Vocab Quiz #1 Flashcards
Cacophany
harshness in the sounds of words or phrases
EX: Sometimes, it seems as though the dogs in our neighborhood bark together to create a cacophony that wakes me up every morning.
discursive
passing from one topic to another; rambling
EX: A bad comedian will talk about so many random discurvise stories during his time on stage.
surreptitious
stealth
EX: The little boy surreptitiously grabbed the cookies above the jar.
perennial
continuing without interruption
EX: Every election seems to continue to deal with the same perennial issues that have been the focus of all the previous elections
cavalcade
procession of vehicles or ships
EX: When the cavalcade of tanks rolled into the city, it was followed by soldiers who were eager to end the war
circuitous
having a circular or winding course
EX: Some of the younger children got confused by the circuitous design of the maze and began to cry for their parents.
euphemism
using a mild, neutral, or vague term in place of one considered offensive
EX : He used a euphemism to disguise his real feelings about the incident.
facile
easily accomplished
EX : Since Jack had studied for the exam, he earned a perfect score on the facile test.
fiat
command or order
EX : The dictator rules his country by fiat and expects everyone to obey his orders.
flippant
lacking proper respect or seriousness
EX : The student’s flippant actions towards the teacher got him suspended from school.
nexus
connection; link
EX : Today Facebook seems to be the nexus of communication.
melee
a hand-to-hand fight among several people
EX : A wild melee broke out in the lunchroom, with kids throwing water bottles and lunch boxes at each other.
Anastrophe
words in an unexpected order
EX: “Ten thousand I saw at a glance”
Anthimeria
using a noun as a verb
EX: I am snapchatting my friend
Antithesis
contrasting ideas in parallel form
EX: “Better to reign in hell, than to serve in Heaven”
