Vocab 7-9 - Neologism - Zenith

neologism

-n. a new word or phrase; a new usage of a word

neophyte

-n. a novice or beginner

noisome

-adj. offensive or disgusting; stinking

noxious

 -adj. harmful, offensive

nuance

-n. a subtle difference or distinction

numerology

-n. the study of numbers for the purposes of predicting the future

obdurate

-adj. stubborn, insensitive, unyielding, resistant to persuasion

obeisance

-n. deep reverence; a bow or curtsy

obfuscate

-v. to darken or confuse

obsequious

 -adj. fawning, subservient, servile, excessively deferential

odometer

-n. instrument that measures how many miles one has traveled

olfactory

-adj. pertaining to the sense of smell

oligarchy

-n. government by only a very few people

ornate

-adj. very fancy, usually refers to tangible objects

palliative

-adj., n, something that provides temporary relief without getting rid of the problem

paltry

-adj. insignificant; worthless

panacea

 -n. something that cures everything

panache

-n. flair, verve; dashing elegance

paragon

-n. a model of excellence

peccadillo

-n. a minor offense or error

pedantic

-adj. boringly scholarly or academic; overconcerned with details

penurious

 -adj. extremely stingy; poor, or miserly

perfidy

-n. treachery

perfunctory

 -adj. unenthusiastic, careless

pernicious

-adj. deadly, extremely evil

perquisite

-n. a privilege that goes along with a job; a "perk"

philistine

-n. a smugly ignorant person with no appreciation for intellectual or artistic matters

piquant

-adj. pleasantly sharp in flavor; interestingly provocative or stimulating

pique

-v. to excite; to arouse an emotion or provoke to action

plebeian

-adj. common, vulgar, low-class

poignant

-adj. painfully emotional, extremely moving, sharp, or astute

polemic

-n. a powerful argument often made to attack or refute a controversial issue

portent

-n. an omen, a sign of something coming

potentate

-n. a person who possesses great power

predilection

-n. a natural preference for something

preempt

-v. to seize something by prior right

prescient

-adj. having knowledge of things before they exist or happen

priggish

-adj. very fussy, self-righteous, high- maintenance, usually refers to people

profligate

-adj. extravagantly wasteful; wildly immoral

prolific

-adj. abundantly productive, fruitful, or fertile

promulgate

-v. to publicly or formally declare something

prosaic

-adj. dull, unimaginative

pugnacious

-adj. quarrelsome, combative, always ready to fight

pulchritude

-n. physical beauty

queue

-n., v. a line; to line up

quiescent

-adj. motionless; at rest; still

quintessential

-adj. being the most perfect example of

quixotic

-adj. idealistic to a foolish or impractical degree

quotidian

-adj. daily; everyday; ordinary

raze

-v. to completely destroy or level something

rebuke

-v. to criticize sharply

recapitulate

-v. to review or summarize

recidivism

-n. the act of repeating an offense

redolent

-adj. fragrant

renege

-v. to go back on a bet or promise

retrenchment

-n. cutting down or off, reduction

rhetoric

-n. the study or art of using language well; the use of undue exaggeration

sacrosanct

-adj. sacred, held to be inviolable

sanguine

-adj. cheerful, optimistic, hopeful

sardonic

-adj. mocking, scornful

saturnine

-adj. gloomy or taciturn

scrupulous

-adj. strict, careful; hesitant for ethical reasons

semantic

-n. pertaining to the meaning of words or symbols

semaphore

-n. a system of signaling, usually through the use of flags

serendipity

-n. accidental good fortune, discovering good things without looking for them

skinflint

-n. a mean, penny-pinching person

smidgen

-n. a very small amount

somber

-adj. depressing, dismal, gloomy

specious

-adj. deceptively plausible or attractive; misleading

stand

-n. a group of trees

sublime

-adj. of great intellectual, moral, or spiritual value

subsidy

-n. a gift of money

subterfuge

-n. a deceptive strategy used to conceal, escape, or evade

supercilious

haughty, patronizing

supplicate

-v. to ask or beg humbly

tenable

-adj. valid, capable of being argued successfully

threadbare

-adj. falling apart, meager, poor, old

truculent

-adj. fierce, cruel, savagely brutal

turbid

-adj. unclear or opaque; lacking clarity or purity

uncanny

-adj. extraordinary, mysterious, uncomfortably strange

unilateral

-adj. involving one side only; done on behalf of one side only

usury

-n. the practice of lending money at a high rate of interest

vacuous

-adj. empty of content; lacking in ideas or intelligence

vapid

-adj. dull, spiritless

verdant

-adj. covered with green plants; leafy; inexperienced

vernacular

-n. everyday speech, slang, idiom

vestige

-n. a remaining bit of something, a last trace

vilify

-v. to say vile things about, to defame

wane

-v. to decrease in strength or intensity; to fade away; to decline in power

wanton

-adj. malicious, unjustifiable, unprovoked, egregious

wizened

-adj. shriveled, withered, shrunken

zeitgeist

-n. the mood or spirit of the times

zenith

-n. the highest point; peak; pinnacle