Vocabulary #4

apostate: a person who abandons his religion, cause, party, etc.
 He was labeled as 'apostate' for giving up his faith in Christianity

effusive: expressing gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained manner
 She was effusive while expressing her feelings towards her husband.
impasse: a position or situation from which there is no escape
The struggle to keep "fish friends not food" became impasse as Dory began to bleed.
euphoria: a state of intense happiness and self-confidence
I became flooded with euphoria after I received an A on my vocab quiz.
lugubrious: mournful, dismal, or gloomy
Michelle was lugubrious when she heard Sophia say her first word.."Dada"
bravado: a pretentious, swaggering display of courage.
 Beowulf's bravado was increasingly high by the third monster.

consensus: majority of opinion
The consensus of the group was to meet once a week. 
dichotomy: division into two parts, kinds, etc.
There is a big dichotomy between thoughts and actions.
constrict: to slow or stop the natural course or development of
My biggest fear is my family will constrict my idea of leaving for college.
gothic: pertaining to a style
When touring France one may see many gothic cathedrals.
punctilio: a fine point, particular, or detail, as of conduct, ceremony, or procedure
His punctilio poise helped him succeed in getting the job.
metamorphosis: any complete change in appearance, character, circumstances, etc.
Before metamorphosing into a beautiful butterfly, it first had to be an ugly caterpillar.

raconteur: a person who is skilled in relating stories and anecdotes interestingly.
The crowd became silent as the raconteur began to speak.

sine qua non: an indispensable condition, element, or factor; something essential
My moms presence is the sine qua non of every dinner.
quixotic:  impractical, or impracticable
 The quixotic little girl wanted her parents to buy her an iPhone 5
vendetta: any prolonged and bitter feud, rivalry, contention, or the like
Political and religious feuds are vendetta.
non sequitur: an inference or a conclusion that does not follow from the premises
Her paper was stated to be non sequitur after she compared Hamlet to social media.
mystique: a framework of doctrines, ideas, beliefs, or the like, constructed around a person or object, with enhanced value or profound meaning
There is a mystique in every fortune teller.
quagmire: a situation from which extrication is very difficult
The war in Vietnam is often referred to as a quagmire for the US
parlous:dangerous
It seems like this day and age, Santa Maria is becoming more and more parlous.