Vocab List #3

Fortuitous:

• Context: "It was fortuitous that most of the money had been locked away and that the sum taken was relatively small."
• My Guess: To be very lucky through an unfortunate event
• Dictionary Definition: Happening or produced by chance; accidental // fortunate, lucky
• My Example: John was fortuitous that the large tree fell away from the house and into the street, or else it would have split the house in half
• Connotation: Positive

Mundane:

• Context: "Kanye West has been inundated with fans asking mundane questions after he asked he followers to leave him alone so he can work on his new album."
• My Guess: Obnoxious or annoying
• Dictionary Definition: Characterized by the practical, transitory, and ordinary
• Mnemonic Device: Mund sounds like mud, which is boring and bland
• Another Example: "They decided on buttock tattoos, rather than the more mundane engagement ring, because a tattoo is permanent. You can always pawn a ring." —Mike Royko, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 1988

Opulent:

• Context: :An opulent commercial office and warehouse complex built during the excesses of the mid-2000s — before the big crash — sold Friday for substantially less than its original cost."
• My Guess: Very expensive, or of fancy quality
• Dictionary Definition: Ostentatiously rich and luxurious or lavish
• Mnemonic Device: Oprah is rich… (Op)rah and (op)ulent
• Connotation: Positive

Ostentatious:

• Context: "Ostentatiously rich and luxurious or lavish."
• My Guess: Large and eye-catching
• Dictionary Definition: Intended to attract notice and impress others
• Mnemonic Device: Ostriches are eye-catching and very well noticeable
•  Another Example: "Today, Yudashkin continues to show his opulent designs in Paris and remains inspired by the country he is proud to call home."

Reverence:

• Context: "Reverence for nature and its beauty is evident in the Morro Bay garden of David and Justine Thomas."
• My Guess: Respect towards a certain person, place, or thing
• Dictionary Definition: A feeling of profound respect for someone or something
• Mnemonic Device: A reverend was one associated to the Church in the 1800s and people looked up to them with utmost respect
• Connotation: Positive

Tenacious:

• Context: "You guys have to want it more. More importantly you guys have to play tenacious D." - Coach Wilson
• My Guess: Aggressive and overwhelming
• Dictionary Definition: Pertinacious, persistent, stubborn, or obstinate
• Another example: "The hooks on the end of final strokes indicate a tenacious mind that holds on to ideas and opinions as tight as a snapping turtle."
• My Example: She wanted a car for 18th birthday, and she became a tenacious lunatic when her parents first told her "No."

Haughty:

• Context: "The ubiquitous presence of these haughty MPs provided ready proof of the dire domestic situation in Kenya and therefore a reason why other countries must not listen to the country's pleas."
• My Guess: Overly ambitious
• Dictionary Definition: Arrogantly superior and disdainful
• Another Example: "He even persuaded the almighty Oprah to come out of acting retirement and do a comic bit poking fun of her haughty image."
• History: "1520-30; obsolete haught (spelling variant of late Middle English haute < Middle French < Latin altus high." (Dictionary.com)

Enervating:

• Context: "… like any clickbait headline on the internet, tend to disappoint rather than enervate."
• My Guess: To excite someone about an event
• Dictionary Definition: To cause (someone) to feel drained of energy or vitality; weaken
• My Example: The ride to the beach was quite enervating due to the fact that we hit about an hour and a half of traffic on the way.
• Connotation: Negative

Demagogue:

• Context: The author of the Donald Trump article described Trump's campaign as a demagogue, and an effective one as well.
• My (First) Guess: A dictatorship of some sort
• Dictionary Definition: Appealing to the public's passion, instead of a rational argument
• Mnemonic Device: (Demo)graphics are characteristics of a certain population
• My Example: The teacher ran a demagogue in the classroom when he decided to never give his students any homework.

Conundrum:

• Context: An article titled "An alternative to the White Sox market conundrum" which went into problems they had with free agency
• My Guess: A clear problem in a specific situation
• Dictionary Definition: a confusing and difficult problem or question.
• My Example: While Batman was trying to foil the Riddler's, he was overwhelmed by the conundrum of the last riddle.
• Connotation: Negative