Vocabulary 9 Flashcards
entreaty
n. an earnest or humble request
munificent
adj. (of a gift or sum of money) larger or more generous than is usual or necessary
magnanimous
adj. very generous or forgiving, esp. toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself
ignominious
adj. deserving or causing public disgrace or shame
gaffe
n. an unintentional act or remark causing embarrassment to its originator; a blunder
pacific
adj. peaceful in character or intent
hedonist
n. a person who believes that the pursuit of pleasure is the most important thing in life; a pleasure-seeker
predilection
n. a preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something
bereave
v. be deprived of a loved one through a profound absence, esp. due to the loved one’s death
enigma
n. a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand
myopic
adj. nearsighted
adj. lacking imagination, foresight, or intellectual insight
overarching
adj. comprehensive; all-embracing
picayune
adj. petty; worthless
moribund
adj. (of a person) at the point of death
adj. (of a thing) in terminal decline; lacking vitality or vigor
impervious
adj. not allowing fluid to pass through
adj. (impervious to) unable to be affected by
diatribe
n. a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something
acquiesce
v. to accept something reluctantly but without protest
corollary
n. a proposition that follows from (and is often appended to) one already proved; a direct or natural consequence or result
clandestine
adj. kept secret or done secretively, esp. because illicit
egalitarian
adj. of, relating to, or believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities
