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175 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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aberrant
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deviating from normal or correct.
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adj.
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abscond
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to leave secretly and hide, often to avoid the law.
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v.
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advocate
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to speak, plead, or argue for a cause, or in another’s behalf. (n) -- one who advocates.
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v., n.
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aggrandize
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to make greater, to increase, thus, to exaggerate.
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v.
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amalgamate
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to unite or mix. (n) -- amalgamation.
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v.
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ambiguous
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vague; subject to more than one interpretation
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adj.
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ambrosial
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extremely pleasing to the senses, divine (as related to the gods) or delicious (n: ambrosia)
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adj.
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anachronism
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a person or artifact appearing after its own time or out of chronological order (adj: anachronistic)
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n.
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anomalous
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peculiar; unique, contrary to the norm (n: anomaly)
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adj.
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antediluvian
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ancient; outmoded; (literally,before the flood)
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adj.
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antipathy
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hostility toward, objection, or aversion to
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n.
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arbitrate
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to settle a dispute by impulse (n: arbitration)
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v.
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assuage
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to make less severe; to appease or satisfy
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v.
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attenuate
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weaken (adj: attenuated)
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v.
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audacious
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extremely bold; fearless, especially said of human behavior (n: audacity)
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adj.
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aver
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to declare
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v.
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banal
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commonplace or trite (n: banality)
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adj.
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barefaced
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unconcealed, shameless, or brazen
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adj.
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blandishment
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speech or action intended to coax someone into doing something
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n.
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bombast
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pompous speech (adj: bombastic)
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n.
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breach
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a lapse, gap or break, as in a fortress wall. To break or break through.ex: Unfortunately, the club members never forgot his breach of ettiquette.
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n., v.
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burgeon
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to grow or flourish; a bud or new growth (adj: burgeoning )
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v., n.
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buttress
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to support. a support
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v., n.
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cadge
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to get something by taking advantage of someone
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v.
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caprice
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impulse (adj: capricious)
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n.
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castigate
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to chastise or criticize severely
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v.
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catalyst
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an agent of change (adj: catalytic; v. catalyze)
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n.
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caustic
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"capable of dissolving by chemical action; highly critical: ""His caustic remarks spoiled the mood of the party.""
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adj.
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chicanery
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deception by trickery
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n.
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complaisant
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willingly compliant or accepting of the status quo (n: complaisance)
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adj.
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conflagration
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a great fire
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n.
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corporeal
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of or having to do with material, as opposed to spiritual; tangible. (In older writings, coeporeal could be a synonym for corporal. This usage is no longer common)
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adj.
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corporal
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"of the body: ""corporal punishment."" a non-commissioned officer ranked between a sergeant and a private."
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adj.
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corroborate
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"to strengthen or support: ""The witness corroborted his story."" (n: corroboration)"
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v.
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craven
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cowardly; a coward
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adj., n.
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culpable
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deserving of blame (n: culpability)
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adj.
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dearth
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"lack, scarcity: ""The prosecutor complained about the dearth of concrete evidence against the suspect.""
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n.
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deference
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"submission or courteous yielding: ""He held his tongue in deference to his father."" (n: deferential. v. defer)"
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n.
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depict
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to show, create a picture of.
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v.
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deprecation
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belittlement. (v. deprecate)
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n.
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depredation
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"the act of preying upon or plundering: ""The depredations of the invaders demoralized the population.""
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n.
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descry
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to make clear, to say
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v.
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desiccate
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to dry out thoroughly (adj: desiccated)
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v.
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diatribe
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a bitter abusive denunciation.
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n.
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diffident
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lacking self-confidence, modest (n: diffidence)
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adj.
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disabuse
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"to free a person from falsehood or error: ""We had to disabuse her of the notion that she was invited.""
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adj.
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disparaging
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belittling (n: disparagement. v. disparage)
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adj.
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dispassionate
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calm; objective; unbiased
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adj.
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dissemble
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to conceal one's real motive, to feign
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v.
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dogged
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"stubborn or determined: ""Her dogged pursuit of the degree eventually paid off.""
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adj.
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dogmatic
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relying upon doctrine or dogma, as opposed to evidence
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adj.
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eclectic
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"selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources: ""Many modern decorators prefer an eclectic style."" (n: eclecticism)"
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adj.
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efficacy
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effectiveness; capability to produce a desired effect
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n.
