VOCABULARY #8

abase: (verb) to reduce or lower, as in rank, office, reputation, or estimation; humble; degrade.
- Many individuals abased themselves before the King.

abdicate: (verb) to renounce, or relinquish a throne, right, power, claim, or responsibility.
- Kings tend to abdicate throughout their leadership.

abomination: (noun) anything that is greatly disliked; something or someone that is hated.
- The girl was seen as an abomination due to her snobby attitude. 

brusque: (adjective) abrupt in manner; blunt; rough. 
- The waitress seemed brusque and did everything in her power to avoid small talk.

saboteur: (noun) a person who commits or practices sabotage. 
- They accused me of being a saboteur and began to beat me.

debauchery: (noun) excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures.
- Because he no longer loves his wife, the man turns to debauchery. 

proliferate: (verb) to increase in number or spread rapidly.
- The usage of the internet has proliferated over the past couple of years.

anachronism: (noun) something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time.
- Anachronism from the past era has slowly transported to 2013.

nomenclature: (noun) a set or system of names or terms, as those used in a particular science or art, by an individual or community.
- The choice of nomenclature was difficult to comprehend.

expurgate: (verb) to amend by removing words, passages.
- Writers often expurgate their work before publishing.

bellicose: (adjective) inclined or eager to fight.
- The boy's bellicose manner was not liked among his peers.

gauche: (adjective) lacking social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness; awkward.
- I tend to feel gauche when I'm around individuals I'm not comfortable with.

rapacious: (adjective) greedy.
- The rapacious owner refuses to pay his employs overtime.

paradox: (noun) a self-contradicting statement that may be true.
- A paradox is a truth that may seem false.

conundrum: (noun) situation where there is no clear answer or solution; anything that puzzles.
- Ophelia found herself in a conundrum.

anomaly: (noun) someone or something that is abnormal.
- Bob not showing up to school was an anomaly.

ephemeral: (adjective) lasting a very short time; short lived.
- Never spend your money on ephemeral items.

rancorous: (noun) bitter hate; deep spite.
- The audience became rancorous after the man's speech.

churlish: (adjective) rude; difficult to deal with.
- The girl had a churlish personality; no one wanted to be her friend.

precipitous: (adjective) extremely steep.
- The trail in which we hiked had many precipitous mountains.