Unit 4

Word

Definition

Example

Ubiquitous

Being everywhere at once: omnipresent

So ubiquitous is this t-shirt in Washington, even President Obama's supporters have appropriated it

Remote

At a distance; disconnected

Congressman John Turney says the U.S. mission in Iraq needs more than remote control diplomacy

Thwart

To oppose and defeat the efforts, plans, or ambitions of

This is the reason why the thwart which is farthest aft is made the seat of the best oarsman

Harbinger

One that indicates or foreshadows what is to come; a forerunner

In some ways, they said, the midterms were not as bleak a harbinger as some Democrats fear

Malignant

Harmful, malevolent, injurious

Congressman Foley is the poster child for what we call malignant narcissism

Excruciating

Intensely painful; agonizing

His friend, Jesse Jackson, says the pop star is in excruciating pain and anxious about the verdict

Respite

To delay or postpone

Blue Laws exist to give counties a respite from the crush of commerce for one day a week

Reverberating

Characterized by resonance

I think the term reverberating is a little over the top

Fretful

Irritable, bad-tempered, grumpy or peevish

Who's there! called a fretful voice from inside

Succumb

To yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire

HOLMES: You're telling me that they kind of succumb to PR pressure?

Impresario

One who sponsors or produces entertainment

Christophe, who was standing by, made no attempt to conceal his impatience, called the impresario

Extortion

The practice of extorting money or other property by the use of threats

Their pertinacity in extortion is said to be marvellous

Adverse

Contrary to one's interests or welfare; harmful or unfavorable

Reduced salt intake did not have adverse effects on cholesterol or renal function

Asset

A valuable item that is owned

Your main asset is credibility, not money or size

Bigot

a person who is intolerant of any ideas other than his own, esp on religion or race

Even managed to score a bigot from the subcontinent right at the end

Blatant

glaringly conspicuous or obvious

Britain should be taking the lead when fundamental rights seem to be so blatantly breached

Entourage

A group of attendants or associates; a retinue

To put it simply Bush and his main entourage are in the pocket of Exxon -

Virulent

Bitterly hostile or antagonistic; hateful

The disease is so virulent that many birds die without developing any signs

Venom

Feeling or speech marked by spite or malice

Do not pinch or pull the stinger out – this may squeeze more venom from the stinger into your body

Spew

To vomit

People need to WAKE UP and smell the decaying spores that spew from the news commentators

Loath

Unwilling, reluctant; averse, disinclined

Ten or twelve years ago, technology companies were very loath to pay dividends

Solicit

To seek to obtain by persuasion, entreaty, or formal application

If you want to hold true to what the solicit is referring

Astute

Shrewd or crafty

He even called the astute Terrapin a humbug, and toward midnight grew quarrelsome

Advocate

To speak, plead, or argue in favor of

The governor says Zimmer will be able to advocate for sustainable ways to manage state's forests

Ineffectual

Insufficient to produce a desired effect

Bassett broke out in ineffectual protest, but was silenced by the threat of a lunacy commission

Scrutinize

To examine something with great care

The team will scrutinize the tapes to ascertain if there are any elements of 'criminality' in them

Nefarious

Infamous for being wicked

Channing Tatum and Dwayne Johnson battle a nefarious plot of world domination

Amicable

Characterized by or exhibiting friendliness or goodwill; friendly

Peters on his knees, engaged in amicable conversation

Vexatious

Causing vexation, annoyance, trouble, or the like; teasing; annoying; troublesome

Only if a case is deemed frivolous or vexatious will it not incur a tariff

Malady

Any ailment or disease of the human body; especially, deep-seated disorder

I just pray her malady is painful and that she suffers excruciating pain on her way out

Inclement

Showing no clemency; unmerciful

The work schedule is subject to change in the event of inclement weather

Peruse

To read completely

Check out the new categories, peruse the nominee videos, and get your voice heard!

Premonition

A warning in advance; a forewarning

I also liked the way premonition is explained in this regard

Desist

To cease doing something; forbear

Normally, I try to desist from publishing any news related reports on April 1 now

Recoil

To draw back; go back; retreat; to jerk back, as from an impact or violent thrust

He pieced together ugly fragments of information in his brain and felt his mind recoil in disgust

Pertinent

relating to the matter at hand; relevant

The first comment, for example, says in pertinent part:

Mastiff

One of several large breeds of dog (such as bulldogs)

Jonathan Howard has a dog that's half Mastiff, half Rottweiler

Obsess

To preoccupy the mind of excessively

Ah, hell, I obsess from the moment something is completed

Doleful

Filled with or expressing grief; mournful. See Synonyms at sad

Our therapist was a tall, bald man in his 50s with doleful eyes and a propensity to blush

Wan

Unnaturally pale, as from physical or emotional distress

I have more dust in wan minute than iver I saw in all me life before

Histrionics

melodramatic displays of temperament

When I explained everything to my mum and dad, there were no histrionics

Elusive

Eluding, or having a tendency to elude; hard to grasp or confine

Then there's Europe, and the elusive dream of a common foreign and defence policy

Frustrate

To defeat the desire or purpose of; cause to be balked or disappointed; thwart

Messy plans like last minute calls frustrate me a lot

Symptomatic

Relating to, based on, or constituting a symptom

The contraction in M&A was symptomatic of the global economic position

Interject

To insert something between other things

Interrupt speakers to interject your own views at inappropriate moments

Inert

Unable to move or act; inanimate

Potential intelligence, like potential, can remain inert forever

Salient

Prominent

This is perhaps Mr. Acquisti's most salient contribution to the discussion

Imminent

About to happen,or take place very soon, especially of something which won't last long

But with too many people looking to make a quick buck, a bubble burst is imminent

Squeamish

Easily shocked or disgusted

Otter, who certainly could not be called squeamish, hastened to descend the rock