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cynical             adj           tending to believe the worst about human nature Linda always said that all politicians were crooks--and she actually believed it. She was a truly cynical person.

divisive             adj            tending to split people apart or to divide them along different poles of opinion The Civil War--the most divisive conflict our nation has ever faced--killed more Americans than any other conflict we've ever been in.

forlorn             adj            sad, lonely, feeling abandoned Young Jonathan, left alone at school over the holidays, couldn't help but feel lost and forlorn.

gambol             v               to leap about and play in a frisky and lively manner, much like a young lamb or kid On the first bright day of spring, the children at recess gamboled happily in the sunshine, and the teacher let them stay out an extra half hour.

ordain              v               to officially name as having an office or to proclaim legally 1) My sister was ordained into the ministry in a lovely ceremony.  2) The king ordained that, henceforth, all men should wear hats in public.

requisite           n/adj         1) Something that is required or necessary English is one of the requisites for graduation from Stroudsburg. 2) Needed or required We took along matches, soap, a cooking pot, and other requisite items on our camping trip.

rudimentary      adj           fundamental or basic ("rudiments") You cannot be a great musician without at least a rudimentary understanding scales, tone values, and rhythm.

stigma              n               a mark of shame or disgrace Hester Prynne, forced to wear the stigma of the "Scarlet A," turned it into a mark of honor over the years.

timorous           adj           shy, nervous, easily frightened She stood timorously in doorway, hoping the principal would notice her without her having to speak and call attention to herself.

ubiquitous         adj            seemingly present everywhere, extremely common and widespread After the terrorist attack on the WTC, pictures of the disaster were ubiquitous; one couldn't open a paper or turn on the TV without seeing the terrible images over and over again.