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177 Cards in this Set
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acquiesce
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to comply with or assent to passively, by one's lack of objection or opposition.
capitulate ex: our next-door neighbors have tacitly sanctioned our use of their driveway by their acquiescence in our using it during the past several months |
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bane
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any cause of ruin or destruction, lasting harm or injury, or woe
ex: The woman grew to abhor her vituperative (abusive?) husband; among friends she would refer to him hyperbolically as "the bane of my existence" |
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censure
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severe criticism, scolding or fault-finding
ex: vituperate, reproach, reproof, censor (stronger form, includes vehement (very intense) disapproval) |
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chagrin
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irritation marked by disappointment or humiliation
ex: His favorite team lost the big game, much to his chagrin since he had bet a large sum of money that his team would win. ex: after the spelling bee, the winner's factious and vexing (irritating, annoying, provocative) remark comparing the loser's performance to Dan Quayle's misspelling of "potato" exacerbated the loser's chagrin. |
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choleric
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temperamental, hot headed; irascible
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churlish
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peasantlike or rustic; crude, crass or vulgar
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circumspect
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cautious; wary; watchful; leery
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countervail
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to use equal force against
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curmudgeon
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a person with a rude, irascible attitude
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demagogue
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a political agitator and charismatic (uy tín; đức tính gây được lòng tin; sức thu hút của quần chúng (của lãnh tụ) orator who appeals to emotions and prejudice
ke mi dan proselytizer |
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deprecate
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to express disapproval of, belittle, depreciate
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enigma
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a mystery or puzzle; perplexing or baffling situation, occurence or person
often used to describe a person with self-contradict character |
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ephemeral
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lasting only a short time; short-lived
similar word: transitory, temporary perennial (long lasting) |
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eschew
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to avoid or abstain from
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extricate
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to free or release from entanglement or engagement
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harbinger
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anything that foreshadows a future event; omen; presage
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hiatus
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a pause or a break in a sequence, opening; aperture, gap, chasm
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idyllic
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charmingly simple and carefree
used to describe a lifestyle or culture rather than personal disposition |
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impertinent
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inappropriate under the circumstances; ill-mannerd, rude; insolent
do NOT treat impertinent and pertinent as antonyms. Impertinent is used to describe a personal behavior, while pertinent is used to describe an idea or statement relevant or to the point |
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inexorable
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relentless, unyielding, merciless
Even though the monster is impervious to bullets and attack the city inexorably however it capitulating to the charms of a pretty girl. |
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interloper
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intruder or trepasser; one who intrudes into the private affairs of others.
similar word: impertinent; meddling and indecorous |
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magnanimous
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noble or elevated in mind; generous
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obfuscate
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to confuse, muddle or bewilder
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pander
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to cater to the base (morally low) desires of others. National enquirer (inquire, search for etc)
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anathema
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a person or thing condemned, accused, damned, cursed or generally loathed
similar: pariah, outcast |
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anecdote
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a brief narrative of an amusing or interesting event
chuyện vặt, giai thoại |
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aspersion
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an insulting or derogatory remark; a slanderous, defamatory statement
"sticks and stones may break my bones, but aspersions will never hurt me" |
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auspice
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a favorable sign or omen, sponsorship or patronage (su bao tro, su do dau); an emblem or symbol
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behoove
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to be incumbent upon, suited to, or proper for or to be neccessary
It behooves you at least to try. |
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beleaguer
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to surround; besiege
often used in war or battle Beleaguered by enemy troops, the stalmarks soldiers fought adamently while the weary ones surrendered their garrison |
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besmirch
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to soil or tarnish, especially a person's honor or reputation; to defile
lam boi nho, boi ban similar: denigrate, deprecate |
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bilious
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irritable or irascible; unpleasant or distasteful
similar : peevish and boorish |
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brackish
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having somewhat salty taste, usually unpleasantly
similar : briny (a word describing the the salty character of water). The great Salt Lake in Utah is the world's most briny lake, and its water tastes even more brackish than my grandmother's vege soup |
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callow
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inexperienced, immature
A person who is callow in a particular endeavor might be reffered to as neophyte or novice. |
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canvass
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to solicit votes, sales, opinions. Question, poll, campaign
Her summer job involved canvassing the residential neighborhoods to sell magazine subscriptions. |
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celerity
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quickness, siftness
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cozen
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to cheat; swindle; deceive; defraud
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cynosure
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to center of atention or interest; a celebrity
For her first encounter with the Prince of Wales to her tragic death; Princess Diana was the cynosure of the paparazzi. |
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Dearth
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scarcity; lack; insufficiency
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duress
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compulsion (to compel: convincing, driving by force) or procurement (to acquire, secure or aid someone in sex (pimp)) by threat, coercion (compelling by force, bat buoc) or restraint
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efface
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to obliterate; wipe out or rub out
Years of use had effaced the design of the floor tiles Note: self-effacing (tu+. to^i) person is over modest in speaking of his or her own qualities and accomplishments. |
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egregious
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shocking, extraordinary our outstanding in a bad way
Introducing the venerable and eminent guest speaker by a derogatory epithet was an egregious error. |
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eminent
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distinguished; high in stature or rank; prominent
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epithet;epitaph;epigram
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epithet: a word or phrase describing a person used instead of or added to the person's name (King => Elvis Presley), an insulting or derogatory characterization.
