vocab round 2

Tenacious

(adj.) not readily letting go of, giving up, or separating from an object, a position, or a principle that one holds

Miasma

(n.) Highly unpleasant or unhealthy smell of vapor; an oppressive or unpleasant atmosphere that surrounds emanates from something

Precipice

(n.) a cliff with a vertical, nearly vertical, or overhanging face; a situation of great peril

Bombast

(n.) speech too pompous for an occasion; pretentious words

Iconoclast

(n.)a person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions

Chicanery

(n.) the use of trickery to achieve a political, financial, or legal purpose

Capricious

(adj.) changeable, fickle; given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior

Plaudit

(n.) enthusiastic approval; an act or round of applause--usually used in the plural form of plaudits 

Hackneyed

(adj.) lacking significance through having been overused; unoriginal and trite

Acerbic

(adj.) sharp and forthright (esp. a comment or style of speaking)

Supercilious

(adj.) behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others

Perfidy

(n.) deliberate breach of faith or trust; faithlessness; treachery

Ephemeral

(adj.) lasting for a very short time

Harangue

(n.) a lengthy and aggressive speech; (v.) to lecture in an aggressive and critical manner

Ensconce

(v.) to settle securely or snugly in a comfortable, safe, or secret place

Esoteric

(adj.) intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest

Mollify

(v.) appease the anger or anxiety of someone

Detritus

(n.) waste or debris of any kind

Lugubrious

(adj) Looking or sounding sad and dismal

Deft

(adj.) neatly skillful and quick in one’s movements