Print › Lesson Five Vocabulary

bowdlerize: v. to remove offensive passages of a play, novel, etc. - syn: censor
carnal: adj. relating to physical appetite, especially sexual - syn: erotic - ant: chaste; modest
deference: n. respect; consideration
ebullient: adj. enthusiastic - syn: exuberant; lively - ant: dejected; dispirited
elegy: n. a sad or mournful poem - syn: dirge; lament
fop: n. an excessively fashion-conscious man - syn: dandy
impair: v. to weaken; to cause to become worse - syn: damage; deteriorate - ant: enhance
imprecation: n. a curse - syn: condemnation; anathema - ant: blessing
nebulous: adj. hazy; vague; uncertain - syn: cloudy; indistinct; obscure - ant: distinct; precise
non sequitur: n. something that does not logically follow - syn: fallacy; misconception
panegyric: n. an expression of praise - syn: tribute; extolment - ant: denunciation
pedantic: adj. tending to show off one's learning - syn: bookish
quandary: n. a puzzling situation; a dilemma - syn: predicament
rakish: adj. dashingly stylish and confident - syn: dapper; jaunty - ant: slovenly; disheveled
sanguine: adj. cheerful; optimistic