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Vocabulary Set E All
obsequious-polemics
| Question | Answer | |
|---|---|---|
| obsolescence | n. The condition or process of gradually falling into disuse. | Many people were upset with the car manufacturer due to the short-term planned obsolescence designed into their cars. |
| obstreperous | adj. Boisterous. | Being willing to pay for reforms in the obstreperous country on its borders, the government is going to send millions in foreign aid. |
| odious | adj. Hateful. | Nothing was so odious to the teacher than a student who was unwilling to try. |
| officious | adj. Intermeddling with what is not one's concern. | He held himself to be something of a food critic, but his officious manner ruined the meal for us. |
| opulent | adj. Wealthy. | His home was an opulent Spanish-style mansion with heavy carved wooden doors and luxurious gardens. |
| orator | n. One who delivers an elaborate or formal speech. | Our stroll in the park was completed by a strangely enjoyable harangue from a gifted street orator. |
| ostentation | n. A display dictated by vanity and intended to invite applause or flattery. | Even though he was one of the richest men on the planet, he disdained any form of ostentation and lived in a relatively modest 5 bedroom house. |
| palliate | v. To cause to appear less guilty, lessen the extent of or provide relief | The company tried to palliate investors by firing the CEO. |
| pallid | adj. Of a pale or wan appearance. | Her skin seemed so pallid in the moonlight filtering through the trees. |
| panacea | n. A remedy or medicine proposed for or professing to cure all diseases. | Politicians often grasp at straws to find an apparent panacea for the ills of society. |
| pandemonium | n. A fiendish or riotous uproar. | Pandemonium broke out in the stadium when the home team scored the winning goal. |
| paradox | n. A statement or doctrine seemingly in contradiction to the received belief. | It is a common paradox that standing will make you feel tired far sooner that walking. |
| paragon | n. A model of excellence. | The U.S. is seen as a paragon of freedom across the world. |
| pariah | n. A member of a degraded class; a social outcast. | Where they were once free to enjoy themselves in any area of society, smokers are now treated as pariahs and have almost nowhere to go. |
| paroxysm | n. A sudden outburst of any kind of activity. | Any slight hint of judgment sends him into paroxysms of denial that only affirm his guilt. |
| parsimonious | adj. Unduly sparing in the use or expenditure of money. | If our government were more parsimonious and showed an awareness of where the money comes from, we would not be in this situation now. |
| pathos | n. The quality in any form of representation that rouses emotion or sympathy. | His art caused such a pathos in the viewers that it is no surprise he became famous so early. |
| paucity | n. Fewness. | Although sure of his crime, the detective could not have him convicted due to the paucity of evidence. |
| pedagogy | n. The science and art of teaching | Today we structure our education on a pedagogy based on principles of best practice. |
| pellucid | adj. Translucent. | Her pellucid style of writing makes it a pleasure to read her work and ensures her ideas are never overburdened by prose. |
| penance | n. Punishment to which one voluntarily submits or subjects himself as an expression of penitence. | When found guilty of defamation, it is common to ask people to perform a penance. |
| penurious | adj. Excessively sparing in the use of money. | It is not a surprise of human nature that a penurious man is often indignant at the stinginess of another. |
| perambulate | v. To walk about. | The tourists were a common feature of the city, regularly perambulating the ruins and historic districts. |
| percolate | v. To filter. | You can tell by the look on his face that another of his great ideas is percolating in his mind. |
| perfidy | n. Treachery. | I did not expect the perfidy they were about to display. |
| perfunctory | adj. Half-hearted. | Albert did not really want to be in the play and this was evident from his perfunctory performance. |
| perspicacity | n. Acuteness or discernment. | It is easy to question the perspicacity and intelligence of people who are willing to commit such act in the name of belief. |
| pertinacious | adj. Persistent or unyielding. | He was so pertinacious that his view soon became that of the majority. |
| petulance | n. The character or condition of being impatient, capricious or petulant. | Even though he was full of youthful petulance, his talent alone was worth of investing the time in his training. |
| picayune | adj. Of small value. | His efforts seem kind of picayune in the grand scheme of things. |
| pique | v. To excite a slight degree, slightly provoke as in anger. | His advertisements had really piqued the curiosity of the audience. |
| placate | v. To bring from a state of angry or hostile feeling to one of patience or friendliness. | All of the mother's efforts to placate his tantrum were for naught. |
| platitude | n. A written or spoken statement that is flat, dull, or commonplace. | Politicians commonly placate their constituents with platitudes and lip-service. |
| polemics | n. The art of controversy or disputation. | The constant refrain of anti-war polemics only serves to confuse the issue. |
| obsequious | adj. Showing a servile readiness to fall in with the wishes or will of another. | The more obsequious the service, the higher the tip that is expected. |
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