Monday, August 19, 2013

Vocabulary #1

Adumbrate: a verb- meaning to foreshadow
            Austen adumbrated that Lydia had feelings for an officer.

Apotheosis: a noun- elevation of a person to the rank of a god or the ideal example or epitome
Her art was the apotheosis of artistic freedom.

Ascetic: a noun- meaning a person who abstains from “normal” pleasures of life or denies herself material satisfaction; monk or hermit.  A verb- meaning exceedingly strict in religious exercises
            Being an ascetic isn’t everyone’s ideal life.

Bauble: a noun- a cheap, showy ornament or trinket
            Although he tried to show off his new school supplies, they were simply baubles that had no real value.
  
Beguile: a verb- to influence by trickery or flattery, to charm or divert, or to take away from by cheating (used with an object)
            The naïve man was beguiled of money from the thief.

Burgeon: a verb- to grow or flourish; to begin to grow as a bud or sprout.  A noun- a bud or sprout
            The small city burgeoned into a large, urban city.

Complement: a noun- something or a quantity that makes something complete as a whole or perfect, a full number of crew on a ship, or full quantity or amount
             Peanut butter is a complement to a sweet apple.

Contumacious: adjective- rebellious or willfully disobedient
            The contumacious teen refused to listen to her parent’s advice about high school.

Curmudgeon: noun- a bad tempered, difficult, cantankerous person
            There is no need to be a curmudgeon!  Be positive!
             
Didactic: adjective- intended to teach a moral lesson or instruct
            The class learned quickly in didactic lectures from their teachers rather than casual ones.

Disingenuous: adjective- lacking in candor or sincerity, hypocritical
            The disingenuous man went back on his word.

Exculpate: verb- to clear from a charge of guilt, free from blame
            They exculpated the man accused of fraud.

Faux pas: noun- slip in manners, an embarrassing blunder
            She handled the faux pas well.  She excused herself for the behavior but didn’t blush.

Fulminate: verb- (without object) to explode with a loud noise.  (with object) to cause to explode or to issue condemnation
            The firework fulminated, screeching as it went into the air.

Fustian: noun- stout fabric of cotton and flax, inflated or turgid language in speaking or writing.  Adjective- made of fustian, pompous/bombastic in speaking, worthless or cheap
            The fustian song didn’t appeal to humble people in America.

Hauteur: noun- haughty manner or spirit; arrogance
            The young man’s hauteur offended many women.
           
Inhibit: verb- to restrain, to prohibit
            He inhibited the group project with his unscholarly behavior.

Jeremiad: noun- a prolonged lamentation or mournful complaint
            The man’s jeremiad after his wife’s death was sad.

Opportunist: noun- the policy of adapting actions or decisions to effectiveness regardless of the sacrifice of ethical principles.
            She was an opportunist; her grade was worth more than her friends were.

Unconscionable: adjective- not guided by conscience, not in accordance to what is just or reasonable, excessive
            She didn’t guide her decisions by what was reasonable but rather unconscionable.

No comments:

Post a Comment