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304 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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aberrant
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adj. deviating from the norm (n. aberration)
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abscond
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v. depart clandestinely; steal off and hide
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alacrity
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n. great willingness or enthusiasm
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anomaly
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n. deviation from the normal order
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approbation
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n. an expression of approval or praise
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arduous
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adj. strenuous; taxing; requiring significant effort
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assuage
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v. ease or lessen; appease or pacify
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audacious
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adj. daring and fearless; recklessly bold (n. audacity)
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austere
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adj. without adornment; bare; severely simple; ascetic (n. austerity)
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axiomatic
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adj. taken as a given; possessing self-evident truth (n. axiom)
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canonical
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adj. following or in agreement with accepted
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capricious
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adj. inclined to change one's mind impulsively; erratic; unpredictable
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censure
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v. criticize severely; officially rebuke
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chicanery
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n. trickery or subterfuge
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connoisseur
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n. an informed and astute judge in matters of taste; expert
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convoluted
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adj. complex or complicated
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disabuse
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v. undeceive; set right
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discordant
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adj. conflicting; dissonant or harsh in mind
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disparate
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adj. fundamentally distinct or dissimilar
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effrontery
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n. extreme boldness; presumptuousness
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eloquent
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adj. well-spoken; expressive; articulate (n. eloquence)
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enervate
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v. weaken; reduce in vitality
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ennui
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n. dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy
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equivocate
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v. use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent (adj. equivocal)
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erudite
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adj. very learned; scholarly (n. erudition)
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exculpate
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v. exonerate; clear of blame
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exigent
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adj. urgent; pressing; requiring immediate action or attention
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extemporaneous
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adj. improvised; done without preparation
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filibuster
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n. intentional obstruction
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fulminate
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v. loudly attack or denounce
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ingenuous
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adj. artless; frank and candid; lacking in sophistication
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inured
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adj. accustomed to accepting something undesirable
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irascible
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adj. easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts
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laud
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v. praise highly (adj. laudatory)
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lucid
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adj. clear; easily understood
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magnanimity
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n. the quality of being generously noble in mind and heart
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martial
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adj. associated with war and the armed forces
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mundane
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adj. of the world; typical of or concerned with the ordinary
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nascent
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adj. coming into being; in early developmental stages
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nebulous
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adj. vague; cloudy; lacking clearly defined form
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neologism
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n. a new word
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noxious
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adj. harmful; injurious
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obtuse
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adj. lacking sharpness of intellect; not clear or precise in thought or expression
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obviate
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v. anticipate and make unnecessary
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onerous
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adj. troubling; burdensome
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paean
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n. a song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving
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parody
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n. a humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic effect
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perennial
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adj. recurrent though the year or many years; happening repeatedly
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perfidy
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n. intentional breach of faith; treachery (adj. perfidious)
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perfunctory
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adj. cursory; done without care or interest
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perspicacious
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adj. acutely perceptive; having keen discernment (n. perspicacity)
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prattle
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v. babble meaninglessly; talk in an empty and idle manner
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precipitate
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adj. acting with excessive haste or impulse
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predilection
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n. a disposition in favor of something; preference
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prescience
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n. foreknowledge of events; knowing of events prior to their occurring (adj. prescient)
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prevaricate
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v. deliberately avoid the truth; mislead
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qualm
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n. misgivings; reservations; causes for hesitancy
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recant
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v. retract
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refute
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v. disprove; successfully argue against
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relegate
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v. forcibly assign
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reticent
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adj. quiet; reserved; reluctant to express thoughts and feelings
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solicitous
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adj. concerned and attentive; eager
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sordid
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adj. characterized by filth
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sporadic
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adj. occurring only occasionally
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squander
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v. waste by spending or using irresponsibly
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static
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adj. not moving
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stupefy
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v. stun
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stymie
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v. block; thwart
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synthesis
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n. the combination of parts to make a whole (v. synthesize)
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torque
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n. a force that causes rotation
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tortuous
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adj. winding; twisting; excessively complicated
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truculent
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adj. fierce and cruel; eager to fight
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veracity
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n. truthfulness; honesty
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virulent
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adj. extremely harmful or poisonous; bitterly hostile or antagonistic
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voracious
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adj. having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; ravenous
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waver
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v. move to and fro; sway; be unsettled in opinion
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abate
