Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Monday, September 16, 2013

Vocab #5

obsequious: characterized by or showing servile complaisance or deference; fawning

beatitude: supreme blessedness; exalted happiness.

bete noire:  a person or thing that one particularly dislikes or dreads

bode: to be an omen of; portend

dank: unpleasantly moist or humid; damp and, often, chilly

ecumenical: general; universal.

fervid: heated or vehement in spirit, enthusiasm

fetid: having an offensive odor; stinking.

gargantuan: gigantic; enormous; colossal

heyday: the stage or period of greatest vigor, strength, success, etc.; prime

incubus: a nightmare.

infrastructure: the basic, underlying framework or features of a system or organization.

inveigle: to entice, lure, or ensnare by flattery or artful talk or inducements

kudos: honor; glory; acclaim

lagniappe: an unexpected or indirect benefit.

prolix: extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy.

protege: a person under the patronage, protection, or care of someone interested in his or her career or welfare.

prototype: the original or model on which something is based or formed.

sycophant: a self-seeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite.

tautology: needless repetition of an idea, especially in words other than those of the immediate context, without imparting additional force or clearness

truckle: to submit or yield obsequiously or tamely

Monday, September 9, 2013

Vocab #4

accolade: any award, honor, or laudatory notice

acerbity: sourness, with roughness or astringency of taste.

attrition: a reduction or decrease in numbers, size, or strength

bromide: a person who is platitudinous and boring.

chauvinist: a person who is aggressively and blindly patriotic, especially one devoted to military glory.

chronic: continuing a long time or recurring frequently

expound: to explain; interpret.

factionalism:self-interested; partisan

immaculate: free from moral blemish or impurity; pure

imprecation: the act of imprecating; cursing.

ineluctable: incapable of being evaded; inescapable, inevitable, unavoidable, irrevocable, unpreventable, unstoppable, inexorable.

mercurial: changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic

palliate: to try to mitigate or conceal the gravity of (an offense) by excuses, apologies, etc.; extenuate.

protocol: the customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality, precedence, and etiquette.

resplendent: shining brilliantly; gleaming; splendid

stigmatize:to set some mark of disgrace or infamy upon

sub rosa: confidentially; secretly; privately.

vainglory: excessive elation or pride over one's own achievements, abilities, etc.; boastful vanity.

vestige: a mark, trace, or visible evidence of something that is no longer present or in existence

volition: the act of willing, choosing, or resolving; exercise of willing

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Vocab #3

apostate: a person who forsakes his religion, cause, party, etc.

effusive: pouring out; overflowing.

impasse: a position or situation from which there is no escape

euphoria:  state of intense happiness and self-confidence

lugubrious: mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially in an affected, exaggerated, or unrelieved manner

bravado: a pretentious, swaggering display of courage.

consensus: general agreement or concord; harmony.

dichotomy: division into two parts, kinds, etc.; subdivision into halves or pairs.

constrict: to draw or press in; cause to contract or shrink; compress.

gothic: genre or mode of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance

punctilio: a fine point, particular, or detail, as of conduct, ceremony, or procedure.

metamorphosis: any complete change in appearance, character, circumstances, etc.

raconteur: a person who is skilled in relating stories and anecdotes interestingly.

sine qua non: an indispensable condition, element, or factor; something essential

quixotic: impulsive and often rashly unpredictable.extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable.

vendetta: any prolonged and bitter feud, rivalry, contention, or the like

non sequitur: a statement containing an illogical conclusion.

mystique: a framework of doctrines, ideas, beliefs, or the like, constructed around a person or object

quagmire: a situation from which extrication is very difficult

parlous: perilous; dangerous.