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119 Cards in this Set
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fawning |
fawning adoration toady, sycophant, obsequious.
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felicitous |
1. "a felicitous phrase" His nickname was particularly felicitous. apt, apposite, pertinent, germane 2. The view was the room's only felicitous feature.
1. well chosen or suited to the circumstances. 2. pleasing and fortunate.
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factotum
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/fakˈtōtəm/ "he was employed as the general factotum" handyman, gofer
an employee who does all kinds of work. |
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fervor |
adj. fervent "a fervent disciple of tax reform" impassioned, vehement, ardent, fervid, heartfelt, fanatical, wholehearted, avid, committed, devout, perfervid
"he talked with all the fervor of a new convert" "even the smallest of tasks he tackled with fervor" ardor, vehemence, earnestness, avidity, keenness, vigor, fervency
intense and passionate feeling.
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fatuous |
"a fatuous comment" inane, idiotic, vacuous, asinine, ludicrous
silly and pointless. |
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fetid |
ˈfedid/ "the fetid water of the marsh" malodorous, reeking, acrid, humming
smelling extremely unpleasant. |
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filibuster |
use of obstructive tactics in a legislature to block passage of law |
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flag |
to droop students' attention was flagging |
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fledgling |
n. adj. ˈflejliNG/ "the fledgling democracies of eastern Europe" emergent, dawning, embryonic, infant, nascent, budding
a person or organization that is immature, inexperienced, or underdeveloped.
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flout |
"these same companies still flout basic ethical practices" defy, contravene, infringe, breach, commit a breach of, transgress against
openly disregard (a rule, law or convention). |
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foment |
"they accused him of fomenting political unrest" instigate, incite, provoke, agitate, whip up, fan the flames of
instigate or stir up (an undesirable or violent sentiment or course of action). |
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forswear |
He would never forswear the religion of his people. renounce, relinquish, disavow, repudiate, eschew, abstain from, refrain from, abjure, abnegate
agree to give up or do without (something). |
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founder |
1. Six drowned when the yacht foundered off the Florida coast. "the ship foundered" 2. "the talks foundered on the issue of reform" fall flat, fall through, backfire
1. (of a ship) fill with water and sink. 2. (of a plan or undertaking) fail or break down, typically as a result of a particular problem or setback. |
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florid |
1. "a stout man with a florid face" ruddy, flushed, blushing, high-colored 2. "florid operatic-style music was out" embellished, curlicued, extravagant, flamboyant, baroque, rococo
1. having a red or flushed complexion. 2. elaborately or excessively intricate or complicated.
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fracas |
The police were called to break up a fracas that had erupted in the bar brawl, melee, rumpus, skirmish, scuffle, scrum, clash, fisticuffs, altercation
a noisy disturbance or quarrel.
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fractious |
1. "they fight and squabble like fractious children" grumpy, irascible, crotchety, grouchy, tetchy, testy, curmudgeonly, peevish, cross, waspish, crabby, crusty, prickly, touchy
2. "the fractious coalition of Social Democrats" wayward, obstreperous, headstrong, recalcitrant, intractable, insubordinate, refractory
1. (typically of children) irritable and quarrelsome. 2. (of a group or organization) difficult to control; unruly. |
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frieze |
ornamental band on a wall |
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fulminate |
"all fulminated against the new curriculum" rail against, rage about, rant about, thunder about, storm about, vociferate against, declaim, inveigh against, make/take a stand against, denounce, decry, condemn, censure, disparage, execrate, excoriate
express vehement protest. |
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fulsome |
the fulsome praise
to excessive as to be disgusting
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futile |
ˈfyo͞odl "a futile attempt to keep fans from mounting the stage" ineffectual, inefficacious, to no avail, unavailing, thwarted, barren, abortive, impotent, forlorn
incapable of producing any useful result; pointless. |
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gainsay |
"the impact of the railroads cannot be gainsaid" "it was difficult to gainsay his claim" dissent from, repudiate, contest, counter, rebut deny or contradict (a fact or statement) |
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gauche |
gawky, graceless, ungainly, maladroit, klutzy, uncultured, unworldly |
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geniality |
"he was endowed with geniality and good humor"
the quality of having a friendly and cheerful manner; affability. |
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gerrymander |
to divide an area into voting districts in a way that favors a political party |
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glib |
She was careful not to let the answer sound too glib. pat, disingenuous, facile, flippant
(of words or the person speaking them) fluent and voluble but insincere and shallow. |
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nonchalant |
she gave a nonchalant shrug. |
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goad |
He goaded her on to more daring revelations. Goaded by his friends into trying out for the football team as a walk-on, Jeff went on to become an all-American linebacker. provoke, spur, prod, egg on, hound, badger, incite, rouse, stir, impel, dragoon |
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gouge |
ge-ao-gi 1. The channel had been gouged out by the ebbing water. scoop, hollow, excavate, scrape 2. The airline ends up gouging the very passengers it is supposed to assist.
