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Vocab lesson 7- 9

Terms

undefined, object
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Abeyance
(n) a state of being temporarily inactive, suspended, or set aside.
The administrators and staff relunctantly agreed to hold the matter in ABEYANCE.
SYN: deferment, postponement, suspension
ambivalent
(adj.) having opposite and conflicting feelings about someone or something
Despite their deeply AMBIVALENT attitudes, the scientist went ahead with the program.
SYN: equivocal, ambiguous, of two minds
beleaguer
(v.) to set upon from all sides; to surround with an army; to trouble, harass
Sherman's division arrived by train, then positioned itself to BELEAGUER the city's fortress.
SYN: besiege, encircle, pester
carte blanche
(n.) full freedom or authority to act at one's own discretion.
The boss gave us CARTE BLANCHE in the matter of how we were going to approach the client.
SYN: blank check, free rein
cataclysm
(n.) a sudden, violent, or devastating upheaval; a surging flood; deluge
Diplomacy could not stop the CATACLYSM of World War I.
SYN: disaster, catastrophe
debauch
(v.) to corrupt morally, seduce; to indulge in dissipation; (n.) an act or occasion of dissipation or vice
Those who would DEBAUCH the innocent deserve our wrath.
THe DEBAUCH began at midnight.
SYN: (v.) carouse, (n.) spree, orgy
éclat
(n.) dazzling or conspicuous success or acclaim; great brilliance (of performance or acievement)
Dazzled by the ÉCLAT of the performance, critics heaped praise on the troupe.
SYN: celebrity
fastidious
(adj.0 overly demanding or hard to please; excessively careful in regard to details; easily disgusted
Known for her FASTIDIOUS tast, the decorator was always in great demand.
SYN: precise, meticulous, exacting, finicky
gambol
(v.) to jump or skip about playfully
The children began to GAMBOL like fawns in a meadow.
SYN: frolic, romp, cavort, caper
imbue
(v.) to soak or stain thoroughly; to fill the mind
The celebrated teacher strove to IMBUE her students with the desire to succeed.
SYN: infuse, instill, inculcate
inchoate
(adj.) just beginning; not fully shaped or formed
At first a molten and INCHOATE mass, it soon grew, picked up speed, and destroyed all in its path.
SYN: incipient, embryonic, rudimentary
lampoon
(n.) a malicious satire; (v.) to satirize, ridicule
Their LAMPOON of his speech impediment did not amuse the dictator.
The intent was to LAMPOON the senator.
SYN: (n.) burlesque; (v.) parody
malleable
(adj.) capable of being formed into different shapes; capable of being altered, adapted, or influenced
The MALLEABLE minds of the young students were at the mercy of the charismatic professor.
SYN: pliable, impressionable, adaptable
nemesis
(n.) an agent of force inflicting vengeance or punishment; retribution itself; an unbeatable rival.
Calculus proved to be my NEMESIS.
SYN: comeuppance, avenger
opt
(v.) to make a choice or decision
We decided to OPT for the cheaper model.
SYN: choose, select, decide
philistine
(adj.) lacking in, hostile to, or smugly indifferent to cultural and artistic values or refinements
Their PHILISTINE contempt for art is something the curator simply cannot abide.
The mayor is seen as a PHILISTINE by the members of the city's arts community.
SYN: (adj.) boorish, lowbrow
(n.) yahoo
picaresque
(adj.) involving or characteristic of clever rogues or adventures
Reviewers cited the PICARESQUE element in the novel as its best feature.
SYN: roguish, rascally, rakish
queasy
(adj.) nauseated or uneasy; causing nausea or uneasiness; troubled
The remarks gave me a QUEASY feeling in the pit of my stomach.
SYN: unsettled
refractory
(adj.) stubborn; hard or difficult to manage; not responsive to treatment or cure
Caring for the refractory patient left us exhausted and drained.
SYN: unruly, disobedient, willful, mullish
savoir- faire
(n.) the ability to say and do the right thing in any situation social competence
The experienced and wily ambassador handled the delicate affir with her usual SAVOIR- FAIRE.
