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278 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Pacific
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calm, peaceful
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Pacifist
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one opposed to war
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Pacify
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to restore calm, bring peace
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Paean
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a song of praise or thanksgiving
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Palatial
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like a palace, magnificent
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Palaver
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idle talk
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Paleontology
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study of past geological eras through fossil remains
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Palette
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board for mixing paints; range of colors
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Palisade
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fence made up of stakes
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Pall (n)
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covering that darkens or obscures; coffin
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Pall (v)
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to lose strength or interest
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Palliate
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to make less serious, ease
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Pallid
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lacking color or liveliness
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Palpable
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obvious, real, tangible
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Palpitation
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trembling, shaking, irregular beating
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Paltry
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pitifully small or worthless
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Panacea
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cure-all
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Panache
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flamboyance, verve
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Pandemic
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spread over a whole area or country
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Panegyric
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elaborate praise; formal hymn of praise
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Panoply
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impressive array
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Panorama
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broad view; comprehensive picture
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Paradigm
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ideal example, model
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Paradox
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contradiction, incongruity; dilemma, puzzle
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Paradoxical
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self-contradictory but true
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Paragon
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model of excellence or perfection
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Paramount
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supreme, dominant, primary
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Paraphrase
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to reword, usually in simpler terms
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Parasite
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person or animal that lives at another's expense
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Parch
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to dry or shrivel
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Pare
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to trim
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Pariah
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outcast
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Parity
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equality
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Parley
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discussion, usually between enemies
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Parochial
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of limited scope or outlook, provincial
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Parody
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humorous imitation
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Parole
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conditional release of a prisoner
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Parry
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to ward off or deflect
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Parsimony
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stinginess
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Partisan (adj)
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biased in favor of
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Partisan (n)
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strong supporter
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Pastiche
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piece of literature or music imitating other works
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Patent (adj)
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obvious, unconcealed
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Patent (n)
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official document giving exclusive right to sell an invention
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Paternity
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fatherhood; descent from father's ancestors
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Pathogenic
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causing disease
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Pathos
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pity, compassion
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Patrician
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aristocrat
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Patricide
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murder of one's father
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Patrimony
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inheritance or heritage derived from one's father
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Patronize
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to condescend to, disparage; to buy from
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Paucity
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scarcity, lack
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Pauper
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very poor person
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Pavilion
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tent or light building used for shelter or exhibitions
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Peccadillo
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minor sin or offense
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Peculation
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theft of money or goods
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Pedagogue
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teacher
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Pedant
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one who pays undue attention to book learning and rules; one who displays learning ostentatiously
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Pedestrian (adj)
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commonplace
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Pediatrician
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doctor specializing in children and their ailments
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Pediment
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triangular gable on roof or facade
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Peer (n)
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contemporary, equal, match
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Peerless
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unequaled
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Pejorative
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having bad connotations; disparaging
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Pellucid
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transparent; translucent; easily understood
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Penance
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voluntary suffering to repent for a wrong
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Penchant
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inclination
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Pending (prep)
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during, while awaiting
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Penitent
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expressing sorrow for sins or offenses, repentant
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Pensive
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thoughtful
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Penultimate
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next to last
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Penumbra
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partial shadow
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Penury
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extreme poverty
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Perambulate
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walk about
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Percipient
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discerning, able to perceive
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Perdition
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complete and utter loss; damnation
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Peregrinate
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to wander from place to place
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Peremptory
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imperative; dictatorial
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Perennial
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present throughout the years; persistent
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Perfidious
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faithless, disloyal, untrustworthy
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Perfunctory
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done in a routine way; indifferent
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Perihelion
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point in orbit nearest to the sun
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Peripatetic
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moving from place to place
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Periphrastic
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containing too many words
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Perjure
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to tell a lie under oath
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Permeable
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penetrable
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Pernicious
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very harmful
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Perpetual
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endless, lasting
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Perpetuity
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continuing forever
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Perplexing
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puzzling, bewildering
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Personification
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act of attributing human qualities to objects or abstract qualities
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Perspicacious
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shrewd, astute, keen-witted
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Pert
