Vocabulary 4

Accolade: n. an award, a light touch on the shoulder with a sword in a ceremony of knighthood, the ceremony itself

      The movie received many accolades from the critics.

Acerbity: n. sourness of taste, harshness or severity as of temper or expression

      The man’s acerbity during the comedic performance showed that he didn’t appreciate the comedian’s sense of humor.

Attrition: n. a reduction or decrease in numbers, size or strength, wearing down, weakening of resistance, wearing down by friction

      The high school club had a high attrition rate since most of its members were graduated seniors

Bromide: n. a platitude or trite saying, a person who is platitudinous and boring

      The bromide continued to talk about the mundane tasks he had fulfilled in his uneventful day as we all were bored to death.

Chauvinist: n. a person aggressively and blindly patriotic, a person who believes one gender is superior to the other

      The male chauvinist of the Middle East had a hard time adjusting to America’s gender roles.

Chronic: adj. constant, habitual, continuing for a long time or recurring frequently, having long had disease or weakness

      The man was a chronic liar.  He spoke so many lies that to him, they soon became truths.

Expound: v. to set forth or state in detail, to explain

      The professor expounded his theories on the universe to the students.

Factionalism: adj. self-interested, partisan

      The woman’s judgment was no longer fair but factionalized.

Immaculate: adj. pure, clean, free from errors

      The room was immaculate after the housekeeper had left.

Imprecation: n. the act of cursing, a curse

      The witch’s imprecation was felt by all of the villagers.

Ineluctable: adj. inescapable, incapable of being evaded

      The hero faced his ineluctable destiny of needing to face his fear of heights in order to scale the tower and save his princess.

Mercurial: adj. changeable, flighty, lively

      The mercurial dancer captivated the audience with her routine.

Palliate: v. (with object) to relieve or lessen without curing, alleviate, to conceal the gravity of an offense by excuses or apologies

      The student palliated his cheating but in the end, the teacher saw through it and failed him.

Protocol: n. the customs or regulations dealing with diplomatic formality, an original draft or record from which a document is prepared, supplementary international agreement, agreement between states

      Classroom protocol involves respect, responsibility, and open-mindedness.

Resplendent: adj. shining brilliantly, gleaming

      The sculpture had resplendent sparkles attached to it.

Stigmatize: v. (with object) to set some mark of disgrace of infamy upon

      His twisted past stigmatized his future even if he had become a better person.

Sub rosa: n. secretly, privately

      The agent’s calls all had to be made sub rosa.

Vainglory: n. excessive elation or pride over one’s own achievements, empty pomp or show

      The woman’s vainglory over her scholarly accomplishments let many believe she was excessively arrogant in the classroom.

Vestige: n. a mark, trace, or visible evidence of something that is no longer present or in existence, surviving evidence or remainder of some condition, practice, a slight trace or amount of something

      The steel beams were the only vestiges left from the Twin Towers after the attack on 9/11.

Volition: n. the act of wiling, choosing, resolving

      The woman left by her own volition.