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185 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Redress
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relief from wrong or injury; amends; indemnity; quittance; reparation; restitution; Seeking redress for the injuries she had received in the accident; Doreen sued the driver of the truck that had hit her.
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Pugilism
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boxing; sparring; Pugilism has been defended as a positive outlet for aggressive impulses.
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Mitigate
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soften; lessen; allay; alleviate; assuage; ease; lighten; moderate; mollify; palliate; temper
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August
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dignified; grandiose; admirable; awesome; majestic; The august view of the Grand Teton summit took my breath away.
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Frugality
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tending to be thrifty or cheap; economical; parsimony; prudence; sparing
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Catalyst
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sth which brings about a change in sth else; accelerator; goad; impetus; incentive; motivation; spur; The imposition of harsh taxes was the catalyst that finally brought on the revolution.
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Calumny
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false and malicious accusation; misrepresentation; defamation; libel; slander; The unscrupulous politician used calumny to bring down his opponent in the senatorial race.
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Ameliorate
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to to improve; amend; pacify; The doctor as able to ameliorate the patient's suffering using painkillers.
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Exponent
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one who champions or advocates; The vice president was an enthusiastic exponent of computer technology.
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Obstinate
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stubborn; unyielding; intransigent; mulish; pertinacious; tenacious
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Jettison
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to discard; dump; The sinking ship jettisoned its cargo in a desperate attempt to reduce its weight.
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Surfeit
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excessive amount; glut; plethora; repletion; superfluity; surplus; Because of the surfeit of pigs, pork prices have never been lower.
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Abstain
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to choose not to do something; forbear; refrain; withhold
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Imperturable
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not capable of being disturbed; composed; dispassionate; impassive; serene; stoical; The counselor had so much experience with distraught children that she was imperturable, even when faced with the wildest tantrums.
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Candid
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impartial and honest in speech; forthright; frank; The observations of a child can be charming since they are candid and unpretentious
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Zephyr
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gentle breeze; something airy or unsubstantial; draft; The zephyr from the ocean made the intense heat on the beach bearable for the sunbathers.
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Abjure
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reject; abandon formally; forswear; recall; recant; retract; The spy abjured his allegiance to the US when he defected to Russia.
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Fawn
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grovel; bootlick; pander: The understudy fawned over the director in hopes of being cast in the part on a permanent basis.
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Politic
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shrewd and practical in managing or dealing with things; diplomatic; tactful; She was wise to curb her tongue and was able to explain her problem to the judge in a respectful and politic manner.
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Pusillanimous
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cowardly; without courage; timid; The pusillanimous man would not enter the yard where the miniature poodle was barking.
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Impervious
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impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected; impregnable; resistant; A good raincoat will be impervious to moisture.
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Martinet
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strict disciplinarian; one who rigidly follows rules; dictator; stickler; tyrant; A complete martinet, the official insisted that Pete fill out all the forms again even though he was already familiar with his case.
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Ostentation
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excessive showiness; consicuousness; flashiness; pretentiousness: The ostentation of the Sun King's court is evident in the lavish decoration and luxuriousness of his palace at Versailles.
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Gestation
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growth process from conception to birth; gravidity; The longer the gestation period of an organism, the more developed the baby is at birth.
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Epicure
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person with refined taste in food and wine; bon vivant; connoisseur; gastronome; gastronomist; gourmand; gourmet: Niren is an epicure who always throws the most splendid dinner parties.
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Veracity
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filled with truth and accuracy; candor; fidelity; probity; She had a reputation for veracity, so everyone trusted her description of events.
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Gregarious
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outgoing; sociable; affable; communicative; congenial: She was so gregarious that when she found herself alone she felt quite sad.
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Sportive
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frolicsome; playful; frisky; merry; The lakeside vacation meant more sportive opportunities for the kids than the wine tour through France
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Livid
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discoloured from a bruise; pale; reddened with anger; ashen; black-and-blue; furious; pallid; Andre was livid when he discovered that someone had spilled juice all over his cashmere coat.
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Pariah
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an outcast; castaway; derelict; leper; offscouring; untouchable; Once he betrayed those in his community, he was banished and lived the life of a pariah.
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Loquacious
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talkative; effusive; garrulous; verbose; She is naturally loquacious which is a problem in situations where listening is more important than talking.
