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215 Cards in this Set
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peccadillo
[pek-uh-dil-oh] |
a minor offense; a lapse
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pedestrian
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lacking in vitality, imagination, distinction, etc.; commonplace; prosaic or dull: "a pedestrian commencement speech".
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philistine
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1. someone who is smugly ignorant or uncultured
2 often not capitalized a : a person who is guided by materialism and is usually disdainful of intellectual or artistic values b : one uninformed in a special area of knowledge |
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plaintive
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expressing sorrow or melancholy; mournful: "a plaintive melody".
"He made a plaintive whistling sound" "We could hear the plaintive cry of a wounded animal in the woods" |
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platitude
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1. a trite remark or saying; a cliche
2. the quality or state of being dull or insipid : a banal, trite, or stale remark "the platitude of most political oratory." "His speech was filled with familiar platitudes about the value of hard work and dedication" "“blondes have more fun” is a silly platitude" |
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prolix (adj)
prolixity(n) [proh-lik-si-tee] |
a diffuseness; a rambling verbose quality
1. extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy. 2. (of a person) given to speaking or writing at great or tedious length. "The speech was unnecessarily prolix" "a person known for habitually transforming brief anecdotes into prolix sagas that exhaust their listeners" |
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charlatan
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(n) one making unusually showy pretenses to knowledge or ability
a person who pretends or claims to have more knowledge or skill than he or she possesses; quack. |
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penury
[pen-yuh-ree] |
: a cramping and oppressive lack of resources (as money); especially : severe poverty
1.extreme poverty; destitution. 2.scarcity; dearth; inadequacy; insufficiency. <lived in a time when single women like herself faced a lifetime of genteel penury> |
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arable
[ar-uh-buhl] |
–adjective 1. capable of producing crops; suitable for farming; suited to the plow and for tillage: "arable land; arable soil"
–noun 2. land that can be or is cultivated. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
[ar-uh-buhl]
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slag
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waste produced in a furnace
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salacious
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not wholesome
— adj 1. having an excessive interest in sex 2. (of books, magazines, etc) erotic, bawdy, or lewd : arousing or appealing to sexual desire or imagination : "a song with salacious lyrics" noun salaciousness |
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glut
gluttony |
–verb (used with object) 1. to feed or fill to satiety; sate: "to glut the appetite."
2. to feed or fill to excess; verb (used without object) 5. to eat to satiety or to excess. gluttony (noun): excessive eating and drinking "to eat gluttonously" |
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pugnacious
[puhg-ney-shuhs] |
aggressive
inclined to quarrel or fight readily; quarrelsome; belligerent; combative. "There's one pugnacious member on the committee who won't agree to anything" |
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clement
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adjective
1.mild or merciful in disposition or character; lenient; compassionate: "A clement judge reduced his sentence." 2. (of the weather) mild or temperate; pleasant. |
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hidebound
[hahyd-bound] |
having an inflexible and ultra conservative character
adjective 1.narrow and rigid in opinion; inflexible: "a hidebound pedant" 2. oriented toward or confined to the past; extremely conservative: "a hidebound philosopher." |
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xenophobe
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someone afraid of strangers
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pinion
[pin-yuhn] |
1. to bind (a person's arms or hands) so they cannot be used.
2. to disable (someone) in such a manner; shackle. 3. to bind or hold fast, as to a thing: "to be pinioned to one's bad habits" |
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choleric
[kol-er-ik, kuh-ler-ik] |
adjective
1. extremely irritable or easily angered; irascible: "a choleric disposition". |
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Archipelago
[ahr-kuh-pel-uh-goh] |
a group of islands
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mince
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verb (used with object)
1.to cut or chop into very small pieces. 2.to soften, moderate, or weaken (one's words), especially for the sake of decorum or courtesy. 3.to perform or utter with affected elegance. 4.to subdivide minutely, as land or a topic for study. Idiom not mince words / matters, to speak directly and frankly; be blunt or outspoken: "He was angry and didn't mince words". |
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simper
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to smile in a silly, self-conscious way.
— vb 1. ( intr ) to smile coyly, affectedly, or in a silly self-conscious way 2. ( tr ) to utter (something) in a simpering manner : to say with a simper <simpered an apology> — n 3. a simpering smile; smirk |
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furtive
[fur-tiv] |
adjective
1.taken, done, used, etc., surreptitiously or by stealth; secret: "a furtive glance". 2. sly; shifty: "a furtive manner". |
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solecism
[sol-uh-siz-uhm] |
A nonstandard usage or grammatical construction.: a minor blunder in speech
A violation of etiquette. <the solecism of asking one's hosts how much something in their house cost them> An impropriety, mistake, or incongruity |
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tyro
[tahy-roh] tyronic (adj) |
a beginner in learning anything; novice.
