Manhatten new words from definitions Flashcards
undergird
strengthen
ascertain
find (something) out for certain; make sure of.
“an attempt to ascertain the cause of the accident”
perspicacity
the quality of having a ready insight into things; shrewdness.
“the perspicacity of her remarks”
facile
shallow or superficial, too easy
flagrant
(of something considered wrong or immoral) conspicuously or obviously offensive. “his flagrant bad taste” synonym for blatantly
corroborate
confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding).
“the witness had corroborated the boy’s account of the attack”
bravado
a bold manner or a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate, behavior by a scared person that shows courage.
aggrandize
increase the power, status, or wealth of. “an action intended to aggrandize the Frankish dynasty” enhance the reputation of (someone) beyond what is justified by the facts. “he hoped to aggrandize himself by dying a hero’s death”
slight
small, not very important, slender or delicate, treat as though not very important, snub, ignore, an act of treating in this way, a discourtesy. “She was very sensitive, always holding a grudge against her coworkers for a variety of slights, both real and imagined. Natalie has always been slight, she became even thinner to portray a ballerina in the movie swan. I felt slighted when my husband told you about his promotion before he told me.”
propensity
an inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way.
“a propensity for violence”
proclivity
a tendency to choose or do something regularly; an inclination or predisposition toward a particular thing “a proclivity for hard work”
watershed moment
is the point of a very important decision, watershed is literally a division between two water drainage areas
corpulent
(of a person) fat.
incarnate
embody or represent (a deity or spirit) in human form.
“the idea that God incarnates himself in man”
inducement
a thing that persuades or influences someone to do something.
“companies were prepared to build only in return for massive inducements”
liturgy
a form or formulary according to which public religious worship, especially Christian worship, is conducted.
panoply
a complete or impressive collection of things. a splendid display. “all the panoply of Western religious liturgy”
tare
a deduction from the gross weight of a substance and its container made in allowance for the weight of the container; also : the weight of the container (the tare will be deducted from the weight of the salad )
assay
to judge the worth of : estimate
assay the results of the new changes
plumb
measure (the depth of a body of water). To test and upright surface, to determine vertical, vertical, “ensure the baseboard is straight and plumb”, synonym for sounding the depths
static tableau
French for ‘living picture’, is a static scene containing one or more actors or models.
paltry
(of an amount) small or meager.
“she would earn a paltry $33 more each month”
blather
talk long-windedly without making very much sense.
“she began blathering on about spirituality and life after death”
parse
analyze (a sentence) into its parts and describe their syntactic roles. “The philosopher’s work was difficult to parse”
exponent
a person who believes in and promotes the truth or benefits of an idea or theory.
“an early exponent of the teachings of Thomas Aquinas”
ratify
sign or give formal consent to (a treaty, contract, or agreement), making it officially valid.”they failed to ratify the amendment”
mutable
able to be shaped or formed, easily influenced, “a young child’s mind is quite plastic”
tacit
implied, unspoken - understood or implied without being stated. “your silence may be taken to mean tacit agreement”
doctrinaire
someone who applies doctrine in an impractical or rigid and close-minded way).
heterodox
not conforming with accepted or orthodox standards or beliefs.
“heterodox views”
fording
(of a person or vehicle) cross (a river or stream) at a shallow place.
plaudits
praise.
“the network has received plaudits for its sports coverage”
penchant
a strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something.
“he has a penchant for adopting stray dogs”
implement
a tool, utensil, or other piece of equipment, especially as used for a particular purpose.
“agricultural implements”
efficacity
variant on the word efficacy- identical in meaning
conundrum
a confusing and difficult problem or question.
