Apostate (n) One who forsakes his or her religion, party, or cause Syn: renegade, defector Ant: true believer, loyalist ***opposite of the rest

Bravado (n) A display of false or assumed courage Syn: swagger, bluster, braggadocio Ant: mettle, bravery, pluck ***false bravery

Consensus (n) A collective or general agreement of opinion, feeling, or thinking Syn: unanimity, concord, accord Ant: disagreement, discord **con- together

Constrict (v) To make smaller or narrower, draw together, squeeze; to stop or cause to falter Syn: contract, curb, restrain Ant: enlarge, expand ** boa constrictor

Dichotomy (n) A division into two contradictory or mutually exclusive parts; a branching or forking in an ancestral line Syn: schism, divisionAnt: uniformity, oneness ** di - two

Effusive (adj) highly, demonstrative; unrestrained Syn: gushy, lavish Ant: restrained, reserved, subdued

Euphoria (n) A feeling of great happiness or well-being, often with no objective basis Syn: elation, blissAnt: melancholy, gloom

Gothic (adj) Characterized by or emphasizing a gloomy setting and grotesque or violent events; such a literary or artistic style; a type of medieval architecture Syn: sinister, eerie ** goth

Impasse (n) A dead end; a position from which there is no escape; a problem to which there is no solution Syn: deadlock, stalemate **N0 pass

Lugubrious (adj) Sad, mournful, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree Syn: doleful, dismal Ant: merry, jovial, funny *** “blue-rious”

Metamorphosis (n) A complete transformation, as if by magic Syn: change, makeover **morph – transform

Mystique (n) An aura or attitude of mystery or veneration surrounding something or someone Syn: charisma **mysterious

Non sequitur (n) An inference or conclusion that does not follow logically from the facts or premises Syn: illogical reference, unsound conclusion ** not in sequence

Parlous (adj) Full of danger or risk; perilous Syn: hazardous, risky, dangerous ant: safe, secure, risk-free **perilous

Punctilio (n) A minute detail of conduct or procedure; an instant of time Syn: fine point, nicety **punctual

Quagmire (n) Soft, soggy mud or slush; a difficult or entrapping situation Syn: marsh, bog, morass Ant: bedrock, terra firma **mired

Quixotic (adj) Extravagantly or romantically idealistic; visionary without regard to practical considerations Syn: fanciful, impractical, utopian Ant: realistic, down-to-earth, pragmatic ***exotic

Raconteur (n) A person who tells stories and anecdotes with great skill Syn: storyteller, anecdotist ***recount a story

Sine qua non (n) An essential or indispensable element or condition Syn: necessity, requisite

Vendetta (n) A prolonged feud, often between two families, characterized by retaliatory acts of revenge; any at motivated by vengeance Syn: blood feud, rivalry ***V for Vendetta