"Most of the people in the class were tyros like me" <he's a good musician, but at 14, he's still a tyro and has a lot to learn> |
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prosody
[pros-uh-dee] |
noun
1. the science or study of poetic meters and versification. 2. a particular or distinctive system of metrics and versification: "Milton's prosody" |
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churlish
[chur-lish] |
marked by a lack of civility or graciousness; boorish
adjective 1.like a churl; boorish; rude: "churlish behavior". 2.of a churl; peasantlike. 3.niggardly; mean. 4.difficult to work or deal with, as soil. |
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sardonic
[sahr-don-ik] |
disdainfully or skeptically humorous; derisively mocking
<a sardonic comment> characterized by bitter or scornful derision; mocking; cynical; sneering: "a sardonic grin". |
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surly
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menacing or threatening in appearance;
<surly weather> irritably sullen or churlish in mood or manner |
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raconteur
[rak-uhn-tur] |
an excellent story teller
a person who is skilled in relating stories and anecdotes interestingly. |
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rarified
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Belonging to or reserved for a small select group; esoteric.
Elevated in character or style; lofty |
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sideral
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relating to the stars and constellations
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stanch
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1 : to check or stop the flowing of <stanched her tears>; also : to stop the flow of blood from (a wound)
2 archaic : allay, extinguish 3 a : to stop or check in its course <trying to stanch the crime wave> b : to make watertight : stop up |
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tirade
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: a protracted speech usually marked by intemperate, vituperative, or harshly censorious language
1. a prolonged outburst of bitter, outspoken denunciation: "a tirade against smoking". 2. a long, vehement speech: "a tirade in the Senate". |
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trenchant
[tren-chuhnt] |
vigorisly effective and articulate
<a trenchant analysis> : caustic <trenchant remarks> sharply perceptive : penetrating <a trenchant view of current conditions> b : clear-cut, distinct <the trenchant divisions between right and wrong |
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turpitude
[tur-pi-tood] |
Depravity, wickedness, baseness
inherent baseness : depravity <moral turpitude> |
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viscid
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sticky
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defoliate
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to prematurely lose leaves
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ignominious
[ig-nuh-min-ee-uhs] |
dishonorable, disgraceful
marked by or attended with ignominy; discreditable; humiliating: "an ignominious retreat". <suffered an ignominious defeat> |
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veritable
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: being in fact the thing named and not false, unreal, or imaginary —often used to stress the aptness of a metaphor <a veritable mountain of references>
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univocal
[yoo-niv-uh-kuhl] [yoo-nuh-voh-kuhl] |
having 1 meaning; disambiguous
unambiguous: <in search of a morally univocal answer> <those who believe that the language of the Bible is univocal: it is never metaphorical but intended to be taken literally> |
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cantankerous
[kan-tang-ker-uhs] |
difficult or irritating to deal with
disagreeable to deal with; contentious; peevish: "a cantankerous, argumentative man". |
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evanescent
[ev-uh-nes-uhnt] |
: tending to vanish like vapor; fading away; fleeting
tending to become imperceptible; scarcely perceptible. <beauty that is as evanescent as a rainbow> |
evan(es)cent
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ungainly
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1 a : lacking in smoothness or dexterity : clumsy <ungainly movements> b : hard to handle : unwieldy <an ungainly contraption>
2 : having an awkward appearance <a large ungainly bird> |
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dilettante
[dil-i-tahnt] |
1. a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement, esp. in a desultory or superficial way; dabbler.
2. a lover of an art or science, esp. of a fine art |
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virtuosity
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noun: great technical skill (as in the practice of a fine art)
the character, ability, or skill of a virtuoso |
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fungible
[fun-ja-bull] |
1 : being of such a nature that one part or quantity may be replaced by another equal part or quantity in the satisfaction of an obligation <oil, wheat, and lumber are fungible commodities>
2 : interchangeable 3 : flexible 3 |
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discursive
[dih-skur-siv] |
1 a : moving from topic to topic without order : rambling :
passing aimlessly from one subject to another; digressive; <the speaker's discursive style made it difficult to understand his point> proceeding coherently from topic to topic? 2 : marked by analytical reasoning 3 : of or relating to discourse <discursive practices> |
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splenetic
[spli-net-ik] |
bad temper, malevolence,
irritable; peevish; spiteful. <the newspaper publisher's splenetic editorials often struck fear into local politicians> |
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contrite
[kuhn-trahyt] |
: feeling or showing sorrow and remorse for a sin or shortcoming <a contrite criminal> <a contrite apology> <contrite sighs>
"Allbaugh apologized, though it was clear he was hardly contrite." <being contrite is not enough to spare you an arrest if you're caught shoplifting> |
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baleful
[beyl-fuhl] |
full of menacing or malign influences; pernicious.
