Foreign Language Vocabulary Terms Help

Foreign Language Terms Used in English

aficionado    
(noun)
a person who likes, knows about, and is devoted to a particular activity or thing
Jonelle has been a baseball _____ ever since she went to her first game with her dad.

avant-garde    
(noun)
a group of people who develop innovative and experimental concepts, especially in the arts
(adj.)
relating to a group of people who develop innovative and experimental concepts, especially in the arts
As part of the _____, Abe's paintings have always been on the cutting edge.
Ted's art has become increasingly _____; he now is building sculptures in his loft in Brooklyn.

blasé    
(adj.)
apathetic to pleasure or excitement as a result of excessive indulgence in something
Because Jon works in the music industry, going to concerts has become _____, as they are no longer a novelty.

bourgeois    
(adj.)
having the attributes and beliefs of the middle class, marked by materialistic concerns
Pete has never succumbed _____ to values—he is comfortable living a simple life.

cliché    
(noun)
a phrase or saying that has been overused and, as a result, has little significance or meaning
Try to avoid using _____ in your writing, as they are not as powerful as vivid, fresh language.

debut    
(noun)
a first appearance
The tennis player was nervous about her _____ as a professional.

élan    
(noun)
spirit, enthusiasm, or excitement
The medical resident showed great _____ for medicine; she was always prepared and asked a lot of questions.

entrepreneur    
(noun)
a person who takes on the challenge and risk of starting his or her own business
Being an _____ is nerve-wracking because you can never be certain that your idea will be a hit.

epitome    
(noun)
an exact example of something; someone or something that embodies the essence of a concept or type
He is the _____ of a scientist with his wirerimmed glasses and absentminded attitude.

fait accompli    
(noun)
something that is complete and seemingly irreversible
When she signed the one-year lease for her new apartment, it was a _____.

gauche    
(adj.)
lacking social graces or sophistication
The teenager felt _____ in the company of a more sophisticated crowd.

imbroglio    
(noun)
a complicated or embarrassing situation due to a misunderstanding
When David thought that Sally was my girlfriend instead of my sister, it created an _____ until I cleared up the misunderstanding.

ingenue    
(noun)
a young girl or woman, an actress playing such a role
She was an _____; she was young and innocent.

laissez-faire    
(noun)
a doctrine opposing government control of economic matters except in the case of maintaining peace and the concept of property
He believed in a _____ policy because he thought that the government should not interfere with economic matters.

malaise    
(noun)
the vague feeling of illness
She went to the doctor because she felt a general _____ and thought she was coming down with something.

naïve    
(adj.)
innocent, simple, lacking knowledge of the world
I told him he was _____ to think that his landlord would offer to fix his sink without a written or verbal request.

non sequitur    
(noun)
a statement that has no connection to the previous statement or idea
My grandmother made such a _____ yesterday. She was telling me about her wedding and then in the next breath said her car needed to be fixed.

rendezvous    
(noun)
a meeting place
(verb)
to meet at a meeting place
They decided the school would be their _____, and then they would go to the park.

vendetta    
(noun)
a grudge or feud characterized by acts of retaliation
He had a _____ against the man who killed his father and vowed he would seek revenge.

vignette    
(noun)
a short descriptive written piece
The teacher asked the class to write a _____ about their home so they could practice writing short but clear, descriptive pieces.

TIP

Many languages, including English, have roots in Latin, so a knowledge of Latin would be an extra boost to your vocabulary skills.

Practice exercises for this study guide can be found at: Foreign Language Terms Vocabulary Practice