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lively and bold
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Pertinacious
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persistent, stubborn
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Pertinent
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applicable, appropriate
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Perturbation
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disturbance
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Perusal
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close examination
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Pervasive
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present throughout
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Pervert (v)
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to cause to change in immoral way; to misuse
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Pestilence
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epidemic, plague
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Pettish
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fretful
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Petulance
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rudeness, peevishness
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Phalanx
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massed group of soldiers, people, or things
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Philanderer
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pursuer of casual love affairs
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Philanthropy
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love of humanity; generosity to worthy causes
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Philistine
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narrow-minded person, someone lacking appreciation for art or culture
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Philology
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study of words
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Phlegm
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coldness or indifference
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Phlegmatic
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clam in temperament; sluggish
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Phobia
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anxiety, horror
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Phoenix
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mythical, immortal bird that lives for 500 years, burns itself to death, and rises from its ashes
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Phoentics
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study of speech sounds
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Phonic
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relating to sound
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Picayune
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petty, of little value
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Piddling
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trivial
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Piety
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devoutness
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Pilfer
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to steal
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Pillage
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to loot, especially during a war
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Pillory
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ridicule and abuse
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Pinnacle
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peak, highest point of development
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Pious
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dedicated, devout, extremely religious
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Pique
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fleeting, feeling of hurt pride
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Pithy
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profound, substantial; concise, succinct, to the point
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Pittance
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meager amount or wage
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Placate
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to soothe or pacify
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Placid
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calm
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Plagiarist
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one who steals words or ideas
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Plaintiff
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injured person in a lawsuit
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Plaintive
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expressing sorrow
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Plait
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to braid
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Plangent
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loud sound; wailing sound
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Plastic
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flexible; pliable
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Platitude
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stale, overused expression
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Plaudit
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applause
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Plebeian
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crude, vulgar; low-class
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Plenitude
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abundance, plenty
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Plethora
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excess, overabundance
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Pliant
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pliable, yielding
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Pluck
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to pull strings on musical instrument
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Plucky
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courageous, spunky
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Plummet
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to fall, plunge
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Pluralistic
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including a variety of groups
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Ply (v)
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to use diligently; to engage; to join together
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Pneumatic
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relating to air; worked by compressed air
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Poach
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to steal game or fish; cook in boiling liquid
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Podium
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platform or lectern for orchestra conductors or speakers
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Poignant
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emotionally moving
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Polar
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relating to a geographic pole; exhibiting contrast
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Polarize
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to tend towards opposite extremes
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Polemic
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controversy, argument; verbal attack
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Politic
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shrewd and practical; diplomatic
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Polyglot
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speaker of many languages
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Pompous
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self-important
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Ponderous
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weighty, heavy, large
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Pontificate
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to speak in a pretentious manner
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Pore (v)
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to study closely or meditatively
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Porous
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full of holes, permeable to liquids
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Portent
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omen
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Portly
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stout, dignified
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Posit
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to put in position; to suggest an idea
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Posterior
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bottom, rear
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Posterity
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future generations; all of a person's descendants
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Potable
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drinkable
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Potentate
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monarch or rule with great power
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Poverty
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lacking money or possession
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Pragmatic
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practical; moved by facts rather than abstract ideals
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Prattle
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meaningless, foolish talk
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Precarious
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uncertain
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Precept
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principle; law
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Precipice
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edge, steep overhang
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Precipitate (adj)
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sudden and unexpected
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Precipitate (v)
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to throw down from a height; to cause to happen
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Precipitous
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hasty, quickly, with too little caution
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Precis
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short summary of facts
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Precision
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state of being precise; exactness
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Preclude
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to rule out
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Precocious
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unusually advanced at an early age
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Precursor
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forerunner, predecessor
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Predator
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one that preys on others, destroyer, plunderer
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Predestine
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to decide in advance
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Predicament
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difficult situation
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Predicate (v)
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to found or base on
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Predictive
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relating to prediction, indicative of the future
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Predilection
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preference, liking
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Predisposition
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tendency, inclination
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Preeminent
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celebrated, distinguished
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Preface
