Sunday, January 12, 2014

VOCABULARY: SPRING 1

adumbrate- report or represent in outline
James Madison adumbrated the necessity that the Senate be somewhat insulated from public passions.
apotheosis- the climax of something
His appearance as Hamlet was the apotheosis of his career.
ascetic- practice of self discipline
An ascetic life of prayer, fasting, and manual labor.
bauble- a small, showy, trinket or decoration
People spend too much money trying to obtain baubles for their household.
beguile- charm
Every prominent American artist has been beguiled by Maine.
burgeon- begin to grow or increase rapidly; flourish
Manufacturers are keen to cash in on the burgeoning demand.
complement- thing that completes or brings to perfection
The libretto proved a perfect complement to the music.
contumacious- stubbornly or willfully disobedient to authority
Many children begin to be contumacious when their parents want them to do something they don't want to do.
curmudgeon- a bad-tempered or surly person
I could tell she was a curmudgeon person after seeing how impatient she was in traffic.
didactic- intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive
A didactic novel that set out to expose social injustice.

No comments:

Post a Comment