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333 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abate
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v. subside or moderate
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aberrant
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adj. abnormal or deviant
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abeyance
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n. suspended action
The deal was held in abeyance until her arrival. |
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abscond
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v. depart secretly and hide
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abstemious
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adj. sparing in eating and drinking; temperate
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admonish
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v. warn; reprove
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adulterate
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v. make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances
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aesthetic
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adj. artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful
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aggregate
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v. gather; accumulate
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alacrity
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n. cheerful promptness; eagerness
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alleviate
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v. relieve
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amalgamate
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v. combine; unite in one body
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ambiguous
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adj. unclear or doubtful in meaning
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ambivalence
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n. state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes
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ameliorate
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v. improve
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anachronism
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n. something or someone misplaced in time
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analogous
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adj. comparable
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anarchy
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n. absence of a governing body; state of disorder
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anomalous
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adj. abnormal; irregular
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antipathy
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n. aversion; dislike
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apathy
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n. lack of caring; indifference
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appease
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v. pacify or soothe; relieve
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apprise
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v. inform
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approbation
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n. approval
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appropriate (v)
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v. acquire; take possession of for one's own use
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arduous
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adj. hard; strenuous
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artless
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adj. without guile; open and honest
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ascetic
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adj. practicing self-denial; austere
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assiduous
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adj. diligent
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assuage
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v. ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger)
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attenuate
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v. make thinner; weaken or lessen (in density, force, degree)
The long, dry spell attenuated the creek to the merest trickle. When a meteor strikes the ground, the initially intense shock attenuates or lessens as it diverges outward. |
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audacious
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adj. daring; bold
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austere
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adj. forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented
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autonomous
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adj. self-governing
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aver
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v. assert confidently or declare; as used in law, state formally as a fact
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banal
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adj. hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality
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belie
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v. contradict; give a false impression
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beneficent
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adj. kindly; doing good
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bolster
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v. support; reinforce
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bombastic
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adj. pompous; using inflated language
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boorish
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adj. rude; insensitive
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burgeon
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v. grow forth; send out buds
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burnish
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v. make shiny by rubbing; polish
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buttress
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v. support; prop up
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cacaphonous
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adj. discordant; inharmonious
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capricious
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adj. unpredictable; fickle
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castigation
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n. punishment; severe criticism
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catalyst
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n. agent that influences the pace of a chemical reaction while it remains unaffected and unchanged; person or thing that causes action
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caustic
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adj. burning; sarcastically biting
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chicanery
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n. trickery; deception
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coagulate
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v. thicken; congeal; clot
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coda
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n. concluding section of a musical or literary composition; something that rounds out, summarizes, or concludes
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cogent
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adj. convincing
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commensurate
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adj. corresponding in extent, degree, amount, etc.; proportionate
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compendium
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n. brief, comprehensive summary
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complaisant
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adj. trying to please
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compliant
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adj. yielding; conforming to requirements
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conciliatory
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adj. reconciling; soothing
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condone
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v. overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse
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confound
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v. confuse; puzzle
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connoisseur
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n. person competent to act as a judge of art, etc.; a lover of an art
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contention
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n. claim; thesis
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contentious
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adj. quarrelsome
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contrite
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adj. penitent
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conundrum
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n. riddle, difficult problem
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converge
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v. approach; tend to meet; come together
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convoluted
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adj. coiled around; involved; intricate
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craven
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adj. cowardly
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daunt
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v. intimidate; frighten
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decorum
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n. propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners
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default
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n. failure to act
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deference
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n. courteous regard for another’s wish
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delineate
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v. portray; depict; sketch
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denigrate
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v. blacken
All attempts to denigrate the character of our late president have failed; the people still love him and cherish his memory. |
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deride
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v. ridicule; make fun of
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derivative
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adj. unoriginal; obtained from another source
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dessicate
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v. dry up
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desultory
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adj. aimless; haphazard; digressing at random
In prison, Malcolm X set himself the task of reading straight through the dictionary; to him, reading was purposeful, not desultory. |
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deterrent
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n. something that discourages; hindrance
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diatribe
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n. bitter scolding; invective
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dichotomy
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n. split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones)
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diffidence
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n. shyness
