Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Vocab #1

adumbrate - verb give to understand;describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of

 - I will adumbrate the essay so that you have a brief understanding of what you will be learning over the next few months.

apotheosis - noun the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god); model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
 
-The dancer felt like and apotheosis when the audience gave her much applause.

ascetic - adj. practicing great self-denial; pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous self-discipline
 
-Body builders are very ascetic. 

bauble - noun a mock scepter carried by a court jester; cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing
 
-The fake woman wore very bauble jewelry while trying to fit in. 

beguile - verb attract; cause to be enamored; influence by slyness
 
-The man was trying to beguile the customers with his complimenting words. 

burgeon - verb grow and flourish
 
-The dog needs food and water to burgeon. 

complement - noun something added to complete or make perfect; either of two parts that mutually complete each other
 
-Husband and wife complement each other when raising their children. 

contumacious - adj. wilfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient
 
The spoiled girl was very contumacious towards her babysitter. 

curmudgeon - noun a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas
 
-The old man was very curmudgeon when it came to his granddaughter dating. 

didactic - adj. instructive (especially excessively)
 
-The man was didactic when he was coaching the soccer team. 

disingenuous - adj. not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness
 
-The candidate gave a disingenuous speech about what he could do for the school. 

exculpate - verb pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
 
-The man was exculpated from the crime when video footage proving him innocent was found. 

faux pas - noun. a slip or blunder inetiquette, manners, or conduct; anembarrassing social blunder orindiscretion.
 
-Many teenagers experience a faux pas before graduating high school. 

fulminate - noun a salt or ester of fulminic acid; verb cause to explode violently and with loud noise
 
-The volcano fulminated when the sun reached it's peak. 

fustian - noun a strong cotton and linen fabric with a slight nap; pompous or pretentious talk or writing
 
-The prince could not convince his mom to forgive him for being fustian. 

hauteur - noun overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors
 
-The old man was hauteur towards the children. 

inhibit - verb limit the range or extent of;to put down by force or authority
 
-The police inhibited the teenagers for parking in the wrong area. 

jeremiad - noun a long and mournful complaint
 
-Many teenagers make a lot of jeremiads in one day. 

opportunist - adj. taking immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit; noun a person who places expediency above principle
 
-Being an opportunist lost Maria many friends when she took advantage of their connections. 

unconscionable - adj. greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation; lacking a conscience

-The 40 year old Olympic swimmer did the unconscionable when she won in multiple events. 

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