Set 7 Flashcards
Austere
Without adornment; bare; severely simple; ascetic
Lincoln’s often austere appearance reflected the somber, grave side of his personality, but not his sense of humor
Avarice
Greed, especially for wealth
King Midas’ avarice led him to wish for the power to turn everything he touched to gold
Avaricious means greedy
Aver
To state as a fact; to confirm or support
Although Michele averred that she would never be late again, her friends remained understandably skeptical
Axiom
A universally recognized principle; a generally accepted or common saying
It is an axiom of the American legal system that one is innocent until proven guilty
Axiomatic means generally accepted or taken as given
Nowadays it is axiomatic that most contagious diseases are caused by microscopic organisms, but it wasn’t long ago that most people thought these diseases were caused by everything from harmful vapors to personality traits
Baleful
Sinister, pernicious, ominous
Usually pertains to looks, glances, and glares
A sort of baleful miasma lingered in the room after the infamous sir evildoer departed in a swirl if black and red cape
Bane
Cause of injury, source of harm; source of persistent frustration
Even for those who recognize that smoking is far more if a bane than a benefit, quitting can be a struggle
Bane full means causing harm or ruin, pernicious, destructive
Beatify
To bless, make happy, or ascribe a virtue to; to regard as saintly
She was described in such a glowing way; every single quality she possessed was beatified
Beatitude is a state of bliss, and beatific means having a blissful appearance
His beatific smile could only mean he had just eaten some exceptionally good sushi
*not to be confused with beautify, which means to make beautiful
Auspicious
Favorable, propitious, successful, prosperous
Weddings are generally considered auspicious occasions; you can tell by all the toasting and well- wishing that goes on
