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416 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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aberrant
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adj. deviating from what is normal
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abeyance
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n. temporary suppression or suspension
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abjure
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v. to reject; abandon formally
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abscission
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n. the act of cutting; the natural separation of a leaf or other part of a plant
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abstemious
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adj. moderate in appeptite
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abstinence
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n. the giving up of certain pleasures
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accretion
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n. growth in size or increase in amount
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accure
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v. to accumulate; grow by additions
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admonish
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v. to caution or reprimand
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aesthetic
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adj. relating to beauty or art
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affected
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adj. pretentious, phony
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alacrity
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n. cheerful willingness; eagerness; speed
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alchemy
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n. medieval chemical philosophy based on changing metal into gold; a seemingly magical power or process of transmutation
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alloy
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n. a combination; a mixture of two or more metals
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ambrosia
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n. something delicious; the food of the gods
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amulet
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n. ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits
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anachronism
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n. something out of the proper time
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anodyne
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n. something that calms or soothes pain
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antediluvian
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adj. prehistoric
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antipathy
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n. dislike; hostility
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apogee
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n. the point in an orbit most distant from the body being orbited; the highest point
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apothegm
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n. a terse, witty saying
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appellation
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n. name
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apposit
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adj. strikingly appropriate and relevant
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approbation
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n. praise; approval
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arabesque
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n. ornate design featuring intertwined curves; a ballet position in which one leg is extended in back while the other supports the weight of the body
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ardor
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n. great emotion or passion
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argot
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n. a specialized vocabulary used by a group
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artless
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adj. guileless; natural
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ascetic
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n. one who practices self-denial
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asperity
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n. severity; harshness; irritability
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aspersion
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n. slander; false rumor
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assiduous
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adj. diligent; hard-working
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atavism
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n. in biology, the reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence; individual or a part that exhibits atavism; return of a trait after a period of absence
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attenuate
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v. to weaken
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avarice
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n. greed
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aver
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v. to affirm; declare to be true
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avocation
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n. secondary occupation
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avuncular
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adj. like an uncle. benevolent and tolerant
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axiomatic
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adj. taken for granted
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bacchanalian
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adj. pertaining to riotous or drunken festivity; pertaining to revelry
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bawdy
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adj. obscene
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beatify
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v. to sanctify; to bless; to ascribe a virtue to
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bedizen
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v. to dress in a vulgar, showy manner
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bebemoth
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n. huge creature; anything very large and powerful
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beneficent
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adj. kindly; doing good
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bifurcate
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v. to divide into two parts
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blandishment
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n. flattery
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bombastic
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adj. pompous; using inflated language
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burnish
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v. to polish
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cacophonous
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adj. unpleasant or harsh-sounding
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cadge
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v. to beg; sponge
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canard
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n. false, deliberately misleading story
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canon
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n. an established principle; a basis or standard for judgment; a group of literary works
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cant
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n. insincere talk; language of a particular group
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capricious
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adj. fickle
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captious
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adj. faultfinding; intended to entrap, as in a argument
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carping
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v. to find fault; complain
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cataclysm
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n. a violent upheaval that causes great destruction and change
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caustic
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adj. sarcastically biting; buring
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centrifugal
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adj. moving away from a center
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centripetal
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adj. moving or directed toward a center
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chasten
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v. to correct by punishment or reproof; to restrain or subdue
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chicanery
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n. trickery; fraud
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churish
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adj. rude; boorish
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cicuitous
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adj. roundabout
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cloister
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v. to confine; seclude
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coalesce
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v. to cause to become one
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coda
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n. concluding part of a literary or musical composition; something that summarizes or concludes
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codify
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v. to systematize
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compendium
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n. brief, comprehensive summary
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complaisant
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adj. overly polite; willing to please; obliging
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complement
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n. something that completes or makes up a whole
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compunction
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n. uneasiness caused by guilt
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concave
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adj. curving inward
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concomitant
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n. existing concurrently
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consecrate
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v. to declare sacred
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contiguous
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adj. touching; neighboring; connecting without a break
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continence
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n. self-control; abstention from sexual activity
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contrite
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adj. very sorrowful for a wrong
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contumacious
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adj. disobedient; rebellious
