APLAC Vocabulary List 4 (Word/Definition)

abjure (v)

to renounce under oath; to abandon forever; to abstain from

blasphemous (adj)

cursing, profane; extremely irreverent

censorious (adj)

critical; tending to blame and condemn

constituent (n)

component, part; citizen, voter

deride (v)

to laugh at contemptuously, to make fun of

enjoin (v)

to direct or impose with urgent appeal, to order with emphasis; to forbid

febrile (adj)

feverish, marked by intense emotion or activity

gauche (adj)

lacking social refinement

imprecation (n)

a curse

interregnum (n)

a temporary halting of the usual operations of government or control

milieu (n)

the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops, environment

obdurate (adj)

stubbornly persistent, resistant to persuasion

panegyric (n)

elaborate praise; formal hymn of praise

pique (v)

to arouse anger or resentment in; provoke

proliferate (v)

to grow by rapid production of new parts; increase in number

saccharine (adj)

excessively sweet or sentimental

specious (adj)

having the ring of truth but actually being untrue; deceptively attractive

tawdry (adj)

gaudy, cheap, showy

uncanny (adj)

so keen and perceptive as to seem supernatural, peculiarly unsettling

wan (adj)

sickly pale