Vocabulary #3

Apostate: a person who renounces a religious or political belief or principle

·         The apostate had abandoned the church to start his own beliefs. 

Effusive: expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner.

·         I felt effusive when the teacher allowed me to have an extra day to study before the exam.

Impasse: a situation in which no progress is possible because of disagreement; a deadlock

·         When my friend and I fought over an impassive agreement, we didn’t talk for days.

Euphoria: feeling of great happiness or well-being

·         I got the feeling of euphoria when my father bought me a new laptop as a surprise.

Lugubrious: looking or sounding sad and dismal

·         Over the phone, she sounded lugubrious when she talked about her dog that just passed away.

Bravado: pretense of courage, bravery.

·         People who act bravado tend to embarrass themselves after they realize how they behaved.

Consensus: general agreement

·         We came to a consensus about who was going to be the president of the club.

Dichotomy: a division or contrast two things that are of are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

·         The dichotomy of a fruit and vegetable is that fruits have seeds and vegetables don’t.

Constrict: make narrower; tighten, contract

·         I had to constrict my belt so that my jeans won’t fall when I am walking

Gothic: relating or resembling the Goth (Germanic people)

·         The gothic era of literature was included in the romantic era; writers such as Edgar Allen Poe were gothic writers.

Punctilio: a fine or petty point of conduct or procedure, detail, refinement

·         It is important to master the punctilio of art because if you don’t, you may ruin a piece of art.

Metamorphosis: a transformation as by magic or sorcery; change in appearance

·         Many insects use metamorphosis to grow from an egg to full grown insects.  

Raconteur: one who tells stories and anecdotes with skill and wit.

·         Back in the day, raconteurs were highly educated and well liked by the superiors because they were able to create stories and tales.

Sine qua non: a description of a requisite or condition that is indispensable

·         Flour and sugar are a sine qua non to make cake.

Quixotic: exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical

·         I find it quixotic when someone says they have seen a ghost or a shadowy figure.

Vendetta: a blood feud in which the family member of a murdered person seeks vengeance on the murderer or family.

·         In the Lion King, Simba was the vendetta because he wanted revenge towards his uncle Scar who killed his father.

Non sequitur: is an argument in which the conclusion does not follow

·         The lawyer’s argument was invalid due to the non sequitur used in her reasons.  

Mystique: attitude of mystery and reverence developing around something or someone

·         The new girl in class was very mystique since no one knew where she came from.

Quagmire: a soft boggy area of land that gives way underfoot, marsh, swamp

·         Animals that live in quagmires are usually reserved unless they are disturbed.

Parlous: full of danger or uncertainty; precarious

·         In the Poisonwood Bible, the daughters had to be careful in the parlous jungle where the Mamba snake lived.