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v. lessen in intensity of degree
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accolade
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n. an expression of praise
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adulation
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n. excessive praise; intense adoration
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ameliorate
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v. make better or more tolerable
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ascetic
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n. one who practices rigid self-denial
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avarice
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n. greed
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aesthetic
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adj. dealing with
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axiom
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n. a universally recognized principle (adj. axiomatic)
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bucolic
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adj. rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
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burgeon
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v. grow rapidly or flourish
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cacophony
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n. harsh
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canon
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n. an established set of principles or code of laws
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castigation
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n. severe criticism or punishment (v. castigate)
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catalyst
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n. a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person of thing that causes change
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caustic
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adj. burning or stinging; causing corrosion
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chary
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adj. wary; cautious; sparing
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cogent
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adj. appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
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complaisance
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n. the willingness to comply with wishes of others (adj. complaisant)
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contentious
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adj. argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
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contrite
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adj. regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness (n. contrition)
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culpable
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adj. deserving blame (n. culpability)
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dearth
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n. smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
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demur
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v. question or oppose
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didactic
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adj. intended to teach or instruct
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discretion
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n. cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions (adj. discreet)
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disinterested
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adj. free of bias of self-interest; impartial
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dogmatic
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adj. expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or unprovable principles (n. dogma)
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ebullience
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adj. the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings (adj. ebullient)
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eclectic
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adj. composed of elements drawn from various sources
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elegy
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n. a mournful poem
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emollient
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adj. / n. soothing
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empirical
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adj. based on observation or experiment
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enigmatic
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adj. mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand (n. enigma)
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ephemeral
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lasting or used for only a short period of time
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esoteric
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adj. intended for or understood by a small
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eulogy
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n. a speech or piece of writing praising somebody/something very much
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exonerate
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v. remove blame
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facetious
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adj. playful; humorous
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fallacy
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n. an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief (adj. fallacious)
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furtive
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adj. marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious
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gregarious
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adj. sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
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harangue
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v. / n. deliver a pompous speech or tirade; a long
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heretical
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adj. violating accepted dogma or convention (n. heresy)
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hyperbole
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n. an exaggerated statement
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impecunious
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adj. lacking funds; without money
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incipient
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adj. beginning to come into being or to become apparent
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inert
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adj. unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
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innocuous
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adj. harmless; causing no damage
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intransigent
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adj. refusing to compromise (n. intransigence)
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morose
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adj. unhappy
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odious
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adj. evoking intense aversion or dislike
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opaque
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adj. impenetrable by light; not reflecting light
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oscillation
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n. the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady
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penurious
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adj. penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
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pernicious
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adj. extremely harmful; potentially causing death
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inveigle
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v. obtain by deception or flattery
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peruse
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v. examine with great care (n. perusal)
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pious
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adj. extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion (n. piety)
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precursor
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n. one that precedes and indicates or announces another
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preen
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v. dress up; primp; groom oneself with elaborate care
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prodigious
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adj. abundant in size
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prolific
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adj. producing large volumes or amounts; productive
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putrefy
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rot; decay and give off a foul odor (adj. putrid)
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quaff
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v. drink deeply
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quiescence
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n. stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest (adj. quiescent)
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redoubtable
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adj. awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
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sanction
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n. / v. authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; give permission or authority to
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satire
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n. a way of criticizing a person
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squalid
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adj. sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect (n. squalor)
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supplant
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v. take the place of; supersede
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torpid
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adj. lethargic; sluggish; dormant (n. torpor)
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ubiquitous
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adj. existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread
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urbane
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adj. sophisticated; refined; elegant (n. urbanity)
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vilify
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v. defame; characterize harshly
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viscous
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adj. thick; sticky (n. viscosity)
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acumen
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n. keen
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adulterate
