ERWC Vocab 15

Abrasive -adjective -insensitive, difficult to get along with, aggressive/annoying Some people don't like Gordan Ramsay because of his abrasive personality when he's in the kitchen.

Ascribe Verb To attribute to something He tried to ascribe the F he earned to the fact that he and the teacher didn’t get along.

Catalyst Noun Something that causes a change to occur Losing the first game of the series was a catalyst for the team’s changing its strategy.

Dismay -Noun/Verb -Distress (as a verb: To cause distress) His mother’s dismay was obvious as she looked over his final progress report.

Engrossing -adjective -interesting The documentary on the songwriter was engrossing and I learned a lot from it.

Estimable Adjective Worthy of respect She was an estimable doctor whose colleagues often went to her for advice.

Indecorous Adjective Improper (behavior) or impolite His indecorous behavior got him kicked out of the restaurant and embarrassed his date.

Falter Verb To start to lose strength or momentum I went up to the podium, but I faltered as soon as my speech began.

Humility Noun Modesty/Lack of arrogance (opposite of “hubris”) He spoke with humility about the award he was offered and gave credit to all of his teammates.

Impasse Noun A point in a discussion, argument, or negotiation at which no further progress can be made. When the two resorted to name calling, it was evident that they were at an impasse.

Adversity Noun Struggle/Difficulty/Challenge Everyone deals with adversity differently: Some rise to the challenge, others give up.

Inkling Noun Slight knowledge or suspicion She had no inkling what to expect when the movie started because she had avoided all of the trailers.