TOEFL Vocabulary #11

helping people and doing good acts:

a beneficent aunt
Another solution came from the beneficent hand of business.

beneficent:  /bəˈnef.ɪ.sənt/ (adj)

beneficence (n)

showing a wish to help or bring advantages to others, even if it results in disadvantage for yourself:
I doubt whether her motives for donating the money are altruistic - she's probably looking for publicity.

altruistic: /ˌæl.truˈɪs.tɪk/ (adj)

altruistically (adv)

behaving as if you are better than other people, and that their opinions, beliefs, or ideas are not important; haughty, imperious, sneering:
He spoke in a haughty, supercilious voice.

supercilious: /ˌsuː.pɚˈsɪl.i.əs/ (adj)

superciliously (adv) - superciliousness (n)

to criticize someone strongly, or say unpleasant things to or about someone:
The judge was reviled in the newspapers for his opinions on rape.

to speak angrily to someone because you disapprove of what they have said or done:
I was rebuked by my manager for being late.
The Justice Department publicly rebuked him over a leaked memorandum

not showing the expected respect for official, important, or holy things:
an irreverent comment/approach/attitude
irreverent thoughts

irreverent: /ɪˈrev.ɚ.ənt/ (adj)

irreverently (adv) - irreverence (n)

unfriendly and seeming to consider yourself better than other people; arrogant, conceited, condescending, imperious, patronizing
She has a rather haughty manner.

the feeling of not liking someone or something and thinking that he, she, or it does not deserve your interest or respect:
He regards the political process with disdain.

disdain: /dɪsˈdeɪn/ (n)

disdainful (adj) - disdainfully (adv)

to make someone famous, or to treat someone as if they were famous, celebrate, fete, to admire someone or something.
School textbooks lionize his decades of service and moral fortitude.

(especially of events or behavior) embarrassing because of being a complete failure, disgraceful, inglorious, shameful, humiliating and degrading
an ignominious defeat/failure/retreat

ignominious: /ˌɪɡ.nəˈmɪn.i.əs/ (adj)

ignominiously (adv)