1: deadly or pernicious in influence <baleful effects> 2: foreboding or threatening evil <a baleful look> 1. <the baleful effects of water pollution> 2. <a dark, baleful sky portending a tornado> |
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caustic
[kaw-stik] |
marked by incisive sarcasm
severely critical or sarcastic: "a caustic remark" suggests a biting wit <caustic comments> "She wrote a caustic report about the decisions that led to the crisis." |
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feckless
[fek-lis] |
ineffective; incompetent; futile:
"feckless attempts to repair the plumbing". <a well-intentioned but feckless response to the rise in school violence> 2. having no sense of responsibility; indifferent; lazy. "She can't rely on her feckless son." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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flourish (n)
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an extraneous embellishment; "a dramatic gesture"
an ostentatious display. a decoration or embellishment, esp. in writing: "He added a few flourishes to his signature" |
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fortuitous
[fawr-too-i-tuhs] |
1. happening or produced by chance; accidental: "a fortuitous encounter."
2. lucky; fortunate: "a series of fortuitous events that advanced her career." "You could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time." |
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gainsay
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1. to deny, dispute, or contradict.
2: to speak or act against; oppose. No one ventured to gainsay the missionary, whose excited tone contrasted curiously with his naturally calm visage. |
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harrow
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to torment or vex
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haughty
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disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant; supercilious: "haughty aristocrats; a haughty salesclerk"
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iconoclast
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a breaker or destroyer of images, esp. those set up for religious veneration.
2. a person who attacks cherished beliefs, traditional institutions, etc., as being based on error or superstition. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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insouciant
[in-soo-see-uhnt] |
gay and careless
lighthearted unconcern : nonchalance |
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apocryphal
[uh-pok-ruh-fuhl] |
not genuine, of doubtful authenticity; spurious
false; spurious: "He told an apocryphal story about the sword, but the truth was later revealed". |
[uh-pok-ruh-fuhl]
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idyll
[ahyd-l] |
a artistic work depicting simple rustic life
a simple descriptive work in poetry or prose that deals with rustic life or pastoral scenes or suggests a mood of peace and contentment |
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impassive
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apathetic; unresponsive
stresses the absence of any external sign of emotion in action or facial expression <met the news with an impassive look>. |
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impetuous
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of, pertaining to, or characterized by sudden or rash action, emotion, etc.; impulsive: "an impetuous decision; an impetuous person"
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incisive
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1. penetrating; cutting; biting; trenchant: "an incisive tone of voice".
2. remarkably clear and direct; sharp; keen; acute: "an incisive method of summarizing the issue" |
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indelicate
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blunt; undisguised
offensive to a sense of generally accepted propriety, modesty, or decency; improper, unrefined, or coarse: "indelicate language". |
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maladroit
[mal-uh-droit] |
–adjective lacking in adroitness; unskillful; awkward; bungling; tactless: "to handle a diplomatic crisis in a very maladroit way".
"The governor has been criticized for his maladroit handling of the budget crisis." <some maladroit steering on her part caused the bicycle to go crashing into the bushes> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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mercurial
[mer-kyoor-ee-uhl] |
1. changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic: "a mercurial nature".
2. animated; lively; sprightly; quick-witted. |
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mettle (n)
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1.courage and fortitude: "a man of mettle".
2.disposition or temperament: "a man of fine mettle". |
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minatory
[min-uh-tawr-ee] |
menacing, threatening
having a menacing quality <the novel's protagonist is haunted by a minatory black specter> |
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misanthrope
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someone who hates all people
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ˈmi-sən-ˌthrōp\
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miscreant
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depraved, villainous, or base.
adj <miscreant behavior> |
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nadir
[ney-der, ney-deer] |
the lowest point; point of greatest adversity or despair.
"The relationship between the two countries reached a nadir in the 1920s" <the discussion really reached its nadir when people resorted to name-calling> |
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obtuse
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1. not quick or alert in perception, feeling, or intellect; not sensitive or observant; dull.
