WORD LIST 143
harangue (ha ̆·'ran) n. a long, often scolding or bombastic speech; a tirade. v. to
speak in a pompous maner; to declaim. Members of the audience began to get rest-
less during the senator’s political harangue.
harbinger ('hahr·bin·je ̆r) n. a person, thing, or event that foreshadows or indi-
cates what is to come; a forerunner or precursor. The arrival of the robins is a
harbinger of spring.
harrowing ('har·oh·in) adj. distressing, creating great stress or torment. The
turbulent flight proved to be a harrowing experience for Jane.
haughty ('haw·tee) adj. scornfully arrogant and condescending; acting as though
one is superior and others unworthy, disdainful. Stanley is so often haughty that
he has very few friends.
hegemony (hi·'jem·o ̆·nee) n. predominant influence or leadership, especially of
one government over others. The hegemony of his country borders on imperialism.
hermetic (hur·'met·ik) adj. 1. having an airtight closure. 2. protected from out-
side influences. In the hermetic world of the remote mountain village, the inhabi-
tants did not even know that their country was on the brink of war.
hiatus (h ̄·'ay·tu ̆s) n. a gap or opening; an interruption or break. After he was laid
off by the bank, Kobitu decided to take a long hiatus from the financial world and took
a job as a middle school math teacher.
hone (hohn) v. to sharpen; to perfect, make more effective. By practicing creating
spreadsheets, I honed my computer skills.
hubris ('hyoo·bris) n. overbearing pride or presumption. In the Greek tragedy
Oedipus Rex, Oedipus’s hubris leads to his downfall.
Iiconoclast ( ̄·'kon·oh·klast) n. 1. a person who attacks and seeks to overthrow
traditional ideas, beliefs, or institutions. 2. someone who opposes and destroys
idols used in worship. Using words as weapons, the well-spoken iconoclast challenged
political hypocrisy and fanaticism wherever she found it.
ignoble (i·'noh·be ̆l) adj. 1. lacking nobility in character or purpose, dishonor-
able. 2. not of the nobility, common. Mark was an ignoble successor to such a well-
respected leader, and many members of the organization resigned.
ignominious (i·no ̆·'min·ee·u ̆s) adj. 1. marked by shame or disgrace. 2. deserv-
ing disgrace or shame; despicable. The evidence of plagiarism brought an ignomin-
ious end to what had been a notable career for the talented young author.