Vocabulary Set #3

vapid

adjective

offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging: she frittered away the time participating in vapid small talk.

derivatives:

vapidly

vapidity

vapidness

syn: insipid, uninspired, anemic, colorless, feeble

insipid

adjective

lacking flavor: mugs of insipid coffee.

• lacking vigor or interest: she thought her wardrobe was rather insipid for a fashion designer.

derivatives

insipidity

insipidness

insipidly

syn: tasteless, flavorless, bland, savorless, or uninteresting, boring, vapid, dull, or unimaginative, uninspired

avid

adjective

having or showing keen interest in or enthusiasm for something: an avid reader of science fiction | she took an avid interest in art.

derivatives

avidity

avidly

syn: keen, eager, enthusiastic, ardent, passionate

commensurate

adjective

corresponding in size or degree; proportionate to: salary will be commensurate with experience | such heavy responsibility must receive commensurate reward.

derivatives

commensurately

commensurateness

syn: equivalent, corresponding, proportionate to, proportional

jingo

noun (derogatory)

a vociferous supporter of policy favoring war, especially in the name of patriotism: a nation whose citizens have no knowledge of history is asking to be led by quacks, charlatans, and jingos | [as modifier] : the feverish excitement of the jingo crowds.

derivatives

jingoism

jingoist

jingoistic

syn: radical, chauvinist, patriot, nationalist, sectarian, warmongerer

phrases

by jingo!

dither

verb

1. be indecisive: he was dithering between doing his homework or not.

2. add white noise to (a digital recording) to reduce distortion of low-amplitude signals.

• display or print (a color image) in such a way that there appears to be more colors in it than are really available: the easiest way to remove hot pixels is to dither images.

noun

1. (informal) indecisive behavior: after years of dither they had still not compromised.

2. (in singular) a state of agitation: buses are jammed and dirty and everyone is in a dither over taxis.

derivatives

ditherer

dithery

dithering

dithered

syn: hesitate, falter, waver, teeter, vacillate, oscillate

jigger

noun

1. a machine or vehicle with a part that rocks or moves back and forth, e.g., a jigsaw: they invented a jigger that pulls nets under the ice.

2. a person who dances a jig.

3. a small fore-and-aft sail set at the stern of a ship.

• a small tackle consisting of a double and single block or two single blocks with a rope.

4. a measure or small glass of spirits or wine: a jigger or two of rum.

5. (Golf) dated a metal golf club with a narrow face.

6. (US English) used to refer to a thing whose name one does not know or does not wish to mention: see them little jiggers?.

verb

rearrange or tamper with: conventional price indexes often jigger the market basket’s content.

derivatives

rejigger

rejig

jiggered

syn: rearrange, reconfigure, modify

sermonize

verb

compose or deliver a sermon.

• deliver an opinionated and dogmatic talk to someone: they confidently sermonize on the fixed nature of identity | [with object] : I just don't like being sermonized.

derivatives

sermonizer

sermon

sermonic

sermonizing

in spades

saying

to a very high degree: He got his revenge now in spades.

comportment

noun

behavior; bearing: he displayed the comportment expected of the rightful king

derivatives

comport

syn: behavior, conduct

samovar

noun

a highly decorated tea urn used in Russia

boudoir

noun

a woman’s bedroom or private room: "Throw open the door of the boudoir, Aminadab…”

bestial

adjective

of or like an animal/animals: his thick and hairy forearms suffused his form with a bestial aura.

• savagely cruel or deprived: bestial and barbaric acts.

derivatives:

bestially

bestiary

bestialize

syn: animal, beastlike, animalistic, zoic, theriomorphic, theriod, or savage, brutish, brutal, barbaric

pontificate

verb

1. express one's opinions in a way considered annoyingly pompous and dogmatic: he was pontificating about art and history.

