Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
143 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
abeyance
|
suspended action
|
|
|
Abstemious
|
sparing in eating and drinking; temperate
|
|
|
alacrity
|
cheerful promptness without reluctance
|
|
|
anarchy
|
absence of governing body; state of disorder
|
|
|
anomalous
|
abnormal; irregular
|
|
|
approbation
|
approval
|
|
|
appropriate
|
acquire; take possession of for one's own use without permission; set aside for a particular purpose; allocate; CF. misappropriate
|
|
|
aver
|
state confidently; declare as true
|
|
|
belie
|
contradict; give a false impression; disguise; Ex. The poor sales belied our high hopes; Ex. Her smile belies her true feeling of displeasure.
|
|
|
burnish
|
make shiny by rubbing; polish
|
|
|
buttress
|
support; prop up; N. stationary structure to support wall; Ex. flying buttress
|
|
|
castigation
|
punishment; severe criticism or disapproval
|
|
|
coagulate
|
congeal; thicken; clot; N. coagulant
|
|
|
coda
|
concluding section of a musical or literary composition
|
|
|
compendium
|
brief, comprehensive summary; ADJ. compendious
|
|
|
complaisant
|
trying to please; obliging; willing to please others
|
|
|
conciliatory
|
reconciling; soothing; V. conciliate: reconcile; soothe; win the friendly feelings (by removing anger)
|
|
|
condone
|
overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse
|
|
|
connoisseur
|
person competent to act as a judge of art, etc. (whose judgments are respected); a lover of an art
|
|
|
contention
|
assertion; claim; thesis; struggling; competition
|
|
|
contrite
|
penitent; repentant; N. contrition
|
|
|
conundrum
|
riddle; difficult problem
|
|
|
converge
|
approach; tend to meet; come together
|
|
|
craven
|
cowardly
|
|
|
default
|
failure to act; failure to perform a task or be present; V.
|
|
|
deference
|
courteous regard for another's wish; courteous yielding to another's wish or opinion (showing respect); ADJ. deferential; OP. effrontery
|
|
|
delineate
|
portray; depict; sketch; describe; N. delineation
|
|
|
deterrent
|
something that discourages or deters
|
|
|
diffuse
|
wordy; verbose; rambling; spread out (like a gas); V: spread out in all directions; disperse; N. diffusion; CF. suffuse
|
|
|
dirge
|
funeral song; slow mournful piece of music (sung over a dead person)
|
|
|
discerning
|
mentally quick and observant; having insight; perceptive; able to make good judgments; V. discern: perceive
|
|
|
discredit
|
defame; disgrace; destroy confidence in; disbelieve; N. CF. discreditable: causing discredit; shameful
|
|
|
discrete
|
separate; unconnected
|
|
|
disingenuous
|
not naive; not candid; sophisticated; worldly wise; OP. ingenuous
|
|
|
disinterested
|
unprejudiced; free from bias and self-interest; objective
|
|
|
dissemble
|
disguise; hide the real nature of; pretend
|
|
|
dissolution
|
disintegration; reduction to a liquid form; looseness in morals; sensual indulgence; debauchery; ADJ. dissolute: lacking in moral restraint; leading an immoral life
|
|
|
distend
|
expand; swell out
|
|
|
divest
|
strip (as of clothes); deprive (as of rights); dispossess; N. divestiture(divestment)
|
|
|
dormant
|
sleeping; temporarily inactive; lethargic; latent
|
|
|
ebullient
|
showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm; boiling; N. ebullience; N. ebullition: state of boiling
|
|
|
elicit
|
draw out fact or information (by discussion or from someone)
|
|
|
embellish
|
adorn; ornament; enhance as a story (by adding fictitious details)
|
|
|
empirical
|
based on experience
|
|
|
equanimity
|
calmness of temperament; composure
|
|
|
euphemism
|
mild expression in place of an unpleasant one; ADJ. euphemistic
|
|
|
facetious
|
joking (often inappropriately); unserious; humorous
|
|
|
fallacious
|
false; based on a fallacy; misleading; N. fallacy: false idea or notion; false reasoning; Ex. popular fallacy; Ex. fallacy of the argument
|
|
|
fatuous
|
smugly and unconsciously foolish; inane; silly; N. fatuity, fatuousness
|
|
|
fawning
|
courting favor by cringing and flattering; V. fawn: exhibit affection as a dog; seek favor or attention by obsequiousness
|
|
|
felicitous
|
(of a word or remark) apt; suitably expressed; well chosen
|
|
|
fledgling(fledgeling)
|
inexperienced; N: young bird that has acquired wing feathers and is learning to fly; inexperienced person
|
|
|
flout
|
reject; mock; show contempt for; scorn; Ex. flout the rules
|
|
|
forestall
|
prevent by taking action in advance
|
|
|
frugality
|
thrift; economy; ADJ. frugal: practicing economy; costing little; inexpensive
|
|
|
futile
|
useless; hopeless; ineffectual
|
|
|
gainsay
|
deny
|
|
|
goad
|
urge on; drive with a goad; cause (someone) to do something by continued annoyance; Ex. They goaded him into doing it by saying he was a coward; N: sharp-pointed stick for driving cattle; stimulus; CF. annoy continually
|
|
|
gouge
|
tear out; cut out (as if with a gouge); Ex. gouge his eyes out; N: chisel for cutting out hollow areas in wood
|
|
|
guileless
|
without deceit
|
|
|
harangue
|
long, passionate, and vehement speech; V.
