All About Literature

midterm

Mid-term

1.       quash , verb : to annul;  also , to crush; to subdue. The Shelby Globe attributed her death to acute heart failure and yellow jaundice and did its best to quash a curious town rumor that had her being poisoned by eating oyster sandwiches. -- Tim Page, Dawn Powell: A Biography 2.       meretricious , adjective : tawdry. Let us be thought over-much plain and simple, even bare, rather than gaudy, flashy, cheap and meretricious. -- Erik Larson, The Devil in the White City 3.       bumptious , adjective : crudely, presumptuously, or noisily self-assertive. Wells did not meet his father until he was an adult, by which time he had developed his own blunt, sometimes bumptious personality. -- George Vecsey, "An Outsider Who Became an Insider", New York Times, October 7, 1998 4.       laudable , adjective : praiseworthy; commendable. The second sense in whic...

1) Loathe verb To hate e.g. I loathe spinach but I love other green vegetable. 2) Reprimand verb To show sharp disapproval e.g. When Ed arrived late, he knew that the grocer would reprimand him. 3) Lackluster adjective Dull e.g. Speaking in a monotone, the politician was booed for his lackluster address. 4) Caustic adjective Sarcastic, biting e.g. In a caustic article, the drama critic slaughtered the hapless actors. 5) Wrest verb Take by force e.g. With the help of his brothers he was able to wrest the leadership of the company from his partner. 6) Infamous adjective Having a bad reputation e.g. The bombing of Pearl Harbor was referred to as an infamous deed. 7) Jostle verb To shove hard e.g. When he attempted to jostle the old lady, she struck him with her umbrella. 8) Dupe noun A person easily tricked e.g. The wealthy dupe consented to buy the often-sold Brooklyn Bridge. 9) I...