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Vocab
23
abject adj In a low and degraded condition. The Joads of Oklahoma lived in abject poverty, sleeping on the open ground, foraging for food, and hoping not to starve before they found work.
austere adj 1. Severe or stern in disposition or appearance; somber and grave. The austere figure of a Puritan minister was made even more severe by his humorless expression and dark eyes. 2. Strict or severe in discipline; ascetic. A desert nomad's austere life boasts of few luxuries; it is a difficult and harsh existence. 3. Having no adornment or ornamentation; bare. Jane's austere style of decorating favored a lot of industrial-looking furniture, canvas and stainless steel; there were no floral pillows or chintz slipcovers.
blithe adj Innocent, cheerful, and unconcerned. Cindy's blithe attitude seemed to carry her cheerfully through every day at work, but we all wished she'd take her job a little more seriously.
contrive v 1. To plan with cleverness or ingenuity; devise. The clown was asked to contrive ways to amuse the children. 2. To invent or fabricate, especially by improvisation. My Uncle Bobby contrived a swing from hanging vines. 3. To plan with evil intent; scheme. The rebels contrived a plot to seize power. 4. To bring about, as by scheming; manage. The prisoner of Zenda somehow contrived to get past the guards unnoticed.
fastidious adj Extremely neat and fussy, easily offended. My Aunt Kathleen not only had a fastidious sense of delicacy, but also a fastidious neatness about her; she blushed at the slightest hint of indecency, and she dabbed her mouth with a napkin after every bite of food.
harangue n A speech or piece of writing characterized by strong feeling or expression; a tirade. Oliver, incensed over the lack of handicapped parking spaces, delivered an angry harangue to the city council regarding their lack of compassion.
incense v To anger or rile up. The issue of these parking places had the power to so incense Oliver that he was known to get red in the face with anger over it.
progeny n One's offspring or descendants. Abraham was the patriarch of the nation of Israel, and his progeny have populated many nations.
reprehensible adj Horrible and hateful, deserving of blame; wicked. Stealing wheelchair brakes is a reprehensible act, and if Oliver catches you, you'll go to prison for life.
requite
v
To repay or return, as love or a favor. (It is NOT to repay $$). 1) I
love Hermione from afar, but I do not know if she will requite my love for her. (This
usage is often seen in the phrase "unrequited love"). 2) When an
anonymous person does you a kindness, the best way to requite the favor is to do
an anonymous kindness for someone else.