In My Own Words (And Phrases)

Front 1

abdicate

Back 1

1. (of a monarch) renounce one's throne.

Hint 1

2. fail to fulfill or undertake (a responsibility or duty).

Front 2

abnegate

Back 2

renounce or reject (something desired or valuable).

Front 3

abrogate

Back 3

repeal or do away with (a law, right, or formal agreement).

Front 4

abstemious

Back 4

not self-indulgent, especially when eating and drinking.

Front 5

abstruse

Back 5

difficult to understand; obscure.

Front 6

accession

Back 6

1. the attainment or acquisition of a position of rank or power, typically that of monarch or president.

Hint 6

2. a new item added to an existing collection of books, paintings, or artifacts.

Front 7

acrimony

Back 7

bitterness or ill feeling.

Front 8

affinity

Back 8

A spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for someone or something.

Front 9

ailurophile

Back 9

a cat lover.

Front 10

altruism

Back 10

the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others.

Front 11

anathema

Back 11

1. something or someone that one vehemently dislikes.

Hint 11

2. a formal curse by a pope or a council of the Church, excommunicating a person or denouncing a doctrine.

Front 12

animus

Back 12

1. hostility or ill feeling.

Hint 12

2. motivation to do something.

Front 13

anodyne

Back 13

1. serving to alleviate pain

Hint 13

2. not likely to offend or arouse tensions : innocuous

Front 14

antecedent

Back 14

n. a thing or event that existed before or logically precedes another.

Hint 14

a. preceding in time or order; previous or preexisting

Front 15

apoplectic

Back 15

overcome with anger; extremely indignant

Front 16

apotheosis

Back 16

the highest point in the development of something; culmination or climax.

Front 17

arrogate

Back 17

take or claim (something) without justification.

Front 18

assail

Back 18

make a concerted or violent attack on.

Front 19

attenuated

Back 19

unnaturally thin.

Front 20

autological word (also called homological word)

Back 20

a word expressing a property which it also possesses itself (e.g.., the word "short" is short.)

Front 21

avarice

Back 21

extreme greed for wealth or material gain.

Front 22

beleaguer

Back 22

1. lay siege to.

Hint 22

2. beset with difficulties.

Front 23

bucolic

Back 23

1. of or relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life.

Hint 23

2. a pastoral poem

Front 24

cant

Back 24

1. hypocritical and sanctimonious talk, typically of a moral, religious, or political nature.

Hint 24

2. denoting a phrase or catchword temporarily current or in fashion.

Front 25

casuistry

Back 25

The use of clever but unsound reasoning, especially in relation to moral questions; sophistry

Front 26

censure

Back 26

v. express severe disapproval of (someone or something), typically in a formal statement.

Hint 26

n. the expression of formal disapproval.

Front 27

cognate

Back 27

In linguistics, cognates are words that have a common etymological origin.

Front 28

colonadde

Back 28

a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building.

Hint 28

Front 29

colloquial

Back 29

used in ordinary conversation; not formal or literary.

Front 30

comensurate

Back 30

1: equal in measure or extent : coextensive

Hint 30

2: corresponding in size, extent, amount, or degree : proportionate

Front 31

commiserate

Back 31

express or feel sympathy or pity; sympathize.

Front 32

compunction

Back 32

1. a feeling of guilt or moral scruple that follows the doing of something bad.

Hint 32

2. a pricking of the conscience.

Front 33

concatenation

Back 33

a series of interconnected things or events.

Front 34

conflate

Back 34

combine (two or more texts, ideas, etc.) into one.

Front 35

connubial

Back 35

of or relating to marriage or the relationship of a married couple; conjugal.

Front 36

consubstantial

Back 36

of the same substance or essence (used especially of the three persons of the Trinity in Christian theology).

Front 37

contrite

Back 37

1. Arising from sense of guilt: done or said out of a sense of guilt or remorse.

Hint 37

2. Very sorry: genuinely and deeply sorry about something

Front 38

corporeal

Back 38

of or relating to a person's body, esp. as opposed to their spirit.

