Hit Parade: Week 3 Vocabulary

Front 1

bombastic (adj)

Back 1

given to pompous speech or writing

The principal's bombastic speech bombed in the eyes of the students; it only furthered their impression of him as a pompous jerk.

Front 2

ebullience (n)

Back 2

intense enthusiasm

A sense of ebullience swept over the lacrosse fans crowd when their team won the game.

Front 3

embellish (v)

Back 3

to ornament or decorate; to exaggerate

One can never trust that Anwar's stories are realistic; his details are almost always embellished so that his experiences sound more interesting than they really are.

Front 4

exorbitant (adj)

Back 4

exceeding all bounds, as of custom or fairness

I wanted to buy a Porsche, but the price was exorbitant, so instead I purchased a used mail truck.

Front 5

exuberant (adj)

Back 5

full of unrestrained enthusiasm or joy

William was exuberant when he found out that he'd gotten into the college of his choice.

Front 6

flagrant (adj)

Back 6

extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable

Burning the flag shows flagrant disrespect for the country.

Front 7

gratuitous (adj)

Back 7

given freely; unnecessary

The film as full of gratuitous sex and violence inessential to the story.

Front 8

lavish (adj)

Back 8

extravagant

Laura's wedding was a lavish affair, with six Djs, two elephants, and a large ice sculpture of the couple.

Front 9

lugubrious (adj)

Back 9

mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree

Lucas's lugubrious eulogy for his pet lobster quickly became ridiculous.

Front 10

opulent (adj)

Back 10

displaying great wealth

The ophthalmologist's opulent home was the envy of his friends; the crystal chandeliers, marble floors, and teak furniture must have cost a fortune.

Front 11

ornate (adj)

Back 11

elaborately decorated

The wood carvings were so ornate that you could examine them many times and still notice things you had not seen before.

Front 12

penchant (n)

Back 12

a strong inclination or liking

Penny's penchant for chocolate-covered ants led her to munch on them all day.

Front 13

redundant (adj)

Back 13

needlessly repetitive

The author's speech was terribly redundant, repeating the same phrases, saying the same thing over and over, and constantly reiterating the same point.

Front 14

ubiquitous (adj)

Back 14

being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent

Kenny had a ubiquitous little sister; whenever he turned, there she was.

Front 15

vicarious (adj)

Back 15

felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another

Stan, who was never athletic but loved sports, lived vicariously through his brother, a professional basketball player.

Front 16

vignette (n)

Back 16

a short scene or story

The poodle vignette in new film expresses the true meaning of Valentine's Day.

Front 17

amalgam (n)

Back 17

a combination of diverse elements; a mixture

The song was an amalgam of many different styles, from blues to hip hop to folk.

Front 18

inundate (v)

Back 18

to overwhelm as if with a flood; to swamp

The day after the ad ran, Martha was inundated with phone calls.

Front 19

multifarious (adj)

Back 19

diverse; various

The multifarious achievements of Leonardo da Vinci, ranging from architecture and painting to philosophy and science, are unparalleled in our century.

Front 20

multiplicity (n)

Back 20

state of being various or manifold; a great number

A multiplicity of views is essential to a healthy multicultural democracy.

Front 21

alleviate (v)

Back 21

to ease a pain or burden

Alvin mediated to alleviate the pain from the headache he got after taking the SAT.

Front 22

ameliorate (v)

Back 22

to make something better; improve

Winning a silver medal quickly ameliorated Amelia's angst at losing the gold.

Front 23

beneficial (adj)

Back 23

producing or promoting a favorable result; helpful

According to my doctor, tea's beneficial effects may include reducing anxiety.

Front 24

curative (adj)

Back 24

able to heal or cure

The aloe had a curative effect on my sunburn; within hours, the flaking had stopped.

Front 25

palliative (n)

Back 25

relieving or soothing the symptoms of a disease or disorder without effecting a cure

Watching professional polo on TV became a palliative for the screaming child; it was the only thing that would quiet him.