SYN: tact, finesse, suavity, sophistication
bane
(n.) the source or cause of fatal injury, death, destruction, or ruin; death or ruin itself; poison
Rain, the BANE of picnics, was forecast for the day we had scheduled ours
SYN: spoiler, bete noire
aberration
9n.) a departure from what is proper, right, expected, or normal; a lapse from a sound mental state
In an ABERRATION of judgement, the coach chose not to call a critical time- out.
SYN: deviation, anomaly, irregularity
ad hoc
(adj.) for this specific purpose; improvised
(adv.) with respect to this
An AD HOC committee was formed immediately.
WE met, AD HOC, to consider the issue.
SYN: (adj.) make shift
bathos
(n.) the intrusion of commonplace or trite material into a context whose tone is lofty or elevated; grossly insincere or exaggerated sentimentality; the lowest phase, nadir; an anticlimax, comedown
After wallowing in BATHOS, the writer returned to her novel in earnest.
SYN: mawkishness, mush, schamltz
cantankerous
(adj.) ill-tempered, quarrelsome; difficult to get along or deal with
The CANTANKEROUS machine befuddled the team of technicians assigned to repair it.
SYN: cranky, testy, peevish, irascible, ornery
casuistry
9n.) the determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by the application of general ethical principles; specious argument
The professor's ideas, once highly regarded, now appear to be nothing more than ingenious CASUISTRY.
SYN: sophistry, quibbling
de facto
(adj.) actually existing or in effect, although not legally required or sanctioned; (adv.) in reality; actually
The dictator's wife is the DE FACTO head of state.
It apperars that DE FACTO, the information is true.
SYN: in actuality, in point of fact
depredation
(n.) the act of preying upon or plundering
The DEPREDATION of the invaders left scars that will take years to heal.
SYN: looting, pillage, outrage
empathy
(n.) a sympathetic understanding of or identification with the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of someone or something else
The grandparents felt EMPATHY for the aspirations of their grandchildren
SYN: sympathy, compassion
harbinger
(n.) a forerunner, herald' (v.) to herald the approach of
Dafffodils in bloom are a HARBINGER of spring.
Crocuses, too, HARBINGER the appriach of spring.
SYN: (n) precursor; (v.) presage
hedonism
(n.) the belief that the attainment of pleasure is life's chief aim; devotion to or pursuit of pleaure
A beach bum's mindless HEDNOSm may appeal to all working people at one time or another.
SYN: pleasure seeking, sensuality, sybaritism
lackluster
(adj.)lacking brilliance or vitality; dull
The weary soldier's LACKLUSTER stare haunted the photographer, who captured it with her lens.
SYN: vapid, insipid, drab, flat
malcontent
(adj.) discontented with or in open defiance of prevailing conditions; (n.) such a person
The MALCONTENT transit workers went out on strike.
The angry mayor referred to the strikers as a group of vocal lazy MALCONTENT.
SYN: (adj.) dissatisfied, disgruntled; (n.) grumbler
mellifluous
(adj.) flowing sweetly or smoothly; honeyed
The folk singer's MELLIFLUOUS voice appealed to young and old the world over.
SYN: euphonious, musical
nepotism
(n.) undue favoritism to or excessive patronage of one's relatives
To avoid any hint or NEPOTISM, the owner of the team refused to hire any of his relatives.
pander
(v.) to cater to or provide satisfaction for the low tastes or vices of others; (n.) a person who does this
The hosts proceeded to PANDER to the every whim of their delighted guests.
The friend acted as a PANDER ferrying secret messages back and forth between them.
SYN: (v.) indulge; (n.) pimp, procurer
peccadillo
9n.) a minor sin or offense; a triling fault or shortcoming
If you will overlook my PECCADILLO, I will ignore yours.
SYN: indiscretion
pièce de résistance
(n.) the principal dish of a meal; the principal event, incident, or item; an outstanding accomplishment
The PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE of the remarkable repast was the dessert, a dessert, a ten-tiered cake adorned with spun sugar
SYN: centerpiece, chef d'oeuvre
remand
(v.) to send or order back; in law, to send back to jail or to a lower court
The outlaw was REMAND to the custody of the sheriff.
SYN: remit, return
syndrome
(n.) a group of symptoms or signs that collectively characterized or indicate a disease, disorder, abnormality, etc.
