Sara's Words List 1

An abstemious person does not eat or drink alcohol too much, he tries to only eat/drink the minimum. Can also mean very plain or restricted, such as an abstemious diet. The meaning of abstemious can be broadened to meaning staying away from all indulgent habits.

hard to understand because something is so deep and intellectually challenging. difficult. Although my teacher was a genius, I did not enjoy his class; his lectures were abstruse and I could not understand much of what he said. Although my mom is smart, she had no education and what not be able to understand this abstruse concept.

an acolyte is an assistant in a religious ceremony or context. It has been expanded to also mean a follower, fan, or assistant in other contexts. The acolytes of the famous rabbi worshipped him and would do whatever he asked. Lady Gaga's acolytes followed her from city to city to attend all her concerts.

sleeping with someone while married to someone else, cheating in marriage. The woman committed adultery and her husband demanded an immediate divorce.

an advocate is a person who recommends or supports something. The word can also be used as a verb,meaning recommends, supports, or is in favor of. It is then pronounced differently. He advocates spending more money to improve the schools. I am an advocate of breastfeeding and natural childbirth. the root voc is in the word which means speak, advocates speak in favor of something.

hint, or indirect reference. The verb is allude.
Any allusion to his recent divorce will offend him, so don't mention it in any way.
Her mom did not directly tell Julie she was disappointed by her SAT score, but she kept alluding to it, dropping hints here and there, which infuriated Julie. Do not confuse allusion with illusion (like optical illusion).

unselfishness, caring for others. based on the word "alter" meaing other. Putting concern for others above all else.
adjective is altruistic. He is an altruistic individual, fit for serving in the priesthood and serving others.

improve. I am hoping the care packages sent to the earthquake victims will ameliorate their living conditions. I am hoping the medicine will ameliorate my symptoms.

an anecdote is a short interesting story. Many anecdotes are told about Abraham Lincoln. anecdotal means containing or having to do with anecdotes. If I say I have anecdotal evidence that vaccines cause autism it means I have stories from people saying their child got a vaccine and became autistic. It would just be based on stories, not on an actual scientific study.

hatred,very strong negative feelings toward someone. The animosity between the brothers was so great that no one expected them to ever put their differences aside and have a good family relationship. Hatred. Gossips soon earn the animosity of their neighbors.

Climax means the highest point or most exciting, interesting point. The anticlimax is the disappointment that comes after that high point, the let down. anti means against, so it contrasts with the high of climax. Beethoven's last completed piece, though, was something of an anticlimax. Getting my acceptance letter to Harvard was exciting; the anticlimax was the tuition bill, with no financial aid.

anti is against like anti-social, pathos is feeling (like in the words sympathy and empathy), so antipathy is a definite feeling against someone. a strong dislike or disgust. She felt an antipathy to snakes and refused to even look at them in the zoo.

antithesis is the noun meaning direct opposite (anti means against). hate is the antithesis of love, forgiveness is the antithesis of revenge. antithetical is an adjective meaning contrasting or opposite. There was no way to reconcile our antithetical ideas; I knew we would nerver reach a compromise. He is evil and should be excommunicated; what he is recommending is antithetical to the values of the Bible.

Apocrypha originally referred to the religious books that were not included as part of the holy books (Tanach) because it could not be certain whether the books were the word of God. The definition of the word expanded to mean fake, of doubtful genuineness. There is an anecdote about a rabbi who flew on a magical carpet, I am sure this story is apocryphal although many actually believe it.

Apoplexy is caused by injury to the brain, like a stroke. It means a sudden loss of the ability to move, think or feel.
the adjective apoplectic is used figuratively to describe someone so mad he is ready to burst. apoplectic has the word pop in it, as it literally means a blood vessel bursting in your head.

operating machinery with electronic or mechanical controls. When it comes to true automation in the house, all we really have after garage doors are dishwashers and washing machines. Home automation refers to things like lights turning on and off by themselves, or window shades raising and lowering on their own.

misrepresent, prove to be mistaken, betray. lying by hiding the truth.
Her frown belied her usual good nature.

