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333 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Balk |
hesitate or be unwilling to accept an idea or undertaking |
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Recast |
give (a metal object) a different form by melting it down and reshaping it |
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Etoliate |
Appear pale or sickly |
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Intransigence |
refusal to change one's views or to agree about something |
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Comportment |
behaviour; bearing |
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Sidereal |
of or with respect to the distant stars (i.e. the constellations or fixed stars, not the sun or planets). |
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Pragmatic |
dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations |
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Ineluctable |
unable to be resisted or avoided; inescapable |
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Prerogative |
a right or privilege exclusive to a particular individual or class. |
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Invidious |
(of an action or situation) likely to arouse or incur resentment or anger in others. |
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Plangent |
(of a sound) loud and resonant, with a mournful tone. |
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Nugatory |
Of no value or importance |
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Contentious |
Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial |
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Denouement |
He final part of a play or film where things are resolved |
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Antediluvian |
Ridiculously old-fashioned |
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Erudite |
Having shown great knowledge or learning |
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Pusillanimous |
Showing lack of courage; timid |
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Jejune |
Naive, simplistic, superficial |
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Stipulate |
demand or specify (a requirement), typically as part of an agreement |
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Imbibe |
Drink; absorb (knowledge) |
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Demarcate |
Set the boundaries or limits of; distinguish |
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Antedate |
Precede in time |
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Apocryphal |
Of doubtful authenticity, even though is widely regarded to be true |
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Superannuation |
An organizational pension program made by a company for the benefit of its employees |
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Senescence |
The condition of deterioration with age |
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Intractable |
Hard to control or deal with; stubborn |
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Inveterate |
Having a habit that is kept for a long period of time and is unlikely to be changed |
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Repatriate |
To send someone back tl their cointry |
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Commandeer |
Officially taking control of or possession for military purposes |
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Extradite |
Hand over someone who committed a crime or is accused of a crime to the foreign country where said crime occurred |
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Interdict |
An authoritative prohibition |
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Odium |
General or widespread hate or disgust incurred by someone's actions |
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Choleric |
Bad tempered or irritable |
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Abscond |
To depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide |
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Assuage |
To make an unpleasant feeling less intense; to ease or lessen |
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axiomatic |
Taken as given; possessing self-evident truth |
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Chicanery |
The use of deception or subterfuge to achieve one's purpose |
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Disparate |
Essentially different in kind; not able to be compared |
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Effrontery |
Extreme boldness; presumptuous |
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Ennui |
A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement. |
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Exculpate |
Show or declare that someone is not guilty of a wrongdoing; clear of blame |
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Exigent |
Pressing; urgent; requiring immediate action |
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Filibuster |
Intentional obstruction, especially using prolonged speechmaking to delay legislative action |
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Extemporaneous |
Improvised, or done without preparation |
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Fulminate |
To loudly attack or denounce; express vehement protest |
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Inured |
Accustomed to accepting something undesirable |
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Nascent |
Coming into being; in early developmental stages |
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Neologism |
A new word, expression, or usage; the creation of use of new words |
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Obviate |
To anticipate and make unnecessary; avoid or prevent |
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Perfunctory |
Cursory; done without care; carried out without real interest |
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Sordid |
Characterized by filth, grime, or squalor; foul |
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Abate |
To lessen in intensity or degree |
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Adulation |
E,creative praise; intense adoration |
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Burgeon |
To grow and flourish rapidly |
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Chary |
To be wary, cautious, or sparing |
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Cogent |
Appealing forcibly to the mind or reason |
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Emollient |
Soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh, or mollifying; an agent that smoothes the skin |
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Impecunious |
Lacking funds; without funds |
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Incipient |
Beginning to come into being or beckoning apparent |
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Inveigle |
To obtain by deception or flattery; persuading someone to do something by means of flattery or deception |
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Odious |
Evoking intense aversion or dislike |
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Pernicious |
Extremely harmful in a way not easily seen or noticed |
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Quiescent |
A state of dormancy or inactivity |
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Squalid |
Sordid; wretched or dirty as a result of poverty or neglect |
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Acumen |
Keen, accurate judgement or insight; the ability to make good judgements and quick decisions |
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Adulterate |
To reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredient |
