Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
109 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
|
deleterious
|
harmful, often in a subtle or unexpected way
|
The chemical is deleterious to the environment.
The drug has no deleterious effects on patients. |
|
|
profligate
|
wildly extravagant
|
She was very profligate in her spending.
<profligate movie producers hoping to create the next blockbuster> |
|
|
parsimonious
|
frugal to the point of stinginess
|
<a parsimonious woman who insists that charity begins—and ends—at home>
A society that is parsimonious in its personal charity (in terms of both time and money) will require more government welfare. |
|
|
avaricious
|
greedy
|
<an avaricious scheme to con the elderly couple out of thousands of dollars>
|
|
|
ephemeral
|
lasting a very short time
|
<the autumnal blaze of colors is always to be treasured, all the more so because it is so ephemeral>
|
|
|
synoptic
|
affording a general view of a whole
|
|
|
|
sanguine
|
a) relating to blood, bloodred
b) hopeful, optimistic |
She has a sanguine disposition.
He is sanguine about the company's future. |
|
|
acerbic
|
acid/bitter/sour in temper, mood, or tone
|
the film's most acerbic critics
<whispered a steady stream of acerbic comments as the lecturer droned on> |
|
|
indigent
|
suffering from extreme poverty
|
Because he was indigent, the court appointed a lawyer to defend him.
The clinic provides free care for indigent patients. |
|
|
assiduous
|
marked by careful unremitting attention or persistent application
|
They were assiduous in their search for all the latest facts and figures.
The project required some assiduous planning. |
|
|
intractable
|
not easily governed, managed, or directed
|
a patient experiencing intractable pain
<an intractable child who deliberately does the opposite of whatever he is told> |
|
|
specious
|
a) having deceptive attraction or allure
b) having a false look of truth or genuineness |
He justified his actions with specious reasoning.
<a specious argument that really does not stand up under close examination> |
|
|
rapacious
|
excessively grasping or covetous, living on prey, ravenous
|
<nothing livens things up like a whole team of rapacious basketball players descending upon the pizza parlor>
<rapacious mammals, such as coyotes, foxes, and bobcats> |
|
|
pertinacious
|
adhering resolutely to an opinion, purpose, or design
stubbornly tenacious |
<a pertinacious little boy who was determined to catch and collect reptiles>
<a pertinacious salesman who would simply not take “No!” for an answer> |
|
|
insipid
|
a) lacking taste or savor : tasteless
b) lacking in qualities that interest, stimulate, or challenge |
The soup was rather insipid.
<an apple pie with a mushy, insipid filling that strongly resembled soggy cardboard> |
|
|
prosaic
|
dull, unimaginative
everyday, ordinary |
He has a prosaic writing style.
the prosaic life of a hardworking farmer |
|
|
vacillate
|
to waver in mind, will, or feeling
to sway through lack of equilibrium |
She has vacillated on this issue
<vacillated for so long that someone else stepped in and made the decision> |
|
|
truculent
|
feeling or displaying ferocity
deadly, destructive, scathingly harsh |
<die-hard fans who became truculent and violent after their team's loss>
<a theater critic who was notorious for his titanically truculent reviews> |
|
|
felicitious
|
very well suited or expressed
pleasant, delightful |
a felicitous combination of flavors
<a felicitous accompaniment to dinner is provided by a harpist on weekends at the restaurant> |
|
|
vaunted
|
highly or widely praised or boasted about
|
The team's vaunted defense faltered in the second half of the game.