Front 39

corpuscle

Back 39

1. a minute body or cell in an organism, esp. a red or white cell in the blood of vertebrates.

Front 40

craven

Back 40

having or showing a complete lack of courage : very cowardly

Front 41

credulous

Back 41

having or showing too great a readiness to believe things.

Front 42

culpable

Back 42

deserving blame.

Front 43

denuded

Back 43

strip (something) of its covering, possessions, or assets; make bare.

Front 44

deprecate

Back 44

1. express disapproval of.
synonyms: deplore, abhor, disapprove of, frown on, take a dim view of, take exception to, detest, despise

Hint 44

2. another term for depreciate

Front 45

detritus

Back 45

waste or debris of any kind.

gravel, sand, silt, or other material produced by erosion.

organic matter produced by the decomposition of organisms.

Front 46

diaphanous

Back 46

(especially of fabric) light, delicate, and translucent.

Front 47

dichotomy

Back 47

a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

Front 48

dissemble

Back 48

conceal one's true motives, feelings, or beliefs.

Front 49

dulcet

Back 49

(especially of sound) sweet and soothing (often used ironically).

Front 50

ecclesiastical

Back 50

1. of or relating to a church especially as an established institution

Hint 50

2. suitable for use in a church

Front 51

embrocation

Back 51

a liquid used for rubbing on the body to relieve pain from sprains and strains.

Front 52

entablature

Back 52

the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals.

Hint 52

Front 53

ephemeral

Back 53

lasting for a very short time.

Front 54

epistemology

Back 54

the study or a theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge especially with reference to its limits and validity

Front 55

epistolary

Back 55

relating to or denoting the writing of letters or literary works in the form of letters.

Front 56

epithet

Back 56

an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.

Front 57

equivocation

Back 57

The use of ambiguous language to conceal the truth or to avoid committing oneself; prevarication.

Front 58

eschew

Back 58

deliberately avoid using; abstain from.

Front 59

ethereal

Back 59

extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.

Front 60

euhemerism

Back 60

Attempt to find a historical basis for mythical beings and events. It takes its name from Euhemerus (fl. 300 BC), a Greek scholar who examined popular mythology in his Sacred History and asserted that the gods originated as heroes or conquerors who were admired and later deified. Though modern scholars do not accept euhemerism as the sole explanation for the origin of gods, it is thought to be valid in some cases.

Front 61

exculpatory

Back 61

tending or serving to exculpate; exonerate

Front 62

expiate

Back 62

atone for (guilt or sin)

Front 63

extensible

Back 63

1. able to be extended; extendable.

Hint 63

2. relating to a programming language or a system that can be modified by changing or adding features.

Front 64

extirpate

Back 64

1. to remove or destroy totally; do away with; exterminate.

Hint 64

2. to pull up by or as if by the roots; root up:

Front 65

facile

Back 65

1. (esp. of a theory or argument) appearing neat and comprehensive only by ignoring the true complexities of an issue; superficial.

Hint 65

2. (of success, esp. in sports) easily achieved; effortless.

Front 66

fetter

Back 66

1. restrain with chains or manacles, typically around the ankles.

Hint 66

2. restrict or restrain (someone) in an unfair or undesirable fashion.

Front 67

fleeting

Back 67

lasting for a very short time.

Front 68

forbearance

Back 68

patient self-control; restraint and tolerance.

Front 69

fugacious

Back 69

tending to disappear; fleeting.

Front 70

fulminate

Back 70

1. To make a verbal attack

Hint 70

2. To issue as a denunciation.

Front 71

gambol

Back 71

run or jump about playfully.

Front 72

glib

Back 72

(of words or the person speaking them) fluent and voluble but insincere and shallow.

Front 73

halcyon

Back 73

denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful.

Front 74

haughty

Back 74

arrogantly superior and disdainful.

Front 75

heterological word

Back 75

a word that does not apply to itself (e.g., "long" is not long.)

Front 76

iconoclast

Back 76

1. a person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions.

Hint 76

2. a destroyer of images used in religious worship, in particular.

Front 77

ignoble

Back 77

not honorable in character or purpose; shameful.

Front 78

illucidate

Back 78

make (something) clear; explain.