2. not sharp, acute, or pointed; blunt in form. a : lacking sharpness or quickness of sensibility or intellect "He is too obtuse to take a hint" |
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paean
[pee-uhn] |
a joyous expression of praise or gratitude
enthusiastic praise: "the film received a paean from the critics" |
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parse
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to analyze bit by bit
To examine closely or subject to detailed analysis, especially by breaking up into components: "What are we missing by parsing the behavior of chimpanzees into the conventional categories recognized largely from our own behavior?" (Stephen Jay Gould). To make sense of; comprehend: I simply couldn't parse what you just said. |
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overture
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an opening or initiating move toward negotiations, a new relationship, an agreement, etc.; a formal or informal proposal or offer:
"overtures of peace" "a shy man who rarely made overtures of friendship". |
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deluge
[del-yooj] |
noun
1. a great flood of water; inundation; flood. 2. a drenching rain; downpour. 3. anything that overwhelms like a flood: "a deluge of mail". 4. the Deluge. flood ( def. 3 ) . verb (used with object) 5. to flood; inundate. 6. to overrun; overwhelm: "She was deluged with congratulatory letters". |
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malign
[muh-lahyn] |
to utter injuriously misleading or false statements about someone
to speak harmful untruths about; speak evil of; slander; defame: "to malign an honorable man". |
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traduce
[truh-doos, -dyoos] |
to speak maliciously and falsely of; slander; defame: "to traduce someone's character"
"He was traduced in the press" |
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asperse
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1. to attack with false, malicious, and damaging charges or insinuations; slander.
2. to sprinkle; bespatter. "using acrid and harsh words maul or asperse others, or using ... " <how dare you asperse the character of our dedicated pastor!> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
verb (used with object)
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coalesce
[koh-uh-les] |
verb (used without object)
1. to grow together or into one body: "The two lakes coalesced into one". 2. to unite so as to form one mass, community, etc.: "The various groups coalesced into a crowd". 3. to blend or come together: "Their ideas coalesced into one theory". |
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complaisant
[kuhm-pley-suhnt |
inclined or disposed to please; obliging; agreeable or gracious; compliant:
"the most complaisant child I've ever met". not to be confused with complacent |
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convivial
[kuhn-viv-ee-uhl] |
1. friendly; agreeable: "a convivial atmosphere".
2. fond of feasting, drinking, and merry company; jovial. <a convivial host> <a convivial gathering> 3. of or befitting a feast; festive. |
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decry
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: to express strong disapproval of <decry the emphasis on sex>
implies open condemnation with intent to discredit <decried their defeatist attitude>. |
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demagogue
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a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power
<that politician is just a demagogue who preys upon people's fears and prejudices> (tautological?) |
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derisive; adj
derision; noun |
adj; expressing ridicule or scorn
noun; 1 a : the use of ridicule or scorn to show contempt b : a state of being derided 2 : an object of ridicule or scorn |
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desultory
[des-uhl-tawr-ee] |
1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: "desultory conversation".
2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: "a desultory remark" 3. disappointing in progress, performance, or quality <a desultory fifth place finish> <a desultory wine> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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dirge
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a song or hymn of grief
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inured
[in-yoor] |
to accustom to hardship, difficulty, pain, etc.; toughen or harden; habituate (usually followed by to ): "inured to cold". "inured to nerve pain". "children inured to violence"
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feint
[feynt] |
noun
1. a movement made in order to deceive an adversary; an attack aimed at one place or point merely as a distraction from the real place or point of attack: "military feints; the feints of a skilled fencer." 2. a feigned or assumed appearance: "His air of approval was a feint to conceal his real motives." can be used as verb |
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febrile
[fee-bruhl, feb-ruhl |
pertaining to or marked by fever; feverish.
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effrontery
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shameless or impudent boldness; barefaced audacity: "She had the effrontery to ask for two free samples"
"the little squirt had the effrontery to deny eating any cookies, even with the crumbs still on his lips" |
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elegy
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a song or poem expressing sorrow
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emollient
e(mall)yent |
1 : making soft or supple; also : soothing especially to the skin or mucous membrane <an emollient hand lotion>
2 : making less intense or harsh : mollifying <soothe us in our agonies with emollient words |
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encomium
[en-koh-mee-uhm] |
a formal expression of high praise; eulogy: "An encomium by the President greeted the returning hero."
: glowing and warmly enthusiastic praise; <the encomiums bestowed on a teacher at her retirement ceremonies> |
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enmity
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hatred, hostility, ill will
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epicure
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a person who cultivates a refined taste, especially in food and wine; connoisseur.
<Thomas Jefferson was one of America's first great epicures.> implies fastidiousness and voluptuousness of taste |
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equable
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steady uniform
free from many changes or variations; uniform: "an equable climate; an equable temperament". -not to confuse with equitable- |
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deft
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characterized by facility or skill
dexterous; nimble; skillful; clever: "deft hands; a deft mechanic" |
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listless
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lack of interest, energy, or spirit
<a listless melancholy attitude> 1. languid |
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quixotic
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Caught up in the romance of noble deeds and the pursuit of unreachable goals; idealistic without regard to practicality.
