Vocabulary # 1

adumbrate - verb give to understand; describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of

*I had to adumbrate what the professor had said so everyone could understand what he was saying.
apotheosis - noun the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god); model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal

*Apotheosis was able to rise a humble man to the statues of king.
ascetic - adj. practicing great self-denial; pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous self-discipline; noun someone who practices self-denial as a spiritual discipline

* An ascetic person is someone who has trouble accepting themselves.

bauble - noun a mock scepter carried by a court jester; cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing

*Bauble jewelry brakes really easily and isn't worth the $3 you spent.
beguile - verb attract; cause to be enamored; influence by slyness

*Players are known to beguile woman very easily.
burgeon - verb grows and flourishes

* The flowers in my front yard were able to burgeon and heighten the beauty of the yard.
complement - noun something added to complete or make perfect; either of two parts that mutually complete each other; a word or phrase used to complete a grammatical construction; number needed to make up a whole force; a complete number or quantity; one of a series of enzymes in the blood serum that are part of the immune response; verb make complete or perfect; supply what is wanting or form the complement to

* The new curtain was able to complement the living room perfectly.
contumacious - adj. willfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient

* My contumacious nephew always ignores what he’s being told and is unyielding when it comes to putting down the video games.
curmudgeon - noun a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas

* The curmudgeon was unyielding when it came to letting go of his traditional views.
didactic - adj. instructive (especially excessively)

* The didactic preacher didn't let anyone leave until they could say the complete verse by heart.
disingenuous - adj. not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness

*The disingenuous stalker did everything he could to prevent being recognized.
exculpate - verb pronounce not guilty of criminal charges

* The innocent victim exculpated until he was finally free of his charges.
faux pas – noun, an embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation

*A faux pas is one of the most embarrassing things that can happen to you because you have just become the idiot of the room.
fulminate - noun a salt or ester of fulminic acid; verb cause to explode violently and with loud noise; come on suddenly and intensely; criticize severely

* After being treated so harshly I finally fulminated that to this day nobody can look me in the eyes without getting a shiver.
fustian - noun a strong cotton and linen fabric with a slight nap; pompous or pretentious talk or writing

*A fustian can lead to nothing more than an argument and a massive headache, because nobody truly understands.
hauteur - noun overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors

* A hauteur man named Mr. Darcy was the most disliked man in the town.
inhibit - verb limit the range or extent of; to put down by force or authority

* My mom inhibits me from driving.
jeremiad - noun a long and mournful complaint

* After a school shooting a jeremiad was written to the school district.
opportunist - adj. taking immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit; noun a person who places expediency above principle

* The opportunist girl sieved every chance she had at getting a scholarship.
unconscionable - adj. greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation; lacking a conscience

* Mass murderers are unconscionable of the pain they afflict on others.