His fancy car and designer clothing belied his financial predicament;no one knew he was on the verge of bankruptcy.

prejudiced. An empire should never be biased in favor of one team. The principal was biased, of course, and took the teacher's side instead of the student's.

A buoy is a floating object placed in the water to help keep people safe.figurative: cheerful and hopeful.
We were stuck in that hurricane shelter for 5 days, yet my mother maintained her buoyant attitude and tried to cheer everyone up.

the noun is caprice- sudden change of mood. likely to change suddenly without reason.
We did not know how to dress due to the capricious weather. The capricious child could not be satisfied,every minute wanting something else. whimsical.

to criticize harshly, castigate means punish but with words. I hated my 2nd grade teacher; she castigated me in front of the whole class for not knowing how to read a word.
Romney castigated Obama for not meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

fast moving, speed.The maid cleared the dining room with such celerity that everyone was impressed. Celerity has a positive connotation, it means fast but in a good way usually. Think of accelerate to remember this word or imagine two stalks of celery with heads running like mad.

figurative: using your mind, thinking as opposed to emotion. Chess is cerebral game; his physical strength gave him no advantage here. The female scientist could not get a date; men are looking for sexy, not cerebral, women.

Channel has many meanings. literally it is a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies, or it can be a conduit or passageway for things. It can also be a verb, as in to channel your energy or efforts, meaning to focus or direct your attentions to.

describe, Camels are characterized by the humps on their back. Giraffes are characterized by their long necks. When you characterize a person you are really just describing or giving info about their character, but the word is expanded so it can be used for things other than people.

pronounced Kasm not ch. a crack in the earth,like from an earthquake. used figuratively to mean a rift or wide difference in feeling between two people or groups. The chasm in life expectancy between blacks and whites, though historically a large one, has steadily decreased over the last two decades.

the ch is pronounced SH. trickery or deception using language If you stole someone's candy that is not really chicanery, but if you convinced someone to give you all his candy by promising him a million dollars which you had no intention of giving him, that is chicanery. Do you think the government should protect consumers from the chicanery of those selling pills that claim to make you look younger?

to honor the memory of. Remember and celebrate someone or something, has a positive connotation. notice the word memory in commemorate. Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus. You would not commemorate the Holocaust, although we might designate a day of remembrance for it.

praise, I commended my students for studying for the SAT. I commended my daughter for being so helpful around the house. rare secondary meaning is to give someone over to the care of another: I commended my dog to the neighbor for safekeeping while on vacation.

His act of returning the money he found was commendable and everyone respected him. if something is commendable it is good and deserves praise and respect.

a course in comparative literature will compare two or more types of literature. a course in comparative biology will compare the biology of two or more animals.

a compilation is a collection, think of pile that you throw things together in. to compile means to collect and bring together in one list or account. Mother compiled a list of the groceries we needed. A compilation can be the list, book, or table that has been compiled or the act of compiling. His book was a success; it was a compilation of interesting anecdotes about his life.

from the word accomplice, an accomplice is partner in crime or wrongdoing. partnership in wrongdoing.Earlier this month Mubarak was given a life sentence for complicity in the murder of unarmed protesters. His complicity in the matter was undisputed; he told the kidnappers who in the neighborhood was rich. As a kid I stole from the teacher's closet, my best friend Estelle was my accomplice, helping to unlock the door and serving as my lookout.

a flirtation.

intimidating, frightening.
I now had to begin the daunting task of uncluttering the entire house.

disaster

deceiving,lying or cheating. dishonesty. I do not trust Obama and I believe he is full of deceit.
Many trust the rabbis believing they are incapable of deceit, but I have seen rabbis cheat and lie.

condemn, denounce. I decry all forms of dishonesty, no matter how insignificant.(literally to cry out against something)

stoop, to condescend to give. I will not deign to discuss the matter with such stupid and biased individuals.

has a negative connotation.

demonstrative has several meanings and is the adjective of the verb demonstrate. it can mean showing emotions, explanatory or giving proof.
My demonstrative friend gave her mother-in-law a big hug and kiss.

regrettable, lamentable or miserable. I am sick of living in that deplorable basement.

discourage or hinder. dissuade.
Although the guidance counselor at Brooklyn College told me I would not get in to Yale Law School, I was not deterred and applied anyway. I tried to deter him from marrying that awful woman but he was in love and could not realize it was mistake.

