Vocab 16

Exodus

(n) a departure, usually of large numbers of people

hegira

an exodus or migration, especially when undertaken to escape from a dangerous or undesirable situation

Exotic

**foreign; charmingly unfamiliar or strikingly unusual**

Alien

belonging to a foreign country or nation

Expedient

a. (adj) advantageous to one's interest or purpose
b. (n) an emergency course of action; a means to an end

Stratagem

plan made to outwit others and/or win

stopgap

a temporary solution to a problem

Exploit

**a. (v) to use to the greatest possible advantage, often selfishly**

**b. (n) a brilliant or heroic deed**

capitalize on

to get an advantage or benefit from

coup

a violent and seizure of power from a government

tour de force

an impressive performance or achievement achieved through great skill

expound

(v) explain in detail

elucidate

make something clear; clearly explain

explicate

analyze and develop (an idea or principle) in detail

delineate

describe or portray (something) precisely

fabricate

**a. (v) to assemble or sconstruct from separate parts**

**b. (v) to make up with the intention of deceiving**

a trumped-up charge

untrue, something made up to unfairly punish someone

Facetious

(adj) not meant seriously playful or humorous

waggish

humorous in a playful or mischievous manner

whimsical

unusual and strange in a way that might be funny or annoying

droll

curious or unusual in a way that provokes dry amusement

a tongue in cheek remark

a statement characterized by insincerity, irony, or whimsical exaggeration

Facsimile

**a. (n) an exact copy**

**b. (adj) reproduced exactly**

a carbon copy

person or thing identical or very similar to another

a chip off the old block

someone who looks like their parents or has similar character

fallacy

**a. (n) faulty reasoning; an error in logic**

**b. (n) a false or mistaken motion**

solecism

a grammatical mistake in speech or writing

Fathom

a. (n) a unit of length equal to six feet and used primarily in the measurement of marine depths
b. (n) to get to the bottom of; to understand

ferret out

to find via careful searching

divine

a. relating to a god

b. delightful; excellent

fatuous

(adj) unconsciously foolish, stupid, or absurd

inane

silly; stupid

vacuous

showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless

vapid

offering nothing challenging or stimulating

ludicrous

ridiculous, unreasonable, out of place to be amusing

incisive

clear-thinking and intelligently analytical

feasible

possible; doable and workable

impracticable

(of an action) impossible to do

impractical

(of an object or action) not realistic or sensible

feign

(v) to pretend or give a false appearance of

sail under false colors

hypocritical; pretends to be something they aren’t to deceive others

an ignis fatuus

something deceptive or deluding

The real McCoy

the real thing; genuine article

felicitous

well suited for the purpose or occasion

apropos

very appropriate to a particular situation

apposite

apt in the circumstances or in relation to something

apt

appropriate or suitable in the circumstances

seemly

conforms to the standard of good taste; good taste

becoming

(especially of clothing) flattering a person’s appearance

fetish

**a. (n) an object believed among primitive people to have magical powers**

**b. (n) an object of unreasonably excessive attention or reverence**

amulet

an ornament or piece of jewelry thought to give protection against evil, danger or disease

talisman

an object that is believed to have magical powers or bring good luck

preoccupation

state of being preoccupied/engrossed with something

an idee fixe

an obsession; an idea that dominates the mind

a sacred cow

an idea or custom that is seen to be above criticism (i wonder what this could be referencing…)

kowtow

act in an excessively respectful and obedient manner

amuck

rush about wildly; lost self-control

tycoon

a wealthy, powerful person in business or industry

powwow

to have a quick meeting for discussion

taboo

social or religious custom prohibiting discussion of a practice

loot

goods taken away from enemies during war

mogul

an important or powerful person, especially in the motion picture or media industry

tariff

a tax on imported goods

pariah

an outcast

caucus

a local meeting of party members to select candidates, elect delegates, etc

juggernaut

a huge, powerful, and overwhelming force

mumbo jumbo

language meant to cause confusion

nadir

lowest point in fortunes for a person or organization

mirth

amusement expressed as laughter

seethe

(of a person) be filled with intense but unexpressed anger

din

loud, unpleasant, prolonged noise

quell

to put an end to (a rebellion or disorder) by force

mete

dispense punishment or harsh treatment

swarthy

dark-skinned

forbear

refrain from doing something

neurotic

to have drastic and irrational reactions

psychosomatic

(of a physical illness or other condition) caused or aggravated by a mental factor such as internal conflict or stress

paranoid

obsessively anxious, suspicious, or mistrustful

extrasensory

residing beyond or outside the ordinary senses

split personality

characterized by "switching" to alternate identities

maladjustment

failure to cope with the demands of a normal social environment

psychic

relating to phenomenas that are ‘unreal’ (EX: telepathy)

psychotic

crazy

introvert

a reserved person

extrovert

an outgoing and overly expressive person

schizophrenic

someone who interprets reality abnormally

hypochondriac

 a person who is abnormally anxious about their health

burnout

state of physical or emotional exhaustion