Thursday, January 23, 2014

Vocabulary Spring List #2

apostate- a person who forsakes his religion, party, etc.
ex: A priest is the opposite of an apostate.

effusive- unduly demonstrative; lacking reserve
ex: The jolly man extended an effusive greeting.

impasse- position in which there is no escape
ex: Being stuck under a rock is an impasse.

euphoria- a state of extreme happiness and self-confidence
ex: The kid in the candy store was in a state of euphoria.

lugubrious- mournful, dismal, or gloomy
ex: The cloudy day was lugubrious.

bravado- pretentious swaggering display of courage
ex: The cocky person demonstrated their bravado.

consensus- majority of opinion
ex: The council has come to a consensus

dichotomy- division into two parts
ex: There is a dichotomy of our nation's political parties.

constrict- to draw or press in; compress
ex: The tight shirt was constrictive.

gothic- a dark or medieval style of architecture using lots of sharp points and ribbed sides
ex: The old church had a gothic style to it.

punctilio- a fine point, particular, or detail, as of conduct; strictness or seriousness
ex: They really seem to show a readiness to stand on punctilio and ceremony.

metamorphosis- a complete change of form or structure from one stage to the next
ex: The project underwent a metamorphosis towards success.

raconteur- a person skilled in relating anecdotes and stories interestingly
ex: The storyteller was really a raconteur.

sine qua non- something essential
ex: He was the sine qua non to the friend's party.

quixotic- extravagantly chivalrous and romantic
ex: Romeo is a classic example of someone who is quixotic

vendetta- a prolonged and bitter feud or rivalry
ex: There was a political vendetta.

non sequitur- reffering to a conclusion after logical reasoning
ex: The courts ruling was of non sequitur.

mystique- framework of ideas constructed around a person or object
ex: The Bible has a mystique around Jesus and his life.

quagmire- an area of miry or boggy ground whose surface yields under the tread
ex: A quagmire of financial indebtedness

parlous- perilous; dangerous
ex: He went on a parlous journey

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