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introduction to a book; introductory remarks to a speech
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Premeditate
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to consider, plan beforehand
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Premonition
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forewarning; presentiment
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Preponderance
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majority in number; dominance
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Prepossessing
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attractive, engaging, appealing
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Preposterous
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absurd, illogical
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Presage
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to foretell, indicate in advance
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Prescient
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having foresight
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Prescribe
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to set down a rule; to recommend a treatment
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Presentiment
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premonition, sense of foreboding
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Prestidigitation
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sleight of hand
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Presumptuous
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rude, improperly bold
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Pretentious
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showy, self-important
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Pretext
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excuse, pretended reason
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Prevalent
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widespread
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Prevaricate
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to lie, evade the truth
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Primeval
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ancient, primitive
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Primordial
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original, existing from the beginning
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Pristine
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untouched, uncorrupted
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Privation
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lack of usual necessities or comforts
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Probity
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honesty, high-mindedness
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Proclivity
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tendency, inclination
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Procrastination
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putting off something that must be done
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Procrastinator
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one who continually and unjustifiable postpones
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Procure
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to obtain
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Prodigal
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wasteful, extravagant, lavish
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Prodigious
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vast, enormous, extraordinary
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Profane
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impure; contrary to religion; sacrilegious
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Proficient
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expert, skilled in a certain subject
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Profligate
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corrupt, degenerate
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Profundity
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great depth
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Profuse
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lavish, extravagant
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Progenitor
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originator, forefather, ancestor in a direct line
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Progeny
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offspring, children
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Prognosis
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prediction of disease outcome; any prediction
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Prognosticate
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to predict
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Progressive
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favoring progress or change; moving forward
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Proliferation
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propagation, reproduction; enlargement, expansion
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Prolific
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productive, fertile
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Prolix
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tedious; wordy
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Prologue
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introductory section of a literary work or play
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Promontory
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piece of land or rock higher than its surroundings
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Promulgate
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to make known publicly
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Propagate
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to breed
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Propensity
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inclination, tendency
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Propinquity
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nearness
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Propitiate
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to win over, appease
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Propitious
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favorable, advantageous
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Proponent
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advocate, defender, supporter
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Propriety
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appropriateness
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Prosaic
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relating to prose; dull, commonplace
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Proscribe
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to condemn; to forbid, outlaw
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Prose
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ordinary language used in everyday speech
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Prosecutor
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person who initiates a legal action or suit
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Proselytize
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to convert to a particular belief or religion
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Prostrate
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lying face downward, lying flat on the ground
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Protagonist
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main character in a play or story, hero
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Protean
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readily assuming different forms or characters
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Protestation
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declaration
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Protocol
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ceremony and manners observed by diplomats
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Protract
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to prolong, draw out, extend
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Protrusion
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something that sticks out
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Provident
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prudent, frugal
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Providential
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prudent, lucky
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Provincial
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rustic, unsophisticated, limited in scope
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Provocation
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cause, incitement to act or respond
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Prowess
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bravery, skill
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Proximity
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nearness
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Proxy
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power to act as substitute for another
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Prude
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one who is excessively proper or modest
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Prudent
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careful, cautious
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Prurient
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lustful, exhibiting lewd desires
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Pry
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to intrude into; force open
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Pseudonym
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pet name; fictitious or borrowed name
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Psychic (adj)
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having to do with the mind; perceptive of nonmaterial, spiritual forces
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Pudgy
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chubby, overweight
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Puerile
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childish, immature, silly
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Pugilism
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boxing
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Pugnacious
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quarrelsome, eager and ready to fight
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Pulchritude
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beauty
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Pulverize
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to pound, crush, or grind into powder; destroy
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Pummel
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to pound, beat
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Punctilious
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careful in observing rules of behavior or ceremony
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Pundit
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an authority or critic
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Pungent
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strong or sharp in smell or taste
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Punitive
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having to do with punishment
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Purgation
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process of cleansing, purification
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Purge (v)
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to cleanse or free from impurities
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Puritanical
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adhering to a rigid moral code
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Purport
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to profess, suppose, claim
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Pusillanimous
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cowardly
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Putrid
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rotten
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