Parody- A humorous imitation of another, usually serious, work. It can take any fixed or open form, because parodists imitate the tone, language, and shape of the original in order to deflate the subject matter, making the original work seem absurd.
Satire- The literary art of ridiculing a folly or vice in order to expose or correct it. The object of satire is usually some human frailty; people, institutions, ideas, and things are all fair game for satirists. Satire evokes attitudes of amusement, contempt, scorn, or indignation toward its faulty subject in the hope of somehow improving it.
Tone- The author’s implicit attitude toward the reader or the people, places, and events in a work as revealed by the elements of the author’s style. Tone may be characterized as serious or ironic, sad or happy, private or public, angry or affectionate, bitter or nostalgic, or any other attitudes and feelings that human beings experience. See also style.
Anecdote- A short tale narrating an interesting or amusing biographical incident. It may be as brief as the setting and provocation of a bon mot. An anecdote is always based on real life, an incident involving actual persons, whether famous or not, in real places. However, over time, modification in reuse may convert a particular anecdote to a fictional piece, one that is retold but is “too good to be true”. Sometimes humorous, anecdotes are not jokes, because their primary purpose is not simply to evoke laughter, but to reveal a truth more general than the brief tale itself, or to delineate a character trait or the workings of an institution in such a light that it strikes in a flash of insight to their very essence.
Dialect- A type of informational diction. Dialects are spoken by definable groups of people from a particular geographic region, economic group, or social class. Writers use dialect to contrast and express differences in educational, class, social, and regional backgrounds of their characters.
Diction- A writer’s choice of words, phrases, sentence structures, and figurative language, which combine to help create meaning. Formal diction consists of a dignified, impersonal, and elevated use of language; it follows the rules of syntax exactly and is often characterized by complex words and lofty tone. Middle diction maintains correct language usage, but is less elevated than formal diction; it reflects the way most educated people speak. Informal diction represents the plain language of everyday use, and often includes idiomatic expressions, slang, contractions, and many simple, common words.
Conventional Symbols- Symbols that have meanings that are widely recognized by a society or culture. Some conventional symbols are the Christian cross, the Star of David, a swastika, or a nation’s flag. Writers use conventional symbols to reinforce meanings. Kate Chopin, for example, emphasizes the spring setting in "The Story of an Hour" as a way of suggesting the renewed sense of life that Mrs. Mallard feels when she thinks herself free from her husband.
Conventional symbols are closely related to language. For example, the word "dog" the letters that spell out "dog" represent the animal that has four legs and barks. The word "dog" and the animal dog do not have an inherent relationship. The word only represents the thing because of the "convention" of the English language.
Accidental Symbols- Symbols that have no intrinsic relationship with the things they represetn and that have varying meanings according to individual interpretation. For example a red light may have positive symbolic meaning to an individual who has had a postive experience with a red light and a negative meaning to someone who has had a negative experience involving a red light.
Universal Symbols- Symbols that have an intrinsic relationship with the thing that they represent. For example, the phrases "light a fire under him/her" or the "fire in his/her eyes" are symbolic. When we say them, we do not literally mean a fire. Yet fire universally represents energy and light because of the intrinsic relationship between fire and energy and fire and light.
Elegiac- Tone of lament for death or loss.
Nostalgic- Tone of longing for the past or for home.
Glossary of Literary Terms from Bedford/St. Martin's
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Literary Terms & Periods
Literary Terms
Image: is a word or phrase in a literary text that appeals directly to the reader's taste, touch, hearing, sight, or smell. An image is thus any vivid or picturesque phrase that evokes a particular sensation in the reader's mind.
Imagery: the collection of images within a literary work. Used to evoke atmosphere, mood, tension. For example, images of crowded, steaming sidewalks flanking streets choked with lines of shimmering, smoking cars suggests oppressive heat and all the psychological tensions that go with it.
Symbol: something (often an object, emblem, or mark) that stands for or represents another thing (often a larger or abstract meaning)
Foil: a character that contrasts another character, often the protagonist, that therefore highlights certain qualities of the protagonist (or whoever the foil may be)
Allusion: an indirect reference to another work of literature or cultural marker
Characterization: the method used by a writer to develop a character. The method includes (1) showing the character's appearance, (2) displaying the character's actions, (3) revealing the character's thoughts, (4) letting the character speak, and (5) getting the reactions of others
Explicit/direct characterization: the author directly states a character’s traits or makes direct comments about a character’s nature
Implicit/indirect characteriztion: the author does not directly state a character’s traits; instead the reader draws conclusions and discovers a character’s traits based upon clues provided by the author
Theme: main issue, implied idea or concern at stake in a verbal or visual work
Motif: a repeated image or symbolic pattern within a work
Setting: physical, historical, sociological environment or atmosphere presented in a cultural object
Mood: The climate of feeling in a literary work. The choice of setting, objects, details, images, and words all contribute towards creating a specific mood. For example, an author may create a mood of mystery around a character or setting but may treat that character or setting in an ironic, serious, or humorous tone
Plot: an author’s selection and arrangement of incidents in a story to shape the action and give the story a particular focus. Discussions of plot include not just what happens, but also how and why things happen the way they do
Point of view: the vantage point from which the author presents action of the story.
