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80 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Haphazard
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Irregular; governed by chance. Something that is done in a haphazard manner is not guided by a system or regular method.
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Hapless
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Luckless, unfortunate. A hapless person is unlucky
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Harangue
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A scolding, especially a lengthy one delivered in a public setting.
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Harbinger
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A forerunner. A harbinger foreshadows a future event or trend.
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Haute Couture
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High fashion. Haute Couture is the most stylish and influential way of designing clothes at a given time.
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Haute Cuisine
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Gourmet preparation of food. Haute cuisine can also refer to the preparation of meals as an art form.
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Hegemony
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Predominant influence, especially in reference to the affairs of nations. To say one nation practices hegemony over another is to suggest that it exercises undue influence over conduct, mores, or administration within that nation.
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Heinous
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Evil; reprehensible. To say something is heinous is to say that it far exceeds the bounds of morality.
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Herbicide
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A chemical that kills plants. Herbicide refers especially to that which eradicates weeds.
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Herculean
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Strong and powerful; reminiscent of the god Hercules in vitality. In addition, herculean can mean daunting or formidable -- so difficult as to require the strength of Hercules.
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Imparity
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Inequality; disparity. Things that are unequal in scope or extent possess imparity.
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Impasse
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A situation taht seems to offer no solution or escape. To reach an impasse is to come to a point of stalemate. Literally, an impasse is a dead-end street or passage.
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Impeccable
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Flawless; virtually perfect. Impeccable is derived from the Latin roots for "without sin."
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Imperative
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Essential, obligatory, or mandatory. As a noun, an imperative is a command or an essential objective. Imperative also has a grammatical sense referring to verbs that command or exhort.
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Imperceptible
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So subtle as to be unnoticeable. Imperceptible refers to that which is so gradual or unnoticeable it is virtually impossible to perceive.
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Imperious
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Haughty. Also: urgent. Imperious is usually meant to convey a sense of dictatorial arrogance.
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Impertinent
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rue; brash. Something that is improper or beyond established bounds is impertinent.
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Impervious
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Impenetrable. Also: impossible to alter or affect. Impervious usually means incapable of being changed from a given course.
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Impetuous
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Impulsive. That which is driven by sudden force or emotion is impetuous.
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Implicit
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Implied or understood, though not expressed directly. An implicit understanding is one that two parties abide by but do not set out in specific language.
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Kudos
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Honor or accolades. The word kudos, occasionally used with a singular verb, is more commonly construed as a plural noun.
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Laconic
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Of few words. Speech that is concise or terse is laconic.
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Laggard
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One who lags behind or loiters. A laggard fails to keep up.
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Lambaste
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To reprimand sharply or attack verbally. lambaste originally meant "to beat harshly."
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Lamentation
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An expression of mourning. Originally, a lament was a song or poem expressing grief; a lamentation is the act of expressing grief and sorrow.
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Languid
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Listless; lacking vitality. That which lacks force or vigor is languid.
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Largess
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Generously bestowed gifts. largess can also refer to a generous nature.
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lascivious
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Wanton or lustful. That which excites sexual desires is lascivious.
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Latent
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potential. A person with dormant abilities in sketching could said to have latent artistic talent.
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Laudatory
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Giving praise. A laudatory speech is one that praises or glorifies.
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Mandate
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Authoritative command, endorsement, or instruction. A mandate is also an order issued by one court of law to another, lower court.
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Maniacal
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Insane. Also: overly emphatic or nervous. Maniacal is often used ironically to describe a person's near-fanatical devotion to a certain pursuit.
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Maraud
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to wander in search of booty. To loot or invade for treasure is to maraud.
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Martial
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Appropriate to wartime. martial law is the imposition of military control over a civilian population.
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Martyrdom
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The condition of having suffered death as a martyr. A person who has attained martyrdom has died or been killed for a principle or cause, and has come to be regarded with reverence by other as a result.
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Masticate
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To chew. To masticate is to knead and grind with the teeth.
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Matriarch
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A woman who presides over a family or group. A woman who holds the dominant position in an organization or family can be said to be the group's matriarch.
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Maverick
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Overly sentimental. something that is emotional or maudlin is mawkish.Free and independent of outside association or contact. A maverick is an independent-minded person who resists the influence of a group.
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Mawkish
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Overly sentimental. something that is emotional or maudlin is mawkish.
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Meander
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To follow a turning and winding path. to meander is to wander idly without a set goal.
