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100 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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DIMINUTIVE |
Very small |
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TRIVIAL |
Trifling; unimportant; insignificant |
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MINUTIAE |
Minor everyday details
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EXHORT
[ig'zɔ:t] |
To encourage; urge; give a pep talk; IMPLORE
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"When he heard the crowd exhort him with stomping and cheers, he knew that he could finish the marathon." |
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ANTIPATHY
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Strong dislike; ill will; the state of DETESTING someone; ENMITY; RANCOR
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Cats were his greatest antipathy. |
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DIGRESS
[dai'gres] |
Off topic
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If we're talking about science fiction, and you suddenly go off on a long tangent about the cost of grape soda, you digress. |
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TENACIOUS
[ti'nei∫əs] |
not easily letting go or giving up
( ngoan cường, bám chắc) |
1. A clingy child has a tenacious grip on his mother's hand.
2. Tenacious courage |
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NEBULOUS
['nebjuləs] |
Vague; cloudy; misty; lacking a fully developed form
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1.When you walk through the woods on a foggy morning, the trees may all have a mysterious, nebulous look to them. 2. Nebulous distinction between pride and conceit 3. nebulous reasons |
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ANALOGY
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A similarity or likeness between things—events, ideas, actions, trends—that are otherwise unrelated
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EPHEMERAL, FLEETING
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Very brief; lasting for a short time
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the ephemeral joys of childhood |
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PENCHANT, PREDILECTION
['pen∫ənt] |
strong liking
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I have a penchant for sea-food |
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CAPRICIOUS, MERCURIAL
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Very changeable; FICKLE; characterized by constantly-shifting moods
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BOORISH, UNCOUTH, CRASS
['buəri∫], [ʌn'ku:θ] |
Vulgar ['vʌlgə]=rude= unrefined= deploral (shocking, bad and unaccceptable): khiếm nhã, thô tục
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If your cousin tells revolting( tục tĩu, thô tục) jokes, belches, and smells like he spent the winter in a cave, he could be described as boorish |
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INDIGNANT
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Characterized by outrage at something that is perceived as unjust (căm phẫn)
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If you discovered that a teacher gave ten extra points on a test to all students who sat in the front row, you'd be indignant. |
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INNUENDO (n)
[,inju:'endou] |
A veiled reference; an insinuation: sự ám chỉ
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If your friend who recently stopped speaking to you glares at you across a room as she says to someone else, "I would never lie to someone I called a friend," she's making an innuendo. Without accusing you directly, she's saying she thinks you lied. |
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ADROIT, DEFT, ADEPT
[ə'drɔit] |
clever and skillful; DEXTEROUS; nimble= agile
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An adroit leader will be able to persuade people to go with his ideas. An adroit sculptor can turn a lump of clay into an object of great beauty. |
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TIP FOR A DIRECT HIT
Are you right-handed or left-handed? Right-handed people were once thought to be more ADROIT and DEXTEROUS than left-handed people. This bias can be seen in the etymology of these two words. The English word ADROIT is actually derived from the French word droit meaning right, as opposed to left. So if you are MALADROIT, you are not skillful. The ancient Romans shared the same positive view of right-handed people. The Latin word dexter means right, as opposed to left. |
TIP FOR A DIRECT HIT
Are you right-handed or left-handed? Right-handed people were once thought to be more ADROIT and DEXTEROUS than left-handed people. This bias can be seen in the etymology of these two words. The English word ADROIT is actually derived from the French word droit meaning right, as opposed to left. So if you are MALADROIT, you are not skillful. The ancient Romans shared the same positive view of right-handed people. The Latin word dexter means right, as opposed to left. |
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ADMONISH
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To earnestly caution; to stronglywarn or advise; To scold: khiển trách ( less painful than spanking)
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1. He admonished the child for his bad behavior. 2. To admonish someone to be more careful 3. To admonish someone of the danger |
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VIGILANT
['vidʒilənt] |
watchful, alert
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When taking the subway, be vigilant about your wallet––always know where it is, or someone might steal it from you. |