“one of the most difficult conundrums for the experts”
enigma
a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand.
stratum
a layer, “of all the strata of society, the middle class is hit the hardest by recession.”
echelon
(a level, rank or grade; the people at the level) a level or rank in an organization, a profession, or society. “the upper echelons of the business world”
dupe
a person who is easily fooled or used, or to fool or exploit
asylum
(refuge granted by a foreign country to a foreign persecuted in his own country)
occult
supernatural, mysterious, arcane, can also mean to hid from view or become hidden. “The pleiades, existing in deep sky, can be occulted by the moon when everything lines up just right”
levity
lightness of personality or behavior, lack of seriousness; humor or frivolity, especially the treatment of a serious matter with humor or in a manner lacking due respect. “as an attempt to introduce a note of levity, the words were a disastrous flop”
omnipresent
widely or constantly encountered; common or widespread. “the omnipresent threat of natural disasters”
ubiquitous
present, appearing, or found everywhere.
“his ubiquitous influence was felt by all the family”
lax
(not strict, careless, loose slack)
lull
to calm, or period of calm or quiet “the rhythm of the boat lulled her to sleep”
educe
Educe- to bring out , esp something that has been dormant. “The speech therapist educed a complete sentence from a boy who had previously been labeled non verbal”
buttress
increase the strength of or justification for; reinforce.
“authority was buttressed by religious belief”
explicate
analyze and develop (an idea or principle) in detail.
“attempting to explicate the relationship between crime and economic forces”
incongruity
standing out , not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something.”the duffel coat looked incongruous with the black dress she wore underneath”
discord or discordance
harshness or inharmonious ness, disagreement
bawdy
dealing with sexual matters in a comical way; humorously indecent.
limerick
a humorous, frequently bawdy, verse of three long and two short lines rhyming aabba, popularized by Edward Lear.
stasis
equilibrium, a state of balance or inactivity caused by equal but opposite forces” ex - hemostasis
starkers
streakers, people who run around stark naked
sedition
conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch. incitement or dissent against a government promoting rebellion by speech or writing. The newspaper editor was accused of sedition when he encouraged his fans to rise up against police officers.
bewail and Bemoan
Bewail is to lament while bemoan can express grief or simply just disapproval
Mar
damage, spoil, deface mpair the quality of; spoil. “violence marred a number of New Year celebrations”
vitiate
spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of.
“development programs have been vitiated by the rise in population”
vintner
wine maker
commix
mix together mix; mingle. “beat them till they be thoroughly commixed”
agglomerate
(collect into a mass) collect or form into a mass or group. “companies agglomerate multiple sites such as chains of stores”
conglomerate
a number of different things or parts that are put or grouped together to form a whole but remain distinct entities. “the Earth is a specialized conglomerate of organisms”
penumbra
partial shadow in an eclipse, outer area, periphery, something that conceals, encloses, or cloaks something else. After the newspaper published a story about the senator’s extramarital affair, a penumbra of indignity enclosed the politician’s career.
chary
cautiously or suspiciously reluctant to do something. “most people are chary of allowing themselves to be photographed”
leery
cautious or wary due to realistic suspicions.
“a city leery of gang violence”
auxiliary
helping or supporting the main thing, providing supplementary or additional help and support. “auxiliary airport staff”
jury rig
makeshift; improvised. “jury-rigged classrooms in gymnasiums”
unadulterated
not mixed or diluted with any different or extra elements; complete and absolute. “pure, unadulterated jealousy”
unsullied
not spoiled or made impure.
“an unsullied reputation”
politic
- (of an action) seeming sensible and judicious under the circumstances.”I did not think it politic to express my reservations”
expedient
(of an action) convenient and practical, although possibly improper or immoral.”either side could break the agreement if it were expedient to do so”
fiduciary
involving trust, especially with regard to the relationship between a trustee and a beneficiary. “the company has a fiduciary duty to shareholders”, could be a trustee
infidel
a person who does not believe in religion or who adheres to a religion other than one’s own “they wanted to secure the Holy Places from the infidel”
fiat
dictative or authoritative order “the king rules by fiat”
prose
written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure. “a short story in prose”
gratuitous
uncalled for; lacking good reason; unwarranted. “gratuitous violence” or given or done free of charge. “solicitors provide a form of gratuitous legal advice”
disputatious
fond of or causing heated arguments. “a congenial hangout for disputatious academics” synonym for contentious
posh
elegant or stylishly luxurious. “a posh Munich hotel”
tony
marked by an aristocratic or high-toned manner or style
tony private schools
plummet
plunge, fall straight down
laissez- faire
a doctrine opposing governmental interference in economic affairs beyond the minimum necessary for the maintenance of peace and property rights
argued that the problem with oil prices was too much laissez-faire a philosophy or practice characterized by a usually deliberate abstention from direction or interference especially with individual freedom of choice and action the university has a policy of laissez-faire regarding non-academic student activities
abate
(of something perceived as hostile, threatening, or negative) become less intense or widespread.