|
|
|
hyperbole
|
exaggeration; overstatement; ADJ. hyperbolic: of hyperbole; of a hyperbola
|
|
|
immutable
|
unchangeable
|
|
|
impair
|
injure; hurt; damage
|
|
|
impassive
|
without feeling; expressionless; imperturbable; stoical; Ex. impassive face
|
|
|
impervious
|
impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed; incapable of being affected (in one's opinions); Ex. impervious to water/criticism
|
|
|
indeterminate
|
uncertain; not clearly fixed; indefinite
|
|
|
indigence
|
poverty
|
|
|
ingenuous
|
naive and trusting; young; unsophisticated; candid
|
|
|
insensible
|
unconscious; unresponsive; insensitive; unaware; imperceptible; Ex. insensible of his danger/to pain; Ex. insensible change; CF. not the opposite of sensible
|
|
|
insinuate
|
hint; imply; suggest indirectly; creep in; introduce or insert (oneself) by artful means; Ex. insinuate himself into the boss's favor; CF. ingratiate
|
|
|
insipid
|
lacking in flavor; lacking interest; dull; Ex. insipid food/character
|
|
|
insularity
|
narrow-mindedness; isolation; ADJ. insular: of an island; isolated; narrow-minded; CF. peninsula
|
|
|
intractable
|
unruly; difficult to manage; Ex. intractable problem/child
|
|
|
intransigence
|
refusal of any compromise; stubbornness; ADJ. intransigent: uncompromising
|
|
|
invective
|
abuse
|
|
|
irresolute
|
uncertain how to act; weak; lacking in resolution; indecisive; N. irresolution
|
|
|
laconic
|
brief and to the point; using few words; terse
|
|
|
lassitude
|
languor; weariness; listlessness
|
|
|
latent
|
present but not yet noticeable or active; dormant; hidden; N. latency; CF. potential
|
|
|
levity
|
lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity; lightness of manner
|
|
|
mendacious
|
lying; habitually dishonest; N. mendacity
|
|
|
morose
|
ill-humored; sullen; sullenly melancholy
|
|
|
mundane
|
worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday; of the ordinary; Ex. mundane existence; CF. world
|
|
|
neophyte
|
recent convert; new member of a religious group; beginner; CF. plant
|
|
|
officious
|
meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services; overly eager in offering unwanted services or advices; Ex. officious bellboy
|
|
|
opprobrium
|
infamy; disgrace arising from shameful conduct; vilification(slander); scorn; contempt; Ex. opprobrium hurled against him; ADJ. opprobrious: expressing contempt; shameful or infamous
|
|
|
oscillate
|
vibrate pendulumlike; waver
|
|
|
partisan
|
one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party (with dislike of any others); N: strong supporter of a party; guerrilla
|
|
|
pathological
|
pertaining to disease; N. pathology: study of disease
|
|
|
penchant
|
strong inclination; strong liking (esp. for something that is disapproved of by other people); Ex. penchant for fast cars
|
|
|
penury
|
extreme poverty; stinginess; ADJ. penurious: very poor; stingy
|
|
|
perennial
|
something long-lasting; perennial plant; ADJ: lasting through the year or many years; lasting for a long time; enduring
|
|
|
perfidious
|
treacherous; disloyal; N. perfidy: treachery
|
|
|
perfunctory
|
done routinely and with little care; superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; Ex. perfunctory kiss
|
|
|
phlegmatic
|
calm and unexcitable; not easily disturbed; CF. phlegm: sticky mucus produced in the respiratory tract
|
|
|
platitude
|
trite remark; commonplace statement; ADJ. platitudinous
|
|
|
porous
|
full of pores; like a sieve
|
|
|
preamble
|
introductory statement
|
|
|
precursor
|
forerunner; predecessor
|
|
|
prevaricate
|
lie; hide the truth (by equivocating)
|
|
|
pristine
|
unspoiled; remaining in a pure state; characteristic of earlier times; primitive; Ex. an old book in pristine condition
|
|
|
probity
|