Omniscience: Omniscient narrators can report the thoughts and feelings of the characters, as well as their words and actions. The narrator of The Scarlet Letter is an omniscient narrator. Editorial omniscience refers to an intrusion by the narrator in order to evaluate a character for a reader, as when the narrator of The Scarlet Letter describes Hester’s relationship to the Puritan community.
Dialect: a type of informational diction. Dialects are spoken by definable groups of people from a particular geographic region, economic group, or social class. Writers use dialect to contrast and express differences in educational, class, social, and regional backgrounds of their characters.
Diction: use of language that marks it as either formal or informal, or specific to a particular
social class or speaking/writing situation
Metaphor: figure of speech/implied comparison in which two unlike things are likened to each other or spoken of as if one thing were the other.
Simile: figure of speech in which one thing is likened to another using words such as “like,” “as,” or “appears,” “seems.”
Personification: a form of metaphor in which human characteristics are attributed to nonhuman things. Personification offers the writer a way to give the world life and motion by assigning familiar human behaviors and emotions to animals, inanimate objects, and abstract ideas. For example, in Keats’s "Ode on a Grecian Urn," the speaker refers to the urn as an "unravished bride of quietness."
Paradox: a statement that initially appears to be contradictory but then, on closer inspection, turns out to make sense. For example, John Donne ends his sonnet "Death, Be Not Proud" with the paradoxical statement "Death, thou shalt die." To solve the paradox, it is necessary to discover the sense that underlies the statement. Paradox is useful in poetry because it arrests a reader’s attention by its seemingly stubborn refusal
Oxymoron: a condensed form of paradox in which two contradictory words are used together, as in "sweet sorrow" or "original copy."
Hyperbole: a boldly exaggerated statement that adds emphasis without in-tending to be literally true, as in the statement "He ate everything in the house." Hyperbole (also called overstatement) may be used for serious, comic, or ironic effect.
Litote (understatement): Creation of a positive or opposite idea through negation. Examples: (1) I am not unaware of your predicament. (2) This is no small problem. (3) I'm not forgetful that you served me well.–John Milton.
Satire: the literary art of ridiculing a folly or vice in order to expose or correct it. The object of satire is usually some human frailty; people, institutions, ideas, and things are all fair game for satirists. Satire evokes attitudes of amusement, contempt, scorn, or indignation toward its faulty subject in the hope of somehow improving it.
Parody: any humorous, satirical, or burlesque imitation, as of a person, event, etc.
Protagonist: the main character of a narrative; its central character who engages the reader’s interest and empathy.
Antagonist: The character, force, or collection of forces in fiction or drama that opposes the protagonist and gives rise to the conflict of the story; an opponent of the protagonist.
Hero/heroine: a hero or heroine, often called the protagonist, is the central character who engages the reader’s interest and empathy.
Dialogue: verbal exchange between two or more characters that develops plot, character, action, etc.
Monologue: one character alone talking to the reader/audience/to himself. A monologue in a play is called a soliloquy and finds the character alone on the stage, often speaking about a decision, plan, or other internal conflict.
Foreshadowing: The introduction early in a story of verbal and dramatic hints that suggest what is to come later.
Climax: the moment of greatest emotional tension in a narrative, usually marking a turning point in the plot at which the rising action reverses to become the falling action.
Freytag’s tragedy triangle:
Periods of American Literature
Puritanism:
Representative literature:
Enlightenment:
Representative literature:
Romanticism:
Representative literature:
Transcendentalism:
Representative literature:
Realism/Regionalism:
Representative literature:
Naturalism:
Representative literature:
Modernism:
Representative literature:
Image: is a word or phrase in a literary text that appeals directly to the reader's taste, touch, hearing, sight, or smell. An image is thus any vivid or picturesque phrase that evokes a particular sensation in the reader's mind.
Imagery: the collection of images within a literary work. Used to evoke atmosphere, mood, tension. For example, images of crowded, steaming sidewalks flanking streets choked with lines of shimmering, smoking cars suggests oppressive heat and all the psychological tensions that go with it.
Symbol: something (often an object, emblem, or mark) that stands for or represents another thing (often a larger or abstract meaning)
Foil: a character that contrasts another character, often the protagonist, that therefore highlights certain qualities of the protagonist (or whoever the foil may be)
Allusion: an indirect reference to another work of literature or cultural marker
Characterization: the method used by a writer to develop a character. The method includes (1) showing the character's appearance, (2) displaying the character's actions, (3) revealing the character's thoughts, (4) letting the character speak, and (5) getting the reactions of others
Explicit/direct characterization: the author directly states a character’s traits or makes direct comments about a character’s nature
Implicit/indirect characteriztion: the author does not directly state a character’s traits; instead the reader draws conclusions and discovers a character’s traits based upon clues provided by the author
Theme: main issue, implied idea or concern at stake in a verbal or visual work
Motif: a repeated image or symbolic pattern within a work
Setting: physical, historical, sociological environment or atmosphere presented in a cultural object
Mood: The climate of feeling in a literary work. The choice of setting, objects, details, images, and words all contribute towards creating a specific mood. For example, an author may create a mood of mystery around a character or setting but may treat that character or setting in an ironic, serious, or humorous tone
Plot: an author’s selection and arrangement of incidents in a story to shape the action and give the story a particular focus. Discussions of plot include not just what happens, but also how and why things happen the way they do
Point of view: the vantage point from which the author presents action of the story.