epigram: a clever; pithy saying; aphorism (ca'ch ngo^n, a terse, succint saying); adage |
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espouse
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to advocate, support, promote or argue for
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evanescent
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fleeting; fading quickly; passing away; vanishing
chóng phai mờ (ấn tượng...); phù du (thanh danh...) the evanescent bliss (ecstasy, extreme happiness) of a gluttonous (excessively indulge in something; overeater) cheesecake binge (excessively indulged in something, usually eater/drinking=> binge drinking) always gives way to a somewhat sick feeling |
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foment
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to instigate (an action, negative, with plan); provoke (spontaneity rather than conscious (instigate)), stir up; incite (a riot, neutral); stimulate; arouse; foment (a rebellion, over a period of time)
see dictionary on incite |
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foppish
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excessively vain about one's dress; manner or general appearance; overly refined
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forensic (adj)
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pertaining to debate or rhetoric; suitable as evidence in a court of law
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impecunious
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lacking money; penniless; indigent
Without a sponsor, a spendthrift is likely to be perennially impecunious |
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impunity
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privilege; license; exemption
To praise princes for virtues they are lacking in is a way of insulting them with impunity similar words : franchise , sanction |
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invidious
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likely to create ill will, animosity or envy
by his indivious remarks about who he thought were the best and worst athletes on the team, the impertinent outfielder (A player who defends left, center, or right field) threatened the collegial relationship among all the team members. |
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jocular
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not serious, joking, facetious, jesting
Many of the party guests left early, annoyed by the host's incessantly (constantly) jocular and ribald (vulgar, lewd (sexual related) humor) banter that soon grew repugnant (offensive, arouding aversion). |
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languish
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to loose strength or vitality; weaken; become feeble; droop; fade
The Scandinavian tourists languished in the summer Mediterranean heat. |
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lurid
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sensational or shocking; shining with an unnatural glow; gruesome or revolting
Despite their lack of veracity and credibility, the lurid stories found in the tabloid magazines appeal to the prurient interests of even the most increduluous reader. |
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maladroit
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bungling; awkward, clumsy
Our neophyte waiter spilled soup on us, then dismissed his clumsy act by thanking us for wearing cheap blouses. opposite of maladroit is adroit: graceful; skillful, tactful |
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marshal
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to put in proper order; assemble, arrange clearly.
A millitary commander marshals his troops for a final advance against the enemy. |
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maudlin
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overly sentimental; foolishly tearful
related word lachrymose: easily brought to tears (though not necessarily for sentimental reasons) The ranconteur brought his lachrymose audience to tears with his maudlin story about a little boy who ran away from home with his dog. |
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mellifluous
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sweet sounding; flowing smoothly
The mellifluous tones of wind chines were carried on the breeze. (similar word is sonorous: pleasing to the ear) The poet's thoughts flowed mellifluously onto the paper |
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miasma
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noxious, deleterious, dangerous, pestiferuous, virulent, or unwholesome emissions, atmosphere, or influence
By the end of a typical Saturday evening, the popular night club becomes a miasma of smoke licentiousness, and , most noxious of all, disco music. Environmentalists are fighting for the abatement of the miasmic conditions created by the local pharmaceutical factory. |
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multifarious
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greatly diversified; having various parts, elements or forms.
