Words

spatial

adj. relating to space

nascent

adj. (especially of a process or organization) just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential: the nascent space industry

bloc

n. a group of countries or political parties with common interests who have formed an alliance: the Soviet bloc; a parliamentary bloc

hypertext

n. text stored in a computer system that contains links that allow the user to move from one piece of text or document to another

eloquent

adj. clearly expressing or indicating something

despondent

adj. in low spirits from loss of hope or courage:

she grew more and more despondent

demarcation

n. the action of fixing the boundary or limits of something:

the demarcation of the maritime border

academic

adj. not of practical relevance; of only theoretical interest: the debate has been largely academic; / relating to education and scholarship: academic achievement

litotes

n. figure of speech which employs an understatement by using double negatives or, in other words, positive statement is expressed by negating its opposite expressions:

New York is not an ordinary city = New York is unique

preclude

v. prevent from happening; make impossible

didactic

adj. intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive:

a didactic novel that set out to expose social injustice

ulterior

adj. existing beyond what is obvious or admitted; intentionally hidden

e.g. ulterior motive

ebullient

adj. cheerful and full of energy:

she sounded ebullient and happy

exuberant

adj. full of energy, excitement, and cheerfulness: a noisy bunch of exuberant youngsters; / growing luxuriantly or profusely: exuberant foliage

luxuriant

adj. (of vegetation) rich and profuse in growth

profuse

adj. (especially of something offered or discharged) very plentiful; abundant: I offered my profuse apologies

incongruous

adj. not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something

lampoon

v. publicly criticize (someone or something) by using ridicule, irony, or sarcasm:

the actor was lampooned by the press

mendacious

adj. not telling the truth; lying:

mendacious propaganda

reverence

n. deep respect for someone or something:

rituals showed honour and reverence for the dead

deride

v. express contempt for; ridicule: the decision was derided by environmentalists

sanguine

adj. optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation:

he is sanguine about prospects for the global economy,

(to laugh in the face of danger)

sardonic

adj. grimly mocking or cynical:

Starkey attempted a sardonic smile

levity

n. the treatment of a serious matter with humour or lack of due respect:

there is no excuse or reason for levity or humour on a day like yesterday

acclimate

v. become accustomed to a new climate or new conditions; adjust: it’s unknown whether people will acclimatize to increasingly warm weather; acclimatize

suffrage

n. the right to vote in political elections:

the women’s suffrage movement

prairie

n. a large open area of grassland, especially in Northern America

undulation

v. move with a smooth wave-like motion. usage:

her body undulated to the thumping rhythm of the music

ham

n. someone who enjoys performing and who tends to behave in an exaggerated or playful way when people are watching:

cameras bring out the ham in her

smolder

v. show or feel barely supressed of anger, hatred, or another powerful emotion: Anna smoldered with indignation; / exist in a suppressed or concealed state: the controversy smoldered on for several years

indignation

n. anger or annoyance provoked by what is perceived as unfair treatment:

the letter filled Lucy with indignation

peremptory

adj. insisting on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way:

‘Just do it!‘ came the peremptory reply

brusque

adj. abrupt or offhand in speech or manner:

she could be brusque and impatient

imperious

adj. arrogant and domineering:

his imperious demands

squalid

adj. (of a place) extremely dirty and unpleasant, especially as a result of poverty or neglect: the squalid, overcrowded prison; / showing or involving a contemptible lack of moral standards: a squalid attempt to save themselves from electoral embarrasement

prod

v. stimulate or persuade (someone who is reluctant or slow) to do something:

they attempted to prod the central bank into cutting interest rates

acute

adj. (of an unpleasant or unwelcome situation or phenomenon) present or experienced to a severe or intense degree:

an acute housing shortage

nobility

n. the group of people belonging to the highest social class in a country; the aristocracy; a member of the English nobility

futile

adj. incapable of producing any futile result; pointless: a futile attempt to keep fans from mounting the stage

ominous

adj. giving the worrying impression that something bad is going to happen; threateningly inauspicious: there were ominous dark clouds gathering overhead

spearhead

v. lead an attack or movement

promulgate

v. promote or make widely known an idea or cause: Ding Darling promulgated the importance of preservation of wildlife

laud

v. praise highly: romantic poetry focussed on and lauded primitivism and emotion while minimising the importance of reason and logic

