The document defines and provides examples for 20 words: venerate, ostentatious, prosaic, hackneyed, abstain, querulous, perfidious, censure, empathy, pretentious, inevitable, mundane, disdain, connotation, benevolent, frugal, superficial, ephemeral, impetuous, and spurious. Each word is defined and an example sentence using the word is given to further illustrate its meaning.

1. Venerate: to regard or treat with reverence; to revere. Ex . Dr. Brown is venerated by the poor mining families in the valley. 2. Ostentatious: given to pretentious or conspicuous show in an attempt to impress others or attract notice. Ex. The practice of ostentatious weddings should be condemned in this time of economic crisis. Prosaic: commonplace or dull; matter-of-fact or unimaginative. Ex. The afternoon at my uncle’s ranch was prosaic because there was no one there around my age.

2. Hackneyed: made commonplace or trite; stale or banal. Ex: When politicians promise “change” and the same old arguments, many voters see it as only hackneyed expressions. Abstain: to hold oneself back voluntarily, especially from something regarded as improper or unhealthy. Throughout my high school years I promised my parents I would abstain from alcohol. Querulous: full of complaints; complaining or peevish. Who would want to be married to a querulous woman? To me, she’d be nothing but a headache!

3. Perfidious: deliberately faithless, treacherous or deceitful Ex. In the movie Aladdin, Jafar is a perfect example of a perfidious character. Censure: to criticize or reproach in a harsh or vehement manner. Ex. It’s hard for me to take my parents’ censure when they are oftentimes guilty of similar things. Empathy: the intellectual identification with experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another. Ex. The girl’s empathy toward the new student was apparent when she stood up for her.

4. Pretentious: having an assumption of dignity or importance; making an exaggerated outward show. It is pretentious to believe everyone will come to your party even with the hired band. Inevitable: that which is unavoidable. Failing English is inevitable if you do not turn in your work.

5. Mundane: pertaining to this world or earth as contrasted with heaven; worldly; earthly or common. It’s rather mundane sitting in algebra class when I’d rather be in my creative writing class. Disdain: a feeling of contempt for anything regarded as unworthy; haughty contempt or scorn The girl’s disdain for her ex-boyfriend was apparent when she threw the glass of soda in his face. Connotation: the secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its primary or explicit meaning. Calling someone a “doubting Thomas” has always carried a negative connotation .

6. Benevolent: expressing goodwill or kindly feelings; desiring to help others At the end of the play, Scrooge turns benevolent towards his fellow man. Frugal: not wasteful; economical in use or expenditure My husband is so frugal, he refuses to buy cell phones or new cars. Superficial: being at, on, or near the surface; concerned with what is on the surface or obvious, apparent rather than real Dating someone just because he’s cute is rather superficial.

7. Ephemeral: anything short-lived The football team’s lead was a bit ephemeral because the other team intercepted the ball in the first half, and it was downhill after that. Impetuous: characterized by sudden or rash action or emotion; IMPULSIVE Going skydiving can be impetuous without the proper training and equipment. Spurious: not genuine; counterfeit The Duke lavished the young lady with such elaborate praise that no one could see his true feelings were nothing more than spurious .

8. Emulate: to try to equal or excel, to imitate with effort Example: Kate Hudson emulates her celebrity mother, Goldie Hawn, by becoming an award-earning actress herself. Digress: to deviate or wander away from the main topic Example: Teachers sometimes digress from their lectures by going off on a tangent. Haughty: disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant Example: Many celebrities can often be quite haughty and even charge for autographs!

9. Anachronism: something or someone not in its correct historical or chronological time. A sword used in the medieval era would be an anachronism in today’s modern warfare. Deleterious: injurious to health, HARMFUL. It is debatable as to which is more deleterious to one’s health: smoking cigarettes or marijuana. Abate: to diminish in intensity; to end or become null and void. The pain abated once the medicine kicked in.

10. Conform: to act in accord with the prevailing standards, attitudes and practices of society or a group; to follow the crowd. Example: You don’t have to conform to the cliques of the school; be your own person. Fortuitous: happening or produced by chance, accidental, LUCKY or FORTUNATE. The elder gentleman winning the lottery right before his retirement would be considered quite fortuitous . Foster: (verb) to promote the growth or development of or encourage; to care for and cherish. Example: It’s important to foster kindness and share benevolence with others.