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effluent
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the quality of flowing out. something that flows out, such as a stream from a river (n: effluence)
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adj., n
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emollient
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softening; something that softens
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adj., n.
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emulate
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to strive to equal or excel (n: emulation)
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v.
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encomium
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a formal eulogy or speech of praise
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n.
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endemic
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"prevalent in or native to a certain region, locality, or people: ""The disease was endemic to the region."" Don't confuse this word with epidemic."
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adj.
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enervate
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"to weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of: ""The heatenervated everyone."" (adj: enervating)"
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v.
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engender
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"to give rise to, to propagate, to cause: ""His slip of the toungue engendered much laughter.""
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v.
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enigma
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"puzzle; mystery: ""Math is an enigma to me."" (adj: enigmatic)"
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n.
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ephemeral
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lasting for only a brief time, fleeting (n: ephemera)
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adj.
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equivocal
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"ambiguous; unclear; subject to more than one interpretation -- often intentionally so: ""Republicans complained that Bill Clinton's answers were equivocal."" (v. equivocate)"
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adj.
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erudite
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scholarly; displaying deep intensive learning. (n: erudition)
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adj.
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esoteric
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"intended for or understood by only a few: ""The esoteric discussion confused some people."" (n: esoterica)"
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adj.
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eulogy
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a spoken or written tribute to the deceased (v. eulogize)
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n.
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exacerbate
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"to increase the bitterness or violence of; to aggravate: ""The decision to fortify the border exacerbated tensions.""
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v.
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exculpate
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"to demonstrate or prove to be blameless: ""The evidence tended to exculpate the defendant.""(adj: exculpatory)"
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v.
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exorbitant
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"exceeding customary or normal limits, esp. in quantity or price: ""The cab fare was exorbitant.""
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adj.
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explicit
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fully and clearly expressed
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adj.
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extant
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"in existence, still existing: The only extant representative of that species.""
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adj.
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fathom
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"a measure of length (six feet) used in nautical settings. to penetrate to the depths of something in order to understand it: ""I couldn't fathom her reasoning on that issue.""
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n., v.
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fawn
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to seek favor or attention; to act subserviantly (n, adj: fawning)
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v.
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feign
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"to give false appearance or impression: ""He feigned illness to avoid going to school."" (adj: feigned)"
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v.
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fervid, fervent
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"highly emotional; hot: ""The partisans displayed a fervent patriotism."" (n: fervor)"
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adj.
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fledgling
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a baby bird; an inexperienced person; inexperienced.
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n., adj.
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florid
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"flushed with a rosy color, as in complexion; very ornate and flowery: ""florid prose.""
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adj.
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floundering
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"struggling: ""We tried to save the floundering business.""
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adj.
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garrulous
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"verbose; talkative; rambling: ""We tried to avoid our garrulous neighbor.""
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adj.
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gossamer
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"fine cobweb on foliage; fine gauzy fabric; very fine: ""She wore a gossamer robe.""
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n., adj.
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guile
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"skillful deceit: ""He was well known for his guile."" (v. bequile; adj: beguiling. Note, however, that these two words have an additional meaning: to charm (v.) or charming (adj:), while the word guile does not generally have any such positive connotations)"
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n.
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guileless
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honest; straightforward (n: guilelessness)
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adj.
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hapless
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unfortunate
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adj.
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headlong
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"headfirst; impulsive; hasty. impulsively; hastily; without forethought: ""They rushed headlong into marriage.""
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adj., adv.
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homogenous
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"similar in nature or kind; uniform: ""a homogeneous society.""
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adj.
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iconoclast
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one who attacks traditional ideas or institutions or one who destroys sacred images (adj: iconoclastic)
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n.
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impecunious
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penniless; poor
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adj.
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imperious
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commanding
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adj.
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implication
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insinuation or connotation (v. implicate)
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n.
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imply
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"to suggest indirectly; to entail: ""She implied she didn't believe his story."" (n: implication)"
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v.
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improvidence
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"an absence of foresight; a failure to provide for future needs or events: ""Their improvidence resulted in the loss of their home.""
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n.
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inchoate
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"in an initial or early stage; incomplete; disorganized: ""The act of writing forces one to clarify incohate thoughts.""
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adj.
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incorrigible
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"not capable of being corrected: ""The school board finally decided the James was incorrigible and expelled him from school.""
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adj.
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indelible
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"permanent; unerasable; strong: ""The Queen made an indelible impression on her subjects.""
