Unit 12 Vocab

apposite

approprite, suitable; apt

augur

a prophet or seer; to predict/foreshadow

bilk

to defraud, cheat, or swindle; to evade payment of; to frustrate, thwart

charisma

the special personal magnetism that makes an individual exceptionally appealing to other people; a divinely bestowed gift of power

debilitate

to make weak or feeble

execrable

utterly detestable, hateful, or abhorrent; extremely inferior

impinge

to strike against or collide with violently; to encroach or obtrude upon; to make an impression upon

labyrinth

a bewildering maze; any confusing or complicated situation

narcissism

excessive self-love; absorption in oneself

pastiche

a dramatic, musical, or literary work made up of bits and pieces from other sources

penultimate

next to the last

precarious

very uncertain or unsure; dangerous or risky

rapport

a close and harmonious relationship

utilitarian

stressing practically over other consideration; relating to the belief that what is good or desirable is determined purely by its usefulness

vacuous

devoid of matter, substance, or meaning; lacking ideas or intelligence; purposeless

vagary

an unpredicable, erratic, or seemingly purpoless action, or notion

viable

capable of living or developing under normal circumstances

xenophobia

undue or unreasonable fear, hatred, or contempt of foreign or strangers or what is foreign or strange

zany

clownish or funny in a crazy, bizzare, or ludicrous way: one who plays the clown

zealot

a fanatical partisan; an ardent follower

synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part of something stands for the whole or the whole for a part, as wheels for automobile or society for high society

synesthesia

the perception or description of one kind of sense impression in words normally used to describe a different sense, like a sweet voice or a velvety smile. It can be very effective for creating vivid imagery. One sensory experience described in terms of another sensory experience.

syntax

the arrangement of words in a sentence, the grammar of a sentence, including punctuation

theme

the theme provides an answer to the question, “What is the work about?“ Each literary work carries its own theme. Unlike plot, which deals with the action of a work, theme concerns itself with a work’s message or contains the general idea of a work and is worded in a complete sentence

thesis

the statement of the main position in an essay or speech; defines scope or answers a prompt

tone

created through the syntax and diction, expresses the author’s attitude toward his or her subject