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399 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Abate |
Decrease |
|
Abdicate |
To give up a position |
|
Abberant |
Deviating from norm |
|
abeyance |
temporary suppression or suspension |
|
abject |
miserable; pitiful |
|
abjure |
to reject; abandon formally |
|
abscission |
the act of cutting; the natural separation of a leaf or other part of a plant |
|
abscise |
to cut off |
|
abscond |
to depart secretly |
|
abstemious |
moderate in appetite, self denying; refraining from indulging |
|
abstinence |
the giving up of certain pleasures |
|
Abhor |
hate |
|
Bigot |
narrow-minded, prejudiced person |
|
Counterfeit |
fake; false |
|
Enfranchise |
give voting rights |
|
Hamper |
hinder; obstruct |
|
Kindle |
to start a fire |
|
Noxious |
harmful; poisonous; lethal |
|
Placid |
calm; peaceful |
|
Remuneration |
payment for work done |
|
Talisman |
lucky charm |
|
Abrasive |
rough; coarse; harsh |
|
Bilk |
cheat; defraud |
|
Covert |
hidden; undercover |
|
Engender |
cause |
|
Hangar |
storage area (like garage) for a plane |
|
Knotty |
complex; difficult to solve |
|
Nuance |
something subtle; a fine shade of meaning |
|
Plagiarism |
taking credit for someone else's writing or ideas |
|
Renown |
fame |
|
Tangent |
going off the main subject |
|
Abasement
|
humiliation; degradation
|
|
Billowing
|
swelling; fluttering; waving
|
|
Cower
|
recoil in fear or servility; shrink away from
|
|
Enhance
|
improve; make better or clearer
|
|
Harangue
|
noisy, attacking speech
|
|
Labyrinth
|
a maze
|
|
Nullify
|
to counter; make unimportant
|
|
Plaintiff
|
petitioner (in court of law)
|
|
Replete
|
full
|
|
Tangible
|
can be touched
|
|
Abrogate
|
cancel; deny; repeal
|
|
Blasphemy
|
speech which offends religious sentiments
|
|
Credible
|
believable
|
|
Enigma
|
puzzle; mystery
|
|
Harbingers
|
indicators; bringers of warnings
|
|
Labyrinthine
|
complicated; highly convoluted
|
|
Nuzzle
|
cuddle; snuggle
|
|
Harbingers |
indicators; bringers of warnings |
|
Reprehensible
|
shameful; very bad
|
|
Tardy
|
slow; late; overdue; delayed
|
|
Absolution |
forgiveness; pardon; release |
|
Blatant |
obvious |
|
Creditable |
praiseworthy |
|
Ensconce |
establish firmly in a position |
|
Hasten |
hurry; accelerate; rush |
|
Laceration |
a cut |
|
Ensconce |
establish firmly in a position |
|
Plausible |
believable, likely, convincing, reliable |
|
Reprieve |
a respite; postponement of a sentence |
|
Tawdry |
showy but cheap and of poor quality; gaudy |
|
Abstain |
desist; go without; withdraw; refrain |
|
Reprieve |
a respite; postponement of a sentence |
|
Credulous |
gullible; ready to believe anything |
|
Abstain |
desist; go without; withdraw; hold back from doing |
|
Haughtiness |
arrogance; pride |
|
Lachrymose |
tearful; sad |
|
Enshroud |
cover, wrap |
|
Haughtiness |
arrogance; pride |
|
Repudiate |
shun; eschew; refuse |
|
Tedium |
boredom |
|
Blithe |
free-spirited; carefree; merry |
|
Crepuscular |
active at dawn and dusk |
|
Enunciation |
clear pronunciation; accent; articulation |
|
Headstrong |
stubborn; willful |
|
Lackluster |
dull; monotonous; bland |
|
Objective |
unbiased; not subjective |
|
Pliable |
flexible; not stubborn |
|
Rescind |
retract; repeal |
|
Temper |
to moderate; soften |
|
Abstruse |
difficult to understand; obscure |
|
Blunderbuss |
1. ancient weapon (type of gun); 2. a clumsy person |
|
Cringe |
recoil; flinch; shy away |
|
Envenom |
to cause bitterness and bad feeling |
|
Hedonism |
self indulgence; pleasure-seeking |
|
Laconic |
using few words; brief; to the point |
|
Oblique |
indirect; slanting |
|
Plumage |
feathers of a bird |
|
Resignation |
acceptance of fate |
|
Tenacious |
stubborn; resolute; holding firm to a purpose |
|
Accolade |
tribute; honor; praise |
|
Bolster |
support; prop up |
|
Cryptic |
puzzling; enigmatic |
