Fall List #7

aberration: a person whose beliefs or behavior are unusual or unacceptable. ex: Living in a foreign country, my way of life was quite the aberration. ad hoc: formed, arranged, or done for a particular purpose only. ex: People with obssessive cumpulsive disorder have an ad hoc way of living. bane: a cause of great distress or annoyance. ex: Small children are bane to me. bathos: triteness; flatness. ex: Those who are monotone tend to be described as having bathos qualities. cantankerous: bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative. ex: Individuals on the show "Intervention" tend to be cantakerous due due the influence of drugs. casuistry: the resolving of moral problems by the application of theoretical rules to particular instances. ex: Solving life problems can be done using casuistry views. de facto: in fact, whether by right or not. ex: De facto, Santa Maria's weather in unpredictable. depredation: an act of attacking or plundering. ex: Bullying is an example of depredtion. empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. ex: When two people share life experiences, they are empathetic towards one another. harbinger: a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another. ex: Guards are examples of harbingers. hedonism: the pursuit of pleasure. ex: Making a new start in life is hedonistic. lackluster: lacking in vitality, force, or conviction; uninspired. ex: One that has lackluster qualities may be lazy and ummotivated. malcontent: a person who is dissatisfied and rebellious. ex: Malcontent teenagers have bad behavior and defy their paretns' rules. mellifluous: sweet or musical; pleasant to hear. ex: Talented singers have mellifluous voices. nepotism: the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, esp. by giving them jobs. ex: Having "connections" in a work field that work to your favor is nepotistic. pander: gratify or indulge (an immoral or distasteful desire, need, or habit or a person with such a desire, etc.). ex: Addicts pander on their immoral addictions. peccadillo: a small, relatively unimportant offense or sin. ex: Some jokes are hurtful, and others are peccadillo. piece de resistance: collector's item: the outstanding item (the prize piece or main exhibit) in a collection. ex: The Emmy is a piece de resistance for many actors and actresses. remand: place (a defendant) on bail or in custody, esp. when a trial is adjourned. ex: The remand in court has his wife pay his bail. syndrome: a group of symptoms that consistently occur together or a condition characterized by a set of associated symptoms. ex: One can't be diagnosed with a syndrom without determining the symptoms first.