Chapter 3: Vocab

shortened 

"His agent told him that he needed to abridge some of the content of his novel so that it would be under 400 pages."

ability to tell the future

"The prescient economist was one of the few to see the financial collapse coming"

Concise 

"To save time, the professor tried to give pithy answers to all questions."

beyond what is normal or natural.

"Their parents had an almost preternatural ability to understand what was going on in their children's minds"

To punish or reprimand

"If you want better results, you should praise your children and not castigate them"

Compensate someone for harm or loss

"Since Kurt was driving drunk, the insurance company will not indemnify him from the property damage he caused"

Ordinary, everyday, common 

"the car sped noisily off through the quotidian traffic"

a business person who computes statistics

tart or bitter taste; language or actions which are hostile or sharp. 

-an example of being acerbic is when someone's tone of voice is harsh

able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action, sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way

"the players were making caustic comments about the refereeing""

"caustic cleaner"

a change or variation occurring in the course of something

"Given the vicissitudes of life, it's doubtful that I will live here to the end of my life"."

If you find good things or fortunes without looking for them. 

"He went on a small vacation and met his future wife. That is serendipity."

"We all have experienced the serendipity of relevant information arriving just when we were least expecting it."

a position in which the hands are on the hips and the elbows are bowed outward (commonly done by an irritated person)

-side by side and facing the same way.

Ex. "the path was wide enough for two people to walk abreast"

-If you are abreast of someone or something, you are level with them or in line with them

• - meaning "dull" or "blunt,"
• -a person who is mentally "dull" or slow of mind

Ex. "Don't be so obtuse: get with the program!

• -prepared to obey others unquestioningly.
• -submissive

Ex. "she was subservient to her parents"

with an attitude or look of suspicion or disapproval.

"the reformers looked askance at the mystical tradition"

-servant

"I'm not your lackey so don't expect me to do it."

-set the boundaries or limits of. (verb)

"plots of land demarcated by barbed wire"

-not planning carefully for the future;not provident; lacking foresight


"If you spend all your money on video games even though you know you have to buy your mom a birthday present next week, you have made an improvident decision"

• -(of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little. (adj)
• - tending not to speak much: 2. usually speaking very little

" My shy brother is taciturn and rarely speaks in public."

- lacking restraint, morals: marked by indulgence in things (such as drink or promiscuous sex)

• -tending to obstruct or harm.
• -adverse, damaging 

"the policy was inimical to Britain's real interests"

(of a person's face) pale, typically because of poor health; colorless

"The patient left the hospital but was very pallid."

filled with horror or shock.

"eyewitnesses to the explosion were aghast"

-having little or no money.

"they were so impecunious that they couldn't afford to give one another even token Christmas gifts."

-difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious.

"The lady in red had an enigmatic smile which made all the men curious about he"

-serving as a symbol of a particular quality or concept; symbolic.

"Each summit is crowned by an inverted pear-shaped stone, bearing a triple cross,emblematic of the Trinity."

-solving problems in a sensible way that suits the conditions that really exist now

extremely idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.

"Although Jack's plan for killing the giant was quixotic, it was the village's only hope"

-sophisticated or extravagant in language, style, or manner, especially in a way that is intended to impress.

" Her speech was full of grandiloquent language, but it contained no new ideas."

put forward as a fact or basis of argument.

"the Confucian view posits a perfectible human nature'

-to persuade (someone) by flattery or pleasing talk 

"I managed to cajole her out of leaving too early."

-cautiously; carefully.

"they walk warily down the street, terrified of being caught"

-untruthful 

"As a politician, he was very adept at speaking mendaciously in public"

-fully; completely and thoroughly

"His new definition was roundly criticised when it was published in his letter the following month"

-praise (a person or their achievements) highly, especially in a public context.

"the obituary lauded him as a great statesman and soldier"

-criticize (someone or something) severely.

"the movie was panned by the critics"

-regard with great respect; revere.

"Mother Teresa is venerated as a saint"

the purging of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions, especially through certain kinds of art

"For many, yoga is a catharsis which allows them to reflect upon their deepest feelings."

-a concluding event, remark, or section.

"his new novel is a kind of coda to his previous books"

- a sermon or religious speech offering encouragement or moral correction

"a guest preacher delivered today's homily"

-in a way that suggests that something bad is going to happen.

-If you're golfing and dark gray clouds ominously appear, you'd better call it a day.

-occurring at a favorable time; opportune; divine intervention

"Due to a providential storm, we stayed home and avoided an accident at the park."

-refers to an event, person, object or custom that is chronologically out of place;misplaced in a timeline

"Imagine watching a movie that takes place in the 1700s and seeing one of the characters pull out a cell phone is anachronistic "

having or showing knowledge of events before they take place.

" This is a risky venture, and should only be taken under serious consideration by those who have prescient knowledge about whether or not certain precious metals will increase or decline in value."

-accustomed to hardship


"these children have been inured to violence"

-foolishly or sentimental because of drunkenness.

"Sir Ralph was becoming maudlin after his third glass of circo"

• -expressing welcome, approval, or pleasure in a way that shows very strong feeling
• -someone who expresses positive emotions in a heartfelt, bubbly way

"Sally was effusive in her praise of the judges who awarded her the trophy."

-to modify or shorten

"They published several of my novels which were syncopated by them."

-collect or form into a mass or group; gather all into one place

"In some states, people tend to agglomerate into cities, leaving rural areas sparsely populated."

-to gradually pay off (an obligation, such as a mortgage) usually by periodic payments of principal and interest 

"The businessman was able to amortize his building loan by paying monthly payments on the first and the 15th"

-persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery.

"Her son tried to inveigle her into giving him the money for a car."