Capricious; impulsive: "At worst his scruples must have been quixotic, not malicious" |
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accretion
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a gradual buildup or enlargement
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anachronism
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out of proper time
The representation of someone as existing or something as happening in other than chronological, proper, or historical order. One that is out of its proper or chronological order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time: "A new age had plainly dawned, an age that made the institution of a segregated picnic seem an anachronism" (Henry Louis Gates, Jr.) |
\ə-ˈna-krə-ˌni-zəm\
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asperity
[uh-sper-i-tee] |
1. harshness or sharpness of tone, temper, or manner; severity; acrimony: "The cause of her anger did not warrant such asperity"
2. hardship; difficulty; rigor: "the asperities of polar weather" 3. roughness of surface; unevenness. 4. something rough or harsh. |
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cacophony
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1. harsh discordance of sound; dissonance: a cacophony of hoots, cackles, and wails.
2. a discordant and meaningless mixture of sounds: the cacophony produced by city traffic at midday. 3. Music. frequent use of discords of a harshness and relationship difficult to understand. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
[kuh-kof-uh-nee]
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frenetic
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excited to a great degree
frenzied, frantic "The celebration was noisy and frenetic" "the frenetic rush to get every member of the cast in place before the curtain went up" |
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fastidious
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attentive to a greater degree
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obsequious
[uhb-see-kwee-uhs] obsequence [ob-si-kwuhns] |
1. characterized by or showing servile complaisance or deference; fawning: "an obsequious bow".
2. servilely compliant or deferential: "obsequious servants". |
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pellucid
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1. allowing the maximum passage of light, as glass; translucent.
2. clear or limpid: pellucid waters. 3. clear in meaning, expression, or style: a pellucid way of writing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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opaque
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1 : exhibiting opacity : blocking the passage of radiant energy and especially light
2 a : hard to understand or explain <opaque prose> b : obtuse, thickheaded |
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mellifluous
[muh-lif-loo-uhs] |
adjective
1. sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet-sounding: "a mellifluous voice; mellifluous tones". 2. flowing with honey; sweetened with or as if with honey. |
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lachrymose
[lak-ruh-mohs] |
1. suggestive of or tending to cause tears; mournful.
2. given to shedding tears readily; tearful. "a drama with a lachrymose hero" <the more lachrymose mourners at the funeral required a steady supply of tissues> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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saturnine
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a : cold and steady in mood : slow to act or change b : of a gloomy or surly disposition c : having a sardonic aspect <a saturnine smile>
synonyms see sullen |
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ignoramus
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someone who lacks knowledge
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lucubratory
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erudite; scholarly
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erudite
[air-yoo-dahyt] |
learned;
erudition:extensive knowledge gain extensively through books <an erudite scholar> |
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tangential
[tan-jen-shuhl] |
1. merely touching; slightly connected: "tangential information".
2. divergent or digressive, as from a subject under consideration: "tangential remarks". 3. tending to digress or to reply to questions obliquely. |
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otiose
[oh-shee-ohs] |
1. being at leisure; idle; indolent.
2. ineffective or futile. 3. superfluous or useless. <since you haven't read the book, I suppose that it would be otiose to inquire what you thought of it> "This is a typically bureaucratic, not to say otiose, categorization" |
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unwonted
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uncommon or unusual
not customary or usual; rare: "unwonted kindness". |
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quotidian
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: occurring every day <quotidian fever>
2 a : belonging to each day : everyday <quotidian routine> b : commonplace, ordinary <quotidian drabness> |
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adventitious
[ad-vuhn-tish-uhs] |
1 : coming from another source and not inherent or innate <a Federal house without adventitious later additions>
2 : arising or occurring sporadically or in other than the usual location <adventitious roots> |
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knave
[neyv] |
an unprincipled, untrustworthy, or dishonest person.
