Lexicon

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A

B

Bereft — deprived, lacking

Boisterous — noisy, energetic, cheerful

Benevolent — kind

Balk — hesitant to accept an idea or undertaking

Bulwark — defensive wall

Banal — so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring

C

Carnal — physical, sexual needs

Censure — express extreme disapproval

Cadence — a rhythmic sequence of notes or chords that create a musical phrase

Concur — agree/ be or the same opinion

Craven — contemptibly lacking in courage

Clandestine — done/kept secretly especially because it’s illicit

Commitment — an engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action

Continuum — a continuous sequence in which adjacent elements are not perceptibly different from each other, although the extremes are quite distinct

Contrary — opposite in nature, direction, or meaning

D

Decadent — so good it’s bad for you/ a state of cultural or moral decline

Demonstrative — a tending to show feelings, especially of affection, openly

Dissipative — systems that harness energy which otherwise would been lost

E

Err — be mistaken or incorrect; make a mistake

Esoteric — intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest

Exteroception — heightened awareness outside the self

F

Faux pas — an embarrassing act or remark in a social setting

Furrow — a groove or depression

Facsimile — an exact copy, especially written or printed

Frivolity — lack of seriousness; lighthearted

G

Gregariousness — fond of people, social

H

I

Incisive — intelligently analytical and clear thinking

Illicit — against the rules, laws

Impromptu — without being planned or rehearsed

Interoception — heightened awareness of within the self

J

Judicious — having good judgement or sense

K

Kitsch — art or objects considered to be in poor taste because of excess garnishment or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in a ironic way

L

M

Magnanimous — generous or forgiving toward a rival or a less powerful person

Misanthropic — disliking humankind

N

Nemesis — mortal enemy

Nexus — a connection linking two or more things

O

Ostentatious — pretentious and vulgar display of wealth and luxury intended to impress or attract notice

P

Patois — dialect of a specific region or country

Pathos — a quality that evokes pity or sadness

Proclivity — a tendency to choose or do something regularly; an inclination or predisposition toward a particular thing.

Paterfamilias — head of a family

Precipice — steep rock face or cliff

Physiognomy — judging character from facial expressions

Q

Quotidian — occurring daily

R

Rigor — challenge

Reverie — a state of being pleasantly lost in one’s thoughts; a daydream

S

Solipsism — philosophical idea that only one’s own mind is sure to exist; epistemological position that holds knowledge of anything outside one’s own mind is unsure

Standard — An accepted rule, level, or model used to judge, measure, or compare something.

Succor — assistance and support in times of hardship and distress

Synthesia — the synergy of the senses

T

Toil — work extremely hard or incessantly

U

Usufruct — the right to enjoy the use and advantages of another's property short of the destruction or waste of its substance.

Unequivocal — leaving no doubt

Ubiquitous — present, appearing, found anywhere

V

Verisimilitude — the appearance of being true or real

Volition — ability to make choices

W

X

Y

Z

Zugswang — a situation in which the obligation to make a move in one's turn is a serious, often decisive, disadvantage

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