VOCABULARY: SPRING 3

apostate- a person who renounces a religious or political belief or principle
My friend recently became an apostate.
effusive- expressing feelings of gratitude/ pleasure in a heartfelt way
She gave me an effusive welcome.
impasse- a situation in which no progress is possible; deadlock
The current political impasse seems like a waste of time.
euphoria- a feeling or state of intense excitement/ happiness
The euphoria of success will fuel your desire to continue training.
lugubrious- looking or sounding sad or dismal
My friend was looking lugubrious today.
bravado- a bold manner or a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate
Typically at the gym, I tend to be slightly bravado.
consensus- general agreement
There tends to be a consensus of opinion among judges.
dichotomy- a division or contrast between 2 things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different
A rigid dichotomy between science and mysticism.
constrict- make narrow
There are chemicals that constrict the blood vessels.
gothic- of or relating to goths or their rock music
People tend to go the ways of a Gothic.
punctilio- a fine or petty point of conduct or procedure
Children have to learn how to reach a punctilio when working with others.
metamorphosis- process of transforming from an immature form to an adult form
Every adolescent goes though a metamorphosis.
raconteur- a person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way
I always hear about these raconteurs, they seem to be very happy people.
sine qua non- an essential condition; thing that is absolutely necessary
Grammar and usage are the sine qua non of language teaching and learning.
quixotic- exceeding idealistic
A vast and perhaps quixotic project.
vendetta- a prolonged bitter quarrel with or campaign against someone
He has accused the British media of pursuing a vendetta against him.
non sequitur- a conclusion or statement that does not logically follow from the previous argument or statement
Your argument is non sequitur.
mystique- a fascinating aura of mystery, awe, and power surrounding someone/something
The tiger has a mystique that man has always respected and revered.
quagmire- a soft boggy area of land that gives way underfoot
Torrential rain turned the building site into a quagmire.
parlous- full of danger or certainty
The parlous state of the economy.