Vocab Unit 2

accost

to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way (v)

animadversion

a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval (n)

avid

desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager (adj)

bracksih

having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink (adj)

celerity

swiftness, rapidity of motion or action (n)

devious

straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way (adj)

gambit

in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type (n)

halcyon

a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher (n);of or relating to the halcyon, calm, peaceful, happy, golden, prosperous, affluent (adj)

histrionic

pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial, melodramatic (adj)

incendiary

deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion (adj); one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist, one who causes strife (n)

maelstrom

a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction (n)

myopic

nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment (adj)

overt

open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized (adj)

pejorative

tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling (adj)

propriety

the state of being proper, appropriateness (n); standards of what is proper or socially acceptable (pl)

sacrilege

improper or disrespectful treatment of something held scared (n)

summarily

without delay or formality; briefly, concisely (adv)

suppliant

asking humbly and earnestly (adj); one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor (n)

talisman

an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish (n)

undulate

to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form (v)