UNUSUAL WORDS LVIII

Do you know the meanings of these descriptive, but less frequently used words?

1. KISMET

2. MINION

3. EFFETE

4. KITSCH

5. SURFEIT

6. HAPLESS

7. LACONIC 

8. FATUOUS

9. PANACEA

10. ZEITGEIST

11. PHILISTINE

12. EXCORIATE

13. SATURNINE

14. AMELIORATE

15. TROGLODYTE

Answers:

 

1. KISMET - Fate, destiny

2. MINION- Servile follower

3. EFFETE - Affected, lacking vigor, ineffective

4. KITSCH - Showy, but cheap things of little value

5. SURFEIT - Excessive amount of something 

6. HAPLESS - Unlucky, unfortunate

7. LACONIC - Brief, Of few words

8. FATUOUS - Trivial, silly, pointless

9. PANACEA - Cure-all

10. ZEITGEIST - The prevailing ideas, attitudes 

                               and beliefs of a given time 

11. PHILISTINE - Crude and ignorant person

12. EXCORIATE - Criticize severely 

13. SATURNINE - Gloomy, moody, pessimistic

14. AMELIORATE - Make things better, Improve

15. TROGLODYTE - Caveman - primitive, uncouth,

                                      ill-mannered person