• Shuffle
    Toggle On
    Toggle Off
  • Alphabetize
    Toggle On
    Toggle Off
  • Front First
    Toggle On
    Toggle Off
  • Both Sides
    Toggle On
    Toggle Off
  • Read
    Toggle On
    Toggle Off
Reading...
Front

Card Range To Study

through

image

Play button

image

Play button

image

Progress

1/574

Click to flip

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;

574 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back
aboveboard
honest; frank; open
abrade
to wear away
abrogate
to abolish; to repeal
accede
to agree to
acclivity
upward slope
addled
confused
adduce
to give an example in proving something
adipose
fatty
Adonis
a very handsome man
adventitious
accidental; nonessential
affectation
a phony attitude; insincerity
affront
an insult
agoraphobia
fear of open places
ague
a fever; plague
alimentary
furnishing food or nourishment
alluvial
pertaining to a deposit of sand formed by flowing water
ambrosial
pleasing to the taste or smell
ambuscade
hidden or secret attack
ancillary
helping; subordinate
anent
regarding; concerning
animadversion
criticism; comment that opposes
anneal
to heat and then cool; to toughen
anon
soon
anoxia
lack of oxygen
anterior
located in front or forward
antipodes
opposite sides (of the earth)
aperture
an opening; a gap
aphasia
loss of the ability to speak
apothegm
brief instructive saying
appellation
a name
apposite
appropriate
appurtenance
something added to another more important thing
aquiline
like an eagle; curved or hooked
arbitrary
partial; biased
arrant
notorious; downright
arrears (proceeded by in)
in debt
arroyo
a deep ditch caused by running water
artifice
trick; deception
askance (proceeded by to look)
sidewise; suspiciously
aspersion
a damaging remark
assay
to test; to try
assiduity
diligence; care
atavistic
going back to behavior found in a remote ancestor
au courant
up-to-date; fully informed
aural
pertaining to the sense of hearing
auroral
rosy; pertaining to the dawn
auspices
approval; support
auspicious
favorable
autumnal
mature; declining
auxiliary
giving assistance; subordinate
avocation
a hobby; not one's regular work
avoirdupois
heaviness; weight
avuncular
like an uncle
azure
blue
badinage
playful, teasing talk
bagatelle
thing of little value; trifle
baleful
harmful; menacing; pernicious
bandy
to exchange (as words)
bark
a boat or sailing vessel
barrister
lawyer (British)
bauble
showy but useless thing; trinket
bedlam
(two meanings) a madhouse; a noisy uproar
beleaguer
to encircle (with an army); to annoy
beset
to attack
besmirch
to make dirty
bibulous
absorbent; fond of alcoholic beverages
bilious
bad-tempered; cross
blanch
to whiten; to make pale
blandishment
flattery
blazon
to display; to proclaim
bludgeon
a short, heavy club (noun); to bully or coerce (verb)
bon mot
witty remark
boreal
northern
bowdlerize
to censor; to remove offensive passages of a play, novel, etc.
brigand
a robber
bruit
to spread the news
bugbear
something causing fear
bumptious
conceited; arrogant
burgeon
to flourish; to grow rapidly
caesura
pause
callow
young and inexperienced
cant
insincere statements usually made in a singsong tone
cantankerous
bad-tempered; quarrelsome
capacious
spacious; roomy
captious
hard to please; faultfinding
carapace
shell; hard, protective covering
castigate
to punish
charlatan
a fake; a quack
charnel
cemetery; tomb
chattel
slave
chirography
the art of handwriting
choleric
easily angered
cipher
person or thing of no value; zero
