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180 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abscond
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To leave secretly.
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abate
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To reduce in amount, degree, or severity.
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abstain
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To choose not to do something.
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abyss
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An extremely deep hole.
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adulterate
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To make impure.
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advocate
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To speak in favor of.
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aesthetic
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Concerning the appreciation of beauty.
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aggrandize
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To increase in power, influence, and reputation.
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alleviate
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To make more bearable.
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amalgamate
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To combine; to mix together.
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ambiguous
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Doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways.
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ameliorate
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To make better; to improve.
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anachronism
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Something out of place in time.
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analogous
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Similar or alike in some way; equivalent to.
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anomaly
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Deviation from what is normal.
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antagonize
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To annoy or prove to anger.
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antipathy
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Extreme dislike.
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apathy
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Lack of interest or emotion.
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arbitrate
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To judge a dispute between two opposing parties.
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archaic
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Ancient, old fashion.
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ardor
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Intense and passionate feeling.
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articulate
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Able to speak clearly and expressively.
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assuage
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To make something unpleasant less severe.
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attenuate
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To reduce in force or degree; to weaken.
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audacious
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Fearless and daring.
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austere
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Severe or stern in appearance; undecorated.
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banal
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Predictable, cliched, boring.
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bolster
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To support; to prop up.
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bombastic
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Pompous in speech manner.
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cacophony
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Harsh, jarring noise.
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candid
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Impartial and honest in speech.
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capricious
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Charging one's mind quickly and often.
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castigate
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To punish or criticize harshly.
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catalyst
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Something that brings about a change in something else.
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caustic
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Biting in wit.
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chaos
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Great disorder or confusion.
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chaos
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Great disorder or confusion.
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chauvinist
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Someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs.
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chicanery
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Deception by means of craft and guile.
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cogent
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Convincing and well reasoned.
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condone
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To overlook, pardon, or disregard.
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convoluted
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Intricate and complicated.
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corroborate
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To provide supporting evidence.
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credulous
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Too trusting; gullible.
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crescendo
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Steadily increasing volume or force.
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decorum
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Appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety.
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deference
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Respect, courtesy.
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deride
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To speak of or treat with contempt; to mock.
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desiccate
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To dry out thoroughly.
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diatribe
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An abusive, condemnatory speech.
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desultory
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Jumping from one thing to another; disconnected.
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diffident
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Lacking self-confidence.
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dilate
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To make larger; to expand.
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dilatory
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Intended to delay.
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dilettante
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Someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic.
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dirge
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A funeral hymn or mournful speech.
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disabuse
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To set right; to free from error.
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discern
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To perceive; to recognize.
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disparate
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Fundamentally different; entirely unlike.
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dissemble
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To present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character.
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dissonance
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A hard and disagreeable, often of sounds.
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dogma
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A firmly held opinion, often a religious belief.
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dogmatic
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Dictatorial in one's opinions.
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dupe
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To deceive; a person who is easily deceived.
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eclectic
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Selecting from or made up from a variety of sources.
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efficacy
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Effectiveness.
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elegy
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A sorrowful poem or speech.
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eloquent
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Persuasive and moving, especially in speech.
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emulate
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To copy; to try to equal or excel.
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enervate
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To reduce in strength
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engender
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to produce, cause, or bring about.
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enigma
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A puzzle; a mystery.
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enumerate
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To count, list, or itemize.
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ephemeral
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Lasting a short time.
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equivocate
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To use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead.
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erratic
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Wandering and unpredictable.
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erudite
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Learned, scholarly, bookish.
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esoteric
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Known or understood by only a few.
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estimable
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Admirable.
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eulogy
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Speech in praise of someone.
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euphemism
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Use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one.
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exacerbate
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To make worse.
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exculpate
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To clear from blame; prove innocent.
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exigent
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Urgent; requiring immediate action.
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exonerate
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To clear of blame.
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explicit
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Clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression.
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fanatical
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Acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme unquestioned devotion.
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fawn
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To grovel.
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fervid
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Intensely emotional; feverish.
