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182 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
aberrant
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(adj.) Deviating from the norm
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abscond
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(v.) to depart clandestinely; to steal away and hide.
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acerbic
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(adj.) having a sour or bitter taste or character.
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acumen
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(n.) quick, keen or accurate knowledge or insight.
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adulterate
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(v.) to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients.
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alacrity
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(n.)eager and enthusiastic willingness.
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anachronism
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(n.) something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context.
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approbation
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(n.) an expression of approval or praise.
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ascetic
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(n.) one who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religion devotion.
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astringent
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(adj.) having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe.
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audacious
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(adj.) daring and fearless; recklessly bold.
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austere
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(adj.) severely simple; ascetic.
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avarice
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(n.) greed, especially for wealth.
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aver
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(v.) to state as fact; to confirm or support.
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axiom/axiomatic
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(n./adj.) a universally recognized principle; taken as a given; possessing self-evident truth.
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bombast/bombastic
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(n./adj.) self-evident or pompous writing or speech; pompous; grandiloquent.
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bucolic
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(adj.) rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
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burgeon
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(v.) to grow rapidly; to flourish.
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canon
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(n.) an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature.
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canonical
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(adj.) following or in agreement with orthodox requirements.
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capricious
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(adj.) inclined to change one's mind impulsively; erratic; unpredictable.
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castigation
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(n.) severe criticism or punishment
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caustic
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(n.) burning or stinging; causing corrosion.
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censure
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(v.) to criticize severely; to officially rebuke.
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chary
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(adj.) wary; cautious.
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chicanery
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(n.) trickery or subterfuge
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cogent
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(adj.) appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing.
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complaisance
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(n.) willingness to comply with the wishes of others.
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contrite
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(adj.) regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness.
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convoluted
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(adj.) complex or complicated.
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cynicism
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(n.) an attitude or belief that all people are motivated by selfishness.
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decorum
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(n.) polite or appropriate conduct or behavior.
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demur
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(v.) to question or oppose.
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derision
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(n.) scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment.
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desiccate
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(v.) to dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull.
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diatribe
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(n.) a harsh denunciation
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dilettante
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(n.) one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge.
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disabuse
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(v.) to undeceive; to set right.
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discordant
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(adj.) conflicting; dissonant or harsh in sound.
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dogmatic
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(adj.) stubbornly opinionated.
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ebullience
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(n.) the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings.
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effrontery
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(n.) extreme boldness; presumptuousness.
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elegy
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(n.) a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead.
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emollient
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(adj.) soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying.
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endemic
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(adj.) characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region, or people.
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enervate
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(v.) to weaken; to reduce in vitality.
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enigmatic
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(adj.) mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand.
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ennui
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(n.) dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy.
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ephemeral
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(adj.) brief; fleeting.
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equivocate
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(v.) to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent.
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evanescent
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(adj.) tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing.
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exigent
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(adj.) urgent; pressing; requiring immediate action or attention.
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extemporaneous
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(adj.) improvised; done without preparation.
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facetious
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(adj.) playful; humorous.
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fallacy
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(n.) an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief.
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fawn
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(v.) to flatter or praise excessively.
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fervent
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(adj.) greatly emotional or zealous.
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filibuster
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(n.) an intentional obstruction, especially using prolonged speechmaking to delay legislative action.
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flout
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(v.) to demonstrate contempt for, as in a rule or convention
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fulminate
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(v.) to loudly attack or denounce.
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germane
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(adj.) relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter.
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glib
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(adj.) marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial.
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grandiloquence
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(n.) a pompous speech or expression.
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hackneyed
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(adj.) rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage.
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halcyon
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(adj.) calm and peaceful.
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harrangue
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(v.) to deliver a pompous speech or tirade.
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hedonism
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(n.) devotion to pleasurable pursuits, especially to the pleasures of the senses.
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hegemony
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(n.) the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others.
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heretical
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(adj.) violating accepted dogma or convention.
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hubris
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(n.) arrogant presumption or pride.
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iconoclast
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(n.) one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions.
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idolatrous
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(adj.) given to intense or excessive devotion to something.
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impassive
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(adj.) revealing no emotion.
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impecunious
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(adj.) lacking funds; without money.
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imperturbable
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(adj.) marked by extreme calm, impassivity, and steadiness.
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impetuous
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(adj.) hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement.
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implacable
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(adj.) not capable of being appeased or significantly changed.
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impunity
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(n.) immunity from punishment
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inchoate
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(adj.) in an initial stage; not fully formed.
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incipient
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(adj.) beginning to come into being or to become apparent.
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infelicitous
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(adj.) unfortunate; inappropriate.
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ingenuous
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(adj.) artless; frank and candid; lacking in sophistication
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inimical
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(adj.) damaging; harmful; malevolent.
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insipid
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(adj.) without taste or flavor; lacking in spirit; bland.
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intractable
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(adj.) not easily managed or directed; stubborn, obstinate.
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intransigent
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(adj.) refusing to compromise.
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intrepid
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(adj.) steadfast and courageous.
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inured
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(adj.) accustomed to accepting something undesirable.
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inveigle
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(v.) to obtain by deception or flattery.
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laconic
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(adj.) using few words; terse.
