APLANG VOCAB 1-15

Antithesis 

n. figure of speech in which an opposition or contrast of ideas is expressed by parallelism of words that are the opposites of each other

Bauble 

n. a small, showy trinket or decoration

Bestial 

adj. savagely cruel and depraved

Bland 

adj. plain

Chagrin 

n. distress or embarrassment at having failed or been humiliated.

Diaphanous 

adj. (especially of fabric) light, delicate, and translucent

Effete 

adj. sensitive, overrefined, ineffectual

Emendation 

n. process of making a revision or correction to a text

Gloat 

v. contemplate or dwell on one’s own success or another’s misfortune with smugness or malignant pleasure

Impediment 

n. a hindrance or obstruction in doing something

Impotent 

adj. unable to take effective action; helpless or powerless

Labyrinth  

n. a maze

Maelstrom 

n. situation or state of confused movement or violent turmoil; a whirlpool

Nihilism  

n. rejection of all religious and moral principles, belief that life is meaningless

Shard 

n. a thin piece with sharp edges of something shattered/broken, typically of glass, ceramic, rock