WORD LIST 163
rescind (ri·'sind) v. to repeal or cancel; to void or annul. The Olsens rescinded their
offer to buy the house when they discovered the property was in a flood zone.
resonant ('rez·o ̆·na ̆nt) adj. echoing, resounding. The new announcer at the stadium
has a wonderfully resonant voice.
resplendent (ri·'splen·de ̆nt) adj. having great splendor or beauty; dazzling, bril-
liant. Sanjay stood for a long time on the deck, watching a resplendent sunset over the
mountains.
reticent ('ret·i·se ̆nt) adj. tending to keep one’s thoughts and feelings to oneself;
reserved, untalkative, silent. Annette is very reticent, so don’t expect her to tell you
much about herself.
revere (ri·'veer) v. to regard with reverence or awe; to venerate, hold in highest
respect or estimation. When you look at Judith’s work, it’s easy to see which painter
she reveres most; every painting is an homage to Cezanne.
rigmarole ('ri·ma ̆·rohl) (also rigamarole ) n. 1. rambling, confusing, incoherent
talk. 2. a complicated, petty procedure. We had to go through a great deal of rig-
marole to get this approved.
rogue (roh) n. 1. a dishonest, unprincipled person. 2. a pleasantly mischievous
person. 3. a vicious and solitary animal living apart from the herd. Yesterday,
that rogue hid all of my cooking utensils; today he’s switched everything around in the
cupboards!
roil (roil) v. 1. to make a liquid cloudy or muddy. 2. to stir up or agitate.
- to anger or annoy. The crowd was roiled by the speaker’s insensitive remarks.
rubric ('roo·brik) n. 1. a class or category. 2. a heading, title, or note of explana-
tion or direction. I would put this under the rubric of “quackery,” not “alternative
medicine.”
Ssacrilegious (sak·r ̆·'lij·u ̆s) adj. disrespectful or irreverent towards something
regarded as sacred. Her book was criticized by the church for being sacrilegious.
sagacious (sa ̆·'ay·shu ̆s) adj. having or showing sound judgment; perceptive,
wise. My sagacious uncle always gives me good, sound advice.
salient ('say·lee·e ̆nt) adj. 1. conspicuous, prominent, highly noticeable; drawing
attention through a striking quality. 2. springing up or jutting out. Jill’s most
salient feature is her stunning auburn hair.