Vocab #4

Obsequious: obedient of attentive to an excessive degree

When she had the treat in her hand the dog was obsequious.

Beatitude: Supreme blessedness

Christ’s first beatitude is to the poor in spirit.

Bête noire: a person or thing that one particularly dislikes

Broccoli was his bête noire.

Bode: be an omen of a particular outcome

Their constant arguing did not bode well for their relationship.

Dank: disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold

The basement was dank.

Ecumenical: representing a number of different Christian churches

The local churches are sponsoring an ecumenical service on the green.

Fervid: intensely enthusiastic or passionate, especially to an excessive degree

The speech was fervid, and he was sweating by the time he was done delivering it.

Fetid: smelling extremely unpleasant

The streets of New York City were fetid.

Gargantuan: enormous

My workload is gargantuan.

Heyday: a period of a person’s or thing’s greatest success

The internet is in its heyday.

Incubus: a male demon believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women

The idea of the incubus is disturbing.

Infrastructure: the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society or enterprise

In the early United States, there was great debate over the federal government’s ability to develop interstate infrastructure.

Inveigle: persuade to do something by means of deception or flattery

Some people try to inveigle to get what they want instead of working hard or using skills.

Kudos: praise and honor received for an achievement

Kudos to you for finishing early.

Lagniappe: something given as a bonus or extra gift

At the end of the year employees are often given lagniappes by their employers.

Prolix: using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy

Some people don’t say enough in their essays, others are too prolix.

Protégé: a person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person

New hires are partnered up with older ones to be their protégés until the new employee learns the ropes.

Prototype: a first, typical or preliminary model of something especially a machine, from which other forms are developed or copied

Companies make prototypes before starting full scale production on their products.

Sycophant: a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage

There is a derogatory term used to describe sycophant used in every day speech (kiss a**)

Tautology: the saying of the same thing twice in different words, generally considered to be a fault of style

People often use tautology to try to make their essays longer.

Truckle: a small barrel shaped cheese

The store was filled with truckles.