WORD LIST 171
vehement ('vee·e ̆·me ̆nt) adj. 1. characterized by extreme intensity of emotion or
forcefulness of expression or conviction. 2. marked by great force, vigor, or
energy. The senator was vehement in her denial of any wrongdoing and maintained
her innocence throughout the investigation.
venal ('vee·na ̆l) adj. easily bribed or corrupted; unprincipled. The venal judge was
removed and disbarred.
venerable ('ven·e ̆·ra ̆·be ̆l) adj. worthy of reverence or respect because of age, dig-
nity, character or position. The venerable Jimmy Carter has won the Nobel Peace
Prize.
verbose (ve ̆r·'bohs) adj. using more words than necessary; wordy, long-winded.
Her verbose letter rambled so much that it didn’t seem to have a point.
verisimilitude (ver·i·si·'mil·i·tood) n. the appearance of being true or real. The
movie aims for complete verisimilitude and has painstakingly recreated the details of
everyday life in the 1920s.
veritable ('ver·i·ta ̆·be ̆l) adj. real, true, genuine. Einstein was a veritable genius.
vex (veks) v. 1. to annoy, irritate. 2. to cause worry to. I was completely vexed by his
puerile behavior.
vie (v ̄) v. to compete with or contend; to strive for superiority or victory. The two
scientists were vying to be the first to find concrete evidence of extraterrestrial life.
vignette (vin·'yet) n. a brief description or depiction, especially a short literary
sketch or scene or ornamental sketch in a book. The film is a series of interrelated
vignettes rather than one continuous narrative.
virulent ('vir·yu ̆·le ̆nt) adj. 1. extremely poisonous, injurious or infectious.
- bitterly hostile or hateful, acrimonious. They say that the pen is mightier than
the sword; indeed, words can be every bit as virulent as the sting of a scorpion.
vis-à-vis (vee·za ̆·'vee) adj. 1. referring or directing attention to. 2. face to face
with or opposite to. adv. face to face. After a few minutes of pandemonium, the
lights came back on, and Suki suddenly found herself vis-à-vis with the man of her
dreams.
vitriolic (vit·ri·'ol·ik) adj. savagely hostile or bitter, caustic. Her vitriolic attack on
her opponent was so hostile that it may cost her the election.
vituperate (v ̄·too·pe ̆·rayt) v. to criticize or rebuke harshly or abusively; to cen-
sure severely, berate. After being vituperated by her boss for something that wasn’t
even her fault, Jin handed in her letter of resignation.