The Game Vocabulary

last rites

the ceremony performed in some religions, especially the Catholic religion, for people who are dying

conspicuous

very easy to notice

raucous

impolite, noisy, and sometimes violent

to be/become inured to

to become used to something unpleasant so that you are no longer upset by it

scrounge

to gather something you need from what is available

axiomatic

obviously true and therefore not needing to be proved

bleak

cold, not welcoming, or without hope

rickety

in bad condition and therefore weak and likely to break

zest

enthusiasm, energy, and eagerness

conspirator

a person who plans secretly with other people to do something bad, illegal, or against someone's wishes

garish

showy or too brightly colored (negative)

translucent

almost transparent (see-through), allowing some light through it

cynical

not trusting the goodness of other people and their actions, but believing people are only interested in themselves

meander

(river, road, etc.) to have a lot of bends instead of a straight line; to walk somewhere in a slow and relaxed way rather than take the most direct way possible

terse

using few words, sometimes in a way that seems rude or unfriendly

sterilization

the process of having a medical operation to make it impossible to have children

tantalizing

making you feel a strong desire to have or do something

smug

too pleased or satisfied about something you have achieved or something you know

skew

to cause something to be not straight or exact; to twist or distort

arid

very dry and without enough rain for plants

ruthless

cruel; not thinking or worrying about any pain caused to others

trudge

to walk slowly with a lot of effort, especially over a difficult surface or while carrying something heavy

brisk

quick and full of energy

melodramatic

showing much stronger emotions than are necessary or usual for a situation

morose

unhappy, annoyed, and unwilling to speak or smile

listless

tired and weak, lacking enery or interest

vociferous

repeatedly and loudly expressing your opinions and complaints

dissuade

to persuade someone not to do something

reticence

an unwillingness to talk about what you feel or what you know

subdue

to reduce the force of something or to prevent something from existing or developing

sulk

to be silent and refuse to smile or be pleasant to people because you are angry about something that they have done:

subtle

not loud, bright, noticeable or obvious in any way; achieved in a quiet way that does not attract attention to itself

plausible

seeming likely to be true, or able to be believed

turf

a surface that consists of soil with grass on top; (informal) an area that you think of as being your own

pompous

feeling or showing that you think you are better or more important than other people

resilience

the ability to be happy, successful, etc. again after something difficult or bad has happened

aversion

a feeling of strong dislike or of not wishing to do something

obstinate

unwilling to change your opinion or action despite argument or persuasion; stubborn

sturdy

physically strong and solid or thick, and therefore unlikely to break or be hurt

cajole

to persuade someone to do something they might not want to do, by pleasant talk and (sometimes false) promises

apathy

lack of interest, or the attitude of not caring resulting from it

coax

to try to persuade someone to do something by gently asking or patiently encouraging the person

blot out

to cause something to disappear, or to remove something unpleasant from your thoughts

precarious

likely to fall; likely to get worse; in a dangerous state because of not being safe or not being held in place firmly

fester

(a problem or feeling) to get worse because it has not been dealt with; (injury) to become infected

kin

family members

arduous

difficult, needing a lot of effort and energy

coarse

rough and not smooth or soft

laden with

carrying or holding a lot of something

damp

slightly wet