English IV Vocabulary 11

apostate

apostate

one who forsakes his or her religion, party or cause

bravado

a display of false or assumed courage

consensus

a collective or general agreement of opinion, feeling or thinking

constrict

to make smaller or narrower, draw together, squeeze; to stop or cause to falter

dichotomy

a division into two contradictory or mutually exclusive parts; a branch or forking in an ancestral line

effusive

highly demonstrative; unrestrained

euphoria

a feeling of great happiness or well-being, often with no objective basis

gothic

characterized by or emphasizing a gloomy setting and grotesque or violent events; such as a literary of artistic style; a type of medieval architecture

impasse

a dead end; a position from which there is no escape; a problem to which there is no solution

lugubrious

sad, mournful, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree

metamorphosis

a complete transformation; as if by magic

mystique

an aura or attitude of mystery or veneration surrounding something or someone

non sequitur

an inference or conclusion that does not follow logically from the facts or premises

parlous

full of danger or risk, perilous

punctilio

a minute detail of conduct or procedure; an instant of time

quagmire

soft; soggy mud or slush; a difficult or entrapping situation

quixotic

extravagantly or romantically idealistic; visionary without regard to practical considerations

raconteur

a person who tells stories and anecdotes with great skill

sin qua non

an essential or indispensable amount element or condition

vendetta

a prolonged feud, often between two families, characterized by retaliatory acts of revenge, any act motivated by vengeance