“the storm suddenly abated”
contractual
agreed in a contract. “a contractual obligation”
concurrent
occurring at the same time or acting over the same area
assent
the expression of approval or agreement. “a loud murmur of assent”
apocryphal
(of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true.
“an apocryphal story about a former president”
vest
to give (someone) the legal right or power to do something or to own land or property
synchronous
existing or occurring at the same time. “glaciations were approximately synchronous in both hemispheres”
simulcast
a simultaneous transmission of the same program on radio and television, or on two or more channels.
palliate
make (a disease or its symptoms) less severe or unpleasant without removing the cause.
“treatment works by palliating symptoms”
ape
a word for copy that has a somewhat negative connotation. “While he tried to ape hemingway’s style, the truth is, he simply wasn’t a very good writer”
clandestine
kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit.
“she deserved better than these clandestine meetings”
ardent
enthusiastic or passionate. “an ardent baseball fan”
estrange
cause (someone) to be no longer close or affectionate to someone; alienate.
“are you deliberately seeking to estrange your readers?”
extenuate
make (guilt or an offense) seem less serious or more forgivable. “there were extenuating circumstances that caused me to say the things I did”
bootless
(of a task or undertaking) ineffectual; useless. “words at this pass were vain and bootless”
otiose
producing no useful result, lazy, idle, synonym for futile
heterogeneous
diverse in character or content. “a large and heterogeneous collection”
medley
a varied mixture of people or things; a miscellany.
“an interesting medley of flavors”
farrago
a confused mixture. “a farrago of fact and myth about Abraham Lincoln”
potpourri
a mixture of things, especially a musical or literary medley.plural noun: potpourris; plural noun: pot-pourris “he played a potpourri of tunes from Gilbert and Sullivan”
olio
a miscellaneous mixture : hodgepodge - an incredible bourgeois olio of fancy stonework, stained glass, and light-opera staircases
miscellany
a group or collection of different items; a mixture. “Talkeetna was a random miscellany of log cabins”
bourgeouis
of or characteristic of the middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes “a rich, bored, bourgeois family”
antidiluvian
(extremely old, before the biblical flood) “gigantic bones of antediluvian animals” “antediluvian attitudes” can mean old fashioned
fervid or perfervid
intensely enthusiastic or passionate, especially to an excessive degree. “a letter of fervid thanks”
cacophony
a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
“a cacophony of deafening alarm bells”
dissonance
lack of harmony among musical notes.”an unusual degree of dissonance for such choral styles” a tension or clash resulting from the combination of two disharmonious or unsuitable elements.”dissonance between campaign rhetoric and personal behavior”
clamor
a loud and confused noise, especially that of people shouting vehemently. As from a crowd. “the questions rose to a clamor”
ambiance
the character and atmosphere of a place.
“the relaxed ambience of the cocktail lounge is popular with guests”
antedate
precede in time; come before (something) in date.
“a civilization that antedated the Roman Empire”
hububb
a chaotic din caused by a crowd of people.
“a hubbub of laughter and shouting”
clamber
climb, move, or get in or out of something in an awkward and laborious way, typically using both hands and feet.
“I clambered out of the trench”
finicky
fussy about one’s needs or requirements.
“a finicky eater”
fastidious
very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail.