-a sign or warning that something, typically something bad, will happen; (verb)

"Those black clouds presage a storm is coming"

-belonging to or characteristic of a much earlier period

"Rotary phones and cassette players already seem so archaic!"

-quick and skillful in action;skillfully

"He was able to cut up a mango perfectly by deftly avoiding the large flat blade"

-without the knowledge of (someone); they do not know about it 

"she had been ill for months, unbeknownst to the family" 

"Unbeknownst to her father, she began taking dancing lessons."

-causing or deserving strong dislike or hatred; disgust

"racial discrimination was abhorrent to us all"

-related by blood

"Consanguineous couples more frequently lived in smaller towns and in an extended family environment."

-shaking or quivering; trembling 

"Her voice was weak and tremulous, but the audience clapped politely when she finished her speech"

-playful;energetic; awkward

"off camera the actor is high-spiritedly coltish, but turns serious once the camera starts rolling."

-large or heavy and therefore difficult to carry or use;difficult 

"Although the machine looks cumbersome, it is actually easy to use."

-charm or enchant (someone), sometimes in a deceptive way.

"She was cunning enough to beguile her classmates into doing the work for her."

-cautious or careful

"They had discussed the pill before the subject became pregnant; both of them were chary about its use because of possible harmful side-effects."

-drive back (an attack or attacking enemy) by force.

"rioters tried to storm ministry buildings but were repulsed by police"

-an extremely wise person

• -someone who kisses ass to get ahead in life
• -a person who tries to gain attention by flattering wealthy or influential people.

"Because she always kisses up to the teacher, Janice is considered the sycophant in first period"

-fruitful, fertile, productive

"Rabbits are often considered to be fecund animals"

-assert one's will over another in an arrogant way.

"The principal is an imperious woman who expects to be obeyed."

-something that comes before and that shows what will follow in the future

"Frost is a harbinger of winter"

-lasting for a very short time.

"The thunderstorm was ephemeral, starting suddenly and gone within seconds."

• -accompanying;happening at the same time as something else;
• -something that goes naturally together or is associated with something else

"Because the contractor and decorator agreed to concomitant work schedules in the final stages of construction, the house was ready to show well ahead of time."

-obedient, very willing to serve other

"The princess had obsequious servants who showered her with attention"

-old-fashioned or outdated.

"It will take many years to modernize these antiquated industries."

-optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.

"he is sanguine about prospects for the global economy"

-using power or authority more forcefully than is needed, without thinking about the feelings or wishes of other people.

"Some treated their staff in a high-handed and tyrannical way."

-tending to vanish or disappear like vapor; lasting for a very short time

"Even though April seemed interested in taking piano lessons now, her mother knew her interest was only evanescent and would soon disappear."

-a very minor or slight sin or offense

" I do not punish my son for a peccadillo such as breaking a glass."

-designed to cause fires, tending to stir up conflict.

"The politician's incendiary speech provoked shouts of protest from the crowd."

-boring because it contains nothing new and lacks originality.

"It was just another banal newspaper story"

-green with grass or other rich vegetation.

"As we go further south, the landscape becomes more verdant."

Infatuated or in love with someone or something

"Tommy is enamored of baseball right now, so just get him a bat for his birthday."

-to punish harshly

"he was castigated for not setting a good example"

-talkative 

"The garrulous gentleman held up the checkout line as he rambled on to the cashier about his pet squirrel."

-characterized by or showing interest or concern.

"she was always solicitous about the welfare of her students"

-the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant

"The military is also notorious for using euphemisms, like saying "neutralizing the target" instead of "killing someone.""

- made up of many different people or things

"Hundreds of them there were, men of all races and planets, a motley crew."

• -of the same kind; alike.
• "As races have mixed, the world's population has become more and more homogenous"

-humorous usually at an inappropriate time 

"As Oscar was not generally known to be facetious, sometimes his jokes went under the radar or were taken for serious comments."

-slightly dishonest and not sincere 

"The detective was a disingenuous man who often played dumb to trick others into confessing"

-restrict (something) within limits.

"A tall electric fence was constructed outside the prison to circumscribe prison escapes. "

-confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding).

"the witness had corroborated the boy's account of the attack"

- to make better or more tolerable 


"the reform did not ameliorate living standards"

-unable to be changed.

"Although I tried to get the bank president to change his mind about giving me the loan, I finally realized his decision was immutable:

-aggressive attack or defense for a belief or opinion; controversial argument 

"The reforms were attacked in a highly polemical piece in the 'New Yorker"

-effective, efficient

"the vaccine has proved both efficacious and safe"

-to treat someone like a deity (a god)

-harsh criticism

-the making of false and defamatory statements in order to damage someone's reputation; slander.

"He was subjected to the most vicious calumny, but he never complained and never sued."

a circle made of flowers and leaves worn around the neck or head as a decoration: 

"They placed a garland of flowers around her neck."

-strong public criticism or verbal abuse.

"he endured years of contempt and obloquy"

-to divide into two branches or parts 

" When a trail splits into two trails, this is an example of a time when the trail bifurcates"

-clever tricks or devices

"When Sam tried to fool the security man with his artifice, he found himself in front security's loaded shotgun."

-an opinion or feeling you have about something 

"I agree with your sentiments regarding the road bridge"

-an excessive attention to the rules or paying strong attention to the minor points of learning.


-An example of pedantry is a friend standing in line for a show not letting another friend cut in line in front of them.

-extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resources; stinginess 

"her parsimony was so extreme that she'd walk five miles to the store to save a few cents on gas."

-beauty 

"Attracted in turn to the youthful pulchritude of Laura "

-cause (someone) to feel drained of energy or vitality; weaken.

"The wrestler's plan was to deliver a crushing blow which would enervate his opponent."

-details