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1. jejune: barren; flat; dull. The Latin word jejunus means empty 2. libidinous: characterized by lust; lewd; lascivious. In psychoanalytic theory, the libido is the driving force behind all human action 3. licentious: morally unrestrained; lascivious. This is derived form an Old French word that meant license and referred to an abuse of liberty or undisciplined freedom. 4. mercurial: changeable; volatile. These adjectives are characteristic of the heavy, silver-white metallic element mercury. In Roman mythology the swift messenger of the gods, Mercury was volatile, quick-witted, eloquent, and manually skillful. 5. meretricious: flashy; tawdry; falsely alluring. It is from the Latin word meretricious (prostitute) 6.minatory: menacing; threatening 7. mutable: inconstant; fickle; tending to frequent change. In biology, a mutation is a change in some inheritable characteristic. 8. niggardly: stingy; miserly. Niggardly comes from a Norman French word meaning to rub or to pinch. A pennypincher is niggardly. 9. nonchalant: cool; indifferent; without warmth or animation. It comes from a French root, chaloir (to care for) 10. noxious: unwholesome; harmful to health. The Latin nocere means to hurt 11. obdurate: hardhearted; inflexible; not easily moved to pity. 12. obtuse: slow to understand; dull. 13. officious: meddlesome; offering unnecessary and unwanted advise. 14. omniscient: having infinite knowledge; knowing all things. 15. pusillanimous: cowardly; fainthearted in Latin, tiny mind
Exercises
8. When Iris learned that the role of Roxanne required her to wear _________________ garb, she opted to turn down the offer. 9. Elizabeths _______________ interference did not endear her to the people in her office. 10. Only after Bob had spent an exciting, eye-opening year in the Peace Corps did he realize the ______________ monotony of his previous life.