sublime

adj. of very great excellence or beauty OR (of a person's attitude or behaviour) extreme or unparalleled

endow

v. provide with quality, ability, or asset:

a poet is a man endowed with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness

capricious

adj. given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behaviour:

the governance of this country is highly capricious, given that it is a communist nation

ephemeral

adj. lasting for a very short time:

the endowing benefits are negligible since they are generally ephemeral

tenet

n. a principle of belief, especially one of the main principles of a religion or philosophy:

every piece of philosophy is derived from a single, peremptory tenet

disillusionment

n. a feeling of disappointment resulting from the discovery that something is not as good as one believed it to be:

politics is inevitably subject to the majority’s disillusionment

emancipate

v. set free, especially from legal, social, or political restrictions:

through time, the daunting concept of slavery was brought to emancipation

slovenly

adj. (of appearance) untidy or dirty; (of a person or action) careless, excessively casual

enfold

v. surround; envelop: a red rose is an archetype that enfolds erotic promise

sacrilege

n. violation or misuse of what is regarded as sacred: concept of sickness, disease, and corruption are each a sacrilege to the symbolism encompassed by a red rose

desecrate

v. treat with violent disrespect:

one’s temper desecrates one’s relationships

irrevocable

adj. not able to be changed, reversed, or recovered

uncanny

adj. strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling way:

an uncanny feeling that she was being watched

inexplicable

adj. unable to be explained or accounted for

jubilant

adj. feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph

antipode

n. the opposite

empirical

adj. based on observation and experience rather than on theory or pure logic

tautological

adj. a circular argument

ethnocentric

adj. belief in the superiority of one’s own ethnic group:

the film director was criticized because of his ethnocentric bias toward African Americans

inductive

adj. characterized by the inference of general laws from particular instances

deductive

adj. characterized by the inference of particular instances from a general law

proponent

n. a person who advocates a theory, proposal, or course of action

axiomatic

adj. self-evident or unquestionable

vindictive

n. clear someone of blame or suspicion

indemnity

n. security or protection against a loss or other than financial burden

eccentric

adj. unconventional and slightly strange (of a person or their behaviour)

indulgence

n. the action or fact of indulging or satisfying

allegorise

v. interpret or represent symbolically:

the picture is seen to allegorize an alienated society

dissemble

v. conceal or disguise one’s true feelings or beliefs

arraign

v. call or bring someone before court to answer a criminal charge

lament

v. express passionate grief about:

he was lamenting the death of his infant daughter

censure

v. express severe disapproval of (someone or something), especially in a formal statement:

the company was heavily censured by the Department of Trade

eulogy

n. a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly, especially a tribute to someone who has just died

epigram

n. witticism, pun, quip, jest

solemn

adj. formal and dignified, characterized by deep sincerity

oractorical

adj. relating to the art of public speaking

funeral

adj. having the mournful sombre character appropriate to a funeral:

Erika was moving at a funeral pace

conscientious

adj. wishing to do one’s work or duty well and thoroughly:

his eulogy was replete with his conscientious character

idiosyncratic

adj. peculiar or individual

abdicate

v. fail to fulfil or undertake (a responsibility or a duty)

discrepancy

n. an illogical or surprising lack of compatibility or similarity between two or more facts

demean

v. cause a severe loss in the dignity of and respect for (something or someone)

drudge

n. a person made to do hard menial or dull work

piety

n. the quality of being religious or reverent

commend

v. praise formally or officially; present as suitable for approval or acceptance

polarise

v. divide or cause to divide into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinion or beliefs

puny

adj. small and weak

retort

v. say something in answer to a remark, typically in a sharp, angry, or witty manner:

there is no need need to be rude! - retorted Isabel

expend

v. spend or use up

disproportion

n. an instance of being out of proportion with something else

innocuous

adj. not harmful or offensive

trifle

v. treat without seriousness or respect:

he is not meant to be trifled with

ludicrous

adj. so foolish, unreasonable, or out of place as to be amusing:

it’s ludicrous that I have been fined

condescending

adj. having or showing an attitude of patronizing superiority

novelty

n. the quality of being new, original, or unusual:

the novelty of being a married woman wore off

conciliatory

adj. intended or likely to placate or pacify; peace-making

almanac

n. an annual calendar containing important important dates and statistical information such as astronomical and tide tables