Lesson 5acrimonious to perfunctory

acrimonious

Caustic; bitter or sharp or angry in tone; rude

Political debates can become rather acrimonious.

ameliorate

To make better; to relieve; to improve

It is difficult to come up with a solution that will ameliorate the crashing housing market.

amenable

Open or willing to advice or suggestion

Your mother might be amenable to raising your allowance if you do more chores in the house.

amorphous

Shapeless; having no definite form The tree trunk was practically

amorphous after years of exposure to the elements.

buoyant

Capable of floating; cheerful Her buoyant personality was

refreshing at the somber ceremony; we all needed a lift.

Cajole

To persuade with deliberate flattery, to coax, to wheedle

The boy cajoled his mom into buying him candy at the grocery store.

calamity

A serious event causing distress or misfortune

The poor Haitians have experienced one calamity after another.

debase

To reduce in dignity or quality Do not debase yourself by using

such foul language.

efface

To erase; to wear away After years of wear, the veneer on

the table had effaced.

elucidate

To make clear as to be understood I will try to elucidate the changes in

the tax code for you.

ephemeral

Lasting a short period of time; fleeting

Their relationship was only an ephemeral one; by the time she graduated, it was over.

ferocity

Savagery We were surprised at the ferocity of

the summer thunderstorm.

flourish

To thrive; to grow well Her career in medicine flourished

after the stint she served in the Peace Corps.

haughty

Arrogant; excessively proud or vain A few of the varsity players acted

haughtily toward the freshmen, and the coach castigated them for their pomposity.

impervious

Incapable of being penetrated; not capable of being damaged

Because this watch is impervious to water, I can wear it when I swim.

inane

Lacking significance, meaning; insipid

We tired of their inane conversation about reality television stars.

indolence

Laziness After watching her son spend

countless hours playing videogames, the mother reproved her son for his indolence.

infallible

Incapable of error The makeup is advertised to have

infallible blemish coverage.

inscrutable

Difficult to understand; mysterious The Mona Lisa is known for her

inscrutable smile; many have pondered what she was feeling at that portrait sitting.

languid

Slow; sluggish; listless; weak The old man took languid steps as

he plodded along the hospital hallways.

malice

Desire to harm others; spite She claimed she killed him

accidentally, but the investigators proved she acted out of malice.

oblique

Slanting; indirect; misleading; evasive

He made oblique references to his Ivy League background, when in fact he had not graduated from college.

opulence

Wealth; affluence; abundance The tourists enjoyed viewing the

opulence of Windsor Castle .

penitent

Showing or feeling regret for wrongdoing; repentant

He was penitent for having taken so much money from his elderly grandmother and wasting it on alcohol.

perfunctory

Acting routinely with little interest or care

Due to his perfunctory manner in inspecting the restaurant, he did not notice the real problem.