Sadlier-Oxford Vocab Level H - Unit 8
lackluster
(adjective) lacking brillance or vitality; dull
aberration
(noun) a departure from what is proper, right, expected, or normal; a lapse from a sound mental state
harbinger
(noun) a forerunner, herald (verb) to herald the approach of
syndrome
(noun) a group of symptoms or signs that collectively characterize or indicate a disease, disorder, abnormality, etc.
peccadillo
(noun) a minor sin or offense; a trifling fault or shortcoming
empathy
(noun) a sympathetic understanding of or identification with the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of someone or something else
bane
(noun) the source or cause of fatal injury, death, destruction, or ruin; death or ruin itself; poison
de facto
(adjective) actually existing or in effect, although not legally required or sanctioned (adverb) in reality, actually
malcontent
(adjective) discontented with or in open definace of prevailing conditions (noun) such a person
mellifluous
(adjective) flowing sweetly or smoothly; honeyed
ad hoc
(adjective) for this specific purpose; improvised (adverb) with respect to this
cantankerous
(adjective) ill-tempered, quarrelsome; difficult to get along or deal with
depredation
(noun) the act of preying upon or plundering
hedonism
(noun) the belief that the attainment of pleasure is life's chief aim; devotion to or pursuit of pleasure
casuistry
(noun) the determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by the application of general ethical principles; specious argument
bathos
(noun) the intrusion of commonplace or trite material into a context whose tone is lofty or elevated; grossly insincere or exaggerated sentimentality; the lowest phase, nadir; an anticlimax, comedown
pièce de résistance
(noun) the pricipal dish of a meal; the principal event incident, or item; an outstanding accomplishment
nepotism
(noun) undue favoritism to or excessive patronage of one's relatives
pander
(verb) to cater to or provide satisfaction for the low tastes or vices of others (noun) a person who does this
remand
(verb) to send or order back; in law, to send back to jail or to a lower court