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Aver |
To state as a fact; to declare or assert |
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Diatribe |
A harsh denunciation; a forceful or bitter attack at someone |
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Evanescent |
Tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing |
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Hedonism |
Devotion to pleasurable pursuits, especially to the pleasures of the senses |
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Hegemony |
Leadership or dominance of one state or group over others |
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Impassive |
Reveling no emotion |
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Impunity |
Immunity from punishment or penalty |
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Inchoate |
In an initial stage; not fully formed |
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Obdurate |
Unyielding; hardhearted; intractable |
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Infelicitous |
Unfortunate; inappropriate |
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Mendacity |
The characteristic of being untruthful |
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Misanthrope |
One who hates all other humans |
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Occlude |
To obstruct or block |
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Opprobrium |
Disgrace; contempt; scorn |
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Pedagogy |
The profession or principles of teaching, or instructing |
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Pith |
The essential or central part |
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Pithy |
Precise and brief |
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Polemical |
Controversial; argumentative |
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Rancorous |
Characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment |
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Recalcitrant |
Obstinately defiant of authority; difficult to manage |
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Rescind |
To invalidate; to repeal; to retract |
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Salubrious |
Promoting health or well-being |
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Succinct |
Brief; concise |
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Surfeit |
An overabundant supply; excess; to feed or supply to excess |
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Anachronism |
Something or someone out of place in terms of historical context, something that is conspicuously old-fashioned |
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Astringent |
Causing constriction on skin cells and other body tissues |
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Flout |
To show contempt for, as in rule or convention |
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Glib |
Marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial |
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Inimical |
Damaging; harmful; injurious |
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Neophyte |
A recent convert; a beginner; novice |
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Obfuscate |
To deliberately obscure; to make confusing |
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Phlegmatic |
Calm; sluggish; unemotional |
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Proclivity |
Tendency to choose to do something regularly; an inclination or predisposition towards a particular thing |
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Renege |
To go back on a promise; to fail to honor a commitment |
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Refulgent |
Radiant; shiny; brilliant |
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Untenable |
Indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable |
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Sedulous |
Diligent; hardworking; persistent |
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Tacit |
Implied; not explicitly stated |
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Trenchant |
Sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating |
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Vacillate |
To waver indecisively between one course of action or opinion and another |
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Variegated |
Multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different color |
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Vexation |
Annoyance; irritation |
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Vituperate |
To harshly condemn; to abuse or censure severely; to berate |
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Dilettante |
A person who cultivates an area of interest, such as the arts, without real commitment or knowledge |
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Disparage |
To slight or belittle |
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Bent |
Leaning, inclination, proclivity, tendency |
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Broach |
To bring up; to announce; to begin to talk about |
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Brook |
To tolerate; to endure; to countenance |
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Chauvinist |
A blindly devoted patriot |
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Flag |
To sag or droop; to become spiritless; to decline |
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Ford |
To wade across the shallow part of a river or stream |
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Grouse |
To complain or grumble |
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Guy |
A rope, cord, or cable attached to something as a brace or guide |
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List |
To tilt or lean to one side |
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Mince |
To pronounce or speak affectedly; to euphamize; to speak too carefully; to tiptoe |
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Abjure |
To renounce or reject solemnly; to recant; to avoid |
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Forestall |
To prevent or obstruct and anticipated event or action by taking advance action |
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Buttress |
A structure of stone or brick against a wall to support it |
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Indolence |
Avoidance of activity or exertion; laziness |
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Insular |
Ignorant or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one's own experience |
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Numinous |
Having a strong religious or spiritual quality; indicating or suggesting the prescience of a divinity |
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Ad hoc |
Created or done for a particular purpose as necessary |
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Panacea |
A solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases |
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Verisimilitude |
The appearance of being true or real |
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Felicitous |
Well chosen or suited to the circumstance; pleasing and fortunate |
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Forbear |
To refrain or abstain from; to withhold; to be patient or self-controlled when subject to annoyance or provocation |
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Judicious |
Having good judgment or sense |
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Onerous |
Involving a great deal of effort, trouble, or difficulty |
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Rapacious |
