"When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you'll be successful" - Eric Thomas

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Vocabulary #3

apostate n.-
One who has abandoned one's religious faith, a political party, one's principles, or a cause
     Feeling left out of the loop the highly respected priest has become a apostate.
 


effusive adj.-  Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy
     He was very effusive after he had earned his promotion at his work.


impasse n.- A road or passage having no exit; a cul-de-sac
     She was telling us about the amazing stories that she experience in her impasse.


euphoria n.- A feeling of great happiness or well-being.
     Once we graduate from high school the sense of euphoria will start to kick in.


lugubrious adj.- Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree
     The man was very lugubrious after he heard the death of a distant associate.


bravado n.- Defiant or swaggering behavior
   Johnny Manziel is known for his bravado attitude.


consensus n.- An opinion or position reached by a group as a whole
     Although not a consensus choice, Terrelle Pryor won the starting job at quarterback for the Oakland Raiders.

dichotomy n.- division into two parts or kinds; subdivision into halves or pairs.
     Republicans and Democrats have a dichotomy in their views.


constrict v.- To make smaller or narrower by binding or squeezing
     I was very constricted in this shirt.


gothic adj.- Of or relating to the Middle Ages; medieval
     Her family always enjoyed reading gothic text.


punctilio n.-  A fine point of etiquette.
     It was very nice of her to compliment our punctilio.


metamorphosis n.- A transformation, as by magic or sorcery.
     His metamorphosis from middle school to high school was astounding.


raconteur n.- One who tells stories and anecdotes with skill and wit
     My grandfather was known for his raconteur way of entertainment.


sine qua non n.- (Law) an essential condition or requirement
     For anyone to join the club they have to follow a sine qua non to be accepted.



quixotic adj.- Caught up in the romance of noble deeds and the pursuit of unreachable goals; idealistic without regard to practicality
     Leonardo DiCaprio was very much quixotic in Titanic.


vendetta n.-   A feud between two families or clans that arises out of a slaying and is perpetuated by retaliatory acts of revenge; a blood feud
     The Montagues and Capulets had a vendetta against each other for many years.


non sequitur n.- An inference or conclusion that does not follow from the premises or evidence.
     Many people believed the lawyers evidence was non sequitur.

mystique n.- An aura of heightened value, interest, or meaning surrounding something, arising from attitudes and beliefs that impute special power or mystery to it
     His presentation had a certain mystique to it.


quagmire n.-A difficult or precarious situation; a predicament
     After lying to my parents about why I was late, certain events succeeded that and I found myself in quite a quagmire.


parlous adj.- Obsolete  Dangerously cunning.
     The battle with the dragon was very difficult because the dragon was parlous.

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