My multifarious job is interesting and challenging, since I wear my hats and rarely perform the same task twice in a given day. Related word: multifaceted: having may aspects or phases I envy those multifaceted performers who can sing, play and instrument, dance, and act. |
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nefarious
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extremely wicked
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nepotism
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favoritism bestowed upon family members or close friends.
The unspoken poclity of nepotism in the company made advancement of non-relatives virtually impossible. Would it be considered nepotism for a president to appoint his own wife as the nation's health car czar; even if she isn't paid for her services ? |
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obstresperous
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resisting control in an unruly, noisy, boisterous manner.
A crowd of people at a convert, sporting event, or demonstration can sometimes become obstreperous and, if growing violent, riotous. An individual person can also be obstreperous, as a drunken bar patron who is thrown out by a bouncer for behaving obstreperously. |
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ostracize
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to banish, exile, or exclude by general consent.
widely ostracized for the deaths of his wife and her friend, O.J. Simpson became an expatriate (one who has been exiled, banish, exile) of sorts, a "victim" of pandemic censure. For his acquiescence in Hitler's heinous (Disgracefully and grossly offensive) crimes, the once venerable German dignitary (A person of high rank or position.) was ostracized from his homeland for life. |
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peregrination
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a journey or travel
With his laptop computer, modem, and a little help from satellite communication technology, the senator can send and receive e-mail during his peregrinations and junkets (trip, tour, party). Peregrine: foreign; alien, from another country. migrate: to relocation emigrate: to move away to another place immigrate: to move to from another place. pilgrimage: travel to a place of special significance. |
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plenary
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absolute, complete, or full
A despot or dictator is said to have plenary political power over his domain. An assisstant store manager might be given plenary decision-making power while the manager is away. meaning in business and plitics: attended by all qualified members. The President's "State of the Union" address is one notable example of a plenary session of Congress-it is attended by all qualified members of congress. |
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portend/portentous/portent
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to indicate in advance; fortell; predict
Similar words: bode, forbode, presage, augur and prophesy. Grammatically they are used different ways. Foreboding storm clouds did not bode well for the camping trip; they portend an unpleasant weekend. The campers ignored a prior presage: the local meteorologist's prediction that a storm was impending. Portent: an omen or prophetic sign, especially of something momentous or wonderful. |
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presage
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harbinger, anything that foreshadows future events; an omen or sign of what is to come.
Came from 'sage', a very wise or knowledgeable person. A middle-east oil embargo might be a presage or omen of rising prices at gas pump. Only members of the oil cartel can prophesy when such a presage or its progeny might occur. Books are ... the symbol and presage of immortality don't confuse presage with the related word prescience: firsthand foreknowledge of future events. |
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rectify
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to correct, to set right
rectify mistakes |
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profligate
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recklessly extravagant (lavish, excessively and imprudent (unwise) spending) or wasteful; shamelessly immoral.
While Marie Antoinette wallowed (chim dam) in her ostentatious lifestyle, the destitute (poor) churls around her grew enraged by her profligate spending. A person who is profligate is referred to as wastrel. Related word: spendthrift |
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propitious
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favorable to, advantageous, auspicious
Conditions or circumstances are propitious if they tend to promote, facilitate, or works to ones' advantage. propitiate: to appease |
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punctilious
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exacting in observance of meticulous, niceties and formalities of conduct.
similar word is foppish, fastidious and meticulous. |
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quandary
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perplexing or difficult situation; dilemma, predicament (A situation, especially an unpleasant, troublesome, or trying one, from which extrication (untangled, disengage) is difficult)
similar but distinct meaning is conundrum; a puzzle or mystery. |
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querulous
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full of complains; whining.
similar word: peevish |
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retinue
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a group of attendants or servants, entourage, acolyte
a group of assisstants, not to an individual. Surrounding herself with a retinue gave the movie star a false sense of security; these acolytes were not her real friends but merely self-interested lackeys who enjoyed basking (lie in sunlight, to take extravagant pleasure, to relax in a pleasant warmth or atmosphere) in her fame. Similar word is Entourage Similar words that refer to an 'inidividual' servile attendant include acolyte, minion, lackey and sycophant. |
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rhapsodic
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exaggerated and exalted enthusiasm, especially as expressed in writing, speech or music.