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diffuse
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adj. wordy; rambling; spread out (like a gas)
If you pay authors by the word, you tempt them to produce diffuse manuscripts rather than brief ones. |
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digression
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n. wandering away from the subject
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dirge
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n. lament with music
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disabuse
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v. correct a false impression; undeceive
I will attempt to disabuse you of your impression of my client’s guilt; I know he is innocent. |
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discerning
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adj. mentally quick and observant; having insight
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discordant
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adj. not harmonious; conflicting
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discredit
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v. defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve
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discrepancy
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n. lack of consistency; difference
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discrete
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adj. separate; unconnected; consisting of distinct parts
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disingenuous
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adj. lacking genuine candor; insincere
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disinterested
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adj. unprejudiced
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disjointed
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adj. lacking coherence; separated at the joints
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dismiss
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v. eliminate from consideration; reject
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disparage
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v. belittle
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disparate
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adj. basically different; unrelated
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dissemble
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v. disguise; pretend
Even though John tried to dissemble his motive for taking modern dance, we all knew he was there not to dance but to meet girls. |
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disseminate
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v. distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds)
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dissolution
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n. disintegration; looseness in morals
The profligacy and dissolution of life in Caligula’s Rome appal some historians. |
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dissonance
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n. discord; opposite of harmony
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distend
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v. expand; swell out
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distill
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v. purify; refine; concentrate
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diverge
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v. vary; go in different directions from the same point
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divest
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v. strip; deprive
He was divested of his power to act and could no longer govern. |
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document
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v. provide written evidence
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dogmatic
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adj. opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal
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dormant
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adj. sleeping; lethargic; latent; quiescent
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dupe
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v. someone easily fooled
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ebullient
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adj. showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm
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eclectic
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adj. selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources
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efficacy
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n. power to produce desired effect
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effrontery
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n. impudence; shameless boldness; sheer nerve; presumptuousness
He had the effrontery to ask her for a recommendation after causing all that trouble. |
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elegy
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n. poem or song expressing lamentation
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elicit
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v. draw out by discussion
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embellish
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v. adorn; ornament; enhance, as a story
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empirical
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adj. based on experience
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emulate
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v. imitate; rival
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endemic
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adj. prevaling among a specific group of people or in a specific area or country
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enervate
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v. weaken
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engender
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v. cause; produce
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enhance
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v. increase; improve
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ephemeral
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adj. short-lived; fleeting
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equanimity
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n. calmness of temperament; composure
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equivocate
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v. lie; mislead; attempt to conceal the truth
No matter how bad the news is, give it to s straight. Above all, don’t equivocate. |
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erudite
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adj. learned; scholarly
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esoteric
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adj. hard to understand; known only to the chosen few
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eulogy
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n. expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone’s death
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euphemism
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n. mild expression in place of an unpleasant one
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exacerbate
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v. worsen; embitter
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exculpate
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v. clear from blame; acquit
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exigency
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n. urgent situation; pressing needs or demands; state of requiring immediate attention
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extrapolation
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n. projection; conjecture
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facetious
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adj. joking (often inappropriate); humorous
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facilitate
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v. help bring about; make less difficult
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fallacious
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adj. false; misleading
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fatuous
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adj. brainless; inane; foolish, yet smug
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fawning
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adj. trying to please by behaving obsequiously, flattering, or cringing
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felicitous
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adj. suitably expressed; well-chosen
He was famous for his felicitous remarks and was called upon to serve as MC at many a banquet. |
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fervor
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n. growing ardor; intensity of feeling
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flag
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v. droop; grow feeble
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fledgling
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adj. inexperienced
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flout
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v. reject; mock; show contempt for
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foment
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v. stir up; instigate
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forestall
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v. prevent by taking action in advance
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frugality
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n. thrift; economy
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futile
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adj. useless; hopeless; ineffectual
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gainsay
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v. deny
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garrulous
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adj. loquacious; wordy; talkative
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goad
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v. urge on
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gouge
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v. overcharge
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grandiloquent
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adj. pompous; bombastic; using high-sounding language
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gregarious
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adj. sociable
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guileless
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adj. without deceit
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gullible
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adj. easily deceived
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harangue
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n. long, passionate, and vehement speech
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homogenous
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adj. of the same kind
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hyperbole
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n. exaggeration; overstatement
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iconoclastic
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adj. attacking cherished traditions
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idolatry
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n. worship of idols
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immutable
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adj. unchangeable
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impair
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v. injure; hurt
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impassive
