1. jejune: barren; flat; dull. The Latin word jejunus means “empty”2. libidinous: characterized by lust; lewd; lascivious. In psychoanalytic theory, the libido is the driving force behind all human action
3. licentious: morally unrestrained; lascivious. This is derived form an Old French word that meant “license” and referred to an abuse of liberty or undisciplined freedom.
4. mercurial: changeable; volatile. These adjectives are characteristic of the heavy, silver-white metallic element mercury. In Roman mythology the swift messenger of the gods, Mercury was volatile, quick-witted, eloquent, and manually skillful.
5. meretricious: flashy; tawdry; falsely alluring. It is from the Latin word meretricious (“prostitute”)
6.minatory: menacing; threatening
7. mutable: inconstant; fickle; tending to frequent change. In biology, a mutation is a change in some inheritable characteristic.
8. niggardly: stingy; miserly. Niggardly comes from a Norman French word meaning “to rub” or “to pinch.” A pennypincher is niggardly.
9. nonchalant: cool; indifferent; without warmth or animation. It comes from a French root, chaloir (“to care for”)
10. noxious: unwholesome; harmful to health. The Latin nocere means “to hurt”
11. obdurate: hardhearted; inflexible; not easily moved to pity.
12. obtuse: slow to understand; dull.
13. officious: meddlesome; offering unnecessary and unwanted advise.
14. omniscient: having infinite knowledge; knowing all things.
15. pusillanimous: cowardly; fainthearted in Latin, “tiny mind”
Exercises
I. Which Word Comes to Mind?
In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.
1. A Chinese fortune cookie accurately predicts your future
(jejune, omniscient, licentious)
2. Eight poker players puffing on cigars in your living room
(noxious, officious, niggardly)
3. You receive an anonymous letter hinting at violence
(libidinous, minatory, nonchalant)
4. Your father absolutely refuses to let you borrow his car
(meretricious, obtuse, obdurate)
5. The Lion in The Wizard of Oz
(pusillanimous, mercurial, mutable)
6. It doesn’t take much to upset James to the point of exasperation
(mutable, mercurial, noxious)
7. Maxine can’t make up her mind about which dress to wear
(jejune, meretricious, mutable)
8. Jose had abandoned five wives, but he was ready to try again
(licentious, pusillanimous, niggardly)
9. Malcolm blames everyone but himself for his failures
(obtuse, licentious, nonchalant)
10. Nothing seems to excite him
(officious, nonchalant, minatory)
II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false
____ 1. The conservative congregation was quite pleased with the minister’s libidinous position.
____ 2. One of our most coveted military awards, the Purple Heart, is given to those who have distinguished themselves by pusillanimous actions in combat.
____ 3. An officious bank manager can make his tellers uneasy.
____ 4. Putting a $50 bill in the church collection plate is a niggardly gesture
____ 5. Interior decorators generally abhor meretricious furniture
____ 6. Clara spoke in a jejune tone that attracted everyone’s attention.
____ 7. Being of a mercurial temperament, Tom could not restrain his delight.
____ 8. A noxious element in human relations inclines people to be forgiving
____ 9. Becoming omniscient is unattainable even for the greatest among us.
____ 10. Anxious to achieve a quick success, the president dispatched his most obtuse negotiator
III. Fill in the Blank
Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below.
1. The ______________ nature of the negotiators made it likely they would come to blows
2. The professor’s _____________ attitude about any subject led us to regard him with awe and discomfort
3. Being human is equivalent to being _____________ for, as Heracleitus said, change is the only permanence we can count on.
4. Twenty years of _______________ living had taken its complete toll of Mr. Bodack.
5. The marriage proposal was made in such a(n) __________________ manner that Gloria doubted its sincerity.
6. The fumes form the gigantic fire were judged to be so ________________ that the authorities issued a general evacuation order for nearby homes.
7. Alvin’s generous offer to call the bout a draw was mistakenly regarded as a(n) ________________ act.
8. When Iris learned that the role of Roxanne required her to wear _________________ garb, she opted to turn down the offer.
9. Elizabeth’s _______________ interference did not endear her to the people in her office.
10. Only after Bob had spent an exciting, eye-opening year in the Peace Corps did he realize the ______________ monotony of his previous life.
IV. What’s the Antonym?
Which of the new words is most nearly opposite in meaning to the one provided?
1. friendly _______________________
2. extravagant _______________________
3. harmless _______________________
4. stouthearted _______________________
5. yielding _______________________
6. acute _______________________
7. ignorant _______________________
8. zealous _______________________
9. extravagant _______________________
10. chaste _______________________
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