Vocab #10

aficionado - a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime.
Roger Ebert is considered the epitome of a cinema aficionado.
browbeat - intimidate (someone), typically into doing something, with stern or abusive words
Cladius usually tries to browbeat others to his will, often to no avail.
commensurate - corresponding in size or degree; in proportion
The size of the Battleifield patches seem to commensurate over time.
diaphanous - characterized by such fineness of texture as to permit seeing through; extreme delicacy
Ophelia is a diaphanous character.
emolument - the returns arising from office or employment usually in the form of compensation or perquisites
The CEO refused to return until the company set aside some great emoluments.
foray - to make a raid or brief invasion
Deciding that he hadn't had enough, Fortinbras entered the foray to take over Denmark.
genre - a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content

There are millions of different genres in the literary world.

homily - a usually short sermon;  a lecture or discourse on or of a moral theme
Priests nowadays rely on homilies; very rarely do you see 3 hour sermons.
immure - to enclose within or as if within walls, to entomb
Politicians try to immure themselves with yes men, that way they can never be wrong.
insouciant - lighthearted unconcern
Cladius was filled with insouciant over the apparent insanity of Hamlet.
matrix - something within or from which something else originates, develops, or takes form
Everyone is born in the Matrix. Everyone.
obsequies - a  funeral or burial rite
Geatland prepared a great obsequies for Beowulf.
panache - an ornamental tuft (as of feathers) especially on a helmet
"Yankee Doodle went to town ariding on a pony, stuck a panache up his hat and called it macaroni..."
persona - a character assumed by an author in a written work
The author hoped to create an alternate persona so others could not tell he was reviewing his own work.
philippic - a discourse or declamation full of bitter condemnation
Hamlet is konwn for his philippic soliloquys.
prurient - marked by or arousing an immoderate or unwholesome interest or desire; especially : marked by, arousing, or appealing to sexual desire
Ophelia tried to take pruriently take advantage of Hamlet so as to have him confess he loved her.
sacrosanct - treated as if holy : immune from criticism or violation
Claudius believes that a kings' commands are sacrosanct.
systemic - of, relating to, or common to a system
One of the flaws of big businesses is how systemic they become over time, too much beauracracy.
tendentious - marked by a tendency in favor of a particular point of view
America has become polarized by tendentious vorters.
vicissitude - the quality or state of being changeable