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VORACIOUS, RAVENOUS
[və'rei∫əs] |
Tham ăn, thèm ăn; INSATIABLE (impossible to satisfy)
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1. voracious sharks 2. After being lost in the woods eating only berries for a few days, you'll find your hunger is insatiable once you finally get to the table. |
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CALLOUS
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Emotionally hardened; insensitive; unfeeling : vô tâm
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If you laugh at your little sister while she's trying to show you her poetry, you're being callous. |
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INTREPID, UNDAUNTED
[in'trepid] |
Courageous, brave, resolute, and fearless
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Super heroes are intrepid in their struggle for truth, justice and the American way. |
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NONCHALANT
['nɔn∫ələnt] |
marked by blithe unconcern
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Sometimes, a nonchalant person acts indifferent or uninterested, but really cares very much. If you give a girl a nonchalant smile, you definitely want her to notice you! |
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CONVOLUTED
['kɔnvəlu:tid] |
intricate and hard to understand
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You'll need to read over your brother's convoluted investment scheme a few times before deciding whether or not to go in on it. |
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ITINERANT
[ai'tinərənt; i'tinərənt] |
Migrating from place to place; NOT SEDENTARY
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itinerant labor |
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POIGNANT
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Moving; touching; heartrending
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Watching a poignant YouTube video about baby penguins chasing their mothers, for example, might give you a lump in your throat. |
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IMPETUS
['impitəs] |
Động lực
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Advertisers hope their commercials will be an impetus to buy the product. |
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BUCOLIC, RUSTIC, PASTORAL
[bju:'kɔlik], ['pɑ:stərəl] |
rural, refers to the countryside: nông thôn
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1. If your parents wanted to raise you in a bucolic environment, you may find yourself living 45 minutes away from the nearest movie theater or person your age. Not ideal. 2. If you draw cheery pictures with lush grassy fields, calm skies, a farm animal or two, and some flowers, you draw pastoral scenes. |
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EQUANIMITY [,i:kwə'nimiti] |
Calmness; composure; even-temperedness; poise
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If you take the news of your parakeet's (vẹt đuôi dài) death with equanimity, it means you take it calmly without breaking down. |
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PANACHE, VERVE, FLAMBOYANCE
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Great vigor and energy; dash, especially in artistic performance and composition; ÉLAN: Phô trương
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Your aunt Milly may throw a party with unmatched panache. Or you brother's ability to turn a phrase may show an uncommon panache. |
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PROVOCATIVE
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Provoking discussion; stimulating controversy; arousing a reaction
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A provocative statement, such as "I hate babies," will get another kind of reaction. |
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PLACID, SERENE [si'ri:n] |
Calm or quiet, tranquill; undisturbed by tumult or disorder
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1. a serene life 2. If you tell someone horrible news and they remain serene, you might wonder if they heard you! 3. not everyone shared his placid temperament |
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IMPLACABLE
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unappeasable, inexorable [in'eksərəbl]: không lay động được
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If you’re babysitting and the kid starts screaming the moment that his parents leave the house, and nothing you give him, be it a toy or ice cream, can calm him down, he might seem implacable. But try the TV. It tends to turn screaming kids into silent, happy zombies. |
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PLACATE
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to appease or calm someone’s anger
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PLACID
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calm, quiet
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COMPLACENT
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self-satisfied, smug
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DISPEL
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Get rid of
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1. dispel a pack of wild dogs 2. to dispel darkness |
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AMALGAM
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A mixture; a blend; a combination of different elements
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VIABLE, FEASIBLE
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Capable of being accomplished; possible
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When someone asks "Is it feasible?" the person is asking if you'll be able to get something done. |