“he chooses his words with fastidious care”
robust
strong and healthy; vigorous.
“the Caplans are a robust, healthy lot”
hale
(of a person, especially an elderly one) strong and healthy.
“only just sixty, very hale and hearty”
vanguard or avante garde
a group of people leading the way in new developments or ideas.”the experimental spirit of the modernist vanguard”
circumspect
wary and unwilling to take risks.
“the officials were very circumspect in their statements”
parlous
full of danger or uncertainty; precarious. “the parlous state of the economy”. greatly or excessively. “she is parlous handsome”
august
respected and impressive, eminent
“she was in august company”
portly
(especially of a man) having a stout body; somewhat fat.
adumbrate
give a rough outline of, report or represent in outline.”James Madison adumbrated the necessity that the Senate be somewhat insulated from public passions”
slander
the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person’s reputation.
“he is suing the TV network for slander”
defame
damage the good reputation of (someone); slander or libel.”he claimed that the article defamed his family
traduce
speak badly of or tell lies about (someone) so as to damage their reputation.
evenhanded
fair and impartial in treatment or judgment.
“an even-handed approach”
parity
the state or condition of being equal, especially regarding status or pay.
“parity of incomes between rural workers and those in industrial occupations”
equanimity
mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.
“she accepted both the good and the bad with equanimity”
legate
a member of the clergy, especially a cardinal, representing the Pope.
emissary
a person sent on a special mission, usually as a diplomatic representative.
descry
catch sight of.
“she descried two figures”
bumpkin
an unsophisticated or socially awkward person from the countryside.
“she thought Tom a bit of a country bumpkin”
yokel
an uneducated and unsophisticated person from the countryside.
pervade
especially of a smell) spread through and be perceived in every part of.
“a smell of stale cabbage pervaded the air”
cerulean
lso spelled caerulean, is a colour term that may be applied to certain colours with the hue ranging roughly between blue and azure overlapping with both
rhetorical
relating to or concerned with the art of rhetoric.
“repetition is a common rhetorical device”
oratorical
relating to the art or practice of public speaking.
“oratorical skills”
interlocutor
one who takes part in dialogue or conversation, interrogator “As my colleague Karen DeYoung reported, Macron’s visit follows months of negotiations between French, German and British officials and American interlocutors in the State Department.”
enfeeble
make weak or feeble.
“trade unions are in an enfeebled state”
nubilous
cloudy, obscure “ trade-wind clouds which are constantly piling up in nubilous traffic jams”
countenance
approve or tolerate support. “she was giving her specific countenance to the occasion” admit as acceptable or possible. “he was reluctant to countenance the use of force”
incipient
in an initial stage; beginning to happen or develop. “he could feel incipient anger building up”
nascent
(especially of a process or organization) just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential.
“the nascent space industry”
inchoate
just begun and so not fully formed or developed; rudimentary.
“a still inchoate democracy”
proletariat
workers or working-class people, regarded collectively (often used with reference to Marxism). "the growth of the industrial proletariat"
quiescent
quiet, still, marked by inactivity or repose tranquilly at rest “strikes were headed by groups of workers who had previously been quiescent”
sated
satisfy (a desire or an appetite) to the full.
“sate your appetite at the resort’s restaurant”
impassive
not feeling or showing emotion. “impassive passersby ignore the performers”
inscrutable
impossible to understand or interpret. “Guy looked blankly inscrutable”
nullify
make legally null and void; invalidate.
“judges were unwilling to nullify government decisions”
lark
to engage in harmless fun or mischief —often used with about “we would rather lark about in the summer than get part-time jobs”
fanciful
(of a person or their thoughts and ideas) overimaginative and unrealistic.
“a fanciful story about a pot of gold”
coalition
an alliance for combined action, especially a temporary alliance of political parties forming a government or of states.
tenets
a principle or belief, especially one of the main principles of a religion or philosophy.
“the tenets of classical liberalism”
reprove
reprimand or censure (someone).
