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175 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
aberrant
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deviating from normal or correct. (adj.)
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abscond
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to leave secretly and hide, often to avoid the law. (v.)
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advocate
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to speak, plead, or argue for a cause, or in another's behalf. (n) -- one who advocates. (v., n.)
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aggrandize
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to make greater, to increase, thus, to exaggerate. (v.)
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amalgamate
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to unite or mix. (n) -- amalgamation. (v.)
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ambiguous
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vague; subject to more than one interpretation (adj.)
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ambrosial
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extremely pleasing to the senses, divine (as related to the gods) or delicious (n: ambrosia) (adj.)
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anachronism
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a person or artifact appearing after its own time or out of chronological order (adj: anachronistic) (n.)
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anomalous
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peculiar; unique, contrary to the norm (n: anomaly) (adj.)
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antediluvian
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ancient; outmoded; (literally,before the flood) (adj.)
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antipathy
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hostility toward, objection, or aversion to (n.)
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arbitrate
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to settle a dispute by impulse (n: arbitration) (v.)
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assuage
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to make less severe; to appease or satisfy (v.)
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attenuate
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weaken (adj: attenuated) (v.)
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audacious
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extremely bold; fearless, especially said of human behavior (n: audacity) (adj.)
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aver
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to declare (v.)
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banal
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commonplace or trite (n: banality) (adj.)
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barefaced
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unconcealed, shameless, or brazen (adj.)
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blandishment
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speech or action intended to coax someone into doing something (n.)
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bombast
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pompous speech (adj: bombastic) (n.)
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breach
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a lapse, gap or break, as in a fortress wall. To break or break through.ex: Unfortunately, the club members never forgot his breach of ettiquette. (n., v.)
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burgeon
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to grow or flourish; a bud or new growth (adj: burgeoning ) (v., n.)
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buttress
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to support. a support (v., n.)
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cadge
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to get something by taking advantage of someone (v.)
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caprice
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impulse (adj: capricious) (n.)
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castigate
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to chastise or criticize severely (v.)
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catalyst
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an agent of change (adj: catalytic; v. catalyze) (n.)
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caustic
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capable of dissolving by chemical action; highly critical: "His caustic remarks spoiled the mood of the party." (adj.)
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chicanery
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deception by trickery (n.)
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complaisant
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willingly compliant or accepting of the status quo (n: complaisance) (adj.)
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conflagration
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a great fire (n.)
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corporal
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of the body: "corporal punishment." a non-commissioned officer ranked between a sergeant and a private. (adj.)
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corporeal
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of or having to do with material, as opposed to spiritual; tangible. (In older writings, coeporeal could be a synonym for corporal. This usage is no longer common) (adj.)
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corroborate
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to strengthen or support: "The witness corroborted his story." (n: corroboration) (v.)
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craven
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cowardly; a coward (adj., n.)
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culpable
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deserving of blame (n: culpability) (adj.)
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dearth
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lack, scarcity: "The prosecutor complained about the dearth of concrete evidence against the suspect." (n.)
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deference
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submission or courteous yielding: "He held his tongue in deference to his father." (n: deferential. v. defer) (n.)
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depict
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to show, create a picture of. (v.)
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deprecation
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belittlement. (v. deprecate) (n.)
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depredation
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the act of preying upon or plundering: "The depredations of the invaders demoralized the population." (n.)
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descry
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to make clear, to say (v.)
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desiccate
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to dry out thoroughly (adj: desiccated) (v.)
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diatribe
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a bitter abusive denunciation. (n.)
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diffident
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lacking self-confidence, modest (n: diffidence) (adj.)
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disabuse
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to free a person from falsehood or error: "We had to disabuse her of the notion that she was invited." (adj.)
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disparaging
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belittling (n: disparagement. v. disparage) (adj.)
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dispassionate
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calm; objective; unbiased (adj.)
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dissemble
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to conceal one's real motive, to feign (v.)
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dogged
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stubborn or determined: "Her dogged pursuit of the degree eventually paid off." (adj.)
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dogmatic
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relying upon doctrine or dogma, as opposed to evidence (adj.)
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eclectic
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selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources: "Many modern decorators prefer an eclectic style." (n: eclecticism) (adj.)
