Building a Better Vocabulary

Target Word

and Part of Speech 'H¿QLWLRQ

LECTURE

No.

éPLQHQFHJULVH

(noun)

1. a powerful decision maker or advisor
   who operates behind the scenes


2. an elder statesman or eminent
   senior member of a group

34

HSRQ\P (noun) a word derived from a person’s name 28

HTXLYRFDO (adjective) open to two or more interpretations,

often with an intent to mislead

or be purposely vague

14

HUVDW] (adjective) describes an inferior substitute 3

erudite (adjective) learned or scholarly; characterized

by deep and extensive knowledge

18

esoteric (adjective) understood by only a select group 18

evanescent (adjective) 1. ÀHHWLQJRUVKRUWGXUDWLRQYDQLVKLQJ
or likely to vanish

2. fragile, diaphanous, and unsubstantial

36

H[HFUDWH (verb) 1. to damn or denounce scathingly; curse

2. to detest utterly, abhor, abominate, loathe

9

H[HJHVLV (noun) an explanation or critical interpretation,

especially of the Bible or another

religious text

18

H[LJXRXV (adjective) excessively scanty, inadequate, and meager 30

H[WLUSDWH (verb) to pull up by the roots; to root out

and destroy completely; to wipe out

25

facile (adjective) done or achieved with little effort

RUGLI¿FXOW\HDV\SHUIRUPHG

ZLWKHIIRUWOHVVHDVHDQGÀXHQF\

19

factitious (adjective) 1. made or manufactured; not natural

2. made up in the sense of contrived;
   a sham, fake, or phony

2

IDFWRWXP (noun) someone hired to do a variety of jobs;

a jack-of-all-trades

1

feckless (adjective) 1. weak and ineffective

2. worthless, lazy, and irresponsible

36

¿QGHVLqFOH

(noun phrase)

end of the century 25