|
Ephemeral |
short-lived |
|
Hedonist |
a pleasure seeker |
|
Lamentation |
expression of regret or sorrow |
|
Obliterate |
destroy; demolish; eradicate |
|
Plummet |
fall suddenly and steeply |
|
Resolution |
determination |
|
Tentative |
not certain |
|
Acquiesce |
to agree to; give in to |
|
Bombast |
arrogant, pompous language |
|
Curtail |
cut short, reduce |
|
Epicure |
someone who appreciates good food and drink |
|
Heed |
listen to |
|
Lampoon |
ridicule; spoof |
|
Oblivious |
totally unaware |
|
Podium |
raised platform |
|
Resonant |
echoing |
|
Tenuous |
flimsy; not solid |
|
Acrid |
sharp; pungent (used of smells and tastes) |
|
Boorish |
ill-mannered |
|
Cynical |
believing that people act only out of selfish motives |
|
Epistle |
a letter (form of communication), message |
|
Heresy |
against orthodox opinion |
|
Lance |
spear, spike |
|
Obscure |
difficult to understand; partially hidden |
|
Poignant |
deeply moving; strongly affecting the emotions |
|
Respite |
a break; intermission |
|
Terse |
concise; to the point, laconic |
|
Acrophobia |
fear of heights |
|
Bourgeois |
middle class |
|
Debility |
weakness; incapacity |
|
Epistolary |
concerned with letters; through correspondence |
|
Hiatus |
interruption; pause |
|
Languid |
tired; slow |
|
Obscured |
hidden; covered; buried |
|
Poised |
calm; collected; self-possessed |
|
Resplendent |
shining; glowing |
|
Therapeutic |
medicinal; curative |
|
Acuity |
sharpness (mental or visual) |
|
Braggart |
boaster |
|
Debunking |
exposing false claims or myths |
|
Epitomized |
typified; characterized; personified |
|
Hidebound |
rigid in opinions |
|
Languish |
decay; fade away; get weaker |
|
Obsequious |
servile; submissive |
|
Polemical |
causing debate or argument |
|
Restorative |
a tonic |
|
Thwart |
prevent; frustrate |
|
Adamant |
forceful; inflexible |
|
Brawny |
muscular, husky |
|
Decathlon |
an athletic competition with ten events |
|
Equivocate |
speak ambiguously; avoid telling the truth |
|
Hieroglyphics |
1. picture writing; 2. writing which is difficult to read or enigmatic |
|
Larceny |
theft; robbery; stealing |
|
Obsession |
a dominating concern |
|
Ponderous |
weighty; slow and heavy |
|
Retention |
preservation; withholding |
|
Equivocate |
speak ambiguously; avoid telling the truth |
|
Adroit |
skilful |
|
Brevity |
being brief |
|
Decorum |
dignified, correct behavior [decorous (a)] |
|
Err |
make a mistake |
|
Hinder |
obstruct |
|
Largess |
generosity |
|
Obsolete |
no longer valid |
|
Pontificate |
speak pompously or dogmatically |
|
Reticent |
restrained; holding something back;uncommunicative |
|
Tirade |
stream of verbal abuse |
|
Adversity |
hardship |
|
Broach |
start to discuss; approach |
|
Deference |
respect |
|
Esoteric |
obscure and difficult to understand |
|
Hoary |
old |
|
Lavish |
on a grand scale; wasteful |
|
Obtuse |
mentally dull |
|
Adulation |
strong admiration; worship; cringe, servility |
|
Bristle |
to show irritation |
|
Decoy |
lure; trap; trick |
|
Erratic |
wandering; irregular |
|
Histrionic |
theatrical; exaggerated |
|
Laud |
praise |
|
Portend |
foretell |
|
Obstreperous |
noisy and boisterous |
|
Retraction |
withdrawal; cancellation of a statement |
|
Titter |
giggle quietly |
|
Portent |
a warning sign; omen |
|
Revere |
worship |
|
Tome |
large book |
|
Advocate |
support |
|
Brusque |
blunt; abrupt |
|
Defoliate |
cause leaves to fall off |
|
Espouse |
promote; take up; support |
|
Hone |
sharpen; increase; whet |
|
Lax |
careless; not strict |
|
Obviate |
avoid; make unnecessary |
|
Poseur |
someone who puts on an act |
|
Riddled |
full of (usually full of holes) |
|
Torpid |
inactive; lazy; stagnant |
|
Aesthetic |
concerning art or beauty |
|
Bulwark |
fortification; barricade; wall |
|
Defunct |
no longer in existence, extinct |
|
Etymology |
the study of word origins |
|