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adj.
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ineffable
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undescribable; inexpressible in words; unspeakable
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adj.
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infer
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"to deduce: ""New genetic evidence led some zoologists to infer that the red wolf is actually a hybrid of the coyote and the gray wolf.""
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v.
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ingenious
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"clever: ""She developed an ingenious method for testing her hypothesis.""(n: ingenuity)"
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adj.
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ingenuous
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"unsophisticated; artless; straightforward; candid: ""Wilson's ingenuous response to the controversial calmed the suspicious listeners.""
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adj.
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inhibit
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to hold back, prohibit, forbid, or restrain (n: inhibition, adj: inhibited)
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v.
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innocuous
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harmless; having no adverse affect; not likely to provoke strong emotion
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adj.
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insensible
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"numb; unconscious: ""Wayne was rendered insensible by a blow to the head."" unfeeling; insensitive: ""They were insensibile to the suffering of others.:"
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adj.
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insipid
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lacking zest or excitement; dull
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adj.
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insular
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"of or pertaining to an island, thus, excessively exclusive: ""Newcomers found it difficult to make friends in the insular community.""
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adj.
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intransigent
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"stubborn; immovable; unwilling to change: ""She was so intransigent we finally gave up trying to convince her."" (n: intransigence)"
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adj.
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irascible
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prone to outbursts of temper, easily angered
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adj.
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laconic
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"using few words; terse: ""a laconic reply.""
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adj.
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latent
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present or potential but not evident or active (n: latency)
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adj.
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laudable
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praiseworthy; commendable (v. laud)
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adj.
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leviathan
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giant whale, therefore, something very large
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n.
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loquacious
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talkative
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adj.
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lucid
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"clear; translucent: ""He made a lucid argument to support his theory.""
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adj.
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lugubrious
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"weighty, mournful, or gloomy, especially to an excessive degree: ""Jake's lugubrious monologues depressed his friends.""
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adj.
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magnanimity
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generosity and nobility. (adj: magnanimous)
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n.
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malevolent
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"malicious; evil; having or showing ill will: ""Some early American colonists saw the wilderness as malevolent and sought to control it.""
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adj.
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misanthrope
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"one who hates people: ""He was a true misanthrope and hated even himself.""
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n.
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misnomer
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incorrect name or word for something
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n.
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misogynist
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one who hates women
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n.
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mitigate
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"to make less forceful; to become more moderate; to make less harsh or undesirable: ""He was trying to mitigate the damage he had done."" (n: mitigation)"
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v.
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nefarious
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"wicked, evil: ""a nefarious plot.""
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adj.
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noisome
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"harmful, offensive, destructive: ""The noisome odor of the dump carried for miles.""
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adj.
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obdurate
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hardened against influence or feeling; intractable.
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adj.
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obviate
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to prevent by anticipatory measures; to make unnecessary:
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v.
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occlude
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to close or shut off; to obstruct (n: occlusion)
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v.
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opaque
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not transparent or transluscent; dense; difficult to comprehend, as inopaque reasoning
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adj.
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ossified
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"turned to bone; hardened like bone; Inflexible: ""The ossified culture failed to adapt to new economic conditions and died out.""
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adj.
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panegyric
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a writing or speech in praise of a person or thing
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n.
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peccadillo
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a small sin or fault
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n.
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pedantic
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"showing a narrow concern for rules or formal book learning; making an excessive display of one's own learning: ""We quickly tired of his pedantic conversation."" (n: pedant, pedantry)."
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adj.
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perfidious
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deliberately treacherous; dishonest (n: perfidy)
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adj.
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petulant
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easily or frequently annoyed, especially over trivial matters; childishly irritable
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adj.
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philanthropy
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tendency or action for the benefit of others, as in donating money or property to a charitible organization
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n.
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phlegmatic
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not easily excited; cool; sluggish
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adj.
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placate
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"to calm or reduce anger by making concessions: ""The professor tried to placate his students by postponing the exam.""
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v.
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plastic
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related to being shaped or molded; capable of being molded. (n: plasticity n: plastic)
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adj.
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plethora
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"excessively large quantity; overabundance: ""We received a p lethora of applications for the position.""
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n.
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ponderous
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"heavy; massive; awkward; dull: ""A ponderous book is better than a sleeping pill.""
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adj.