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ruminate
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to think over; ponder; mull over; contemplate
While the others at the table decided quickly on their choice of entree, Roberta announced her choice only after a prolonged and pensive (deep thought) rumination and vacillation (do du). |
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sanguine
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hopefully; confident; optimistic; cheerful; a blood-red color
The sanguine hopes, which I had not shared, that Germany would collapse before the end of the year, failed. A similar but stronger word is ardent: eager, zealous, fervent. |
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schism
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a split, division, or disunion
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scintilla
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a spark or trace; shred; small particle, tiny hit.
Some people find a good book of fiction as scintillating as others find skydiving or racing down a skip slope. |
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surfeit
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excess, overindulgence especially in eating or drinking
After the surfeit of surfing music which inuandated the air waves during the mid-1960s, the Beach Boys and their progeny were left behind in the musical "wake" of the Monterey Pop Music Festival. glut, plethora, nimiety |
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temerity
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rash or foolhardy boldness; audacity; effrontery
temerity nearly costs the ardent but neophyte spelunker (caver, one who explores caves) his life |
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temporal
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transitory
History informs us that peace among nations is temporal; it is humankind's nature to wage war against one another. closely related words: ephemeral, evanescent |
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tribulation
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a great suffering, distress, or trouble.
The many trials and tribulations on the road to success test the mettle of a man or woman; what doesn't kill you make you stronger. |
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turgid
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swollen, inflated, bombastic, pompous
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uctuous
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oily; fervently and overly pious or moralistic; having a suave, smooth, and inscerely manner
# (nghĩa bóng) ngọt xớt (lời nói) The unctuousness of the fitness guru's exhortations was exceed only by his unctuous head of hair. derived from unction: the act of annointing with oil in religious ceremonies. |
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unsurp
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to take control or size and hold by force or without right
The incendiaries succeded in usurping the office of prime ministier, not throught brute force but by sabotage (phá ngầm, phá hoại) and sedition (sự xúi giục nổi loạn). |
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vacuous
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stupid; expressionless; empty headed or simpleminded
the hunky but vacuous "model-actor" never reached the final round of auditions for the role of lead actor, who the screenplay described as "a street-wise yet distinguished thirty-something male" |
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veritable
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truly, very much so; genuine
the nonpartisan public interest organization grew so powerful that it became a veritable juggernaut (An overwhelming, advancing force that crushes or seems to crush everything in its path) of polical clout. |
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vilify
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to belittle or speak slightingly of in the extreme; slander; defame
Our ignorance of history makes us vilify our own age. malign, disparage, chide, berate, asperse (aspersion) |
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virulent
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poisonous, extremely injurious, deadly
The cornerstone and creed of the incumbent's campain platform is to work toward eliminating all virulent effluents and toxins throughout the country deleterious |
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wangle
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to obtain or accomplish something by trickery, scheming, or deception.
The husband's wangling divorce lawyer left the former wife both indigent and indignant (căm phẫn, phẫn nộ, công phẫn; đầy căm phẫn ) |
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covenant
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A binding agreement; a contract
ký hiệp ước, ký kết; thoả thuận bằng giao kèo |
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acolyte
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servile attendent; assistant; helper, lackey, proselyte, minion, retinue and entourage
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ascribe
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to attribute to or refer to
I ascribe my intelligence to my parents, but I ascribe my knowledge of English vocabulary to Noah Webster and other such scribes |
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bastion
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a fortress or stronghold
In an increasingly chaotic world, the mortician (funeral director) found the morgue (nha xac) to be his last bastion of solitude |
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bumptious
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overly and offensively self-assertive, conceited
The ambitious and bumptious newsreporter tu+. phu. Definition: self-important, conceited Antonyms: self-effacing |
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cajole
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to persuade by flattery or by promises; entice; taunt; lure
Car salesmen typically cajole customers into buying cars with hackneyed and insipid one-liners such as "My boss is going to fire me for pratically giving this car away to you, but I like you, so I am going to do it anyway." The best place to watch people cajole one another is at a single bar. |
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cant
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any special language used by a particular group, class or profession; slang; jargon.
