VOCABULARY #1

1. Adumbrate- report or represent in outline.
- The ending of the novel is already adumbrated in the first chapter.

2. Apotheosis- elevation or exaltation of a person to the rank of a god.
- His apotheosis, it now seems has only led to agony.

3. Ascetic- a person who dedicates his or her life to a pursuit of contemplative ideals and practices extreme self-denial or self-mortification for religious reasons.
- He became a very famous ascetic, with a large following of fans.

4. Bauble- a small, showy ornament of little value; a trinket.
- The Christmas tree was adorned with baubles.

5. Beguile- trick (someone) into doing something.
- Salome sought to beguile the Sultan as she twirled in her sensuous dance of the seven veils.

6. Burgeon- begin to grow or increase rapidly; flourish
- Manufacturers are keen to cash in on the burgeoning demand.

7. Complement- a thing that completes or brings to perfection.
- That top really complements your skirt.

8. Contumacious- stubbornly or willfully disobedient to authority.
- Her contumacious attitude gave her detention for a week.

9. Curmudgeon- a bad-tempered or surly person.
- His grandfather had been a strong, wealthy, and famous man, but a curmudgeon toward his family and employees.

10. Didactic- intended for instruction.
- Yesterday's sermon by the preacher was a bit too didactic.

11. Disingenuous- not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that no one knows less about something than one really does.
- She offered a very disingenuous excuse for missing the holiday party.

12. Exculpate- show or declare that (someone) is not guilty of wrongdoing.
-  The jury had to exculpate the defendant due to lack of evidence.

13. Faux Pas- a social blunder.
- I was in faux pas when I dropped my grape into my drink.

14. Fulminate- express vehement protest.
- Public officials across the political spectrum fulminated against the perceived security threat.

15. Fustian- a pompous speech. 
- Fustian cutting which ceased in the 1930s.

16. Hauteur- Haughtiness in bearing and attitude, arrogance.
- His manner was hauteur.

17. Inhibit- hinder, restrain or prevent.
- I need to inhibit myself from eating too many cookies.

18. Jeremiad- a literary work or speech expressing a bitter lament or a righteous prophecy of doom.
- It's a jazzy jeremiad that dances around the whole dilemma of ratings.

19. Opportunist- one who takes advantage of any opportunity to achieve an end, often with no regard for principles or consequences.
- She was an opportunist, and thus never turned down a chance to get ahead.

20. Unconscionable- not right or reasonable.
- Shareholders had to wait an unconscionable time for the facts to be established.