Omniscience: Omniscient narrators can report the thoughts and feelings of the characters, as well as their words and actions. The narrator of The Scarlet Letter is an omniscient narrator. Editorial omniscience refers to an intrusion by the narrator in order to evaluate a character for a reader, as when the narrator of The Scarlet Letter describes Hester’s relationship to the Puritan community.
Dialect: a type of informational diction. Dialects are spoken by definable groups of people from a particular geographic region, economic group, or social class. Writers use dialect to contrast and express differences in educational, class, social, and regional backgrounds of their characters.
Diction: use of language that marks it as either formal or informal, or specific to a particular
social class or speaking/writing situation
Metaphor: figure of speech/implied comparison in which two unlike things are likened to each other or spoken of as if one thing were the other.
Simile: figure of speech in which one thing is likened to another using words such as “like,” “as,” or “appears,” “seems.”
Personification: a form of metaphor in which human characteristics are attributed to nonhuman things. Personification offers the writer a way to give the world life and motion by assigning familiar human behaviors and emotions to animals, inanimate objects, and abstract ideas. For example, in Keats’s "Ode on a Grecian Urn," the speaker refers to the urn as an "unravished bride of quietness."
Paradox: a statement that initially appears to be contradictory but then, on closer inspection, turns out to make sense. For example, John Donne ends his sonnet "Death, Be Not Proud" with the paradoxical statement "Death, thou shalt die." To solve the paradox, it is necessary to discover the sense that underlies the statement. Paradox is useful in poetry because it arrests a reader’s attention by its seemingly stubborn refusal
Oxymoron: a condensed form of paradox in which two contradictory words are used together, as in "sweet sorrow" or "original copy."
Hyperbole: a boldly exaggerated statement that adds emphasis without in-tending to be literally true, as in the statement "He ate everything in the house." Hyperbole (also called overstatement) may be used for serious, comic, or ironic effect.
Litote (understatement): Creation of a positive or opposite idea through negation. Examples: (1) I am not unaware of your predicament. (2) This is no small problem. (3) I'm not forgetful that you served me well.–John Milton.
Satire: the literary art of ridiculing a folly or vice in order to expose or correct it. The object of satire is usually some human frailty; people, institutions, ideas, and things are all fair game for satirists. Satire evokes attitudes of amusement, contempt, scorn, or indignation toward its faulty subject in the hope of somehow improving it.
Parody: any humorous, satirical, or burlesque imitation, as of a person, event, etc.
Protagonist: the main character of a narrative; its central character who engages the reader’s interest and empathy.
Antagonist: The character, force, or collection of forces in fiction or drama that opposes the protagonist and gives rise to the conflict of the story; an opponent of the protagonist.
Hero/heroine: a hero or heroine, often called the protagonist, is the central character who engages the reader’s interest and empathy.
Dialogue: verbal exchange between two or more characters that develops plot, character, action, etc.
Monologue: one character alone talking to the reader/audience/to himself. A monologue in a play is called a soliloquy and finds the character alone on the stage, often speaking about a decision, plan, or other internal conflict.
Foreshadowing: The introduction early in a story of verbal and dramatic hints that suggest what is to come later.
Climax: the moment of greatest emotional tension in a narrative, usually marking a turning point in the plot at which the rising action reverses to become the falling action.
Freytag’s tragedy triangle:
Periods of American Literature
Puritanism:
Representative literature:
Enlightenment:
Representative literature:
Romanticism:
Representative literature:
Transcendentalism:
Representative literature:
Realism/Regionalism:
Representative literature:
Naturalism:
Representative literature:
Modernism:
Representative literature:
Saturday, June 7, 2008
English II Honors Vocabulary
ebullient adj. 1. boiling, agitated 2. exuberant.
harbinger n. a person or thing that comes before to announce or give an indication of what follows; herald.
hasten v. / haste n. cause to move quickly, urge on, quicken, hurry.
iconoclastic adj./ iconoclasm n. characterized by attack on established beliefs or institutions.
infelicity n. / infelicitous adj. a state of being unhappy or unfortunate; an instance of unhappiness or misfortune; the quality of NOT being appropriate to an occasion or circumstance.
latitudinarian adj. holding or expressing broad or tolerant views, especially on religion; 2. any of a group of Anglican Christians active from the 17th through the 19th century who were opposed to dogmatic positions of the Church of England.
lyrical adj. / lyricicm n. 1. the character or quality of subjectivity and sensuality of expression, especially in the arts; 2. the quality or state of being melodious; melodiousness; 3. an intense outpouring of exuberant emotion.
overweening adj. 1. presumptuously arrogant; overbearing; 2. excessive; immoderate.
paragon n. 1. a pattern or model of excellence; 2. a person who is an exemplar of a virtue or a model of character.
liquidate v. 1. clear away, resolve; pay (a debt); 2. put an end to or get rid of, esp. by violent means; wipe out 3. convert to liquid (monetary) assets.
