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30 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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colossal
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huge
Radio City Music Hall has a colossal stage. |
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epigram
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witty thought or saying; usually short;
Poor Richard's epigrams made Benjamin Franklin famous. |
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antediluvian
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antiquated; ancient;
The antediluvian customs had apparently not changed for thousands of years. |
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fastidious
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difficult to please; squeamish ;
The waitresses disliked serving him dinner because of his very fastidious taste. |
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pendulous
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hanging; suspended;
The pendulous chandeliers swayed in the breeze as if they were about to fall from the ceiling. |
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parity
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equality; close resemblance;
I find your analogy inaccurate because I do not see the parity between the two illustrations. |
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scotch
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stamp out; thwart; hinder
Heather tried to scotch the rumor that she had stolen her best friend's fiance. |
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visage
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face; appearance;
The stern visage of the judge indicated that she had decided to impose a severe penalty. |
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junket
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trip; especially one taken for pleasure by an official at public expense;
Though she maintained she had gone abroad to collect firsthand data on the Common Market, the opposition claimed that her trip was merely a political junket. |
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slovenly
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untidy; slipshod ;
Such slovenly work habits will never produce good products. |
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confidant
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trusted friend
He had no confidants with whom he could discuss his problems at home. |
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dogged
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determined;stubborn;
Les Miserables tells of Inspector Javert's long, dogged pursuit of the criminal Jean Valjean. |
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hieroglyphic
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picture writing
The discovery of the Rosetta Stone enabled scholars to read the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. |
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minion
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a servile dependent
He was always accompanied by several of his minions because he enjoyed their subservience and flattery. |
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anomaly
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irregularity
A bird that cannot fly is an anomaly. |
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fancier
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breeder or dealer of animals
The dog fancier exhibited her prize collie at the annual Kennel Club show. |
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reprimand
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reprove severely
I am afraid that my parents will reprimand me when I show them my report card. |
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ulterior
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situated beyond; unstated and often questionable ;
You must have an ulterior motive for your behavior, since there is no obvious reason for it. |
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aria
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operatic solo
At her Metropolitan Opera audition, Marian Anderson sang an aria from Norma. |
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craven
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cowardly
When he saw the enemy troops advancing, he had a craven impulse to run for his life. |
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jovial
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good natured; merry;
A frown seemed out of place on his invariably jovial face. |
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slight
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insult to one's dignity; snub;
Hypersensitive and ready to take offense at any discourtesy, Bertha was always on the lookout for real or imaginary slights. |
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garrulous
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talkative
Many club members avoided the company of the garrulous junior executive because his contant chatter bored them to tears. |
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litigation
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lawsuit
Try to settle this amicably; I do not want to start litigation. |
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preempt
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lawsuit
Hoping to preempt any attempts by the opposition to make educational reform a hot political issue, the candidate set out her own plan to revitalize the public schools. |
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portent
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sign; omen; forewarning
He regarded the black cloud as a portent of evil. |
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annuity
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yearly allowance
The annuity he set up with the insurance company supplements his social security benefits so that he can live very comfortably without working. |
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fallible
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liable to err
I know I am fallible, but I feel confident that I am right this time. |
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alimentary
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supplying nourishment
The alimentary canal in our bodies is so named because digestion of foods occurs there. |
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injurious
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harmful
Smoking cigarettes can be injurious to your health. |