clarion
clear and shrill
coadjutor
assistant; helper
cogitate
to think; to consider carefully
cognate
related; relevant
cognomen
family name; last name
colloquy
conversation
comely
attractive
commodious
roomy; spacious
compunction
uneasiness; remorse
condign
deserved; suitable
conflagration
a large and destructive fire
congenital
existing at birth
connubial
pertaining to marriage
consanguinity
close relationship, usually by blood
consort
(two meanings) a husband or wife (noun); to associate or join (verb)
contretemps
an embarrassing occurrence
contumely
rudeness
conveyance
a vehicle
convoke
to call together
coquetry
flirtation
cortege
funereal procession; group of followers
countenance
(two meanings) the face (noun); to permit, tolerate, or approve (verb)
countermand
to cancel an order
cozen
to trick
credulity
readiness to believe; gullibility
crone
hag; withered old woman
cudgel
club; thick stick
cull
to select; to pick
cynosure
center of attention
dais
platform; speaker's stand
dappled
spotted
deciduous
not permanent; passing
declaim
to speak dramatically
defalcate
to misuse funds; to embezzle
defray
to pay the cost of
deign
to lower oneself before an inferior
deleterious
harmful
denizen
occupant; inhabitant; resident
depilate
to remove hair from
descry
to discover
desuetude
condition of disuse; extinction
diadem
crown
dicker
to bargain; to argue over prices
didactic
instructive; inclined to lecture others too much
dilettante
a dabbler in the fine arts; one who is not an expert
dint
power; force
dipsomaniac
drunkard
discomfiture
frustration; confusion
discountenance
to disapprove of
discursive
rambling, wandering
disputatious
fond of arguing
dissimulate
to hide one's feelings
dither (preceded by "in a")
nervously excited or confused
divers
several
doddering
shaky; senile
doleful
sorrowful
dolorous
mournful; sad
donnybrook
rough, rowdy fight
dotage
feeblemindedness of old age
doughty
courageous; worthy
dowdy
shabby; untidy
doyen
senior or eldest member
droll
amusing in an odd way
dross
waste matter
drudgery
hard, tiresome work
ductile
capable of being molded or shaped
dudgeon
anger, resentment
dulcet
pleasing to the ear
dysphasia
difficulty in speaking
éclat
brilliance; fame
edifice
structure; building
efface
to erase; to wipe out
effete
worn-out; barren
effluent
flowing out
emendation
correction
emetic
causing vomiting
emolument
profit; gain
emulous
jealous; envious
enclave
a country, or part of a country, surrounded by another country
enfranchise
to give the right to vote
enormity
an outrageous and immoral act
ensconce
to hide; to conceal; to settle comfortably
epigram
witty sayin
epistle
a letter
equipoise
balance
ersatz
artificial; inferior substitute
erstwhile
formerly; in the past
escarpment
steep cliff
essay
to try; to attempt
estival
pertaining to summer
execrate
to curse
exiguous
scanty; small in quantity
expatiate
to enlarge upon; to speak or write at length
expectorate
to spit out
facile
easy; effortless
factitious
artificial
factotum
an employee who can do all kinds of work
fastidious
hard to please
febrile
feverish
ferment
a state of agitation or excitement
fete
to honor; to entertain
filial
like a son or daughter
firmament
sky; heavens
flay
to criticize sharply
fleece
to swindle
flout
to mock; to ridicule
fluvial
pertaining to a river
foil
a person who, by contrast, makes another person seem better
folderol/falderol
nonsense
fop
an excessively vain man
forbearance
patience; restraint
foregone
long past