formerly meant merely a boy or servant, in modern use emphasizes baseness of nature and intention: "a dishonest and swindling knave" |
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mulct
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to trick
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turgid
[tur-jid] |
adjective
1. swollen; distended; tumid. <turgid leeches having had their fill of blood> 2. inflated, overblown, or pompous; bombastic: "turgid language". excessively embellished in style or language : bombastic, pompous <turgid prose> |
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ornate
[awr-neyt] [or-nate] |
adjective
1. elaborately or sumptuously adorned, often excessively or showily so: "They bought an ornate Louis XIV sofa" 2. embellished with rhetoric; florid or high-flown: "an ornate style of writing". |
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cloying
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: disgusting or distasteful by reason of excess <cloying sweetness>; also : excessively sweet or sentimental <a cloying romantic comedy>
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stolid
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adjective
not easily stirred or moved mentally; unemotional; impassive. "She remained stolid during the trial". <the butler responded to the duchess's constant demands with stolid indifference> |
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phlegmatic
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having or showing a slow stolid temperament; impassive
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profligate
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wildly extravagent; given to dissapation
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surfeit
[sur-fit] |
noun
1. excess; an excessive amount: "a surfeit of speechmaking" 2. excess or overindulgence in eating or drinking. 3. an uncomfortably full or crapulous feeling due to excessive eating or drinking. |
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viceroy
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a governer of a country or province acting for a king or soveriegn
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vice(roy)
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canticle
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a liturgical song
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obfuscate
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to make obscure or cloud over
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expurgate
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to remove obscene passages from a book
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trepidation
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fear or apprehension
timorous uncertain agitation : apprehension <trepidation about starting a new job> |
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regale
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verb (used with object)
1. to entertain lavishly or agreeably; delight. "he regaled them with stories of his youth" 2. to entertain with choice food or drink. <an inn that nightly regales its guests with five-course meals prepared by a master chef> |
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perfervid
[per-fur-vid] |
very fervent; extremely ardent; impassioned: "perfervid patriotism"
: marked by overwrought or exaggerated emotion : excessively fervent <the perfervid prose of a romance novel> |
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expostulate
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To reason earnestly with someone in an effort to dissuade or correct; remonstrate.
to reason earnestly with someone against something that person intends to do or has done; remonstrate: "His father expostulated with him about the evils of gambling." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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inveigh
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to protest or complain bitterly or vehemently : rail
"to inveigh against isolationism." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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cadge
[kaj] |
–verb (used with object) 1. to obtain by imposing on another's generosity or friendship.
2. to borrow without intent to repay. 3. to beg or obtain by begging. synonym: sponges –verb (used without object) 4. to ask, expect, or encourage another person to pay for or provide one's drinks, meals, etc. 5. to beg. <cadge a free cup of coffee> |
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beatify
[bee-at-uh-fahy] |
to make supremely happy
to make blissfully happy. |
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incongruous
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1. out of keeping or place; inappropriate; unbecoming: "an incongruous effect; incongruous behavior".
2. not harmonious in character; inconsonant; lacking harmony of parts: "an incongruous mixture of architectural styles" 3. inconsistent: "actions that were incongruous with their professed principles" |
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pithy
[pith-ee] |
brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor, substance, or meaning; terse; forcible: "a pithy observation".
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florid
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adjective
1. reddish; ruddy; rosy: "a florid complexion" 2. flowery; excessively ornate; showy: "florid writing" <florid prose> <florid declamations>; also : having a florid style <a florid writer> c : elaborately decorated <a florid interior> 3. marked by emotional or sexual fervor <a florid secret life> <a florid sensibility> |
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peripatetic
[per-uh-puh-tet-ik] |
n; a person of travel; movement; itinerate
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pera(pa)te(tic)
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opprobrium
[uh-proh-bree-uhm] |
noun 1. the disgrace or the reproach incurred by conduct considered outrageously shameful; infamy.
2. a cause or object of such disgrace or reproach. He defended himself aganist the slander and opprobrium hurled aganist him |
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recumbent
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reclining or lying down
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rampant
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1: upright
2: wide spread |
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ardor
[ahr-der] |
great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion: "She spoke persuasively and with ardor".
2. intense devotion, eagerness, or enthusiasm; zeal: "his well-known ardor for Chinese art". |
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morose
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gloomy or sullen
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canard
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a false or baseless, usually derogatory story, report, or rumor
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fissure
[fish-er] |
Noun: a crack or division
: a separation or disagreement in thought or viewpoint : schism <fissures in a political party> |
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mien
[meen] |
1. external appearance; air expressing personality<of aristocratic mien>
2. air, bearing, or demeanor, as showing character, feeling, etc.: "a man of noble mien." |
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travail
[truh-veyl] |
1. painfully difficult or burdensome work; toil.
2. pain, anguish or suffering resulting from mental or physical hardship. "They finally succeeded after many months of travail" <no greater travail than that of parents who have suffered the death of a child> |
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flout
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to go against; to treat with contemptuous disregard
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slake
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to sooth thirst
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calumniate
[kuh-luhm-nee-eyt] |
to utter maliciously false statements
: to utter maliciously false statements, charges, or imputations about <the short-lived Sedition Act of 1798 made it illegal to calumniate the President of the United States> |
[kuh-luhm-nee-eyt]
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inexorable
[in-ek-ser-uh-buhl] |
not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped : relentless <inexorable progress>
unyielding; unalterable: "inexorable truth; inexorable justice" |
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invective
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characterized by insult or abuse
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satiate
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to satisfy intensely
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ossify
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intransitive verb
1 : to change into bone 2 : to become hardened or conventional and opposed to change transitive verb 1 : to change (as cartilage) into bone 2 : to make rigidly conventional and opposed to change |
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mendicant
[men-di-kuhnt] |
–adjective 1. begging; practicing begging; living on alms.
