Vocab 3

Accolade: an award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgment of merit

Renaissance gives accolades to students of scholastic achievement every semester.

Acerbity: sharp and forthright

Old people are often acerbic.

Attrition: the action or process of gradually reducing the strength or effectiveness of someone or something through sustained attack or pressure

In wrestling we use attrition to break our opponent and win, thoroughly exhausting them.

Bromide: a trite or unoriginal idea or remark, typically intended to soothe or placate

People often choose bromides over the truth, choosing to live in a bubble.

Chauvinist: a person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism

The people of the American Revolution were chauvinists.

Chronic: long lasting problem difficult to eradicate

I suffer from chronic school hatred.

Expound: present and explain (a theory or idea) systematically and in detail

I hate it when teachers over expound easy concepts.

Factionalism: the quality of being self-interested

The United States practices factionalism in foreign relations.

Immaculate: perfectly clean

The kitchen was immaculate.

Imprecation: a spoken curse

In his anger he threw out imprecations at everyone and everything.

Ineluctable: unable to be resisted or avoided

Some say fate is ineluctable.

Mercurial: subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind

She has mercurial swings going from happy to pissed off in a matter of seconds

Palliate: make less severe or unpleasant without removing the cause

People take pain killers when they have a headache to palliate the pain.

Protocol: the official procedure of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions

In court there is certain protocol followed to maintain order and fairness.

Resplendent: attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous

The sunset was resplendent with its many colors and light patterns.

Stigmatize: describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval

There are many social stigmas based on race.

Sub rosa: happening or done in secret

Many CIA operations are done sub rosa.

Vainglory: inordinate pride in oneself or one’s achievements

Some people display all their awards for everyone to see because they are full of vainglory

Vestige: a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists

People can see the vestiges of ancient civilizations in ancient ruins

Volition: a faculty or power of using one’s will

People develop habits and begin doing things without volition.