With ubiquitous computer use, carpal tunnel has become a decidedly modern SYNDROME.
SYN: complex, pattern
beatitude
(n.) a state of perfect happiness or blessedness; a blessing
Do you think that not having to worry about money is the consummate BEATITUDE of being wealthy?
SYN: bliss, rapture
bête noire
(n.) someone or something that one especially dislikes, dreads or avoids
Spinach used to be the BÊTE NOIRE or my diet, but that was before i tasted blood sausage
SYN: pet peeve, bugbear, nemesis
bode
(v.) to be an omen of; to indicate by signs
With a smile that BODE good news, the teacher enters the room and greets the students.
SYN: presage, augur, foreshadow
dank
(adj.) unpleasantly damp or wet
The room had the DANK atmosphere of a wet cave.
SYN: clammy, moist, soggy
ecumenical
(adj.) worldwide or universal in influence or application
An ECUMENICAL council meets on the third TUesday of each month.
SYN: general, comprehensive
fervid
(adj.) burning with enthusiasm or zeal; extremely heated
Using FERVID words of praise, the coach gave the team a much- needed pep talk before the big game.
SYN: ardent, zealous, fervent, earnest
fetid
(adj.) having an unpleasant or offensive odor
The state, FETID air of the windowiess room was an irritation to tall who had to be there.
SYN: smelly, putrid, noisome, foul, malodorous.
gargantuan
(adj.) of immense size, volume, or capacity, enormous, prodigious
The spirited artist had a GARGANTUAM thirst for life.
SYN: huge, colossal, mammoth, gigantic
heyday
(n.) the period of greates power, vigor, success, or influence; the prime years
During the HEYDAY of the clipper ship, these graceful vessels were the swiftest on the seas.
SYN: golden age
incubus
(n.) a demon or evil spirit supposed to haunt human beings in their bedrooms at night; anything that oppresses or weighs upon one, like a nightmare.
The young child awoke with a loud scream, claiming that a terrifying INCUBUS had entered the room.
SYN: hobgoblin, millstone, burden
infrastructure
(n.) a basic foundation or framework; a system of public works; the resources and facilities required for an activity; permanent military installations
The city's aging INFRASTRUCTURE was beginning to become a problem that needed to be addressed/
SYN: base, basis, underpinning
inveigie
(v.) to entice, lure, or snare by flattery or artful inducements; to obtain or acquire by artifice.
The planning committee chair INVEIGIE us to join them by promising good seats at the ceremony.
SYN: induce, beguile, cajole, wheedle
kudos
(n.) the acclaim, prestige, or renown that comes as a result of some action or achievement
The poet received all the KUDOS due a Nobel laureate.
SYN: glory, praise, accolades
lagniappe
(n.) an extra or unexpected gift or gratuity
The reward their loyal customers, the grateful sstore handed out LAGNIAPPE to all the day's shoppers.
SYN: bonus
prolix
(adj.) long- winded and wordy; tending to speak or write in such a way
The father of the bride regaled anyone who would listen with a PROLIX description of the wedding.
SYN: verbose, garrulous
protégé
(n.) someone whose welfare, training, or career is under the patronage of an influential person; someon under the jurisdiction of a foreign country or government
The PROTÉGÉ of the ex-champion may one day be a champion herself.
SYN: ward, charge, disciple, trainee
prototype
(n.) an original pattern or model; a primitive or ancestral form
The PROTOTYPE of the modern detective novel is thought to be Poe's "Murders in the Rue Morgue"
SYN: archetype
Sycophant
(n.) someone who attempts to win favors or advance him- or herself by flattery or servile behavior; a slanderer, defamer
The actor, angered by his manager's constant false flattery called him a two- faced SYCOPHANT.
SYN: yes- man, toady, flunky, bootlicker
tautology
(n.) needless repetition of an idea by using different but equivalent words; a redundancy
Filled with endless TAUTOLOGY and solecisms, the lengthy book is a tiresome read.
SYN: pleonasm
truckle
(v.) to yield or submit tamely or submissively
The knight would truckle to no one.
SYN: kowtow, stoop, grovel

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