acolyte n. 1. one who assists the celebrant in the performance of liturgical rites. 2. a devoted follower or attendant.
acerbic adj. sour or bitter, as in taste, character, or tone.
festoon v./ n. to decorate, adorn. 2. a decorative chain or strip hanging between two points.
dragoon n. / v. 1. orig. a mounted infantryman in the household troops of the British army; a rough, fierce man; 2. set dragoons upon; force, drive, persecute or oppress by rigorous or harassing measure.
fricative n. consonant characterized by frictional passage of expired breath through a narrowing at some point in the vocal tract.
garish adj. 1. excessively bright; glaring, tacky. 2. excessively ornate or elaborate, as buildings or writings.
louche adj. of questionable taste or morality.
usurp v. appropriate or take over (a right, prerogative, etc.) wrongfully; esp. seize or assume (another’s position or authority) by force.
leery adj. 1. knowing, sharp, street-wise; 2. shy, doubtful, suspicious, wary.
humor n. mental disposition, temperament, mood.
ordure n. filth, dirt, excrement, dung; moral defilement, corruption, obscene language or action.
offal n. 1. the edible parts cut off as less valuable in dressing the carcass of an animal meant for food, esp. the entrails and internal organs; 2. the parts of a slaughtered or dead animal unfit for human consumption; decomposing flesh; carrion.
vitriol n. acrimonious, caustic, or scathing speech, criticism, or feeling.
splenetic adj. 1. of or pertaining to the spleen; 2. characterized by or tending to cause
melancholia; 3. irritable, peevish, ill-tempered, testy.
gauche adj. lacking in tact or ease of manner, awkward, blundering; crude, unsophisticated.
lachrymose adj. tearful, inclined to weep.
mercurial adj. demonstrating personal qualities supposed to be associated with being born under the planet Mercury, including liveliness, ready-wit, volatility, rapid changeability.
sanguine adj. 1. of or pertaining to blood; 2. having a temperament characterized by the predominance of blood over the other 3 bodily humors, confident, optimistic, eager.
torrid adj.1. scorched, burned, intensely hot; 2. ardent, zealous, fiercely passionate.
turgid adj. 1. swollen, distended; 2. (of language) inflated, bombastic.
torpid adj./ torpor n. inactive, apathetic, slow, sluggish, dull.
surmise v. form an idea or suspect; form an idea or suspect that something may be true, but without proof or certainty; infer conjecturally or guess.
surreptitious adj.1. obtained by suppression of the truth or by fraudulent misrepresentation; 2. (of a piece of writing or printing) spurious, forged, issued without authority, pirated.
formulaic adj. of the nature of a formula, predictable, un-original
wanton adj. 1. Immoral or chaste; lewd 2. Unrestrainedly excessive 3. Luxuriant; overabundant 4. frolicsome; playful.
sanctimonious adj. affecting piety, pretending holiness or sanctity.
mimesis n. / mimetic adj.1. imitation of another's words or actions; 2. the representation of the real world in art, poetry, etc. / pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of imitation, esp. of the real world in art, literature, etc.
ephemera n. / ephemeral adj. 1. a person or thing of short-lived interest or use; 2. a fever lasting only one day. 2. characterized by short-lived interest or use.
elegy n. / elegiac adj. a song of lamentation, esp. for the dead; a formal poem written in elegiac meter (a classical metrical form).
eulogy n. a speech or piece of writng in praise of a person or thing, esp. of a person who has recently died.
epistle n. / epistolary adj1. a letter, esp. one of a literary, formal, or public nature; 2. any of various books in the New testament which originated as apostolic letters to Christian communities and individuals. 3. written in the form of a letter.
harbinger n. a person or thing that comes before to announce or give an indication of what follows; herald.
hasten v. / haste n. cause to move quickly, urge on, quicken, hurry.
iconoclastic adj./ iconoclasm n. characterized by attack on established beliefs or institutions.
infelicity n. / infelicitous adj. a state of being unhappy or unfortunate; an instance of unhappiness or misfortune; the quality of NOT being appropriate to an occasion or circumstance.
latitudinarian adj. holding or expressing broad or tolerant views, especially on religion; 2. any of a group of Anglican Christians active from the 17th through the 19th century who were opposed to dogmatic positions of the Church of England.
lyrical adj. / lyricicm n. 1. the character or quality of subjectivity and sensuality of expression, especially in the arts; 2. the quality or state of being melodious; melodiousness; 3. an intense outpouring of exuberant emotion.
overweening adj. 1. presumptuously arrogant; overbearing; 2. excessive; immoderate.
paragon n. 1. a pattern or model of excellence; 2. a person who is an exemplar of a virtue or a model of character.
liquidate v. 1. clear away, resolve; pay (a debt); 2. put an end to or get rid of, esp. by violent means; wipe out 3. convert to liquid (monetary) assets.
acolyte n. 1. one who assists the celebrant in the performance of liturgical rites. 2. a devoted follower or attendant.
acerbic adj. sour or bitter, as in taste, character, or tone.
festoon v./ n. to decorate, adorn. 2. a decorative chain or strip hanging between two points.