Hyperbole |
grossly exaggerated speech |
|
Legend |
1. key to map; 2. myth or story |
|
Odious |
hateful |
|
Posterity |
future generations |
|
Rife |
common |
|
Torpor |
dormancy; sluggishness; inactivity |
|
Affable |
friendly; social; easygoing |
|
Bureaucracy |
officialdom |
|
Degradation |
deprivation; poverty; debasement |
|
Eulogy |
praise |
|
Hypochondriac |
a person obsessed with health; having imaginary illnesses |
|
Legion |
in large numbers |
|
Officious |
domineering; intrusive; meddlesome |
|
Posthumous |
after death |
|
Rigor |
thoroughness |
|
Totter |
walk unsteadily |
|
Exculpate |
exonerate |
|
illusory |
deceptive; false; misleading |
|
Lobbyist |
person who tries to persuade someone to support a particular cause |
|
Onus |
burden |
|
Precarious |
unstable; risky |
|
Sagacious |
wise |
|
Trepidation |
fear |
|
Amass |
accumulate |
|
Callow |
immature |
|
Depravity |
moral corruption |
|
Precarious |
unstable; risky |
|
Immoderate |
excessive; extreme |
|
Lofty |
snooty; arrogant; haughty |
|
Opaque |
does not let light through |
|
Precedent |
a previous occurrence used as a guide |
|
Sage |
a wise person |
|
Trinket |
something of little value; knick-knack |
|
Ambiguity |
uncertainty; vagueness |
|
Candid |
frank; honest |
|
Deprecate |
criticize; denounce |
|
Exegesis |
scholarly explanation or interpretation |
|
Immutable |
unchanging; permanent |
|
Longevity |
long life |
|
Opulent |
wealthy; rich; magnificent |
|
Precept |
guiding principle |
|
Salacious |
lecherous; erotic |
|
Trite |
unoriginal; dull; banal; cliche |
|
Ambiguous |
unclear in meaning; can be interpreted in different ways |
|
Candor |
frankness; openness |
|
Deride |
ridicule; make fun of; mock |
|
Exemplary |
outstandingly good; setting a fine example |
|
Impartial |
unbiased; neutral |
|
Loquacious |
talkative |
|
Ordain |
1. destine; 2. confer holy orders on a priest |
|
Precinct |
district of a city |
|
Sallow |
yellowish |
|
Trivial |
unimportant |
|
Alacrity |
eagerness; enthusiasm; quickness |
|
Burgeon |
grow; flourish; put forth new shoots |
|
Deleterious |
harmful |
|
Euphemism |
a polite phrase to cover something unpleasant |
|
Hypocritical |
insincere |
|
Lethargic |
tired; without energy |
|
Ogle |
stare at; observe in an obvious manner |
|
Postulate |
hypothesize; propose |
|
Robust |
strong; healthy; tough |
|
Tractable |
obedient; dutiful; polite |
|
Burnish |
polish |
|
Deliberate |
to think over deeply |
|
Euphony |
pleasant sounds |
|
Levity |
flippancy; joking about serious matters |
|
Olfactory |
concerned with the sense of smell |
|
Potable |
suitable for drinking |
|
Burnish |
polish |
|
Tranquil |
peaceful |
|
Alibi |
an excuse that shows someone was not at a crime scene |
|
Buttress |
strengthen; support |
|
Delineation |
demarcation; explanation; definition; outlining |
|
Potable |
suitable for drinking |
|
Idiosyncrasy |
a personal peculiarity; something unique to an individual |
|
Libertarian |
someone who opposes tyranny |
|
Ominous |
threatening |
|
Potent |
powerful; compelling; strong |
|
Ruminate |
think over something; ponder |
|
Transcribe |
copy |
|
Allay |
to lessen |
|
Libertarian |
someone who opposes tyranny |
|
Demur |
hesitate; refuse |
|
Exacerbate |
make worse |
|
Ignominious |
shameful |
|
Liniment |
soothing lotion |
|
Omnipotent |
all-powerful |
|
Pragmatic |
practical |
|
Ruse |
trick; stratagem |
|
Transgress |
go astray; disobey; commit a sin |
|
Alleviate |
make less severe |
|
Cacophony |
discordant loud noises |
|
Denounce |
condemn; speak out against |
|
Exasperated |
frustrated; annoyed |
|
Ignominy |
shame |
|
Lithe |
flexible; supple |
|
Omniscient |
all-knowing |
|
Pragmatist |
practical person; one who is concerned with usefulness |
|
Transient |
short-lived; ephemeral |
|
Aloof |
distant; detached; cold |
|
Cajole |
coax |
|
Deplete |
use up; lessen |
|