Aggressively greedy |
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Envisage |
Contemplate or conceive of as a possibility or a desirable future event |
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Pastiche |
An artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period |
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Cagey |
Reluctant to give information owing to caution or suspicion |
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Skulduggery |
Underhand, unscrupulous, or dishonest behavior or activities |
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Limpid |
Completely clear or transparent |
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Naysayer |
A person who habitually expressed negative or pessimistic views |
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Convivial |
(Of an atmosphere or event) friendly, lively, and enjoyable |
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Wherewithal |
The money or other .ran a needed for a particular purpose |
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Abnegation |
The action or renouncing or rejecting something |
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Accretion |
Growth or increase by the gradual accumulation of additional layers or matter |
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Portent |
A sign or warning that a momentous or calamitous event is likely to happen |
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Proselyte |
A person who has converted from one opinion, religion, or party to another |
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Sensuous |
Relating or affecting the senses rather than the intellect |
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Condone |
Approve or sanction |
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Acquiesce |
To accept something reluctantly without protest |
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Somnolent |
Sleepy, drowsy |
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Hidebound |
Unwilling or unable to cya he because if tradtradition or convention |
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Abstemious |
Indulging only very moderately in something, especially food and drink |
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Insouciant |
Showing a casual lack of concern |
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Mirthful |
Full of joy, merry or amusing |
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Portend |
Be a sign or warning that something momentous or calamitous is about to occur |
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Compunction |
A feeling of guilt or moral scruples that prevents or follows the doing of something bad |
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Diffident |
Modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence |
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Misfeasance |
A transgression, especially the wrongful exercise of lawful authority |
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Notwithstanding |
In spite of; nevertheless |
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Salient |
Most noticeable or important |
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Droll |
Curious or unusual in a way that provokes dry amusement |
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Egalitarian |
Believing in or based upon the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities |
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Regal |
Resembling or fit for a monarch, especially in being magnificent or dignified |
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Specious |
Superficially plausible, but actually wrong |
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Slapdash |
Done too hurriedly and carelessly |
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Propitious |
Giving or indicating a good chance of success; favorable |
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Espouse |
Adopt or support (a chase, belief, or way of life) |
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Dilatory |
Slow to act; intended to cause delay |
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Presage |
Be a sign of warning of an imminent event, typically an unwelcome one |
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Malfeasance |
Wrongdoing, typically by a public official |
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Paltry |
Very small or meager, petty, trivial |
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Sacrosanct |
Regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with |
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Assiduous |
Showing great care and perseverance |
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Noisome |
Having an extremely offensive smell |
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Proscription |
The action of forbidding something; banning |
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Valediction |
The action of saying farewell |
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A priori |
Relating to or denoting reasoning or knowledge which proceeds from theoretical deduction than from observation or experience |
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Disgorge |
To bring up, to pour out, to yield or give up |
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Contrivance |
The use of skill to create or bring about something, especially with a consequent effect of artificiality |
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Artless |
Without guile or deception, without effort or pretentiousness, natural and simple |
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Vivacious |
Attractively lively and animated |
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Ballyhooed |
Praised or publicize extravagantly |
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Tendentious |
Expressing or intending to promote a particular cause it point of view, especially a controversial one |
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Solicitude |
Care or concern for someone or something |
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Pugilist |
A boxer, especially a professional one |
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Doyenne |
The most respected or prominent woman in a particular field |
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Potentate |
A monarch or else, especially an autocratic one |
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Moribund |
At the point of death, in terminal decline |
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Anodyne |
Not likely to cause offence or disagreement and somewhat dull |
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Hew |
Chop or cut with an axe, pick, or other tool |
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Effloresce |
Reach an optimum stage of development |
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Genial |
Friendly and cheerful |
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Repast |
A meal |
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Dander |
To lose one's temper |
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Umbrage |
Offence or annoyance |
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Insouciance |
Casual lack of concern; indifference |
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Moot |
Subject to debate, dispute, or uncertainty |
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Bloviate |
Talk at length in an inflated or empty way |
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Aplomb |
Self confidence or assurance when in a demanding situation |
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Vicissitude |
A change of circumstances or fortunes, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant |
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Proffer |
