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40 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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bemused |
to cause (someone) to be confused and often also somewhat amused — usually used as (be) bemused He thought of himself as an ordinary man, and he was bemused by all the attention that he was receiving. — bemused adjective [more bemused; most bemused] She had a bemused expression/smile on her face. — bemusedly /bɪˈmuːzədli/ adverb She smiled bemusedly. — bemusement /bɪˈmjuːzmənt/ noun [noncount] She smiled in/with bemusement. |
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candid |
expressing opinions and feelings in an honest and sincere way He was quite candid about his past. a candid confession a refreshingly/remarkably candid interview She gave us her candid opinion on the matter. 2 photography : showing people acting in a natural way because they do not know that they are being photographed a candid snapshot — candidly adverb He stated his opinion candidly. She spoke candidly about some of the difficulties she had been experiencing. — candidness noun [noncount] He responded to the question with surprising candidness. [=(more commonly) candor] |
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Conciliatory |
intended to make someone less angry a conciliatory note/message/statement She tried to sound conciliatory in discussing the current controversy. |
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austere |
: simple or plain : not fancy They choose austere furnishings for the office. He was known for his austere style of writing. 2 of a person : having a serious and unfriendly quality Her father was an austere [=stern, unapproachable] figure. 3 : having few pleasures : simple and harsh They lived an austere life in the country. — austerely adverb an austerely furnished officd |
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deride |
to talk or write about (someone or something) in a very critical or insulting way : to say that (someone or something) is ridiculous or has no value politicians attempting to win votes by deriding [=belittling] their opponents — often + as One critic derides the book as dull and predictable. — often used as (be) derided For years women were derided as the weaker sex. |
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dilettante |
a person whose interest in an art or in an area of knowledge is not very deep or serious You can always tell a true expert from a dilettante. — dilettantish /ˈdɪləˌtɑːntɪʃ/ adjective [more dilettantish; most dilettantish] a dilettantish interest in the arts — dilettantism /ˈdɪləˌtɑːnˌtɪzəm/ Brit /ˌdɪləˈtæntɪzəm/ noun[noncount] |
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erudite |
having or showing knowledge that is learned by studying an erudite [=learned] scholar/professor/librarian an erudite essay — eruditely adverb |
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hapless |
having no luck : very unfortunate She plays the hapless heroine who is unlucky in love. — haplessly adverb the movie's haplessly ineffectual hero |
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indigent |
lacking money : very poor Because he was indigent, the court appointed a lawyer to defend him. The clinic provides free care for indigent patients. |
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nonplussed |
so surprised or confused by something that you do not know what to say, think, or do : perplexed He was nonplussed by his daughter's confession that she had stolen the CD. She looked slightly nonplussed at first but composed herself quickly. |
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onerous |
difficult and unpleasant to do or deal with an onerous chore/duty/task The government imposed onerous taxes on importsp |
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parochial |
always used before a noun : of or relating to a church parish and the area around it our pastor and other parochial leaders 2 [more parochial; most parochial] formal + usually disapproving :limited to only the things that affect your local area voters worried about their own parochial concerns a small town with a parochial [=narrow-minded, small-minded] point of view — parochialism /pəˈroʊkijəˌlɪzəm/ n |
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renege |
to refuse to do something that you promised or agreed to do They had promised to pay her tuition but later reneged. — usually + on They reneged on their promise to pay her tuition. |
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spurious |
not genuine, sincere, or authentic spurious [=fake] gems spurious [=insincere] kindness 2 : based on false ideas or bad reasoning spurious claims/justifications — spuriously adverb — spuriousness noun [noncount] |
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stilted |
awkward especially because of being too formal a stilted speech stilted dialogue/language |
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averse |
having a clear dislike of (something) : strongly opposed to (something) He seems to be averse to exercise. No one is more averse to borrowing money than he is. — often used in negative statements She is not averse to taking chances. [=she is willing to take chances] |
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baleful |
threatening harm or evil He turned and gave us a baleful [=sinister] glance/glare/look. 2 : harmful or deadly the baleful effects/consequences of water pollution — balefully adverb He stared balefully at his opponent. |
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chicanery |
actions or statements that trick people into believing something that is not true : deception or trickery |
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compunction |
