vocab list #6

obsequious- flattering

Wives should always be obsequious to their husbands.

beatitude- Supreme blessedness

It is a beatitude to be able to live in a free country.

bete noire- a detested person (disliked or avoided)

My little brother at school is my bete noire.

bode- Be an omen of a particular outcome

Sometimes people think they are psychic because they are bodes to when its going to rain.

dank- Disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold

After the beach, my swim shorts had a dank feeling to them.

ecumenical- general; universal; Promoting or relating to unity among the world's Christian churches

The ecumenical symbol for Christianity is a cross.

fervid- Intensely enthusiastic or passionate

The two lovers were very fervid around each other.

fetid- Smelling extremely unpleasant

My dog is very fetid.

gargantuan- of great mass

The whale was such a gargantuan.

heyday- The period of a person's or thing's greatest success or popularity

Just after the lawyer won his big case, he was in his heyday.

incubus- A cause of distress or anxiety like a nightmare

Clowns are the biggest incubus in my life.

infrastructure- The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation

After the surgery, they took me to the infrastructure to recover.

inveigle- Persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery

When I want money, I inveigle my mom.

kudos- Praise and honor received for an achievement

I gave my brother kudos for passing the 8^th grade.

lagniappe- Something given as a bonus or extra gift

When I realized that five dollars was not enough, I gave my friend a stuffed animal as a lagniappe.

prolix- Using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy

I feel that a lot of people write prolix essays.

protege- a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protege's career

My dad was my protege when I decided to go into the tile business.

prototype- A first or preliminary model of something, esp. a machine, from which other forms are developed or copied

The cotton gin was a prototype.

sycophant- A self serving flatterer.

I am a sycophant when I want something.

tautology- The saying of the same thing twice in different words

I always use tautology when foreign exchange students don’t understand me.

truckle- Submit or behave obsequiously

I truckle when I like somebody.