New words 5 Flashcards
**Harangue **
tirade; diatribe
Vituperate
invective; tirade against someone
==only for extreme cases
Precipitatate (2)
1- Hasty and rash
*instead of conducting a thorough investigation after the city hall had a break in, the mayor acted precipitately, accusing the staff of aiding criminals. *
2-To make sth happen suddenly
his actions precipitated the car accident
**Mercurial **
moody
Slapdash
hastily put together;
the office building had been constructed in a slapdash manner; so it did not surprise anyone when it collapsed
Aboveboard
open and honest
**Thoroughgoing **
complete; absolute
*As a thoroughgoing bibliophile, he schocked his friends when he bought a kindle *
**Cadaverous **
gaunt; emaciated. Cadaver-like
**Macabre **
A story or film that is filled with gruesome details about death and horror
Edgar Allen Poe was considered the master of macabre, vividly describing moments heading up to grisly deaths.
**Untoward **
inauspicious; not favorable not convenient
Some professors find teaching untoward as having to prepare for
**Upbraid **
To criticize severely; find fault with
To reproach severely; scold vehemently
Cupidity
Greed for money; avarice
Some people believe amassing as much money as possible is the purpose of life; yet they often realize that cupidity bring them anything but happiness
Dupe (n.)
A person who is easily swindled.
Mulct
1) to swindle or defraud someone;
2) to fine someone
the so called magical diet ended up mulcting maria out of hundreds of dollars but not hundreds of pounds.
**Apogee **
Highest point or culmination of something.
The apogee of the Viennese style of music, Mozart’s , music continues to mesmerize audiences.
Thrifty vs Spendthrift
Thrifty = spends wisely
Spendthrift = spends poorly
Sybarite
a person who indulges in luxury;
Even though he was broke, still a sybarite at heart, he spent most of his time at 1000 dollar day spas.
Loath vs. Loathe
Loath= Prone to, disposed
Loathe= to abhor sth
Penurious (2)
- Truly penurious, Mary had nothing more than a jar of pennies.
- Sarah chose to be penurious and drive a beat up VW though with her wealth she could easily have afforded an italian sports car.
Schadenfreude
to take pleasure/laugh at other’s misfortunes
-like America’s funniest home videos
Nabob
**wealthy, influential person **
nabobs can bee seen, heads bobbing, driving fancy italian sports cards
**Zeitgeist **
**“Spirit of the times” **
The zeitgeist of the 2000’s was a mixture of fear and frivolity.
Sangfroid
Calmness and poise; especially in trying situations
The hostage negotiator exhibited a sangfroid that often times was more menacing than the sword at his throat.
**Junta **
to join; aggressive takeover by a group
Imbroglio
a confusing or potentially embarassing situation
**Parvenu **
**New money people; baofahu **
The theater was full of parvenus, each thought they were flanked by real aristocrats.
**Demur **
To object or express reluctance to do sth.
“When asked if she wanted to visit the war-torn country w/out a translator, the journalist demurred. “
Arriviste
**kind of like parvenu (bfh), except also possesses ruthless ambition. **
The city center was a flutter with arrivistes who each tried to outdo one another with their ostentations sports cars.
**Lagniappe **
**an unexepected gift **
The islanders thought that the seafarers had brought them a lagniappe, when the latter presented them with gold coins.
Gerrymander
manipulation of boundaries to favor a certain group;
Years ago savvy politicians had gerrymandered the city center to ensure their re-election.
**Apostasy **
Apostates commit apostasy
An apostate of the republican party, Peter has yet to become involved with any new clubs.
Sanctimonious
fake piety; “holier than thou”
Lascivious
lecherous, prurient, libidinous
Prevaricate
wiggle one’s way out of a lie or pointed question
Turpitude
“Depravity, those acts deemed downright wicked and immoral.”
– stronger than lascivious, et al
**Jingoist **
Patriot + bellicose
hawkish
**Cow **
to use intimidation to make someone give in
Do not be cowed by a 3000 word vocabulary list: turn that list into a deck of flashcards
**Underwrite **
Support financially
Overweening
presumptuously arrogant
Mark was so convinced in his basketball skills, that in his overweening pride, he could not fathom he was not on varsity; he went up to the coach and said “ you forgot my name”
**Ferret **
To search for sth persistently
Skullduggery
Unfair or dishonest practices carried out in a way in order to trick people
Unseemliness
Solecism; behavior not in good taste
Palimpset
Anything that has been changed numerous times but on which traces of the former iteration can still be found.
ie. chalkboard,
The downtown was a palimpset of the city’s checkered past; a new starbucks had opened next to an abandoned classroom.
Solecism
behavior not in good taste; unseemliness
Quiescent
**quiet, sluggish, dormant; **
a quiscent personality could lead to terse responses to attempts at conversation
**Sportive **
playful and frolicsome
Descry
“catch sight of”
Sanction
to endorse; to wallow; roll about lazily; devote oneself to
**Runic **
mysterious or “secret in meaning”
Derogate
to insult sth; to suggest that sth or sb is not important of worthy of respect:
Prophylactic
guarding from or preventing the spread or occurrence of disease or infection
**Pulchritude **
Physical beauty or loveliness
**Eviscerated **
“to remove something of central significance; disembowel
**Licentious **
prurient, promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters
Portentous
Serious and significant; eliciting awe & amazement
Festoon
Ornamental chain of flowers or ribbons
