Vocabulary #5 – Pd. 3
1.
su·per·cil·i·ous
[soo-per-sil-ee-uh s]
–adjective
haughtily disdainful or contemptuous, as a person or a facial expression.
[Origin: 1520–30; < L
2. demagogue
[dem-uh-gog, -gawg]
–noun
1. a person, esp. an orator or political leader, who gains power and
popularity by arousing the emotions, passions, and prejudices of the
people.
Origin: 1640–50
3.
malign
muh-lahyn] Spell
verb/adjective
1.to speak harmful untruths about; speak evil of; slander; defame:
to malign an honorable man.
2.evil in effect; pernicious; baleful; injurious:
The gloomy house had a malign influence upon her usually good
mood.
3.having or showing an evil disposition; malevolent; malicious.
4.
hauteur [hoh-tur; Fr. oh-tŒR]
–noun
haughty manner or spirit; arrogance.
Origin:
1620–30; < F,
5.
clairvoyance[klair-voi-uh ns]
–noun
1. the supernatural power of seeing objects or actions removed in
space or time from natural viewing.
2. quick, intuitive knowledge of things and people; sagacity.
Origin: 1840–50; < F
6. fractious
[frak-shuh s]
adjective
1. refractory or unruly: a fractious animal that would not submit to the harness.
2. readily angered; peevish; irritable; quarrelsome: an incorrigibly fractious
young man
Origin: 1715–25
7.
feign [feyn]
verb
1. to represent fictitiously; put on an appearance of: to feign sickness.
2. to invent fictitiously or deceptively, as a story or an excuse.
3. to imitate deceptively: to feign another's voice.
Origin: 1250–1300; Middle English
8.privy
[priv-ee]
adjective
1. participating in the knowledge of something private or secret
(usually fol. by to ): Many persons were privy to the plot.
2. private; assigned to private uses.
3. belonging or pertaining to some particular person, esp. with
reference to a sovereign.
4. secret, concealed, hidden, or secluded.
Origin: 1175–1225; ME
9.peremptory [puh-remp-tuh-ree, per-uh mp-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee]
adjective
1. leaving no opportunity for denial or refusal; imperative: a
peremptory command.
2. imperious or dictatorial.
3. positive or assertive in speech, tone, manner, etc.
Origin: 1505–15; < L
10.
reticent
adjective
[ret-uh-suh nt]
Show IPA
1. disposed to be silent or not to speak freely; reserved.
2. reluctant or restrained.
Origin: 1825–35; < Latin