english 2 vocab words group 4

lauded/laudatory

part of speech: verb/adjective
definition:
____ ded: to praise or express admiration
____atory: expressing admiration or praise
in context: Marie Curie was ___ for her groundbreaking research in radioactivity.

maelstrom

part of speech: noun
definition:
- a powerful whirlpool in the sea.
- (more commonly)- a situation of confusion and chaos or violent turmoil
in context: after the Phillies won the World Series, what was meant to be a celebration turned into a ____ of rioting.

magnanimous

part of speech: adjective
definition: generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or less powerful person.
in context: many giant corporations donate large sums of money to charity in hopes that the general public will see it as a ____ gesture rather than what it really is: a tax write-off.

mercurial

part of speech: adjective
definition: subject to sudden changes of mood or mind; unpredictable
in context: those diagnosed with bipolar disorder often exhibit ___ behavior for seemingly no reason.

mitigate

part of speech: verb
definition: to make less severe, serious, or painful; to lessen the impact of something
in context: recently, there was a study done that found that doing intentionally embarrassing things in public on purpose can help ____ social anxiety.

nadir

part of speech: noun
definition: the lowest point in a situation; a point of great adversity or despair.
in context: true to its name, many consider the Dark Ages the ___ of human civilization.

nebulous

part of speech: adjective
definition: unclear, vague, ill-defined, cloudy, or hazy
in context: the director’s vision for the musical was a bit ___, as evidenced by the confused whispers of the cast as he kept yelling, “Pizazz! More Pizazz!”

nonchalant

part of speech: adjective
definition: feeling or appearing casually calm and relaxed; not displaying anxiety or enthusiasm.
in context: Jim is ___ about getting up on the roof each year to put the lights in place, but Linda not so much.