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martial
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(adj.) associated with war and the armed forces.
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maverick
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(n.) an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party.
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mendacity
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(n.) the condition of being untruthful; dishonesty.
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mercurial
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(adj.) characterized by rapid and unpredictable mood change.
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mitigate
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(v.) to make or become less severe; to moderate.
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mollify
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(v.) to calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity.
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mundane
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(adj.) ordinary; of the world.
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nascent
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(adj.) coming into being; in early developmental stages.
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neologism
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(n.) a new word, empression, or usage.
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neophyte
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(n.) a recent convert; a beginner; a novice.
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noxious
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(adj.) harmful; injurious.
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obdurate
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(adj.) unyielding; hardheaded; intractable.
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obfuscate
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(v.) to deliberately obscure; to make confusing.
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obstinate
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(adj.) stubborn; hardheaded; uncompromising.
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obtuse
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(adj.) lacking sharpness of intellect; not clear or precise in thought or expression.
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obviate
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(v.) to anticipate and prevent or eliminate.
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occlude
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(v.) to obstruct or block.
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odious
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(adj.) evoking intense dislike.
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onerous
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(adj.) troubling; burdensome.
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opaque
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(adj.) impenetrable by light; not reflecting light.
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opprobrium
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(n.) disgrace; contempt; scorn.
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ostentatious
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(adj.) given to pretentiousness.
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paean
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(n.) a song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving.
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parody
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(n.) a humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic effect.
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pedantic
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(adj.) ostentatious about learning; excessive attention to minutiae and formal rules.
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penurious
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(adj.) penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous.
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penury
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(n.) poverty; destitution.
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perennial
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(adj.) recurrent through the year or many years; happening repeatedly.
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perfidy
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(n.) intentional breach of faith; treachery.
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perfunctory
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(adj.) cursory; done without care or interest.
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perspicacious
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(adj.) acutely perceptive; having keen discernment.
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phlegmatic
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(adj.) calm; sluggish; unemotional.
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pith/pithy
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(n./adj.) the essential or central part; precise and brief.
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platitude
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(n.) a superficial remark, especially one offered as meaningful.
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polemical
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(adj.) controversial; argumentative.
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pragmatic
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(adj.) practical rather than idealistic.
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precipitate
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(v.) to cause or to happen before anticipated or required; acting with excessive haste or impulse.
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precursor
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(n.) one that indicates someone or something to come.
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predilection
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(n.) a preference.
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preen
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(v.) to groom with elaborate care; to primp.
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prescience
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(n.) foreknowledge of events.
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presumptuous
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(adj.) overstepping due bounds as of propriety; taking liberties.
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prevaricate
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(v.) to deliberately avoid the truth; to mislead.
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probity
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(n.) adherence to highest principles.
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proclivity
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(n.) a natural predisposition or inclination.
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prodigal
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(adj.) recklessly wasteful
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prodigious
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(adj.) huge; extraordinary
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profligate
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(adj.) shamelessly immoral; prodigal; excessively wasteful
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prosaic
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(adj.) dull; unimaginative.
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putrefy
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(v.) to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor.
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quaff
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(v.) to drink deeply
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querulous
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(adj.) quarrelsome; complaining
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quiescence
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(n.) stillness; state of rest
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quixotic
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(adj.) foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals
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quotidian
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(adj.) occurring or recurring daily; commonplace
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rancorous
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(adj.) characterized by bitter resentment
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recalcitrant
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(adj.) defiant of authority; intractable
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recondite
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(adj.) hidden
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redoubtable
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(adj.) awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
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refulgent
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(adj.) radiant; shiny
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renege
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(v.) to fail to honor a commitment
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repudiate
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(v.) to disown
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rescind
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(v.) to invalidate; to repeal
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salubrious
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(adj.) promoting health or well-being
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satire
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(n.) a literary work that criticizes a human vice through humor or derision
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sedulous
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(adj.) diligent; persistent; hard-working
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solicitous
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(adj.) concerned and attentive; eager
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solvent
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(adj.) able to meet financial obligations
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soporific
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(adj.) sleep-inducing
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spendthrift
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(n.) one who spends money wastefully
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spurious
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(adj.) lacking authenticity or validity; false
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stoic
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(adj.) indifferent to pleasure or pain; steadfast
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stymie
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(v.) to block; thwart
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supplant
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(v.) to take the place of; supersede
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surfeit
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(n.) excess; overindulgence
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tacit
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(adj.) implied; not explicitly stated
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torpid
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(adj.) lethargic; sluggish
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torque
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(n.) a force that causes rotation
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tortuous
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(adj.) winding; excessively complicated
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trenchant
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(adj.) sharply perceptive; keen
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truculent
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(adj.) fierce and cruel; eager to fight
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ubiquitous
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(adj.) existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread
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untenable
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(adj.) indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable
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urbane
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(adj.) sophisticated; refined; elegant
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vacillate
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(v.) to waver indecisively
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variegated
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(adj.) multicolored
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veracity
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(adj.) truthfulness; honesty
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vexation
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(n.) irritation
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vilify
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(v.) to defame
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virulent
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(adj.) hostile or poisonous
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vituperate
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(v.) to use harsh, condemnatory language; berate
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voracious
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(adj.) having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit
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