“he was reproved for obscenity”
aloof
not friendly or forthcoming; cool and distant.
“they were courteous but faintly aloof”
infamous
well known for some bad quality or deed.
“an infamous war criminal”
fortitude
courage in pain or adversity.
“she endured her illness with great fortitude”
assonance
in poetry, the repetition of the sound of a vowel or diphthong in nonrhyming stressed syllables near enough to each other for the echo to be discernible (e.g., penitence, reticence ). Assonance is defined as the act of repeating a vowel sound in a phrase or sentence, often in poetry. An example of assonance in a sentence would be the repeated use of the /oo/ sound in the sentence, “True, I do like Sue.” The definition of assonance is something that is similar, particularly in reference to sound.
euphony
“the quality of being pleasing to the ear, especially through a harmonious combination of words. When I read the poet’s works, I was moved by the melodious euphony of her words”
opine
hold and state as one’s opinion. ““The man is a genius,” he opined”
conjecture
an opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information.
“conjectures about the newcomer were many and varied”
supposition
an uncertain belief.
“they were working on the supposition that his death was murder”, assumption, hypothesis, something that has been supposed.
bootless
(of a task or undertaking) ineffectual; useless.
“words at this pass were vain and bootless”
bedeck
decorate. “he led us into a room bedecked with tinsel” think of deck the halls, almost the same word.
fallible
liable to be in error, capable of making mistakes, capable of making mistakes or being erroneous. “experts can be fallible”
flounce
go or move in an exaggeratedly impatient or angry manner. “he stood up in a fury and flounced out”
antidiluvan
extremely old, before the biblical flood “gigantic bones of antediluvian animals”
abjure
solemnly renounce (a belief, cause, or claim). "his refusal to abjure the Catholic faith"
forswear
agree to give up or do without (something). “he would never forswear the religion of his people” agree to give up or do without (something). Swear falsely in court “he would never forswear the religion of his people”
cant
hypocritical and sanctimonious talk, typically of a moral, religious, or political nature.
“the liberal case against all censorship is often cant” if they’d stop canting about “honest work,” they might get somewhere”
argot
the jargon or slang of a particular group or class.
“teenage argot”
chronometer
an instrument for measuring time, especially one designed to keep accurate time in spite of motion or variations in temperature, humidity, and air pressure. Chronometers were first developed for marine navigation, being used in conjunction with astronomical observation to determine longitude.
flagrant
(of something considered wrong or immoral) conspicuously or obviously offensive.
“his flagrant bad taste”
thoroughgoing
involving or attending to every detail or aspect of something.
“a thoroughgoing reform of the whole economy”
omnibus
a volume containing several novels or other items previously published separately. “an omnibus of her first trilogy”
abbatoir
a slaughterhouse
canon
a general law, rule, principle, or criterion by which something is judged.”the appointment violated the canons of fair play and equal opportunity”a collection or list of sacred books accepted as genuine. “the formation of the biblical canon”
abeyance
a state of temporary disuse or suspension.
“matters were held in abeyance pending further inquiries”
hiatus
a pause or gap in a sequence, series, or process.
“there was a brief hiatus in the war with France”
hobnob
mix socially, especially with those of higher social status.
“a select few who hobnob with the biggest celebrities the country has to offer”
exact
demand and obtain (something, especially a payment) from someone.
“tributes exacted from the Slavic peoples”
extortion
the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats.”The criminal committed extortion when he threatened to hurt the victim’s family if she didn’t give him money.”
blithe
showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper. “a blithe disregard for the rules of the road” happy or joyous. “a blithe seaside comedy”
callous
showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others.
“his callous comments about the murder made me shiver”
exultant
triumphantly happy.
“she felt exultant and powerful”
foil
prevent (something considered wrong or undesirable) from succeeding. “a brave policewoman foiled the armed robbery” someone or something that serves as a contrast to another “acted as a foil for a comedian”. A character in a drama that contrasts with another, as in “fortinbras is a foil to hamlet in that each wishes to avenge his father’s death, but fortinbras acts decisively, which only serves to point out hamlet’s weakness”
meted
dispense or allot justice, a punishment, or harsh treatment.
