Part IV - Chapter V — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from Part IV - Chapter V

enigmatic

Mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to interpret.

arrogant

Having an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities; overbearingly proud.

ineptitude

Lack of skill or ability; incompetence or awkwardness.

incongruous

Not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something; out of place.

tout court

A French phrase meaning "simply" or "without addition or qualification."

c'est de rigueur

A French phrase meaning "it is required by custom or etiquette."

sedentary

Tending to spend much time seated; characterized by much sitting and little physical activity.

felicitous

Well chosen or suited to the circumstances; pleasing and apt.

irrefutable

Impossible to deny or disprove; undeniable.

monomania

An obsessive preoccupation with one thing; an exaggerated or obsessive enthusiasm for a single subject.

paroxysm

A sudden attack or violent expression of a particular emotion or activity.

peremptory

Insisting on immediate attention or obedience; leaving no opportunity for denial or refusal.

solicitude

Care or concern for someone or something; attentive and anxious consideration.

Hof-kriegsrath

The Austrian Imperial War Council (Hofkriegsrat), a military bureaucracy known for elaborate paper strategies that failed in practice.

punchinello

A buffoon or clown, derived from the Italian commedia dell'arte character Pulcinella; used as an insult meaning a ridiculous figure.

spleen

Bad temper; spite; irritability or moroseness. In 19th-century usage, a fashionable term for melancholy or ill humor.