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adj. without feeling; imperturbable; stoical
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impede
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v. hinder; block
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impermeable
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adj. impervious; not permitting passage through its substance
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imperturbable
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adj. calm; placid
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impervious
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adj. impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed
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implicit
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adj. understood but not stated
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implode
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v. burst inward
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inadvertently
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adj. unintentionally; by oversight; carelessly
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inchoate
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adj. recently begun; rudimentary; elementary
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incongruity
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n. lack of harmony; absurdity
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inconsequential
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adj. insignificant; unimportant
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incorporate
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v. introduce something into larger whole; combine; unite
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indeterminate
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adj. uncertain; not clearly fixed; indefinite
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indigence
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n. poverty
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indolent
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adj. lazy
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inert
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adj. inactive; lacking power to move
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ingenuous
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adj. naïve and trusting; young, unsophisticated
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inherent
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adj. firmly established by nature or habit
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innocuous
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adj. harmless
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insensible
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adj. unconscious; unresponsive
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insinuate
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v. hint; imply; creep in
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insipid
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adj. lacking in flavor; dul
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insularity
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n. narrow-mindedness
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intractable
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adj. unruly; stubborn; unyielding
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intransigence
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n. refusal or any compromise; stubbornness
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inundate
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v. overwhelm; flood; submerge
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inured
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adj. accustomed; hardened
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invective
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n. abuse
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irascible
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adj. irritable; easily angered
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irresolute
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adj. uncertain how to act; weak
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itinerary
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n. plan of a trip
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laconic
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adj. brief and to the point
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lassitude
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n. languor; weariness
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latent
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adj. potential but undeveloped; dormant; hidden
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laud
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v. praise
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lethargic
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adj. drowsy; dull
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levee
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n. earten or stone embankment to prevent flooding
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levity
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n. lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity
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log
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n. record or a voyage or flight
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loquacious
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adj. talkative
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lucid
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adj. easily understood
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luminous
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adj. shining; issuing light
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magnanimity
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n. generosity
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malingerer
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n. one who feigns illness to escape duty
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malleable
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adj. capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionable
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maverick
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n. rebel
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mendacious
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adj. lying
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metamorphosis
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n. change of form
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meticulous
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adj. excessively careful; painstaking; scrupulous
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misanthrope
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n. one who hates mankind
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mitigate
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v. lessen in intensity; moderate; appease
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mollify
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v. soothe
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morose
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adj. ill-humored; sullen; melancholy
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mundane
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adj. worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday
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negate
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v. cancel out; nullify; deny
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neophyte
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n. recent convert; beginner
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obdurate
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adj. stubborn
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obsequious
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adj. slavishly attentive; servile; sycophantic
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obviate
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v. make unnecessary; get rid of
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occlude
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v. shut; close
A blood clot occluded an artery to the heart. |
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officious
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adj. meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one’s services
After her long flight, Jill just wanted to nap, but the officious bellboy was intent on showing her all the special features of the deluxe suite. |
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onerous
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adj. burdensome
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opprobrium
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n. infamy; villification
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oscillate
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v. vibrate pendulumlike; waiver
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ostentatious
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adj. showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention
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paragon
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n. model of perfection
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partisan
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adj. one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party
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pathological
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adj. related to disease
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paucity
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n. scarcity
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pedantic
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adj. showing off learning; bookish
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penchant
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n. strong inclination; liking
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penury
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n. severe poverty
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perennial
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n. something long-lasting
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perfidious
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adj. treacherous; disloyal
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permeable
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adj. penetrable; porous; allowing liquids or gas to pass through
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pervasive
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adj. spread throughout
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phlegmatic
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adj. calm; not easily disturbed
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piety
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n. devoutness; reverence for God
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placate
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v. pacify; conciliate
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plasticity
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n. ability to be molded
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platitude
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n. trite remark; commonplace statement
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plethora
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n. excess; overabundance
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plummet
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v. fall sharply
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porous
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adj. full of pores; like a sieve
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pragmatic
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adj. practical (as opposed to idealistic)
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preamble
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n. introductory statement
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precarious
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adj. uncertain; risky
