VOCABULARY #1

adumbrate: (verb) To outline; give a faint indication of. To foreshadow. To overshadow.
- The climax was adumbrated at the beginning of the novel.

apotheosis: (noun) The elevation or exaltation of a person to the rank of a god. The ideal example.
- Their leader was the apotheosis of bravery.

ascetic: (noun) A person who dedicates his or her life to a pursuit of contemplative ideals and practices extreme self-denial or self-mortification for religious reasons. One who leads an austerely simple life.
- The Reverend lived an ascetic life. 

bauble: (noun) A showy, usually cheap, ornament; trinket.
- Large, colorful baubles covered the entire Christmas tree.

beguile: (verb) To influence by trickery, flattery. To mislead, deceive.
- The politician beguiled the audience with his use of clever words. 

burgeon: (verb) To grow or develop quickly; flourish. To begin to grow.
- The young boy burgeoned into a much better writer.

complement: (noun) Something that completes or makes perfect.
- Her accessories complemented her outfit.

contumacious: (adjective) Stubbornly perverse or rebellious; willfully and obstinately disobedient.
- The group of boys displayed contumacious behavior.

curmudgeon: (noun) A bad-tempered, difficult person.
- Mary played a bitter, curmudgeon in the school play.

didactic: (adjective) Intended for instruction; instructive. Teaching or intending to teach a moral lesson.
- His work was contrived and didactic.

disingenuous: (adjective) Lacking in frankness, candor, sincerity; falsely or hypocritically ingenuous; insincere.
- The child's excuse was disingenuous.

exculpate: (verb) To clear from a charge of guilt or fault; free from blame.
- The defendant had been exculpated during the court hearing.

faux pas: (noun) A slip or blunder in etiquette, manners, or conduct; an embarrassing social blunder or indiscretion.
- I committed a terrible faux pas at my friend's going away party.

fulminate: (verb) To explode with a loud noise; detonate.
- The thunder was fulminating during the terrible storm.

fustian: (noun) A stout fabric of cotton and flax. Inflated or turgid language in writing and speaking.
- Fustian was unable to disguise the authors incomplete plot.

hauteur: (noun) Haughty manner or spirit; arrogance.
- The woman behaved in such a hauteur manner.

inhibit: (verb) To restrain, hinder, arrest, or check. To prohibit; forbid.
- I must inhibit myself from eating too much junk food.

jeremiad: (noun) A prolonged lamentation or mournful complaint.
- The book was a jeremiad of environmental threats throughout the country.

opportunist: (noun) A person who practices opportunism, or the policy of adapting actions, decisions.
- The man was an extreme opportunist of inspiration.

unconscionable: (adjective) Not guided by conscience. Not in accordance with what is just or reasonable.
- Using unconscionable tactics to get ahead was a challenge for Bob.