Vocabulary Building: Week 1-9

Allude

Suggest or call attention indirectly.

Quandary

A state of perplexity or uncertainty.

Keen

Having or showing eagerness or enthusiasm.

Brevity

Concise and exact use of words.

Lethargic

Affected by lethargy; sluggish and apathetic.

Rancor

Bitterness or resentfulness.

Scrutinize

Examine or inspect closely.

Hyperbole

Obvious or intentional exaggeration.

Obfuscate

To render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.

Fortuitous

Happening by a lucky chance; fortunate.

Hapless

Unfortunate, especially of a person.

Malevolent

Having or showing a wish to do evil to others.

Hiatus

A pause or gap in a sequence.

Empathy

The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Lucid

Expressed clearly; easy to understand.

Dystopia

An imagined society that is dehumanizing and unpleasant.

Glib

Fluent but insincere and shallow.

Trepidation

A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen.

Ambiguous

Open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning.

Mitigate

To make less severe, serious, or painful.

Ubiquitous

Present, appearing, or found everywhere.

Foster

Encourage the development of something.

Nonchalant

Feeling or appearing casually calm and relaxed.

Subtext

The underlying meaning or message not directly stated.

Perfunctory

Carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection.

Capricious

Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior.

Cacophony

A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.

Gregarious

Fond of company; sociable.

Obsolete

No longer produced or used; out of date.

Zealous

Having or showing zeal; enthusiastic.

Vilify

Speak or write about in an abusively disparaging manner.

Intertextuality

The relationship between texts, especially literary ones.

Hegemony

Dominance of one social group over others.

Pedantic

Excessively concerned with minor details or rules.

Wane

Decrease in vigor, power, or extent.

Wistful

Having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing.

Xenophobia

Dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries.

Voracious

Wanting or devouring great quantities of food.

Tirade

A long, angry speech of criticism.

Fallacy

A mistaken belief, especially one based on an unsound argument.

Cliché

an overused statement or idea.

Savvy

Shrewdness and practical knowledge.

Pragmatic

Dealing with things sensibly and realistically.

Opulent

Ostentatiously rich and luxurious or lavish.

Frivolous

Not having any serious purpose or value.

Tenacious

Tending to keep a firm hold of something; determined.

Nostalgia

A sentimental longing for the past.

Kindle

Arouse or inspire (an emotion or feeling).

Pathos

A quality that evokes pity or sadness.

Bildungsroman

A coming-of-age story that follows a character's growth.

Candor

The quality of being open and honest in expression.

Ebullient

Cheerful and full of energy.

Trite

Overused and consequently of little import; lacking originality or freshness.

Benevolent

Well meaning and kindly.

Jaded

Tired, bored, or lacking enthusiasm.

Persona non grata

An unwelcome person.

Maverick

An independent-minded person.

Metaphor

Comparison not using like or as.

Anecdote

A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.

Didactic

Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction.

Jubilant

Feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph.

Quell

To put an end to (a rebellion or other disorder), typically by force.

Iconoclast

A person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions.

Reverence

Deep respect for someone or something.

Meander

To wander aimlessly.

Anachronism

Something out of place in time.

Stoic

Enduring pain and hardship without showing feelings or complaining.

Lurid

Very vivid in color, creating an unpleasantly harsh effect.

Yoke

To join together.

Eclectic

Deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.

Nefarious

Wicked or criminal.

Resilient

Able to recover quickly from difficulties.

Umbrage

Offense or annoyance.

Verisimilitude

The appearance of being true or real in fiction.

Paradox

A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement that may be true.

Apathy

Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

Insidious

Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects.

Abhor

Regard with disgust and hatred.

Lament

A passionate expression of grief or sorrow.

Yearn

Have an intense feeling of longing for something.

Euphemism

Using a more polite term for an unpleasant term.

Wry

Using dry, especially mocking, humor.

Oblivious

Not aware of or not concerned about what is happening.

Heinous

Utterly odious or wicked.

Tactful

Having or showing sensitivity in dealing with others.

Emulate

Match or surpass, typically by imitation.

Jargon

Special words or expressions used by a profession or group.

Plausible

Seeming reasonable or probable.

Concession

Acknowledging other points of view, admitting their truth.

Reclusive

Avoiding the company of other people; solitary.

Belligerent

Hostile and aggressive.

Debacle

A sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco.

Impetuous

Acting or done quickly and without thought or care.

Yearning

A feeling of intense longing.

Ad hominem

Attacking the person instead of the argument.

Allusion

An indirect reference to something outside the text.

Zealot

A person who is fanatical in pursuit of religious, political, or other ideals.

Juxtapose

To place close together for contrasting effect.

Mundane

Lacking interest or excitement; dull.

Uncanny

Strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling way.