Quarter 1 Zing Words

aegis

aegis

To protect, back up, or support a person or organization

agita

anxiety, stress, or aggravation

anathema

(1) something or someone that one dislikes (2) a curse

apostate

someone who renounces their religion, political belief, or principle

bailiwick

(1) someone's particular interest or sphere of operations (2) the jurisdiction of a bailiff

bellwether

(1) the leading sheep of a flock, with a bell on its neck (2) an indicator or predictor of something

blandishment

a flattering statement or action used to persuade someone gently do something

bodacious

(1) excellent, admirable, or attractive (2) audacious in a way considered admirable

bowdlerize

to remove material that is considered offensive from a text or account, with the result that the text becomes weaker or less effective

bravado

a bold manner or a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate

Brobdingnagian

gigantic

brook

tolerate or allow

brouhaha

a noisy and overexcited reaction or response to something

bupkes (bupkis)

absolutely nothing, nothing at all

burgeon

(1) begin to grow or increase rapidly; flourish (2) a bud or young shoots

cacophony

a harsh discordant mixture of sounds

catharsis

the process of releasing strong and repressed emotions to relieve of them

conundrum

(1) a confusing and difficult problem or question (2) a question asked for amusement, typically one with a pun in its answer; a riddle

coup de foudre

a sudden unforeseen event, in particular an instance of love at first sight

debacle

a sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco

decimate

(1) kill, destroy, or remove a large percentage or part of (2) drastically reducing the strength or effectiveness of something (3) kill one in every ten of a group as a punishment for the whole group

denizen

(1) an inhabitant or occupant of a particular place (2) a foreigner allowed certain rights in the adopted country

deprecate

(1) express disapproval of (2) disparage or belittle something

diatribe

a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something

dilettante

(1) a person who cultivates an area of interest, without real commitment or knowledge (2) a person with an amateur interest in the arts

ebullient

(1) cheerful and full of energy (2) a liquid or matter that is boiling or agitated as if boiling

eclectic

(1) to derive or a person that derives ideas, style, or taste, from a diverse range of sources

emote

to portray emotion in a theatrical manner, especially by actors

enervate

(1) to be or to cause someone to feel drained of energy or vitality; weaken

ensconce

establish or settle someone in a comfortable, safe, or secret place

epicurean

(1) a disciple of or something related to the Greek philosopher Epicurus (2) a person devoted to sensual enjoyment from fine food and drinks

ersatz

(1) an inferior substitute (2) not real or genuine

fastidious

(1) very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail (2) very concerned about matters of cleanliness

ferret

(1) to hunt using a ferret, typically rabbits (2) to search in great lengths for something

fleece

(1) the woolly covering of a sheep or a fabric similar to such (2) to obtain a great deal of money by overcharging or swindling someone

Frankenfood

genetically modified food

histrionic

(1) overly theatrical or melodramatic in character or style (2) denoting a personality disorder marked by shallow volatile emotions and attention-seeking behavior

hoi polloi

the masses; the common people

hugger-mugger

(1) confused; disorderly (2) secret; clandestine

idiosyncrasy

(1) a behavior or way of thought peculiar to an individual (2) a distinctive or peculiar feature or characteristic of a place or thing (3) an abnormal physical reaction by an individual to a food or drug

ignominious

deserving or causing public disgrace or shame

imbue

inspire or permeate with a feeling or quality

indolent

(1) wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy (2) causing little or no pain

inexorable

(1) impossible to stop or prevent (2) someone impossible to persuade by request or entreaty

inimitable

so good or unusual as to be impossible to copy; unique

kerfuffle

a commotion or fuss, especially one caused by conflicting views

kibitz

(1) look on and offer unwelcome advice, especially at a card game (2) speak informally; chat

kowtow

(1) act in an excessively subservient manner (2) a Chinese custom in which you kneel and touch the ground with your forehead in worship or submission

lugubrious

looking or sounding sad and dismal

macabre

disturbing and horrifying because of involvement with or depiction of death and injury

Madeleine

a French shell-shaped baked good often decorated with coconut and jam

maladroit

ineffective or bungling; clumsy

malfeasance

wrongdoing, especially by a public official

masticate

to chew

mensch

a person of integrity and honor

mollify

(1) appease the anger or anxiety of someone (2) reduce the severity of something; soften

nabob

a person of wealth or high status, typically of Muslim origin as a governor under the Mogul empire

nebbish

a person, especially a man, who is regarded as pitifully ineffectual, timid, or submissive

nemesis

(1) a long-standing rival; an archenemy (2) a downfall caused by an inescapable agent (3) retributive justice

niggardly

(1) not generous; stingy (2) meager; scanty

nosh

(1) food or snack (2) to eat food enthusiastically or greedily

obsequies

funeral rites

onerous

a task, duty, or responsibility that involves an oppressively burdensome amount of effort and difficulty

ostracize

(1) to exclude someone from a group (2) to banish someone from a city for five to ten years

panacea

a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases

panache

(1) flamboyant confidence of style or manner (2) a tuft or plume of feathers, especially as a headdress or on a helmet

pander

(1) gratify or indulge (2) a pimp

pejorative

expressing contempt or disapproval

plaudit

(1) an expression of praise or approval (2) the applause of an audience

preclude

to prevent something or someone from doing something; make impossible

prorogue

to discontinue a lesgislative assembly without dissolving it

proselytize

to try to convert someone's beliefs; to advocate or promote

protean

(1) tending or able to change frequently or easily (2) able to do many different things; versatile

quaff

to drink an alcoholic drink heartily

quizzical

indicating or to cause mild amusement

recant

to say that one no longer holds an opinion or belief, especially one considered heretical

redact

to edit, censor, or obscure a text for publication, legal, or security purposes

regale

(1) to amuse someone with talk (2) to lavishly supply someone with food or drink

roil

(1) to make a liquid to go into a turbulent or swirling manner (2) to annoy or irritate someone

sanguine

(1) to be optimistic or positive, especially in a bad or difficult situation (2) blood-red; bloody; bloodthirsty

schlock

cheap or inferior goods or material; trash

schmaltzy

excessively sentimental

schmooze

to talk with someone in a lively and friendly way, typically in order to impress or manipulate them

scion

(1) a young shoot or twig of a plant, especially one cut for grafting or rooting (2) a descendant of a notable family

sonorous

(1) imposingly deep and full voice (2) capable of producing a deep or ringing sound (3) using imposing language

surfeit

(1) an excessive amount of something (2) an illness caused or regarded as being caused by excessive eating or drinking

sycophant

a person who acts obsequiously, obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree, toward someone important in order to gain advantage

tantalize

(1) to torment or tease someone with the sight or promise of something that is unobtainable (2) to excite the senses or desires of someone

uxorious

having or showing an excessive or submissive fondness for one's wife

vainglorious

excessively proud of oneself or one's achievements; overly vain

verisimilitude

the appearance of being true or real

vet

(1) a veterinary surgeon (2) to investigate or carefully examine someone or something thoroughly

vicissitude

(1) a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant (2) alternation between opposite or contrasting things

voyeur

(1) a person who enjoys seeing the pain or distress of others (2) a person who gains sexual pleasure from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity

winnow

(1) to separate the useful things or people from those that are not (2) a bird fanning the air with its wings; the blowing of wind

xenophobia

dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries