Word List 42 Flashcards
Sacrilegious (adj)
desecrating; profane
His stealing of the altar cloth was a very sacrilegious act
Sacrosanct (adj)
most sacred inviolable
The brash insurance salesman invaded the sacrosanct private of the office of the president of the company
Sagacious (adj)
perceptive; shrewd; having insight
My father was a sagacious judge of character; he could spot a phoney a mile away
Salubrious (adj)
healthful
Many people with hay fever move to more salubrious sections of the country during the months of August and September
Sanctimonious (adj)
displaying ostentatious or hypocritical devoutness
You do not have to be so sanctimonious to prove that you are devout
Sanguinary (adj)
bloody
The battle of Iwo Jima was unexpectedly sanguinary, with many casualties
Sanguine (adj)
cheerful; hopeful
Let us not be too sanguine about the outcome; something could go wrong
Sardonic (adj)
disdainful; sarcastic; cynical
The sardonic humour of nightclub comedians who satirise or ridicule patrons in the audience strikes some people as amusing and others as rude
Savant (n)
scholar
Scanty (adj)
merger; insufficient
Schism (n)
division; split
The movement to ordain women threatened to create a schism in the Church
Scintilla (n)
shred; least bit
You have not produced a scintilla of evidence to support your arguments
Scintillate (v)
sparkle; flash
Scruple (v)
fret about; hesitate; for ethical reasons
Fearing that her husband had become involved in an affair, she did not scruple to read his diary
Scrupulous (adj)
conscientious; extremely thorough
Though Alfred is scrupulous in fulfilling his duties at work, he is less conscientious about his obligations to his family and friends
