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52 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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profusion
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glean
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humdrum
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syn: insipid
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uncanny
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ant: canny
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presumptuous
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improperly forward
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veneer
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a mask or layer to cover up truth or reality
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cavalier
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cavalier
adjective: given to haughty disregard of others Percy dismissed the issue with a cavalier wave of his hand. syn: haughty showing a lack of proper concern; offhand. "Anne was irritated by his cavalier attitude" synonyms: offhand, indifferent, casual,dismissive, insouciant, uninterested,unconcerned; supercilious, patronizing,condescending, haughty, arrogant,lofty, lordly, disdainful, scornful,contemptuous, unceremonious,discourteous, uncivil, insolent, rude,glib, ungracious, perfunctory, cursory,curt, abrupt, terse, brusque; informaloff, offish, couldn't-care-less,take-it-or-leave-it; rarepococurante |
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intermittent
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adjective: stopping and starting at irregular intervals
The intermittent thunder continued and the night was punctuated by cracks of lightning—a surreal sleepless night. |
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irascible
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irascible
adjective: quickly aroused to anger If Arthur's dog is not fed adequately, he becomes highly irascible, even growling at his own shadow. |
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evenhanded
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adjective: without partiality
Teachers often have trouble being evenhanded to all of their varied students. syn: equity |
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precarious
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adjective: fraught with danger
People smoke to relax and forget their cares, but ironically, in terms of health risks, smoking is far more precarious than either mountain-climbing or skydiving. |
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docile
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adjective: easily handled or managed; willing to be taught or led or supervised or directed
Barnyard animals are considerably more docile than the wild animals. |
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redress
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redress
noun: an act of making something right Barry's redress for forgetting his wife's birthday two years in a row was surprising her with a trip to Tahiti. |
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cerebral
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adjective: involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct
A cerebral analysis of most pop music finds it to be simple and childish, but that ignores the point--the music's effect on the listener. |
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wanton
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adjective: without check or limitation; showing no moral restraints to one's anger, desire, or appetites
Due to wanton behavior and crude language, the drunk man was thrown out of the bar and asked to never return. |
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emulate
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emulate
verb: strive to equal or match, especially by imitating; compete with successfully To really become fluent in a new language, emulate the speech patterns of people who speak the language. |
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rakish
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rakish
adjective: marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputableness As soon as he arrived in the city, therakish young man bought some drugs and headed straight for the seedy parts of town. |
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belittle
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belittle
verb: lessen the importance, dignity, or reputation of A good teacher will never belittle his students, but will instead empower them. |
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piquant
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adjective: having an agreeably pungent taste
The chef, with a mere flick of the salt shaker, turned the bland tomato soup into a piquant meal |
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begrude
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begrudge
verb: to envy someone for possessing or enjoying something Sitting all alone in his room, Harvey begrudged the happiness of the other children playing outside his window. verb: to give reluctantly We never begrudge money spent on ourselves. |
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rile
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verb: cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
Dan is usually calm and balanced, but it takes only one intense glare from Sabrina to rile him. |
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coalesce
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verb: fuse or cause to grow together
Over time, the various tribes coalesced into a single common culture with one universal language. |
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finagle
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finagle
verb: achieve something by means of trickery or devious methods Steven was able to finagle one of the last seats on the train by convincing the conductor that his torn stub was actually a valid ticket. |
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implicate
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verb: convey a meaning; imply
By saying that some of the guests were uncomfortable, the manager implicated to the hotel staff that it needed to be more diligent. verb: to indicate in wrongdoing, usually a crime The crime boss was implicated for a long list of crimes, ranging from murder to disturbing the peace. |
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foolhardy
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adjective: marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences
The police regularly face dangerous situations, so for a police officer not to wear his bullet-proof vest is foolhardy. |
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ascribe
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ascribe
verb: attribute or credit to History ascribes The Odyssey and The Iliad to Homer, but scholars now debate whether he was a historical figure or a fictitious name. |
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avert
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avert
verb: turn away Afraid to see the aftermath of the car crash, I averted my eyes as we drove by. verb: ward off or prevent The struggling video game company put all of its finances into one final, desperate project to avert bankruptcy. |
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behoove
