Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Vocabulary # 4

apostateA person who renounces a religious or political belief or principle
- They considered all sinners apostates.
effusiveExpressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner

-Once the play was over, they gave the actors an effusive praise.
impasse- A situation in which no progress is possible, esp. because of disagreement

-Their work had reached an impasse because they were not able to produce enough information for use in further studies.
euphoriaA feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness

-She felt a sense of panic, as if she were being watched, but upon walking away felt a sudden euphoria.
lugubriousLooking or sounding sad and dismal

-The love songs of Lil Rob were very lugubrious, so I asked her to turn down the radio.
bravadoA bold manner or a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate
-Beowulf's bravado was increasingly high by the third monster.
consensus- General agreement

-The consensus of the group was to meet once a week.
dichotomyA division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different

-There is a big dichotomy between thoughts and actions.
constrictMake narrower

-Leather straps will stretch when wet, but will constrict when they dry out again.
gothicportrayed fantastic tales dealing with horror, despair, the grotesque and other "dark" subjects

-When touring France one may see many gothic cathedrals.
punctilioA fine or petty point of conduct or procedure

-His punctilio poise helped him succeed in getting the job.
metamorphosis- to give form to dreams & fantasies

-I felt angry for about a limit of two hours and then a strange metamorphosis came over me.
raconteurA person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way

-The crowd became silent as the raconteur began to speak.
sine qua nonAn essential condition; a thing that is absolutely necessary

-Sugar is a sine qua non to make a cake
quixoticExceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical

-The quixotic little girl wanted her parents to buy her an iPhone 5.
vendettaA prolonged bitter quarrel with or campaign against someone

-The vendetta against him was swift and mercyless
non sequiturA conclusion or statement that does not logically follow from the previous argument or statement

-The professor's lecture was a jumble of non sequiturs and irrelevant observations
mystiqueAn air of secrecy surrounding a particular activity or subject

-There is a certain mystique about psychics and fortune tellers
quagmireAn awkward, complex, or hazardous situation
-The war in Vietnam is often referred to as a quagmire for the US.
parlousFull of danger or uncertainty
-Walking around at night seems like a parlous idea for 3 young girls.



(I used goggle & Katelyn as a source)

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