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convex
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adj. curved outward
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convivial
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adj. sociable
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covetous
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adj. desiring something owned by another
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cozen
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v. to mislead by trick or fraud; deceive
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craven
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adj. cowardly
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credence
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n. acceptance of something as true
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default
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v. to fail to act
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demotic
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adj. pertaining to people
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demur
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v. to express doubt
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denigrate
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v. to slur someone's reputation
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denizen
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n. an inhabitant; a regular visitor
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denouement
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n. outcome; unraveling of the plot of a play or work of literature
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deride
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v. to mock
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desiccate
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v. to dry completely
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desuetude
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n. state of disuse
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desultory
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adj. random; disconnected; rambling
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diaphanous
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adj. transparent; fine-textured; insubstantial; vague
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diffidence
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n. shyness; lack of confidence
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dirge
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n. funeral hymn
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diabuse
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v. to free from a misconception
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discomfit
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v. to make uneasy; disconcert
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disparage
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v. to belittle
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disparate
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adj. dissimilar
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dissemble
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v. to pretend; disguise one's motives
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dissolution
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n. disintegration; debauchery
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distrait
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adj. inattentive; preoccupied
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divest
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v. to strip; deprive; rid
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doctrinaire
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adj. relating to a person who cannot compromise about points of a theory or doctrine; dogmatic; unyeilding
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doggerel
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n. poor verse
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dogmatic
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adj. stating opinions without proof
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dross
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n. waste; worthless matter; trivial matter
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ebullient
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adj. exhilarated; enthusiastic
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eclectic
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adj. selecting from various sources
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effervescence
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n. state of high spirits or liveliness; the process of bubbling as gas escaped
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effete
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adj. depleted of vitality; overrefined; decandent
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efficacy
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n. efficiency; effectiveness
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effrontery
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n. shameless boldness; presumptuousness
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egoism
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n. the tendency to see things in relation to oneself; self-centeredness
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egotistical
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adj. excessively self-centered; conceited
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elegy
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n. poem or song expressing lamentation
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elicit
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v. to provoke; draw out
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elixir
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n. a substance believed to have the power to cure ills
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Elysian
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adj. blissful; delightful
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emaciated
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adj. thin and wasted
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embellish
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v. to adorn; decorate; enhance; make more attractive by adding details
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emollient
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adj. soothing; mollifying
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empirical
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adj. derived from observation or experiment
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emulate
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v. to imitate; copy
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encomium
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n. a formal expression of praise
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endemic
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adj. inherent; belonging to an area
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enervate
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v. to weaken
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engender
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v. to cause; produce
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enhance
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v. to increase; improve
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entomology
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n. the scientific study of insects
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enunciate
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v. to pronounce clearly
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ethnocentric
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adj. based on the attitude that one's group is superior
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etiology
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n. causes or origins
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etymology
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n. origin and history of a word
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eugenics
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n. study of factors that influence that hereditary qualities of the human race and ways to improve these qualities
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eulogy
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n. high praise, especially a person who has recently died
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euphemism
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n. use of agreeable or inoffensive language in place of unpleasant or offensive language
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euphoria
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n. a feeling or extreme happiness
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euthanasia
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n. mercy killing
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evince
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v. to show plainly; be an indication of
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evocative
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adj. tending to call to mind or produce a reaction
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exacerbate
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v. to aggravate; make worse
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exact
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v. to force the payment of; demand and obtain by authority
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exculpate
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v. to clear of blame; vindicate
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execrable
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adj. detestable; abhorrent
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exhort
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v. to urge by strong appeals
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exigency
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n. crisis; urgent requirements
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existential
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adj. having to do with existence; based on experience; having to do with the philosophy of existentialism
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exorcise
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v. to expel evil spirits; free from bad influences
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expatiate
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v. to speak or write at length
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expatriate
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v. to send into exile
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facetious
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adj. humorous
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expiate
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v. to atone for
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explicate
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v. to explain; interpret; clarify
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expository
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adj. explanatory
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extant
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adj. in existence; not lost
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extemporaneous
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adj. unrehearsed
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extirpate
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v. to root up; to destroy
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extraneous
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adj. not essential
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extrapolation