|
|
|
atomism
|
individualism
|
|
|
|
elegiac
|
of, relating to, or comprising elegy or an elegy; especially : expressing sorrow often for something now past
|
<an elegiac lament for departed youth>
<the sight of an old ruined church or castle can be a pleasantly elegiac experience> |
|
|
avarice
|
greed
|
He was driven by avarice
|
|
|
craven
|
lacking the least bit of courage : contemptibly fainthearted
|
<a craven refusal to deliver the unwelcome news personally>
|
|
|
laggard
|
tending to lag
|
<I hate being stuck behind laggard motorists on the freeway.>
|
|
|
misanthrope
|
a person who hates or distrusts humankind
|
<a former misanthrope who now professes a newly discovered love of mankind>
|
|
|
affably
|
being pleasant and at ease in talking to others
characterized by ease and friendliness |
a lively, affable young fellow
<as the show's affable host, she keeps the freewheeling gabfest from getting out of hand> |
|
|
irascibly
|
marked by hot temper and easily provoked anger
|
an irascible old football coach
He has an irascible disposition. |
|
|
soporific
|
causing or tending to cause sleep , tending to dull awareness or alertness
|
the soporific heat of summer
<this medication is soporific, so do not drive after taking it> |
|
|
moribund
|
a) being in the state of dying : approaching death
b) being in a state of inactivity or obsolescence |
an actor who is trying to revive his moribund career
The peace talks are moribund. |
|
|
bombastic
|
pompous, overblown
|
<a bombastic speech intended to impress the voters in her congressional district>
|
|
|
didactic
|
a)designed or intended to teach
b)making moral observations |
<the poet's works became increasingly didactic after his religious conversion>
Slaves related human as well as animal trickster tales; they told Bible stories, explanatory tales, moralistic and didactic tales, supernatural tales and legends. |
|
|
reticent
|
reserved, reluctant
|
<the panel decided to investigate the fraud charges against the company, which has always been reticent about its internal operations>
<her husband is by nature a reticent person, and she resigned herself to that fact long ago> |
|
|
recidivist
|
one who relapses; specifically : a habitual criminal
|
|
|
|
grandiloquent
|
a lofty, extravagantly colorful, pompous, or bombastic style, manner, or quality especially in language
|
<a heavyweight champion who was famous for his entertaining grandiloquence prior to every match>
<the predictably wearisome grandiloquence of the speeches at a political convention> |
|
|
abstruse
|
difficult to comprehend
|
Her subject matter is abstruse.
<you're not the only one who finds Einstein's theory of relativity abstruse> |
|
|
exculpated
|
to clear from alleged fault or guilt
|
|
|
|
plebiscite
|
a vote by which the people of an entire country or district express an opinion for or against a proposal especially on a choice of government or ruler
|
They are going to hold a plebiscite on the question of national independence.
The issue will be decided by plebiscite. |
|
|
denouement
|
the final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work
the outcome of a complex sequence of events |
In the play's denouement, the two lovers kill themselves.
|
|
|
braggart
|
a loud arrogant boaster
|
|
|
|
sublimating
|
to divert the expression of (an instinctual desire or impulse) from its unacceptable form to one that is considered more socially or culturally acceptable
|
She sublimated her erotic feelings into a series of paintings.
I sublimated my grief at the death of my mother by throwing myself into my work. |
|
|
calumny
|
a misrepresentation intended to harm another's reputation
|
They uttered calumnies against him.
He was the target of calumny for his unpopular beliefs. |
|
|
castigate
|
to subject to severe punishment, reproof, or criticism
|
|
|
|
excoriate
|
to censure scathingly
|
He was excoriated as a racist.
The candidates have publicly excoriated each other throughout the campaign. |
|
|
inveigh
|
to protest or complain bitterly or vehemently
|
<always inveighing against the high property taxes that they were forced to pay>
|
|
|
objurgate
|
a harsh rebuke
|
<particularly humiliating for the general was the White House's objurgation of his misguided and unauthorized attempt at enunciating foreign policy>
|
|
|
obloquy
|
a strongly condemnatory utterance : abusive language
|
a victim of hatred and obloquy
|
|
|
opprobrium
|
something that brings disgrace
|
They're going ahead with the plan despite public opprobrium.
<saw no reason why “secretary” should suddenly become a term of opprobrium among the politically correct> |
|
|
vituperate
|
to abuse or censure severely or abusively : berate
|
<every week the minister would ascend the pulpit and vituperate the parishioners for a litany of vices>
|
|
|
vouchsafed
|
1a : to grant or furnish often in a gracious or condescending manner
b : to give by way of reply <refused to vouchsafe an explanation> |
|
|
|
canard
|
a false or unfounded report or story; especially : a fabricated report
a groundless rumor or belief |
The book repeats some of history's oldest canards.
the widespread canard that every lawyer is dishonest |
|
|
chicanery
|
deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry
|
He wasn't above using chicanery to win votes.
<that candidate only won the election through chicanery> |
|
|
dissemble
|
to hide under a false appearance
to put on a false appearance : conceal facts, intentions, or feelings under some pretense |
<he dissembled happiness at the news that his old girlfriend was getting married—to someone else>
<children learn to dissemble at a surprisingly early age> |
|
|
equivocate
|
to avoid committing oneself in what one says
|
The applicant seemed to be equivocating when we asked him about his last job.