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Ignoble
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having low moral standards; not noble in character; mean; lowly; vulgar
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Impugn
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"question; challenge verbally; challenge; dispute: \"How dare you impugn my motives?\" protested the lawyer, on being accused of ambulance chasing."
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Canard
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lie; falsehood; falsity; fib; prevarication; tale; That tabloid's feature story about a goat giving birth to a human child was clearly a canard.
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Tome
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book usually large and academic; codex; volume
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Ethos
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beliefs or character of a group; culture; ethic
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Acidulous
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sour in taste or manner; acerbic; acetous; biting; piquant; pungent; tart; The acidulous taste of the spoiled milk made the young boy's lips pucker.
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Pungent
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sharp and irritating to the senses; acrid; caustic; piquant; poignant; stinging; The smoke from the burning tires was extermely pungent.
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Inimical
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hostile; unfriendly; adverse; antagonistic; dissident; recalcitrant; Although a cease-fire had been in place for months, the two sides were still inimical to each other.
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Maudlin
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overly sentimental; bathetic; mawkish; saccharine; weepy
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Insurrection
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rebellion; mutiny; revolt; revolution; uprising; After the emperor's troops crushed the insurrection, its leaders fled the country.
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Droll
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amusing in a dry, subtle way; comic; entertaining; funny; risible; witty; Although the play couldn't be described as hilarious it was certainly droll.
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Antagonize
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to annoy or provoke to anger; incite; oppose; pester; vex
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Stasis
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state of static balance or equilibrium; stagnation; inertia; standstill; The rusty, ivy-covered WWII tank had obviously been in stasis for years.
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Mirth
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frivolity; gaiety; laughter; glee; hilarity; jollity; merriment; Vera's hilarious jokes contributed to the general mirth at the dinner party.
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Fetid
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foul-smelling; putrid; funky; malodorous; noisome; rank; The fetid stench from the outhouse caused Francesca to wrinkle her nose in disgust.
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Discern
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perceive or recognise; catch; descry; detect; espy; glimpse; separate; It is easy to discern the difference between butter and butter-flavored topping.
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Mannered
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artificial or stilted in character; affected; unnatural; The portrait is an example of the mannered style that was favoured in that era.
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Amalgamate
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combine; admix; blend; coalesce; commingle; commix; compound; fuse; intermingle; merge; mingle; Giant Industries amalgamated with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega Products Inc.
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Unconscionable
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unscrupulous; shockingly unfair or unjust; dishonorable; indefensible; After she promised me the projectl the fact that she gave it to someone else is unconscionable.
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disparate
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fundamentally different; entirely unlike; dissimilar; divergent; diverse; Although the twins are physically identical their personalities are disparate.
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Abate
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to reduce in amount, degree or severity; ebb; lapse; slacken; subside; wane; As the hurricane's force abated, the winds dropped and the sea became calm.
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Peccadillo
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minor sin or offense; failing; fault; lapse; misstep: Gabriel tends to harp on his brother's peccadillos and never lets him live them down.
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Pulchritude
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beauty; comeliness; gorgeousness; handsomeness; loveliness; prettiness
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Militate
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to operate against; work against; influence; affect; Lenin militated against the tsar for years before he overthrew him and established the Soviet Union
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Fervid
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intensely emotional; feverish; burning; impassioned; passionate; vehement; zealous; The fans of Maria Callas were particularly fervid, doing anything to catch a glimpse of the great opera singer.
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Enigma
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puzzle; mystery; conundrum; perplexity; Speaking in riddles and dressed in old robes, the artist gained a reputation as something of an enigma.
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Obsequious
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Overly submissive and eager to please; compliant; deferential; servile; subservient
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Imbue
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to infuse; dye; wet; moisten; charge; freight; impregnate; permeate; pervade; Marcia struggled to imbue her children with decent values, a difficult task in this day and age.
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Orotund
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pompous; aureate; euphuisitc; flowery; grandiloquent; magniloquent; oratorical; sonorous; Roberto soon grew tired of his date's orotund babble about her new job, and decided their first date would probably be their last.
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Molt
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to shed hair/ skin/ outer layer periodically; cast; defoliate; desquamate; The snake molted its skin and left it behind in a crumpled mass.
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Alacrity
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speed or quickness; celerity; dispatch; haste; swiftness; The restaurant won a reputation for fine service since the wait staff responded to their clients' requests with alacrity.
