1. Vocabulary Unit 6

2. anomalous – adj abnormal, irregular, departing from the usual
Can you imagine anything as anomalous as a successful drama coach
who has never acted on the stage?

3. bizarre – adj extremely strange, unusual, atypical
Wearing bizarre masks at Halloween is a tradition that goes back
many centuries.

4. brusque – adj abrupt, blunt, with no formalities
What hurt my feelings was not so much his refusal to give me
a job as the brusque way in which he told me that he had
nothing for me.

5. heinous – adj very wicked, offensive, hateful
A town so peaceful, quiet, and law-abiding was bound to be
horrified by so heinous a crime.

6. immutable – adj not subject to change, constant
The one fact about nature that seems completely immutable is that
everything is subject to change.

7. surreptitious – adj stealthy, secret, intended to escape observation
The surreptitious way in which they planned the undertaking shows
that they were aware of its illegal character.

8. vicarious – adj performed, suffered, or otherwise experienced by one person in place of another
Although most of us lead a quiet, humdrum sort of life, we can all
get a vicarious thrill from the achievements of Olympic athletes.

9. aspersion – noun a damaging or derogatory statement; the act of slandering or defaming
By casting aspersions on the ability and character of others, you
reveal the misgivings you have about yourself.

10. demagogue – noun a leader who exploits popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power
A favorite strategy of a demagogue is to appoint a convenient scapegoat
upon whom a misguided populace can vent its anger.

11. ennui – noun weariness and dissatisfaction from lack of occupation or interest, boredom
With the innumerable activities open to a young person like you,
I can’t understand why you should suffer from ennui.

12. fetter – noun a chain or shackle placed on the feet; anything that confines or restrains (v.) – to chain or shackle
The old phrase “chain gang” refers to a group of prisoners forced
to work, each one joined to the next by linked fetters.

13. insurgent – noun one who rebels or rises against authority (adj
insurgent – noun one who rebels or rises against authority (adj.) – rising in revolt, refusing to accept authority
George Washington and his contemporaries were insurgents
against Britain.
The army was confident that they could crush the insurgent
forces.

14. megalomania – noun a delusion marked by a feeling of power, wealth, talent, etc.
Sudden fame and admiration can make people feel unworthy – or it
can bring on feelings of megalomania.

15. sinecure – noun a position requiring little or no work; an easy job
The office of Vice President of the United States was once
considered little more than a sinecure.
Anyone who refers to my job as a sinecure should spend just
one day in my place!

16. cajole – verb to coax, persuade through flattery or artifice; to deceive with soothing thoughts or false promises
With a smile, a joke, and a second helping of pie, she would
cajole him into doing what she wanted.

17. castigate – verb to punish severely; to criticize severely
After he castigated the unruly children, they settled down to
study quietly.

18. contrive – verb to plan with ingenuity; to bring about through a plan
She can contrive wonderful excuses; but when she tries to offer
them, her uneasiness gives her away.

19. disabuse – verb to free from deception or error, set right in ideas or thinking
He thinks that all women adore him, but my sister will probably
disabuse him of that idea.

20. transgress – verb to go beyond a limit or boundary; to sin, violate a law
The coach put his faith in his team, hoping they would not transgress
the bounds of their training and violate protocol.

21. transmute – verb to change from one nature, substance, or form to another
The alchemists of the Middle Ages, who were both mystics and
primitive chemists, hoped to transmute base metals into gold.