2. (in the Roman Catholic Church) officiate as bishop, especially at Mass: he pontificated at three Christmas Masses.

noun

(in the Roman Catholic Church) the office or tenure of pope or bishop: Pope Gregory VIII enjoyed only a ten-week pontificate.’'

derivatives

pontification

pontificator

pontificated

syn: hold forth, expound, declaim, preach

besotted

adjective

strongly infatuated with: he became besotted with the painting of his lover.

syn: infatuated with, smitten with, hypnotized by

bas-relief

a method of molding, carving, or stamping in which the design stands out from the surface to a lesser extent than in high relief. Also called low relief,, basso-relievo: the cloister is adorned with statues and bas-reliefs | this bas-relief sculpture shows what ancient Roman pagan priests wore.

• a piece of sculpture in low relief.

(raised design)

also see high-relief

(imagine the designs in westminster)

recondite

adjective

(of a subject or knowledge) little known; abstruse: the book is full of recondite information.

derivatives:

reconditely

reconditeness

syn: obscure, abstruse, arcane, esoteric, recherche

vita

noun

a biography or resume.

swain

noun

1. (literary) a young lover or suitor

selfsame

(usually the selfsame, adjective)

exactly the same: he was standing in the selfsame spot you're filling now.

peerless

adjective

unequaled; unrivaled: a peerless cartoonist.

derivatives

peerlessly

syn: incomparable, matchless, unrivaled, inimitable, unparalleled

remonstrance

noun

a forcefully reproachful protest: despite angry remonstrances from residents, the board had already confirmed the planners' approval of two other projects | he shut his ears to any remonstrance.

verdure

noun

lush green vegetation

• (literary) the fresh green color of vegetation.

• (literary) a condition of freshness.

derivatives

verdured

verdurous

quaff

verb

drink (something, especially an alcoholic drink) heartily: he quaffed pint after pint of good Berkshire ale.

derivatives

quaffable

quaffer

quaffed

syn: drink, swallow, gulp down, guzzle, slurp

nostrum

noun

a medicine, especially one that is not considered effective, prepared by an unqualified person: a charlatan who sells nostrums.

• a pet project or favorite remedy, especially one for bringing about some social or political reform or improvement: during tough times, populist nostrums gain favor.

syn: snake oil, patent medicine, potion, quack remedy, panacea

chintz

noun

printed multicolored cotton fabric with a glazed finish, used especially for curtains and upholstery: [as modifier] : floral chintz curtains | a sofa upholstered in chintz.

delirium tremens

a psychotic condition typical of withdrawal in chronic alcoholics, involving tremors, hallucinations, anxiety, and disorientation.

fatuous

adjective

silly and pointless: she made a fatuous comment.

derivatives

fatuity

fatuously

fatuousness

grotesques

adjective

comically or repulsively ugly or distorted: grotesque facial distortions.

• incongruous or inappropriate to a shocking degree: a lifestyle of grotesque luxury.

noun

1. a very ugly or comically distorted figure, creature, or image: the rods are carved in the form of a series of gargoyle faces and grotesques.

• (the grotesque) that which is grotesque: images of the macabre and the grotesque.

• a style of decorative painting or sculpture consisting of the interweaving of human and animal forms with flowers and foliage.

derivatives

grotesqueness

grotesquery

grotesquely

syn: malformed, deformed, misshapen, distorted, or outrageous, monstrous, shocking, abominable

concept: brazen head

A legendary automaton in the Middle Ages to Early Modern period who was reputed to correctly answer any question asked to it, sometimes restricted to yes or no answers. Associated with alchemy.

pernoctate

pass the night somewhere/stay up or out all night (especially in vigil or prayer): I pernoctated to complete the final project. | Pernoctating was the word Nigel Williams used to score a legendary triple bingo in Scrabble; I bet he was pernoctating with the dictionary to try and memorize that one.

derivatives

pernoctation

pernoctating’’

syn: stay up all night, to pull an all-nighter

unregenerate

interloper

ennui

milieu

habitue

cadging

les folles (term)

vocation

vaunted

leavings

synecdoche

skosh

vim

noun informal

energy; enthusiasm: in his youth he was full of vim and vigor.

compunction

scruple

zaftig

interrogative

Torschlusspanik (German)