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ANGUISH
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Agonizing physical or mental pain; torment
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1. A trip to the dentist might cause a cavity-prone person a lot of anguish. 2. anguish of body and mind |
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INTEMPERATE
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Lacking restraint; excessive
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An alcoholic is intemperate |
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INIMICAL
[i'nimikəl] |
harmful; hostile, tương phản với
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1. Censorship is inimical to freedom. So, most teenagers would argue, are curfews (=lệnh giới nghiêm). 2. |
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SUPERFICIAL
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Shallow; lacking in depth: nông cạn, hời hợt; concerned with surface appearances
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1. If you're judging a book by its cover, you're being superficial. 2. People who worry too much about their clothes and hair may also be considered superficial. 3. superficial knowledge |
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LAUD, EXTOL, TOUT, ACCLAIM
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To praise; applaud
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BEGUILED
[bi'gail] |
enticed, captivated, enthralled
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You could be beguiled by another person who is attractive or clever. |
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CONVICTION
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firm belief
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VOLUPTUOUS
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very sensual (khêu gợi)
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For some reason, most fashion models are not voluptuous at all — they're thin as a rail. |
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DISMISSIVE
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Showing INDIFFERENCE or disregard; rejecting
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DISPARAGE [dis'pæridʒ] |
To speak of in a slighting or disrespectful way; belittle
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She disparaged her student's efforts |
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POMPOUS |
Filled with excessive self-importance; PRETENTIOUS; OSTENTATIOUS; boastful
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He'll walk into a party with an inflated ego, ready to tell anyone who will listen that "I'm kind of a big deal." |
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FOIL
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hinder, prevent
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Your brother will be really mad if you foil his plans to hide his mediocre report card from your parents. |
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CRYPTIC
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Having a hidden or AMBIGUOUS meaning; mysterious
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"White bunny. Moon. Square." Do you understand what that means? Of course not! It's totally cryptic. |
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SUBTLE
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Difficult to detect: tinh vi; faint; mysterious; likely to elude perception
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a professional food taster might be able to perceive subtle differences of flavor that most people don't notice. |
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DISMAY
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great displeasure, disappointment
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If you discover late Sunday night that the dog really did eat your homework, you might cry out in dismay. |
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DISPARITY
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An inequality; a gap; an imbalance
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CURTAIL
[kə:'teil] |
To cut short or reduce
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1. If I give up cake, I am curtailing my cake-eating. 2. Teachers try to curtail whispering and note-passing in class. |
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IRATE
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angry, incensed
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DIATRIBE, TIRADE
['daiətraib], [tai'reid] |
A bitter abusive denunciation; a thunderous verbal attack : sự chỉ trích
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It's pretty overwhelming when you ask your friend a seemingly innocuous question, like "Do you like hot dogs?" and she unleashes a diatribe about the evils of eating meat. |
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CHARLATAN
['∫ɑ:lətən] |
A fake; fraud; imposter; cheat: kẻ lừa bịp
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Beware of charlatans who try to sell you access to the fountain of youth or to a Ponzi scheme disguised as an exclusive investment fund. |
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The word CHARLATAN often appears in sentence completion questions. A CHARLATAN is associated with negative traits. A CHARLATAN will try to DUPE (mislead) UNWARY (incautious) victims with SPURIOUS (false) information.
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The word CHARLATAN often appears in sentence completion questions. A CHARLATAN is associated with negative traits. A CHARLATAN will try to DUPE (mislead) UNWARY (incautious) victims with SPURIOUS (false) information.
