Gothic Lit Unit 10 Vocabulary

acumen

(n.) keenness of insight; quickness or accuracy of judgment

SYN: acuity

ANT: ignorance

adjudicate

(v.) to act as judge in a matter; to settle through the use of a judge or legal tribunal

SYN: mediate

anachronism

(n.) a chronological misplacing of events, objects, customs, or persons in regard to each other

SYN: chronological error

apocryphal

(adj.) of doubtful or questionable authenticity

SYN: bogus

ANT: authentic

disparity

(n.) a difference or inequality in age, rank, degree, amount, or quality; a dissimilarity, unlikeness

SYN: discrepancy

ANT: similarity

dissimulate

(v.) to hide or disguise one’s true thoughts, feelings, or intentions

SYN: pretend

ANT: reveal

empirical

(adj.) derived from, dependent upon, or guided by practical experience, observation, or experiment, rather than by theory; so verifiable

SYN: observed

ANT: theoretical

flamboyant

(adj.) highly elaborate or ornate; vividly colored; strikingly brilliant or bold

SYN: ostentatious, florid

ANT: sedate, staid

fulsome

(adj.) offensively insecure or excessive; disgusting, sickening

SYN: repulsive

ANT: agreeble

immolate

(v.) to kill as a sacrifice, especially by fire; to destroy or renounce for the sake of another

SYN: kill

ANT: save, preserve

imperceptible

(adj.) extremely slight; incapable of being perceived by the senses or the mind

SYN: minimal, undetectable

ANT: noticeable

lackey

(n.) a uniformed male servant; a servile follower

SYN: toady, flunky

ANT: lord, boss

liaison

(n.) the contact or means of communication between groups; someone acting as such a contact; any close relationship

SYN: intermediary, channel

monolithic

(adj.) characterized by massiveness, solidness, and total uniformity

SYN: undifferentiated, massive

ANT: diversified

mot juste

(n.) the most suitable or exact word or expression

ANT: misusage

nihilism

(n.) a total rejection of existing laws; extreme radicalism

ANT: conservatism

patrician

(n.) a member of the ruling class; a person of high rank; (adj.) belonging to such a person

SYN: aristocrat

ANT: commoner

propitiate

(v.) to make someone or something favorably inclined toward oneself; to conciliate, satisfy, or appease

SYN: mollify

ANT: annoy

sic

(adv.) thus so; intentionally written so

sublimate

(v.) to redirect the energy of a biological or instinctive impulse into a higher or more acceptable channel
SYN: elevate