Front 26

therapeutic (adj)

Back 26

having or exhibiting healing powers

The therapeutic air of the Mediterranean cured Thomas of his asthma.

Front 27

complement (n)

Back 27

something that completes, goes with, or brings to perfection

The lovely computer is the perfect complement to the modern furnishings in Abby's apartment.

Front 28

epitome (n)

Back 28

a representative or example of a type

Se is the epitome of selflessness; no matter how much or little she has, she always gives to others.

Front 29

felicitous (adj)

Back 29

admirable suited; apt

Jamie Foxx made a felicitous speech when he won his Oscar.

Front 30

belie (v)

Back 30

to misrepresent

He smiled in order to belie his hostility.

Front 31

debunk (v)

Back 31

to expose untruths, shams, or exaggerated claims

The university administration debunked the myth that bunk beds are only for children by installing them in every dorm on campus.

Front 32

dubious (adj)

Back 32

doubtful; of unlikely authenticity

Jerry's dubious claim that he could fly like Superman didn't win him any summer job offers.

Front 33

duplicitous (adj)

Back 33

deliberately deceptive

The duplicitous man duplicated hundred dollar bills and gave the counterfeits to unsuspecting vendors.

Front 34

fabricate (v)

Back 34

to make up in order to deceive

Fabio fabricated the story that he used to play drums for Metallica; he has never actually held a drumstick in his life.

Front 35

fallacy (n)

Back 35

a false notion

The idea that there is only one college for you is a fallacy.

Front 36

mendacious (adj)

Back 36

lying; untruthful

John's mendacious statements on the stand sealed his fate; he was found guilty of lying to the court about his role in the crime.

Front 37

specious (adj)

Back 37

having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually false

Susie's specious argument seemed to make sense, but when I looked more closely, it was clearly illogical.

Front 38

ambiguous (adj)

Back 38

open to more than one interpretation

Big's eyes were an ambiguous color: In some lights they looked brown, and in others, green.

Front 39

ambivalent (adj)

Back 39

simultaneously feeling opposing feelings; uncertain

Amy felt ambivalent about her dance class: On one hand , she enjoyed the exercise, but on the other, the choice of dances bored her.

Front 40

apathetic (adj)

Back 40

feeling or showing little emotion

The apathetic students didn't even bother to vote for class president.

Front 41

capricious (adj)

Back 41

impulsive and unpredictable

The referee's capricious behavior angered the players; he would call a foul for minor contact, but ignore elbowing or kicking.

Front 42

equivocal (adj)

Back 42

open to two or more interpretations and often intended to mislead; ambiguous (antonym: unequivocal)

The politician made so many equivocal statements during the scandal that no one could be sure what, if anything, he had admitted to.

Front 43

erratic (adj)

Back 43

markedly inconsistent

Erroll's erratic behavior made it difficult for his friends to predict what he would do in a given moment.

Front 44

impetuous (adj)

Back 44

suddenly and forcefully energetic or emotional; impulsive and passionate

Mr. Limpet was so impetuous that we never knew what he would do next.

Front 45

impetus (n)

Back 45

an impelling force or stimulus

A looming deadline provided Imelda with the impetus she needed to finish her research paper.

Front 46

sporadic (adj)

Back 46

occurring at irregular intervals; having no pattern or order in time

Storms in Florida are sporadic; it's hard to predict when they're going to occur.

Front 47

vacillate (v)

Back 47

to sway from one side to the other; oscillate

The cook vacillated between favoring chicken and preferring fish; he just couldn't decide which to prepare.

Front 48

whimsical (adj)

Back 48

characterized by whim; unpredictable

Egbert rarely behaved as expected; indeed, he was a whimsical soul whose every decision was anybody's guess.

Front 49

flag (v)

Back 49

to decline in vigor or strength; to tire; to droop

After several days climbing mountains in pouring rain our enthusiasm for the hiking trip began to flag.

Front 50

jaded (adj)

Back 50

worn out; wearied

Jade's experiences had jaded her; she no longer believed that the junk stacked in her garage was going to make her rich.