1. 12 G Vocab 8

2. accolade
Noun
Praise
Many people rushed out to try the new Thai restaurant on Wayne Ave. after it received an accolade in a newspaper review.

3. assuage Verb To relieve, lessen
My brother’s apology helped to assuage my anger at him.

4. cacophony Noun Harsh, discordant sounds
I bought my daughter headphones so I would not have to listen to the cacophony that she calls music.

5. censure Noun Blame, rebuke
When Aaron got his ear pierced, he had to deal not only with his father’s censure, but also with his grandfather’s sarcastic remarks and icy stares.

6. diatribe Noun A bitter, abusively critical speech or piece of writing
A reporter covering a preacher’s sermon sat through an hour-long diatribe about wickedness. He later wrote, “Mr. Blanc spoke on sin. He was against it.”

7. edifice Noun A building, especially of large, imposing size
On the college’s hundredth anniversary, a plaque was put up in honor of the architect who had designed its first edifice, now the administration building.

8. gravity Noun Severity; weighty importance
The anxious parents waited in the emergency room to learn the gravity of their son’s condition.

9. infraction Noun A breaking of a law or rule
The civil-rights leader Jesse Jackson was arrested as a college student for reading a book in a library. This was an infraction of the rules - the library was only for whites.

10. profane Adjective Showing disrespect or contempt for sacred things
Karen refused to use profane language. She says, “Oh my gosh” instead of Oh my God.”

11. somber Adjective Solemn, sad and depressing; melancholy
When I saw the doctor’s somber expression, I was afraid she had bad news for me.