Dang Words
Week 7
Core Vocabulary (Direct Hits)
• Tenacious (adj.) o Characterized by holding fast; showing great determination in holding on to something that is valued. § Jason Bourne refuses to accept the loss of his identity. He shows great tenacity in his single-­‐minded attempt to learn who he is. • Indulgent (adj.) o Characterized by excessive generosity; overly tolerant. § In the movie Mean Girls, Regina George’s mother prides herself on being indulgent. She proudly tells Regina and Cady, “I just want you to know, if you ever need anything, don’t be shy, OK? There are NO rules in the house. I’m not like a ‘regular’ mom. • Polarize (n.) o To create disunity or dissension; to break up into opposing factions or groups § Americans have a long and distinguished record of settling differences by reaching a compromise. However, some issues are so divisive and polarizing that a compromise is impossible. • Nebulous (adj.) o Vague; cloudy; misty; lacking a fully developed form. § In an interview, Rowling stated that the Epilogue is deliberately nebulous. She wanted readers to feel as if they were looking at Platform 9 ¾ through the mist, unable to make out exactly who was there and who was not. • Analogy (n.) o A similarity or likeness between things – events, ideas, actions, trends – that are otherwise unrelated. § Did you know that for most of its history the SAT included a number of analogy questions? For example, students were asked to see the analogy or similarity between a tree and a forest and a star and a galaxy. • Ephemeral, fleeting (n.) o Very briefly; lasting for a short time § What do the following groups and their hit songs have in common: “Who Let the Dogs Out?” by Baha Men, “Stuck in the Middle” by Stealers Wheel, and “It’s Raining Men” by the “Weather Girls? All three groups were “one-­‐hit wonders” who had a single hit song and then disappeared. Their popularity was fleeting. 1