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efficacy
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effectiveness; capability to produce a desired effect (n.)
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effluent
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the quality of flowing out. something that flows out, such as a stream from a river (n: effluence) (adj., n)
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emollient
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softening; something that softens (adj., n.)
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emulate
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to strive to equal or excel (n: emulation) (v.)
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encomium
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a formal eulogy or speech of praise (n.)
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endemic
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prevalent in or native to a certain region, locality, or people: "The disease was endemic to the region." Don't confuse this word with epidemic. (adj.)
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enervate
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to weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of: "The heatenervated everyone." (adj: enervating) (v.)
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engender
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to give rise to, to propagate, to cause: "His slip of the toungue engendered much laughter." (v.)
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enigma
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puzzle; mystery: "Math is an enigma to me." (adj: enigmatic) (n.)
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ephemeral
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lasting for only a brief time, fleeting (n: ephemera) (adj.)
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equivocal
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ambiguous; unclear; subject to more than one interpretation -- often intentionally so: "Republicans complained that Bill Clinton's answers were equivocal." (v. equivocate) (adj.)
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erudite
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scholarly; displaying deep intensive learning. (n: erudition) (adj.)
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esoteric
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intended for or understood by only a few: "The esoteric discussion confused some people." (n: esoterica) (adj.)
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eulogy
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a spoken or written tribute to the deceased (v. eulogize) (n.)
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exacerbate
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to increase the bitterness or violence of; to aggravate: "The decision to fortify the border exacerbated tensions." (v.)
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exculpate
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to demonstrate or prove to be blameless: "The evidence tended to exculpate the defendant."(adj: exculpatory) (v.)
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exorbitant
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exceeding customary or normal limits, esp. in quantity or price: "The cab fare was exorbitant." (adj.)
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explicit
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fully and clearly expressed (adj.)
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extant
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in existence, still existing: The only extant representative of that species." (adj.)
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fathom
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a measure of length (six feet) used in nautical settings. to penetrate to the depths of something in order to understand it: "I couldn't fathom her reasoning on that issue." (n., v.)
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fawn
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to seek favor or attention; to act subserviantly (n, adj: fawning) (v.)
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feign
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to give false appearance or impression: "He feigned illness to avoid going to school." (adj: feigned) (v.)
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fervid, fervent
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highly emotional; hot: "The partisans displayed a fervent patriotism." (n: fervor) (adj.)
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fledgling
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a baby bird; an inexperienced person; inexperienced. (n., adj.)
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florid
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flushed with a rosy color, as in complexion; very ornate and flowery: "florid prose." (adj.)
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floundering
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struggling: "We tried to save the floundering business." (adj.)
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garrulous
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verbose; talkative; rambling: "We tried to avoid our garrulous neighbor." (adj.)
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gossamer
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fine cobweb on foliage; fine gauzy fabric; very fine: "She wore a gossamer robe." (n., adj.)
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guile
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skillful deceit: "He was well known for his guile." (v. bequile; adj: beguiling. Note, however, that these two words have an additional meaning: to charm (v.) or charming (adj:), while the word guile does not generally have any such positive connotations) (n.)
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guileless
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honest; straightforward (n: guilelessness) (adj.)
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hapless
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unfortunate (adj.)
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headlong
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headfirst; impulsive; hasty. impulsively; hastily; without forethought: "They rushed headlong into marriage." (adj., adv.)
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homogenous
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similar in nature or kind; uniform: "a homogeneous society." (adj.)
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iconoclast
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one who attacks traditional ideas or institutions or one who destroys sacred images (adj: iconoclastic) (n.)
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impecunious
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penniless; poor (adj.)
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imperious
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commanding (adj.)
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implication
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insinuation or connotation (v. implicate) (n.)
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imply
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to suggest indirectly; to entail: "She implied she didn't believe his story." (n: implication) (v.)
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improvidence
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an absence of foresight; a failure to provide for future needs or events: "Their improvidence resulted in the loss of their home." (n.)
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inchoate
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in an initial or early stage; incomplete; disorganized: "The act of writing forces one to clarify incohate thoughts." (adj.)
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incorrigible
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not capable of being corrected: "The school board finally decided the James was incorrigible and expelled him from school." (adj.)
