Vocab Chapter Four Flashcards
Fortuitous
Happening by chance; fortunate -adjective Synonym: accidental; unexpected Antonym: premeditated, intentional "My father said meeting my mother was fortuitous; my mother said it was fate."
Celibate
Abstaining from intercourse
-adjective
Synonym: none. Antonym: none
“In that religion, the priests take vows to remain impoverished and celibate.”
Recapitulate
To summarize; to repeat briefly
-verb
Synonym: none. Antonym: none
“Television newsmen always recapitulate presidential news conferences, as if the audience were incapable of understanding what had been said.”
Perfunctory
Done without care; in a routine -adjective Synonym: indifferent; offhand Antonym: diligent; attentive "She greeted her guests in a perfunctory manner."
Baroque
Overly decorated -adjective Synonym: ornate Antonym: simple "The new dance club had a great light show; the baroque furnishings seemed right in place."
Hedonism
Pursuit of pleasure, especially of the senses
-noun
Synonym: none. Antonym: none
“John favors hedonism over self-sacrifice.”
Obloquy
Strong disapproval; a bad reputation resulting from public criticism
-noun
Synonym: censure, rebuke
Antonym: acclaim; praise
“His behavior brought shame to his family and obloquy to himself.”
Debacle
A complete failure; a total collapse -noun Synonym: calamity; catastrophe Antonym: success; triumph "After reading the reviews, the actors knew the play was a debacle and would close in one night."
Quasi-
Resembling; seeming; half
-adjective
Synonym: none. Antonym: none
“grandfather was only in quasi-retirement because he couldn’t give up control of the business.”
Besmirch
To make dirty: to stain -verb Synonym: soil; sully; smear Antonym: cleanse "My ex-best friend tried to besmirch my reputation with her vicious gossip."
Imperative
Extremely necessary; vitally important
-adjective
Synonym: none Antonym: none
“It is imperative that you leave immediately.”
Sacrosanct
Extremely holy -adjective Synonym: divine ; angelic Antonym: none "The detectives orders were to investigate everyone; no person was so sacrosanct that he or she was above suspicion."
Sadistic
Deriving pleasure from inflicting pain on others
-adjective
Synonym: barbarous; perverse
Antonym: civilized; humane
“Donna took sadistic pleasure in tormenting her little sister.”
Demeanor
Behavior; manner of conducting oneself -noun Synonym: deportment Antonym: none "Believe me, his shy demeanor is just an act; he is really quite wild."
Facetious
Comical; jocular; flippant -adjective Synonym: joking; witty; jocose Antonym: solemn, serious "Her facetious comments were beginning to get tiresome."
