(.

complacency

)n.) self-satisfied ignorance of

danger (Simon tried to shock his

friends out of their complacency

by painting a frightening picture

(.of what might happen to them

confidant

)n.) a person entrusted with

secrets (Shortly after we met, he

became my chief confidant(.

connive

)v.) to plot, scheme (She connived

to get me to give up my plans to

(.start up a new business

cumulative

)adj.) increasing, building upon

itself (The cumulative effect of

hours spent using the World

English website was a vast

improvement in his vocabulary

(.and general level of English

debase

)v.) to lower the quality or esteem

of something (The large raise

that he gave himself debased his

(.motives for running the charity

decry

)v.) to criticize openly (Andrzej

Lepper, the leader of the Polish

Self Defence party decried the

(.appaling state of Polish roads

deferential

)adj.) showing respect for

another’s authority (Donata is

always excessively deferential to

(.any kind of authority figure

demure

)adj.) quiet, modest, reserved

(Though everyone else at the

party was dancing and going

crazy, she remained demure(.

deride

)v.) to laugh at mockingly, scorn

(The native speaker often

derided the other teacher’s

(.accent

despot

)n.) one who has total power and

rules brutally (The despot issued

a death sentence for anyone

(.who disobeyed his laws

diligent

)adj.) showing care in doing

one’s work (The diligent

researcher made sure to double

(.check her measurements