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behoove
verb: to be one's duty or obligation The teacher looked down at the student and said, "It would behoove you to be in class on time and complete your homework, so that you don't repeat freshman English for a third straight year. syn: incumbent ant: sloth, remiss, malinger |
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besmirch
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verb: damage the good name and reputation of someone
The prince's distasteful choice of words besmirched not only his own name, but the reputation of the entire royal family. |
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buttress
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buttress
verb: make stronger or defensible China's economy has been buttressed by a global demand for the electronic parts the country manufactures. |
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fawn
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verb: try to gain favor by extreme flattery
The media fawned over the handsome new CEO, praising his impeccable sense of style instead of asking more pointed questions. |
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incumbent
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adjective: necessary (for someone) as a duty or responsibility
Middle managers at times make important decisions, but real responsibility for the financial well-being of the corporation is ultimately incumbent on the CEO. syn: behoove |
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Industrious
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adjective: characterized by hard work and perseverance
Pete was an industrious student, completing every assignment thoroughly and on time. |
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deride
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verb: treat or speak of with contempt
The nun derided the students for trying to sneak insects and worms into the classroom. |
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rile
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verb: cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
Dan is usually calm and balanced, but it takes only one intense glare from Sabrina to rile him. |
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insipid
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adjective: dull and uninteresting
The movie director was known for hiring beautiful actors in order to deflect attention away from the insipid scripts he would typically use. |
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conundrum
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noun: a difficult problem
Computers have helped solve some of the mathematical conundrums which have puzzled man for many centuries. |
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melancholy
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noun: a deep, long-lasting sadness
Hamlet is a figure of tremendous melancholy: he doesn't have a truly cheerful scene throughout the entire play. |
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consecrate
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verb: to make holy or set apart for a high purpose
At the church of Notre Dame in France, the new High Altar was consecrated in 1182. |
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clemency
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noun: leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice
In the final moments of the trial, during his closing speech, Phillips was nearly begging the judge for clemency. |
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incense
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verb: make furious
When Herb bought football tickets for a game on the day of their wedding anniversary, Jill was incensed. |
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analogous
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analogous
adjective: similar in some respects but otherwise different In many ways, the Internet's transformative effect on society has been analogous to that of the printing press. |
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eccentric
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eccentric
adjective: highly unconventional or unusual (usually describes a person) Mozart was well-known for his eccentricities, often speaking words backward to confuse those around him. |
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forthright
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adjective: characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
I did not expect the insurance agent to give us any straight answers, but I was pleasantly surprised by how forthrighthe was. |
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tribulation
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tribulation
noun: something, especially an event, that causes difficulty and suffering As of 2013, nearly 1.5 million Syrians have fled their country hoping to escape the tribulations of a civil war tearing their country to pieces. |
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lethargic
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adjective: lacking energy
Nothing can make a person more lethargic than a big turkey dinner. |
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prevailing
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prevail
verb: be widespread in a particular area at a particular time; be current: During the labor negotiations, an air of hostility prevailed in the office. verb: prove superior Before the cricket match, Australia was heavily favored, but India prevailed. |
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cohesive
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cohesive
adjective: well integrated, forming a united whole A well-written, cohesive essay will keep on topic at all times, never losing sight of the main argument. |
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delegate
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delegate
verb: give an assignment to (a person) Since the senior manager had to go on many international business trips, she was forced to delegate many of her responsibilities to two lower-level managers. |
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antedate
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antedate
verb: precede in time Harry was so in knowledgeable that he was unaware the Egyptian pharaohs antedated the American Revolution. |
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profusion
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profusion
noun: the property of being extremely abundant When Maria reported that she had been visited by Jesus Christ and had proof, aprofusion of reporters and journalists descended on the town. |
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preempt
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verb
1.take action in order to prevent (an anticipated event) happening; forestall. "the government pre-empted a coup attempt" synonyms:forestall, prevent; More act in advance of (someone) in order to prevent them doing something. "it looked as if she'd ask him more, but Parr pre-empted her" 2.acquire or appropriate (something) in advance. "many tables were already pre-empted by family parties" synonyms:commandeer, take possession of,occupy, seize, arrogate, appropriate,take over, take, acquire, secure,reserve "many tables were already pre-empted by family parties" |
