Vocabulary #5

adroit - clever or skillful using the hands or mind
The mechanic was adroit and it made him good at his job.

amicable - having a spirit of friendliness; without serious disagreement or rancor
The two parents were in an amicable divorce for the sake of the child.

averse - having strong dislike of or opposition to something
The former CIA operative was not averse to secrets because that was part of his job.

belligerent - hostile or aggressive
The father was a belligerent drunk causing many problems in the family.

benevolent - well meaning and kindly
When he walked into the meeting, everyone had on a benevolent smile which made him calm down.

cursory - hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed
The victim only got a cursory glance at the robber so she could not identify him.

duplicity - deceitfulness; double-dealing
She described it as a scandal of financial duplicity and secrecy.

extol - praise enthusiastically
The sailors extolled at the sight of land.

feasible - possible to do easily or conveniently
The homework was a feasible task so she pushed it off until last minute.

grimace - an ugly, twisted expression on a person's face, typically expressing disgust, pain, or wry amusement
When the rookie cop found the dead body, he had a grimace look on his face that showed how new he was.

holocaust - destruction or slaughter on a mass scale, esp. caused by fire or nuclear war
Hitler's holocaust of the Jews during WWII was one of the worst in history.

impervious - not allowing fluid to pass through
The roofing on houses is supposed to be  impervious to rain.

impetus - the force of energy with which a body moves
The great employees of this company are the impetus behind the companies success.

jeopardy - danger of loss, harm, or failure
The police officer was in jeopardy of his life during the firefight.

meticulous - showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise
The investigator was very meticulous about his work.

nostalgia - a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period of place with happy or personal associations
The nostalgia that came over me after viewing a TV show I saw when I was a child was so immense that I almost felt like I was a child again.

quintessence - the most perfect or typical example of quality or class
The Catcher in the Rye is the quintessential American novel.

retrogress - go back to an earlier state, typically a worse one
The girl sadly retrogressed to the start of her rehabilitation.

scrutinize - examine or inspect closely and thoroughly
The customers were warned to scrutinize the fine print of the contract.

tepid - showing little enthusiasm
The crowd's applause after the show was tepid.