Golden+Adjectives

toc =__Golden Adjectives:__=

Each week a student (from each class) will be given THREE golden adjectives. The assigned student will need post the words, their phonetic pronunciation, their etymology, two definitions, use the word in a sentence for each definition, and highlight related words (3).

After posting the student will do a quick five minute presentation to the class .. highlighting the words. After three students have posted and presented (18 total words), the entire class will be quizzed on ALL posted words (even the words from the other class!)

**Words Assigned**
SET#1: WORDS DUE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 ... PRESENTATION TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 Period 1 (Rabia Qureshi) ABASHED, BLASE', CACOPHONOUS Period 7/8 (Andrew Forman) ALTRUISTIC, BOMBASTIC, CLANDESTINE SET#2: WORDS DUE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 ... PRESENTATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Period 1 (Kelly Clawson) DEFERENTIAL, EFFUSIVE, FALSTAFFIAN Period 7/8 (Le Ming Chen) DELPHIC, ECLECTIC, FECKLESS SET#3: WORDS DUE BY WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8 ... PRESENTATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8 Period 1 (Casey McGill) GARRULOUS, HAUGHTY, INCREDULOUS Period 7/8 (Allison Colatriano) INVIDIOUS, HISTRIONIC, GERMAN SET#4: WORDS DUE BY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17 ... PRESENTATION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17 Period 1 (Lisa Ridgeway) JUVENESCENT, KAFKAESQUE, LANGUID Period 2 (Sara Dugan) JOCUND, KAPUT, LASCIVIOUS SET#5 WORDS DUE BY THURSDAY, October 23 ... PRESENTATION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24 Period 1 (Devin Bowes) MALEVOLENT, NONPAREIL, OEDIPAL Period 7/8 (Matt Ligouri) MOONSTRUCK, NEFARIOUS, OBTUSE SET#6 WORDS DUE BY THURSDAY, October 30 ... PRESENTATION THURSDAY, October 30 Period 1 (Amanda Bullock) PARSIMONIOUS, PERFUNCTORY, PETULANT Period 7/8 (Greg Greenaway) PITEOUS, PEREMPTORY, PEJORATIVE

SET #7: WORDS DUE BY MONDAY, January 12 ... PRESENTATION TUESDAY, January 13 Period 1 (Willcox) QUALMISH, QUEASY, RABID (Kelts) RAUNCHY, RANCOROUS, REDOUBTABLE Period 7/8 (Cohn) RELEVANT, RINKY-DINK, RUTHLESS (Delone) SAGACIOUS, SALUTARY, SARDONIC __**//POSTINGS//**:__

abashed:
from the middle English word abaishen which means to lose one’s composure. 1. ashamed or uneasy "Timothy’s classmate was abashed when Timothy found out that he couldn’t read, but Timothy really didn’t care." 2. confused or disorderly " Everyday, Timmy wakes up abashed and in a daze." __RELATED WORDS:__ abash (v), abashedly (adv), abashedness (n)

**abdominous**
(ab-DOM-e-nes) From the Latin abdomen, meaning "paunch, belly; gluttony." 1. potbellied "The tailor made a rich living through his specialty of accommodating comfortably **abdominous** clients who he knew he would do everything possible to obscure overeating." 2. having a paunch or prominent belly "The shah's collection of uncorseted, **abdominous** wives may not have appealed to Westerners, but is made him the envy of lecherous old men in his court." __RELATED WORDS:__ abdomen //noun//; abdominal //adjective//; abdominally //adverb//

**altruistic**
(al-`tru-is’tic) From French altruisme, Italian altrui, of others, and Latin alter, another First used by the Positivists, followers of French philosopher Comte 1. Signify devotion to others or humanity “The altruistic efforts of the charity ensure that all students receive proper schooling.” 2. behavior harmful to oneself but that benefits others of ones species “The honey bee demonstrates its altruistic behavior by sacrificing its life for the hive.”

blasé
Etymology: from the French word Blaser which is to cloy, or reference to being chronically drunk 1. indifference or stoicism to life from excess or surfeit; "Timmy’s blasé attitude got him involved with some shady beatniks." 2. very sophisticated "The blasé Timothy sat in his velvet arm chair, reading Kafka and watching film noir."

**bombastic**
(bom-bas-tik) Middle English bombast cotton padding 1. inflated speech or writing “The preacher’s bombastic speech warned against gambling and other wrong doing.” 2. grandiloquent ... speaking or expressed in a lofty style, often to the point of being pompous “The speech was not bombastic, but rather an argument rooted in logic.” [|Mr. Bombastic Bean]

cacophonous:
From Greek kakophōnos which is rooted to kakos meaning bad; European word root phone meaning sound 1.harsh sounding and loud "The cacophonous noise of Timmy’s neighbor’s death metal at 4:00 am didn’t bothered Timmy’s mother who was trying to sleep." 2.unpleasant sounding or discordant "Timothy was not fazed by his little sister’s cacophonous cries." __RELATED WORDS:__ cacophony (n)