“he denounced the maltreatment meted out to minorities”
mores
the essential or characteristic customs and conventions of a community.
“an offense against social mores”
repugnant
distasteful, objectionable, or offensive: a repugnant smell. making opposition; averse, opposed or contrary, as in nature or character.
pugnant
Hostile, conflicting, opposed, repugnant; (in early use also) able to oppose, vigorously resistant.
teeming
be full of or swarming with.
“every garden is teeming with wildlife”
plenary
unqualified; absolute.
“crusaders were offered a plenary indulgence by the Pope”
trepid
trembling or fearful
interpolate
insert (something of a different nature) into something else.
“illustrations were interpolated in the text”
project
estimate or forecast (something) on the basis of present trends.
“spending was projected at $72 million”
outstrip
move faster than and overtake (someone else). exceed.”supply far outstripped demand”
teetotaler
a person who never drinks alcohol.
forbear
politely or patiently restrain an impulse to do something; refrain. “the boy forbore from touching anything” refrain from doing or using (something). “Rebecca could not forbear a smile” “vegetarians forbear meat”
reprove
reprimand or censure (someone).
“he was reproved for obscenity”
innumerable vs enumerable
too many to be counted (often used hyperbolically). “Innumerable flags of all colors” able to be counted by one-to-one correspondence with the set of all positive integers. The domain of any universal computable function is a computably enumerable set but never a computable set.
reckon
establish by counting or calculation; calculate. “his debts were reckoned at $300,000” conclude after calculation; be of the opinion. “he reckons that the army should pull out entirely”
risible
such as to provoke laughter., ridiculous, absurd: “a risible scene of lovemaking in a tent”
scrupulous
(of a person or process) diligent, thorough, and extremely attentive to details.”the research has been carried out with scrupulous attention to detail” very concerned to avoid doing wrong.”she’s too scrupulous to have an affair with a married man”
insensate
unconscious, inanimate, lacking reason, cold blooded, merciless, lackin warm human feelings, a rock, a very intoxicated person, and a murderer
quondam
that once was; former.
“quondam dissidents joined the establishment”
luminary
a person who inspires or influences others, especially one prominent in a particular sphere. “one of the luminaries of child psychiatry”. an artificial light.
lucubrate
Lucubrate - write or study, especially by night. produce scholarly written material. Therefore, it becomes imperative to lucubrate the theories and practical problems on the prior user right concerning patent from the situation of our count
lectern
a tall stand with a sloping top to hold a book or notes, and from which someone, typically a preacher or lecturer, can read while standing up.
levee
an embankment built to prevent the overflow of a river. Rushing water broke the levee, flowing over the embankment and flooding the land that the wall was supposed to protect.
arcanum
secrets or mysteries. “his knowledge of federal budget arcana is legendary”
abstruse
difficult to understand; obscure.
“an abstruse philosophical inquiry”
epicure
a person who takes particular pleasure in fine food and drink.”she sipped at the water as an epicure would savor a good wine”
deluge
inundate with a great quantity of something. “he has been deluged with offers of work”a severe flood. “Homes were swept away by the deluge”
obviate
remove (a need or difficulty).
“the Venetian blinds obviated the need for curtains”
constringe
to cause to shrink cold constringes the pores
middling
moderate or average in size, amount, or rank. “the village contained no poor households but a lot of middling ones”
fairly or moderately.
“middling rich”
insalutary
not healthful or wholesome a thoroughly insalutary outlook on life
insalubrious
not conducive to health : unwholesome an insalubrious climate
salubrious
health-giving; healthy.
