25th July Flashcards
diatribe
A diatribe is an angry, critical speech.
With most diatribes, the speaker thinks he’s well informed and knows something the listener doesn’t, while to most listeners the diatribe is so angry and unhinged that it’s just a waste of time.
A Southern California community was on high alert early Sunday after a person claiming to be a resident left a lengthy diatribe on Reddit threatening a mass shooting.
“The Oscars arrivals ceremony, which I’ve covered many times, is usually the glitziest, most glamorous and star-studded collection of human beings amassed on Planet Earth,” Morgan, 56, wrote in his lengthy diatribe.
anathema
Something that one absolutely and positively cannot stand is anathema.
The clause sparked alarm, as such a requirement would be anathema for Taiwan’s government, long wary of Beijing’s attempts at influence over the democratic island, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
equivocate
When you are unwilling to make a decision and almost intentionally go back and forth between two choices, you are equivocating.
When you give your voice to two opposing views in order to mislead or keep your options open, you’re equivocating.
He equivocated on the use of masks, claiming he is “okay” with that if people do so, but showing no change in his resistance to wearing one personally.
attenuate
Attenuated is an adjective that describes something that has faded or weakened.
It constrained the normal practices of a political campaign, from the attenuated party conventions to the rallies that Mr. Trump was forced to delay and downsize.
factious | faction
A factious group is one that breaks away, or wants to.
Faction :
A faction might take a fraction of the people from a large group and start a new group.
chary
Being chary (pronounced CHAIR-ee) is being wary or cautious.
Having received three speeding tickets in the last two months, Jack was very chary of driving at all the above speed limit.
vicissitude
When you talk of the vicissitudes of life, you’re referring to the difficult times that we all go through: sickness, job loss, and other unwelcome episodes.
Vicissitude is almost always used to talk about an unfortunate event or circumstance.
He understands the economy solely through the vicissitudes of the stock market.