dragoon n. / v. 1. orig. a mounted infantryman in the household troops of the British army; a rough, fierce man; 2. set dragoons upon; force, drive, persecute or oppress by rigorous or harassing measure.
fricative n. consonant characterized by frictional passage of expired breath through a narrowing at some point in the vocal tract.
garish adj. 1. excessively bright; glaring, tacky. 2. excessively ornate or elaborate, as buildings or writings.
louche adj. of questionable taste or morality.
usurp v. appropriate or take over (a right, prerogative, etc.) wrongfully; esp. seize or assume (another’s position or authority) by force.
leery adj. 1. knowing, sharp, street-wise; 2. shy, doubtful, suspicious, wary.
humor n. mental disposition, temperament, mood.
ordure n. filth, dirt, excrement, dung; moral defilement, corruption, obscene language or action.
offal n. 1. the edible parts cut off as less valuable in dressing the carcass of an animal meant for food, esp. the entrails and internal organs; 2. the parts of a slaughtered or dead animal unfit for human consumption; decomposing flesh; carrion.
vitriol n. acrimonious, caustic, or scathing speech, criticism, or feeling.
splenetic adj. 1. of or pertaining to the spleen; 2. characterized by or tending to cause
melancholia; 3. irritable, peevish, ill-tempered, testy.
gauche adj. lacking in tact or ease of manner, awkward, blundering; crude, unsophisticated.
lachrymose adj. tearful, inclined to weep.
mercurial adj. demonstrating personal qualities supposed to be associated with being born under the planet Mercury, including liveliness, ready-wit, volatility, rapid changeability.
sanguine adj. 1. of or pertaining to blood; 2. having a temperament characterized by the predominance of blood over the other 3 bodily humors, confident, optimistic, eager.
torrid adj.1. scorched, burned, intensely hot; 2. ardent, zealous, fiercely passionate.
turgid adj. 1. swollen, distended; 2. (of language) inflated, bombastic.
torpid adj./ torpor n. inactive, apathetic, slow, sluggish, dull.
surmise v. form an idea or suspect; form an idea or suspect that something may be true, but without proof or certainty; infer conjecturally or guess.
surreptitious adj.1. obtained by suppression of the truth or by fraudulent misrepresentation; 2. (of a piece of writing or printing) spurious, forged, issued without authority, pirated.
formulaic adj. of the nature of a formula, predictable, un-original
wanton adj. 1. Immoral or chaste; lewd 2. Unrestrainedly excessive 3. Luxuriant; overabundant 4. frolicsome; playful.
sanctimonious adj. affecting piety, pretending holiness or sanctity.
mimesis n. / mimetic adj.1. imitation of another's words or actions; 2. the representation of the real world in art, poetry, etc. / pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of imitation, esp. of the real world in art, literature, etc.
ephemera n. / ephemeral adj. 1. a person or thing of short-lived interest or use; 2. a fever lasting only one day. 2. characterized by short-lived interest or use.
elegy n. / elegiac adj. a song of lamentation, esp. for the dead; a formal poem written in elegiac meter (a classical metrical form).
eulogy n. a speech or piece of writng in praise of a person or thing, esp. of a person who has recently died.
epistle n. / epistolary adj1. a letter, esp. one of a literary, formal, or public nature; 2. any of various books in the New testament which originated as apostolic letters to Christian communities and individuals. 3. written in the form of a letter.
Friday, June 6, 2008
English II General Vocabulary Lists 5-8
expatriate / expatriate n./adj./v. 1. either an exile or a person who lives by choice in a foreign country 2. To expel a person from his/her native country; banish, exile.
insurgency n. an organized rebellion aimed at overthrowing a constituted government through the use of subversion and armed conflict.
fabricate v. 1. to make or construct, assemble pre-made pieces; 2. to make up, forge
niche n. 1. an ornamental recess in a wall or the like, usually semicircular in plan and arched, as for a statue or other decorative object. 2. a place or position suitable or appropriate for a person or thing.
pundit n. 1. a learned person, expert, or authority. 2. a person who makes comments or judgments, esp. in an authoritative manner; critic or commentator.
constituent n./ adj. 1. a person who authorizes another to act in his or her behalf, as a voter in a district represented by an elected official. 2. component. 3. serving to compose or make up a thing.
androgynous adj. being both male and female; hermaphroditic.having both masculine and feminine characteristics. having an ambiguous sexual identity.
interim n./ adj. 1. an intervening time; interval; meantime. 2. belonging to, serving during, or taking place during an intermediate interval of time; temporary.
siphon n./ v. 1. A pipe or tube fashioned or deployed in an inverted U shape and filled until atmospheric pressure is sufficient to force a liquid from a reservoir in one end of the tube over a barrier higher than the reservoir and out the other end. 2. to convey, draw, or pass through or as if through a siphon.
periphery n. 1. the external boundary of any surface or area. 2. the relatively minor, irrelevant, or superficial aspects of the subject in question.
coalesce v. 1. to blend or come together; 2. to grow together or into one body, to unite so as to form one mass, community, etc.
volatile adj. 1. evaporating rapidly; passing off readily in the form of vapor, fleeting; transient; 2. tending to fluctuate sharply and regularly; 3. able to fly or flying.
antipathy n. 1. a feeling of intense dislike; 2. the object of a feeling of intense aversion; something to be avoided.
