Vocabulary Week 1
Vocabulary Week 15Word 1: Impromptu Def: Done without planning
Sent: Most impromptu speeches are not worth the paper they are
written on. William Norman Birkett
Word 2: GrovelDef: To beg or plead in a submissive way or act in
order to please or gain favorSent: The spirit that does not soar is
destined to grovel. Benjamin Disraeli
Word 3: Gullible Def: Easily deceived or tricked Sent: There's a
gullible side to the American people. They can be easily misled.
Michael Moore
Word 4: Poignant Def: Profoundly touching or felt, evoking deep
sadness or regret Sent: There are few sorrows, however poignant, in
which a good income is of no avail. Logan Pearsall Smith
Word 5: Magnanimous Def: Generous in giving or forgiving, not
vindictive Sent: It is the characteristic of the magnanimous man to
ask no favor but to be ready to do kindness to others.
Aristotle
Word 6: Tirade Def: A long angry or violent speech Sent: Anger
begins as an inner twinge. We sense something long before it
blossoms (explodes?) into an emotional tirade. Peter McWilliams
Word 7: Decapitate Def: To cut the head off Sent: It was
dramatic to watch my grandmother decapitate a turkey with an ax the
day before Thanksgiving. Russell Baker
Word 8: ImbecileDef: A stupid personSent: Man is a clever animal
who behaves like an imbecile. Albert Schweitzer
Word 9: Flaunt Def: To publically show off or display Sent: I
consider myself a religious person. God is something very personal
with me and I don't flaunt religion in conversation with others.
Richard Chamberlain
Word 10: DrabDef: Not bright, dull, cheerlessSent: To be with
the same person for the rest of your life just sounds so drab.
Word 11: Brazen Def: Daringly boldSent: Hold accountable the
person who was brazen enough to look you in the eye and say how
grateful he was to have participated in such a horrible, horrible
crime. David Novak
Word 12: InsolentDef: Audaciously rude, arrogantly
insultingSent: I do not dislike the French from the vulgar
antipathy between neighboring nations, but for their insolent and
unfounded air of superiority. Horace Walpole
Word 13: KnollDef: A small hill Sent: It was cold, and he was
coughing. A fine cold draught blew over the knoll. D H Lawrence
Word 14: Adamant Def: Stubbornly unyielding to do or change
opinion of Sent: "I have done that," says my memory. "I cannot have
done that" -- says my pride, and remains adamant. At last -- memory
yields. Friedrich Nietzsche
Word 15: Irreconcilable Def: Impossible to reach an agreement or
get along Sent: The simple point which I am concerned to make is
that where ultimate values are irreconcilable, clear-cut solutions
cannot, in principle, be found. Isaiah Berlin
Word 16: Chasm Def: A deep crack or fissure in the earth Sent:
The most dangerous thing in the world is to try to leap a chasm in
two jumps. David Lloyd George
Word 17: Doleful Def: Full of sorrow Sent: Yet from those flames
No light, but rather darkness visible Served only to discover
sights of woe, Regions of sorrow, doleful shades where peace And
rest can never dwell John Milton
Word 18: HoneDef: To sharpen, usually a metal edge Sent: The
knives of jealousy are honed on details. Ruth Rendell
Word 19: Idyllic Def: An extremely beautiful and peaceful place
in nature or a happy carefree situation Sent: With a view of Pike's
Peak to the left and Cheyenne, Wyoming, to the right, we really did
have an idyllic upbringing in a post-card setting.Joan Van Ark
Word 20: InceptionDef: The beginning or startSent: Since its
inception, our Nation has stood on the foundations of compassion
and justice. Mike DeWine
