Vocab 9 Flashcards
Catalyze
Verb
To charge, inspire (The president’s speech catalyzed the nation and resuscitated the economy.)
Abjure
Verb
To reject, renounce (to prove his honesty, the president abjured the evil policies of his wickedness predecessor.)
Deferential
Adjective
Showing respect for another’s authority (his deferential attitude toward her made her more confident in her ability to run the company).
Elaborate
Adjective
Complex, detailed, intricate (Dan always beats me at chess because he develops such an elaborate game plan that I can never predict his next move).
Fetter
Verb
To chain, restrain. (The dog was fettered to the parking meter).
Hedonist
Noun
One who believes pleasure should be the primary pursuit of humans (because he’s such a hedonist, I knew Murray would appreciate the 11 cases of wine I bought him for his birthday).
Impetuous
Adjective
Rash; hastily done (David’s hasty slaying of the king was an impetuous thoughtless action).
Lenient
Adjective
Demonstrating tolerance or gentleness (because Professor Oglethorpe allowed his students to choose their final grades; the other teachers believe that he was excessively lenient)
Maxim
Noun
A common saying expressing a principle of conduct (miss Manners adequate maxims are both entertaining and instructional).
Nomadic
Adjective
Wandering from place to place (In the first six months after college, Jeremy led a nomadic life, living in New York, California, and Idaho).
Ominous
Adjective
Foreboding or foreshadowing evil (The fortunetellers ominous words flashed through my mind as the hooded figure approached me in the alley.)
Boisterous
Adjective
Loud and full of energy (The candidate won the vote after giving several boisterous speeches on television.)