Vocab #2 1984 Flashcards
proletariat
The class of industrial workers who lack their own means of production and hence sell their labor to live
workers or working-class people, regarded collectively (often used with reference to Marxism).
Example: Those in power often fear rebellion by the proletariat, who have greater numbers and, without whom, no work can get done.
sinecure
a job or position in which someone is paid to do little or no work.
Example: Her sinecure allowed her to surf the internet, take care of her personal banking, and keep in touch with friends and family, all before leaving “work” for the day.
demur
To politely object to an idea or decline an invitation
Hint: not to be confused with demure!
Example: When they invited me to the picnic, I demurred because, although I liked their family, I felt uncomfortable about intruding on a family reunion.
ebb
To fall back or recede
Example: My enthusiasm for the project ebbed when I found out I would have to miss my sports practices for three weeks in order to complete it.
Also: as a noun. Something “at a low ebb” is at a low point of some kind.
equivocal
open to two or more interpretations
fatuous
Foolish or silly, especially in a smug or self-satisfied way
impregnable
Immune to attack; incapable of being tampered with
sanguine
optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation
specious
apparently good or right though lacking real merit
falsely appearing to be fair, just, or right
Hint: Often used to describe argumentation, reasoning, or logic
desultorily
done in a manner lacking a plan or purpose/done without serious effort
Also: desultory
tacitly
by unexpressed agreement
Also: tacit
cogn- (conn-)
To know
pug-/pugn-
to fight/a fist
privation
The state of being deprived
the absence or lack of basic necessities or comforts
Example: After years of privation, he looked older than his true age and was severely underweight as he hadn’t been able to take proper care of himself.
