Vocabulary #9
#8, 18, 28, 38, and 48
8. anecdote
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Definition: short, usually funny account of an event
Part of speech: noun
Sentence: I am certain that my students enjoy being
forced to listen to my random anecdotes when I am in
the middle of teaching and decide to go off on a
tangent.
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Anecdotal
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18. clairvoyant
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Definition: exceptionally insightful, able to
foresee the future
Part of speech: adjective
Sentence: I swear, I’m clairvoyant – give me
five bucks, and I’ll tell you what your future
holds.
28. demagogue
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Definition: leader, rabble-rouser, usually
appealing to emotion or prejudice
Part of speech: noun
Sentence: Senator McCarthy was a demagogue
who gained power by appealing to Americans’
fear of communism.
38. ephemeral
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Definition: momentary, transient, fleeting
Part of speech: adjective
Sentence: Just as its name implies, the day
lily’s ephemeral bloom lasts only for a single
day.
48. hedonist
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Definition: person who pursues pleasure as a
goal
Part of speech: noun
Sentence: The older brother was hard-working,
but the younger brother was a hedonist,
spending all his money on parties and women.