unit 8 Flashcards
allege
The newspaper tabloid allege that the movie star and the director were having creative differences.
(v.) to assert without proof or confirmation
arrant
In Shakespeare’s tradgey the audience sees clearly that Iago is an arrant scoundrel, but Othello’s blind to his treachery.
(adj.) thoroughgoing, out-and-out; shameless, blatant
badinage
I enjoy the delightful badinage between stars like spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn in 1940’s movies.
(n.) light and playful conversation
concilate
Because of the weakness of our army, we had to try to concilliate the enemy.
(v.) to overcome the distrust of, win over; to appease, pacify; to reconcile, make consistent
countermand
Today’s directive clearly countermaid all previous instructions on how to exit the building in case of fire.
(v.) to cancel or reverse one order or command with another that is contrary to the first
echelon
Although the civil servant began in the lower echelon of government service, he rose quickly through the ranks.
(n.) one of a series of grades in an organization or field of activity; an organized military unit; a steplike formation or arrangement
exacerbate
Shouting and name calling are sure to exacerbate any quarrel.
(v.) to make more violent, severe, bitter, or painful
fatuous
In order to discredit the candidate, the columnist quoted some of his more fatuous, self serving remarks.
(adj.) stupid or foolish in a self-satisfied way
irrefutable
The jury felt the prosecution presented it with irrefutable evidence of the defendant’s guilt.
(adj.) impossible to disprove; beyond argument
juggernaut
Any population that has experienced the juggernaut of war firsthand will not easily forget its destructive power.
(n.) a massive and inescapable force or object that crushes whatever is in its path
lackadaisical
The team’s performance in the late innings was Lackadaisical because they were so far ahead.
(adj.) lacking spirit or interest, halfhearted
litany
Whenever she talks about her childhood, she recites and interminable litany of grievances.
(n.) a prayer consisting of short appeals to God recited by the leader alternating with responses from the congregation; any repetitive chant; a long list
macabre
The continuuing popularity of horror movies suggests that one way to score at the box office is to exploit macabre situations.
(adj.) grisly, gruesome; horrible, distressing; having death as a subject
paucity
The senate campign was marred by a paucity of orignal ideas.
(n.) an inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth
portend
In shakespeare’s plays, distubances in the heavens usually portend disater or trouble in human affairs.
(v.) to indicate beforehand that something is about to happen; to give advance warning of
