Webster Essential Vocabulary

O

obdurate(AHB dyoo RAYT) adj.1. not easily moved to feeling empathy;

2. not readily giving in; stubborn; inflexible
   
   
   • Despite his tenants’ having a difficult time coming up with the rent,
     Simon Legree was obduratein his intention to evict them.
   
   
   • Although Susan tried to get her employer to allow her to work flexible
     hours so that she could take some courses, the manager remained obdurate
     in insisting she stick to a fixed schedule.
     [-ly adv.] [Syn. inflexible]
     oblique(oh BLEEK) adj.1. Neither vertical, nor horizontal, but slanting;
   
   
   
   


3. indirect rather than to the point; 3. evasive and underhanded
   
   
   • The hypotenuse of a right triangle is always obliqueto both of the
     triangle’s legs.
   
   
   • Despite Joe’s trying to get a direct answer from his supervisor as to
     whether his taking vacation time would impair his chances of promotion,
     the supervisor’s answers remained oblique.
   
   
   • The lawyer tried to pin Alice down on how much of the conversation she
     had overheard, but she was obliquein most of her responses.
     [-ly adv., -ness n.]
     obscurity*(ahb SKYUR i tee) n.the condition or quality of being difficult to
     perceive, hard to see, not well known, vague, or ambiguous
   
   
   • Because the soldier had taken care to completely camouflage his position,
     despite the enemy’s closeness, his presence remained in obscurity.
   
   
   • Elvis’s presence at the top of the pop music scene elevated him to the
     limelight from near obscurity.
   
   
   • The obscurityof the wording of the contract made it difficult to determine
     what was expected from either party.
     [obscurities pl.]
     observation (AHB zir VAY shin) n.1. the following or keeping a law, custom,
     principle, etc.; 2. a noticing of something; 3. being seen or noticed; 4. the noting
     and recording of facts; 5. a comment or remark
   
   
   • The observationof the Sabbath was a key part of Allan’s upbringing.
   
   
   • Helen’s observationof a stranger near her car made her suspicious.
   
   
   • The burglar kept low to the ground, hoping to elude everyone’s observation.
   
   
   • Kenny’s observationsduring the chemical experiment were kept in his
     chemistry notebook.
   
   
   • Rosa noticed the mismatch of Pedro’s socks and could not help making an
     observationto him.
     [Syn. remark]
   
   
   
   

167