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75 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
abate (v.)
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to lessen in intensity or degree
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accolade (n.)
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an expression of praise
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adulation (n.)
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excessive praise; intense adoration
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aesthetic (adj.)
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dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
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ameliorate (v.)
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to make better or more tolerable
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ascetic (n.)
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one who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion
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avarice (n.)
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greed, especially for wealth
adj form: avaricious |
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axiom (n.)
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a universally recognized principle
adj form: axiomatic |
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burgeon (v.)
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to grow rapidly or flourish
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bucolic (adj.)
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rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
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cacophony (n.)
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harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance
adj form: cacophonous |
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canon (n.)
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an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature
adj form: canonical |
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castigation (n.)
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severe criticism or punishment
verb form: castigate |
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catalyst (n.)
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a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change
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caustic (adj.)
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burning or stinging; causing corrosion
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chary (adj.)
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wary; cautious; sparing
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cogent (adj.)
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appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
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complaisance (n.)
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the willingness to comply with the wishes of others
adj form: complaisant |
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contentious (adj.)
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argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
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contrite (adj.)
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regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness
noun form: contrition |
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culpable (adj.)
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deserving blame
noun form: culpability |
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death (n.)
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smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
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demur (v.)
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to question or oppose
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didactic (adj.)
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intended to teach or instruct
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discretion (n.)
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cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions
adj form: discrete |
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disinterested (adj.)
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free from bias or self-interest; impartial
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dogmatic (adj.)
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expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles
noun form: dogma |
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ebullience (adj.)
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the quality of lively enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings
adj form: ebullient |
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eclectic (adj.)
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composed of elements drawn from various sources
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elegy (n.)
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a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead
adj form: elegiac |
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emollient (adj./n.)
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soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smoothes the skin
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empirical (adj.)
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based on observation or experiment
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enigmatic (adj.)
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mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand
noun form: enigma |
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ephemeral (adj.)
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brief; fleeting
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esoteric (adj.)
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intended for or understood by a small, specific group
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eulogy (n.)
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a speech honoring the dead
verb form: eulogize |
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facetious (adj.)
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playful; humorous
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fallacy (n.)
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an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief
adj form: fallacious |
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furtive (adj.)
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marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious; secretive;
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gregarious (adj.)
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sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
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harangue (v./n.)
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to deliver a pompous speech or tirade; a long, pompous speech
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heretical (adj.)
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violating accepted dogma or convention
noun form: heresy |
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hyperbole (n.)
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an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech
adj form: hyperbolic |
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impecunious (adj.)
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lacking funds; without money
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incipient (adj.)
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beginning to come into being or to become apparent
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inert (adj.)
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unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
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innocuous (adj.)
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harmless; causing no damage
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intransigent (adj.)
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refusing to compromise
noun form: intransigence |
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inveigle (v.)
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to obtain by deception or flattery
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morose (adj.)
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sad; sullen; melancholy
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odious (adj.)
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evoking intense aversion or dislike
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opaque (adj.)
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impenetrable by light; not reflecting light
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oscillation (n.)
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the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm
verb form: oscillate |
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penurious (adj.)
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penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
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pernicious (adj.)
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extremely harmful; potentially causing death
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peruse (v.)
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to examine with great care
noun form: perusal |
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pious (adj.)
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extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion
noun form: piety |
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precursor (n.)
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one that precedes and indicates or announces another
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preen (v.)
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to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care
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prodigious (adj.)
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abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary
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prolific (adj.)
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producing large volumes or amounts; productive
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putrefy (v.)
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to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor
adj form: putrid |
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quaff (v.)
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to drink deeply
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quiescence (n.)
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stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest
adj form: quiescent |
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redoubtable (adj.)
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awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
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sanction (n./v.)
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authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority to
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satire (n.)
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a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision
adj form: satirical |
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squalid (adj.)
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sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect
noun form: squalor |
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stoic (adj.)
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indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast
noun form: stoicism |
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supplant (v.)
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to take the place of; supersede
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torpid (adj.)
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lethargic; sluggish; dormant
noun form: torpor |
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ubiquitious (adj.)
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existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread
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urbane (adj.)
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sophisticated; refined; elegant
noun form: urbanity |
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vilify (v.)
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to defame; to characterize harshly
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viscous (adj.)
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thick; sticky
noun form: viscosity |