1. make (a groove, hole, or indentation) with or as if with a gouge. 2. overcharge )gouge its customers |
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grandiloquent |
ɡranˈdiləkwənt/ "a grandiloquent celebration of Spanish glory" pompous, bombastic, magniloquent, pretentious, ostentatious, high-flown, orotund, florid, flowery, overwrought, overblown, overdone
pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner, especially in a way that is intended to impress. |
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gregarious |
company-loving, convivial, companionable, affable, amiable, genial, comradely |
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grouse |
if you have any grouses, talk to the captain.
n. v. to complain grouse about the policy
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guile |
playing poker well requires guile as well as skill. trickery, deception
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gullible |
An attempt to persuade a gullible public to spend their money. credulous, overtrusting, overtrustful, exploitable, dupable, impressionable, unworldly |
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gustatory |
"gustatory delights" concerned with tasting or the sense of taste.
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halcyon |
\ˈhal-sē-ən\ the halcyon years
adj. calm and peaceful, prosperous, affluent |
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harangue |
həˈraNG/ tirade, diatribe, lecture, polemic, rant, fulmination, broadside, onslaught, admonition, sermon, declamation, philippic |
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harrowing |
ˈherōiNG/ "a harrowing film about racism and violence" extremely distressing, terrifying |
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hermetic |
1. "a hermetic seal that ensures perfect waterproofing" airtight, tight, sealed, watertight 2. "a hermetic society" 3."obscure and hermetic poems" esoteric, cryptic
1. (of a seal or closure) complete and airtight. 2. insulated or protected from outside influences. 3. of or relating to an ancient occult tradition encompassing alchemy, astrology, and theosophy. |
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heterodox |
unorthodox, not widely accepted
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hieroglyphics |
a sys. of writing in which pictorial symbols represent meaning or sounds |
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hirsute |
covered with hair |
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histrionic |
adj. n. cut the histrionic and tell me how u really feel |
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homily |
platitude, sermon |
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idolatry |
1. "the prophets railed against idolatry" idolization, fetishization, fetishism, adulation, adoration, reverence, veneration, glorification, lionization, hero-worshiping
2. We must not allow our idolatry of art to obscure issues of political significance. "the prophets railed against idolatry" idolization, fetishization, fetishism, adulation, veneration, lionization
1. worship of idols. 2. extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone.
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igneous |
the igneous rocks
volcanic, produced by fire |
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imbroglio |
"the Watergate imbroglio" predicament, quandary, entanglement, muddle, quagmire, morass
an extremely confused, complicated, or embarrassing situation. |
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immutable |
"an immutable fact"
steadfast |
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impassive |
"impassive passersby ignore the performers" expressionless, inscrutable, unreadable, deadpan, poker-faced, straight-faced; stony, wooden, unruffled, dispassionate
not feeling or showing emotion. |
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impecunious |
having little or no money. "a titled but impecunious family" penniless, indigent, insolvent, hard up, poverty-stricken, needy, destitute, penurious |
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impede |
hinder, block |
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imperturbable |
remain imperturbable through life's vicissitudes |
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impervious |
impervious to the noise around her |
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impinge |
1. Nora was determined that the tragedy would impinge as little as possible on Constance's life. These issues impinge on all of us. have a bearing on, leave a mark on 2. "the site impinges on a greenbelt area" encroach on, intrude on, infringe (on), trespass on, obtrude
1. have an effect or impact, especially a negative one. 2. advance over an area belonging to someone or something else; encroach. |
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implausible |
unlikely, unbelievable |
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implode |
the building was imploded in order to make way for the construction of a new apartment complex.
