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forte n (Pronounced "fort"--the Italian pronunciation, "for-tay" means loud or strong in music, but you'll avoid a lot of problems if you pronounce this "for-tay" also). A strength or special area of expertise. I'm sorry, but you'll have to take your car to a mechanic. Since this is a flower shop, transmissions are not my forte.
fruition n Completion or fulfillment, as in "come to fruition." Think of ripeness, as in fruit. Though Kendrick worked for years on his project, the company folded before his plans could come to fruition.
hector v To bother or annoy, to irritate. It was July and I hadn't yet applied to a college, but my mom hectored me about it so much that I told her I'd been accepted to M.I.T.
poignant adj Piercingly sad, bittersweet. My wife wanted me to watch the "chick-flick" which she guaranteed was a poignant love story, but I'd much rather watch the Monster Truck Rally on TNN.
rancor n Bitterness, anger, and poisonous spirits. Macbeth could not overmaster his rancor at the witches prophesies that Banquo's sons would be kings; so he killed his best friend to prevent it.
sacrosanct adj Almost sacred, not to be touched or violated. Nearly everyone considers the freedom of speech to be the most sacrosanct of our freedoms, and any attempt to infringe upon it is met with violent opposition.
sloth n Extreme laziness, tendency to become a couch potato. Though Kendra thought she was just resting after a hard day's work, everyone knew that the hard day had occurred two weeks ago and that Kendra was giving in to sloth.
travesty n A sham or mockery of a proceeding--esp. a travesty of justice. 1) Freeing the confessed serial killer because the evidence in his apartment had been collected improperly was simply a travesty of justice. 2) This essay in which you purport to thoroughly analyze Remembrance of Things Past in two paragraphs is a travesty. You get an E.
tumult n Wild commotion or disturbance. As I stood on the cliffs overlooking the raging ocean, I thought once again of the wild and passionate Kyrilla; suddenly, the tumult in my heart matched the tempest of the sea.
zeal n
Great and passionate enthusiasm for a cause. In his
zeal to defend his client, the lawyer "stretched" the rules just a
little to far and got an innocent man convicted. (Compare
"zealous"--full of zeal, and "zealot"--one who is marked by
zeal).