(note spelling, as "forgone" means going or to abstain from something)
forensic
pertaining to a formal discussion or debate
fortnight
two weeks; fourteen days
franchise
special right or privilege
freshet
a fresh water stream
frowzy
dirty; unkempt
fugacious
pertaining to the passing of time
fulminate
to explode; to denounce
fulsome
disgusting; sickening; repulsive
gaff
a hook
gainsay
to deny; to contradict
gambit
strategy; an opening one uses to advantage
gambol
to frolic; to romp about
garish
tastelessly gaudy
gauche
awkward; tactless
gelid
very cold; frozen
gentry
upper class people
germane
relevant; fitting
gerontology
the study of older people and their problems
gibbet
gallows from which criminals are hanged
give
to scoff; to ridicule
glib
fluent; smooth
gloaming
twilight; dusk
goad
to encourage; to spur on
gossamer
light; flimsy; fine
gourmand
a glutton; a person who eats excessively
gull
to trick; to deceive
gustatory
pertaining to the sense of taste
halcyon
calm
hale
healthful
harlequin
a clown
harpy
a greedy, grasping person; a scolding, nagging, bad-tempered woman
harry
to worry; to torment
hart
a male deer
hector
to bully
hegira
flight; escape
hircine
goat-like; lustful
hirsute
hairy; bearded
histrionic
theatrical; overly dramatic
hoi polloi
common people; the masses
hovel
a dirty, wretched living place
humus
black soil for fertilizing
hymeneal
pertaining to marriage
ichthyology
study of fish
igneous
pertaining to fire
ilk
type; sort; kind
imbroglio
a difficult or confusing situation
impalpable
vague; not understandable
impecunious
without money; penniless
imperious
domineering; haughty
impertinent
rude; disrespectful
impetuous
acting without thought; impulsive
importune
to persistently ask; to beg
imprecation
a curse
impudent
disrespectful; shameless
impugn
to attack a person with words; to challenge a person in regard to motives
impunity
freedom from punishment
impute
to accuse a person of some wrongdoing; to attribute a fault or a crime to a person
incipient
beginning to exist or appear
incorrigible
bad beyond correction or reform
incubus
nightmare
indelible
incapable of being erased
indemnify
to insure; to repay
ineffable
not able to be described; unspeakable
ineluctable
inevitable; inescapable
infirmity
weakness; feebleness
ingenuous
simple; innocent; naive
inimical
harmful; unfriendly
inscrutable
mysterious; difficult to understand
insular
pertaining to an island; detached; isolated
insuperable
unconquerable
interdict
to prohibit; to ban
interloper
an intruder
inveigh (against)
to make a bitter verbal attack
inveigle
to trick; lure; deceive
inveterate
firmly established; deep-rooted
invidious
causing resentment; offensive
itinerant
traveling from place to place
jaundiced
prejudiced
jaunty
carefree; confident
jocose
joking; humorous
junket
a pleasure trip; an excursion
ken
range of knowledge
kismet
destiny; fate
knuckle
(under) to yield; (down) to apply oneself vigorously
lambent
softly bright or radiant; running or moving lightly over a surface
largess
gifts that have been given generously
lascivious
lustful or lewd; inciting sexual desire
lave
to wash or bathe
legerdemain
sleight of hand; deception
leonine
lion-like; fierce; authoritative
lilliputian
tiny; narrow-minded
lineaments
facial features
lissome
moving gracefully; agile or active
lithe
graceful; flexible
1) loath
2) loathe
1) reluctant; unwilling
2) to hate; to feel disgust for
lode
a rich source of supply such as a mineral deposit
lupine
wolflike; fierce
lurid
shocking; glowing; sensational
malapropism
word humorously misued
malodorous
bad-smelling; stinking
manacle
handcuff; restraint
mandarin
influential person
manumit
to set free
maraud
to raid; to plunder
marquee
a rooflike shelter, such as glass, projecting above an outer door
matrix
a place of origin
mawkish
sickeningly sweet; overly sentimental
ménage
household; domestic establishment
menagerie
collection of wild or strange animals
meretricious
gaudy; showy; attractive in a cheap, flashy way
miasma
pollution; poisonous environment
mien
manner; bearing
miscegenation
mixture of races, especially through marriage
misogamy
hatred of marriage
modicum
a small amount
modulate
to soften; to tone down
monolithic
unyielding; unified
mordant
sarcastic; biting
moribund
dying
mountebank
a phony; a fraud; a charlatan
mulct
to punish with a fine; to obtain money by extortion
munificent
generous
myrmidon
an unquestioning follower
nabob
a very wealthy or powerful person
natation
the act or art of swimming
nexus
connection, tie, or link among the units of a group
nicety
delicacy; subtlety
niggardly
stingy; miserly
niggle
to spend excessive time on unimportant details
noisome
foul-smelling; harmful or injurious
nominal
in name only; not in fact
non sequitur
something that does not logically follow
nonage
a period of immaturity