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Abscond
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to leave secretly; decamp; escape; flee
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Coalesce
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to grow together to form a single whole; amalgamate; blend; condense; consolidate; fuse; unite; The sun and planets eventually coalesced out of a vast cloud of gas and dust.
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sardonic
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cynical; scornfully mocking; acerbic; caustic; snide; Isabella was offended by the sardonic way in which her date made fun of her ideas and opinions.
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Frenetic
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frantic; frenzied; corybantic; delirious; feverish; mad; rabid; wild; The employee's frenetic schedule left her little time to socialize.
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Jocular
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playful; humorous; amusing; comical; The jocular old man entertained his grandchildren for hours.
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Cupidity
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greed; strong desire; avarice; covetousness; rapacity; The thief stared at the shining jewels with cupidity in his gleaming eyes.
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Distaff
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female branch of a family; maternal
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Venerable
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respected because of age; distinguished; elderly; respectable; All of the villagers sought the venerable old woman's advice whenever they had a problem.
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Tyro
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beginner; novice; apprentice; fledgling; greenhorn; neophyte; tenderfoot; An obvious tyro at salsa, Millicent received no invitations to dance.
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Replete
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abundantly supplied; complete; abounding; The gigantic supermarket was replete with consumer products of every kind.
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Syncopation
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temporary irregularity in musical rythm; A jazz enthuisiast will appreciate the use of syncopation in this musical genre.
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Eulogy
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speech in praise of someone; commend; extol; laud: His best friend gave the eulogy outlining his many achievements and talents.
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Credulous
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too trusting; gullible; naive; susceptible; trusting: Although some 4-year-olds believe in the Tooth Fairy, only the most credulous 9-year-olds also believe in her.
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Pervade
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to be present throughout; to permeate; imbue; infuse; suffuse; Four spices - cumin, turmeric, coriander, and cayenne - pervade almost evey Indian dish, and give the cuisine its distinctive flavor.
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Vicissitude
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change or variation; ups and downs; inconstancy; mutability; Investors must be prepared for vicissitudes of the stock market
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Rejoinder
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response; retort; riposte; Patrick tried desperately to think of a clever rejoinder to Marianna's joke, but he couldn't.
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Contrite
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deeply sorrowful and repentant for a wrong; apologetic; regretful; remorseful; After three residents were mugged in the lobby while the watchman was away from his post he felt very contrite
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Ostensible
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apparent; represented; supposed; surface; The ostensible reason for his visit was to borrow a book, but he secretly wanted to chat with the lovely Wanda.
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Repudiate
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reject the validity of; disavow; disown; renounce; The old woman's claim that she was Russian royalty was repudiated when DNA tests showed she was of no relation to them.
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Ephemeral
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lasting a short time; evanescent; fleeting; momentary; transient: The lives of mayflies seem ephemeral to us since the flies' average life span is a matter of hours.
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Emulate
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to copy; to try to equal or excel; ape; imitate; The graduate student sought to emulate his professor in every way, copying not only how she taught but also how she conducted herself outside of class.
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Condone
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overlook, pardon or disregard; exculpate; remit; Failing to prosecute minor crimes is the same as condoning an air of lawlessness.
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Sybarite
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person devoted to pleasure and luxury; hedonist; sensualist
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Sanguine
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ruddy; cheerfully optimistic; confident; hopeful; positive; rosy; rubicund; A sanguine person thinks the glass is half full, whereas a deperessd person thinks it's half empty.
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Malleable
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capable of being shaped; adaptable; ductile; plastic; pliable; pliant; Gold is the most malleable of precious metals; it can easily be formed into almost any shape.
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Furtive
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secret; stealthy; clandestine; covert; surreptitious; Glenn was furtive when he peered out of the corner of his eye at the stunningly beautiful model.
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Apocryphal
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of questionable authority or autheticity; disputed; doubtful; fictitious; fraudulent; There is no hard or authoritative evidence to support the apocryphal tales that link the Roswell, New Mexico, incident to a downed UFO.
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Apostate
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one who renounces a religious faith; defector; deserter; traitor; So that he could divorce his wife, the king scoffed at the church doctrines and declared himself an apostate.
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Rarefy
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make thinner or sparser; attenuate; Since the atmosphere rarefies as altitudes increase, the ait at the top of very tall mountains is too thin to breathe.
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Declivity
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downward slope; decline; descent; grade; slant; tilt; Because the village was situated on the declivity of a hill, it never flooded.
