1. Abnegation
• The action of renouncing or rejecting something.
Usage: Abnegation of political power by Republican.
2. Beauteous
• Beautiful.
Usage: His beauteous bride.
3. Crass
• Showing no intelligence or sensitivity.
Usage: At public meetings, he would rail against political foes in colourful and sometimes crass language.
4. Travail
• Painful or laborious effort.
Usage: Advice for those who wish to save great sorrow and travail.
5. Lackadaisical
• Lacking enthusiasm and determination; carelessly lazy.
Usage: A lackadaisical defence left Barcelona FC adrift in the second half.
6. Penultimate
• Second last.
Usage: With both championships won by Mercedes for an unprecedented sixth year in a row, Sunday’s penultimate race of the season is likely to focus on the battle to be best of the rest.
7. Bereft
• Deprived of or lacking something.
Usage: Her room was stark and bereft of colour.
8. Aplomb
• Self-confidence or assurance, especially when in a demanding situation.
Usage: Diana passed the test with aplomb.
9. Espionage
• Espionage or spying is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information. Spies help agencies uncover secret information.
Usage: He was convicted of espionage charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
10. Camel’s nose (under the tent)
• Camel’s nose (under the tent) is a metaphor for a situation where the permitting of a small, seemingly innocuous act will open the door for larger, clearly undesirable actions.
Usage:
a) Some regard legalizing same-sex marriage as a camel’s nose under the tent, eventually leading to the destruction of marriage altogether.
b) Not hiring an exterminator at the first sign of termites has proved to be a camel’s nose, as much of our woodwork is now destroyed.
