Vindictive (vin DIK tiv) - seeking revenge
Example: Samantha's vindictive ex-husband drove all the way across the
country just to punch her in the nose. Vehement (VEE uh munt) - intense; forceful; violent
Example: Shaking his fist and stomping his foot, Gerry was vehement in
his denial. Verbose (vur BOHS) - using too many words; not succinct; circumlocutory
Example: Someone who is verbose uses too many words when fewer words would suffice. Virtuoso (vur choo WOH soh) - a masterful musician; a masterful practitioner in some other field
Example: The concert audience fell silent when the virtuoso stepped forward to play the sonata on his electric banjo. Vitriolic (vi tree AHL ik) - caustic; full of bitterness
Example: The review of the new book was so vitriolic that we all wondered
whether the reviewer had some personal grudge against the author. Vernacular (vur NAK yuh lur)
Definition: everyday speech; slang; idiom
Sentence: Our teacher said that we should save our vernacular for the
street; in the classroom we should use proper grammar. Vociferous (voh SIF ur us )
Definition: loud; noisy
Sentence: Randy often becomes vociferous during arguments. He doesn't
know what he believes , but he states it loudly nevertheless. Vehement (VEE uh munt)
Definition: intense; forceful; violent
Sentence: Shaking his fist and stomping his foot, Gerry was vehement in
his denial. Verbose (vur BOHS)
Definition: using too many words; not succinct; circumlocutory
Sentence: Someone who is verbose uses too many words when fewer words
would suffice. Virtuoso (vur choo WOH soh)
Definition: a masterful musician; a masterful practitioner in some other
field
Sentence: The concert audience fell silent when the virtuoso stepped
forward to play the sonata on his electric banjo. Vitriolic (vi tree AHL ik)
Definition: caustic; full of bitterness
Sentence: The review of the new book was so vitriolic that we all
wondered whether the reviewer had some personal grudge against the author. Venal (VEEN ul)
Definition: capable of being bribed; willing to do anything for money;
corrupt
Sentence: The venal judge reversed his favorable ruling when the
defendant refused to make good on his promised bribe. Veracity (vuh RAS uh tee)
Definition: truthfulness
Sentence: The veracity of young George Washington is legendary, but it
may be apocryphal. Vicissitude (vi SIS uh tood)
Definition: upheaval; natural change; change in fortune
Sentence: The vicissitudes of the local political machine were such that
one could never quite be certain whom one was supposed to bribe. Virulent (VIR uh lunt)
Definition: extremely poisonous; malignant; full of hate
Sentence: The virulent disease quickly swept through the community,
leaving many people dead and many more people extremely ill. Vicarious (vye KAR ee us) - experienced, performed, or suffered through someone else; living through the experiences of another as though they were one's own experiences
Sentence: To take vicarious pleasure in someone else's success is to enjoy that person's success as though it were your own. Vacillate (VAS uh layt)
Definition: to be indecisive; to waver
Sentence: Tyler vacillated about buying a new car. He couldn't decide
whether to get one or not. Viable (VYE uh bul)
Definition: capable of living; workable
Sentence: When a doctor says that a patient is no longer viable, it's
time to start planning a funeral. Volatile (VAHL uh tul)
Definition: quick to evaporate; highly unstable; explosive
Sentence: A volatile crowd is one that seems to be in imminent danger of
getting out of control, or exploding. Vapid (VAP id )
Definition: without liveliness; dull; spiritless
Sentence: An apathetic person just doesn't care about anything, and
everything he does is vapid. Vitiate (VISH ee ayt)
Definition: to make impure; to pollute
Sentence: For years a zealous group of individuals has campaigned against
the use of fluoride in water, claiming that it has vitiated our bodies as
well as our morals. Volition (voh LISH un)
Definition: will; conscious choice
Sentence: Insects, lacking volition, simply aren't as interesting as
humans are. Venerate (VEN uh rayt) - to revere; to treat as something holy,
especially because of great age
Example: Lester venerated his grandfather, he worshipped the very ground
the old man limped on. Vex (veks) - to annoy, to pester; to confuse
Example: Margaret vexed me by poking me with a long, sharp stick. Visionary (VIZH un ner ee) - a dreamer; someone with impractical goals or
ideas about the future
Example: My uncle was a visionary, not a businessman; he spent too much
time tinkering with his antigravity generator and not enough time working
in his plumbing business. Vernacular (vur NAK yuh lur) - everyday speech; slang; idiom
Example: Our teacher said that we should save our vernacular for the
street; in the classroom we should use proper grammar. Vociferous (voh SIF ur us ) - loud; noisy
Example: Randy often becomes vociferous during arguments. He doesn't know
what he believes , but he states it loudly nevertheless. Vilify (VIL uh fye) - to say vile things about; to defame
Example: The teacher was reprimanded for vilifying the slow student in front of the rest of the class. Vestige (VES tij) - a remaining bit of something; a last trace
Example: The unhappy young man found vestiges of his fiancee in the rubble, but the explosion had affectively ended their romance. Venal (VEEN ul) - capable of being bribed; willing to do anything for money; corrupt
Example: The venal judge reversed his favorable ruling when the defendant refused to make good on his promised bribe. Veracity (vuh RAS uh tee) - truthfulness
Example: The veracity of young George Washington is legendary, but it may be apocryphal. Vicissitude (vi SIS uh tood) - upheaval; natural change; change in fortune
Example: The vicissitudes of the local political machine were such that one could never quite be certain whom one was supposed to bribe. Virulent (VIR uh lunt) - extremely poisonous; malignant; full of hate
Example: The virulent disease quickly swept through the community, leaving many people dead and many more people extremely ill. Verisimilitude (ver us si MIL uh tood) - similarity to reality; the appearance of truth; looking like the real thing
Example: They used pine cones and old truck tires to make statues of Hollywood celebrities that were remarkable for their verisimilitude. Vindicate (VIN duh kayt) - to clear from all blame or suspicion; to justify
Example: Tony, having been accused of stealing money from the cash register, was vindicated when the store manager counted the money again and found that none was missing after all. Vacillate (VAS uh layt) - to be indecisive; to waver
Example: Tyler vacillated about buying a new car. He couldn't decide whether to get one or not. Viable (VYE uh bul) - capable of living; workable
Example: When a doctor says that a patient is no longer viable, it's time to start planning a funeral. Vocation (voh KAY shun) - an occupation; a job
Example: Your vocation is what you do for a living. Volatile (VAHL uh tul) - quick to evaporate; highly unstable; explosive
Example: A volatile crowd is one that seems to be in imminent danger of
getting out of control, or exploding.