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indelible
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permanent; unerasable; strong: "The Queen made an indelible impression on her subjects." (adj.)
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ineffable
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undescribable; inexpressible in words; unspeakable (adj.)
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infer
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to deduce: "New genetic evidence led some zoologists to infer that the red wolf is actually a hybrid of the coyote and the gray wolf." (v.)
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ingenious
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clever: "She developed an ingenious method for testing her hypothesis."(n: ingenuity) (adj.)
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ingenuous
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unsophisticated; artless; straightforward; candid: "Wilson's ingenuous response to the controversial calmed the suspicious listeners." (adj.)
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inhibit
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to hold back, prohibit, forbid, or restrain (n: inhibition, adj: inhibited) (v.)
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innocuous
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harmless; having no adverse affect; not likely to provoke strong emotion (adj.)
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insensible
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numb; unconscious: "Wayne was rendered insensible by a blow to the head." unfeeling; insensitive: "They were insensibile to the suffering of others.: (adj.)
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insipid
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lacking zest or excitement; dull (adj.)
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insular
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of or pertaining to an island, thus, excessively exclusive: "Newcomers found it difficult to make friends in the insular community." (adj.)
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intransigent
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stubborn; immovable; unwilling to change: "She was so intransigent we finally gave up trying to convince her." (n: intransigence) (adj.)
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irascible
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prone to outbursts of temper, easily angered (adj.)
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laconic
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using few words; terse: "a laconic reply." (adj.)
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latent
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present or potential but not evident or active (n: latency) (adj.)
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laudable
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praiseworthy; commendable (v. laud) (adj.)
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leviathan
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giant whale, therefore, something very large (n.)
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loquacious
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talkative (adj.)
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lucid
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clear; translucent: "He made a lucid argument to support his theory." (adj.)
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lugubrious
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weighty, mournful, or gloomy, especially to an excessive degree: "Jake's lugubrious monologues depressed his friends." (adj.)
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magnanimity
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generosity and nobility. (adj: magnanimous) (n.)
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malevolent
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malicious; evil; having or showing ill will: "Some early American colonists saw the wilderness as malevolent and sought to control it." (adj.)
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misanthrope
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one who hates people: "He was a true misanthrope and hated even himself." (n.)
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misnomer
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incorrect name or word for something (n.)
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misogynist
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one who hates women (n.)
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mitigate
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to make less forceful; to become more moderate; to make less harsh or undesirable: "He was trying to mitigate the damage he had done." (n: mitigation) (v.)
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nefarious
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wicked, evil: "a nefarious plot." (adj.)
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noisome
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harmful, offensive, destructive: "The noisome odor of the dump carried for miles." (adj.)
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obdurate
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hardened against influence or feeling; intractable. (adj.)
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obviate
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to prevent by anticipatory measures; to make unnecessary: (v.)
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occlude
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to close or shut off; to obstruct (n: occlusion) (v.)
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opaque
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not transparent or transluscent; dense; difficult to comprehend, as inopaque reasoning (adj.)
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ossified
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turned to bone; hardened like bone; Inflexible: "The ossified culture failed to adapt to new economic conditions and died out." (adj.)
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panegyric
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a writing or speech in praise of a person or thing (n.)
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peccadillo
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a small sin or fault (n.)
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pedantic
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showing a narrow concern for rules or formal book learning; making an excessive display of one's own learning: "We quickly tired of his pedantic conversation." (n: pedant, pedantry). (adj.)
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perfidious
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deliberately treacherous; dishonest (n: perfidy) (adj.)
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petulant
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easily or frequently annoyed, especially over trivial matters; childishly irritable (adj.)
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philanthropy
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tendency or action for the benefit of others, as in donating money or property to a charitible organization (n.)
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phlegmatic
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not easily excited; cool; sluggish (adj.)
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placate
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to calm or reduce anger by making concessions: "The professor tried to placate his students by postponing the exam." (v.)
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plastic
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related to being shaped or molded; capable of being molded. (n: plasticity n: plastic) (adj.)
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plethora
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excessively large quantity; overabundance: "We received a p lethora of applications for the position." (n.)
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ponderous
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heavy; massive; awkward; dull: "A ponderous book is better than a sleeping pill." (adj.)
