Basic Words 7

Front 1

staid

Back 1

characterized by dignity and propriety

Frank came from a staid environment, so he was shocked that his college roommate sold narcotics.

Front 2

stymie

Back 2

hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of

The engineers found their plans stymied at every turn and were ultimately able to make almost no progress on the project.

Front 3

snub

Back 3

refuse to acknowledge; reject outright and bluntly

Wheeler was completely qualified for the committee, but the board snubbed him, choosing an obviously lesser qualified candidate instead.

Front 4

provisional

Back 4

under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed upon

Until the corporate office hands down a definitive decision on use of the extra offices, we will share their use in a provisional arrangement.

Front 5

balk

Back 5

refuse to comply

When the teacher asked them to mop the floor, the students balked, citing reasons why they had to leave.

Front 6

abysmal

Back 6

awful

*think: Pepto-Bismol

When I had food poisoning, my stomach felt so abysmal that I had to drink a bottle of Pepto-Bismol.

Front 7

chivalrous

Back 7

being attentive to women like an ideal knight

Marco's chivalrous ways, like opening doors and pulling out chairs, was much appreciated by his date.

Front 8

antiquated

Back 8

old-fashioned; belonging to an earlier period in time

Aunt Betty had antiquated notions about marriage, believing that man should court a woman for a year before receiving a kiss.

Front 9

colossal

Back 9

so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe

Few appreciate the colossal scale of the sun: if hollow, it could contain a million Earths.

Front 10

decimation

Back 10

destroying or killing a large part of the population

The decimation after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is incomprehensible.

Front 11

debunk

Back 11

expose as false ideas and claims, especially while ridiculing

Richard Dawkins tries to debunk religious belief, but his ridicule pushes people away from his points rather than to convince them.

Front 12

obliging

Back 12

showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others

Even after all his success, I found him to be obliging, sharing with me "secret tips" on how to gain wealth.

Front 13

morph

Back 13

To undergo dramatic change in a seamless and barely noticeable fashion.

The earnestness of the daytime talk shows of the 1970's has morphed into something far more sensational and vulgar.

Front 14

vie

Back 14

compete for something

While the other teams actively vied for the championship, this team played for fun.

Front 15

constraint

Back 15

something that limits or restricts

He found pop music a constraint on his ability to learn and preferred to listen to classical musical while studying.

Front 16

cumbersome

Back 16

awkward due to large size

*think: cucumber

It was cumbersome to write with the pen made out of a giant cucumber.

Front 17

complementary

Back 17

enhancing each other's qualities (for two things or more).

Red wine is complementary with beef - each bringing out subtle taste notes in the other.

Front 18

cosmopolitan

Back 18

comprising many cultures; global in reach and outlook

*think: cosmo

After reading the dating advice in Cosmo, the pre-teen thought she was quite cosmopolitan.

Front 19

inkling

Back 19

a slight suggestion or vague understanding

Lynne speaks four Romance languages, but doesn't have an inkling of how Asian languages are structured.

Front 20

misogynist

Back 20

a person who dislikes women in particular

Many have accused Hemingway of being a quiet misogynist, but recently unearthed letters argue against this belief.

Front 21

aphorism

Back 21

a short instructive saying about a general truth

Nietzsche was known for using aphorisms, sometimes encapsulating a complex philosophical thought in a mere sentence.

Front 22

paradoxical

Back 22

seemingly absurd or self-contradictory.

By glorifying the acts of violence they achieve the paradoxical effect of making them trivial.

Front 23

relegate

Back 23

assign to a lower position

When Dexter didn't fulfill his basic duties, instead of firing him, the boss relegated him to kitchen cleanup.

Front 24

excruciating

Back 24

extremely painful

After the boulder rolled a couple of feet, pinning my friend's arm, he experienced excruciating pain.

Front 25

amply

Back 25

more than is adequate

The boat was amply supplied for its year at sea—no man would go hungry or thirst.

Front 26

malodorous

Back 26

having an unpleasant smell

Thermally active fountains spew sulfur fumes are so so malodorous that many have to plug their noses.

