Vocab 17

fiasco (n)

A complete failure

debacle

a sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco

triumph

a great victory or achievement

Hit

selling very well

go over like a lead balloon

(of something said or written) be poorly received

a feather in one's cap

an achievement or honor that someone can be proud of

come off with flying colors

to be extremely successful, to achieve something that is difficult, to excel

fickle (adj)

Likely to change for no apparent reason; inconstant

Capricious

given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior

Mercurial

(of a person) subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind

Erratic

not even or regular in pattern or movement; unpredictable

Immutable

unchanging over time or unable to be changed

Steady

firmly fixed, supported, or balanced; not shaking or movingfilch

filch (v)

To steal slyly, especially small things

Pilfer

steal (typically things of relatively little value)

Pinch

To steal, usually something inconsequential

Heist

to commit armed robbery on

finesse (n & v)

a. (noun) skill, delicacy, or subtlety in doing something or handling a situation

b. (verb) To accomplish by subtle or skillful manuevering

flagrant (adj)

Extremely and deliberately conspicuous; glaring

Heinous

(of a person or wrongful act, especially a crime) utterly odious or wicked

Atrocious

horrifyingly wicked

Brazen

bold and without shame

flaunt (v)

To show off in a conspicuous or offensive way

Hide

put or keep out of sight; conceal from the view or notice of others

Conceal

keep from sight; hide

Downplay

make (something) appear less important than it really is

Soft-pedal

to make (something, esp something unpleasant) less obvious by deliberately failing to emphasize or allude to it

flout (v)

To treat openly with scorn or contempt

Deride

express contempt for; ridicule

Disparage

regard or represent as being of little worth

Ridicule

the subjection of someone or something to contemptuous and dismissive language or behavior

laugh up one's sleeve at

be secretly or inwardly amused

fluctuate (v)

To change continually from one position to another

Oscillate

move or swing back and forth at a regular speed

foible (n)

A minor, often amusing, fault or weakness in character

Shortcoming

a fault or failure to meet a certain standard, typically in a person's character, a plan, or a system

Peculiarity

an odd or unusual feature or habit

Quirk

a peculiar behavioral habit

Eccentricity

the quality of being slightly strange

Forte

a thing at which someone excels

Long suit

an outstanding personal quality or achievement

forestall (v)

To secure an advantage or prevent a loss by previous action

Hinder

create difficulties for (someone or something), resulting in delay or obstruction

Thwart

prevent (someone) from accomplishing something

Preclude

prevent from happening; make impossible

Nip in the bud

To stop (something) at an early stage

Formidable (adj)

a. Arousing fear or admiration because of the unusual size or superiority of the thing involved

b. Difficult to do because of the size of the job involved

Awesome

extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear

Redoutable

inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or capable

Tremendous

very great in amount, scale, or intensity

Paltry

(of an amount) small or meager

Negligible

so small or unimportant as to be not worth considering; insignificant

Fortuitous (adj)

Occurring by chance or accident

Inadvertent

not resulting from or achieved through deliberate planning

Deliberate

done consciously and intentionally

a windfall

an apple or other fruit blown down from a tree or bush by the wind

Frugal (adj)

a. Thrifty or economical in the use of money

**b. Involving little expense; meager**

(n) frugality

the quality of being economical with money or food; thriftiness

Sparing

moderate; economical

Prudent

acting with or showing care and thought for the future

Tightfisted

not willing to spend or give much money; miserly

Lavish

sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious

fulsome (adj)

Excessive and, for that reason, offensive to good taste and obviously insincere.

Immoderate

not sensible or restrained; excessive

Modest

unassuming or moderate in the estimation of one's abilities or achievements

Muted

(of a sound or voice) quiet and soft

futile (adj)

Incapable of producing the desired result; unsuccessful or ineffective

Efficacious

(of something inanimate or abstract) successful in producing a desired or intended result; effective

Imbroglio

an extremely confused, complicated, or embarrassing situation

Vendetta

a blood feud in which the family of a murdered person seeks vengeance on the murderer or the murderer's family

Quarantine

a state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that may have been exposed to infectious disease are placed

Salvo

a simultaneous discharge of artillery or other guns in a battle

Manifesto

a public declaration of policy and aims, especially one issued before an election by a political party or candidate

Virtuoso

a person highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit

Recession

a period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced, generally identified by a fall in GDP in two successive quarters

Inflation

the action of inflating something or the condition of being inflated

Deflation

the action or process of deflating or being deflated

Boom

a loud, deep, resonant sound

Surplus

an amount of something left over when requirements have been met; an excess of production or supply over demand

Market economy

an economic system in which production and prices are determined by unrestricted competition between privately owned businesses

Deficit

the amount by which something, especially a sum of money, is too small

Monopoly

the exclusive possession or control of the supply of or trade in a commodity or service

Bull market

a market in which share prices are rising, encouraging buying

prime interest rate

the current interest rate that financial institutions in the U.S. charge their best customers

pinch-hit for

(baseball) bat in place of another player, typically at a critical point in the game

put on a full-court press

(basketball) An all-out effort to exert pressure

parry a blow

(fencing) ward off a weapon or blow

a gambit

(chess) a device, action, or opening remark, typically one entailing a degree of risk, that is calculated to gain an advantage

have an ace up one's sleeve

(poker) A surprise advantage of which others are not aware

kick off a campaign

(American football) a way to come together as an office or team to share your company's values, learn about the most pressing issues in our community, give, volunteer, or have some fun together

a goal-line stand

(American football) when the defense stops the offense from scoring a touchdown on plays that begin within a few yards of the end zone

a stalemate

(chess) a drawn contest; deadlock

Showboating

(basketball) the action or practice of showing off

a long shot

(horse raising) a venture or guess that has only the slightest chance of succeeding or being accurate

Debacle

a sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco

Maneuver

a movement or series of moves requiring skill and care

Redoubtable

inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or capable