Hold out or put forward something for someone for acceptance |
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Apotheosis |
The highest point in the development of something; a culmination or climax |
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Inclement |
(Of the weather) unpleasantly cold or wet |
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Complicit |
Involved with others in an activity that is unlawful or morally wrong |
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Boorish |
Rough and bad mannered; course |
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Cupidity |
Greed for money or possessions |
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Litany |
A series of petitions for use in church services or processions, usually recited by the clergy and responded to in a recurring formula by the people |
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Verisimilitude |
The appearance of being true or real |
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Temerity |
Excessive confidence or boldness; audacity |
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Vanguard |
A group of people leading the way in new development or ideas |
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Fulsome |
Complimentary or flattering to an excessive degree |
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Ramshackle |
(Especially of a house or vehicle) in a state of severe disrepair |
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Dilapidated |
In a state of ruin or disrepair d He to age or neglect |
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Rankle |
To cause continuing annoyance or resentment |
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Importune |
Harass someone persistently for or to do something |
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Soporific |
Tending to induce drowsiness or sleep |
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Primacy |
The fact of being pre-eminent or most important |
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Exegesis |
Critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture |
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Parochial |
Having a limited or narrow outlook or scope |
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Diurnal |
Of or during the day |
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Iota |
An extremely small amount |
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Castrate |
Deprive of power, vitality, or vigor |
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Impugn |
Dispute the truth, validity, or honesty of a statement or motive; call into question |
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Execrate |
Feel or express great loathing for |
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Enmity |
A state or feeling of active opposition or hostility |
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Polymath |
A person of wide knowledge or learning |
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Fabulist |
A person who composes or relates fables; a liar, especially one who invents elaborately dishonest stories |
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Promulgate |
Promote or make widely known |
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Raconteur |
A person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way |
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Heuristic |
Enabling a person to discover or learn something for themselves |
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Turgid |
(Of language or style) tediously pompous or bombastic |
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Compendious |
Containing or presenting the essential facts of something in a comprehensive but concise way |
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Fatuous |
Silly and pointless |
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Splenetic |
Bad-tempered; spiteful |
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Iniquitous |
Grossly unfair and morally wrong |
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Diaphanous |
(Especially of fabric) light, delicate, and translucent |
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Equanimity |
Calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation |
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Dross |
Something regarded as worthless |
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Pillory |
A wooden framework with holes for the head and hands, in which odds sets were formerly imprisoned and exposed to public abuse; to attack or ridicule publicly |
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Calumniate |
Make false or defamatory statements about. |
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Puerile |
Childish, silly, and immature |
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Garish |
Unobtrusively bright and showy; lurid |
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Panegyric |
A public speech or published text in praise of something. |
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Raiment |
Clothing |
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Fete |
A celebration or festival |
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Caparison |
An ornamental covering spread over a horse's saddle or harness |
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Soiree |
An evening party or gathering, typically in a private house, for conversation or music |
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Anfractuous |
Characterized by windings and turnings |
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Gallimaufry |
A confused jumble or medley of things |
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Prolix |
(Of speech or writing) using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy |
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Corporeal |
Relating to a person's body, especially as opposed to their spirit |
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Inundate |
Overwhelm (someone) with things or people to be dealt with; flood |
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Calcify |
To harden by deposition of or conversion into calcium carbonate or some other insoluble calcium compounds |
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Salvo |
A simultaneous discharge of artillery or other guns in a battle; a sudden, vigorous, or aggressive act or series of acts |
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Provident |
Making or indicative of timely preparation for the future |
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Insolence |
rude and disrespectful behavior |
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Seditious |
Inciting or causing people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch |
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Gamut |
The complete scope or range of something |
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Gibe |
An insulting or mocking remark; a taunt |
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Histrionic |
Excessively theatrical or dramatic in character or style |
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Viscid |
Having a glutinous or sticky consistency |
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Diaphanous |
Light, delicate, and translucent |
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Dichotomy |
A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different |
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Despotic |
If a typical despot; tyrannical |
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Solipsism |
A view or theory that self is all that can be known to exist; the quality of being self-centered |
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Contumely |
Insolent or insulting language or treatment |
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Benighted |