a feeling of guilt or regret : remorse [noncount] a brutal murderer who killed without compunction He feels/has no compunction about his crimes. [count] (chiefly US) He has no compunctions about his crimes. |
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discrete |
separate and different from each other The process can be broken down into a number of discrete[=separate, individual] steps. |
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elated |
very happy and excited She was elated at/about/over the news. She was elated to be chosen for the job. = She was elatedthat she was chosen for the job. |
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fallacious |
containing a mistake : not true or accurate a fallacious [=false] set of assumptions fallacious [=misleading] arguments — fallaciously adverb — fallaciousness noun [noncount] |
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forestall |
to stop (something) from happening or to cause (something) to happen at a later time Negotiations failed to forestall the conflict. His comments were meant to forestall criticism of his proposal. 2 : to act before (someone else) in order to prevent something He forestalled critics by offering a defense of the project. |
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indigenous |
produced, living, or existing naturally in a particular region or environment He grows a wide variety of both indigenous [=native] and exotic plants. an indigenous culture/language There are several indigenous groups that still live in the area. — sometimes + to These birds are indigenous to South America. — indigenously adverb |
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paragon |
a person or thing that is perfect or excellent in some way and should be considered a model or example to be copied He's no moral paragon. — often + of The company is a paragon of modern manufacturing techniques. He is a paragon of virtue. [=he is a very virtuous person] |
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rancor |
an angry feeling of hatred or dislike for someone who has treated you unfairly She answered her accusers calmly and without rancor. In the end, the debate created a degree of rancor among the committee members. — rancorous (US) or British rancourous /ˈræŋkərəs/ adjective [more rancorous; most rancorous] a rancorous debate |
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repudiate |
to refuse to accept or support (something) : to reject (something or someone) a generation that has repudiated the values of the past He has publicly repudiated the government's policies. 2 : to say or show that (something) is not true He published an article that repudiates the study's claims. She says she has evidence which repudiates the allegations. — repudiation /rɪˌpjuːdiˈeɪʃən/ noun, plural repudiations[count, noncount] His statements are a repudiation of the government's policies. |
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specious |
falsely appearing to be fair, just, or right : appearing to be true but actually false a specious argument He justified his actions with specious reasoning. — speciously adverb, formal — speciousness noun, formal [noncount] the speciousness of his reasoning |
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trenchant |
very strong, clear, and effective a trenchant analysis/essay a writer with a trenchant wit — trenchantly adverb a trenchantly funny critique |
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harangued |
to speak to (someone) in a forceful or angry way : to deliver a harangue to (someone) He harangued us for hours about the evils of popular culture. |
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clemency |
kind or merciful treatment of someone who could be given harsh punishment The judge ignored the prisoner's pleas for clemency. [=mercy] The President has granted clemency to several people this month. |
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flout |
to break or ignore (a law, rule, etc.) without hiding what you are doing or showing fear or shame Despite repeated warnings, they have continued to flout the law. flouting authority flouting convention |
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paucity |
a small amount of something : an amount that is less than what is needed or wanted There was a relative paucity [=lack] of detail in the report. a paucity [=dearth] of evidence |
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protean |
able to change into many different forms or able to do many different things a protean organism a protean actor |
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venal |
willing to do dishonest things in return for money : corrupt a venal court official — venality /vɪˈnæləti/ noun [noncount] |
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ingenue |
an innocent girl or young woman In her latest film she plays the part of an ingenue. |
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bane |
a cause of trouble, annoyance, or unhappiness — usually used in the phrase the bane of The ugly school uniforms were the bane of the students' lives. She was the bane of my existence. [=she made my life very unhappy, difficult, etc.] |
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mundane |
dull and ordinary mundane chores, like washing dishes They lead a pretty mundane life. 2 : relating to ordinary life on earth rather than to spiritual things prayer and meditation helped her put her mundane worries aside |
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strut |
to walk in a confident and proud way She strutted across the stage. strut your stuff informal: to proudly show your abilities The audition gave aspiring actors a chance to strut their stuff. — strutter noun, plural strutters [count] |
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voluble |
talking a lot in an energetic and rapid way a voluble host — volubly /ˈvɑːljəbli/ adverb |
