Greenwald Vocab 11

connoisseur

someone with informed and discriminating judgement, especially in matters of art, literature, or taste

pundit

a learned person; one who gives authoritative opinions

savant

person with knowledge

maven

an expert or connoisseur

cognoscenti

people with a lot of knowledge about a particular subject

neophyte

beginner

greenhorn

an inexperienced person

tenderfoot

an inexperienced person (especially someone inexperienced in outdoor living)

tyro

beginner; novice

consensus

collective uniformity of opinion; general agreement in feeling or belief

dissidence

difference of opinion

construe

To interpret or analyze something in a particular way

consummate

complete or perfect in the highest degree

superlative

the highest; above the rest

transcendent

going beyond the limits of ordinary experience

virtuoso

a person highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit

inept

unskilled; clumsy

indifferent

having no particular interest or sympathy; unconcerned

copious

abundant; plentiful

bounteous

good and plentiful

profuse

plentiful; abundant

lavish

extremely generous or extravagant; giving unsparingly

scanty

inadequate; minimal

vacuous

lacking ideas or intelligence

barren

not productive

corpulent

excessively fat or bulky

husky

big and strong

burly

big and strongly built

portly

stout

stout

plump; stocky; substantial

rotund

plump; rounded

gaunt

thin and bony

corroborate

to confirm

confute

to argue or point out error

impugn

to call into question; to attack verbally

counsel

a. advice secured through consultation, b. an adviser, especially a legal adviser, c. to advise or recommend as a course of action

counsel usage note

do not confuse counsel with: council (a group assembled to give advance or exchange opinions) or consul (an official appointed to represent a government in a foreign country, especially in commercial matters)

exhort

to urge strongly

admonish

warn or reprimand someone firmly

credibility

the ability to inspire belief or trust

criterion

a standard or principle on which to base a judgement or decision

criterion usage note

the plural of criterion is criteria

touchstone

a means of testing worth or genuineness

canon

an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature

crucial

at a point that will determine the final outcome; of supreme importance

pivotal

vitally important, essential

culpable

at fault; blameworthy

culpable usage note

stronger than blameworthy but less severe than guilty

peccant

violating a moral law; sinful

wanting

lacking

censurable

deserving of blame or correction

reprehensible

deserving blame or punishment

meritorious

worthy, deserving recognition and praise

laudable

worthy of praise

cursory

hasty and superficial

perfunctory

done without care; in a routine fashion

slapdash

careless and hasty

exhaustive

thorough; complete

meticulous

extremely careful; particular about details

curtail

to shorten or reduce

truncate

to shorten

augment

to make larger, increase

cynical

inclined to doubt deny the virtuousness or honesty of human motives; sneeringly bitter or negative.

misanthropic

hating mankind

derisive

expressing contempt or ridicule

sardonic

grimly mocking or cynical

acerbic

biting, bitter in tone or taste

sanguine

cheerful; optimistic

pathos

emotional appeal

plethora

excess

ethos

credibility

panacea

remedy for all ills

hoi polloi

the common people; the masses

acme

the highest point

nemesis

someone or something a person cannot conquer or achieve; a hated enemy

dogma

a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief

antithesis

the direct opposite, a sharp contrast

iota

a very small amount

apotheosis

elevation to divine status; the perfect example of something

hedonist

person who pursues pleasure as a goal

atheist

a person who believes there is no god

agnostic

one who believes that the existence of a god can be neither proven nor disproven

egalitarian

promoting equal rights for all people

misogynist

one who hates women

monotheist

a person who believes in only one God.

heretic

someone who goes against accepted religious beliefs

fundamentalist

a person who believes in the strict, literal interpretation of scripture in a religion.

iconoclast

one who attacks common beliefs or institutions