2. pertaining to or characteristic of a beggar. –noun 3. a person who lives by begging; beggar. 4. a member of any of several orders of friars that originally forbade ownership of property, subsisting mostly on alms. <those wretched mendicants on the streets of ....> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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spartan
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stoic and discipline
a often not capitalized : marked by strict self-discipline or self-denial <a Spartan athlete> b often not capitalized : marked by simplicity, frugality, or avoidance of luxury and comfort <a Spartan room> |
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rancorous
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deeply malevolent <rancorous envy>
malicious resentfulness or hostility; spite |
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pusillanimous
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1. lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; faint-hearted; timid.
2. proceeding from or indicating a cowardly spirit. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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rococo
[ruh-koh-koh, roh-kuh-koh] |
1. of, pertaining to, in the manner of, or suggested by rococo architecture, decoration, or music or the general atmosphere and spirit of the rococo: rococo charm.
2. ornate or florid in speech, literary style, etc. |
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neologism
[nee-ol-uh-jiz-uhm] |
1. a new word, meaning, usage, or phrase.
2. the introduction or use of new words or new senses of existing words. Psychiatry . a new word, often consisting of a combination of other words, that is understood only by the speaker: occurring most often in the speech of schizophrenics. |
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wax (v)
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to grow
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ebb (v)
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1. the flowing back of the tide as the water returns to the sea (opposed to flood, flow).
2. a flowing backward or away; decline or decay: "the ebb of a once great nation." 3. a point of decline: "His fortunes were at a low ebb." |
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sanguine
[sang-gwin] |
1. cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident: "a sanguine disposition; sanguine expectations"
2. reddish; ruddy: "a sanguine complexion". |
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concupiscent
[kon-kyoo-pi-suhnt] |
noun
1. sexual desire; lust. 2. ardent, usually sensuous, longing. |
\kän-ˈkyü-pə-sən(t)s
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trite
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1: a once effective adage worn out by a long familiarity
2: hackneyed or boring from much use : not fresh or original "the trite phrases in his letter." "The commencement address was trite and endlessly long." |
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banal
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devoid of freshness or originality; hackneyed; trite: "a banal and sophomoric treatment of courage on the frontier".
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vapid
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1. lacking or having lost life, sharpness, or flavor; insipid; flat: "vapid tea".
2. without liveliness or spirit; dull or tedious: "a vapid party; vapid conversation". |
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lassitude
[las-i-tood] |
1. weariness of body or mind from strain, oppressive climate, etc.; lack of energy; listlessness; languor.
2. a condition of indolent indifference: "the pleasant lassitude of the warm summer afternoon" <our lassitude was such that we couldn't even be bothered to get more soda from the fridge>. |
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dross
[draws, dros] |
1: waste or foreign matter : impurity
2: something that is base, trivial, or inferior "There is quite a lot of dross on TV these days" "His editor has a talent for turning literary dross into gold" |
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limn
[lim] |
1. to draw or sketch
2. to delineate; to portray in words; describe. describe <the novel limns the frontier life of the settlers> <he limned the scene in the courtroom so perfectly I could practically see it> |
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efface
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1 : to eliminate or make indistinct by or as if by wearing away a surface <coins with dates effaced by wear>; also : to cause to vanish <daylight effaced the stars>
2 : to make (oneself) modestly or shyly inconspicuous |
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descry
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To catch sight of (something difficult to discern). See Synonyms at see1.
To discover by careful observation or scrutiny; detect: "descried a message of hope in her words" |
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carp
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to find fault or complain querulously or unreasonably; be niggling in criticizing; cavil: "to carp at minor errors".
