Vocabulary 8

Abase:  v. to reduce or lower in rank, humble, degrade

The general was abased when he was caught beating a soldier.

Abdicate: v. to renounce or relinquish a throne or claim or throne

Claudius abdicated the throne from Hamlet.

Abomination: n. anything greatly disliked

Some students believe memorization is an abomination.

Brusque: adj. abrupt in manner

Hamlet’s father’s death was very brusque.

Saboteur: n. a person who commits or practices sabotage

The saboteur is actually Claudius in the play.

Debauchery: n. excessive indulgence or in sensual pleasures

The drinking debauchery led to an insane hangover the next day.

Proliferate: v. to grow or produce by multiplication of parts as in budding or cell division

The hydra proliferates in the ocean.

Anachronism: n. something or someone who is not in their correct historical time

Hipsters are a modern day anachronism.

Nomenclature: n. a set or system of names or terms as those used in a particular science or art

Impressionists were a nomenclature given to artists in France that didn’t paint reality but rather their impression of it.

Expurgate: v. to amend by removing words or passages, deemed offensive

Children watch an expurgated version of Disney movies.

Bellicose: adj. inclined or eager to fight, aggressively hostile

Although Hamlet is bellicose, he seems to like he is the most hostile towards himself.

Gauche: adj. lacking social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness

The gauche man made a rape joke to a girl who was the result of rape herself.

Rapacious: adj. given to seizing for plunder or the satisfaction of greed

Claudius was rapacious when he married Gertrude.

Paradox: n. a statement or proposition that seems absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth

A paradox is essentially an extended oxymoron.

Conundrum: n. a riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or a play on words

Most game shows involve conundrums the contests must solve.

Anomaly: n. a deviation from the common rule or form or type or arrangement

Our classroom is the anomaly of the typical high school classroom.

Ephemeral: adj. lasting a very short time, short lived

The one hit wonder singer’s career was ephemeral.

Rancorous: adj. full of or showing rancor

Hamlet is very rancorous when he finds out Claudius poisoned his father.

Churlish: adj. like a churl, boorish, rude, difficult to work with

The churlish man wasn’t taking care of his customers at the restaurant.

Precipitous: adj. of the nature of or characterized by precipices, steep

The precipitous street was a famous place to try to skateboard.