Front 79

imbrication

Back 79

an overlapping of edges (as of tiles or scales)

Hint 79

Front 80

imbroglio

Back 80

an extremely confused, complicated, or embarrassing situation.

Front 81

impinge

Back 81

have an effect or impact, esp. a negative one.

Front 82

incisive

Back 82

Intelligently analytical and clear-thinking.

Front 83

ingratiate

Back 83

1. bring oneself into favor with someone by flattering or trying to please them.

Front 84

internecine

Back 84

1. destructive to both sides in a conflict.

Hint 84

2. of or relating to conflict within a group or organization.

Front 85

interstice

Back 85

an intervening space, especially a very small one.

Front 86

invective

Back 86

insulting, abusive, or highly critical language.

Front 87

irascible

Back 87

characterized by or arising from anger.

Front 88

jurisprudence

Back 88

the theory or philosophy of law.

Front 89

juxtaposition

Back 89

the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.

Front 90

licentious

Back 90

promiscuous and unprincipled. Lacking moral discipline.

Front 91

lingua franca

Back 91

a language systematically (as opposed to occasionally, or casually) used to make communication possible between persons not sharing a native language, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both native languages.

Hint 91

a.k.a. "bridge language" or "vehicular language"

Front 92

loquacious

Back 92

tending to talk a great deal; talkative.

Front 93

magnanimous

Back 93

very generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself.

Front 94

minima

Back 94

plural of minimum.

Front 95

mordant

Back 95

(especially of humor) having or showing a sharp or critical quality; biting.

Front 96

nescient

Back 96

lacking knowledge; ignorant.

Front 97

obfuscation

Back 97

(or beclouding) is the hiding of intended meaning in communication, making communication confusing, wilfully ambiguous, and harder to interpret.

Front 98

oblation

Back 98

a thing presented or offered to God or a god.

Front 99

obsequious

Back 99

obedient or attentive to an excessive degree.

Front 100

obviate

Back 100

to remove (a need or difficulty).

Front 101

ontology

Back 101

1: a branch of metaphysics concerned with the nature and relations of being

Hint 101

2: a particular theory about the nature of being or the kinds of things that have existence

Front 102

orthogonal

Back 102

1. of or involving right angles; at right angles.

Hint 102

2. (of variates) statistically independent.

Front 103

ostensible

Back 103

stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so.

Front 104

ostentatious

Back 104

characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice.

Front 105

pallid

Back 105

1. (of a person's face) pale, typically because of poor health.

Hint 105

2. feeble or insipid.

Front 106

parse

Back 106

1. To break (a sentence) down into its component parts of speech with an explanation of the form, function, and syntactical relationship of each part.
2. To describe (a word) by stating its part of speech, form, and syntactical relationships in a sentence.

Hint 106

3. To examine closely or subject to detailed analysis, especially by breaking up into components

Front 107

parsimony

Back 107

extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resources.

Front 108

pediment

Back 108

1. the triangular upper part of the front of a building in classical style, typically surmounting a portico of columns.

Hint 108

2. a broad, gently sloping expanse of rock debris extending outward from the foot of a mountain slope, especially in a desert.

Front 109

penury

Back 109

extreme poverty; destitution

Front 110

perdition

Back 110

(in Christian theology) a state of eternal punishment and damnation into which a sinful and unpenitent person passes after death.

Front 111

perfunctory

Back 111

(of an action or gesture) carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection.

Front 112

pernicious

Back 112

having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.

Front 113

perspicacious

Back 113

1. acutely perceptive or discerning

Hint 113

2. having keen eyesight

Front 114

piquant

Back 114

1. having a pleasantly sharp taste or appetizing flavor.

Hint 114

2. pleasantly stimulating or exciting to the mind.

Front 115

plebeian

Back 115

(in ancient Rome) a commoner.

Front 116

polemic

Back 116

a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something.

Front 117

portend

Back 117

be a sign or warning that (something, esp. something momentous or calamitous) is likely to happen.

Front 118

portent

Back 118

A sign or warning that something significant is likely to happen.