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chauvinism
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unreasonable devotion to one's race, country, or sex
a Chauvinism usually has xenophobia. |
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chimerical
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imaginary; wildly fanciful; unreal; impossible
Profesional athletes past their prime sometimes attempt to realize that their chimerical dream of once again being the best in the world at their sport. Olympic swimmer Mark Spitz and boxer Sugar Ray Leonard are two notable examples. illusionary; phantasmal |
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coquettish
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alluring; enticing; coy (feigned shyness). feign: false appearance. coy: demure
The young girl's coquettish ways lured many suitors (A man who is courting a woman) and broke many hearts. A coquette needs not to cajole in order to get what she wants. |
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corpulence
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excessive fatness; obesity
The solicitous wife warned her overweight husband: "you are going to be a corpulent corpse one day soon if you don't loose some weight" |
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deign
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to condescend (hạ mình, hạ cố, chiếu cố ); to deem another worthy or fit in accordance with one's own sense of self-worth, stature, or dignity; to grant or allow.
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dint
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force; power; potent; dent, nick or scratch
The dint of pity Although it felt as though the other car hit mine with the dint of a locomotive (dau xe lua), my car suffered only a few dints. |
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discursive
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desultory, rambling from subject to subject;
The discursive vagrant ranted about anything and everything; but ranted nothing intelligible. |
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elysian
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blissful, heavenly; delightful.
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emendation
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improvement or correction of errors
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ennui
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a feeling of discontent or weariness; boredom
I relieve my ennui (on-we) at work by checking facebook. Neccessity (tung thieu, thieu thon) is the constant scourge (thien tai, tai hoa, su trung phat) of the lower classes, ennui of the higher ones SCOURGE 1. A source of widespread dreadful affliction and devastation such as that caused by pestilence or war. 2. A means of inflicting severe suffering, vengeance, or punishment. 3. A whip used to inflict punishment. tr.v., scourged, scourg·ing, scourg·es. 1. To afflict with severe or widespread suffering and devastation; ravage. 2. To chastise severely; excoriate. 3. To flog. |
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impend
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about to happen, to be imminent
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fastidious
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difficult to please; finicky
similar: meticulous and punctilious |
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fodder
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coarse food, especially livestock
provender: co/ kho^ |
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fulminate
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to explode or eruput violently or noisily; to denouce or condemn vehemently
peevish (cau kinh, gat gong) people => fulminate A volcanic activity culminates in a fulmination. |
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glib
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fluent in speech or writing, but without thought, restraint or sincerely
Certain people, including salespeople and politicians, are notoriously glib. |
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ignominious
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disgraceful; dishonorable, contemptuous
The sort of ignominious knavery (chicary, deceit) that permeats the legal profession in the United States today is actually sactioned by our courts. |
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incorrigible
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unmanageable; unruly; uncontrollable; incapable of being reformed.
obdurate, contumacious, refractory A frustrated mother whose child refused to behave might schold the child" you're incorrigible! You take after your father, you know" The idealist is incorrigible: if he's thrown out of his heaven he makes an ideal of his hell." |
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ineffable
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incapable of being expressed in words or spoken; inexpressible.
Ineffable joy overcame him at the sight of his dog which had been missing for seval days. |
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itinerant
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traveling from place to place, especially for work.
An itinerant construction worker moves from place to place depending on where work is available. |
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knavery
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trickery; deciet; crafty dealing; dishonest
chicanery, ghuile, duplicity knaves = kavnish person |
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livid
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enraged, extremely angry
When accused falsely of embezzlement, the bookkeeper, who had always performed his duties with utmost probity (than than, trung thuc, liem khiet), grew livid with anger and indignation (cam phan). |
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lugubrious
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dismal, depressing or mournful (usually exaggeratedly so)
similar word (but does not invole exaggeration) are somber and melancholy |
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detrimental
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Causing harm or injury: bad, deleterious, evil, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, mischievous
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apprehensive
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I am feeling a bit apprehensive about the GRE Math
adj. 1. Anxious or fearful about the future; uneasy. See synonyms at afraid. 2. Capable of understanding and quick to apprehend. |
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insofar
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to an extent
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fastidious
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difficult to please; finicky
The fastidious formal manner of the upper middle class is preferable to the slovenly easygoing behavior of the common middle class. In moments of crisis, the former know how to act, the latter become uncouth brutes. similar: meticulous and punctilious. |
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fodder
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coarse food; especially for livestock.