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Omnivorous
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Accustomed to eating both animal and vegetable food items. Omnivorous can also mean "voracious," in the sense of taking all that is offered.
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Onerous
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Troublesome and burdensome. Something that entails heavy a obligation might be considered onerous.
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Onomatopoeia
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The development of a word whose pronunciation imitates its main reference. The words 'splat" and "buzz," for instance, are examples of onomatopoeia.
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Onus
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The burden of performing a task or duty. To say that the onus is on a person to do something is to say that he is responsible for doing it.
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Octogenarean
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A person in his or her eighties. An octogenarean is one who is between eighty and eighty-nine years old.
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Odyssey
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A long journey that entails danger or adventure. Odyssey derives from Homer's poem The Odyssey, which describes such a journey undertaken by the character Odysseus.
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Odious
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Abhorrent. Something that stirs disgust or hatred could be said to be odious.
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Officious
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Prone to offering one's services and/or insight, even when they are not requested or appropriate. Someone who is officious is meddlesome and overbearing.
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Ominous
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Foreboding or menacing. Something that is ominous foretells the possibility of future harm or evil.
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Omniscient
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All-knowing. Omniscient refers to having absolute knowledge.
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Palpable
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Touchable or able to be perceived. That which is palpable is tangible or undeniably present.
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Pandemic
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Widespread. Something that is general, common, or all-encompassing could be said to be pandemic.
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Pandemonium
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Chaos. Pandemonium refers to wild, uproarious, and noisy tumult.
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Pander
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To appeal to the worst in someone. Literally, a pander is a pimp.
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Pantheism
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A doctrine that espouses God's manifestation in all things. Pantheism tends to identify Deity with the natural world. The word derives from the Greek roots for "all" and "God."
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Papal
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Of or pertaining to the pope. A papal decree is one issued by the pope.
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Paradigm
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An example. A paradigm is an ideal instance or a pattern worthy of study.
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Paradox
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A seemingly self-contradictory statement that expresses a valid idea or potentially true statement. paradox can also mean "a conclusion that, while reached by conventional logical methods, nevertheless cancels itself out."
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Paragon
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A peerless model or pattern of perfection. A paragon, unlike a paradigm is an absolute-and often a hypothetical-standard.
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Paralysis
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Loss or damage of movement ability; the loss of feeling in a part of the body due to disease or injury. Paralysis is used figuratively to refer to the inability of a person or institution to take action in a given situation.
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Rectify
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To put right. Someone who rectifies a calculation corrects the mathematical errors it contains.
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Recumbent
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Lying down. Recumbent can also mean "inactive."
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Redundant
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Superfluous. That which fulfills the role of something already in place and functional is redundant.
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Refurbish
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To renovate or repair. To refurbish is to restore to a state of attractive completion.
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Relentless
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Unceasingly harsh. Something that is unyieldingly intense or severe is relentless.
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Relvance
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The quality of being pertinent. that which has connection or apt association has relevance.
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Relinquish
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To give up. Someone who surrenders or forswears a thing relinquishes it.
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Remunerate
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To pay (in consideration of another person's expense or action). To remunerate is to settle an existing financial obligation by means of payment.
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Renege
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To go back (one one's word). Someone who breaks a promise of commitment reneges on an agreement.
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Renounce
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To abandon or deny any connection with. Someone who renounces something severs all ties to it.
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Verbose
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Wordy. That which uses unnecessary language is verbose.
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Verdant
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Green (with plant life). That which is lush with vegetation is verdant.
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Veritable
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Authentic; true. That which is undeniably legitimate or actual is veritable.
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Vernacular
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The mode of expression in language accepted in a given circle. As an adjective. Vernacular describes the quality of being common to a particular group's or region's speech.
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Vertigo
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A sensation of dizziness and disorientation. Vertigo is a feeling of tilting or spinning.
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Vestige
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A remaining sample of something no longer common. That which represents something now lost is a vestige.
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Vexation
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Irritation. That which aggravates causes vexation.
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Vicarious
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Arising from the Experiences of others rather than one's own experience. To gain vicarious pleasure is to gain pleasure from action not one's own.
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Vindicate
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Proven correct or innocent despite previous indications to the contrary. To be vindicated is to have one's name cleared after being falsely suspected of something.
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Vindictive
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Mean-spirited; eager for revenge. A vindictive person is motivated by desire for vengeance.
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