VOCABULARY #8

1) cursory (adjective) - hasty and without attention to detail
Example: Giving a source of information nothing but a cursory glance makes it easy to overlook some details.

2) impetus (noun) - a force or stimulus that moves something along
Example: Fear of public judgement serves as an impetus against people acting out of their own free will.

3) pinnacle (noun) - the highest level or degree attainable
Example: Blindly following a religion out of fear of celestial persecution is the pinnacle of ignorance.

4) contumely (noun) - a rude expression intended to offend or hurt
Example: The boy said "hello" to his elderly neighbor, but received nothing more than a contumely from the bitter old man.

5) bereavement (noun) - a state of sorrow over the death or departure of a loved one
Example: The woman was trapped in a state of bereavement for several years after her husband passed away.

6) cache (noun) - a hidden storage space (for money or provisions or weapons)
Example: The police officer found a cache of drugs and weapons in a man's car during a routine traffic stop.

7) consummation (noun) - the act of bringing to completion or fruition
Example: The mayor's cutting of the blue ribbon signified the consummation of the town's new museum.

8) calamity (noun) - a event resulting in great harm or suffering
Example: The events that transpired on September 11, 2001 were the most terrible calamity that our nation has ever had to face.

9) avarice (noun) - extreme greed for material wealth
Example: The ruthless tycoon displayed avarice when he crushed many local businesses in order to expand his entrepreneurial empire.

10) fortify (verb) - to make strong or reinforce
Example: After being robbed twice, the bank decided to fortify its security.

11) erratic (adjective) - liable to unexpected change; having no fixed course
Example: The erratic driver swerved through the parking lot, seldom missing a car.

12) ubiquitous (adjective) - being present everywhere at once
Example: It is difficult to imagine a time when automobiles were scarce now that they are ubiquitous in our society.

13) fortitude (noun) - strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity with courage
Example: Those lacking some degree of mental fortitude would be unlikely to survive in times of hardship.

14) nonchalant (adjective) - marked by blithe unconcern
Example: Knowing that his plan was foolproof, the bank robber strolled out of the building with a nonchalant demeanor.

15) affect (verb) - have an effect upon
Example: A few diehard supporters voted more than one-hundred times each in order to affect the results as much as possible.

16) effect (noun) - a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
Example: The projectile's acceleration decreased as an effect of air resistance.

17) misappropriate (verb) - to wrongly appropriate something for one's own use
Example: The police officer misappropriated some fireworks that he had confiscated and used them on New Years Eve.

18) pragmatic (adjective) - guided by practical experience rather than theory
Example: The pragmatic old man never encountered a problem that he couldn't solve by relying his "street-smarts" and wit.

19) metacognition (noun) - awareness or analysis of one's own thinking process
Example: Metacognitive awareness is crucial in order for one to truly understand how their own mind "works"/"operates".

20) devoutly (adverb) - in an earnest manner (usually refers to religious faith)
Example: The woman worshiped her "savior" devoutly out of fear of divine punishment.