Adjfirm in purpose or opinion unyielding obdurate Synonym inflexible The government was adamant in its refusal to negotiate with terrorists brouhaha na confused hodgepodge of sounds hubbub an uproar of commotion that goes far beyond what is justified ID: 679977
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Slide1
Vocabulary Unit #15Slide2
adamant
Adj.—firm in purpose or opinion, unyielding, obdurate
Synonym: inflexible
The government was
adamant
in its refusal to negotiate with terrorists.Slide3
brouhaha
n.—a confused hodgepodge of sounds, hubbub; an uproar of commotion that goes far beyond what is justified
Synonym: pandemonium
After the
brouhaha
had finally subsided, we asked the group to give us a written list of all their complaints.Slide4
bulwark
n.—a strong defense or protection, a solid wall-like structure for defense
Synonym: rampart
The only evidence of a once thriving civilization is this
bulwark
against the ocean tides.Slide5
choleric
Adj.—easily made angry, bad-tempered
Synonym: testy
His
choleric
temperament and erratic behavior made him an ineffective ruler.Slide6
cloy
v.—to spoil or destroy an appetite by too much indulgence, especially in sweet or rich things; surfeit
Synonym: whet
A steady diet of TV began to
cloy
, and I was glad to begin a book.Slide7
curtail
v.—to cut short, bring to a halt, or end sooner than expected; to reduce
Synonym: limit; abbreviate
It is time yet again to
curtail
the flow of unsolicited nonsense that somehow reaches me as e-mail.Slide8
deference
n.—courteous yielding to the wishes and ideas of another person; great respect marked by submission, as to a superior
Synonym: respect, consideration
Some moderate
deference
is due the boss, but too much can seem to conceal other motives.Slide9
definitive
Adj.—conclusive, final, the limit of what can be done
Synonym: authoritative
She is working on what she hopes will be the
definitive
biography of Emily Dickinson.Slide10
demeanor
n.—the way a person behaves, overall impression made by manner; facial appearance
Synonym: conduct, behavior
Charles Dickens’s Mr. Pickwick has such a cheerful and sympathetic
demeanor
that few can resist him.Slide11
enigmatic
Adj.—puzzling, perplexing, inexplicable, not easily understood
Synonym: baffling, mysterious
He was staring me straight in the eye, neither pleased nor displeased, his expression
enigmatic
.Slide12
impromptu
Adj.—without preparation, offhand
Adv.—suddenly or hastily done
Synonym: spontaneous, improvised
His
impromptu
speech allowed him to express not only what he was thinking but also what he was feeling.Slide13
mawkish
Adj.—excessively and objectionably sentimental; having a mildly sickening flavor
Synonym: mushy, nauseating
Jimmy Stewart’s portrayal of his character in
It’s a Wonderful Life
was poignant without being
mawkish
.Slide14
mollify
v.—to soften; to calm, allay (as an emotion); reduce in intensity
Synonym: pacify, placate
The senator hoped to
mollify
her angry public, but nothing she said was likely to get her reelected.Slide15
onus
n.—something that is heavy or burdensome (especially an unwelcome responsibility); a stigma; blame
Synonym: obligation, duty
If the
onus
for a defective product is placed on the consumer, some complicated legal and ethical questions are sure to arise.Slide16
presentiment
n.—a vague sense of approaching misfortune
Synonym: foreboding, premonition, hunch
Ironically, by denying their
presentiments
, they made their worst fears come true.Slide17
profligate
Adj.—given over to dissipation and self-indulgence, immoral; recklessly
extravagant
n.—a person given to wild spending
Synonym: spendthrift
She was a
profligate
, and no matter how much money she earned, she always spent more than she had.Slide18
remit
v.—to send or hand in (as money); to cancel (as a penalty or punishment), forgive; to lessen, diminish, defer
Synonym: pardon
They would
remit
a certain sum each year to a local charity.Slide19
requisite
Adj.—needed, necessary, regarded as essential or indispensable
Synonym: required, obligatory
If you have the
requisite
coordination and an ear for music, I’ll pay for your first year of dance instruction.Slide20
sartorial
Adj.—of or pertaining to a tailor or his work; having to do with clothes or dress (especially men’s)
Paging through historical picture books is a fascinating study in
sartorial
standards through the centuries.Slide21
thwart
v.—to oppose successfully; to prevent; frustrate
Synonym: baffle, foil
Our dog’s friendliness would
thwart
the sternest efforts of the most expensive guard-dog trainer.