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v. reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients
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amalgamate
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v. combine several elements into a whole (n. amalgamation)
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archaic
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adj. outdated; associated with an earlier
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aver
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v. state as a fact; declare or assert
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bolster
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v. provide support or reinforcement
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diatribe
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n. a harsh denunciation
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bombastic
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adj. pompous; grandiloquent (n. bombast)
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dissemble
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v. disguise or conceal; mislead
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eccentric
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adj. departing from norms or conventions
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evanescent
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adj. tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing
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exacerbate
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v. make worse or more severe
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fervent
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adj. greatly emotional or zealous (n. fervor)
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fortuitous
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adj. happening by accident or chance
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germane
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adj. relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter
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hackneyed
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adj. rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage
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halcyon
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adj. calm and peaceful
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hedonism
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n. devotion to pleasurable pursuits
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iconoclast
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a person who criticizes popular beliefs or established customs and ideas
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grandiloquence
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n. pompous speech or expression (adj. grandiloquent)
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hegemony
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n. the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others
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idolatrous
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adj. given to intense or excessive devotion to something (n. idolatry)
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impassive
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adj. revealing no emotion
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imperturbable
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adj. marked by extreme clam
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impunity
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n. immunity from punishment or penalty
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implacable
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adj. not capable of being appeased or significantly changed
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infelicitous
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adj. unfortunate; inappropriate
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insipid
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adj. without taste or flavor; lacking in spirit; bland
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loquacious
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adj. extremely talkative (n. loquacity)
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luminous
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adj. characterized by brightness and the emission of light
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malevolent
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adj. having or showing often vicious ill will
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inchoate
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adj. in an initial stage; not fully formed
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malleable
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adj. capable of being shaped or formed; tractable; pliable
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mendacity
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n. the condition of being untruthful; dishonesty (adj. mendacious)
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meticulous
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adj. characterized by extreme case and precision; attentive to detail
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misanthrope
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n. one who hates all other humans (adj. misanthropic)
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mitigate
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v. make or become less severe or intense; moderate
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obdurate
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adj. unyielding; hardhearted; intractable
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obsequious
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adj. exhibiting a fawning attentiveness
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occlude
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v. obstruct or block
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opprobrium
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n. disgrace; contempt; scorn
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pedagogy
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n. the profession or principles of teaching
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pedantic
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adj. the parading of learning; excessive attention to minutiae and formal rules
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penury
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n. poverty; destitution
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pervasive
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adj. having the tendency to permeate or spread throughout
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pine
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v. yearn intensely; languish; lose vigor
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pirate
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v. illegally use or reproduce
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pith
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n. the essential or central part
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pithy
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adj. precise and brief
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placate
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v. appease; clam by making concessions
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platitude
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n. a superficial remark
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plummet
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v. plunge or drop straight down
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polemical
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adj. controversial; argumentative
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prodigal
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adj. recklessly wasteful; extravagant; profuse; lavish
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profuse
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adj. given or coming forth abundantly; extravagant
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proliferate
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v. grow or increase swiftly and abundantly
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queries
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n. questions; inquiries; doubts in the mind; reservations
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querulous
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adj. prone to complaining or grumbling; peevish
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rancorous
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adj. characterized by bitter
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recalcitrant
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adj. obstinately defiant of authority; difficult to manage
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repudiate
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v. refuse to have anything to do with; disown
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rescind
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v. invalidate; repeal; retract
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reverent
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adj. marked by
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rhetoric
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n. the art or study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion
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salubrious
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adj. promoting health or well-being
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solvent
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adj. able to meet financial obligations; able to dissolve another substance
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specious
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adj. seeming true
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spurious
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adj. lacking authenticity or validity; false; counterfeit
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subpoena
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n. a court order requiring appearance and/or testimony
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succinct
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adj. brief; concise
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superfluous
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adj. exceeding what is sufficient or necessary
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surfeit
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n./v. an overabundant supply; excess; feed or supply to excess
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tenacity
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n. the quality of adherence or persistence to something valued; persistent determination (adj. tenacious)
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tenuous
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adj. having little substance or strength; flimsy; weak
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tirade
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n. a long and extremely critical speech; a harsh denunciation
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transient
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adj. fleeting; passing quickly; brief
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zealous
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adj. fervent; ardent; impassioned; devoted to a cause (cf. zealot)
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stoic
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adj. indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain (stoicism)
