Vocabulary #8

abase: to behave in a way so as to belittle or degrade someone
abdicate: to renounce one's throne
abomination: a thing that causes disgust or hatred
brusque: abrupt or off-hand in speech or manner
saboteur: a person who engages in sabotage
debauchery: excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures
proliferate: increase rapidly in numbers, multiply
anachronism: a thing belonging to a period of time other than its, usually old-fashioned
nomenclature: the devising or choosing of names for things
expurgate: to remove matter thought to be unsuitable
bellicose: demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight
gauche: lacking ease or grace, socially awkward
rapacious: aggressively greedy or grasping
paradox: a statement that seems self-contradictory
conundrum: a confusing and difficult problem or question
anomaly: something that deviates from what is standard
ephemeral: lasting for a very short time
rancorous: characterized by bitterness or resentment
churlish: rude in a mean-spirited and surly way
precipitous: dangerously high or steep

• The cocky football player abased the little freshman who had dropped his books.
• The prince found out his father had been stealing money from the kingdom, so publicly abdicated him at the next large event.
• The government shutdown was an abomination, the public was angered at the childlike stubbornness of the politicians.
• His lecture was brusque, he would skip from one topic to the next with no logical succession.
• The little sister was known as a saboteur, she would always play pranks on her older sister, like hiding her car keys and stealing her clothes.
• The teenage boy was known for his debauchery and therefore never got a steady girlfriend.
• The family of bunnies proliferated and soon inhabited the whole woodland.
• The record player was an anachronism, in the house of otherwise modern decor.
• All the scientists gathered to discuss the nomenclature of the new elements, and fought over whose name they would choose.
• The mother expurgated all of the video games and junk food from her child's room.
• The bellicose dog lunged at the unsuspecting cat.
• The rapacious lion fought off others so he could have the kill all to himself.