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26 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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idiosyncrasy
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the temperament peculiar to a person or group, any personal peculiarity or mannerism
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Did you ever hear of such an idiosyncrasy, having soup after the main course!
mmmmk |
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importunate
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urgent or persistent in asking something, insistent
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As the fire drew closer and closer to the entrapped woman, her cries for help became louder and more importunate.
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inchoate
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not completely developed, rudimentary
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The idea for a new league of nations ws at first only an unformed, inchoate plan in the minds of a few men, but it eventually led to the organization of the United Nations.
chaotic |
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indigent
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poor, needy, destitute
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Welfare agencies are set up to provide goods and services for indigent people.
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ingratiate
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to gain favor, to disarm
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Salesmen often try to ingratiate themselves with secretaries in the hope of getting an appointment with busy department heads.
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intimidate
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to frighten, to make timid, overawe
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A truly wise man will not try to intimidate others with his superior knowledge but will encourage them to increase their own understanding.
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inveterate
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deep-rooted, habitual
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Being an inveterate smoker, he had a hard time giving up the smoking habit.
veteran |
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jovial
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jolly, full of playful good humor
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Santa Clause is alwasy characterized as having a hearty, jovial laugh.
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knoll
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a mound, a little round hill
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To reach the town I had to climb a knoll and two steep hills.
The witness of JFK's death was sitting on a knoll. |
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lethargy
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an abnormal drowsiness or great lack of energy, total indifference
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Unusual lethargy or slugishness may be the first sign of illness.
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lucent
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shining, bright
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(adj.) The moon's lucent rays could be seen through the half-closed blinds.
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magnanimous
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noble in mind, generous in overlooking injury, rising above pettiness or dispute
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His magnanimous refusal to avenge himself on his enemy demonstrated his noble character.
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mien
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air, bearing
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Cinderella's clothing was shabby but she had the mien of a gently bred girl.
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motley
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many-colored diverse, having mixed or clashing parts
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The well known expression, "a motley crew," refers to a group whose members are ill-assorted or very different from one another.
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nuptial
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pertaining to marriage or a wedding
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After the nuptial ceremony, the guests kissed the bride.
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onerous
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laborious, weighty, burdensome
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Many students fell that memorizing names and dates and formulas is the most onerous and oppressive kind of studying.
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paragon
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a model of perfection or excellence
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To hear the mother boast about her child, you would suppose the youngster to be a paragon of all virtues.
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peremptory
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decisive, final, absolute, that which cannot be denied
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When the governor gave a peremptory order like that, his aides knew they couldn't change his mind.
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pervade
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to spread through, permeate
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The sweet smell of lilacs pervaded the garden.
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poignant
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sharp or biting to the senses, piercing, keenly felt
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Seeing the boy take his first steps without crutches was a poignant moment in my life.
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probity
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honesty, uprightness
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The story about George Washington and the cherry tree is a testament to his probity, even as a child.
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propitious
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favorably inclined, gracious, boding well
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In ancient Rome, the rulers sought propitious omens from the gods before taking important actions.
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qualm
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scruple, misgiving, uneasiness, doubt
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One of the two boys who cheated on the test had no qualms about it, but the other boy's conscience troubled him badly.
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retribution
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deserved punishment, reprisal, vengeance
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In WWII Germany had to pay retributions to France.
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metonymy
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a figure of speech in which a person, place, or thing is referred to as something closely related to it
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apostrophe
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direct address to something or someone not present
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