Word List
apostate(a ̆·pos·tayt) n.one who abandons long-held religious or political
convictions. Disillusioned with the religious life due to recent scandals in the
church, Reverend Gift lost his faith and left the ministry, not caring if he’d be seen
as an apostate by colleagues who chose to remain.
apotheosis(a ̆·poth·i·oh·sis) n.deification; an exalted or glorified ideal.
Lancelot was the apotheosis of chivalry until he met Guinivere.
blasphemy(blas·fe ̆·mee) n.contemptuous or irreverent acts, utterances,
attitudes, or writings against God or other things considered sacred; disre-
spect of something sacrosanct. If you had committed blasphemy during the
Inquisition, you would have been tortured and killed.
desecrate(des·e ̆·krayt) v.to violate the sacredness of, to profane. Someone
desecrated the local cemetery by spray-painting graffiti on tombstones.
dogma(daw·ma ̆) n.a system of principles or beliefs; a prescribed doctrine.
Some find the dogma inherent in religion a comfort, whereas others find it too
restrictive.
draconian(dray·koh·ni·a ̆n) adj.very harsh, extremely severe (especially of
a law or punishment). Students of international policy are often shocked by the
draconian punishments used by other countries for seemingly minor offences.
gargantuan(ahr·an·choo·a ̆n) adj.gigantic, huge. It was a gargantuan
supermarket for such a small town.
hallow(hal·oh) v.to make holy, consecrate. The religious leader proclaimed
the new worship hall a hallowed space.
imprecation(im·pre ̆·kay·sho ̆n) n.an invocation of evil, a curse. In the book
I’m reading, the gypsy queen levies an imprecation on the lead character.
infidel(in·fi·de ̆l) n.1. a person with no religious beliefs. 2. a non-believer;
one who does not accept a particular religion, doctrine, or system of beliefs.
Because Tom had been raised with strict religious beliefs, it was no surprise that he
was viewed as a heathen and an infidel by his family when he refused to be mar-
ried in the church.
lilliputian(lil·i·pyoo·sha ̆n) adj.1. very small, tiny. 2. trivial or petty. My
troubles are lilliputian compared to hers, and I am thankful that I do not have such
major issues in my life.