English 11 Honors - Vocabulary List 10

conundrum (n.)

Definition: a difficult problem. Related Forms: none Syn: enigma, a head-scratcher, puzzle Ant: none Ex: When I couldn't find the key to the house, I was in a major conundrum.

cognomen

Definition: a distinguishing nickname or epitaph; cog- though; thinking; thoughtful name (Latin). Related Forms: cognomens, cognomina Synapplicationon, appelative, compellation, domination Ant: none Ex: A nickname.

ennui (n.)

Definition: a feeling of weirdness and dissatisfaction; boredom. Related Forms: none Syn: sadness, fatigue Ant: cheer, happiness Ex: Sitting in a meeting all day left me in a feeling of ennui.

supercilious (adj.)

Definition: behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others. Related Forms: none Syn: snobbish, snobby, mug Ant: humble, modest Ex: The supercilious king looked at all the peasants as if they were below him.

innocuous (adj.)

Definition: causing no injury or harm. Related Forms: innocuously (adv.) innocuousness (n.) Syn: benign, harmless, inoffensive Ant: damaging, dangerous Ex: I tried to be innocuous when my parent was yelling at, my brother in hopes to not get him into more trouble.

somnolence (n.)

Definition: quality or state of being drowsy. Related Forms: none Syn: sleepiness, drowsiness Ant: awake, hyper Ex: A person may feel somnolence after eating too much candy the whole day.

evanescent (adj.)

Definition: tending to vanish like vapor. Related Forms: evanescently (adv.) Syn: brief, flash, temporary Ant: ceaseless, endless, eternal Ex: The evanescent magiaaion just appeared on stage out of thin air.

zeitgeist (n.)

Definition: the general intellectual, moral and cultural climate of an era; the spirit of the age. Related Forms: none Syn: trend, spirit Ant: none Ex: The zeitgeist of American music since the 2000s is Drake.

peccadillo (n.)

Definition: the slight offense or sin. Related Forms: none Syn: impropriety, indiscretion, bad habit Ant: vitue, excellence, honesty Ex: The man confessed his peccadilo to the riest after the service.

supersede (v.)

Definition: to cause or be set aside; to go beyond; succession in a lineage. Related Forms: supersede, superseding Syn: displace, replace, substitute Ant: none Ex: Robots are going to supersede human race.