“salubrious weather”
plaudits
praise, applause, approval “the network has received plaudits for its sports coverage”
laudation
praise; commendation.
paean
a thing that expresses enthusiastic praise. song of praise, triumph or thanks”his books are paeans to combat”
panegyric
a public speech or published text in praise of someone or something.”Vera’s panegyric on friendship”
eulogistic
speech, presentation, or writing that pays tribute to someone’s lifetime achievements can be described as eulogistic, such as the eulogistic video that was shown at the legendary coach’s retirement party.
precis
a summary or abstract of a text or speech.make a précis of (a text or speech).
euphony
the quality of being pleasing to the ear, especially through a harmonious combination of words. The love-struck boy thought the sound of his girlfriend’s name was the sweetest euphony he had ever heard.
cacography
bad handwriting or spelling.
kakistocracy
is a system of government which is run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens.Many believe that not to engage in matters of power and government is tantamount to voting for Kakistocracy
nil
nonexistent.
“his chances for survival were slim, almost nil
incensed
very angry; enraged.
“I was absolutely incensed”
pretense
an attempt to make something that is not the case appear true.
“his anger is masked by a pretense that all is well”
ascertain
find (something) out for certain; make sure of.
“an attempt to ascertain the cause of the accident”
uncouth
(of a person or their appearance or behavior) lacking good manners, refinement, or grace.
“he is unwashed, uncouth, and drunk most of the time”
sanguinary
There were ten sanguinary persecutions, some being atrocious.
bilious
affected by or associated with nausea or vomiting. “I had eaten something that didn’t agree with me and I was a little bilious” spiteful; bad-tempered. “outbursts of bilious misogyny”
cavil
make petty or unnecessary objections.
“they caviled at the cost”
abominate
detest; loathe.
“they abominated the very idea of monarchy”
pedagogical
relating to teaching.
“innovative pedagogical methods”
pedantic
ostentatious in one’s learning. overly concerned with minute details or formalisms, especially in teaching.The pedantic scholars among us might wonder if the book does its job.
implacable
unable to be placated.
“he was an implacable enemy of Ted’s”
circumspect
wary and unwilling to take risks.
“the officials were very circumspect in their statements”
anchorite
a religious recluse.
fulmination
an expression of vehement protest.
“the fulminations of media moralists”
herald
an official messenger bringing news. a person or thing viewed as a sign that something is about to happen. “they considered the first primroses as the herald of spring” be a sign that (something) is about to happen. “the speech heralded a change in policy”
harbinger
Harbinger - a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another.”witch hazels are the harbingers of spring” a forerunner of something. “these works were not yet opera, but they were the most important harbinger of opera
encomium
a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly. Mrs. Poundstone was surprised and delighted on the last day of school when the students in her most difficult class presented her with an encomium they had written, praising her work as a teacher
bunkum
nonsense.
“they talk a lot of bunkum about their products” Nonsense
tedium
the state of being tedious.
“cousins and uncles filled the tedium of winter nights with many a tall tale”
tome
a book, especially a large, heavy, scholarly one.
“a weighty tome”
inculcate
instill (an attitude, idea, or habit) by persistent instruction. “the failures of the churches to inculcate a sense of moral responsibility” teach (someone) an attitude, idea, or habit by persistent instruction. “they will try to inculcate you with a respect for culture”
suffused
gradually spread through or over. “her cheeks were suffused with color
ad lib
speak or perform in public without previously preparing one’s words. “Charles had to ad lib because he’d forgotten his script”
extemporaneous
spoken or done without preparation.
“an extemporaneous speech”
amble
walk or move at a slow, relaxed pace. “they ambled along the riverbank”
circumambulate
walk all the way around (something).
“they used to circumambulate the perimeter wall”
dither
be indecisive.
“he was dithering about the election date”
tergiversate
make conflicting or evasive statements; equivocate.
“the more she tergiversated, the greater grew the ardency of the reporters for an interview”
cabal
a secret political clique or faction. “a cabal of dissidents”
akin
of similar character. “something akin to gratitude overwhelmed her””In that moment she was certain she saw something in his eyes - something akin to remorse”
contemporaneous
existing or occurring in the same period of time.
