Vocab #1

adumbrate	verb give to understand; describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of ex: I will adumbrate the movie to my friends and ruin the whole story for them.
apotheosis	noun the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god); model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal ex: Jestun's lawn is an apotheosis compared to his neighbors'.
ascetic	adj. practicing great self-denial; pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous self-discipline; noun someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline ex: McGargol's ascetic attitude really put a damper on all the fun we were having at the party.
bauble	noun a mock scepter carried by a court jester; cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing ex: The attentive fan put Lil' Wayne on blast for wearing baubles all over himself.
beguile	verb attract; cause to be enamored; influence by slyness ex: Brie was beguiled by Ben's big bent broom. Weird.
burgeon	verb grow and flourish ex: The sweet smelling Musa had burgeoned in just a few weeks.
complement	noun something added to complete or make perfect; either of two parts that mutually complete each other; a word or phrase used to complete a grammatical construction verb make complete or perfect; supply what is wanting or form the complement to ex: The sharp cheddar cheese was the perfect complement to the juicy quarter-pound burger.
contumacious	adj. wilfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient ex: Willy's contumacious personality made his parents regret ever meeting each other.
curmudgeon	noun a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas ex: They start out young and innocent, but seven decades go by like that-and you're left with a curmudgeon.
didactic	adj. instructive (especially excessively) ex: The didactic art teacher drove the students mad.
disingenuous	adj. not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness ex: Don't be disingenuous, people want to know the real you. Ha!
exculpate	verb pronounce not guilty of criminal charges ex: The criminal didn't even try to exculpate after being caught red-handed eating all the Krabby Patties in the food storage locker.
faux pas	noun  an embarrassing social mistake ex: Johnny's faux pas was noticed by EVERYONE.
fulminate	noun a salt or ester of fulminic acid; verb cause to explode violently and with loud noise; come on suddenly and intensely; criticize severely ex: The perfect hit with the proton cannon from Luke's X-Wing caused the Death Star to fulminate and scatter debris all over space.
fustian	noun a strong cotton and linen fabric with a slight nap; pompous or pretentious talk or writing ex: The only thing supporting Bane's weight as he dangled over the edge of the cliff was a fustian.
hauteur	noun overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors ex: She looked at him with the hauteur of someone who is accustomed to being instantly obeyed.
inhibit	verb limit the range or extent of; to put down by force or authority ex: My sister must inhibit her data usage or else she will run out before the month is up.
jeremiad	noun a long and mournful complaint ex: The parent's jeremiad was a huge waste of time for the teacher.
opportunist	adj. taking immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit; noun a person who places expediency above principle ex: It takes a true opportunist to think it is possible to correctly guess how many licks it takes to get to the center of a toostie pop.
unconscionable	adj. greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation; lacking a conscience ex: His decision to swim across Crater Lake was unconscionable.