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redress
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to make right
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druthers
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free choice : preference —used especially in the phrase "if one had one's druthers"
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sybarite
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a person whose chief interest involve luxury and gratification
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restive
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1. marked by impatience or uneasiness; fidgety
<spent a restive night worrying about the next day's exam> 2. stubbornly resisting control; balky <the restive horse threw its head and refused to move when the rider urged it forward> |
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sublime
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adjective
1. elevated or lofty in thought, language, etc.: "Paradise Lost is sublime poetry". 2. impressing the mind with a sense of grandeur or power; inspiring awe, veneration, etc.: "Switzerland has sublime scenery". 3. supreme or outstanding: "a sublime dinner". 4. complete; absolute; utter: "sublime stupidity". |
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spate
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a sudden or strong outburst
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presentiment
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a feeling that something will happen
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rueful
[roo-fuhl] |
1. causing sorrow or pity; pitiable; deplorable: "a rueful plight"
2. feeling, showing, or expressing sorrow or pity; mournful; doleful: "the rueful look on her face" |
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jingoism
[jing-goh-iz-uhm] |
extreme chauvinism or nationalism reflected in a belligerent foreign policy
the spirit, policy, or practice of jingoes jingo :a person who professes his or her patriotism loudly and excessively, favoring vigilant preparedness for war and an aggressive foreign policy; bellicose chauvinist. |
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bumptious
[buhmp-shuhs] |
presumptuously and often noisly self-assertive
offensively self-assertive: "a bumptious young upstart". |
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gaffe
[gaf] |
1: a social or diplomatic blunder
2: a noticeable mistake 1. "He realized that he had committed an awful gaffe when he mispronounced her name" 2. <committed a huge gaffe when she started drinking from the finger bowl> |
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sycophant
[sik-uh-fuhnt] |
a (servile) self-seeking servile flatterer; fawning parasite.
<when her career was riding high, the self-deluded actress often mistook sycophants for true friends> toady |
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guile
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noun
insidious cunning in attaining a goal; crafty or artful deception; duplicity. <a shady salesman who usually relies on a combination of quick thinking and guile> <a person so full of guile he can't even be trusted to give you the correct time of day> |
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whet
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excite, stimulate
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tributary
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a stream feeding a larger stream or lake
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vexillolgy
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the study of flags
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topaz
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a usually yellow brown mineral
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lumen
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a measure of light
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macerate
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to cause to waste away as if by fasting
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sodden
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1. heavy with moisture
2. Dull from alcoholism |
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soot
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a black substance resulting from fuel combustion
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gaudy
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1 : ostentatiously or tastelessly ornamented
2 : marked by extravagance or sometimes tasteless showiness : outlandish <gaudy lies> <gaudy claims> implies a tasteless use of overly bright, often clashing colors or excessive ornamentation <circus performers in gaudy costumes>. |
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pall
[pawl] |
to become or appear boring, insipid, or tiresome (to): "history classes palled on me"
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cavort
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to engage in extravagent behavior
To have lively or boisterous fun; romp: The children cavorted in the water, splashing and ducking each other |
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despondent
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feeling or showing profound hopelessness, dejection, discouragement, or gloom: "despondent about failing health".
"I had never seen them looking so despondent". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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interminable
[in-tur-muh-nuh-buhl] |
1. incapable of being terminated; unending: "an interminable job".
2. monotonously or annoyingly protracted or continued; unceasing; incessant: "I can't stand that interminable clatter". 3. having no limits: "an interminable desert" |
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stodgy
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1. heavy, dull, or uninteresting; tediously commonplace; boring: "a stodgy Victorian novel"
2. of a thick, semisolid consistency; heavy, as food. 3. stocky; thick-set. 4. old-fashioned; unduly formal and traditional: "a stodgy old gentleman" |
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accolade
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a mark of acknowledgement
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insatiable
[in-sey-shuh-buhl] |
not satiable; incapable of being satisfied or appeased: "insatiable hunger for knowledge".
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compunction
[kuhm-puhngk-shuhn] |
1. a : anxiety arising from awareness of guilt <compunctions of conscience>
b : distress of mind over an anticipated action or result <showed no compunction in planning devilish engines of … destruction — Havelock Ellis> 2 : a twinge of misgiving : scruple <cheated without compunction> |
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torpor
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lethargy, apathy
[tawr-per] Show IPA –noun 1. sluggish inactivity or inertia. 2. lethargic indifference; apathy. 3. a state of suspended physical powers and activities |
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lambast
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1 : to assault violently : beat, whip
2 : to attack verbally : censure <critics lambasted his performance> |
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arabesque
[ar-uh-besk] |
noun
1. Fine Arts . a sinuous, spiraling, undulating, or serpentine line or linear motif. 2. a pose in ballet in which the dancer stands on one leg with one arm extended in front and the other leg and arm extended behind. 3. a short, fanciful musical piece, typically for piano. 4. any ornament or ornamental object, as a rug or mosaic, in which flowers, foliage, fruits, vases, animals, and figures are represented in a fancifully combined pattern. adjective 5. decorated with or characterized by arabesques: "arabesque design". |
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affected
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adjective
1. assumed artificially; unnatural; feigned: "affected sophistication; an affected British accent." 2. assuming or pretending to possess that which is not natural: "Her affected wealth and social pedigree are so obviously false that it's embarrassing." having or showing an attitude or mode of behavior that is not natural or genuinely felt : given to or marked by affectation <spoke in an affected manner> assumed artificially or falsely : pretended <an affected interest in art> |
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crepuscule
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twilight
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