Front 27

perquisites

Back 27

privileges or bonuses (hereditary or official)

*think: perks

Now that I'm CEO, I enjoy perquisites like a company helicopter and a gold wastebasket - perks you'll never have.

Front 28

enumerate

Back 28

to count
The survey enumerates the number of happy and unhappy workers.

to specify individually, one by one
I sat and listened as she enumerated all of the things she did not like about the past three months.

Front 29

dispatch

Back 29

speed; efficiency

*think: police dispatcher

If you want a job as a dispatcher - using the radio to direct police - you'd better have dispatch.

Front 30

laborious

Back 30

characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort

The most laborious job I've had was working 20 hours a day as a fisherman in Alaska.

Front 31

creditable

Back 31

deserving of praise but not that amazing

Critics agreed the movie was creditable, but few gave it more than three out of five stars.

Front 32

sordid

Back 32

filthy, foul, morally degraded

*think: sorry I did

If you are a normal person with a conscience and you do something sordid, you'll be thinking "Sorry I did that" before long.

Front 33

hamper

Back 33

prevent the progress or free movement of

As the rain water began to collect in pools on the highway, it began to hamper the flow of traffic.

Front 34

dilapidated

Back 34

in terrible condition

The main house has been restored but the gazebo is still dilapidated and not useable.

Front 35

compound

Back 35

make more intense, stronger, or more marked

Her headache was compounded by the construction crew outside, that had six jackhammers going.

Front 36

differentiate

Back 36

be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait
Mozart's long melodic lines differentiate his compositions from other works of late 18th c music.

evolve; adapt/lead to a new species
Animals on Madagascar differentiated from other similar species during years of isolation.

Front 37

champion

Back 37

to fight for

*think: champion (n.)

It's easy to champion the champion of the match, but not so easy to stick up for the loser.

Front 38

boorish

Back 38

ill-mannered and coarse; contemptible behavior or appearance

Bukowski was known for being a boorish drunk and alienating close friends and family.

Front 39

vanquish

Back 39

come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

For years, Argentina dominated World Cup qualifying matches, only to be vanquished by one of the European countries during later stages.

Front 40

convivial

Back 40

describing a lively atmosphere

The wedding reception was convivial; friends who hadn't seen each other for ages danced all night.

Front 41

miscreant

Back 41

a person who behaves badly or in a way that breaks the law

*think: mistake of creation

The harsh judge believed the miscreant was a mistake of creation.

Front 42

futile

Back 42

producing no result or effect; unproductive of success

I thought I could repair the car myself, but after two days of work with no success, my efforts were futile.

Front 43

besiege

Back 43

harass, as with questions or requests; cause to feel distressed or worried

After discovering a priceless artifact in her backyard, Jane was besieged by reporters trying to see it.

Front 44

resignation

Back 44

reluctantly accepting of a bad situation

*think: resignation from office

After being implicated in Watergate, Nixon was resigned and offered his resignation from office.

Front 45

qualm

Back 45

uneasiness about the fitness of an action

While he had no clear reason why the plan would fail, he still felt qualms about committing resources to it.

Front 46

deliberate

Back 46

think about carefully; weigh the pros and cons

Emergency situations such as this call for immediate action and leave no room to deliberate over options.

Front 47

discreet

Back 47

having or showing self-restraint and good judgment

*think: this secret

I'm pregnant - but please, be discreet and keep this secret - if my parents find out, they'll kill me.

Front 48

inarticulate

Back 48

without or deprived of the use of speech or words

Although a brilliant economist, Professor Black was completely inarticulate, a terrible lecturer.

Front 49

carping

Back 49

persistently petty and unjustified criticism

What seemed like incessant nagging and carping from my mother turned out to be wise and useful advice.

Front 50

evasive

Back 50

avoiding difficulty or danger or commitment
His responses were clearly evasive; he did not want to take on any responsibility or any new work.

deliberately vague or ambiguous
Every time I call the bank, I receive the same evasive answers and never get a clear response.