English Vocab Quiz >:[

equivocal

**open to more than one interpretation**

e.g. “his equivocal response did nothing to dampen the speculations”

obliterate

to completely destroy or erase something

acquiesce

accept something reluctantly but w/o protest

e.g. “when her mother suggested that she stay, Alice willingly acquiesced”

rescind

revoke; cancel

e.g. “the company later rescinded its offer”

vitriol

cruel and bitter criticism

e.g. “the newspaper launched a vitriolic attack on the president”

adamant

refusing to change one’s mind

pontificate

express opinions annoyingly

e.g. “we had to listen to her pontificate about/on the best way to raise children”

lampoon

publicly criticize through irony/ sarcasm

e.g. “he entertained his readers by lampooning the pretensions of the rich”

envenom

put poison on

temper

to dilute/ soften

cryptic

mysterious

oedipal

relating to an Oedipus complex (young boys having a strong desire for mom)

Aristotolian ethics

character based ethics (people should achieve excellent character)

eudaemonia / eudaimonia

good spirit

epistemology

theory of knowledge (methods, validity, scope)

empiricism

theory that knowledge is derived from sense-experience

inherent

existing as something permanent

articulate

having or showing the ability to speak fluently and coherently

hypophora

figure of speech where the speaker asks a question and then answers it

dysphemism

a derogatory or unpleasant term used instead of a pleasant or neutral one

euphemism

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh

binary

having two parts

ethos

appeal to ethics (reliability of source)

logos

appeal to logic (statistics, data, etc.)

pathos

appeal to emotions

foil

a device used by writers to contrast or reflect another character 

apostrophe

a speech or address to a person who is not present or to a personified object

e.g. “Oh nature, thou art my goddess”

censure

express severe disapproval, especially in a formal statement

e.g. “ If you take your dad's car without telling him, you can expect him to censure you severely, and maybe even ground you as well”

mettle

a person's ability to cope well with difficulties

e.g. “He proved his mettle as a fighter tonight”

auspicious

conducive to success; favorable

e.g. “We waited for an auspicious moment to make our request”

erring

to make a mistake or do wrong

e.g. “ He erred in agreeing to her appointment to the position”

harbinger

a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another

e.g. “witch hazels are the harbingers of spring”