List 9
Abortive: failing to produce the
intended result: The experiment produced only abortive results.
Bruit: spread a report or rumor
widely: The man bruited his misgreavings.
Contumelious: scornful and
insulting behavior: His contumelious behavior was uncalled for.
Dictum: a formal pronouncement
from an authoritative source; a short statement that expresses a general truth
or principle: The Roman Empire issued many a dictum during its draconian reign.
Ensconce: establish or settle:
The meadow was ensconced by conifers, sentries for centuries van-guarding one
of the last gardens not yet harvested by man.
Iconoclastic: characterized by
attack on established beliefs or institutions: Nazi culture was incredibly
iconoclastic.
In medias res: a narrative that
begins somewhere in the middle of a story rather than the beginning: Many
notable works of fiction begin in medias res.
Internecine: destructive to both
sides in a conflict: Internecine love triangles are common tropes in fiction.
Maladroit: ineffective or
bungling; clumsy: His actions were maladroit.
Maudlin: self-pitying or
tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness: His maudlin expression was
pathetic.
Modulate: exert a modifying or
controlling influence on: The scientist modulates all his experiments.
Portentous: of or like a portent;
done in a pompously or overly solemn manner: Her portentous demeanor was
disrespectful.
Prescience: the power to foresee
the future: Ancient oracles were said to be imbued with prescience,
precognition.
Quid pro quo: a favor or advantage
granted in return for something: Giving a dish is only quid pro quo in dinner
gatherings.
Salubrious: health-giving,
healthy; pleasant, not run-down: The drink was a salubrious brew.
Saturnalia: the ancient Roman
festival of Saturn in December; an occasion of wild revelry: Effervescent and
intoxicated, the festival reveled in saturnalia.
Touchstone: a standard or
criterion by which something is judged or recognized:
There are many touchstone moments
in our nation’s history.
Traumatic: emotionally disturbing
or distressing; relating to or causing psychological trauma: Batman’s parent’s
death was indeed traumatic.
Vitiate: spoil or impair the
quality or efficiency of; destroy or impair the legal validity of: The jam
vitiated the flow of traffic.
Waggish: humorous in a playful,
mischievous, or facetious manner: The imp was waggish in his swagger.
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