MUSIC

Monday, September 23, 2013

vocabulary #6

obsequious: obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
Last night we were served by an obsequious waiter that catered to our every need.

beatitude: supreme blessedness.
When she said yes to the request to become his girlfriend, he feel into a beatitude. 

bete noire: a person or thing strongly detested or avoided
April 15 is one of the biggest betes noire of American society.

bode: be an omen of a particular outcome.
A week of hard practice bode a victory for the Chargers.

dank: disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold.
They went inside the dank garage to find some matches.

ecumenical: worldwide or general in extent, influence, or application
The FIFA is seen as the ecumenical authority in soccer.

fervid: intensely enthusiastic or passionate, esp. to an excessive degree.
Many of Obama's supporters were extremely fervid leading up to election day, only to lead to disappointment a few months later.

fetid: smelling extremely unpleasant.
The fetid odor of rotting lettuce soon engulfed the kitchen.

gargantuan: enormous.
The sight of a gargantuan spider would surely make even the most fearless man a little frightened.

heyday: The period of greatest popularity, success, or power; prime.
It has seem that America's heyday as global superpower has passed.

incubus: one that oppresses or burdens like a nightmare
For about ten years, Osama Bin Laden was Americas incubus.

infrastructure: the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g., buildings, roads, and power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.
The flaws in building's infrastructure led to the collapse of the entire building.

inveigle: persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery.
The creepy man inveigled the little girl into his van by promising her candy.

kudos: praise or respect that you get because of something you have done or achieved
I receieved a wide variety of kudos on my blog.

lagniappe: a small gift given a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase
As a result of their purchase a jersey, they received a lagniappe in the form of a lanyard.

prolix: (of speech or writing) using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy
The principle's speech was so prolix, that students and faculty soon began falling asleep.

protege: a person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person.
Aistotatle was Plato's protoge.

prototype: an early sample, model or release of a product built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.
We learned from early prototypes that we needed to make the car more aerodynamic.

sycophant: a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage.
He was such a sycophant that he would go out of his way to be on his teacher's good side.

tautology:  a statement in which you repeat a word, idea, etc., in a way that is not necessary
The president's speech was full of tautologies because he wanted to get his message out to everyone.

truckle: to act in a subservient manner
When the bosses anounced they were going to promoted someone, John immediately began with his truckle. 

accolade: an award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgment of merit.
He's received various accolades, such as the scholar-athlete award, MVP, and Honor Roll.

acerbity: bitter
The bartender was full of such acerbity that he kicked out anyone who went for the opposite team.
attrition: the act or process of weakening and gradually defeating an enemy through constant attacks and continued pressure over a long period of time
bromide: a statement that is intended to make people feel happier or calmer but that is not original or effective

chauvinist: a person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism.
When Europeans envision a typical American, they probably envision an ignorant chauvinist saying  " 'murika" at the top of his voice.

chronic: pertaining to a long-lasting medical condition
His chronic back pain prevented him from being able to play soccer with his on.

expound: present and explain (a theory or idea) systematically and in detail.
He expounded his argument greatly and was providing evidence and support for it.

factionalism: The splitting of a group into factions
The country is experiencing factionalism when it comes to military action; some support it while other oppose it.

immaculate: perfect.
The immaculate wife would be able to cook, look beautiful, be smart, and funny all at once.

imprecation: a spoken curse.
The old lady laid an imprecation on whoever walked on her lawn.

ineluctable: unable to be resisted or avoided; inescapable
That bluberry cheesecake ice cream was so ineluctable that I stayed a little longer than I planned.

mercurial: changing moods quickly and often
People who have a bipolar disorder are often quite mercurial.

palliate: make (a disease or its symptoms) less severe or unpleasant without removing the cause.
Sammy constantly took Xanax to palliate his anxiety disorder.

protocol:a system of rules that explain the correct conduct and procedures to be followed in formal situations
The club's protocols prohibited drinking.

resplendent: attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous.
Colorful, bright peacocks are quite resplendent birds. 

stigmatize: describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval.
For millenniums, homosexuality has been stigmatized.

sub rosa:  denotes secrecy or confidentiality
We met sub rosa after school to discuss private matters.

vainglory: inordinate pride in oneself or one's achievements; excessive vanity.
Narcissus was full of so much vainglory that he fell in love with his reflection.

vestige: a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.
Many vestiges of dinosaurs and ancient civilizations are held in a museum.

volition: the faculty or power of using one's will.
He left the club through his own volition, he was not kicked out.

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