11. Substantive: independent, real or actual; of considerable amount or quantity. Example: There was a substantive amount of hornets in the nest. Assiduous: constant in application or effort; working diligently at a task; PERSERVERING; INDUSTRIOUS. Example: One can often tell the assiduous students from the unmotivated ones simply by looking over their report cards. Hypothetical: an assumption used in an argument without its being endorsed; a supposition. Example: If I asked you, “What would you do if you won a million dollars?” that would be a hypothetical question.

12. Collaborate: to work together or cooperate, as on a work or project. Example: Steven Speilberg and Tom Hanks have collaborated many times to put together movies. Delusion: an act or instance of misleading; a false belief or opinion. Example: If you think Mrs. Broyles would EVER like Ohio State, you are completely delusional . Haphazard: mere chance or accident. Example: She met her husband in a rather haphazard fashion: she rear-ended him at a traffic light!

13. Enervate: to deprive of force or strength, to weaken Example: Even though it started so forcefully, the tornado eventually enervated . Aesthetic: the study of the nature of sensation; a philosophical theory of what is sensorily valid at a given time and place. Example: The artist’s paintings lacked any aesthetic quality whatsoever. Scrutinize: to examine in detail with careful or critical attention. Example: Mrs. Broyles likes to scrutinize my essays.

14. Arid: being without moisture; extremely dry; parched Example: The desert is considered an arid climate. Condition: an existing state of being; situation with respect to circumstances Example: Feeling pain is an inevitable part of the human condition . Waver: become unsteady; begin to fail or give way Example: The teacher wavered on whether or not to let the exam be open book.

15. Antagonism: active hostility or opposition, as between unfriendly or conflicting groups Example: My younger sister was so antagonistic ; she would purposefully get me in trouble! Pragmatic: pertaining to a practical point of view; realistic Example: I am only being pragmatic when I tell you that in today’s world you need a college education to be competitive in the job market. Rancorous: full of ill will, hatred or malice Example: The rancorous criminal will serve life in prison without parole. Wary: watchful; being on guard Example: Be wary for people who pretend to be a friend only to turn around and backstab you.

16. Converge: to tend to meet in a point or line; to tend to a common result or conclusion (to come together). Example: Our two side streets converge into one right before you get to the river. Prudent: wise or judicious in practical affairs. Example: It would not be prudent to start a nuclear war. Exemplary: worthy of imitation; commendable Example: Your writing is exemplary; may I use it as my student example? Divergent: differing or deviating; a mathematical expression having no finite limits. Example: Divergent thinking has led them into disruptive behavior.

17. Adversity: a condition marked by misfortune; unfortunate event or circumstance. Example: To overcome adversity , you must keep your faith and never give up. Fraught: filled or laden with. Example: I wouldn’t advice going in that haunted house; I hear it’s fraught with danger. Vindicate: to clear, as from an accusation or suspicion; to justify. Example: The young mother was vindicated of all charges of child abuse. Diligent: constant in effort to accomplish something. Example: It’s the diligent , assiduous student who graduates first in his/her class.

18. Tenacious: characterized by keeping a firm hold; adhesive or sticky. Example: It is said that Thomas Edison was quite the tenacious inventor, never giving up until his experiments—such as the light bulb—reached success. Brazen: shameless or impudent ; made of brass or like brass in sound, color, or strength. Example: It was rather brazen of the students to play that practical joke on the teacher. Precocious: unusually advanced or mature in development, such as the mind and faculties of a child. Example: It is the precocious child who can read by the age of three. Amiable: having pleasant, good-natured personal qualities; friendly and sociable. When looking for a life-partner, keep in mind that those who contain amiable qualities will be better to live with than those who can be a bit contentious.

19. Superfluous: being more than is sufficient or required; excessive. Example: Having silk sheets and Persian carpets is one thing, but golden sinks and toilets? How superfluous can one person be? Extraneous: introduced or coming from outside ; not belonging or fitting to a thing; irrelevant. Example: The authorities found his extraneous funds coming from illegal drug operations. Abdicate: to give up or renounce authority especially in a voluntary, public, or formal manner. Example: The king abdicated his throne because of his failing health. Aberrant: departing from the normal course; deviating from the ordinary type; exceptional or abnormal. Example: Walking down the street in the nude is an example of aberrant behavior.

20. Forbearance: self-control; patient endurance. Example: Practicing forbearance builds integrity and character. Surreptitious: obtained or done by stealth; secret or unauthorized. Example: The students surreptitiously stole the opposing team’s mascot. Hedonist: a person whose life is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and self-gratification. Example: Ancient Rome was chock full of hedonists, much like today’s times. Sagacious: having acute mental discernment and keen practical sense. Example: It is the frugal and sagacious person who lives debt free. OR…..He was a sagacious judge of character.

