Vocabulary List #4

Apostate: describes someone who has left behind his religious or political beliefs or his principles
ex/ The man was currently apostate, and his family was saddened by this.

Effusive: something or someone showing unrestrained emotion or thankfulness
ex/ I cannot stop this effusive I have for my puppy, he is just so dang cute.

Impasse: something from which there is no escape or solution
ex/ I walked down the dark and daunting alley without knowing if I would come out.

Euphoria: a feeling of well-being and great happiness
ex/ Some kids threw a euphoria party last year, that made all the attendees happy.

Lugubrious: someone who looks very sad, depressed or long-in-the-face.
ex/ The student was very lugubrious after finding he had failed his English exam.

Bravado: behavior by a scared person that shows courage.
ex/ Beowulf's bravado was increasingly high by the third monster.

Consensus: an agreement made by a group
ex/ The consensus of the group was to meet once a month. 

Dichotomy: a sharp division of things or ideas into two contradictory parts
ex/ The dichotomy government had a house and a senate.

Constrict: to become narrower at one place, or to make something narrower or more restrictive.
ex/ My biggest fear is my family will constrict my idea of leaving for college.

Gothic: medieval, not classical, barbarous; uncivilized
ex/ The gothic tale she is reading takes place in translyvannia with all sorts of vampires.

Punctilio: observance of petty formalities
ex/ The parents were very punctilious when throwing a party for their daughter who had turned 18.

Metamorphosis: change of form, shape, structure, or substance; transformation, as, in myths, by magic or sorcery
ex/ A caterpillar undergoes metamorphosis before turning into a miraculaous butterfly.

Raconteur: a person who tells stories or anecdotes in an amusing and clever way.
ex/ When I was little my Daddy was always the best raconteur.

Sine Qua Non: an essential condition, qualification, etc.; indispensable thing; absolute prerequisite
ex/ The boys charismatic nature became a sine qua non for the girl.

Quixotic: romantic behavior or following beliefs even though they are foolish or unreachable goals.
ex/ The quixotic little girl wanted her parents to buy her an iPhone 5!

Vendetta: lingering grudge or feeling of hatred for someone
ex/ It has never been discussed to try and be resolve, but there is a great vendetta between my friend and I.

Non Sequitur: a statement, conclusion or reply that has nothing to do with the previous statement
ex/  The idiots argument was a basic and flawed non sequitur.

Mystique: an aura of mystery or an air of secrecy surrounding something or someone that makes the person or thing seem very intriguing.
ex/ I think your age is part of the mystique

Quagmire: is soft, wet ground or a complex and difficult situation with no easy solution.
ex/ My partner and I ran upon a quagmire after he realized that he had forgotten the project at home!

Parlous: perilous; dangerous; risky
ex/ Over summer I went cliff-diving and my older cousin was with me because it was very parlous.