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pragmatic
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concerned with facts; practical, as opposed to highly principled or traditional: "His pragmatic approach often offended idealists." (n: pragmatism) (adj.)
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precipice
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cliff with a vertical or nearly vertical face; a dangerous place from which one is likely to fall; metaphorically, a very risky circumstance (n.)
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precipitate
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to fall; to fall downward suddenly and dramatically; to bring about or hasten the occurrence of something: "Old World diseases precipitated a massive decline in the American Indian population." (v., n.)
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precursor
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something (or someone) that precedes another: "The assasination of the Archduke was a precursor to the war." (n.)
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prevaricate
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to stray away from or evade the truth: "When we asked him what his intentions were, he prevaricated."(n: prevarication; prevaricator) (v.)
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prodigal
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rashly wasteful: "Americans' prodigal devotion to the automobile is unique." (adj.)
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propitiate
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to conciliate; to appease: "They made sacrifices to propitiate angry gods." (v.)
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Pulchritudinous
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beautiful (n: pulchritude) (adj.)
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pusillanimous
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cowardly, timid, or irreselute; petty: "The pusillanimous leader soon lost the respect of his people." (adj.)
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quiescence
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inactivity; stillness; dormancy (adj: quiescent) (n.)
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rarefy
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to make or become thin; to purify or refine (n: rarefaction, adj: rarefied) (v.)
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reproof
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the act of censuring, scolding, or rebuking. (v. reprove). (n.)
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rescind
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to repeal or annul (v.)
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sagacious
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having a sharp or powerful intellect or discernment. (n: sagacity). (adj.)
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sanguine
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cheerful; confident: "Her sanguine attitude put everyone at ease."(Sangfroid (noun) is a related French word meaning unflappibility. Literally, it means cold blood) (adj.)
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sate
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to satisfy fully or to excess (v.)
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saturnine
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having a gloomy or morose temperament (adj.)
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savant
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a very knowledgable person; a genious (n.)
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sedulous
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diligent; persevering; persistent: "Her sedulous devotion to overcoming her background impressed many." (n: sedulity; sedulousness; adv. sedulously) (adj.)
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specious
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seemingly true but really false; deceptively convincing or attractive: "Her argument, though specious, was readily accepted by many." (adj.)
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superficial
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only covering the surface: "A superficial treatment of the topic was all they wanted." (adj.)
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tacit
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unspoken: "Katie and carmella had a tacit agreement that they would not mention the dented fender to their parents." (adj.)
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taciturn
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habitually untalkative or silent (n: taciturnity) (adj.)
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temperate
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exercising moderation and self-denial; calm or mild (n: temperance) (adj.)
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tirade (diatribe)
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an angry speech: "His tirade had gone on long enough." (n.)
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tortuous
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twisted; excessively complicated: "Despite public complaints, tax laws and forms have become increasingly tortuous." Note: Don't confuse this with torturous. (adj.)
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tractable
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ability to be easily managed or controlled: "Her mother wished she were more tractable." (n: tractibility) (adj.)
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turpitude
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depravity; baseness: "Mr. Castor was fired for moral turpitude." (n.)
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tyro
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beginner; person lacking experience in a specific endeavor: "They easily took advantage of the tyro." (n.)
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vacuous
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empty; without contents; without ideas or intelligence:: "She flashed a vacuous smile." (adj.)
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venerate
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great respect or reverence: "The Chinese traditionally venerated their ancestors; ancestor worship is merely a popular misnomer for this tradition." (n: veneration, adj: venerable) (v.)
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verbose
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wordy: "The instructor asked her verbose student make her paper more concise." (n: verbosity) (adj.)
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vex
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to annoy; to bother; to perplex; to puzzle; to debate at length: "Franklin vexed his brother with his controversial writings." (v.)
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viscous
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slow moving; highly resistant to flow: "Heintz commercials imply that their catsup is more viscous than others'." (n: viscosity) (adj.)
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volatile
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explosive; fickle (n: volatility). (adj.)
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voracious
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craving or devouring large quantities of food, drink, or other things. She is a voracious reader. (adj.)
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waver
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to hesitate or to tremble (v.)
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wretched
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extremely pitiful or unfortunate (n: wretch) (adj.)
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zeal
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enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal (n: zealot; zealoutry. adj: zealous) (n.)
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