collapse inward violently
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imprecation |
uttering imprecations against the jury that found found him guilty
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impute |
"the crimes imputed to Richard" ascribe to
represent (something, especially something undesirable) as being done, caused, or possessed by someone; attribute. |
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inadvertently |
His name had been inadvertently omitted from the list.
carelessly, unintentionally |
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incarnate |
evil incarnate |
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inchoate |
went from an inchoate state to finished, well-produced songs rudimentary, incipient, embryonic, fledgling |
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incongruity |
ˌinkənˈɡro͞oədē/ adj. incongruous
"the incongruity of his fleshy face and skinny body disturbed her"
state of not fitting
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inconsequential |
"they talked about inconsequential things" neither here nor there, inessential, nonessential, immaterial, inappreciable, trifling, petty, paltry, measly |
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incursion |
the incursion of Jews
sudden invation |
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indigence |
ˈindijəns/
"he did valuable work toward the relief of indigence"
a state of extreme poverty |
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indolent |
idle, slothful, loafing, sluggardly, shiftless, lackadaisical, languid, underactive, inert, sluggish, lethargic, torpid, feckless |
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ineluctable |
inevitable |
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ingenuous |
innocent and unsuspecting |
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innocuous |
"it was an innocuous question" nontoxic, innocent; edible, eatable
not harmful or offensive. |
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insouciant |
insouciant attitude
lack concern or care, indifferent |
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insularity
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adj. insular
"an example of British insularity"
ignorance of or lack of interest in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one's own experience.
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insuperable |
"insuperable financial problems"
(of a difficulty or obstacle) impossible to overcome.
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intangible |
not material |
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interdict |
1. "society will never interdict sex" I have not been interdicted from consuming or holding alcoholic beverages. bar, veto, proscribe, embargo, disallow, debar 2. "the police established roadblocks throughout the country for interdicting drugs" intercept, obstruct, impede, detain
1. prohibit or forbid (something). 2. intercept and prevent the movement of (a prohibited commodity or person). |
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internecine |
The region's history of savage internecine warfare.
destructive to both sides in a conflict.
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interpolate |
"illustrations were interpolated in the text" "language models can be interpolated online" interpose, interject, incorporate
insert (something) between fixed points. |
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interregnum |
The interregnum between the discovery of radioactivity and its detailed understanding.
an interval or pause
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intractable |
not easily managed |
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intransigence |
adamant, adamantine, bullheaded, dogged, hardheaded, hard-nosed, headstrong, immovable, obstinate, mulish, obdurate, opinionated, ossified, pat, pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, self-opinionated, self-willed, stiff-necked, unrelenting, willful (orwilful) |
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inundated |
overwhelm, to cover with water
inundated with |
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inured |
be inured to the sight of man dying in the field
hardened, accustomed to
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invective |
An overbearing, bullying boss who is fond of sending invective e-mails to long-suffering assistants contumelious, opprobrious, scurrile (or scurril), scurrilous, truculent, vitriolic, vituperatory
of, relating to, or characterized by insult or abuse |
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inveigh |
inveigh against
disapproval, to protest vehemently
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inveigle |
to win over by flattery or coaxing |
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inveterate |
confirmed, long-standing, |
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invidious |
1. make invidious comparisons between racial groups She'd put herself in an invidious position. unenviable, odious 2. It seems invidious to make special mention of one aspect of his work. iniquitous, deleterious, detrimental, discriminatory 1. (of an action or situation) likely to arouse or incur resentment or anger in others. 2. (of a comparison or distinction) unfairly discriminating; unjust.
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irascible |
easily angered |
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itinerant |
v. wandering from place to place, unsettle n. a person who wanders
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jibe |
The author checked the company's account book to make sure that they jibed with the tax return it filed |
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juggernaut |
huge force destroying everything in its path |
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junta |
the country's ruling junta consists of a general, an admiral. and the mayor of the capital city |
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juxtapose |
black-and-white photos of slums were starkly juxtaposed with color images.
