Vocabulary Week 3

Heresy Noun The crime of holding a belief that goes against established doctrine The church kicked him out because they considered him guilty of heresy.

Docile Adjective Easy to teach or manage Usually sheep are considered pretty docile, but this one was a stubborn jerk.

Libation Noun A drink; often alcoholic Our host offered me a libation, but I had to decline.

Anathema Noun A hated person or thing I abhor Brussel sprouts. They are anathema to me.

Banter Noun Teasing, playful conversation Spiderman is known for his banter with his foes.

Castigate Verb To criticize or punish severely I knew I’d done the wrong thing, but I thought castigating me publicly was a little too much.

Gauche Adjective Lacking social graces or etiquette He was raised by wolves, so, of course, he was a little gauche at the fancy dinner party. Licking his plate, for instance.

Ignominy Noun Public shame or disgrace I couldn’t stand the ignominy of terrible grades, so I made sure I always made the effort to do well.

Livid Adjective Extremely angry Being jettisoned from the plane mid-sentence left me livid. I was definitely going to have a chat with her about politeness.

Emaciated Adjective Extremely thin, wasted away The prisoners-of-war returned home emaciated. It made us sick just to look.