The word is widely used figuratively to refer to any source of fuel for human thought or endeavor. Our country's military draft deferment tests are reminiscent of Hitler's twin system of eugenics and education - weed out the intellectually deprived by conscripting them for cannon fodder. similar: provender related: pabulum: any nourishment for animals for plans. |
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fulminate
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to explode or erupt violently or noisily; to denounce or condemn vehemently.
related: culminate: to terminate at the climax or highest point. Thus, a volcanic activity culminates in a fulmination. |
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glib
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fluent in speech or writing, but without thought, restraint, or sincerity.
This word pertains to substance, not quantity; thus a glib person is not necessarily loquacious or garrulous. salespeople and politicians are notoriously glib. |
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ignominious
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disgraceful; dishonorable; contemptuous
opposite of noble. The sort of ignominious knavery that permeates the legal profession in the United States today is actually sanctioned by our courts. similar: ignoble and contemptible |
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incorrigible
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unmanageable; unruly; uncontrollable; incapable of being reformed.
the word is often used by people who wish to control the behavior of others. A frustrated mother whose child refused to behave might scold the child: "you're incorrigible! you take after your father; you know" similar words: obdurate; contumacious; and refractory. |
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incumbent
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pressed or emphatically urged; currently in office
"it is incumbent upon (or on) ... care of the poor is incumbent on society as a whole" : current holder of an office or position "the incumbent and popular senator will have no trouble defeating her little-known challenger in the next election" behoove |
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ineffable
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incapable of being expressed in words or spoken; inexpressible ...
ineffable joy overcame him at the sight of his dog which he had lost for the past several days. |
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knavery
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trickery; deceit; crafty dealing; dishonest.
a knavish person is not someone who is simply given to telling lies, but rather one who relies on deceit in dealings with others. Knavery revealed is often met with reprobation. similar: chicanery, guile, duplicity |
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lachrymose
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given to shedding tears (crying); tearful; mournful.
A person who is easily moved to tears is lachrymose figuratively used to describe a person with a sad or mournful disposition. related word: melancholy: sadly sentimental related: lugubrious, woeful, plaintive; elegiac, doleful |
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mendicant
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living by begging for money and food.
refer to a beggar or one who lives of alms (donations) of others. The act of practice of begging is referred to as either mendicity or mendicancy. mendicant might not be impoverished or indigent. |
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mercurial
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volatile; given to changing moods suddenly.
Mercurial young men with a low center of gravity are particularly suited for the sport of hockey, where assault with a deadly weapon is not only sanctioned but is part of the job description. |
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mordant
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biting or stinging
a mordant remark has a sharp, cutting effect on the listener and is often scornful and derisive (pejorative). similar words: caustic, trenchant, pendant, acrimonious. related: sarcastic - a sarcastic remark is usually mordant in tone and effect but may carry some irony as well. The following remarks may be interpreted as either mordant or factious - depends on whether they were spoken in seriousness or in jest. "you look like hell today" Naomi remarked "you sure know how to hurt a guy," retorted Roger |
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nugatory
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futile; worthless; of no real value
Humankind's efforts to save itself from mass destruction at its own hands would be rendered nugatory by a collision with one fair-sized meteor. similar word is vain. The sentence above suggests that humankind's efforts to save itself might be in vain |
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odious
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deserving or causing hatred or scorn; detestable, despicable; offensive; hateful
odium (n): intense hatred or loathing; antipathy; obloquy. Both an anathema and pariah would aptly be characterized as odious. |
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ostentatious
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boastful; pretentious; showy
vainglorious: excessively proud of one's accomplishments. showy person, flamboyant |
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pastiche (n)
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an assortment or variety
in music, art, and literature, the word is used to describe a work derived chiefly by combining techniques or ideas from other sources. similar words: potpourri, medley, mosaic. |
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pejorative (adj)
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negative in connotation; belittling
the other students often refer pejoratively to the brightest student in the class by the epithet "teacher's pet" a personal assistant whose job is to follow orders and blindly serve another person might be referred to in a pejorative manner as a "yes-man" or "boot lick." similar: deprecatory, derisive, and opprobrious |
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penurious (adj)
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extremely stingy; miserly
the penurious miser ignores the please of the mendicant who wallows in penury. similar : frugal parsimonious, and niggardly |
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perfidy
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deliberate breech of trust or faith
adulterous affairs are considered perfidious acts when engaged in surreptitiously. often used to describe seditious (undermining) acts against a government |
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pernicious
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injurious; ruinous; hurtful
a disease can be pernicious; but so can an insult or a lie. similar: deleterious and baleful, detrimental |
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perspicacious
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insightful; astute; discerning; keen in mental perception
A perspicacious person may recognize subtle distinctions, fine points, and deeper meanings. Perspicuity is the framework of profound thoughts. related word: percipient: able to see or perceive things clearly or easily. |
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petulant
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irritable; irascible; grumpy.
