1. L ESSON E IGHT English II

2. DERIDE (v) to ridicule; to mock syn: scorn ant: praise The unpopular professor derided students who made mistakes. DefinitionExample

3. CENSURE (v) to criticize sharply syn: condemn; reproach ant: praise; applaud The judge censured the repeat offender for his criminal behavior. DefinitionExample

4. GAMBOL (v) to frolic; to romp about playfully syn: play; caper; rollick The pre-schoolers liked to gambol about on the playground. DefinitionExample

5. IMMOLATE (v) to kill someone as a sacrificial victim, usually by fire Some Buddhist monks immolated themselves in protest of the government’s policies. DefinitionExample

6. RECONDITE (adj) difficult to understand; profound Only a few students understood the recondite explanation of the theory. DefinitionExample

7. MARTINET (n) a strict disciplinarian; taskmasker The teacher was a martinet who never made exceptions to the rules. DefinitionExample

8. QUAGMIRE (n) a swamp; a difficult or inextricable situation The war was a political quagmire for three U.S. presidents. DefinitionExample

9. GIBE (v) to scoff; to ridicule syn: jeer; taunt; sneer ant: compliment; praise His favorite pastime was to gibe at everything his wife said. DefinitionExample

10. AGAPE (adj) open-mouthed; surprised; agog syn: astonished Even the judge was agape when the witness told the ridiculous story in court. DefinitionExample

11. CARCINOGEN (n) causing cancerBenzene, a component of gasoline, is a carcinogen. DefinitionExample

12. OLFACTORY (adj) pertaining to smell If you have a cold, then your olfactory sense will not detect the gas leak. DefinitionExample

13. IMPERIOUS (adj) domineering; haughty syn: overbearing; arrogant; masterful ant: servile; submissive The judge pronounced his findings in an imperious voice. DefinitionExample

14. GROTESQUE (adj) absurd; distortedThe boy made a grotesque face behind the teacher’s back. DefinitionExample

15. NEOLOGISM (n) a new word or expression syn: coinage Some writers coin neologisms to confuse and impress their readers. DefinitionExample

16. HACKNEYED (adj) commonplace; overused syn: trite; banal ant: fresh; imaginative “Good as gold” is a hackneyed expression. DefinitionExample