Vocabulary 3

Apostate-a person who forsakes his religion, cause, party, etc.

Every apostate is a sinner.

 Effusive- unduly demonstrative; lacking reserve

 Effusive greetings; an effusive person.

 Impasse- a position or situation from which there is no escape; deadlock.

We have come to an impasse in our argument

 Euphoria- a state of intense happiness and self-confidence

She was flooded with euphoria as she went to the podium to receive her Student Research Award.

 Lugubrious- mournful, dismal, or gloomy                              

Lugubrious songs of lost love.

 Bravado- a pretentious, swaggering display of courage.

The freak had a lot of pompous bravado.

 Consensus- general agreement or concord; harmony.

The consensus of the group was that they should meet twice a month.

 Dichotomy- division into two mutually exclusive, opposed, or contradictory groups

A dichotomy between thought and action.

 Constrict- to slow or stop the natural course or development of

Greed and aggressiveness constricted the nation's cultural life.

 Gothic- noting or pertaining to a style of architecture, originating in France in the middle of the 12th century and existing in the western half of Europe through the middle of the 16th century, characterized by the use of the pointed arch and the ribbed vault, by the use of fine woodwork and stonework, by a progressive lightening of structure, and by the use of such features as flying buttresses, ornamental gables, crockets, and foils.

She fell in love with the gothic style churched, when we visited Europe.

 Punctilio- a fine point, particular, or detail, as of conduct, ceremony, or procedure.

I made it a punctilio to explain the thesis of my essay.

 Metamorphosis- any complete change in appearance, character, circumstances, etc.

The caterpillar went through a metamorphosis to become a butterfly.

 Raconteur- a person who is skilled in relating stories and anecdotes interestingly.

Daniel Rucker can be referred to as a Raconteur.

 sine qua non- an indispensable condition, element, or factor; something essential

Her presence was the sine qua non of every social event.

 Quixotic- extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable.

He was sweet but to the point of Quixotic ness.

 Vendetta- a private feud in which the members of the family of a murdered person seek to avenge the murder by killing the slayer or one of the slayer's relatives.

The Capulet’s had a vendetta against the Montague’s after the death of Tibult.

 non sequitur- An inference or a conclusion that does not follow from the premises.

 Mystique- a framework of doctrines, ideas, beliefs, or the like, constructed around a person or object, endowing the person or object with enhanced value or profound meaning.

The mystique of Poe.

 Quagmire- an area of miry or boggy ground whose surface yields under the tread; a bog.

A quagmire of financial indebtedness.

 Parlous- perilous; dangerous.

We embarked on a parlous journey.