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HEDONIST
['hi:dənist] |
A person who believes that pleasure is the chief goal of life: người thích hưởng thụ
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Your parents might want to visit the museum while you want to hike in the forest, but your brother, the hedonist, just wants to lounge by the hotel pool and eat cake. |
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RACONTEUR
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A person who excels in telling ANECDOTES
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DILETTANTE
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An amateur or dabbler; a person with a SUPERFICIAL (Word 90) interest in an art or a branch of knowledge
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POLYMATH
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a person of great and varied learning: thông thái, toàn năng
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If your friend is not only a brilliant physics student but has also published a poetry collection and won prizes at political debates, you can describe her as a polymath. |
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MENTOR
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An advisor; teacher; guide
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BUNGLER
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Someone who is clumsy or INEPT; a person who makes mistakes because of incompetence: người lóng ngóng, vụng về
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If you want a job done right, don't ask a bungler to do it. |
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PUNDIT |
An expert commentator; an authority who expresses his or her opinion, usually on political issues: học giả
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NEOPHYTE, NOVICE, GREENHORN
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A beginner; someone new to a field or activity
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BENEFACTOR, PATRON
['benifæktə], ['peitrən] |
A person who makes a gift or bequest: người bảo hộ; khách quen
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BENEFICIARY
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The recipient of funds, titles, property, and other benefits
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ORACLE
['ɔrəkl] |
A person considered to be ORACULAR, that is a source of wise counsel or prophetic opinions: người có uy tín
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My sister is the oracle on beauty matters. |
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MISANTHROPE
['misənθroup] |
A person who hates or distrusts humankind: kẻ mất lòng tin vào ng khác
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Our great aunt Edna who lashes out at anyone who approaches, convinced they'll steal the jewelry she keeps in her handbag on her lap? A misanthrope indeed. |
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TIP FOR A DIRECT HIT MISANTHROPE combines the Greek prefix miso meaning “hate” with the Greek root anthropos meaning “humankind.” Prefixes make a difference in the meaning of words. If we place the Greek prefix philo, meaning “love,” in front of anthropos, we will form the word PHILANTHROPY, meaning love of humankind. A PHILANTHROPIST loves humanity so much that he or she donates time and money to charity.
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TIP FOR A DIRECT HIT MISANTHROPE combines the Greek prefix miso meaning “hate” with the Greek root anthropos meaning “humankind.” Prefixes make a difference in the meaning of words. If we place the Greek prefix philo, meaning “love,” in front of anthropos, we will form the word PHILANTHROPY, meaning love of humankind. A PHILANTHROPIST loves humanity so much that he or she donates time and money to charity.
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STOIC
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A person seemingly INDIFFERENT to or unaffected by joy, grief, pleasure, or pain; someone who is impassive and emotionless
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REPROBATE ['reprəbeit] |
A morally unprincipled person
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The black sheep of the family, missing a moral compass — a reprobate's been called everything from a deviant to an evildoer to a scoundrel. |
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RENEGADE
['renigeid] |
A disloyal person who betrays his or her cause; a traitor; a deserter: kẻ phản bội
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It might sound kind of cool to be a renegade, like some rogue action hero. |
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ENORMITY
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monstrous or outrageous act: tàn nhẫn
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If you call having to paint the house all by yourself an enormity, your friends might take pity on you and show up with brushes and rollers. |
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VILIFY |
slander, defame: spread negative information about: tung tin thất thiệt |
“We are vilified by our competitors, and we are loved by the consumers.” |
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TIP FOR A DIRECT HIT The words REPROBATE (Word 129) and RENEGADE (Word 130) are easy to confuse. They sound similar, and both are negative words that describe despicable people. A REPROBATE is best remembered as a morally unprincipled and evil person. A RENEGADE is best remembered as a traitor and deserter.
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TIP FOR A DIRECT HIT The words REPROBATE (Word 129) and RENEGADE (Word 130) are easy to confuse. They sound similar, and both are negative words that describe despicable people. A REPROBATE is best remembered as a morally unprincipled and evil person. A RENEGADE is best remembered as a traitor and deserter.
