Lesson Two Vocabulary

bland

adj. mild; tasteless; dull - syn: smooth; agreeable - ant: exciting; thrilling

impotent

adj. powerless; lacking strength - syn: ineffective; helpless - ant: potent; powerful

bestial

adj. savage; brutal - syn: brutish; vile; cruel - ant: humane; kind

diaphanous

adj. very sheer and light - syn: transparent; gossamer - ant: opaque

effete

adj. worn out; barren - syn: exhausted; spent and sterile - ant: vital; vigorous

impediment

n. a barrier; obstruction - syn: obstacle; hindrance - ant: aid

labyrinth

n. a complicated network of winding passages; a maze

emendation

n. a correction - syn. improvement; amendment

shard

n. a fragment

bauble

n. a showy but useless thing - syn: trinket

nihilism

n. a total rejection of established laws

antithesis

n. an exact opposite; an opposite extreme - syn: converse - ant: same

chagrin

n. embarrassment; a complete loss of courage

maelstrom

n. whirlpool; turbulence; agitated state of mind

gloat

v. to look at or think about with great satisfaction - syn: revel; crow