21. Abstemious: sparing or moderate in eating and drinking; temperate in diet. Buddhist monks follow an abstemious diet of mostly vegetables and broth. Dour: sullen, gloomy; MOROSE Eeyore always seemed to have such a dour expression on the children’s show, Winnie the Pooh. Amicable: characterized by showing goodwill; friendly; peaceful. They parted on amicable terms; Their relationship is amicable though their countries have been known to feud. Asylum: an institution for the maintenance of and care of the mentally ill, orphans, or others requiring specialized assistance. OR any secure retreat; sanctuary. He sought asylum in the church. Bias: a particular tendency or inclination, especially on that prevents unprejudiced consideration of a question. Most of us are biased regarding many hot topics, such as abortion and the war in the Middle East.

22. Boisterous: rough and noisy; clamorous; unrestrained The bachelorette party grew rather boisterous as the night rolled on. Brusque: abrupt in manner; blunt; rough His brusque reply shocked his mother, who quickly punished him for disrespect. Camaraderie: a spirit of familiarity and trust between existing friends. My camaraderie with my friends is fun and goofy at times. Canny: careful, cautious…or astute, knowing, sagacious. The canny businessman knew how to get people to invest.

23. Capricious: variable, flighty, erratic The sea was a capricious lady, going from calm and serene to angry and frothy. Capitulate: to surrender unconditionally or to give up resistance Germany finally capitulated once their defenses enervated. Clairvoyant: having or claiming to have the power of seeing objects or actions beyond the range of natural vision Many would-be psychics claim to be clairvoyant. Compromise: a settlement of differences by mutual concessions Do not compromise your integrity; stick to your principles!

24. Condescending: showing a patronizing descent from dignity or superiority. (when a person “talks down” to you.) I don’t like when teachers speak condescending to me. Demagogue: a person, especially an orator or public speaker, who gains power and popularity by arousing the emotions, passions, and prejudices of the people. Barack Obama would be an example of a demagogue . Evanescent: vanishing, fading away, fleeting. Life is evanescent ; make each day count. OR…The evanescent light bulb flickered before burning out. Extenuating: to represent as less serious…to make light of. Do not extenuate the crime when it could be a serious offense.

25. Fortitude: mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty Example: The widow demonstrated her fortitude by forgiving the criminal who killed her spouse. Inconsequential: of little or no importance; insignificant Example: Don’t feel your contribution is inconsequential ; every little bit helps. Intrepid: resolutely fearless; dauntless The intrepid explorer sailed around the world solo and at the age of sixteen. Intuitive: having or possessing intuition Example: My mother could be rather intuitive ; she always knew when I was lying.

26. Lobbyist: a person who tries to influence legislation on behalf of a special interest group Example: Cigarette companies are examples of special interest groups who hire lobbyists to work in Washington D.C. to make sure laws are in their favor. Nonchalant: coolly unconcerned, indifferent, or unexcited; casual Example: The boy acted nonchalant when he asked the girl on a date. Opulent: wealthy, rich, or affluent OR abundantly plentiful Example: Donald Trump lives an opulent life, as do the Kardashians, and many other celebrities. Provocative: serving to provoke, irritating, stimulating, inciting, or vexing Example: The provocative decision by the Wisconsin governor was sure to incite anger among union members.

27. Reclusive: a person who lives isolated or separated from society. Example: Don’t be so reclusive ! Come to the party with us. Reconciliation: the act of reconciling (setting aside differences). Example: My parents were able to reconcile their differences. Renovation: to restore to good condition. Example: We just renovated our kitchen with new floors and appliances. Reverence: a feeling or attitude of deep respect or awe; veneration. Example: I have a deep reverence for people who sacrificed their lives for the safety of others.

28. Submissive: unresistant; humbly obedient Example: The newly trained dog showed he was submissive by sitting at attention until the next command. Subtle: fine or delicate in meaning and intent; faint or mysterious Example: She gave a subtle smile to suggest she knew more than what she was letting on. Tactful: having or manifesting tact; being diplomatic Example: A tactful person is one who knows when to keep his/her mouth shut in order to avoid offense. Transient: not lasting; existing briefly; temporary Example: His feelings were nothing more than transient , and he moved on to the next girl fairly quickly. Jubilation: the expression of joy and exultation; a joyful celebration Example: There was extreme jubilation for the Obama staffers when he won the 2008 presidential election.