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Mar
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to damage or deface; spoil; blemish; disfigure; impair; injure; scar; Telephone poles mar the natural beauty of the countryside.
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Pallid
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lacking colour or liveliness; ashen; blanched; ghostly; pale; wan: The old drugstore's pallid window could not compete with Wal-Mart's extravaant display next door.
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Lampoon
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ridicule with satire; tease; The mayor hated being lampooned by the press for his effots to improve people's politeness.
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Pejorative
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having bad connotations; disparaging; belittling; dismissive; insulting; The teacher scolded Mark for his unduly pejorative comments about his classmate's presentation.
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Grievous
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causing grief or sorrow; serious; distressing; dire; dolorous; grave; mournful: Maude and Bertha sobbed loudly throughout the grievous event.
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Exigent
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urgent; requiring immediate action; critical; imperative; needed
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Inquest
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investigation; inquiry; probe; research; The police chef ordered an inquest to determine what went wrong.
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Eschew
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to shun; to avoid; to bilk; to elude; to evade
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Fecund
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fertile; fruitful; productive; flourishing; prolific; The fecund couple yielded a total of 20 children.
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Catholic
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universal; broad and comprehensive; extensive; general; Hot tea with honey is a catholic remedy for a sore throat.
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Fractious
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unruly; rebellious; contentious; cranky; peevish; quarrelsome; The general had a hard time maintaining discipline among his fractious troops.
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Peripatetic
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wandering from place to place, especially by foot; itinerant; nomadic; wayfaring; Eleana's peripatetic meanderings took her all over the countryside in the summer months.
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Listless
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lacking energy or enthusiasm; faineant; indolent; languid; lethargic; sluggish; Listless and depressed after breaking up with his girlfriend, Ray spent his days moping on the couch
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Distend
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to swell, inflate or bloat; broaden; bulge
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Sobriquet
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"nickname; alias; One of Ronald Reagan's sobriquets was \"The Gipper\""
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Approbation
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approval and praise; acclaim; adulation; applause; commendation; exalt; compliments; hail; kudos; praise: The approbation that Jerry Lewis received in France included a medal from the Ministry of Culture.
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Missive
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a written note or letter; message; Priscilla spent hours composing a romantic missive for Elvis.
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Polyglot
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speaker of many languages; Ling's extensive travels have helped her to become a true polyglot.
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Ossify
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to change into bone; to become hardened or set in a rigidly conventional pattern; The forensics expert ascertained the body's age based on the degree to which the facial structure had ossified.
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Posit
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to assume as real or conceded; propose as an explanation; Before proving the math formula, we needed to posit that x and y were real numbers.
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Innocuous
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harmless; benign; inoffensive; insipid
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Querulous
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inclined to complain; irritable; peevish; puling; sniveling; whiny; Curtis' complaint letter received prompt attention after the company labeled him a querulous potential troublemaker.
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Surly
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rude and bad-tempered; gruff; grumpy; testy; When asked to clean the windshield, the surly gas station attendant tossed a dirty rag at the customer and walked away.
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Chicanery
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deception by means of craft or guile; artifice; conniving; craftiness; deviousness; pettifoggery; shadiness; sneakiness; subterfuge; unterhandedness; Dishonest used-car salesmen often use chicanery to sell their beat-up old cars.
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Pedant
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someone who shows off learning; doctrinaire; nit-picker
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Ingratiate
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to gain favour with someone by deliberate effort; to seek to pleasure somebody so as to gain an advantage; curry favour; flatter; The new intern tried to ingratiate herself with the managers so that they might consider her for a future job.
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Pathogenic
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causing disease; infecting; noxious; Bina's research on the origins of pathogenic microorganisms should help stop the spread of disease
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Terrestrial
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earthly; down-to-earth; commonplace; earthbound; mundane; sublunary; tellurian; terrene; Many UFOs turn out to be terrestrial in origin, as when flying saucers turn out to be normal airplanes.
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Requite
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return or repay; compensate; reciprocate; Thanks for offering to lend me $1,000, but I know I'll never be able to requite your generosity.
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Pastiche
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piece of literature or music imitating other works; medley; spoof; The playwright's cleve pastiche of the well-known children's story had the audience rolling in the aisles.
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Raconteur
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witty, skillfull storyteller; anecdotalist; monologist: The raconteur kept all the passengers entertained with his stories during the six-hour flight.