nonpareil
unequaled; unrivaled
nostrum
quack medicine; supposed cure-all
nubile
suitable for marriage, in regard to age and physical development
nugatory
worthless; invalid
obloquy
strong disapproval; bad reputation resulting from public criticism
obscurant
a person who tries to prevent the spread of knowledge
obsequy
a funeral rite or ceremony
obstreperous
boisterous; unruly
obtrude
to push something toward or upon a person
odious
disgusting; hateful
offal
garbage; waste parts
omnifarious
of all kinds
orthography
correct spelling
ovine
of or like a sheep
ovoid
egg-shaped
pall
(two meanings) something that covers or conceals (noun); to become wearisome or unpleasant (verb)
panoply
suit of armor; any protective covering
parlous
dangerous
patrician
aristrocratic
patrimony
inherited right; heritage
patronage
the control of power to make appointments to government jobs
peculate
to steal; to embezzle
pensive
dreamily thoughtful
perforce
of necessity
periphrastic
said in a roundabout way
perquisite
something additional to regular pay
pert
bold; saucy
philately
stamp collecting
philippic
a bitter verbal attack
picaresque
pertaining to an adventurous wanderer
pillory
to expose to public ridicule or abuse
piquant
stimulating to the taste; exciting interest
piscine
of or like a fish
pittance
small share or amount
plaintive
sorrowful; sad
plenary
full; complete; absolute
poltroon
a coward
ponderous
heavy; burdensome
porcine
of or like a pig
prate
to talk excessively and pointlessly; to babble (prattle)
predicate
to declare; to assert
preternatural
abnormal; beyond what is natural
primogeniture
state of being the first born
prismatic
many-colored
procrustean
designed to get conformity at any cost
prolix
tediously long and wordy
promulgate
to announce; to advocate
propinquity
nearness; closeness
propitious
favorable
proscribe
to denounce; exile
protean
changeable; variable
provident
having foresight
prurient
lustful; obscene; lewd
puissant
powerful; strong
purloin
to steal
pyretic
pertaining to fever (pyre = fire)
Pyrrhic victory
success gained at too high a cost
quarry
an animal that is being hunted down
quiddity
essential quality
quidnunc
a gossip or busybody
quietus
finishing stroke; anything that ends an activity
raillery
good-humored ridicule
raiment
clothing; garments
rakish
carefree; lively
ratiocinate
to reason
recondite
difficult to understand; profound
recreant
coward; traitor
recrimination
countercharge
recumbent
lying down; reclining
redolent
having a pleasant odor
refractory
stubborn; hard to manage
regicide
the killing of a king
remonstrate
to protest; to complain
repartee
a quick, witty reply
repine
to complain; to fret
reproof
a rebuke
retinue
body of attendants or followers
retrench
to cut down or reduce expenses (retrenchment)
reverie
a daydream
risible
laughable; funny
rustle
to steal
salacious
obscene; lusty
sanctimonious
hypocritical in regard to religious belief
sangfroid
calmness; composure
sanguinary
bloody
sapient
wise
sartorial
pertaining to clothes or tailoring
savoir-faire
tact; knowledge of just what to do in any situation
scion
an offspring; a descendant
scrupulous
honest; ethical; precise
scurrilous
coarsely abusive; vulgar
sebaceous
fatty
sententious
concise; including proverbs and brief remarks
serendipity
a talent for making desirable discoveries by accident
shibboleth
a slogan; a password
shiftless
lazy; inefficient
shoal
a shallow place in the water; a reef
shrew
a nagging, bad-tempered woman
sibilant
hissing
simian
pertaining to an ape or monkey
simony
the sin of buying or selling church benefits
simper
to smile in a silly way
skinflint
stingy person; miser
skulduggery
trickery; deception
slattern
an untidy woman
slovenly
untidy; dirty; careless
solicitude
concern; anxiety
solipsistic
pertaining to the theory that only oneself exists or can be proved to exist
solon
a wise man
sordid
dirty; filthy
sphinx
person who is difficult to understand
splenetic
bad-tempered; irritable
spume
foam
stint
to be sparing; to conserve
stultify
make absurd or ridiculous; render worthless
stygian
dark; gloomy (river Styx)
sub rosa
secretly; confidentially
sublimate
to make a person act noble or moral
suborn
to hire for an unlawful act
succor
assistance; help; relief
sundry
various; assorted
superannuated
retired because of old age
supercilious
proud; haughty
supernal
heavenly
supernumerary
extra; more than necessary
supervene
to take place or occur unexpectedly
surreptitious
acting in a sneaky way
susurration
whispering; murmuring
swarthy
dark-complexioned
sybarite
one who is fond of luxuries and pleasure
sylvan
wooded; pertaining to the forest
tableau
dramatic scene or picture
tarn
a small lake or pool
tawny
yellowish-brown
temporize
to be indecisive; to be evasive; to delay an action
terpsichorean
pertaining to dancing
thanatology