**clandestine**
(klan-‘des-tən) French clandestine, Latin clandestinus, secret or hidden 1. secret “A handshake was required for entry into the clandestine meeting.” 2. concealed implying craft or deception “Scooby-Doo and his crew foiled the clandestine plans of their archenemy.

deferential
(de-fə-ˈren-chəl) 1. Marked by or exhibiting deference "The two pieces of art exhibited deferential compositional styles." 2. Marked by courteous submission or respect "He always acted deferential towards his elders." __Related Words:__ duteous, dutiful, obeisant, respectful

delphic
('del-fik) 1. of or relating to ancient Delphi or to the oracle of Apollo "The Delphic oracle revealed Oedipus’ fate that he will kill his father and marry his mother." 2. ambiguous or unclear "The President made a Delphic statement concerning the nations security, leaving many people confused and with questions."

eclectic
(e-'klek-tik) From Greek eklektikos, from eklegein to select 1. selecting what appears to be best in various doctrines, methods, or styles "Ryan has an eclectic taste in music, favoring no particular style over another." 2. composed of elements drawn from various sources "An eclectic group of economists, politicians, business leaders, and federal officials met to discuss the economic disaster." __Related Words:__ eclectically (adv), eclecticism (n)

effusive
(i-ˈfyü-siv, e-, -ziv) 1. Marked by the expression of great or excessive emotion or enthusiasm "The teacher gave the outstanding student effusive praise towards his efforts in school." 2. Characterized or formed by a nonexclusive outpouring of lava "The effusive rock formed as the molten spewed from the earth." __Related Words:__ demonstrative, enthusiastic, lavish, extravagant, overflowing, gushing

falstaffian
(fȯl-ˈsta-fē-ən) After Sir John Falstaff, a character in Henry IV, Parts I and II, and The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare 1. Characterized by joviality and conviviality "His Falstaffian attitude towards the situation put everyone in a better mood." 2. Of or resembling Falstaff "The Falstaffian man had a roughish looking face to accompany his corpley body" __Related Words:__ jovial, merry

feckless
('fek-ləs) Scots, from feck effect, majority, from Middle English (Scots) fek, alteration of Middle English effect 1. weak, ineffective "The feckless quarterback was replaced by the backup after he threw three interceptions and fumbled twice." 2. irresponsible "Driving faster than the speed limit, the feckless driver crashed into a telephone poll." __Related Words:__ fecklessly (adv), fecklessness (n)

garrulous:
(gar-uh-luh s) Latin garrulus ‘talkative’ 1. Excessively talkative in a rambling, roundabout manner, esp. about trivial matters “The man presented a quite garrulous and boring speech.” 2. Having a loud, harsh note; noisy “The birds created a garrulous roller of song.” __Related Words__: gar·ru·lous·ly, adverb gar·ru·lous·ness, noun

german:
(jur’mən). From French germain, 1300 A.C. 1. A sprout, bud. “The seed finally started to german after five weeks of being in the soil.” (verb form) 2. Having the same parents. “The german kids begged their parents for a new puppy for Christmas.”

haughty:
(haw-tee) From Middle English haut, from Old French haut, halt, alteration of Latin altus, high 1. Having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy “Some economists are haughty of their colleagues in other social orders.” 2. High; lofty; bold “The man hiked for mile in order to measure the most haughty mountain’s height.” __Related Words__: haugh·ti·ly, adverb haugh·ti·ness, noun

histrionic
(his’trē an’ik). From Latin histrionicus, pertaining to an actor. 1. Overacted, theatrical, artificial. “Even though the actors were talented, the play seemed filled with histrionics.” 2. Of, or having the nature of acting. “She possessed a histrionic personality as she grew up and participated in various school plays.”

incredulous:
(in-krej-uh-luh s) From Latin incrēdulus 1. Skeptical; disbelieving “The boy found the most incredulous of stories about flying saucers.” 2. Not credulous; disinclined or indisposed to believe; skeptical. “The boy’s face was overcome with an incredulous stare” __Related Words__: in·cred·u·lous·ly, adverb in·cred·u·lous·ness, noun

invidious
(in vid ‘ē əs). From Latin invidiosus, envious. 1. To excite ill will, or envy. “My sister became invidious when she saw me in my brand new car.” 2. Giving offense by discriminating unfairly. “The pro-choice protestors became invidious after seeing a woman leave the abortion clinic.”

languid
http://www.visuwords.com/?word=Languid

-adjective 1.lacking in vigor or vitality; slack or slow: a languid manner. 2.lacking in spirit or interest; listless; indifferent. 3.drooping or flagging from weakness or fatigue; faint.

—Related forms languidly, adverb languidness, noun

—Synonyms 1. inactive, inert, sluggish, torpid. 2. spiritless. 3. weak, feeble, weary, exhausted, debilitated. —Antonyms 1. active, energetic. 3. vigorous.