When asked about her tax plan, the candidate didn't equivocate. |
|
|
ersatz
|
being a usually artificial and inferior substitute or imitation
|
an apartment complex designed as an ersatz Mediterranean villa
<like everything else the restaurant served, the whipped cream on the dessert was ersatz> |
|
|
guile
|
deceitful cunning : duplicity
|
<a shady salesman who usually relies on a combination of quick thinking and guile>
<a person so full of guile he can't even be trusted to give you the correct time of day> |
|
|
mendacious/mendacity
|
given to or characterized by deception or falsehood or divergence from absolute truth
|
|
|
|
perfidy
|
the quality or state of being faithless or disloyal : treachery
|
They are guilty of perfidy.
<he decided to forgive his wife's perfidy, choosing to ascribe it to a moment of uncharacteristic weakness> |
|
|
prevaricate
|
to deviate from the truth : equivocate
|
Government officials prevaricated about the real costs of the project.
|
|
|
spurious
|
a: of falsified or erroneously attributed origin : forged
b : of a deceitful nature or quality |
<a spurious Picasso painting that wouldn't have fooled an art expert for a second>
<claimed that the governor's election-year enthusiasm for conservation was spurious, since he had cut funding for state parks> |
|
|
histrionics
|
1: theatrical performances
2: deliberate display of emotion for effect |
|
|
|
panoptic
|
being or presenting a comprehensive or panoramic view
|
|
|
|
venal
|
corrupt OR capable of being bought
|
|
|
|
capricious
|
impulsive, unpredictable
|
employees who are at the mercy of a capricious manager
The court ruled that the punishment was arbitrary and capricious. |
|
|
laconic
|
using or involving the use of a minimum of words
concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious |
|
|
|
quixotic
|
capricious, unpredictable
foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals |
They had quixotic dreams about the future.
<in this age of giant chain stores, any attempt at operating an independent bookstore must be regarded as quixotic> |
|
|
salubrious
|
favorable to or promoting health or well-being
|
<fresh air and exercise are always salubrious>
|
|
|
opprobrium
|
1: something that brings disgrace
2a : public disgrace or ill fame that follows from conduct considered grossly wrong or vicious |
They're going ahead with the plan despite public opprobrium.
<saw no reason why “secretary” should suddenly become a term of opprobrium among the politically correct> |
|
|
apogee
|
the farthest or highest point
|
<shag carpeting reached the apogee of its popularity in the 1970s but is now considered outdated>
|
|
|
acrimony
|
harsh or biting sharpness especially of words, manner, or disposition
|
The dispute began again with increased acrimony.
<she responded with such acrimony that he never brought the subject up again> |
|
|
sinecure
|
an office or position that requires little or no work and that usually provides an income
|
|
|
|
inimical
|
1: being adverse often by reason of hostility or malevolence
2a : having the disposition of an enemy : hostile b : reflecting or indicating hostility : unfriendly |
<received an inimical response rather than the anticipated support>
<laws designed to enhance national security that some regard as inimical to cherished freedoms> |
|
|
scurrilous
|
using or given to coarse language
vulgar and evil |
scurrilous attacks on the senator
<a scurrilous satire on the scandal that enveloped Washington> |
|
|
abjured
|
to renounce upon oath
to reject solemnly |
<abjured some long-held beliefs when she converted to another religion>
<a strict religious sect that abjures the luxuries, comforts, and conveniences of the modern world> |
|
|
malfeasance
|
wrongdoing or misconduct, especially by a public official
|
The investigation has uncovered evidence of corporate malfeasance.
|
|
|
supercilious
|
coolly and patronizingly haughty
|
<the supercilious art dealer rolled her eyes when we asked if she had anything for under $1,000>
|
|
|
sardonic
|
disdainfully or skeptically humorous
derisively mocking |
the movie is a sardonic look at modern life.
