ghetto The Jewish section of a city

Elie Wiesel lived in a ghetto called Sighet.

anecdote A short, interesting story about a real

incident or person

A good way to start a paper is with an anecdote.

pious Devoutly religious

His perfect attendance at church will tell you that he is a pious person.

ellude To escape from

The robber eluded police for hours.

harangued To aggressively lecture someone at

length

Justin was harangued by his parents for his bad grades.

compulsory Required by law

It is compulsory that you be in school.

camaraderie Mutual friendship among a group of

people

The camaraderie among the football team was evident.

Cynical Believing that people are motivated

by self-interest; untrusting of human sincerity

Sarah’s cynical attitude can be blamed on her injury two years ago.

imprudent Not showing care for the

consequences of an action

The boys’ decision to drink and drive was rather imprudent.

dissipate Disperse or scatter

When the cops showed up, the partygoers dissipated quickly.

emaciated To be abnormally thin or weak,

especially due to illness or lack of food

To get people to donate money, charities typically show pictures of emaciated children.

crucible A place of severe trial or test

Middle school acts as a crucible for many.

exodus A mass departure of people

Kristen Stewart is such a actress, I’m surprised there’s not an exodus out of the movie theater.

transcend To go beyond the range or limits of

something

September 11th transcended politics in America.

apathy Lack of interest or concern

Some students’ apathy about their grades is shocking.

poignant Evoking a sense of sadness

The story of her abuse and eventual rescue was poignant to all who heard.

curt Rudely brief

The woman’s curt response gave the man a hint to stop flirting.