the study of death and dying
thrall
a slave
threnody
a funeral song
titter
to laugh in a self-conscious or nervous way
toothsome
tasty
traduce
to speak badly of; to slander
trappings
articles of dress; equipment
travail
very hard work; intense pain
treble
three times as much
truckle (to)
to submit; to yield
truncheon
a club
1) turbid
2) turgid
1) muddy; unclear
2) swollen
turpitude
baseness; shameful behavior
twain
two
uncanny
weird; strange
unctuous
oily; excessively polite
undulate
to move or sway in a wavelike motion
unfledged
not feathered; immature
ursine
like a bear
uxorious
overly fond of one's wife
vagary
an odd notion; an unpredictable action
valedictory
saying farewell
venal
corrupt; able to be bribed
verisimilitude
the appearance of truth
vertiginous
whirling; dizzy; unstable (vertigo)
viaduct
a bridge
viands
various foods
viceroy
a representative; a deputy appointed by a sovereign to rule a province
vicissitudes
unpredictable changes; ups and downs
victuals
food
vintage
representative of the best (especially of wines)
virago
a loud, bad-tempered woman; a shrew
vista
a distant view
vitiate
to weaken; to impair
vitreous
of or like glass
vixen
female fox; ill-tempered woman
vociferous
loud; shouting
volant
capable of flying
votary
loyal follower
vouchsafe
to grant; to allow or permit
vulpine
like a fox; clever
waif
a homeless person
wangle
to manipulate; to obtain by scheming or by underhand methods
wax
to grow in size or intensity
weighty
of utmost importance
wend
to direct one's way
wheedle
to coax or to persuade
willful
contrary; stubborn
withal
in spite of all; nevertheless
wont (to)
accustomed (adj)
wroth
angry
xyloid
pertaining to wood; ligneous
yen
an intense desire; a longing
meridian
a point or period of highest development, greatest prosperity, or the like
exchequer
a treasury, as of a state or nation
aureate
golden or gilded; ornate writing or speaking
declamatory
merely oratorical or rhetorical; stilted
euphuistic
ornate style of writing or speaking; high-flown, periphrastic language
sonorous
high-flown; grandiloquent
decamp
to depart quickly, secretly, or unceremoniously
expostulate
to reason earnestly with someone against something that person intends to do or has done; remonstrate
arrogate
to claim unwarrantably or presumptuously; assume or appropriate to oneself without right
nepenthe
anything inducing a pleasurable sensation of forgetfulness, especially of sorrow or trouble
upbraid
to find fault with or reproach severely; censure
improvident
lacking foresight; incautious; unwary
obsequious
characterized by or showing servile complaisance or deference; fawning
undemonstrative
not given to open exhibition or expression of emotion, especially of affection
pique
to affect with sharp irritation and resentment, especially by some wound to pride
rancor
bitter, rankling resentment or ill will; hatred; malice
bathos
insincere pathos; sentimentality; mawkishness
fainéant
idle; indolent
comme il faut
as it should be; proper; fitting; fittingly
rapacity
inordinately greedy; predatory; extortionate
rubicund
red or reddish; ruddy
puling
whining; whimpering
jejune
juvenile; immature; childish
specious
apparently good or right though lacking real merit; superficially pleasing or plausible
furtive
taken, done, used, etc., surreptitiously or by stealth; secret
offscouring
something scoured off; filth; refuse; a social outcast
tax
to accuse, charge, or blame
mantic
having the power of divination
flippant
frivolously disrespectful, shallow, or lacking in seriousness; characterized by levity
pertinacious
holding tenaciously to a purpose, course of action, or opinion; resolute
apotheosize
to deify; glorify
titular
existing or being such in title only; nominal; having the title but none of the associated duties, powers, etc.
latitudinarian
permitting or marked by freedom of attitude or behaviour, esp in religious matters
freight
to load; burden
bromidic
pertaining or proper to a platitude; being a bromide; trite
desquamate
to come off in scales, as the skin in certain diseases; peel off
punctilious
paying scrupulous attention to correctness in etiquette; attention to detail
jeremiad
a prolonged lamentation or mournful complaint
peremptory
leaving no opportunity for denial or refusal; imperative; imperious or dictatorial
quittance
release from debt or other obligation
bon vivant
a person who lives luxuriously and enjoys good food and drink
abstruse
hard to understand; recondite; esoteric
corybantic
frenzied; agitated; unrestrained
gravidity
productive; abundant; fruitful; pregnant
fustian
pompous or bombastic, as language; worthless, cheap
bonhomie
frank and simple good-heartedness; a good-natured manner; friendliness; geniality
pettifoggery
to bicker or quibble over trifles or unimportant matters; to practice chicanery of any sort