字彙與字源學～單字筆記(week17)

1.   impeccable (adj.)

     -If you describe something such as someone's behavior or appearance

     as impeccable, you are emphasizing that it is perfect and has no faults.  

     Ex: Her academic credentials are impeccable.

2.    nemesis (n.)

      - The nemesis of a person or thing is a situation, event, or person,

      which causes them to be seriously harmed, especially as a punishment.  

      Ex: Uncritical trust is my nemesis.

3.    sagacious (adj.)

     - A sagacious person is intelligent and has the ability to make good

     decisions.  

     Ex: He is the most sagacious member of the committee.

4.   perfunctory (adj.)

     - A perfunctory action is done quickly and carelessly, and shows a

     lack of interest in what you are doing.

     Ex: She gave the list only a perfunctory glance.

5.   nebulous(adj.)

     - If you describe something as nebulous, you mean that it is vague

     and not clearly defined or not easy to describe. 

     Ex: So-called truth is a nebulous thing at best.

6.   acquiesce(v.)

     - If you acquiesce in something, you agree to do what someone wants

     or to accept what he or she does.  

     Ex: We acquiesced in his resignation.

7.   repudiate (v.)

     - If you repudiate something or someone, you show that you

     strongly disagree with them and do not want to be connected with

     them in any way.

     Ex: He declined to repudiate violence.

8.  usurp(v.)

    - If you say that someone usurps a job, role, title, or position, they

    take it from someone when they have no right to do this.

    Ex: The Congress wants to reverse the reforms and usurp the power

    of the presidency.

9.  specious (adj.)

    - Something that is specious seems to exist or be true, but is not real

    or true.  

    Ex: We wouldn't accept his specious claim.

10. sordid(adj.)

      - If you describe someone's behavior as sordid, you mean that it is

      immoral or dishonest.  

      Ex: It was a shock to discover the truth about his sordid past.

11. meticulous (adj.)

      -If you describe someone as meticulous, you mean that they do things

      very carefully and with great attention to detail. 

      Ex: The painting had been executed with meticulous attention to detail.

12. demography (n.)

      - Demography is the study of the changes in numbers of births,deaths, 

      marriages, and cases of disease in a community over a period of time. 

      Ex: Demography is the analysis of population variables.

13. redundant (adj.)

     - Something that is redundant is no longer needed because its job is

     being done by something else or because its job is no longer

     necessary or useful.

     Ex: There are too many redundant words in this book.

14. siblings (n.)

      - Your siblings are your brothers and sisters.  

      Ex: Sibling rivalry often causes parents anxieties.

15. garrulous (adj.)

      - If you describe someone as garrulous, you mean that they talk a

      great deal, especially about unimportant things. 

      Ex: My garrulous neighbor had given away the secret.

16. viable (adj.)

      - Something that is viable is capable of doing what it is intended to do. 

      Ex: The scheme is economically viable.

17. urbanization (n.)

      - Urbanization is the process of creating towns in country areas. 

      Ex: Urbanization will become increasingly important in the future.

18. ephemeral(adj.)

      - If you describe something as ephemeral, you mean that it lasts only

      for a very short time.  

      Ex: Such novels came forward to enjoy ephemeral popularity only.

19. agrarian (adj.)

      - Agrarian means relating to the ownership and use of land,

      especially farmland, or relating to the part of a society or economy

      that is concerned with agriculture.  

      Ex: This was a feature of agrarian development in Britain.

20. affinity(n.)

     - If you have an affinity with someone or something, you feel that you

     are similar to them or that you know and understand them very well.

     Ex: Many girls do show an affinity for craft skills.

21.bureaucracy (n.)

     - A bureaucracy is an administrative system operated by a large

     number of officials.  

     Ex: The bureaucracy has become ossified.

22. lethargy (n.)

     - Lethargy is the condition or state of being lethargic. 

     Ex: Sleep deprivation can cause stress, loss of appetite and lethargy.

23. affluence (n.)

      - Affluence is the state of having a lot of money or a high standard of living.  

      Ex: The postwar era was one of new affluence for the working class.

24. stereotype (n.)

      - A stereotype is a fixed general image or set of characteristics that a

      lot of people believe represent a particular type of person or thing. 

      Ex: There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.

25. ethnocentrism(n.)

      - Belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group

      Ex: As the labels suggest, diversity training aims to combat racism,

      sexism, exclusion, and ethnocentrism.