“Pythagoras was contemporaneous with Buddha”
dicturn
a formal pronouncement from an authoritative source. “the First Amendment dictum that “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech”” a short statement that expresses a general truth. “the old dictum “might makes right.””
indict
formally accuse of or charge with a serious crime.
“his former manager was indicted for fraud”
idiolect
the speech habits peculiar to a particular person.
stint
supply an ungenerous or inadequate amount of (something).
“stowage room hasn’t been stinted”
skinflint
a person who spends as little money as possible; a miser.
wily
skilled at gaining an advantage, especially deceitfully.
“his wily opponents”
saucy
impudent; flippant.
“a saucy remark”
irrepressible
not able to be controlled or restrained.
“a great shout of irrepressible laughter”
astringent
causing the contraction of body tissues, typically of the skin. “an astringent skin lotion” sharp or severe in manner or style. “her astringent words had their effect”
acrid
having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant taste or smell. “acrid fumes”angry and bitter. “an acrid farewell”
arrogate
take or claim (something) without justification.
“they arrogate to themselves the ability to divine the nation’s true interests”
discomfiting
make (someone) feel uneasy or embarrassed.
“he was not noticeably discomfited by her tone”
disconcerting
causing one to feel unsettled.
“he had a disconcerting habit of offering jobs to people he met at dinner parties”
verity
a true principle or belief, especially one of fundamental importance.
“the eternal verities”
lassitude
a state of physical or mental weariness or lack of caring; lack of energy.”she was overcome by lassitude and retired to bed”
languorous
when you’d rather lie around thinking than doing work or having fun. When you’re languorous, you’re tired and maybe a little depressed. Could usggest a more pleasant version of languid, suggesting a dreamy relaxation
blase
unimpressed or indifferent to something because one has experienced or seen it so often before.
“she was becoming quite blasé about the dangers”
ennui
a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom:
The endless lecture produced an unbearable ennui.
wastrel
one who expends resources foolishly and self-indulgently the black sheep of the family, he ended up being a wastrel and a drunkard
abreast
side by side and facing the same way. “the path was wide enough for two people to walk abreast”alongside or even with something. “the cart came abreast of the Americans in their rickshaw”
emollient
having the quality of softening or soothing the skin.
“an emollient cream”
laity
lay people, as distinct from the clergy.
ordinary people, as distinct from professionals or experts.
vernacular
the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region.
“he wrote in the vernacular to reach a larger audience”
pusillanimous
showing a lack of courage or determination; timid. The pusillanimous soldier cried because he was scared of the gunfire
dastardly
wicked and cruel, cowardly, “pirates and their dastardly deeds”
xenophobia
intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries
insular
ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one’s own experience. “a stubbornly insular farming people” relating to or from an island.”the movement of goods of insular origin”
nugatory
of no value or importance.
“a nugatory and pointless observation”
dubious
hesitating or doubting. “Alex looked dubious, but complied” not to be relied upon; suspect. “extremely dubious assumptions”
meretricious
apparently attractive but having in reality no value or integrity. tawdry,
“meretricious souvenirs for the tourist trade”
pretencious
attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.
“a pretentious literary device”
adroit
clever or skillful in using the hands or mind.
“he was adroit at tax avoidance”
vice
Immoral or wicked behavior .Such men are prone to vice. He thought gambling was a vice. Eating too much is my vice.
cogitation
the action of thinking deeply about something; contemplation.
“sorry, did I interrupt your cogitation?”
excogitate
Excogitate - think out, plan, or devise. “scholars straining to excogitate upon subjects of which they know little” He must first think and excogitate his matter, then choose his words, andexamine the weight of either.
efface
erase (a mark) from a surface. “with time, the words are effaced by the frost and the rain”. make oneself appear insignificant or inconspicuous. he attempted to efface himself”
depredate
-to plunder or lay waste to; prey upon; pillage; ravage.many types of predators depredate bird nests