Everyone in the neighborhood was happy when the old dilapidated building was finally torn down.Partly ruined or decayed through neglect.

from the same root as miniature and minute.

funeral song. John Mclain's famous song Bye Bye miss american pie " we sang dirges in the dark the day the music died". referring to the death of Buddy Holly.

very careful in speech and action, wisely cautious. do not confuse with the word discrete which means separate or distinct. If you are sleeping with your professor, you should be discreet about it so that no one finds out.

discouraged. it literally means losing heart. After arriving in England he was disheartened to learn his last living relative had just died.

A witness disproved the defendant's statements. Her theory was disproved by further research. The opposite of prove.

suffering. Lately distressed hardwood floors are in style, they are gouged and beaten to look old and worn.

doubtful, uncertain.

peculiar, odd, off center literally or figuratively. The eccentric old gentleman had many idiosyncrasies which we could not understand.

thrifty.The suave brand has gained a reputation as the economical choice, providing a good product at a discounted price.

While you many not mind someone who is demonstrative and shows emotion, you might mind an effusive or overflowing show of emotion. showing too much feeling.

jubilation. Instead of the elation I had anticipated, I felt relief when I gave birth to my daughter: relief that the pain and ordeal of giving birth was over.

engagement has various meanings besides the common one of a promise to marry. it can mean a promise or agreement.

puzzling, mysterious. The enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa. An enigma is a riddle or something that puzzles you.

I wonder if the cost of July 4th fireworks is worth it; fireworks are fun to watch but so ephemeral.

epitome can mean summary, or it can mean embodiment. She is the epitome of fashion elegance.

The tense situation was exacerbated by the boss's screaming.

hard to please,demanding.

denounce violently.In a sarcastic speech Romney excoriated Obama for his reckless spending.

gall literally means a bitter liquid secreted by the liver that is stored in the gall bladder. figuratively gall means anything very bitter or harsh, hate.

2nd meaning: gall is also a verb that means literally to make sore by rubbing or figuratively to irritate as if someone rubs you the wrong way. galling means irritating or annoying.

literally means a person who smashes religious paintings or images (icon), used figuratively today to mean a person who will attack or criticize religious or cherished beliefs or customs. You might call me an iconoclast because I do not believe in vaccination;I tell everyone not to believe the propaganda and how dangerous vaccines really are.

a personal peculiarity. My husband talks to himself in the shower: I used to think he might be crazy but now I just think it is one of his idiosyncrasies.

unique to an individual. having to do with an idiosyncrasy.
Ocean Grove is a quaint and unusual town with its idiosyncratic residences which resemble doll houses.

public shame and disgrace, dishonor. the word "nomen" is in the word as it means losing your good name. Just remember Sandusky : He brought ignominy to Penn State & Joe Paterno through his scandal of molesting young boys.

to make worse, harm, weaken, damage. Her health was impaired by the illness. Think of impair as the opposite of repair, instead of fixing and making better, it makes it worse. His judgement was impaired by the alcohol he consumed. Visibility was impaired by the storm.

full of strong feeling or passion. Netanyahu made an impassioned plea for the US to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

not letting something through, especially liquids. I bought my daughter an impermeable raincoat so she would not get wet in the frequent showers.

never getting tired. My friend was indefatigable and wanted to keep shopping all day, even though I was exhausted. the word fatigue is in there with in=not.

Lake Placid is probably a very calm lake and is probably how it got its name.

you can shape plastic into many things, in spanish plastilina is play-do, plastic surgery physically shapes a person into a more beautiful form.

demonstrating great variety and diversity

projection of figures or forms from a flat background