Transcript anomalous – adj. abnormal, irregular

Vocabulary
Level F
Unit 6
anomalous – adj. abnormal, irregular
Having six fingers on one hand is
anomalous for humans, yet more common
than you might think.
aspersion – n. a damaging or
derogatory statement
The aspersions that Michael Moore has
cast on the healthcare industry and our
government have made people doubt our
society’s motives for caring for the sick.
bizarre – adj. extremely strange
People are often stopped in their tracks
by bizarre sights or events.
brusque – adj. blunt, with no formalities
(syn. ungracious)
Donald Trump has no problem letting employees go,
telling them in his brusque style, “You’re fired!”
cajole – v. to persuade through flattery
or artifice (syn. wheedle, sweet-talk)
castigate – v. to punish severely; to
criticize severely
contrive – v. to invent; devise, concoct
When my sister read my diary, I
contrived a plan to get back at her.
demagogue – n. a person who stirs up
public feelings especially of discontent (they use
common prejudices and false claims to raise fear)
In All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul
was upset because he heard that the
French were spreading the propaganda
that the Germans will eat their babies.
That politician is just a demagogue who preys
upon people’s fears and prejudices.
disabuse – v. to set right in ideas or thinking
ennui – n. boredom, listlessness
We often use the hyperbole “die of boredom,” but a
person cannot actually meet his demise due to a
sense of ennui!
fetter – n. a chain or shackle; anything
that confines or restrains; v. to render
helpless or impotent
The mistreated dog had lived fettered to the side of
the house for so long that the fetter had begun to
grow into its leg.
heinous – adj. very wicked, offensive,
hateful
The dictator was tried for heinous acts against
humanity.
immutable – adj. not subject to
change, constant
Laws that were put in place centuries ago, while at the
time seemed immutable, may need amending or removing
from the law books in order for an ever-changing society to
evolve.
insurgent – n. one who rebels against
authority; adj. surging or rushing in or on
We hear on the nightly news all the time about the
insurgent forces that fight against their
governments.
megalomania – n. a delusion marked by
a feeling of power, wealth, talent, etc. far in
excess of reality
A lot of fast-rising celebrities suffer from megalomania because
they become rich and famous very quickly; unfortunately, these
same people often fall prey to the trappings of success and go broke
when their fifteen minutes of fame is up.
sinecure
– n. an easy job
If a relative runs the company, perhaps you expect a
sinecure, rather than working your way up to the
top?
surreptitious – adj. stealthy, secret,
made or accomplished by fraud
I had to come up with some surreptitious excuses to get out
of the house and go Christmas shopping so my father
wouldn’t know I was buying his gift.
transgress – v. to go beyond limit or
boundary; to violate a law
I asked my friend to forgive my transgression
when I broke her confidence by revealing her
secret.
transmute – v. to change from one form
to another
Small children enjoy watching water transmute
from ice into a puddle.
vicarious – adj. experienced by one
person in place of another
Because I was too far along in my pregnancy to travel, I
experienced the Senior Class Trip vicariously through phone calls,
text messages, and photos sent by my students and co-advisor.