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n. the act of estimation by projecting known information
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extrinsic
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adj. not inherent or essential
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ephemeral
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adj. short-lived; fleeting
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epistemology
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n. branch of philosophy that examines the nature of knowledge
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equable
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adj. steady; unvarying; serene
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equanimity
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n. composure; calmness
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equivocate
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v. to intentionally use vague language
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errant
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adj. mistaken; straying from the proper course
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erudite
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adj. learned; scholarly
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esoteric
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adj. hard to understand; known only to a few
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essay
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v. to make an attempt; subject to a test
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estimable
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adj. admirable; possible to estimate
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facilitate
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v. to make less difficult
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factotum
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n. a person who does all sorts of work; a handyman
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fallacious
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adj. based on a false idea or fact; misleading
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fallow
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adj. plowed but not sowed; uncultivated
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fatuous
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adj. foolishly self-satified
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fauna
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n. animals of a period or region
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fawning
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adj. seeking favor by flattering
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felicitous
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adj. suitably expressed; appropriate; well-chosen
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feral
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adj. existing in a wild or untamed state
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fervor
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n. warmth and intensity of emotion
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fetid
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adj. having a bad smell
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fetter
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v. to bind; confine
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fiat
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n. arbitrary order; authorization
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fidelity
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n. loyalty; exact correspondence
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filibuster
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n. use of obstructive tactics in a legislature to black passage of law
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finesse
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v. to handle with a deceptive or evasive strategy; to use finesse, that is, refinement in performance
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fissure
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n. crevice
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flag
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v. to droop; grow weak
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fledgling
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n. beginner; noivce
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flora
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n. plants of a region or era
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florid
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adj. ruddy; reddish; flowery
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flourish
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n. an embellishment or ornamentation
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flout
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v. to treat scornfully
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flux
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n. flowing; a continuous moving
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foment
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v. to incite; arouse
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forberance
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n. patience
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forestall
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v. to prevent; delay
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formidable
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adj. menacing; threatening
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forswear
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v. renounce; repudiate
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founder
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v. to sink; fail; collapse
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fracas
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n. a loud quarrel; brawl
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fractious
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adj. quarrelsome; unruly; rebellious
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fresco
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n. a painting done on plaster
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frieze
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n. ornamental band on a wall
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froward
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adj. stubbornly contrary; obstinately disobedient
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frugality
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n. thrift
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fulminate
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v. to attack loudly; denounce
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fulsome
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adj. so excessive as to be disgusting
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fusion
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adj. union; synthesis
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futile
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adj. ineffective; useless; fruitless
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gainsay
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v. to deny; dispute; oppose
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gambol
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v. to frolic; leap playfully
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garrulous
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adj. very talkative; wordy
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gauche
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adj. coarse and uncouth; clumsy
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geniality
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n. cheerfulness; kindliness; sociability
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gerrymander
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v. to divide an area into voting districts in a way that favors a political party
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glib
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adj. fluent in an insincere way; offhand
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goad
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v. to prod; urge on
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gossamer
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adj. sheer; light and delicate, like cobwebs
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gouge
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v. to tear out; scoop out; overcharge
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grandiloquent
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adj. pompous; bombastic
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gregarious
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adj. sociable
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grouse
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v. to complain
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guileless
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adj. free of cunning or deceit; artless
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guise
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n. outward appearance; false appearance; pretense
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gullible
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adj. easily deceived
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gustatory
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adj. affecting the sense of taste
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halcyon
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adj. calm and peaceful; happy; golden; prosperous
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hallowed
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adj. holy; sacred
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harangue
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n. long, pompous speech; tirade
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harrowing
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adj. extremely distressing; terrifying
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herbivorous
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adj. relating to a herbivore, an animal that feeds mainly on plants
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hermetic
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adj. tightly sealed; magical
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heterodox
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adj. unorthodox; not widely accepted
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hieroglyphics
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n. a system of writing in which pictorial symbols represent meaning or sounds; writing or symbols that are difficult to decipher; the symbols used in advanced mathematics
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hirsute
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adj. covered with hair
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histrionic
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adj. relating to exaggerated emotional behavior calculated for effect; theatrical arts or performance
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homeostasis
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n. automatic maintenance by an organism of normal temperature, chemical balance, etc. within itself
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homily
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n. sermon; tedious moralizing lecture; platitude
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homogeneous
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adj. composed of identical parts; uniform in composition
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hyperbole
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n. purposeful exaggeration for effect
