Vocabulary #4

accolade- noun: any award, honor, or laudatory notice.

• The press expressed accolades for the play write.

acerbity- noun: harshness or severity, as of temper or expression.

• The acerbity in his voice and manner drove his audience away.

attrition-  noun: a reduction or decrease in numbers, size, or strength.

• Our soccer team has experienced an attrition due to girls leaving for college.

bromide-  noun: a person who is platitudinous and boring.

• The bromide young man had no people skills.

chauvinist-[shohvuh-nist] noun: a person who believes one gender is superior to the other.

• There was a group of male chauvinists protesting the fact that women were allowed to join the military.

chronic-  adjective: constant; habitual; inveterate; continuing a long time or recurring frequently.

• Lilly has a chronic habit of biting her nails.

expound-  verb (used with object): to set forth or state in detail; to explain; interpret.

• The chemist expounded theories on how to find a cure for cancer.

factionalism- noun: self-interested; partisan within a group forming a minority inside another group.

• There was a sign of factionalism forming within the company.

 immaculate-  adjective: free from spot or stain; spotlessly clean; free from moral blemish or impurity; pure; undefiled.

• When my brother had finished washing the dishes they were immaculate.

imprecation-  noun:  cursing; the act of calling an evil curse on someone.

• The imprecations the football fans made toward the power line company when the power went out were not deserved.

ineluctable-  adjective:  incapable of being evaded; inescapable.  Synonyms: inevitable, unavoidable, irrevocable, unpreventable,unstoppable.

• Growing up is ineluctable so you might as well embrace youth as you have it.

mercurial-  adjective:  changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty.

• The host had a very mercurial group of friends and none of them showed up to her party.

palliate- verb (used with object): to relieve or lessen without curing; mitigate; alleviate.

• The Advil palliated her stomach pains temporarily, but they later returned.protocol

resplendent- adjective: shining brilliantly; gleaming; splendid.

• The children looked resplendent in their brand new uniforms.

stigmatize- verb (used with object): to set some mark of disgrace or infamy.

• Hester was stigmatized with her scarlet letter after committing adultery.

sub rosa-  noun: confidentially; secretly; privately.

• The Christians would meet sub rosa to avoid being persecuted. 

vainglory-  noun: excessive elation or pride over one's own achievements, abilities.

• He did not hesitate to flaunt his personal vainglory in public.

vestige-  noun: a mark, trace, or visible evidence of something that is no longer present or in existence.

• A single chard frame was all that was left of the house after it burnt down.

volition-  noun: the act of willing, choosing, or resolving; exercise of willing; a choice or decision made by the will. 

• The young woman decided to pursue a path of her own volition.