Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Vocabulary #7

cursory - hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed
A cursory glance at the questions caused the student to fail the test.

impetus - the force that makes something happen or happen more quickly
The assembly line is the impetus that helps cars get built.

pinnacle - the most successful point; the culmination
Just being promoted to manager, John was at the pinnacle of his career.

contumely - insolent or insulting language or treatment
The parents heaped contumely on their child for failing a test.

bereavement - the state of being sad because a family member or friend has recently died
My cousin died not to long ago and our whole family was in a constant state of bereavement.

cache - a collection of items of the same type stored in a hidden or inaccessible place
The computers cache held plenty of data.

consummation - the point at which something is complete or finalized
The consummation of a marriage is when the bride and groom kiss.

calamity - an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster
The fire was the latest calamity to strike the area.

avarice - extreme greed for wealth or material gain
Walter White was motivated by pride and avarice to continue cooking methamphetamine.

fortify - strengthen (a place) with a defensive works so as to protect against attack
The fortress was fortified and was virtually invincible to ground attacks.

erratic - not even or regular in pattern or movement; unpredictable
Her breathing was erratic and caused the teacher to worry about her well being.

ubiquitous - present, appearing, or found everywhere
John's ubiquitous influence was felt by the whole church group.

fortitude - courage in pain or adversity
The wounded soldier endured the rest of combat with great and honorable fortitude.

nonchalant - feeling or appearing casually calm and relaxed; not displaying anxiety, interest, or enthusiasm
The cat nonchalantly walked over to the freshly poured cat food trying to not look eager.

affect - have an effect on; make a difference to
The government shutting down will affect Americans in a number of ways.

effect - a change that is a result or consequence of an action or other cause
The lethal effects of hard drugs are life threatening.

misappropriate - dishonestly or unfairly take for one's own use
Misappropriate assets and commit fraud, some people are able to excuse their actions, thereby relieving any sense of guilt.

pragmatic - dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations
Hopefully the next president of the United States will take a pragmatic approach.

metacognition - awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes
The study of metacognition would be very interesting to learn about in that you can dive into someone's thoughts and way of thinking.

devoutly - in a devout and pious manner
Sarah was a devout catholic and confessed her sins every week.

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