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Edify
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instruct morally and spiritually; enlighten
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Precis
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"short summary of facts:
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insipid
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lacking interest or flavour; banal; bland; dull; stale; vapid; The critic claimed that the painting was insipid containing no interesting qualities at all.
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Arbitrate
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to judge a dispute between two opposing parties; adjudge; adjudicate; intermediate; intervene; Since the couple could not come to an agreement, a judge was forced to arbitrate their divorce proceedings.
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Obviate
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prevent; make unnecessary; forestall; preclude; prohibit: The river was shallow enough to wade across at many points which obviated the need for a bridge.
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Acme
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highest point; summit; the highest level or degree attainable; apex; peak; Just when he reached the acme of his power, the dictator was overthrown
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Unequivocal
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absolute; certain; categorical; explicit; express; unambiguous
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Venerate
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respect deeply; adore; honour; idolise; revere; In a traditional confucian society, the young venerate their elders, deferring to the elders' wisdom and experience.
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Prudence
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wisdom, caution, restraint, astuteness, circumspection, discretion, frugality; judiciousness; providence; thrift; The college student exhibited prudence by obtaining practical experience along with her studies, which greatly strengthened her resume.
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Nettle
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to irritate; annoy; vex; I don't particularly like having blue hair - I just do it to nettle my parents.
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Ford
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to cross a body of water by wading; traverse
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Zeal
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passion; excitement; ardency; fervor; She brought her typical zeal to the project, sparking enthusiasm in the other team members.
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Myopic
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lacking foresight; having a narrow view or long-range perspective; short-sighted; unthinking; Not wanting to spend a lot of money up front, the myopic business owner would likely suffer the consequences late.
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Whimsical
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lightly acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable; capricious; erratic; flippant; frivolous: The ballet was shimsical delighting the children with its imaginative characters and unpredictable sets.
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Puerile
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childish, immature or silly; infantile; jejune; juvenile; Olivia's boyfriend's puerile antics are really annoying- sometimes he acts like a five-year-old!
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Iniquity
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sin; evil act; enormity; vice; wickedness; `I promise to close evey den of iniquity in this town!' thundered the new mayor.
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Monastic
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extremely plain or secluded; austere; contemplative; disciplined; regimented; self-abnegating; The philosopher retired to his monastic lodgings to contemplate life free from any worldly distraction.
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Aggrandize
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to increase in power, influence and reputation; amplify; apotheosize; augment; dignify; elevate; ennoble; exalt; gloricy; magnify; swell; uplift; wax; The supervisor sought to aggrandize himself by claiming that the achievements of his staff were actually his own.
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Tawdry
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gaudy, cheap or showy; flashy; meretricious; The performer changed into her tawdry, spangled costume and stepped out onto the stage to do her show.
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Paragon
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model of excellence or perfection; apotheosis; ideal; quintessence; standard; He is the paragon of what a judge should be: honest, intelligent, hardworking, and just.
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Rustic
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rural; bucolic; pastoral: The rustic cabin was an ideal setting a vacation in the country
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Curmudgeon
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cranky person, usually old; crab; coot; grouch; Ernesto was a notorious curmudgeon who snapped at anyone who disturbed him for any reason.
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Equivocate
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to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead; ambiguous; evasive; waffling; When faced with criticism of his policies the politician equivocated and left all parties thinking he agreed with them.
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Exculpate
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to clear from blame; prove innocent; absolve; acquit; exonerate; vindicate; The legal system is intended to convict those who are innocent
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Yoke
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to join together; bind; harness; As soon as the farmer had yoked his oxen together, he began to plow the fields.
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Penury
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an oppressive lack of resources; severe poverty; destitution; impoverishment
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Caustic
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bitint in wit; acerbic; biting; mordant; trenchant; Dorothy Parker gained her caustic reputation from her cutting yet witty insults.
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lugubrious
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sorrowful; mournfal; dismal; funereal; gloomy; Irish wakes are a rousing departure from the lugubrious funeral services to which most people are accustomed.
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Exonerate
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to clear of blame; absolve; acquite; exculpate; vindicate; The fugitive was exonerated when another criminal confessed to committing the crime.
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Mollify
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to calm or make less severe; appease; assuage; conciliate; pacify; Their argument was so intense that it was difficult to believe any compomise would mollify them.
