Zing Words 2 Flashcards
Angst
Teenage angst is rising in society because the ideal human image is changing to a skinny figure that is impossible to achieve without the right genes.
Canard
After investigation, the book was found to contain more canards than true facts.
Foray
The rebel militia made an unexpected foray against the British camp.
Bête noire
Doing my tax return is the bête noire that haunts me every April.
Altercation
The altercation that led to divorce was etched in their minds forever.
Raison d’être
My raison d’être is to research immortality - if my goal is achieved, I’ll have forever to find another reason to live.
Pastiche
That government building is a pastiche of classical greek architecture.
éminence grise
Although she did not hold an official position, she acted as an éminence grise of the cultural literacy club.
Obstreperous
She developed a headache in the room full of obstreperous children.
Prolix
His speech was excessively prolix and did not get his point across well.
Reconnoiter
The spies went ahead to reconnoiter.
Jettison
With his ship rapidly sinking, the captain ordered a last-ditchjettisonof much of its cargo.
Exacerbate
The children’s’ whining exacerbated her headache.
Mercurial
The boss’s mood is somercurialthat we never know how he’s going to react to anything.
Draconian
The editorial criticizes thedraconianmeasures being taken to control the spread of the disease.
Cloy
The romantic, cloying story was too saccharine for my taste.
Jejune
The young princess was told to read off of a jejune script when asked about politics.
Fraught
Exploring new lands is fraught with danger.
Slake
Slake your thirst with some water before you continue the marathon.
Pallor
The boy’s sicklypallorconcerned his mother even though he had no fever.
Juggernaut
The LGBT rights movement has become an unstoppable juggernaut.
Bilk
An investigation revealed that the garage had been bilkingmotorists for repairs that had never been made.
Maudlin
The drink made him maudlin as he began thinking about his past.
Saturnine
His usual saturnine mood was replaced with excitement and happiness when he heard the results.
Flaccid
The stalks of celery that have been sitting around for too long have turned flaccid.
Maelstrom
The ship was drawn into the maelstrom.
Charlatan
The famed faith healer turned out to be anothercharlatan.
Tantamount
His statement wastantamount toan admission of guilt.
Terse
Her speech was terse but effective in rallying the crowd.
Stymie
Progress on the road improvement project has beenstymiedby lack of money.
Parochial
The pastor and the other parochial leaders were found to be guilty of corruption.
Prodigal
Her prodigal habits could no longer be sustained after her husband’s death.
Invidious
It seems invidious to only honor one style of artwork in these awards.
Insidious
Most people with thisinsidiousdisease have no idea that they are infected.
Idyllic
The idyllic countryside scenery in the painting was beautiful.
Pristine
The secluded ancient temple was in nearly pristine condition.
Schadenfreude
She felt guilty about the schadenfreude she experienced after watching the popular girl suffer.
Faux pas
Arriving too early to this party would be a seriousfaux pas. (blunder)
Quotidian
He was plagued by aquotidiancoughing fit, the result of years of smoking.
Badinage
The playful badinage between characters added flavor to the serious play and did not retract from its message.
Bathos
The serious message of the film is ruined by thebathosof its ridiculous ending.
Bathetic
The bathetic ending ruined the serious and tragic story.
Philistine
He was a philistine with little love for learning, only material goods.
Picaresque
They watched a rowdy, picaresque, “guys being guys” movie.
Imbue
The entire performance was imbued with a tone of sadness and loss.
Ensconce
The sculpture is safelyensconcedbehind glass.
Aegis
Freedom of speech is under theaegisof the Constitution.
Sanguine
She has asanguinedisposition, and wearing any blush makes her look too red.
Vendetta
The small argument turned into a multigenerational vendetta.
Quixotic
Her ideas for a perfect world were instantly deemed quixotic.
Quagmire
Torrential rain turned the building site into a quagmire.
Effusive
He received an effusive welcome when he returned from the war.
Apostate
The apostate king’s country was excommunicated by the church.
Niggardly
The starved prisoners looked forwards to their rations, even though they were niggardly.
Obsequies
The remnants of traditions from ancient Roman obsequies still are present today in Italian culture.
Hoi polloi
The hoi polloi must not be informed of the dictator’s death in order to prevent mass panic.
Forte
Small talk was not his forte.
Al fresco
They met at a romantic, al fresco cafe with only a single umbrella over the table to block the rain.
Junta
José Augustin Arango, an attorney for the Panama Railroad Company, headed thejunta that tried to overthrow the government.
Sotto voce
The melody is sung sotto voce; the harmony is pianissimo.
Kvetch
A chronically resentful person who seems to look for things tokvetchabout.