“The languid player sat on the bench for most of the season.”

lascivious:
(lə-ˈsi-vē-əs) Middle English, from Late Latin lascivious, from Latin lascivia wantonness 1. feeling or revealing an overt and often offensive sexual desire “Leland’s lascivious notions towards Lola landed him in a correctional institution.” 2. to be lustful “The hotel creep’s lascivious tendencies were exposed when one of his guests unearthed the hidden cameras.” Related words: wanton, lustful, salacious, unchase

jocund:
(ˈjä-kənd also ˈjō-(ˌ)kənd) From late Middle English: via Old French from Latin jocundus, variant of jucundus 'pleasant, agreeable, form juvare 'to delight' 1. marked by or suggestive of high spirits and lively mirthfulness “Jesse’s girl ceaselessly brought a jocund spirit to all of Jack’s jamming sessions.” 2. cheerful and lighthearted “The jack-in-the-box is supposed to be a jocund toy for kids, but it is really just disturbing. ” Related words: merry, joyous, humorous

juvenescent
http://www.visuwords.com/?word=juvenescent

–adjective 1. being or becoming youthful; young. 2. young in appearance. 3. having the power to make young or youthful: a juvenescent elixir.

—Related forms juvenescence, noun

“My seventy-five-year-old grandmother wore a juvenescent dress to the wedding.”

Kafkaesque
http://www.visuwords.com/?word=Kafkaesque

–adjective 1. of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or resembling the literary work of Franz Kafka: the Kafkaesque terror of the endless interrogations. 2. marked by a senseless, disorienting, often menacing complexity: Kafkaesque bureaucracies.

“The Kafkaesque dreams leave the man with an overwhelming feeling as he awakes.”

Source: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008. Merriam-Webster Online. 16 October 2008 

kaput:
(kə-ˈpu̇t, kä-, -ˈpüt) German kaputt, from French capot: not having made a trick at piquet 1. utterly finished, defeated, or destroyed “When Karen failed her Chem test, she felt awful. It was all over for her (kaput, finished) no college now.” 2. hopelessly outdated “Ew, Katie’s clothes are like, so kaput.” Related words: dysfunctional, damaged, old-fashioned, dated

malevolent
ma·lev·o·lent -adjective From the Latin word malevolent-, malevolens, from male badly + volent-, volens, present participle of velle to wish 1 : having, showing, or arising from intense, often vicious, ill will, spite, or hatred 2 : productive of harm or evil - ma·lev·o·lent·ly adverb “The malevolent student grew a smirk on his face after he stole the test from his opponent.” http://wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/273269/Malevolent

moonstruck
(Moon-struhk) Origin-From Moon and struck. Struck meaning to be afflicted by and Moon being associated with romance or insanity. 1. To be bewildered or confused -"His chance meeting with the supermodel left Lars moonstruck." 2. To be love-struck or in a romantic daze -"The magicians stellar performance had the whole audience moonstruck." Related words-Moonstricken

nefarious
(Neff-air-ee-us) Origin-From the Latin Nefas or Nefarius, meaning crime or transgression against moral law. 1. Evil or cruel 2. To be motivated by evil intentions -"The nefarious plot of the bank robbers was foiled by local police." Related words-Nefariously, Nefariousness

nonpareil
(nän-pə-ˈrel) -noun 1: an individual of unequaled excellence : paragon “The nonpareil boy had no chance against the 420 pound man in the wrestling match.” 2 a: a small flat disk of chocolate covered with white sugar pellets b: sugar in small pellets of various colors “The piece of nonpareil looked delicious to top the dessert.” - adjective From Middle English nounparalle, from Middle French nompareil, from non- + pareil equal, from Vulgar Latin *pariculus, from Latin par equal 1: having no equal http://wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/273294/Nonpareil

obtuse
Origin-from the later Obtusus, meaning dull. 1. Dumb or narrow minded -"Many an intellectual has been frustrated by a stubborn and obtuse opponent." 2. Not sharp, blunt. -"The obtuse sword was of no use to anyone." 3. A triangle having one angle greater than 90 degrees. -"The obtuse triangle contained an angle greater than 90 degrees." Related words-Obtusely, Obtuseness

Oedipal:
(ˈe-də-pəl, ˈē-) -adjective 1: often capitalized; of, relating to, or resulting from the Oedipus complex - oe·di·pal·ly (-pə-lē) adverb often capitalized. “When the young man killed his father and married his mother, it was considered Oedipal.” http://wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/273304/Oedipal

piteous
[pit-ee-uh s] adjective ORIGIN Old French piteus, from Latin pietas ‘dutifulness’

1. Deserving or arousing pity. "The piteous car the boy drove even made the old timers feel embarrassed for him."

peremptory
[per-uh mp-tawr-ee] adjective ORIGIN Latin peremptorius ‘deadly, decisive’

1. Insisting on immediate attention or obedience. "The substitute teacher’s peremptory set of rules stopped the shenanigans going on in the class room." 2. Not open to appeal or challenge. "The father’s peremptory grounding of his son left the child in a sour mood."

pejorative
[pi-jawr-uh-tiv] Adjective ORIGIN French péjoratif, from Latin pejorare ‘make worse’

1. Expressing contempt or dissapproval. "The pejorative look on the man’s face showed his disdain for what the boy had just done to his friend."

Sources - http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/

www.wordle.net

SOURCES CITED: Webster’s Universal Dictionary of the English Language: Vol. 1 The World Syndicate Publishing Company: New York, New York 1936