Front 119

portico

Back 119

(from Italian) a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls.

Hint 119

Front 120

portmanteau

Back 120

a combination of two (or more) words or morphemes, and their definitions, into one new word.

Front 121

prescient

Back 121

having or showing knowledge of events before they take place; foresight.

Front 122

recondite

Back 122

little known, obscure, abstruse.

Front 123

rectitude

Back 123

morally correct behavior or thinking; righteousness.

Front 124

recursion

Back 124

1. the process of repeating items in a self-similar way.

Hint 124

2. a method of defining functions in which the function being defined is applied within its own definition.

Front 125

refudiate

Back 125

to repudiate, to oppose

Front 126

refulgent

Back 126

shining, brilliant, or radiant

Front 127

remiss

Back 127

lacking care or attention to duty; negligent.

Front 128

remit (verb)

Back 128

1. cancel or refrain from exacting or inflicting (a debt or punishment).

Hint 128

2. send (money) in payment or as a gift.

Front 129

remit (noun)

Back 129

1. the task or area of activity officially assigned to an individual or organization.

Hint 129

2. an item referred to someone for consideration.

Front 130

repudiate

Back 130

1. refuse to accept or be associated with.

Hint 130

2. deny the truth or validity of.

Front 131

respite

Back 131

a short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant.

Front 132

riposte (can be used as noun or verb)

Back 132

1. a quick clever reply to an insult or criticism.

Hint 132

2. a quick return thrust following a parry.

Front 133

riven

Back 133

to divide or split (something) especially in a forceful or violent way.

Front 134

sagacious

Back 134

having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgment; shrewd.

Front 135

salient

Back 135

1. most noticeable or important.

Hint 135

2.

HERALDRY

(of an animal) standing on its hind legs with the forepaws raised, as if leaping.

Front 136

sanctimonious

Back 136

making a show of being morally superior to other people.

Front 137

sanguine

Back 137

v. optimistic or positive, esp. in an apparently bad or difficult situation.

Hint 137

n. a blood-red color.

Front 138

sardonic

Back 138

grimly mocking or cynical.

Front 139

secular

Back 139

denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.

Front 140

sedition

Back 140

conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch.

Front 141

Septuagint

Back 141

a translation of the Hebrew Bible and some related texts into Koine Greek. The title and its Roman numeral acronym LXX refer to the legendary seventy Jewish scholars who completed the translation as early as the late 2nd century BCE. As the primary Greek translation of the Old Testament, it is also called the Greek Old Testament

Front 142

servility

Back 142

an excessive willingness to serve or please others.

Front 143

sobriquet

Back 143

a person's nickname.

Front 144

sophistry

Back 144

The use of fallacious arguments, especially with the intention of deceiving.

Front 145

spurious

Back 145

1. not being what it purports to be; false or fake.

Hint 145

2. (of a line of reasoning) apparently but not actually valid.

Front 146

stultify

Back 146

1. cause to lose enthusiasm and initiative, especially as a result of a tedious or restrictive routine.

Hint 146

2. cause (someone) to appear foolish or absurd.

Front 147

supersede

Back 147

to take the place of (a person or thing previously in authority or use); supplant.

Front 148

tacit

Back 148

understood or implied without being stated.

Front 149

tenable

Back 149

1. able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection.

Hint 149

2. (of an office, position, scholarship, etc.) able to be held or used.

Front 150

tendentious

Back 150

expressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view, especially a controversial one.

Front 151

tenuous

Back 151

very weak or slight; insubstantial.

Front 152

timorous

Back 152

Showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of confidence.

Front 153

titch

Back 153

1. a small person

Hint 153

2. a small amount

Front 154

unctuous

Back 154

excessively or ingratiatingly flattering.

Front 155

verdant

Back 155

(of countryside) green with grass or other rich vegetation.

Front 156

vicissitude

Back 156

1. a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant.

Front 157

vilify

Back 157

speak or write about in an abusively disparaging manner.

Front 158

vitiate

Back 158

spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of.

Front 159

vituperative

Back 159

bitter and abusive.

Front 160

vociferous

Back 160

vehement or clamorous