In a state of pitiful or contemptible intellectual or moral ignorance |
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Provisional |
Arranged or existing for the present, possibly to be changed later |
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Patina |
The impression or appearance of something |
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Enjoin |
To instruct or urge someone to do something |
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Puckish |
Playful, especially in a mischievous way |
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Efface |
Erase from the surface; to make it appear insignificant or inconspicuous |
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Peccadillo |
A relatively minor fault or sin |
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Exhort |
Strongly encourage or urge someone to do something |
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Craven |
Contemptible lacking in courage; cowardly |
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Invective |
Insulting, abusive, or highly critical language |
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Vertiginous |
Extremely high or steep; relating to or affected by vertigo |
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Desultory |
Lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm |
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Slake |
Satisfy thirst |
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Allay |
Relieve or alleviate |
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Whet |
To excite or stimulate |
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Tyro |
A beginner or novice |
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Sallow |
(Of a person's face or complexion) of an unhealthy yellow or pale brown color |
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Rubicund |
(Especially someone's face) having a ruddy or reddish complexion |
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Winsome |
Attractive or appealing in a fresh, innocent way |
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Comeliness |
Pleasing in appearance, attractive, fair |
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Condign |
(Of punishment or retribution) appropriate to the crime or wrongdoing; fitting and deserved |
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Jocund |
Cheerful and lighthearted |
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Clemency |
Mercy; lenience |
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Wizened |
Shriveled or wrinkled with age |
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Expatiate |
Speak or write in detail about |
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Descry |
Catch sight of |
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Contravene |
Offend against the prohibition or order of |
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Brusque |
Abrupt or offhand in speech or manner |
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Bouillabaisse |
A rich, spicy stew or soup made with various kinds of fish, originally from Provence |
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Amuse-gueule |
A small savory item of food served as an appetizer before a meal |
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Ruminate |
Think deeply about something |
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Interminable |
Endless or apparently endless |
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Dolorous |
Feeling or expressing great sorrow or distress |
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Fetid |
Smelling extremely unpleasant |
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Equivocation |
The use of ambiguous language to conceal the truth or to avoid committing oneself; prevarication |
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Prurience |
Quality of paying too much attention to sex |
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Voyeurism |
The practice of gaining sexual pleasure from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity |
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Insuperable |
(Of a difficulty or obstacle) impossible to overcome |
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Venial |
Denoting a sin that is not regarded as depriving the soul of divine grace |
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Sardonic |
Grimly mocking or cynical |
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Arrant |
Complete, utter |
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Hermetic |
(Of a seal or closure) complete and airtight |
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Usury |
The action or practice of lending money at unreasonably high rates of interest |
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Vitiate |
Spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of |
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Ancillary |
Providing necessary support to the primary activities or operation of an organization |
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Credulity |
A tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true |
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Subvert |
Undermine the power and authority of (an established system or institution |
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Metaphysics |
The branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being knowing, identity, time, and space |
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Appraisal |
An act of assessing something or someone |
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Primeval |
Of the earliest time in history |
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Efficacious |
(Of something inanimate or abstract) successful in producing a desired or intended result; effective |
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Motley |
Incongruously varied in appearance or character; disparate |
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Welter |
A large number of items in no order; a confused mass |
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Natty |
(Of a person or an article of clothing) smart and fashionable |
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Epitaph |
A phrase or form of words written in memory of a person who has died, respect as an inscription on a tombstone |
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Epithet |
An adjective or phrase expressing a quality or attribute regarded as characteristic of the person or thing mentioned |
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Epigraph |
An inscription in a building statue or coin; a short quotation or saying at the beginning of a book or chapter, intended to suggest its theme |
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Simulacrum |
An image or representation of someone or something; an unsatisfactory imitation or substitute |
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Ululate |
Howl or wail as an expression of strong emotion, typically grief |
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Surreptitious |
Kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of |
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Nadir |
The lowest or most unsuccessful point in a situation |
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Acme |
The point at which something is at its best |
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Resplendent |
Attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous |
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Hummock |
A piece of forested ground rising above a marsh |
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Plumage |
A bird's feather collectively |
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Perspicacious |
Having a ready insight into and understanding of things |
