for a newspaper ormagazine, or in broadcasting. Derived from a Hindi phrase meaning learned one.


AIDS Acquired Immune Defi ciency Syndrome

Word Up List for February 11-15

pariah (noun) a social outcast

pastiche (noun) a piece of music, writing, or art combining several sources or styles

patent (adjective) obvious; readily visible paucity (noun) a small amount or number

penchant (noun) a strong taste or liking

persecution (noun) tormenting a person because of his or her beliefs

phenomena (noun) occurrences, facts, or observable circumstances

philanthropist (noun) someone who gives to worthy causes

phonetics (noun) the study of sounds in a language

pioneer (noun) a leader in a fi eld (verb) to lead the way in a fi eld

pious (adjective) having reverence for a god

plagiarist (noun) a person who presents someone elses work as his or her own

precarious (adjective) unstable; insecure

preclude (verb) to make impossible

predecessor (noun) a person who comes before another in an offi ce or job

premonition (noun) a feeing that something is about to happen

presumptuous (adjective) bold to point of rudeness

prodigal (adjective) wasteful

quarry (noun) a large open pit from which stone is cut


spin a politicians attempt to shape the way the public looks at an issue or event, much the way a tennis player uses spin to direct the ball.


IED Improvised Explosive Device; simply put: a homemade bomb

Word Up List for February 18-22

query (noun) a question or an inquiry

quibble (noun) a small objection (verb) to make a minor objection

raconteur (noun) a skilled storyteller

rebuttal (noun) a reply to a criticism or challenge

recant (verb) to take back

recluse (noun) someone who lives in seclusion

reconcile (verb) to settle a problem

rectify (verb) to fi x; to correct

redundant (adjective) characterized by unnecessary repetition

reminiscence (noun) a story of past experiences

regulate (adjective) to control or direct by some particular method

reign (verb) to rule (noun) having supreme power

reiteration (adjective) saying to doing something repeatedly

renounce (verb) to give up or put aside

repeal (verb) to take back a law or other decision

repertiore (noun) a supply of songs, stories, skills, or devices

repudiate (verb) to cast off , disown, or refuse to acknowledge

residual (adjective) describing the part that is left over



MRE Meals Ready to Eat, usually used by the military

Word Up List for February 25 - March 1

resourceful (adjective) able to fi nd solutions

resolute (adjective) strongly determined

reticent (adjective) untalkative, shy, or reluctant to speak

retort (verb) to reply sharply; (noun) a sharp reply

revere (verb) to regard with awe

revelation (noun) a striking realization rivalry (noun) an ongoing competition

sanctuary (noun) a safe place; a room for worship

sanction (verb) to give permission; (noun) a coercive measure designed to make a person or persons comply with a directive

satiate (verb) to satisfy fully

sect (noun) a subgroup of a religion; a faction

sentinel (noun) a guard or watchman

serene (adjective) calm or peaceful

skeptical (adjective) showing doubt or disbelief

slander (noun) an untruthful spoken attack on someones reputation

slothful (adjective) lazy

sluggish (adjective) lacking energy

sobriety (noun) being quiet or serious

solidarity (noun) fellowship between members of a group



ACLU American Civil Liberties Union

No word list for March 4 - 8

End of 3rd nine-weeks

No word list for March 18 - 22

Spring Break: March 25 - 29

No word list for April 1 - 5

Word Up List for April 1 - 5

soporifi c (adjective) causing sleep

spendthrift (noun) a person who spends money wastefully

stoic (adjective) not aff ected by passion or feeling

stupefy (verb) to make less alert

subordinate (adjective) placed on a lower order or rank

sullen (adjective) sad or sulky

synopsis (adjective) a plot summary

tacit (adjective) implied; not stated outright

taciturn (adjective) being of few words

tactful (adjective) saying or doing the proper thing

taint (verb) to aff ect something harmful; to contaminate

tantamount (adjective) equivalent in eff ect or meaning

taper (verb) to gradually decrease or slow down; to dwindle

temper (verb) to moderate; to make less excessive

tenet (noun) an idea or belief

terrestrial (adjective) having to do with earth (the dirt, not the planet)

theologian (noun) one who studies religion

thoeretical (adjective) not proven true; only existing as an idea



NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement


thesis (noun) an unproven theory; also, a long research paper

tirade (noun) a long, harsh, abusive speech

tract (noun) a piece of land

traitor (noun) one who betrays a person, cause or country

unbiased (adjective) without prejudice

ubiquitous (adjective) being everywhere at the same time

unanimity (noun) complete agreement

undermine (verb) to injure or destroy in an underhanded manner

unethical (adjective) having bad moral principles

unheralded (adjective) unnoticed or unappreciated

uniform (adjective) alike; identical

unnerving (adjective) upsetting; causing nervousness

unprecedented (adjective) without parallel

unseemly (adjective) unbecoming

unsound (adjective) not solid; not well founded; not healthy

vacillation (noun) wavering; going back and forth

vagary (noun) inconsistent or unpredictable action

vane (noun) a device that measures wind direction



OPEC Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries


unwitting (adjective) unaware

urbane (adjective) highly sophisticated

usurp (verb) to seize power by force

utility (noun) usefulness

vague (adjective) not precise; unclear

vanquish (verb) to overpower and enemy completely

veiled (adjective) covered or concealed

vengeful (adjective) wanting or seeking revenge

vent (verb) to express with sttrong emotion

verbosity (noun) the use of too many words

verifi able (adjective) able to be proven true

versatile (adjective) capable of doing many things well

vociferous (adjective) loud

waft (noun) a slight breeze

waive (verb) to throw away, give up or forsake, as in a right ot privilege

wallow (verb) to roll ones self about in an ungainly manner

wariness (noun) a state of being careful or suspicious

wayward (adjective) following ones own inclinations, rather than following a principle or law

yearning (noun) a tender or urgent longing

zealous (adjective) having too great or even fanatical devotion


vitality (noun) energy; liveliness

void (verb) to invalidate; (noun) an empty space; (adjective) lacking meaning

wharf (noun) a structure along a shore for ships to receive or discharge cargo

whimsical (adjective) subject or erratic or unpredictable behavior

wizened (adjective) dry, shrunken, or wrinkled from age

wily (adjective) intending to esnare or deceive

witty (adjective) having good intellectual capacity

wry (adjective) out of the proper shape; twisted around

yoke (noun) a frame fi tted (usually to an animal) for pulling a load

zenith (noun) the highest point; a peak

*Th ere are only TEN words on the fi nal list.

word up lists 2013-2014 1st sem

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