Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know » Week 27 - Day 4

Word List
  • egotist [ē´ gə tist]
    a vain, conceited person
    → “It takes an egotist to believe that nature has provided these beauties as a special act on his behalf.” Freeman Tilden, The National Parks
  • humility [hyü mil´ ə tē]
    humbleness, modesty, meekness
    → “Early in life I had to choose between arrogance and humility; I chose arrogance.” Frank Lloyd Wright
  • pungent [pun´ jənt]
    sharply stimulating, biting
    → “The pungent aroma of the cream puffs told Sadie that the man from Goobers had arrived.” Katherine Mansfield, “The Garden Party”
  • inveterate [in vet´ ėr it]
    habitual, firmly established
    → “The inveterate Boston Red Sox fan faces seemingly endless disappointment.” Peter Balakian, “Black Dogs of Fate”
  • adamant [ad´ ə mant]
    unyielding, inflexible
    → “The candidate was adamant in his refusal to answer an embarrassing question about his early use of drugs.” TIME, 8/12/99

In his private life Brahms was considered by his friends as an egotist. He had an extremely lofty opinion of himself and his talents. He was not noted for his humility. Along with this quality, Brahms was known for his pungent sense of humor. While his closest friends could accept his biting jokes, others found him difficult to warm up to. Brahms was an inveterate stay-at-home. Cambridge University conferred an honorary degree upon him, but he was adamant about staying at home and did not go to receive the honor. Despite the ardent* and romantic nature of his music, Brahms never found the right girl and remained single throughout his life.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in these sentences.

  1. Doctors agree that it is imperative* that __________ smokers give up that imprudent* habit.
  2. The __________ odor of burning leaves marks the autumn season.
  3. The umpire was __________ about his decision to call the runner out.
  4. We all expect __________ from the actors and actresses who win the Academy Awards.
  5. However, we should not be surprised that an award winner is an __________ about his or her performance.

Definitions Make the new words yours through the match-ups.

  1. a. humbleness, modesty, meekness
  2. b. a vain, conceited person
  3. c. unyielding, inflexible
  4. d. sharply stimulating, biting
  5. e. habitual, firmly established
  1. egotist __________
  2. humility __________
  3. pungent __________
  4. inveterate __________
  5. adamant __________

Answer Key
to pull one’s weight—to do a fair share of the work
Everyone in a pioneer family had to pull his or her own weight.

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