With a petulant turn of her head; the disdainful and petulant executive dashed off angrily without waiting to hear my explanation for the brief delay. similar word: mordant, acrimonious, and peevish. |
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recount
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enumerate, describe
the witness recount the attack. |
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prodigal
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extremely wasteful; especially with money.
a person who has struggled through financial difficulties and worked long and hard to build wealth is less prone to becoming prodigal than one who comes into a large sum of money suddenly and without sacrifice. Similar word: profligate A prodigal person could be referred to as wastrel or spendthrift Antonym: frugal |
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progenitor
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ancestor; forefather; ascendant; predecessor
although the word is usually used to describe a biological relationship, it is also used in a more general sense as a synonym for predecessor or precursor, as in the following sentence: "Men resemble their contemporaries even more than their progenitors." |
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pugnacious
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inclined to fight; quarrelsome; contentious; argumentative.
It's is unfair to blame man too fiercely for being pugnacious; he learned the habit from Nature. SW: truculent. RW: pugilistic: pertaining to hand-to-hand combat (pugilism). The rigors of military boot camp include hand-to-hand combat with pugil sticks. a person who seeks to create chaos or disorder include mutinous , seditious, and perfidious. |
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pungent
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sharp in taste or smell; acidic
A pungent food or beverage sharply affects the senses of tastes and smell, although not necessarily in a bad way. Also used more generally to describe a sharp, biting, or caustic statement or general personality, as in this sentence: "if you would be pungent, be brief; for it is with words as with sunbeams - the more they are condensed, the deeper they burn" |
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pusillanimous
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cowardly; faint-hearted; timid
The cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz was the embodiment of pusillanimity. However, his award for bravery, bestowed by the Wizard, lionized him, transforming him into a intrepid and stalwart "king of jungle." The epithet befit the beast who saved Dorothy from the wicked witch. SW: craven and timorous |
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rancor
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malice; hostility; spite; resentment; animosity
Rancorous actions can be motivated by vengeance or merely by unjustified and unreasoned ill toward another. "... the truth can only be reached by the expression of our free opinions, without fear and without rancor" ... |
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repose
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rest, inner peace, tranquility, serenity.
describe both physical stillness or rest and internal calmness or stillness RW: repository: a receptacle (cho^~ chu+'a) or other place for storing things (i.e., a place of rest for things). state of repose: tranquil, placid, halcyon |
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respite
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a brief rest or cessation; pause
coffee breaks provide a respite from the rigors of workplace. RW: torpor or dormancy, both of which refer to a suspension of activity. |
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rife
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abundant; prevalent; widespread; commonly occurring.
An old wooden house might be rife with termites, or a water melon might be rife with seeds. The stand-up comedian's act was rife with ribald (obscene) jokes with fell flat on the prudish audience. RW: pandemic (universal or worldwide, endemic: local region) and epidemic (widespread). |
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risible
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laughable, comical, or ludicrous; given to or easily aroused to laughter.
"popular fashions among teenagers often appear risible to adults" "After a few drinks, she becomes quite risible, giggling and laughing at anything anyone says" Another word referring to something ludicrous is farcical (farce is a literacy from involving risible situations). |
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sardonic
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disdainful; contemptuous; scornful
the word is derived from and refers to the Sardinian plant, whose ingestion purportedly resulted in uncontrollable laughter ending in sure death. SM: mordant and trenchant Words referring to biting or stinging statements are caustic and acrimonious. |
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saturnine (adj)
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characterized by a gloomy, dark, or sluggish disposition.
