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Vocab 9
abrogate v to do away with or to repeal officially, as a law Mr. Senator, I hereby declare that we should abrogate this antique law that keeps women from voting; I say we bring them into the voting booth with the rest of the population.
bombastic adj excessively ornate, florid, and self-important in speech--to the point that it becomes almost ridiculous Roderick thought, in addressing Parliament, that he would impress them with his formal English, modeled after Milton's poetry. Instead, he reduced them to helpless laughter with his foolishly bombastic oratory.
calumny n a false statement maliciously made to injure another's reputation--slander I knew he was planning to run a dirty campaign against me, but to be made the target of deliberate calumny and outright lies about my reputation is something I never expected.
castigate v to punish or scold severely So terrified was she to see her children walking on the thin ice of the pond that she castigated them severely upon their return to shore.
chagrin n a combination of embarrassment and disappointment Well, you can imagine my chagrin when I showed up unexpectedly to my mother's birthday party, and she announced archly, "I don't recall inviting you."
dilatory adj tending to delay or to be late, tending to procrastinate Oscar's dilatory habits on the way to school landed him frequently in detention, but he was never late for supper!
encumber v to weigh down as with a burden, chore, or handicap Though Cynthia had been encumbered all her life with a pronounced stutter, she nevertheless became a brilliant singer and stage performer.
enigma n a puzzle, a conundrum, something which confuses and mystifies For centuries, the smile drifting across the Mona Lisa has been an enigma; no one knows what she's thinking.
ennui n listlessness and dissatisfaction resulting from lack of interest and boredom The servants relieved their ennui with gambling and gossip about their masters.
genteel adj well-bred,
displaying fine and gracious manners in an aristocratic manner Dahlia, this
was to be a sophisticated and genteel garden party; no one wants to hear you
belch "God Save the Queen."