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iconoclastic
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adj. attacking cherished traditions
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idolatry
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n. idol worship; blind or excessive devotion
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igneous
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adj. produced by fire; volcanic
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imbroglio
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n. complicated situation; an entanglement
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immutable
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adj. unchangeable
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impair
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v. to damage; injure
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impassive
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adj. showing no emotion
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impecunious
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adj. poor; having no money
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impede
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v. to hinder; block
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impermeable
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adj. impossible to penetrate
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imperturbable
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adj. not easily disturbed
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impervious
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adj. impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
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impinge
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v. to strike; encroach
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implacable
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adj. inflexible; incapable of being pleased
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implausible
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adj. unlikely; unbelievable
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implicit
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adj. implied; understood but not stated
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implode
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v. collapse inward violently
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imprecation
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n. curse
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impute
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v. to relate to a particular cause or source; attribute the fault to; assign as a characteristic
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inadvertently
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adv. carelessly; unintentionally
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incarnate
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adj. having bodily form
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inchoate
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adj. imperfectly formed or formulated
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incogruity
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n. state of not fitting
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inconsequential
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adj. insignificant; unimportant
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incorporate
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v. introduce something into another thing already in existence; combine
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incursion
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n. sudden invasion
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indeterminate
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adj. uncertain; indefinite
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indigence
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n. poverty
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indolent
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adj. habitually lazy; idle
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ineluctable
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adj. not to be avoided or escaped; inevitable
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inert
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adj. unable to move; sluggish
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ingenuous
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adj. naive and trusting; lacking sophistication
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inherent
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adj. firmly established by nature of habit
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innocuous
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adj. harmless
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insensible
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adj. unconscious; unresponsive
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insinuate
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v. to suggest; say indirectly; imply
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insipid
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adj. lacking in flavor; dull
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insouciant
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adj. indifferent; lacking concern or care
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insularity
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n. narrow-mindedness; isolation
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insuperable
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adj. insurmountable; unconquerable
e.g. insuperable difficulties |
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intangible
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adj. not material
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interdict
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v. to forbid; prohibit; to confront and halt the activities, advance, or entry of
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internecine
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adj. deadly to both sides
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interpolate
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v. to insert; change by adding new words or material
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interregnum
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n. interval between reigns; gap in continuity
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intimate
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adj. marked by close acquaintance
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intractable
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adj. not easily managed
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intransigence
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n. stubbornness; refusal to compromise
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introspective
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adj. contemplating one's own thoughts and feelings
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inundate
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v. to cover with water; overwhelm
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inured
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v. hardened; accustomed; used to
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invective
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n. verbal abuse
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inveigh
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v. to disprove; protest vehemently
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inveigle
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v. to win over by flattery or coaxing
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inveterate
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adj. confirmed; long-standing; deeply rooted
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invidious
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adj. likely to provoke ill will offensive
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irascible
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adj. easily angered
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irresolute
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adj. unsure of how to act; weak
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itinerant
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adj. wandering from place to place; unsettled
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itinerary
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n. route of a traveler's journey
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jaundiced
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adj. having a yellowish discoloration of the skin; affected by envy, resentment, or hostility
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jibe
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v. to be in agreement
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jocose
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adj. fond of joking; jocular; playful
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juggernaut
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n. huge force destroying everything in its path
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junta
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n. group of people united in political intrigue
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juxapose
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n. place side by side
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kudos
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n. fame; glory; honor
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labile
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adj. likely to change
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laconic
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adj. using few words
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lambaste
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v. to thrash verbally or physically
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lascivious
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adj. lustful
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lassitude
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n. lethargy; sluggishness
e.g. overcome by lassitude --> take a nap |
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latent
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adj. present but hidden; potential
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laud
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v. to praise
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lethargic
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adj. inactive
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levee
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n. an embankment that prevents a river from overflowing
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levity
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n. light manner or attitude
e.g. introduce levity to a serious atmosphere |
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liberal
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adj. tolerant; broad-minded; generous; lavish
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libertine
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n. one without moral restraint
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libido
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n. sexual desire
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Lilliputian
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adj. extremely small
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limn
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v. to draw; describe
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limpid
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adj. clear; transparent
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linguistic
