Vocabulary: List #7

  1. galvanize (verb): to arouse into awareness or action
  2. His stirring speech GALVANIZED the crowd into taking action.
  3. largess (noun): the generous giving to others
  4. Bill Gates’ LARGESS is so great that he commits an entire company to run his charitable donations.
  1. gauche (adj): lacking social refinement
  2. My GAUCHE cousin belches loudly and picks his teeth with his straw in fine restaurants - gross!
  1. jocular (adj): playful & humorous
  2. I love my JOCULAR uncle; he is always goofing around and making us kids laugh.
  1. zenith (noun): the peak or highest point
  2. James Dean died at the ZENITH of his career; he was so famous and popular, so it was a shame to see him die at such a high point in his life.
  1. impunity (noun): exemption from punishment
  2. Because she is the president’s daughter, Olivia lives her life with complete IMPUNITY, never having to be accountable for anything; she steals, threatens, and cheats without ever having to worry about punishment.
  1. bellicose (adj): ready or inclined to quarrel, fight, or go to war
  2. The BELLICOSE soldier was anxious for battle; he wanted to fight so badly, but I am certain he didn’t know the true horrors of war.
  1. maladroit (adj): clumsy or insensitive in speech or behavior
  2. Kaylee’s MALADROIT brother trips over his own feet and manages to say all the wrong things at all the wrong times; he is so awkward that nobody really likes him, so I feel sorry for him.
  1. futile (adj): with no useful or practical effect, useless
  2. Our efforts were totally FUTILE because that team was just ten times better; they had professional players twice our size, so all the training in the world wouldn’t make any difference.
  1. ruminate (verb): to think carefully and at length about something
  2. I gave my mom time to RUMINATE on the decision; she needed time to really think about whether or not she was willing to leave me alone for an entire weekend.