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endemic
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adj. characteristic of or often found in a particular locality
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acerbic
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adj. having a sour or bitter taste or character; sharp; biting
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aggrandize
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v. increase in intensity
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alchemy
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n. a medieval science aimed at the transmutation of metals
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amenable
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adj. agreeable; responsive to suggestion
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anachronism
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n. something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context
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astringent
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adj./n. having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe
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bombast
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n. self-important or pompous writing or speech (adj. bombastic)
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contiguous
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adj. sharing a border; touching; adjacent
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convention
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n. a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude
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credulous
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adj. tending to believe too readily; gullible (n. credulity)
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cynicism
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n. an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness (adj. cynical)
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decorum
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n. polite or appropriate conduct or behavior (adj. decorous)
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derision
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n. scorn; ridicule; contemptuous treatment (adj. derisive
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desiccate
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v. dry out or dehydrate; make dry or dull
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dilettante
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n. one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge
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disparage
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v. slight or belittle
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divulge
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v. disclose something secret
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fawn
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v. flatter or praise excessively
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flout
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v. show contempt for
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garrulous
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adj. pointlessly talkative
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glib
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adj. marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial
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hubris
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n. overbearing presumption or pride; arrogance
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imminent
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adj. about to happen; impending
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immutable
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adj. not capable of change
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impetuous
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adj. hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement
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indifferent
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adj. having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice
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inimical
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adj. damaging; harmful; injurious
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intractable
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adj. not easily managed or directed; stubborn; obstinate
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intrepid
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adj. steadfast and courageous
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laconic
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adj. using few words; terse
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maverick
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n. an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party
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mercurial
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adj. characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood
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mollify
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v. calm or soothe; reduce in emotional intensity
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neophyte
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n. a recent convert; a beginner; novice
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obfuscate
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deliberately obscure; make confusing
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obstinate
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adj. stubborn; hardheaded; uncompromising
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ostentatious
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adj. characterized by or given to pretentious display; showy
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pervade
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v. permeate throughout (adj. pervasive)
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phlegmatic
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adj. calm; sluggish; unemotional
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plethora
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n. an overabundance; a surplus
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pragmatic
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adj. practical rather than idealistic
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presumptuous
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adj. overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy); taking liberties
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pristine
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adj. pure; uncorrupted; clean
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proclivity
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n. a natural predisposition or inclination
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profligate
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adj. excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant (n. profligacy)
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propensity
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n. a natural inclination or tendency
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prosaic
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adj. dull; lacking in spirit or imagination
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pungent
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adj. characterized by a strong
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quixotic
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adj. foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals
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quotidian
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adj. occurring or recurring daily; commonplace
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rarefy
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v. make or become thin
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probity
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n. adherence to highest principles; complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness
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recondite
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adj. hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure
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refulgent
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adj. radiant; shiny; brilliant
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renege
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v. fail to honor a commitment; go back on a promise
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sedulous
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adj. diligent; persistent; hardworking
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shard
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n. a piece of broken pottery or glass
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soporific
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adj. causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep
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sparse
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adj. thin; not dense; arranged at widely spaced intervals
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spendthrift
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n. one who spends money wastefully
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subtle
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adj. not obvious; elusive; difficult to discern
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tacit
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adj. implied; not explicitly stated
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terse
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adj. brief and concise in wording
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tout
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v. publicly praise or promote
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trenchant
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adj. sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating
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unfeigned
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adj. genuine; not false or hypocritical
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untenable
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adj. indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable
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vacillate
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v. waver indecisively between one course of action or opinion and another; waver
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variegated
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adj. multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different color
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vexation
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n. annoyance; irritation (v. vex)
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vigilant
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adj. alertly watchful (n. vigilance)
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vituperate
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v. use harsh condemnatory language; abuse or censure severely or abusively; berate
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volatile
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adj. readily changing to a vapor; changeable; fickle; explosive (n. volatility)
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multifarious
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of many different kinds; having great variety
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