conjecture n./v.i. 1. the formation or expression of an opinion or theory without sufficient evidence for proof; 2. to conclude or suppose from grounds or evidence insufficient to ensure reliability.
ubiquitous adj. existing or being everywhere, esp. at the same time; omnipresent.
lethargy n. 1. the quality or state of being drowsy and dull, listless and unenergetic, or indifferent and lazy; apathetic or sluggish inactivity; 2. an abnormal state or disorder characterized by overpowering drowsiness or sleep.
integrity n. 1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. 2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished.
balk v. to stop, as at an obstacle, and refuse to proceed or to do something specified.
bleak adj. 1. bare, desolate, and often windswept; 2. cold and piercing; raw 3. without hope or encouragement; depressing; dreary.
dank adj. unpleasantly moist or humid; damp and, often, chilly.
calamity n. An event that brings terrible loss, lasting distress, or severe affliction; a disaster.
curtail v. to cut short; cut off a part of; abridge; reduce; diminish.
conspiracy n. the act of conspiring; a combination of persons for a secret, unlawful, or evil purpose.
cumbersome/ encumber adj./v. difficult to handle or use especially because of size or weight.
despondent adj. feeling miserable, unhappy, gloomy; without or almost without hope.
dilapidated adj. reduced to or fallen into partial ruin or decay, as from age, wear, or neglect.
emulate v. to try to equal or excel; imitate with effort to equal or surpass.
foil n./ v. 1.To prevent from being successful; thwart. 2. to set off by contrast. 3. Anything that serves as contrast to call attention to another thing's qualities; 4. metal in the form of very thin sheets.
frugal adj. economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful.
formidable adj. causing fear, apprehension, or dread; of discouraging or awesome strength, size, difficulty; intimidating.
irony n. the indirect presentation of a contradiction between an action or expression and the context in which it occurs.
lament v. to feel or express grief, sorrow, or regret for; a formal expression of sorrow or mourning, esp. in verse or song.
mandate n. / v. an authoritative order or command; to authorize or decree, make mandatory.
muse v. /n. 1. to think or meditate in silence, as on some subject. 2. the goddess or the power regarded as inspiring a poet, artist, thinker, or the like.
paradox n. a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
prudent adj. 1. caution with regard to practical matters; discretion. 2. wise or judicious in practical affairs; careful in providing for the future.
pragmatic / pragmatism adj./ n. dealing or concerned with facts or actual occurrences; practical.
predicament n. an unpleasantly difficult, perplexing, or dangerous situation.
shrewd adj. / n. 1. Characterized by keen awareness, sharp intelligence, and often a sense of the practical. 2, Disposed to artful and cunning practices; tricky.
slander n./ v. a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report; defamation by oral utterance rather than by writing.
suffice v. to be enough or adequate for; satisfy; be sufficient.
sporadic adj. appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time; occasional.
vehement adj. marked by great zeal; ardent; impassioned.
abate v. 1. to make less, reduce in size, number, degree, amount importance, speed, or force 2. to fail or become void.
abhor v.1. to regard with repugnance; feel the horror of; detest; loathe.
aggregate v./adj./n. 1. to bring or gather together into a group; to mass 2. composed of distinct minerals separable by mechanical means 3. the entire number or sum.
amalgam 1. a mixture of different elements.
smite v. to strike or hit hard, with o as with the hand, a stick, or other weapons; To deliver or deal (a blow, hit, etc.) by striking hard.
disseminate v.t. to scatter or spread widely, as though sowing seed; promulgate extensively; broadcast; disperse.
egregious adj. extraordinary in some bad way; glaring; flagrant.
exonerate v. 1. to clear, as of an accusation; free from guilt or blame 2. to relieve, as from an obligation, duty, or task.
gentrification n. the buying and renovation of houses and stores in deteriorated urban neighborhoods by upper- or middle-income families or individuals, thus improving property values but often displacing low-income families and small businesses.
peevish adj. 1. bad-tempered or tending to complain; discontented; fretful 2. contrary, spiteful.
demographics/demography n. the statistical data of a population, esp. those showing average age, income, education, etc.; A portion of a population, especially considered as consumers.
idiosyncrasy/ idiosyncratic n./ adj. a characteristic, habit, mannerism, or the like, that is peculiar to an individual.
idiom /idiomatic n./adj. an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements, as kick the bucket or hang one's head, or from the general grammatical rules of a language, as the table round for the round table, and that is not a constituent of a larger expression of like characteristics.
eccentric/ eccentricity adj./ n. 1. deviating from the recognized or customary character, practice, etc.; irregular; erratic; peculiar; odd. 2. not having the same center; not concentric.
homogenize/ homogenous v./ adj.
to form by blending unlike elements; make uniform or similar in composition or function.
innocuous adj. 1. having no adverse effect; harmless. 2. Not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid.
kitsch/kitschy n./ adj. sentimentality or vulgar, often pretentious bad taste, especially in the arts.
proliferate / proliferation v./n. to increase or spread rapidly.
utilitarian/ utilitarianism adj. exhibiting or stressing utility over other values; practical.
laudable adj. commendable, praiseworthy.