<a sardonic little jab that made her visitor quiet and subdued for the rest of the night> |
|
|
ribald
|
1: crude, offensive
2: characterized by or using coarse indecent humor |
<some of the movie's most ribald, and thus funniest, scenes were cut for showing on broadcast television>
<a ribald tale rife with double entendres and racy innuendo> |
|
|
ignominious
|
1: marked with or characterized by disgrace or shame : dishonorable
2: deserving of shame or infamy : despicable |
<some of his friends considered the job of janitor to be an ignominious fate for the laid-off executive>
<the prison guards degraded themselves with their inhumane, ignominious treatment of the prisoners> |
|
|
acridity
|
sharp and harsh or unpleasantly pungent in taste or odor
|
Thick, acrid smoke rose from the factory.
|
|
|
trenchant/trenchancy
|
1a: keen, sharp
2: vigorously effective and articulate |
a writer with a trenchant wit
<even the most trenchant sword could not sever the bonds of loyalty between them> |
|
|
mellifluous
|
having a smooth rich flow
|
<a rich, mellifluous voice that gets her a lot of work in radio and TV commercials>
|
|
|
euphonic
|
pleasing or sweet sound
|
|
|
|
extirpate
|
to destroy completely/wipe out
|
<the triumph of modern medicine in extirpating certain diseases>
|
|
|
recondite
|
hidden from sight : concealed
difficult or impossible for one of ordinary understanding or knowledge to comprehend : deep |
<geochemistry is a recondite subject>
|
|
|
bedlam
|
a place, scene, or state of uproar and confusion
|
The park had never had so many visitors at one time. It was total bedlam.
|
|
|
punctilious
|
marked by or concerned about precise accordance with the details of codes or conventions
|
She's very punctilious about grammar.
<old-money aristocrats with a punctilious sense of propriety> |
|
|
vociferous
|
marked by or given to vehement insistent outcry
|
He is her most vociferous critic.
He was vociferous in his support of the proposal. |
|
|
waggish
|
Synonyms: arch, devilish, elvish, espiègle, impish, knavish, leprechaunish, pixie (also pixy), pixieish, prankish, puckish, rascally, roguish, scampish, sly, tricksy, mischievous, wicked
|
<a waggish disposition that often got him into trouble as a child>
|
|
|
mien
|
air or bearing especially as expressive of attitude or personality : demeanor
appearance, aspect |
He has the mien of an ancient warrior.
<the stern mien of the librarian suggested that she was not one to put up with any nonsense> |
|
|
redolent
|
exuding fragrance : aromatic:
full of a specified fragrance evocative, suggestive |
<my grandmother's house always seemed to be redolent with the aroma of baking bread>
|
|
|
panegyrical
|
a eulogistic oration or writing; also : formal or elaborate praise
|
<wrote a panegyric on the centennial of the Nobel laureate's birth>
|
|
|
ebullient
|
boiling, agitated
characterized by ebullience : having or showing liveliness and enthusiasm |
|
|
|
phlegmatic
|
having or showing a slow and stolid temperament
|
<a strangely phlegmatic response to what should have been happy news>
|
|
|
timorous
|
of a timid disposition : fearful
|
a shy and timorous teenager
He spoke with a timorous voice. |
|
|
catholic
|
diverse, widespread, comprehensive
|
|
|
|
dillettante
|
an admirer or lover of the arts
a person having a superficial interest in an art or a branch of knowledge : dabbler |
You can always tell a true expert from a dilettante.
<she writes about art not from the point of view of an artist but from that of a committed dilettante> |
|
|
orotund
|
marked by fullness, strength, and clarity of sound : sonorous
: pompous, bombastic |
<the tenor's orotund voice was just what this soaring aria needs>
|
|
|
august
|
marked by majestic dignity or grandeur
|
We visited their august mansion and expansive grounds.
The family claims an august lineage. |
|
|
effigy
|
an image or representation especially of a person; especially a crude figure representing a hated person
|
|
|
|
cosseted
|
to treat as a pet : pamper
|
the hotel cossets its guests with friendly service
|
|
|
mollified
|
to soothe in temper or disposition : appease
|
|
|
|
Daedalean
|
in the manner of the legendary builder of the Cretan labyrinth who makes wings to enable himself and his son Icarus to escape imprisonment
|
|
|
|
picayune
|
of little value : paltry
petty, small-minded |
|
|
|
averred
|
to verify or prove to be true in pleading a cause
to allege or assert in pleading |
He averred that he was innocent.
|
|
|
Rubicon
|
a bounding or limiting line; especially : one that when crossed commits a person irrevocably
|
|
|
|
slipshod
|
shabby, careless, slovenly
|
He did a slipshod job.
Her scholarship is slipshod at best. |
|
|
blithe
|
of a happy lighthearted character or disposition
: lacking due thought or consideration : casual, heedless |
He showed blithe disregard for the rights of others.
He was blithe about the risks to his health. |
|
|
penurious
|
given to or marked by extreme stinting frugality
|
The penurious school system had to lay off several teachers.
|