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Propitiate
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conciliate; appease; mollify; pacify; placate; Because their gods were angry and vengeful, the Vikings propitiated them with many sacrifices.
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Permeate
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penetrate; imbue; infuse; pervade; suffuse; This miraculous new cleaning fluid is able to permeate stains and dissolve them in minutes!
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Repast
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meal or mealtime; banquet; feast; Ravi prepared a delicious repast of chicken tikka and naan.
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Oblique
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indirect; evasive; misleading; devious; glancing; slanted; tangential
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Multifarious
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diverse; assorted; indiscriminate; hetergeneous; legion; motley; Ken opened the hotel room window, letting in the multifarious noises of the great city.
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Fallow
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dormant; unused; idle; inactive: This field should lie fallow for a year so the soil does not become completely depleted.
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Malediction
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a curse; a wish of evil upon another; anathema; imprecation; The frog prince looked for a princess to kiss him and put an end to the witch's malediction.
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Repose
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relaxation; leisure; calmness; tranquility; After working hard every day in the busy city, Mike finds his repose on weekends playing golf with his friends
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Occlude
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to stop up; prevent the passage of; barricade; obstruct
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Variegated
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varied; marked with different colours; diversified; The variegated foliage of the jungle allows it to support thousands of different animal species.
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Profligate
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corrupt; degenerate; dissolute; extravagant; improvident; prodigal; wasteful; Some historians clalim that it was the Roman's decadent, profligate behavior that led to the decline of the Roman Empire.
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Umbrage
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offense; resentment; asperity; dudgeon; ire; pique; rancor; The business man took umbrage at the security guard's accusation that he had shoplifted a packet of gum.
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Slake
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calm down; moderate; quench; satisfy; In order to slake his curiosity, Bryan finally took a tour backstage at the theater.
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Opine
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to express an opinion; point out; voice; The audience member opined that the guest was in the wrong.
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Crescendo
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climax; acme; capstone; crest; culmen; culmination; meridian; peak: The crescendo of tension became unbearable as Evel Knievel prepared to jump his motorcycle over the school buses.
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Inculcate
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to teach; impress in the mind; impland; indoctrinate; instill; preach
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Accretion
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growth in size; an increase in amount; accumulation; buildup; The committee's strong fund-raising efforts resulted in an accretion in scholarship money.
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Knell
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sound of a funeral bell; omen of death or failure; chime; peal; toll
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Mores
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fixed customs or manners; moral attitudes; conventions; practices; In keeping with the moes of ancient Roman society, Nero held a celebration every weekend.
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Pare
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to trim off excess; peel; clip; The cook's hands were sore after she pared hundreds of potatoes for the banquet.
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Perspicacious
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Shrewd, astute, or keen-witted; sagacious; Inspector Poirot used his perspicacious mind to solve mysteries.
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Lucid
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clear and easily understood; coherent; intelligible; limpid; The explanations were written in a simple and lucid manner so that students were immediately able to apply what they learned.
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Castigate
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to punish or criticise harshly; admonish; chastise; chide; rebuke; Martina castigated her boyfriend for not remembering her birthday.
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Salubrious
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healthful; bracing; curative; therapeutic; tonic; Rundown and sickly, Rita hoped that the fresh mountain air would have a salubrious effect on her health.
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Abdicate
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to give up a position, right or power; cede; relinquish; resign; yield; With the angry mob clamoring outside the palace, the king abdicated his throne and fled.
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Burnish
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polish; buff; luster; scour; He burnished the silver coffee pot until it shone brightly.
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Vex
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annoy; irritate; confuse; puzzle; bother; chafe; exasperate; irk; nettle; peeve; The old man who loved his peace and quiet was vexed by his neighbour's loud music.
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Levity
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lack of seriousness; overly casual; The joke added needed levity to the otherwise serious meeting;
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Ardor
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intense and passionate feeling; devotion; fervency; fervidity; fervidness; fervor; zeal; Bishop's ardor for landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley.
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Arrogate
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claim without justification; claim for oneself without right; Gretchen watched in astonishment as her boss arrogated the credit for her brilliant work on the project.
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Abstemious
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moderate in appetite; abstinent; continent; temperate; sober; Because Alyce is a vegetarian, she was only able to eat an abstemious meal at the Texas Steakhouse.
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Adulterate
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make impure; debase; doctor; load; The restaurateur made his ketchup last longer by adulterating it with water.
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