Exceptionable |
very bad (something which we should object to) |
|
Illuminate |
to light up or make clear |
|
Livid |
very angry |
|
Onerous |
burdensome; hard to undertake |
|
Introduction |
introductory material |
|
Sacrosanct |
very holy; inviolable |
|
Traverse |
to move across |
|
Caldron |
huge cooking pot |
|
Deplore |
regret |
|
Ambivalence |
lack of clarity; wavering; being undecided |
|
Cantankerous |
bad-tempered; quarrelsome |
|
Exemplify |
to serve as a good example |
|
Impecunious |
having no money |
|
Lucid |
clear |
|
Ornate |
highly decorated |
|
Precipice |
steep slope |
|
Salubrious |
health-giving |
|
Derogatory |
uncomplimentary |
|
Ambulatory |
able to walk around (used of hospital patients) |
|
Capacious |
spacious |
|
Desecrate |
to damage or pollute a holy place |
|
Exhaustive |
complete and thorough |
|
Impious |
wicked; profane |
|
Ludicrous |
ridiculous; silly |
|
Truant |
shirker; someone absent without permission |
|
Truncate |
cut short |
|
Ameliorate |
make better |
|
Capitulate |
surrender; give in to |
|
Impious |
wicked; profane |
|
Impoverished |
destitute; poor; exausted |
|
Lukewarm |
1. unenthusiastic; 2. neither hot nor cold |
|
Ossify |
1. turn to bone; 2. become fixed and rigid |
|
Salutary |
something which teaches you a lesson; beneficial |
|
Sanctimonious |
hypocritically holy |
|
Amelioration |
improvement |
|
Carping |
constant criticism |
|
Desist |
stop; discontinue; cease |
|
Exorcism |
getting free/rid of; eliminating (especially demons) |
|
Impromptu |
unrehearsed; spontaneous |
|
Lummox |
clumsy person |
|
Preclude |
prevent or make impossible |
|
Precocious |
developing early |
|
Sanction |
give approval to |
|
Turpitude |
depravity |
|
Amiable |
friendly |
|
Cartographer |
person who makes maps |
|
Expatriate |
refugee; emigrant; someone living away from his own country |
|
Lummox |
clumsy person |
|
Luscious |
juicy; moist; succulent |
|
Oust |
push out of a position |
|
Predecessor |
one who came before |
|
Sanguinary |
bloodthirsty; bloody |
|
Tyro |
novice; beginner |
|
Amity |
friendship |
|
Castigate |
scold strongly |
|
Destitution |
hardship; poverty; misery |
|
Expedient |
convenient; practical |
|
Incantation |
chant; invocation; prayer |
|
Oust |
push out of a position |
|
Overt |
obvious; not hidden |
|
Predicament |
dilemma; difficult situation |
|
Sanguine |
optimistic; cheerful |
|
Ubiquitous |
found everywhere; omnipresent |
|
Amorphous |
lacking in shape |
|
Catharsis |
purging of pent-up emotions |
|
Deter |
put off; prevent |
|
Expedite |
make faster |
|
Incarceration |
putting in prison |
|
Machinations |
plots and plans |
|
Overwrought |
worked up; in an emotional state |
|
Preeminent |
famous; outstanding |
|
Sardonic |
mocking |
|
Unalloyed |
undiluted; total |
|
Analgesic |
medicine to combat pain |
|
Caucus |
type of private political meeting |
|
Deteriorate |
worsen; decline |
|
Exposition |
clear explanation |
|
Incessant |
without stopping |
|
Maelstrom |
whirlpool; storm in the ocean |
|
Palatable |
good to eat; agreeable |
|
Prerogative |
right or privilege |
|
Savant |
person with knowledge |
|
Unctuous |
oily; using excessive flattery |
|
Analogous |
comparable |
|
Caustic |
burning |
|
Detrimental |
harmful |
|
Extol |
praise |
|
Incipient |
just beginning |
|
Magnanimous |
generous; big-hearted |
|
Palisade |
fence made of posts |
|
Prescient |
having fore-knowledge |
|
Scale |
to climb |
|
Undermined |
damaged; attacked |
|
Anarchy |
chaos; lack of government |
|
Cavalcade |
procession of vehicles |
|
Devoured |
greedily eaten/consumed |
|
Extradite |
deport from one country back to the home country |
|
Inclination |
tendency; a leaning toward |
|
Magnate |
powerful businessman |
|
Scapegoat |
person on whom blame is placed for faults of others |
|
Underscore |
emphasize |
|
Complimentary |
congratulatory, laudatory |