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florid
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Excessively decorated or embellished.
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foment
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To arouse or incite.
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frugality
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A tendency to be thrifty or cheap.
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garrulous
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Tending to talk a lot.
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gregarious
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Outgoing, socialable.
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guile
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Deceit or trickery.
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gullible
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Easily deceived.
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homogeneous
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Of a similar kind.
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iconoclast
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One who opposed established beliefs, customs, and institutions.
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imperturbable
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Not capable of being disturbed.
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impervious
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Impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected.
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impetuous
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Quick to act without thinking.
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implacable
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Unable to be calmed down or made peaceful.
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inchoate
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Note fully formed; disorganized.
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ingenuous
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Showing innocence or childlike simplicity.
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inimical
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Hostile, unfriendly.
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innocuous
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Harmless.
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insipid
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Lacking interest or flavor.
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intransigent
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Uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled.
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inundate
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To overwhelm; to cover with water.
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irascible
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Easily made angry.
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laconic
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Using few words.
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lament
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To express sorrow; to grieve.
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laud
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To give praise; to glorify.
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lavish
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To give unsparingly (v.); extremely generous or extravagant (adj.)
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lethargic
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Acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner.
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loquacious
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Talkative.
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lucid
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Clear and easily understood.
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luminous
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Bright, brilliant, glowing.
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malinger
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To evade responsibility by pretending to be ill.
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malleable
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Capable of being shaped.
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metaphor
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A figure of speech comparing to different things; a symbol.
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meticulous
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Extremely careful about details.
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misanthrope
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A person who dislikes others.
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mitigate
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To soften; to lessen.
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mollify
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To calm or make less severe.
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monotony
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Lack of variation.
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naive
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Lacking sophistication or experience.
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obdurate
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Hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion.
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obsequious
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Overly submissive and eager to please.
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obstinate
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Stubborn, unyielding.
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obviate
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To prevent; to make unnecessary.
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occlude
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To stop up; to prevent the passage of.
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onerous
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Troublesome and oppressive; burdensome.
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opaque
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Impossible to see through; preventing the passage of light.
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opprobrium
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Public disgrace.
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ostentation
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Excessive showiness.
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paradox
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A contradiction or dilemma.
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paragon
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Model of excellence or perfection.
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pedant
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Someone who shows off learning.
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perfidious
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Willing to betray one's trust.
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perfunctory
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Done in a routine way; indifferent.
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permeate
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To penetrate.
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philanthropy
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Charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness.
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placate
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To sooth or pacify.
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plastic
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Able to be molded, altered, or bent.
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plethora
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Excess.
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pragmatic
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Practical as opposed to idealistic.
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precipitate
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To throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation.
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prevaricate
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To lie or deviate from the truth.
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pristine
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Fresh and clean; uncorrupted.
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prodigal
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Lavish, wasteful.
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proliferate
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To increase in number quickly.
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propitiate
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To conciliate; to appease.
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propriety
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Correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs.
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prudence
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wisdom, caution, or restraint.
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pungent
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Sharp and irritating to the senses.
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quiescent
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Motionless.
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rarefy
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To make thinner or sparser.
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repudiate
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To reject the validy of.
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reticent
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Silent, reserved.
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rhetoric
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Effective writing or speaking.
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satiate
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To satisfy fully or overindulge.
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soporific
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Causing sleep or lethargy.
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specious
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Deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious.
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stigma
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A mark of shame or discredit.
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stolid
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Unemotional; lacking sensitivity.
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sublime
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Loft or grand.
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tacit
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Done without using words.
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taciturn
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Silent, not talkative.
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tirade
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Long, harsh speech, or verbal attack.
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torpor
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Extreme mental and physical sluggishness.
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transitory
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Temporary, lasting a brief time.
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vacillate
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To sway physically; to be indecisive.
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venerate
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To respect deeply.
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veracity
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Filled with truth and accuracy.
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verbose
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Wordy.
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vex
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To annoy.
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volatile
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Easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive.
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waver
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To fluctuate between choices.
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whimsical
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Acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable.
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