Nothing but words

{Nothing But Words} Week 2- Vocabulary words found in the novel Aloft
by Chang- Rae Lee

1. Hubristic- (noun) A person who displays an exaggerated self confidence often resulting in retribution. (rewards/punishment)

a.When John returned home from the war, he had adopted a hubristic attitude that often led to conflicts with others.

2. Cacophony- (noun)Harashness in the sound of words or phrases.

a. The ringing of the Fire Bell, was a cacophony that abruptly woke everyone.


3. Ipecac- (noun) A tropical South American, creeping plant; of the madder family with drooping flowers.

a.Inside, the reception area housed an array of Ficus, Ipecac, and Palm Trees,
usually found in warm climates.

Week 3

4 Nihilistic- (noun) a person who has a feeling or beliefs or viewpoints that are senseless, unfounded or useless.

a. Judy's thinking, nihilistic and immature, turned off mosther office mates.

5.Purview- (noun)The scope or range of something, Like knowledge or jurisdiction.

a. The purview of the investigation included questioning everyone from the president of the company to the boy that delivered lunch. Everyone was a suspect.

6. Irascible- (adjective) marked by a hot temper and easily provoked by anger.

a. Chuck was an irascible teen; as an adult he is quiet and calm.

Week 4

7. Purport-(transitive verb) to have the often spacious appearance of being, intending or implied.

a. A study done by a medical research company, purports that moisturizing the skin daily, can reduce the signs of aging.

8. Spurious-(adjective) outwardly similiar or correspoding to something without having it's genuine qualities; a fake or forgery

a. At first glance Mike thought the painting seemed authentic, but with closer observation he deemed it a spurious copy.

9. Surfeit-(noun) an over abundant supply; excess

a.In many countries, there is a shortage of food, yet they maintain a surfeit of weapons.

Week 5

10. Egregious- (adjective) obviously bad;conspicuous, attracting attention, poor taste or bad manners
a. We could hardly believe Sues' egregious behavior at dinner last night.

11. Mien-(noun) putting on airs. An expression of attitude or personality. An aristocratic mien

a. While traveling through the English Countryside, Maddy began to develop a mien of royality.


12. Craven-(adjective) lacking the least bit of courage

a. Mike and Pauley became absolutely craven while starrying at a group of older boys on the playground.

Week 6

1. Addled-(verb) to throw into confusion
a.She knew they needed money fast, but Sharon was addled when Dan disclosed his plan to rob the bank.

2. Behemoth-(noun) something of monstrous size or appearance
a.Just glancing up at the mountain gave Allison an appreciation for its behemoth.

3. Esoteric-(adjective) requiring or exhibiting knowledge that is restrictd to a small group.
a. The rules of the PHI BETA KAPPA society while esoteric, were known to be above reproach.

Week 7

1. Subsist- (verb) To have or acquire the necessisties of life (as in food or clothing), to noursh ones self.
a. Amber found it difficult to subsist on a bland diet consisting of oats, bran and vegetables.

2. Convoluted-(adjective) Involved; intricate.
a. It was difficult for tess to decipher what the kidnappers were saying, since they spoke with a thick accent and their conversation was convoluted, but she was determined to try.


3. Preemptive- (adjective) Marked by the seizing of the initiative.
a. I thought it was best to be preemptive and explain to the teacher the reason for my late paper.


Week 8

1. Tottering- (adjective) being in unstable condition; walking unsteadily.
a.The serving plates were tottering on the edge of the table I was afraid to walk to close.

2. Triteness-(noun) lacking the freshness that evokes attention; boring from overuse, not original.
a. The triteness of Adam's speech came as a surprise to everyone since he usually spoke so eloquently.


3.Debacle- (noun) A great disaster, disruption or a complete failure.
a.Despite all their hard work and planning, Marcie, Susan, and Anna could not believe the party had turned into such a debacle.

Week 9
1. Unobtrusive- (adjective) not blantant, arresting or aggressive.
a.The music played unobtruvisely in the background; setting the perfect mood for their first date.

2. Imperative- (adjective) - of or having the power to restrain, control or direct another's behavior.
a. Dana spoke loudly to the receptionist, stressing that it was imperative that she speak with her husband right away.

3. Pandering- (intransitive verb) to appeal to or cater to one basic emotion.
a. Florence often found herself pandering whenever her boss was in the office.

Week 10

1. Remiss- (adjective) Negligent in the performance of work or duty.
a. The local school district was remiss in providing mental health services to the students following the death of a classmate.

2. Vicarge- (noun) the hosue of a vicar (a member of the church of England)
a. During the tour of a popular vicarge in Westminster, England, Phillip could not help but be moved by the simplistic style and structure of the building.

3. Infallible- (adjective) incapable of making a mistake or error.
a. There was no doubt in her mind that the pilot had made a grievious error, after all, no man is infallible.