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pragmatic
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"concerned with facts; practical, as opposed to highly principled or traditional: ""His pragmatic approach often offended idealists."" (n: pragmatism)"
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adj.
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precipice
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cliff with a vertical or nearly vertical face; a dangerous place from which one is likely to fall; metaphorically, a very risky circumstance
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n.
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precipitate
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"to fall; to fall downward suddenly and dramatically; to bring about or hasten the occurrence of something: ""Old World diseases precipitated a massive decline in the American Indian population.""
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v., n.
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precursor
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"something (or someone) that precedes another: ""The assasination of the Archduke was a precursor to the war.""
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n.
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prevaricate
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"to stray away from or evade the truth: ""When we asked him what his intentions were, he prevaricated.""(n: prevarication; prevaricator)"
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v.
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prodigal
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"rashly wasteful: ""Americans' prodigal devotion to the automobile is unique.""
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adj.
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propitiate
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"to conciliate; to appease: ""They made sacrifices to propitiate angry gods.""
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v.
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Pulchritudinous
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beautiful (n: pulchritude)
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adj.
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pusillanimous
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"cowardly, timid, or irreselute; petty: ""The pusillanimous leader soon lost the respect of his people.""
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adj.
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quiescence
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inactivity; stillness; dormancy (adj: quiescent)
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n.
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rarefy
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to make or become thin; to purify or refine (n: rarefaction, adj: rarefied)
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v.
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reproof
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the act of censuring, scolding, or rebuking. (v. reprove).
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n.
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rescind
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to repeal or annul
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v.
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sagacious
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having a sharp or powerful intellect or discernment. (n: sagacity).
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adj.
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sanguine
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cheerful; confident: Her sanguine attitude put everyone at ease. (Sangfroid (noun) is a related French word meaning unflappibility. Literally, it means cold blood)"
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adj.
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sate
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to satisfy fully or to excess
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v.
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saturnine
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having a gloomy or morose temperament
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adj.
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savant
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a very knowledgable person; a genious
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n.
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sedulous
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"diligent; persevering; persistent: ""Her sedulous devotion to overcoming her background impressed many."" (n: sedulity; sedulousness; adv. sedulously)"
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adj.
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specious
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"seemingly true but really false; deceptively convincing or attractive: ""Her argument, though specious, was readily accepted by many.""
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adj.
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superficial
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"only covering the surface: ""A superficial treatment of the topic was all they wanted.""
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adj.
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tacit
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"unspoken: ""Katie and carmella had a tacit agreement that they would not mention the dented fender to their parents.""
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adj.
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taciturn
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habitually untalkative or silent (n: taciturnity)
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adj.
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temperate
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exercising moderation and self-denial; calm or mild (n: temperance)
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adj.
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tirade (diatribe)
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"an angry speech: ""His tirade had gone on long enough.""
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n.
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tortuous
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"twisted; excessively complicated: ""Despite public complaints, tax laws and forms have become increasingly tortuous."" Note: Don't confuse this with torturous."
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adj.
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tractable
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"ability to be easily managed or controlled: ""Her mother wished she were more tractable."" (n: tractibility)"
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adj.
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turpitude
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"depravity; baseness: ""Mr. Castor was fired for moral turpitude.""
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n.
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tyro
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"beginner; person lacking experience in a specific endeavor: ""They easily took advantage of the tyro.""
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n.
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vacuous
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"empty; without contents; without ideas or intelligence:: ""She flashed a vacuous smile.""
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adj.
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venerate
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"great respect or reverence: ""The Chinese traditionally venerated their ancestors; ancestor worship is merely a popular misnomer for this tradition."" (n: veneration, adj: venerable)"
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v.
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verbose
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"wordy: ""The instructor asked her verbose student make her paper more concise."" (n: verbosity)"
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adj.
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vex
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"to annoy; to bother; to perplex; to puzzle; to debate at length: ""Franklin vexed his brother with his controversial writings.""
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v.
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viscous
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"slow moving; highly resistant to flow: ""Heintz commercials imply that their catsup is more viscous than others'."" (n: viscosity)"
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adj.
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volatile
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explosive; fickle (n: volatility).
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adj.
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voracious
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craving or devouring large quantities of food, drink, or other things. She is a voracious reader.
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adj.
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waver
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to hesitate or to tremble
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v.
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wretched
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extremely pitiful or unfortunate (n: wretch)
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adj.
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zeal
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enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal (n: zealot; zealoutry. adj: zealous)
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n.
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