Cumulative Vocab Words From "making New Words Your Own"

Front 1

bellicose

Back 1

demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight

Front 2

lampoon

Back 2

publicly criticize (someone or something) by using ridicule, irony, or sarcasm

Front 3

pseudonym

Back 3

a fictitious name, esp. one used by an author

Front 4

banal

Back 4

so lacking in originality as to be obvious and borin

Front 5

lugubrious

Back 5

looking or sounding sad and dismal.

Front 6

glib

Back 6

(of words or the person speaking them) fluent and voluble but insincere and shallow

Front 7

purloin

Back 7

steal

Front 8

nefarious

Back 8

wicked or criminal

Front 9

distraught

Back 9

deeply upset and agitated

Front 10

euphemism

Back 10

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing

Front 11

abject

Back 11

(of a situation or condition) extremely bad, unpleasant, and degrading : abject poverty.
• (of an unhappy state of mind) experienced to the maximum degree : his letter plunged her into abject misery.
• (of a failure) absolute and humiliating.
2 (of a person or their behavior) completely without pride or dignity; self-abasing : an abject apology.

Front 12

commensurate

Back 12

corresponding in size or degree; in proportion

Front 13

prosaic

Back 13

having the style or diction of prose; lacking poetic beauty : prosaic language can't convey the experience.
• commonplace; unromantic : the masses were too preoccupied by prosaic day-to-day concerns.

Front 14

nebulous

Back 14

in the form of a cloud or haze; hazy : a giant nebulous glow.
• (of a concept or idea) unclear, vague, or ill-defined : nebulous concepts like quality of life.

Front 15

propriety

Back 15

the state or quality of conforming to conventionally accepted standards of behavior or morals : he always behaved with the utmost propriety.
• ( proprieties) the details or rules of behavior conventionally considered to be correct : she's a great one for the proprieties.
• the condition of being right, appropriate, or fitting : they questioned the propriety of certain investments made by the council.

Front 16

revile

Back 16

criticize in an abusive or angrily insulting manner : he was now reviled by the party that he had helped to lead

Front 17

phlegmatic

Back 17

(of a person) having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition

Front 18

discursive

Back 18

1 digressing from subject to subject : students often write dull, secondhand, discursive prose.
• (of a style of speech or writing) fluent and expansive rather than formulaic or abbreviated : the short story is concentrated, whereas the novel is discursive.
2 of or relating to discourse or modes of discourse : the attempt to transform utterances from one discursive context to another.

Front 19

cognizant

Back 19

having knowledge or being aware of : statesmen must be cognizant of the political boundaries within which they work

Front 20

ennui

Back 20

a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.

Front 21

farcical

Back 21

of or resembling a farce, esp. because of absurd or ridiculous aspects

Front 22

hyperbole

Back 22

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally

Front 23

mesmerism

Back 23

hypnotism

Front 24

fortuitous

Back 24

happening by accident or chance rather than design : the similarity between the paintings may not be simply fortuitous. See note at accidental .
• informal happening by a lucky chance; fortunate : from a cash standpoint, the company's timing is fortuito

Front 25

allay

Back 25

diminish or put at rest (fear, suspicion, or worry) : the report attempted to educate the public and allay fears.
• relieve or alleviate (pain or hunger) : some stale figs partly allayed our hunger.

Front 26

despot

Back 26

noun
a ruler or other person who holds absolute power, typically one who exercises it in a cruel or oppressive way.

Front 27

allay

Back 27

diminish or put at rest (fear, suspicion, or worry) : the report attempted to educate the public and allay fears.
• relieve or alleviate (pain or hunger) : some stale figs partly allayed our hunger.

Front 28

bravado

Back 28

noun
a bold manner or a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate.

Front 29

colloquy

Back 29

a conversation : they broke off their colloquy at once | an evening of sophisticated colloquy. See note at conversation .
2 a gathering for discussion of theological questions.

Front 30

choleric

Back 30

bad-tempered or irritable.
• historical influenced by or predominating in the humor called choler : a choleric disposition.

Front 31

blazon

Back 31

1 [with adverbial of place ] display prominently or vividly : they saw their company name blazoned all over the media. See note at announce .
• report (news), esp. in a sensational manner : accounts of their ordeal blazoned to the entire nation.
2 Heraldry describe or depict (armorial bearings) in a correct heraldic manner.
• inscribe or paint (an object) with arms or a name.