New words 6 Flashcards
Staid
Sedate, self-restraining, proper; even-boring
Purple
“Extravagant or flowery writing; sometimes too much so”
Repined
discontented; or in low spirits
Apprehended
“to get” to “understand”
Somniferous
inducing sleep; Hypnagogic
Hypnagogic
Somniferous; inducing sleep
Bathetic
ludicrous switch in tone from intellectual to the banal
Impuissant
“powerless, weak, feeble”
**Jaundice **
-to be biased against bc of envy or prejudice;
**Shelly was jaundiced towards Olivia; she had become Prom Queen & class presidents. **
Bilious
choleric; to be filled with bile; to be constantly irritable & ready to bite someone’s head off
Choleric
Bilious; to be constantly irritable & ready to bite someone’s head off
Pellucid
Easy to understand; reflecting light
Synoptic
Pertaining or constituting a synopsis;
**Affording a general view of the whole; manifesting or characterized by comprehensiveness; **
Restive
uneasy, unsettled, or anxious
Misanthrope
A hater of humanity
Reprove
To express disapproval of
Reprobate
Some good no sould who you have a fondness for
Virago
An ill-tempered and sometimes violent woman;
Poor BIlly was the victim of a virago’s invective; she railed at him for 30 minutes about he is the scum of the earth for speaking on his cellphone.
**Cardinal **
Of primary importance; fundamental
Syncretic
“syncretic religion” one that combines aspects of many different religions together.
= amalgam of different schools of thought
Taking a syncretic approach to to psychotherapy he mixes Gestalt and Jung
**Catholic **
**“Universal; wide-ranging & all embracing” **
“Jonah’s taste in music was not only eclectic but also catholic:he enjoyed music from countries as far flung as Mali to Mongolia.
**Parochial **
**“Narrow minded in one’s view” **
Jasmine ended her fledgling relationship with Jason bc he deemed his culinary taste too parochial: he considered chef boyardee ehtnic food.
Hector
to bully or intimidate
The boss’ hectoring manner put off many employees, some whom quit as soon as they found new jobs
Pollyannaish
extremely optimistic;
Even in the midst of a lousy sales quarter Debbie remained Pollyannaish, never losing her shrill voice and wide smile
Chauvinist
Anyone who thinks that their group is better than everybody else’s group
The chauvinist live on both sides of political spectrum.
Pyrrhic
Pyrrhic victory
A win that came at such a great cost as to not be worth it
Kafkaesque
“Absurdity we have to deal with living in a world of faceless bureaucracies.”
*The process of applying for a passport was so kafkaesque that Charles ultimately decided not to take a vacation. *
**Quixotic **
Someone who is wildly idealistic
Arch
having a playful witty sense of humor
Mordant
bitingly sarcastic
Solipsistic
totally and utterly self-absorbed
untrammeled
unrestrained; not held in check
Objurgate
scold harshly; excorciate
Desideratum
anything that is highly desired
Sedulous
diligent; assiduous
Arrant
**complete and utter; **
an arrant fool
Imponderable
Impossible to estimate
**Arcane **
mysterious. esoteric; known only to the initiated
Artifice
Artful; a clever trick or stratageml a cunning crafty device or expedient;
trickery, guile, craftiness
Artful
Artifice; cunning and wily
Febrile(2)
- Relating to a fever
- Nervous energy
Mettlesome (NOT meddlesome)
characterized by valor, courage
Churlish
someone who lacks manners or refinement
Phantasmagorical
a series of images that seem as though they are out of a dream; whether real or not
A subplot weaves in phantasmagorical elements such as a giant escaped tiger that is ravaging the Upper East Side, that bastion of old money and property.
Factious
STH that causes factions to erupt. CANT be a person
Fractious
**Sb. who is irritable and likely to cause disruption **
Vicarious
To enjoy sth through another’s experiences
Venial (NOT venal)
venial offense; = minor offense
Extenuating
to make sth less guilty or more forgivable
Execrate