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DRACONIAN
[drə'kounjən] |
Characterized by very strict laws, rules, and punishments: hà khắc
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Some people think Singapore's chewing gum ban is Draconian. |
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LACONIC
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Very brief; concise; SUCCINCT; TERSE
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SPARTAN
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Plain; simple; AUSTERE
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Your room is bare, you live simply and eat sparingly, and your sheets are probably scratchy. |
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HALCYON
['hælsiən] |
Idyllically calm and peaceful; an untroubled golden time of satisfaction, happiness, and tranquility: thanh bình, êm ả
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An old man watching his grandchildren play might look back fondly on his halcyon days, remembering the peaceful, happy time of his youth. |
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SOPHISTRY
['sɔfistri] |
A plausible but deliberately misleading or FALLACIOUS argument designed to deceive someone: biện luận, ngụy biện
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CHIMERICAL |
Given to fantastic schemes; existing only as a product of an unchecked imagination; impossible: không tưởng |
The chimerical illustrations of magical creatures in a children's book. |
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TIP FOR A DIRECT HIT
CHIMERICAL is a difficult word that often appears in challenging sentence completion questions. Typically, test writers associate CHIMERICAL with once-promising medical advances that were never fully realized and were thus CHIMERICAL. |
TIP FOR A DIRECT HIT
CHIMERICAL is a difficult word that often appears in challenging sentence completion questions. Typically, test writers associate CHIMERICAL with once-promising medical advances that were never fully realized and were thus CHIMERICAL. |
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OSTRACIZE
['ɔstrəsaiz] |
To deliberately exclude from a group
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When the Iranian president claimed that the Holocaust was a hoax (=trò lừa), he was ostracized by the international community. |
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IMPECUNIOUS [,impi'kju:njəs] |
Poor; penniless; NOT AFFLUENT: không 1 xu dính túi |
But impecunious doesn’t just mean having no money. It means that you almost never have any money. If you go into the arts, you are most likely facing an impecunious future. |
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RENDER
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Make |
An illness might render you unable to walk, or a shocking site might render you speechless. |
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NEFARIOUS
[ni'feəriəs] |
Famous for being wicked; VILLAINOUS; vile: hung ác
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Batman and Superman are always fighting evildoers and stopping their nefarious plots. |
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JOVIAL
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Good-humored; cheerful; JOCULAR
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Santa Claus, with his constant "ho-ho-hoing" is a jovial figure. |
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MAUDLIN
['mɔ:dlin] |
Tearful; excessively sentimental, but not MAWKISH: ủy mị, sướt mướt
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maudlin expressions of sympathy |
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MAWKISH |
nauseatingly sentimental in a sickly, dull, INSIPID (Word 36) way: sến
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Which is how you'd describe two lovebirds gushing over each other or your grandma’s cooing, cheek pinches, and sloppy-lipstick kisses. |
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SANGUINE
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cheerful, hopeful, optimistic
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CHOLERIC
[,kɔlərik] |
angry, irritable, irascible: dễ cáu
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Are you easy to tick off? Known to have a short fuse? Then, you could be described as choleric. |
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QUIXOTIC
[kwik'sɔtik] |
romantic and unrealistic, or possessed by almost impossible hopes
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Your quixotic task is easy to understand, if difficult to achieve: establish world peace. |
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PANDEMONIUM
[,pændi'mouniəm] |
A wild uproar; tumult
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High school students have been heard to use it to describe their lunchroom. |
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TIP FOR A DIRECT HIT The prefix pan is in a number of words that are ALL around you. For example, a PANORAMIC view enables you to see in ALL directions. A PANACEA is a remedy that will supposedly cure ALL diseases. A PANOPLY is a complete suit of armor and thus any covering that has ALL the necessary array of materials.
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TIP FOR A DIRECT HIT The prefix pan is in a number of words that are ALL around you. For example, a PANORAMIC view enables you to see in ALL directions. A PANACEA is a remedy that will supposedly cure ALL diseases. A PANOPLY is a complete suit of armor and thus any covering that has ALL the necessary array of materials.
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GALVANIZE
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To electrify; to stir into action as if with an electric shock
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MAVERICK
['mævərik] |
An independent individual who does not go along with a group or party; a nonconformist: nổi loạn, tự do, không theo 1 quy tắc nào
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A maverick on a motorcycle might blaze his own trail, or show a maverick touch in a rough sport by wearing a helmet with the word "Mom" inside a heart. |
