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50 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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Acerbic; adj
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having a sour or bitter taste or character
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… an acerbic tone piercing through otherwise flowery prose
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amalgamate; verb
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to combine several elements into a whole
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the actors, the dancers, and the singers amalgamated into a grand performance
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amenable; adj
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agreeable, responsive to suggestion; also legally responsible
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the amenable servant was happy do do whatever I wished him to.
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bolster; verb
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to provide support or reinforcement
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The visitors bolstered the patient's morale.
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bombast; noun
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self-important or pompous writing or speech
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Letters of intent are a type of bombast.
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bombastic; adj
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pompus; grandiloquent
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He was very bombastic, using so much tall talk as if he was a king.
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credulous; adj
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tending to believe too readily; gullible
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The gimmick would work on only the most credulous people.
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diatribe; noun
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a harsh denunciation; thunderous verbal attack
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She rambled on in her diatribe, criticizing everything she saw
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fawn; verb
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to flatter or praise excessively
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the dog, fawning when I arrived, wanted a treat.
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fervent; adj
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greatly emotional or zealous; extremely hot and glowing
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the fervent admirer sent me flowers every day
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flout; verb
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to demonstrate contempt for, as in a rule or convention
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You can flout the law all you want, but it's still the law and you have to obey
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fortuitous; adj
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happening by fortunate accident or chance
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it was fortuitous he drove by, as my battery needed a jump
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garrulous; adj
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pointlessly talkative, talking too much
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His speech was garrulous, everyone was bored with his pointless talk
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germane; adj
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relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject manner; pertinent and fitting
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he asks questions that are germane and central to the issue
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glib; adj
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marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial
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It was a glib response to a complex question; I knew she didn't study the issue in depth
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halcyon; adj
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calm and peaceful
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I spent five halcyon days at the cottage in the middle of a peaceful forest
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hubris; noun
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arrogant presumption or pride
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The actor accepted the award with hubris, walking with his nose up and ready with a speech
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idolatrous; adj
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given to intense or excessive devotion to something
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the group was idolatrous, devoting their lives to mission and it's leader
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imminent; adj
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about to happen; impending
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the win was imminent, the other team was just too far behind
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imperturbable; adj
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marked by extreme calm; impassivity and steadiness
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Up until now, he was imperturbable. But now, he's showing signs of alarm.
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impetuous; adj
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hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement
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The impetuous driver darted through traffic, not willing to get stuck.
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implacable; adj
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not capable of beingappeased or significantly changed
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We have implacable foes- nothing we do will appease them.
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indifferent; adj
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having no interest or concern, showing no bias or prejudice
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I'm indifferent, I don't care whether we stay home or go out.
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intrepid; adj
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steadfast and courageous; fearless
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The intrepid wanderers braved the haunted forest, showing courage
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laconic; adj
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using few words; terse; concise
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His reply was laconic, merely saying one word - no.
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malleable; adj
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capable of being shaped or formed; tractable; pliable
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the malleable mind of a child is easily influenced
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maverick; noun
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an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party; dissenter, rebel
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There was a maverick in the building, he promptly left, not willing to go along with the group
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mendacity; noun
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the condition of being untruthful; dishonesty
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Mendacity is the opposite of veracity
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mercurial; adj
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characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood
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Her mercurial twists in temperament were tough to handle, being calm one minute and volatile the next
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meticulous; adj
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characterized by extreme care and precision; attentive to detail
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A scientific researcher must be meticulous, analyzing every detail with precision
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mollify; verb
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to calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity
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She managed to mollify the angry customer.
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obdurate; adj
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unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding; hardhearted; intractable.
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The boss was obdurate on the issue, no one could convince him to do otherwise
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obfuscate; verb
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to deliberately obscure; to make confusing or opaque
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the plan was to obfuscate the plan so the police would be completely confused
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obsequious; adj
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exhibiting a fawning attentiveness; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
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The servants were obviously obsequious- yielding to their every command affectionately and attentively
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obstinate; adj
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stubborn; hardheaded; uncompomising- unreasonbly rigid in being so
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Dad was being so obstinate about curfew, nothing we could say would change his mind
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opprobrium; noun
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disgrace; contempt; scorn
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The government has suffered immense opprobrium for wrongly going to war
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ostentatious; adj
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characterized by pretentiousness; intended to attract notice and impress others
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The ostentatious beauty queen wore her crown for days, showing off
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pedantic; adj
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the parading of learning; excessive attention to minutiae and formal rules; Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules
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the pendantic writing style was so boring - paying so much attention to formality…
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pervade; verb
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to permeate throughout
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The troops will pervade the city, you'll see them everywhere
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pervasive; adj
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having the tendency to permeate or spread throughout
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the drug is pervasive, it can affect not only your bones, but your blood vessels and muscles, as well
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phlegmatic; adj
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calm; sluggish in temperamnet; unemotional
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doctors are often phlegmatic, so as not to upset the family with their own emotion
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pirate; verb
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to illegally use or reproduce; to use another's ideas or words as one's own
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He pirated the software and sold it in the black market
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plethora; noun
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an overabundance; a surplus
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there was a plethora of sweaters, now everyone could have two
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polemical; adj
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controversial; argumentative
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his polemical stance on the issue caused an uproar of argument in the house
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pragmatic; adj
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practical rather than idealistic
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She has a very pragmatic nature, never buying anything unless it has a necessary funtion
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rancorous; adj
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characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment; resentful
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His rancorous attitude shows every time he smirks at the rich.
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rhetoric; noun
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the art or study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion
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The attorney was well-versed in rhetoric, so he knew how to persuade the jury with his wording
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salubrious; adj
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promoting health or well-being
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the atmosphere might well be salubrious, but my health is still waning regardless
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solvent; adj
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able to meet finanical obligations; able to dissolve another substance
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I'm a solvent individual, pay my bills on time without having to borrow money
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soporific; adj
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causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep
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reading the physics book is a soporific venture, I always feel sleepy afterward.
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