Saturnine on schooldays, schoolchildren suddenly turn ebullient Saturday morning. other words suggesting a gloomy disposition are sullen, despondent, melancholy, and lugubrious. |
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savant
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a person who has had profound or extensive learning or understanding; scholar.
people of high intelligence. The psychiatric "autistic-savant" and "idiot-savant" do not refer to scholar but rather to a person with high intelligence in only one narrow area. RW: savvy |
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sedition
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any act designed to incite others against the government or to resist lawful authority; treason
"Men that distrust their own subtlety are, in tumult and sedition, better disposed for victory than they that suppose themselves wise" Insurgence, recalcitrance, and contumacy. An act of sedition is performed by an incendiary: a person who incites others to quarrel or behave disruptively. |
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sedulous
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diligent; persevering; untiring; indefatigable.
"sedulous and steady wins the race," said the laconic tortoise-savant to the hasty hare. unflagging, assiduous (sieng nang), unremitting. |
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solicitous
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worried; concerned; anxious, distraught (especially over the well-being or safety of others)
An overprotective mother might be described as unduly solicitous regarding the safety of her child. NOT related to solicit: to petition or make a formal request. |
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strident
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harsh-sounding; shrill; grating
relates to the disagreeable quality of sound, not to its amplitude (loudness). Nevertheless, a strident sound is probably a loud one as well. The strident cacophony of high school marching band slowly abated as they strode off the football field after their half-time show. related: stentorian: booming, resonant, or thundering. |
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stultify
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to cause to appear foolish; to impair or to render ineffectual or futile
"Stultified victims of practical jokes often feel vindicated (tu+. ba`o chu+~a) for their embarrassment by reciprocating against the perpetrator." "Pouring sugar into an automobile gas tank can completely stultify the car's operational capability" |
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subjugate
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to subdue or conquer; enslave
The invading army quickly subjugated the unarmed villagers, who then became the vanquishing king's reluctant subjects. Some villagers joined the army's forces under duress, while others were subjected to torture and other wanton acts. |
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travesty
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a comical and ludicrous parody; portraying something as ridiculous; a debased imitation.
the word is used in literature to describe a burlesque imitation of a serious literary work. Outside the literary world, travesty is heard most commonly in characterizing legal proceedings, as in this sentence: the defendant's acquittal was a travesty of justice, in view of the overwhelming evidence of his culpability. |
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truculent (adj)
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fierce, cruel; brutal; ferocious; defiant or belligerent (pugnacious)
"It's a truculent jungle out there!" exhorted the laconic and savvy executive to his faithful acolyte. "I am no stranger to truculence," retorted the lackey. "I grew up with three older brothers." |
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trenchant
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insightful; keen; penetrating
usually used to describe either a person or a person's language. While I found the liberal pundit's analysis of the President's press conference to be quite trenchant, the conservative analyst's comments were downright insipid, in my opinion. |
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turbid
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clouded; muddy
"the turbid of the poem seem the most profound" RW: turbulent: agitating, tumultuous, causing or showing disorder. turbine: a machine rotor with blades driven by pressure. |
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turpitude
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depravity; wickedness
while some would label the rancorous acts of violence by young gang members as incorrigible turpitude, the sociologist would see those acts as a manifestation of an inner-city social quagmire (predicament, difficult situation, tribulation). a person exhibiting turpitude might be described as dissolute, base, sordid, amoral or vile. |
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venal
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able to be bribed or bought; corruptible
"large corporations keep our venal political holders in their back pockets, expecting legislative perquisites in exchange for campaign pork" "venal people need not be inveigled, wheedled, or cajoled by any more creative means than a simple bribe" SW: mercenary NOT related to veins (blood vessels) or venison (deer meat) |
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vicissitude
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change or variation in the course of something - especially of circumstance or fortune in life.
"Happy is the man who can endure the highest and lowest fortune. He who has endured such vicissitudes with equanimity has deprived misfortune of its power" "Many a Hollywood movie, including X and Y, has been predicated (found, based on) on the notion of vicissitude" |
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vituperate
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to scold harshly and abusively
the teacher's vituperation both stultified and stupefied (la`m sung so, kinh ngac) the sensitive youngster, who had never before been castigated in front of his schoolmates. Similar words include reproach, reprove, castigate, censure, rebuke, berate |
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winnow
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to separate, scatter, or disperse; to separate or sift out, especially good from bad.
"winnowing their way through hundreds of applications, the scholarship committee finally chose a recipient" other words that suggest 'sifting' include sieve and percolate. RW: vagility; innate ability to disperse. |