place or deal with close together for contrasting effect |
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labile |
likely to change |
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laconic |
His laconic reply suggested a lack of interest in the topic. taciturn, succinct, terse, pithy
using few words
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lambaste |
They lambasted the report as a gross distortion of the truth. harangue, rail at, rant at, fulminate against; upbraid, reprimand, rebuke, chide, reprove, admonish, berate, excoriate
criticize (someone or something) harshly. |
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lascivious |
lustful |
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lassitude |
lethargy, torpor, dormancy, indolent |
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laud |
v. n. The obituary lauded him as a great statesman and soldier. extol, hail, acclaim, commend, pay tribute to, lionize, eulogize, rhapsodize over/about, magnify, panegyrize
raise (a person or their achievements) highly, especially in a public context. |
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levee |
an embankment that prevents a river from overflowing |
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libertine |
one without moral restraint |
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limn |
/lim/ "his earlier works limned violence" describe, portray, depict, illustrate 2. "a crescent moon limned each shred with white gold" "he created striated forms limned with bold black contour lines" embellish, paint, suffuse
1. depict or describe in painting or words. 2. suffuse or highlight (something) with a bright color or light.
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limpid |
1. "a limpid pool" His eyes are like a limpid pool. glassy, crystalline, translucent, pellucid, unclouded 2. "the limpid notes of a recorder" "his limpid prose" comprehensible, coherent, explicit, perspicuous
1. (of a liquid or person's eyes) free of anything that darkens; completely clear. 2. (especially of writing or music) clear and accessible or melodious.
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litany |
a litany of compains recital, recitation, enumeration, list, listing, catalog, inventory
lengthy recitation (platitude, homily, sermon) |
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literati |
scholarly or learned person |
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litigation |
legal proceedings |
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loquacious |
voluble, expansive, garrulous, chatty |
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lucid |
1. "a lucid account" comprehensible, understandable, cogent, coherent, articulate, perspicuous 2. He has a few lucid moments every now and then. He was not lucid enough to explain. sane, in possession of one's faculties, compos mentis, clearheaded, sober, sensible
1. expressed clearly; easy to understand. 2. showing ability to think clearly, especially in the intervals between periods of confusion or insanity.
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lucre |
$ or profits |
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lustrous |
"large, lustrous eyes" shiny, shining, satiny, gleaming, shimmering, burnished, polished, radiant, dazzling, glistening, twinkling
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Machiavellian |
Ma·chi·a·vel·lian
drafty, double-dealing |
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machinations |
mach·i·na·tion
Incredibly complicated machinations to assassinate the president that inevitably failed
plots or schemes |
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maelstrom |
1. "a maelstrom in the sea" whirlpool, vortex, eddy, swirl, Charybdis 2. "the train station was a maelstrom of crowds" "the maelstrom of war" turbulence, tumult, turmoil, disarray, upheaval, pandemonium, bedlam, whirlwind
1. a powerful whirlpool in the sea or a river. 2. a situation or state of confused movement or violent turmoil. |
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magnanimity |
adj. magnanimous
"both sides will have to show magnanimity"
generosity, nobility |
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malign |
1. "don't you dare malign her in my presence" defame, slander, libel, blacken someone's name/character, smear, vilify, cast aspersions on, run down, traduce, denigrate, disparage, slur, revile, derogate, calumniate 2. "she had a strong and malign influence" baleful, inimical, malignant, injurious, malefic, maleficent, malevolent
1. speak about (someone) in a spitefully critical manner. 2. evil in nature or effect; malevolent.
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malinger |
In order to discourage malingering, the company decided to require employees taking sick leave to produce a doctor's certification of their illness. shirk from
exaggerate or feign illness in order to escape duty or work. |
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fallacious |
fallacy "fallacious arguments" specious, spurious, bogus, fictitious, groundless, ill-founded, uncorroborated
based on a mistaken belief. |
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fetter |
1. n, v He lay bound with fetters of iron. shackles, manacles, chains, restraints, bilboes "a ragged and fettered prisoner" shackle, manacle, handcuff, clap in irons, put in chains, chain (up), enfetter 2. "the fetters of discipline and caution" He was not fettered by tradition. hinder, hamper, impede, obstruct, hamstring, curb, trammel
1. a chain or manacle used to restrain a prisoner, typically placed around the ankles. 2. restrict or restrain (someone) in an unfair or undesirable fashion. |
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fiat |
the dictator rules almost entirely by fiat. |
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fresco |
plaster |
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gambol |
"the mare gamboled toward Connie" frolic, frisk, cavort, caper, romp, prance, hop, spring, bound
1. v. run or jump about playfully. 2. n. an act of running or jumping about playfully.
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