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Vocab 30
nemesis n 1) A source of harm or ruin. I'm trying to stay on my diet, but chocolate cake is my nemesis. 2) An opponent that cannot be defeated. For Anatoly Karpov, the former world chess champion, Gary Kasparov was his nemesis--Karpov never took a match from him.
palliate v 1) To make less severe or intense; mitigate: We tried unsuccessfully to palliate the widespread discontent. 2) To relieve the symptoms of a disease or disorder: The doctor prescribed increasing doses of morphine in a vain attempt to palliate the suffering of his dying patient.
paragon n An example held to be a perfect model of a thing or idea. Hamlet considers man to be the "paragon of animals," the highest expression of God's plan for living things.
peregrination n Wandering about or migrating, especially on foot. Despite our miles of peregrination through the mall, we still failed to find anything to buy.
preternatural adj Beyond that which is natural, normal, or expected. Superhuman. The mad scientist experimented with a potion which gave his subject preternatural strength, but the subject too went mad and killed the scientist with a single blow.
restive adj Uneasy and restless. The crowd tried to remain attentive and polite to the speaker, but after two hours looking at charts about the culture of mozzarella cheese, they grew restive and discontent.
sobriquet n An affectionate or humorous nickname. Though I grew up with the name of Clarence, I always dreamed of having a more dashing sobriquet--perhaps "Biff," or "Rocko."
ubiquitous adj Seemingly present everywhere, not to be confused with "omnipresent," which is an attribute of God. After this latest kidnapping, stories about keeping your children safe seemed ubiquitous; one couldn't open a paper or turn on a TV without reading another column of advice on the matter.
vilify v To make vicious and defamatory statements about. When it was discovered that the school principal trafficked in child pornography, he was so vilified by the press that he had to move out of the country.
voluptuous adj 1)
Giving, characterized by, or suggesting ample, unrestrained pleasure to the
senses: A) The full and voluptuous sculptural forms seemed filled with life
and richness. B) A voluptuous ripe fruit is a beautifully appetizing thing. C) A
full, voluptuous figure seems out of place among the "heroine chic"
models of today's runways. 2) A. Devoted to or indulging in sensual
pleasures. Hugh Hefner likes us to believe he lives a voluptuous lifestyle at
the Playboy Mansion. (One who engages in such thoughts or lifestyle is said
to be a "voluptuary."