Vocab Lesson 4

Acerbic

Bitter or sharp in tone, taste, or manner

Aesthetics

The study of beauty

Ambivalence

Uncertainty, conflicting feelings, ideas or attitudes toward a single item

Apothecary

A pharmacy or pharmacist

Capricious

Given to making sudden changes; unpredictable

Cavalier

Showing arrogance or disregard; nonchalance

Churlish

Surly, sullen, or grouchy; insulting and ill-mannered

Circumlocution

Indirect expression; an indirect or circular manner of expression; a deliberate attempt to avoid a direct answer

Conciliatory

Peaceful; wishing to reconcile; antonym of bellicose

Condescending

Snobby; considering oneself superior to others; arrogant

Contemplative

Given to thought and concentration; meditative; thoughtful

Detachment

Aloofness and indifference; a lack of bias, prejudice, or involvement

Effusive

Unrestrained in expressing feelings; enthusiastic

Evocation

A stimulation of memories or other feelings; a re-creation of feelings

Feign

To pretend

Importunate

Demanding and persistently requesting something, perhaps to the point of being thought rude; forceful and insistent and exhibiting bad timing

Inexorable

Impossible to stop; adamant; pitiless

Inimitable

Unique; impossible to imitate

Pedantic

Too involved with rules and procedures to be interesting; overly concerned with routine

Poignant

Causing sadness or pity; sharply painful; strong smelling or tasting

Prohibitions

The forbidding of something; a law or other order that places something off limits

Self-deprecating

Tending to belittle or put oneself down

Subservient

Secondary in position; too eager to obey

Unabashed

Unashamedly; not ashamed or embarassed

Narcissistic

Having to do with extreme self-adoration and a feeling of superiority to everyone else

Ostentatious

Having to do with showing off; pretentious

Presumptuous

Too forward or bold; overstepping proper bounds

Derivative

Unoriginal; taken from something already existing

Alleviate

To lesson or relieve; to make better

Mediate

To act as a go-between in settling conflicts or disputes

Pacify

To calm or appease

Quell

To subdue; to quiet down

Conventional

Based on accepted practice; traditional; customary; normal; ordinary; orthodox

Undermine

To hurt, weaken, or destroy, often in an underhanded or sneaky way

Dismissive

Rejecting another's thoughts or ideas, usually as not worthy of consideration; condescending

Aesthetic

Relating to what is beautiful; pleasing; beautiful

Objective

Based on facts rather than personal feelings; unbiased; not personal; antonym of subjective; true

Speculative

Taking a chance; risky; uncertain; cannot be confirmed

Accessible

Being able to enter or approach a place; friendly; approachable; genial; gregarious

Decorum

Proper, correct behavior or etiqutte; good manners; refinement

Impulsive

Tending to act on impulse and without thought; rash; impetuous, unrestrained; capricious

Suppres

To stop something from rising or coming out by holding it down; to repress

Complacent

Overly pleased with an accomplishment; overconfident; self-satisfied; so unwary as to be foolish

Reverent

Deeply honoring or respectful without joking around; venerating

Disparage

To insult or put down; to offend

Relevant

Relating to the subject at hand; important or significant; pertinent

Prudent

Careful; cautious, especially about money; having good judgment; circumspect; wary

Inevitable

Certain to happen; unavoidable

Innocuous

Harmless; not dangerous at all; not likely to provoke a strong reaction

Pragmatic

Getting things done in an effective way; practical; emphasizing the practical; expedient