|
parody
(n.) a piece of work imitating another in a satirical manner; a poor imitation
The play was a parody of the Prince and Princess's marital difficulties.
Ugh! This is a parody of a fashionable dress!
parry
(v.) to avoid; to ward off
I dislike talking to the woman so I will attempt to parry her by ducking
around the corner.
parse
(v.) to separate (a sentence) into parts and describe the function of
each
An English teacher may ask a student to parse a sentence.
parsimonious
(adj.) very frugal; unwilling to spend
The owner was so parsimonious he refused to purchase new curtains when
the old ones fell off the window.
The parsimonious individual argued that twenty-five cents was much too
expensive for a pack of gum.
parsimony
(n.) to be unreasonably careful when spending
The parsimony of the wealthy woman was uncalled for.
partisan
(n.; adj.) supporter; follower; biased; one-sided
The union president is a partisan of minimum-wage legislation.
A partisan for the incumbent mayor will not support the challenger.
passive
(adj.) submissive; unassertive
He is so passive that others walk all over him.
paucity
(n.) scarcity
The described feast was actually a buffet with a paucity of food.
pavilion
(n.) a large tent or covered area, usually used for entertainment
The wedding pavilion was not only beautifully decorated, but also served
as welcome protection from a sudden downpour.
peccadillo
(n.) a slight fault or offense
The child was embarrassed when he was caught committing the peccadillo
of eating chocolate before dinner.
pecuniary
(adj.) pertaining to money
The retiring employee was delighted when he received a pecuniary gift.
pedagogue
(n.) a teacher
Seeing the way she worked with children there was no doubt she was a true
pedagogue.
pedantic
(adj.) emphasizing minutiae or form in scholarship or teaching
Professor Jones's lectures were so pedantic that his students sometimes
had a tough time understanding the big picture.
It is important to understand pedantic terminology before beginning a
lecture.
pedestrian
(adj.) mediocre; ordinary
We expected the meal to be exceptional, but it was just pedestrian.
pejorative
(adj.) making things worse
The pejorative comment deepened the dislike between the two families.
pellucid
(adj.) transparent
The pellucid material was not an adequate shield from the sun.
penchant
(n.) a liking for
I have a penchant for all flavors of ice cream.
penitent
(adj.) feeling sorry for what one has done
The burglar expressed his penitent feelings during his confession.
pensive
(adj.) reflective; contemplative
She was in a pensive mood, just wanting to be alone to think.
My hours alone are often more pensive than the time I spend with friends.
The pensive mood was broken by a witty joke.
penurious
(adj.) stingy, miserly
The penurious man had millions of dollars, but lived in a cottage to save
money.
Charles Dickens' Scrooge is the most penurious character in any of his
tales.
perceptive
(adj.) full of insight; aware
The perceptive detective discovered that the murder weapon was hidden
in a safe under the floor.
percussion
(n.) striking one object against another
The loud percussion of the hunter's gunshot startled the birds.
perdition
(n.) ruination
The perdition of the building was caused by the strong quake.
peremptory
(adj.) barring future action; that cannot be denied, changed, etc.
The peremptory means of defense was satisfactory to keep out the intruders.
The wildcat strike was a peremptory move on the part of the workers.
perfidious
(adj.) faithless; treacherous
The trust between the business associates was broken after the perfidious
actions by one of the partners.
perfunctory
(adj.) done in a routine, mechanical way, without interest
Change in career is a good cure for someone who has become bored with
their occupation and is currently performing their duties in a perfunctory
fashion.
The girl will not improve unless she changes her perfunctory attitude.
|