|
harmonious
(adj.) having proportionate and orderly parts
The challenge for the new conductor was to mold his musicians' talents
into a harmonious orchestra.
haughty
(adj.) proud of oneself and scornful of others
The haughty ways she displayed her work turned off her peers.
The haughty girl displayed her work as if she were the most prized artist.
hedonistic
(adj.) living for pleasure
The group was known for its hedonistic rituals.
Hot tubs, good food, and a plethora of leisure time were the hallmarks
of this hedonistic society.
heed
(v.) obey; yield to
If the peasant heeds the king's commands, she will be able to keep her
land.
hefty
(adj.) heavy or powerful
The unabridged dictionary makes for a hefty book.
heresy
(n.) opinion contrary to popular belief
In this town it is considered heresy to want parking spaces to have meters.
heretic
(n.) one who holds opinion contrary to that which is generally accepted
Because he believed the world was round, many people considered Columbus
to be a heretic.
hiatus
(n.) interval; break; period of rest
Summer vacation provided a much-needed hiatus for the students.
Between graduation and the first day of his new job, Tim took a three-month
hiatus in the Caribbean.
hierarchy
(n.) a system of persons or things arranged according to rank
I was put at the bottom of the hierarchy while Jane was put at the top.
hoary
(adj.) whitened by age
The paint had a hoary appearance, as if it were applied decades ago.
homage
(n.) honor; respect
The police officers paid homage to their fallen colleague with a ceremony
that celebrated her life.
homeostasis
(n.) maintenance of stability
Knowing the seriousness of the operation, the surgeons were concerned
about restoring the patient to homeostasis.
homily
(n.) solemn moral talk; sermon
The preacher gave a moving homily to the gathered crowd.
hone
(n.; v.) something used to sharpen; to sharpen; to long or yearn for
He ran the knife over the hone for hours to get a razor-sharp edge.
The apprenticeship will give her the opportunity to hone her skills.
The traveler hones for his homeland.
hubris
(n.) arrogance
Some think it was hubris that brought the president to the point of impeachment.
humility
(n.) lack of pride; modesty
Full of humility, she accepted the award but gave all the credit to her
mentor.
hybrid
(n.) anything of mixed origin
The flower was a hybrid of three different flowers.
hyperbole
(n.) an exaggeration, not to be taken seriously
The full moon was almost blinding in its brightness, he said with a measure
of hyperbole.
hypocritical
(adj.) two-faced; deceptive
His constituents believed that the governor was hypocritical for calling
for a moratorium on "negative" campaigning while continuing
to air some of the most vicious ads ever produced against his opponent.
Most of his constituents believed the governor was hypocritical for calling
his opponent a "mud-slinging hack" when his own campaign had
slung more than its share of dirt.
hypothetical
(adj.) assumed; uncertain; conjectural
A hypothetical situation was set up so we could practice our responses.
The professor was good at using hypothetical situations to illustrate
complicated theories.
iconoclast
(n.) one who smashes revered images; an attacker of cherished beliefs
Nietzche's attacks on government, religion, and custom made him an iconoclast
of grand dimension.
The iconoclast spoke against the traditions of the holiday.
ideology
(n.) speculation; representative way of thinking
His ideology proved to be faulty.
The ideology of business can be found in the new book.
He joined the religious group because he agreed with their ideology.
idiosyncrasy
(n.) any personal peculiarity, mannerism
Her tendency to bite her lip is an idiosyncrasy.
idyll
(n.) a written piece of work describing a peaceful rural scene
Reading the idyll made me think of the family farm.
igneous
(adj.) having the nature of fire; volcanic
When the sun shone upon it, the material took on an igneous quality.
ignoble
(adj.) ordinary; dishonorable;
The king was adamant about keeping his son from wedding an ignoble serf.
Consciously lying to someone is ignoble.
It was ignoble to disgrace the family in front of all of the townspeople.
|