1. Tues., Oct. 27 1. Brazen (adj.) shameless, insolent, or defiant I was shocked by the lawyer’s brazen attitude towards the judge. 2. Compunction (n.) uneasiness or hesitation about the rightness of an action Jessica feels no compunction about using profanity in class! 3. Deleterious (adj.) harmful; injurious to health Even though everyone knows that smoking is deleterious, many people pick up the habit.

2. Wed., Oct. 28 4. Edict (n.) a decree issued by a sovereign or other authority The King issued an edict that all spinning wheels in the kingdom must be destroyed. 5. Indiscretion (n.) An indiscreet or inappropriate act or remark Kirt was hoping that his girlfriend wouldn’t find out about his indiscretion on the band trip. 6. Perquisites (n.)payment, benefit, privilege, or advantage over and above regular income, salary, or wages A private jet is one of the cooler perquisites of my job.

3. Thurs., Oct. 29 7. Sepulcher (n.) a tomb, grave, or burial place; a structure or a recess in some old churches King Henry II spent a night in Thomas Becket’s sepulcher to try to atone for his murder. 8. Suppliant(n.) a person who asks humbly and earnestly; a petitioner Many suppliants came to beg Oedipus to lift the curse that was upon them. 9. Tumult (n.) violent and noisy commotion or disturbance of a crowd or mob; uproar Sometimes it’s hard to hear the coach over the tumult of the crowd.

4. Monday, Nov. 2 10. Marauding (adj., v.) engaged in raiding for plunder; roaming about and ravaging an area The stranded travelers had to be on the lookout for marauding bands of headhunters. 11. Admonish (v.) to caution or advise about an action; to scold mildly The teacher gently admonished the students to refrain from talking during the test. 12. Unctuous (adj.) characterized by excessive piousness; excessively smooth, suave, or smug; oily The unctuous mortician gave me the creeps!

5. Thurs., Nov. 6 13. Lassitude (n.) weariness of body or mind; listlessness or lack of energy After eating the poison apple, Snow White was overwhelmed with a feeling of lassitude. 14. Licentious (adj.) sexually unrestrained; immoral The Miller told a tale of a licentious young man named Absalom. 15. Muse (n.) a poet or source of information (v.) to think or meditate in silence Often, ancient poets would call upon their muse to inspire them.

6. Wed., Nov. 18 16. Pecuniary (adj.) Pertaining to money; requiring payment of money. Driving over the speed limit is a pecuniary offense. 17. Plight (n.) a condition, state, or situation, especially an unfavorable or unfortunate one. Many news programs showed the plight of the hurricane victims, leading viewers to donate money. 18. Presumptuous (adj.) impertinently bold, arrogant, or forward. I think it was very presumptuous of Jenna to demand a change of venue just because it was inconvenient for her.

7. Mon., Nov. 10 19. Subversive (adj.) actions intended to overthrow or cause the downfall of something, usually a government. (n.) one who attempts such acts. Due to the subversive actions of the terrorist group, the democratic elections resulted in chaos. 20. Vacuous (adj.) empty; lacking in intelligence or ideas; purposeless. Judging by the student’s vacuous expressions, my explanation provided little help. 21. Avocation (n.) an activity taken up outside one’s regular work; a hobby; one’s regular work or profession While David is a nuclear physicist by day, his avocation is writing mystery novels.

8. Wed., Nov. 12 22. Callous (adj.) Hardened; insensitive (v.) to make to become hard or calloused I was shocked by the nurse’s callous attitude towards her elderly patient. 23. Capricious (adj.) Governed or characterized by impulse or whim; likely to change suddenly The weather in Kansas in spring is very capricious. 24. Disparity (n.) Inequality or difference Many patrons are surprised at the disparity in programs offered at inner-city and suburban schools.