Semester 2- Week 3 Flashcards
paradox
noun
a statement or proposition that, despite sound reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory
pacifist
noun
a person who believes that war and violence are unjustifiable:
She was a committed pacifist all her life.
parody
noun
an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect:
the movie is a parody of the horror genre
partisan
adj
prejudice in favor of a particular cause:
Newspapers have become increasingly partisan
peccadillo
noun
a small, relatively unimportant offense or sin
petty fault
pecuniary
adj
of, or relating to, or consisting of money:
he admitted obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception
pensive
adj
engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought
peremptory
adj
insisting on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way:
“just do it!” came the peremptory reply
pertinacious
adj
holding firmly to an opinion or a course of action:
he worked with a pertinacious resistance to interruptions
peruse
verb
read(something), typically in a thorough or careful way:
he has spent countless hours in libraries perusing art history books and cataogues
perverse
adj
(of a person or their actions) showing a deliberate and obstinate desire to behave in a way that is unreasonable or unacceptable, often in spite of the consequences:
Kate’s perverse decision not to cooperate
placate
verb
make (someone) less angry or hosstile:
they attempted to placate the students with promises
plagiarism
noun
the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own
platitude
noun
a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful:
she began uttering liberal platitudes
plebeian
noun
a commoner
poignant
adj
evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret: a poignant reminder of the passing of time
precipitous
adj
dangerously high or steep:
the precipitous cliffs of the North Atlantic coast
predilection
noun
a preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something:
my predilection for asian food
prelude
noun
an action or event serving as an introduction to something more important:
education cannot simply be a prelude to a career
prerogatibe
noun
a right or privilege exclusive to a particular individual or class:
owning an automobile was still the prerogative of the rich
pretentious
adj
attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed:
a pretentious literary device