uprightness; honesty; incorruptibility
|
|
|
prodigal
|
wasteful; reckless with money; profuse; Ex. a mind prodigal of ideas; N. prodigality
|
|
|
propensity
|
natural inclination
|
|
|
propitiate
|
appease; conciliate; make peaceful; ADJ. propitiatory
|
|
|
proscribe
|
prohibit; ostracize; banish; outlaw
|
|
|
recalcitrant
|
disobedient or resisting authority even after being punished; obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly; Ex. recalcitrant child
|
|
|
recant
|
disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error; Ex. recant one's faith/a statement
|
|
|
recluse
|
hermit; loner; ADJ. reclusive
|
|
|
recondite
|
abstruse; not easily understood; profound; secret
|
|
|
refractory
|
unmanageable; disobedient and stubborn; Ex. refractory horse
|
|
|
relegate
|
put into a lower or worse place; banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign; Ex. relegate the old furniture to the children's room; Ex. relegated to the second division
|
|
|
reproach
|
blame (not angrily but sadly); express disapproval or disappointment; N. ADJ. reproachful
|
|
|
reprobate
|
morally disapproved person; person hardened in sin, devoid of a sense of decency; CF. disapproved by God ?
|
|
|
repudiate
|
disown; disavow; deny
|
|
|
reticent
|
inclined to silence; uncommunicative; reserved; Ex. He was reticent about the reasons; N. reticence
|
|
|
reverent
|
respectful; worshipful; V. revere: regard with reverence; N. reverence: profound respect
|
|
|
sage
|
person celebrated for wisdom; wise person; ADJ: wise
|
|
|
salubrious
|
healthful; conducive to health or well-being; socially desirable; Ex. salubrious area; CF. health
|
|
|
sanction
|
approve; ratify; N: permission; penalty intended to enforce compliance
|
|
|
savor
|
enjoy; have a distinctive flavor, smell, or quality; N: taste or smell; distinctive quality
|
|
|
secrete
|
conceal; hide away or cache; produce and release a substance into an organism; CF. secretive
|
|
|
shard
|
fragment generally of broken pottery (glass, clay bowl, or cup)
|
|
|
solicitous
|
anxious; worried; concerned; eager; Ex. solicitous to do something; N. solicitude
|
|
|
specious
|
seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally)
|
|
|
stigma
|
token of disgrace; brand; V. stigmatize: mark with a stigma; characterize as disgraceful
|
|
|
stint
|
set limits in amount or number; be thrifty; ADJ. stinting, unstinting; CF. stint:savings
|
|
|
stolid
|
dull; impassive; showing little emotion when strong feelings are expected
|
|
|
striated
|
marked with parallel bands; striped; grooved; Ex. striated rocks; V. striate; N. stria: thin groove or line
|
|
|
substantiate
|
support (a claim) with evidence; establish with evidence; verify
|
|
|
supposition
|
assumption; hypothesis; surmise; V. suppose
|
|
|
tacit
|
understood (without actually being expressed); not put into words; Ex. tacit agreement
|
|
|
tirade
|
long angry denunciatory speech; diatribe; harangue; extended scolding; denunciation
|
|
|
torpor
|
lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy; ADJ. torpid: lethargic; lazy; inactive; (of an animal) dormant; hibernating
|
|
|
tortuous
|
winding; full of curves; Ex. tortuous mountain road
|
|
|
tractable
|
docile; easily managed; (of something) easily changed or molded; N. tractability
|
|
|
truculence
|
aggressiveness; ferocity; ADJ. truculent: aggressive; pugnacious; fierce
|
|
|
venerate
|
revere; treat with great respect
|
|
|
viscous
|
(of a liquid) thick and sticky; gluey; viscid; CF. consistency
|
|
|
vituperative
|
abusive; scolding; V. vituperate: berate; scold; rail against abusively
|
|
|
welter
|
confusion; turmoil; confused mass; bewildering jumble; Ex. welter of data
|
|
|
zealot
|
one who is zealous; fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal
|