effeminate adj. having qualities or characteristics more often associated with women than men.
emasculate v. to deprive of force or strength; destroy the vigor of; weaken.
austere adj. having a stern look; showing strict self-discipline; plain, unwelcoming.
supersede v. to replace in power, authority, or effectiveness. To set aside or cause to be set aside as void, useless, or obsolete.
pandemic n. an epidemic over a wide geographic area and affecting a large proportion of the population
transcend/ transcendent v./ adj. 1. to pass beyond the limits of 2. to be greater than as in intensity or power 3. to exist above and independent of
pedant/pedantic n./ adj. 1. one who pays undue attention to book teaching and formal rules 2. characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules
dexterous/ dexterity adj./ n. skillful in the use of the hands.
fatal adj. 1. causing or capable of causing death 2. causing ruin or destruction
fatalism/ fatalistic n./ adj. doctrine that all events are predetermined and unalterable
mortuary n. a place, esp. a funeral home, where dead bodies are kept before burial or cremation. 2. of or relating to burial practices 3. relating to or a characteristic of death.
sage/sagacious n./adj. One venerated for experience, judgement, and wisdom; a wise person.
hasten v. to urge, press; expedite, quicken, speed; precipitate, cause to accelerate.
pastoral adj./n. 1. having the simplicity, charm, serenity, or other characteristics generally attributed to rural areas. 2. a poem, play, or the like, dealing with the life of shepherds, commonly in a conventional or artificial manner, or with simple rural life generally; a bucolic.
reverberate v. 1. to respond in a succession of echoes.
cadence n. rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words.
lilt/ lilting n./adj. 1. a cheerful or lively manner of speaking in which the pitch of the voice varies pleasantly. 2. having lightness or resilience in manner of moving or walking.
insurgency n. an organized rebellion aimed at overthrowing a constituted government through the use of subversion and armed conflict.
fabricate v. 1. to make or construct, assemble pre-made pieces; 2. to make up, forge
niche n. 1. an ornamental recess in a wall or the like, usually semicircular in plan and arched, as for a statue or other decorative object. 2. a place or position suitable or appropriate for a person or thing.
pundit n. 1. a learned person, expert, or authority. 2. a person who makes comments or judgments, esp. in an authoritative manner; critic or commentator.
constituent n./ adj. 1. a person who authorizes another to act in his or her behalf, as a voter in a district represented by an elected official. 2. component. 3. serving to compose or make up a thing.
androgynous adj. being both male and female; hermaphroditic.having both masculine and feminine characteristics. having an ambiguous sexual identity.
interim n./ adj. 1. an intervening time; interval; meantime. 2. belonging to, serving during, or taking place during an intermediate interval of time; temporary.
siphon n./ v. 1. A pipe or tube fashioned or deployed in an inverted U shape and filled until atmospheric pressure is sufficient to force a liquid from a reservoir in one end of the tube over a barrier higher than the reservoir and out the other end. 2. to convey, draw, or pass through or as if through a siphon.
periphery n. 1. the external boundary of any surface or area. 2. the relatively minor, irrelevant, or superficial aspects of the subject in question.
coalesce v. 1. to blend or come together; 2. to grow together or into one body, to unite so as to form one mass, community, etc.
volatile adj. 1. evaporating rapidly; passing off readily in the form of vapor, fleeting; transient; 2. tending to fluctuate sharply and regularly; 3. able to fly or flying.
antipathy n. 1. a feeling of intense dislike; 2. the object of a feeling of intense aversion; something to be avoided.
conjecture n./v.i. 1. the formation or expression of an opinion or theory without sufficient evidence for proof; 2. to conclude or suppose from grounds or evidence insufficient to ensure reliability.
ubiquitous adj. existing or being everywhere, esp. at the same time; omnipresent.
lethargy n. 1. the quality or state of being drowsy and dull, listless and unenergetic, or indifferent and lazy; apathetic or sluggish inactivity; 2. an abnormal state or disorder characterized by overpowering drowsiness or sleep.
integrity n. 1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. 2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished.
balk v. to stop, as at an obstacle, and refuse to proceed or to do something specified.
bleak adj. 1. bare, desolate, and often windswept; 2. cold and piercing; raw 3. without hope or encouragement; depressing; dreary.
dank adj. unpleasantly moist or humid; damp and, often, chilly.
calamity n. An event that brings terrible loss, lasting distress, or severe affliction; a disaster.
curtail v. to cut short; cut off a part of; abridge; reduce; diminish.
conspiracy n. the act of conspiring; a combination of persons for a secret, unlawful, or evil purpose.
cumbersome/ encumber adj./v. difficult to handle or use especially because of size or weight.
despondent adj. feeling miserable, unhappy, gloomy; without or almost without hope.
dilapidated adj. reduced to or fallen into partial ruin or decay, as from age, wear, or neglect.
emulate v. to try to equal or excel; imitate with effort to equal or surpass.
foil n./ v. 1.To prevent from being successful; thwart. 2. to set off by contrast. 3. Anything that serves as contrast to call attention to another thing's qualities; 4. metal in the form of very thin sheets.
frugal adj. economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful.
formidable adj. causing fear, apprehension, or dread; of discouraging or awesome strength, size, difficulty; intimidating.