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precipitate
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adj. rash; premature; hasty; sudden
Though I was angry enough to resign on the spot, I had enough sense to keep myself from quitting a job in such a precipitate fashion. |
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precursor
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n. forerunner
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presumptuous
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adj. arrogant; taking liberties
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prevaricate
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v. lie
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pristine
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adj. characteristic of earlier times; primitive; unspoiled
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probity
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n. uprightness; incorruptibility
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problematic
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adj. doubtful; unsettled; questionable; perplexing
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prodigal
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adj. wasteful; reckless with money
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profound
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adj. deep; not superficial; complete
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prohibitive
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adj. tending to prevent the purchase or use of something; inclined to prevent or forbid
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proliferate
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v. grow rapidly; spread; multiply
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propensity
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n. natural inclination
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propitiate
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v. appease
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propriety
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n. fitness; correct conduct
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proscribe
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v. ostracize; banish; outlaw
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pungent
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adj. stinging; sharp in taste or smell; caustic
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qualified
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adj. limited; restricted
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quibble
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n. minor objection or complaint
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quiescent
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adj. at rest; dormant; temporarily inactive
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rarefied
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adj. made less dense (of a gas)
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recalcitrant
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adj. obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly
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recant
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v. disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error
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recluse
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n. hermit; loner
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recondite
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adj. abstruse; profound; secret
He read many recondite books in order to obtain the material for his scholarly thesis. |
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refractory
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adj. stubborn; unmanageable
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refute
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v. disprove
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relegate
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v. banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign
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reproach
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v. express disapproval or disappointment
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reprobate
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n. person hardened by sin, devoide of a sense of decency
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repudiate
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v. disown; disavow
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rescind
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v. cancel
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resolution
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n. determination
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resolve
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n. determination; firmness of purpose
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reticent
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adj. reserved; uncommunicative; inclined to silence
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reverent
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adj. respectful; worshipful
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sage
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n. person celebrated for wisdom
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salubrious
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adj. healthful
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sanction
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v. approve; ratify
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satiate
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v. satisfy fully
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saturate
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v. soak through
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savor
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v. enjoy
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secrete
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v. hide away or cache; produce and release a substance into an organism
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shard
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n. fragment, generally of pottery
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skeptic
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n. doubter; person who suspends judgment until having examined the evidence supporting a point of view
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solicitous
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adj. worried; concerned
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soporific
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n. sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness
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specious
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adj. seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally)
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spectrum
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n. colored band produced when a beam of light passes through a prism
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sporadic
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adj. occurring irregularly
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stigma
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n. token of disgrace; brand
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stint
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v. be thrifty; set limits
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stipulate
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v. make express conditions; specify
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stolid
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adj. dull, impassive
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striated
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adj. marked with parallel bands; grooved
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strut
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n. pompous walk
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subpoena
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n. writ summoning witness to appear
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subside
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v. settle down; descend; grow quiet
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substantiate
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v. establish by evidence; verify; support
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supersede
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v. cause to be set aside; replace; make obsolete
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supposition
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n. hypothesis; surmise
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tacit
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adj. understood; not put into words
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tangential
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adj. peripheral; only slightly connected; digressing
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tenuous
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adj. thin, rare; slim
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tirade
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n. extended scolding; denunciation; harangue
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torpor
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n. lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy (adj. torpid)
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tortuous
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adj. winding; full of curves
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tractable
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adj. docile; easily managed
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transgression
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n. violation of a law; sin
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truculence
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n. aggressiveness; ferocity
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vacillate
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v. waver; fluctuate
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venerate
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v. revere
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veracious
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adj. truthful
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verbose
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adj. wordy
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viable
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adj. practical or workable; capable of maintaining life
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viscous
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adj. sticky; gluey
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vituperative
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adj. abusive; scolding
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warranted
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adj. justified; authorized
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wary
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adj. very cautious
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welter
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n. turmoil; bewildering jumble
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whimsical
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n. capricious; fanciful
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zealot
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n. fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal
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strut
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n. supporting bar
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implacable
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adj. incapable of being pacified
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perfunctory
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adj. superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm
The author's perfunctory inspection of the books overlooked many errors. |
