10 Vocab List 1-2

factious

causing disagreement

ignoble

dishonorable; shameful

boor

a rude or impolite person

aegis

a shield; protection

perspicacity

keenness of judgement

fervent

eager; earnest

rectify

to correct; to make right

enervate

to weaken

besiege

to overwhelm; to surround and attack

ephemeral

lasting only for a brief time; short-lived

altruism

a concern for others; generosity

carrion

decaying flesh

amorphous

shapeless, formless, vague

opulent

rich, luxurious; wealthy

impotent

powerless; lacking strength

antithesis

an exact opposite; and opposite extreme

maelstrom

whirlpool; turbulence; agitated atate of mind

emendation

a correction

chagrin

embarrassment; a complete loss of courage

bauble

a showy but useless thing

diaphanous

very sheer and light

labyrinth

a complicated network of winding passages; a maze

gloat

to look at or think about with great satisfaction

impediment

a barrier; obstruction

bestial

savage; brutal

effete

worn out; barren

shard

a fragment

bland

mild; tasteless; dull

nihilism

a total rejection of established laws