irony n. the indirect presentation of a contradiction between an action or expression and the context in which it occurs.
lament v. to feel or express grief, sorrow, or regret for; a formal expression of sorrow or mourning, esp. in verse or song.
mandate n. / v. an authoritative order or command; to authorize or decree, make mandatory.
muse v. /n. 1. to think or meditate in silence, as on some subject. 2. the goddess or the power regarded as inspiring a poet, artist, thinker, or the like.
paradox n. a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
prudent adj. 1. caution with regard to practical matters; discretion. 2. wise or judicious in practical affairs; careful in providing for the future.
pragmatic / pragmatism adj./ n. dealing or concerned with facts or actual occurrences; practical.
predicament n. an unpleasantly difficult, perplexing, or dangerous situation.
shrewd adj. / n. 1. Characterized by keen awareness, sharp intelligence, and often a sense of the practical. 2, Disposed to artful and cunning practices; tricky.
slander n./ v. a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report; defamation by oral utterance rather than by writing.
suffice v. to be enough or adequate for; satisfy; be sufficient.
sporadic adj. appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time; occasional.
vehement adj. marked by great zeal; ardent; impassioned.
abate v. 1. to make less, reduce in size, number, degree, amount importance, speed, or force 2. to fail or become void.
abhor v.1. to regard with repugnance; feel the horror of; detest; loathe.
aggregate v./adj./n. 1. to bring or gather together into a group; to mass 2. composed of distinct minerals separable by mechanical means 3. the entire number or sum.
amalgam 1. a mixture of different elements.
smite v. to strike or hit hard, with o as with the hand, a stick, or other weapons; To deliver or deal (a blow, hit, etc.) by striking hard.
disseminate v.t. to scatter or spread widely, as though sowing seed; promulgate extensively; broadcast; disperse.
egregious adj. extraordinary in some bad way; glaring; flagrant.
exonerate v. 1. to clear, as of an accusation; free from guilt or blame 2. to relieve, as from an obligation, duty, or task.
gentrification n. the buying and renovation of houses and stores in deteriorated urban neighborhoods by upper- or middle-income families or individuals, thus improving property values but often displacing low-income families and small businesses.
peevish adj. 1. bad-tempered or tending to complain; discontented; fretful 2. contrary, spiteful.
demographics/demography n. the statistical data of a population, esp. those showing average age, income, education, etc.; A portion of a population, especially considered as consumers.
idiosyncrasy/ idiosyncratic n./ adj. a characteristic, habit, mannerism, or the like, that is peculiar to an individual.
idiom /idiomatic n./adj. an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements, as kick the bucket or hang one's head, or from the general grammatical rules of a language, as the table round for the round table, and that is not a constituent of a larger expression of like characteristics.
eccentric/ eccentricity adj./ n. 1. deviating from the recognized or customary character, practice, etc.; irregular; erratic; peculiar; odd. 2. not having the same center; not concentric.
homogenize/ homogenous v./ adj.
to form by blending unlike elements; make uniform or similar in composition or function.
innocuous adj. 1. having no adverse effect; harmless. 2. Not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid.
kitsch/kitschy n./ adj. sentimentality or vulgar, often pretentious bad taste, especially in the arts.
proliferate / proliferation v./n. to increase or spread rapidly.
utilitarian/ utilitarianism adj. exhibiting or stressing utility over other values; practical.
laudable adj. commendable, praiseworthy.
effeminate adj. having qualities or characteristics more often associated with women than men.
emasculate v. to deprive of force or strength; destroy the vigor of; weaken.
austere adj. having a stern look; showing strict self-discipline; plain, unwelcoming.
supersede v. to replace in power, authority, or effectiveness. To set aside or cause to be set aside as void, useless, or obsolete.
pandemic n. an epidemic over a wide geographic area and affecting a large proportion of the population
transcend/ transcendent v./ adj. 1. to pass beyond the limits of 2. to be greater than as in intensity or power 3. to exist above and independent of
pedant/pedantic n./ adj. 1. one who pays undue attention to book teaching and formal rules 2. characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules
dexterous/ dexterity adj./ n. skillful in the use of the hands.
fatal adj. 1. causing or capable of causing death 2. causing ruin or destruction
fatalism/ fatalistic n./ adj. doctrine that all events are predetermined and unalterable
mortuary n. a place, esp. a funeral home, where dead bodies are kept before burial or cremation. 2. of or relating to burial practices 3. relating to or a characteristic of death.
sage/sagacious n./adj. One venerated for experience, judgement, and wisdom; a wise person.
hasten v. to urge, press; expedite, quicken, speed; precipitate, cause to accelerate.
pastoral adj./n. 1. having the simplicity, charm, serenity, or other characteristics generally attributed to rural areas. 2. a poem, play, or the like, dealing with the life of shepherds, commonly in a conventional or artificial manner, or with simple rural life generally; a bucolic.
reverberate v. 1. to respond in a succession of echoes.
cadence n. rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words.
lilt/ lilting n./adj. 1. a cheerful or lively manner of speaking in which the pitch of the voice varies pleasantly. 2. having lightness or resilience in manner of moving or walking.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)