S1 vic’s

glib

adj. done in a smooth, offhand manner; easily spoken; speaking too smoothly to be sincere

lugubrious

adj. sad or mournful, often to an exaggerated degree; doleful

finesse

n. delicate skill; subtlety; v. to bring about with skill; to evade

nemesis

n. an avenger; an unbeatable rival; a person who punishes another for evil deeds

purloin

v. to steal

banal

adj. commonplace; trite; stale from overuse

pseudonym

n. a fictitious name used by an author; a pen name

lampoon

n. strongly satirical writing; v. to ridicule or satirize

nefarious

adj. villainous; infamous; having a bad reputation

bellicose

adj. quarrelsome; hostile; inclined to fighting

euphemism

n. a mild expression used in place of a harsh, crude, or distasteful expression

nebulous

adj. hazy; vague; not clearly defined

abject

adj. hopelessly low; wretched; miserable; without self-respect

propriety

n. acceptable behavior; conformity with conventional standards

reviled

v. to attack with abusive language; to call insulting names

distraught

adj. in a state of mental conflict; agitated; crazed

admonish

v. to reprove mildly and kindly, but seriously; to caution or warn; to urge

prosaic

adj. matter-of-fact; ordinary; commonplace

phlegmatic

adj. sluggish; indifferent; calm

commensurate

adj. in proper proportion; having the same scale, measure, or size; proportionate

incognito

n. one who is in disguise or using an assumed name; adj. disguised; using a false name; adv. in disguise; under a fictitious name

cognizant

adj. aware of or informed about something

farcical

adj. ridiculous; exaggeratedly comical

discursive

adj. wandering or shifting from one subject to another; rambling; long winded

hyperbole

n. an obvious exaggeration, made for effect and not meant to be taken literally

omniscient

adj. knowing everything; having complete or infinite knowledge

fortuitous

adj. occurring by chance; accidental; fortunate

assimilate

v. to absorb and incorporate food or knowledge; to absorb one group into a larger culture

ennui

n. discontent and listlessness from lack of occupation or interest

mesmerism

n. hypnotism; hypnotic appeal; intense fascination

dirge

n. a funeral hymn; a poetic or musical expression of grief

despotic

n. an absolute ruler; one in charge who acts like a tyrant

expatriate

n. one who is exiled or who has withdrawn from his or her native land; v. to banish from one's native country; to withdraw from one's native land

colloquy

n. a conversation or conference, usually formal

allay

v. to lessen; to relieve; to calm

feign

v. to pretend; to make up

blazon

v. to proclaim; to display publicly; n. a coat of arms; a banner

choleric

adj. having or showing a quick temper or irascible nature

adroit

adj. clever; skillful in a mental or physical way

bravado

n. a show of false bravery or confidence

guile

n. craftiness; deceit; cunning

proffer

v. to offer; n. an offer

seraphic

adj. angelic; of the highest order of angels

amorphous

adj. shapeless; of no particular form or type; not organized

decorum

n. proper action, speech, and dress; good manners and behavior; polite behavior

protege

n. someone whose welfare or career is guided and helped by a more influential person

sanguine

adj. naturally cheerful and hopeful; confident; having a ruddy complexion

doggerel

n. badly written or trivial verse, often with a singsong rhythm

ascetics

n. a person who practices unusual self-denial or discipline, often for religious reasons; adj. self-denying

facile

(adj.) easily done or attained; superficial; ready, fluent; easily shown but not sincerely felt

implicit

(adj.) implied or understood though unexpressed; without doubts or reservations, unquestioning; potentially contained in

nondescript

adj. not having individual characteristics; lacking in distinctive qualities; drab; hard to describe

sundry

adj. various; miscellaneous

inveigle

v. to win over with trickery or flattery; to entice; to coax with deceitful talk; to dupe

dogma

n. a belief or set of beliefs held to be true, especially by a church or other authority; a doctrine

scuirrilous

adj. given to the use of abusive or indecent language; foulmouthed

parsimonious

adj. too economical; stingy; miserly

exhort

v. to urge strongly, advise earnestly; to admonish

nonentities

n. a person or thing of little or no importance; something that does not exist or only exists in the imagination

vociferous

adj. loud and noisy; clamorous; demanding

gratuitous

adj. freely given or obtained; unearned; uncalled for; without justification or cause

etymology

n. the source and development of a word; the study of word sources and development

venerate

v. to regard with deep respect, honor, or esteem; to revere

truism

n. a statement the truth of which is obvious or well known

erudite

adj. having or displaying extensive knowledge; learned; scholarly

charlatan

n. a person who falsely claims to possess expert knowledge or skill; a quack; an imposter

extol

v. to praise highly

broached

v. to mention for the first time; to introduce a subject; to start a discussion of

predisposed

v. to create or possess a tendency or preference in advance; to make susceptible

immutable

adj. never changing; unchangeable; unalterable

infringe

v. to violate or disregard a law or an agreement; to trespass; to break in on

specious

adj. seemingly desirable, reasonable, or true but not really so; having a deceptively good appearance

ostensible

adj. outwardly professed; apparent; seeming

absolve

v. to declare free from guilt and blame; to set free from a promise or an obligation

subjugate

v. to subdue; to conquer; to force to submit

antipodes

n. any two places at directly opposite points on the earth; two opposite things

retroactive

adj. applying to events that are past

antipathy

n. a strong dislike; an aversion

nettle

n. a stinging plant; v. to sting with, or as if with, a nettle; to cause sharp annoyance; to irritate

indigent

adj. poor; needy

mundane

adj. ordinary; commonplace; of this world (rather than the world beyond)

eulogy

n. a speech or piece of writing in praise of a person or thing, especially to honor one who has recently died; a tribute; praise

progeny

n. children; offspring; descendants

copious

adj. abundant; plentiful; full of information; wordy

tenure

n. the holding of an office; the length of time for which a position is held; the permanence of position granted to teachers, civil service employees, and others

euphony

n. agreeableness of sound; pleasant combination of sounds in spoken words

sonorous

adj. giving out, capable of producing, or having a deep, rich sound

abnegation

n. self-denial; a giving up or a renunciation of rights

poignant

adj. painfully felt; emotionally touching; pointed; sharp

extraneous

adj. coming from the outside, foreign; present but not essential, irrelevant

hackneyed

adj. used too often; stale from overuse; trite; cliched

paragon

n. a model of excellence or perfection; a perfect example of something

ascribe

v. to assign or refer to (as a cause or source), attribute; to think of as coming from or belonging to someone

inconsequential

adj. unimportant; petty; trivial

humdrum

adj. without variety or excitement; monotonous; commonplace

engendered

v. to bring into being; to produce; to cause

idiosyncrasy

n. a personal peculiarity that is an identifying trait; a quirk

elegy

n. a sad or mournful poem or song, often about someone who is dead

introvert

n. a person who looks inward; a shy, quiet person

homilies

n. a sermon, especially on something in the Bible; a long, often dull, moralizing talk or writing