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adj. pertaining to lanugage
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litany
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n. lengthy recitation; repetitive chant
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literati
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n. scholarly or learned persons
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litigation
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n. legal proceedings
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log
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n. record of a voyage; record of daily activities
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loquacious
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adj. talkative
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lucid
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adj. bright; clear; intelligent
e.g. lucid discussions of complex scientific topics |
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lucre
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n. money or profits
e.g. lucre draws people to speculate |
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luminious
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adj. bright; brilliant; glowing
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lustrous
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adj. shining
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Machiavellian
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adj. crafty; double-dealing
e.g. Machiavellian to replace his boss |
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machinations
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n. strategy; plots or schemes
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maelstrom
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n. whirlpool; turmoil
e.g. into the maelstrom of wars |
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magnanimity
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n. generosity; nobility
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malign
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v. to speak evil of
e.g. lawyers maligned as greedy |
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malinger
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v. to feign illness to escape duty
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malleable
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adj. capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionable
e.g. students as malleable clay |
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maverick
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n. independent politicians
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megalomania
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n. delusions of power or importance
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menagerie
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n. a variety of animals kept together
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mendacious
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adj. dishonest
e.g. ruled the defendant disingenuous and mendacious |
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mendicant
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n. beggar
e.g. as a mendicant monk |
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meretricious
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adj. gaudy; plausible but false; specious
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mesmerize
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v. to hypnotize
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metamorphosis
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n. change; transformation
e.g. metamorphosed from lazy to hard-working |
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metaphysics
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n. a branch of philosophy that investigates the ultimate nature of reality
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meterological
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adj. concerned with the weather
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meticulous
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adj. very careful; fastidious
eg. scientists make meticulous observation |
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mettle
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n. courage; endurance
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mettlesome
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adj. full of courage; spirited
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microcosm
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n. small system having analogies to a large system; small world
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militate
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v. to work against
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minatory
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adj. threatening
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minuscule
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adj. very small
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minutia
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n. petty details
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misanthrope
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n. one who hates humanity
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miscellany
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n. mixture of writings on various subjects
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miscreant
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n. criminal
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misogynist
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n. one who hates women
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mitigate
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v. to alleviate
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mnemonic
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adj. related to memory; assisting memory
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modicum
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n. limited quantity
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mollify
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v. to soothe
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monolithic
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adj. solid and uniform
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morose
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adj. ill-humored
eg. not to be morose when facing death |
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motley
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adj. many colored; made up of many parts
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multifarious
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adj. diverse
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mundane
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adj. 平凡
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necromancy
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n. black magic
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negate
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v. nullify
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neologism
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n. new word or expression
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neophyte
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n. beginner
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nexus
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n. connection; center
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nonplussed
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adj. bewildered
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nostalgia
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n. 懷舊之情
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nostrum
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n. medicine or remedy of doubtful effectiveness
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nugatory
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adj. invalid
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obdurate
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adj. stubborn
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obseuious
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adj. overly submissive
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obsequy
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n. funeral ceremony
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obviate
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v. to prevent
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occlude
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v. to block
e.g. The sun is occluded by clouds |
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occult
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adj. relating to practices connected with supernatural
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odyssey
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n. a long, adventurous voyage
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officious
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adj. too helpful
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olfactory
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adj. concerning the sense of smell
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oligarchy
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n. form of government in which power belongs to only a few leaders
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onerous
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adj. burdensome
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onomatopoeia
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n. formation/use of words that imitate sounds of the actions they refer to
eg. "ping-pong" |
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opprobrium
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n. disgrace; contempt
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ornithologist
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n. scientist who studies birds
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oscillate
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v. to move back and forth
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ostentatious
|
adj. showy; trying to attract attention
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overweening
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adj. arrogant
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paean
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n. song of joy or triumph
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palenotology
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n. study of past geological ears through fossil remains
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pallid
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adj. lacking color or liveliness
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panegyric
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n. elaborate praise
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paragon
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n. model of excellence or perfection
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partisan
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adj. one-sided; committed to a party, group, or cause
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pathological
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adj. departing from normal condition
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patois
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n. regional dialect; nonstandard speech
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paucity
|
n. scarcity
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pedantic
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adj. showing off learning
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pellucid
|
adj. transparent; easily understood
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penchant
|
n. inclination
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