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120 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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allege
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(v) to assert without proof or confirmation
SYN: claim, contend |
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arrant
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(adj) thoroughgoing, out-and-out, shameless, blatant
SYN: egregious, unmitigated |
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badinage
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(n) light and playful conversation
SYN: banter, persiflage, repartee |
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conciliate
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(v) to overcome the distrust of, win over; to appease, pacify; to reconcile, make consistent
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countermand
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(v) to cancel or reverse one order or command with another that is contrary to the first
SYN: recall, revoke |
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echelon
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(n) one of a series of grades in an organization or field of activity; an organized military unit; a steplike formation or arrangement
SYN: level, rank |
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exacerbate
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(v) to make more violent, severe, bitter or painful
SYN: aggravate, intensify, worsen |
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fatuous
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(adj) stupid or foolish in a self-satisfied way
SYN: silly, vapid, inane, doltish, vacuous |
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irrefutable
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(adj) impossible to disprove; beyond argument
SYN: indisputable, incontrovertible, undeniable |
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juggernaut
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(n) a massive and iescapable force or object that crushes whatever is in its path
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lackadaisical
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(adj) lacking spirit or interest, halfhearted
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litany
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(n) a prayer consisting of short appeals to God recited by the leader alternating with responses from the congregation; any repetitive chant; a long list
SYN: rigmarole, catalog, megillah |
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macabre
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(adj) grisly, gruesome, horrible, distressing, having death as a subject
SYN: grotesque, grim, ghoulish |
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paucity
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(n) an inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth
SYN: lack |
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portend
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(v) to indicate beforehand that something is about to happen, to give advance warning of
SYN: bode, foretell, foreshadow, suggest |
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raze
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(v) to tear down, destroy completely; to cut or scrape off for out
SYN: pull down, demolish, shave off |
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recant
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(v) to withdraw a statement or belief to which one has previoiusly been committed; renounce, retract
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saturate
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(v) to soak thoroughly, fill to capacity; to satisfy fully
SYN: permeate, drench, flood, imbue |
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saturnine
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(adj) of a gloomy or surly disposition; cold or sluggish in mood
SYN: sullen, morose |
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slough
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(v) to cast off, discard; to get rid of something obejectionable or unnecessary; to plod through as if through mud
(N) a mire, a state of depression SYN: shed, slog |
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acclamation
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(n)a shout of welcome; an overwhelming verbal vote of approval
SYN: ovation, cheering, plaudits |
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bucolic
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(adj) charactertistic of the countryside, rural; relating to shepherds and cowherds, pastoral
SYN: rustic |
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calumniate
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(v) to slander, to accuse falsely and maliciously
SYN: defame, libel |
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chary
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(adj) extremely cautious, ehsitant or slow (to); reserved, diffident
SYN: wary, skittish |
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collusion
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(n) secret agreement or cooperation
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dilettante
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(n) a dabbler in the arts; one who engages in an activity in an amateurish, trifling way;
(adj) superficial SYN: amateur, trifler |
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imperturable
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(adj) not easily excited; emotionally steady
SYN: unflappable, unexcitable, serene, unruffled |
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increment
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(n) an enlargement, increase, addition
SYN: accretion, gain |
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mandate
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(n) an authoritative command, formal order, authorization; (v) to issue such an order
SYN: (n) directive |
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paltry
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(adj) trifling, insignificant, mean, despicable, inferior, trashy
SYN: measly, meager, piddling, trivial |
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paroxysm
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(n) a sudden outburst; a spasm, convulsion
SYN: fit, seizure |
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pedantry
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(n) a pretentious display of knowledge; ovrely rigid attention to rules and details
SYN: nit-picking, hairsplitting, pettifoggery |
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pregrination
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(n) the act of traveling; an excursion, especially on foot or to a foreign country
SYN: journey, wandering, odyssey |
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redolent
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(adj)fragrant, smelling stronly; tending to around memories or create an aura
SYN: evocative, reminiscent, aromatic |
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refulgent
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(adj) shining, radiant, resplendent
SYN: luminous, splendid |
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shibboleth
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(n) a word, expression, or custom that distinguishes a particular group of persons from all others; a commonplace saying or truism
SYN: catchphrase, passwrd, slogan |
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tyro
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(n) a beginner, novice; one with little or no background or skill
SYN: neophyte |
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unremitting
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(adj) not stopping, maintained steadily, never letting up; relentless
SYN: constant, incessant, unrelenting |
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vacillate
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(v) to swimng indecisively from one idea or course of action to another; to waver weakly in mind or will
SYN: seesw, fluctuate, oscillate |
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vituperative
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(adj) harshly abusive, severely scolding
SYN: abusive, scurrilous, insulting |
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askance
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(adv) with suspicioun, distrust, or diapproval
SYN: distrustfully, suspiciously, skeptically |
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attenuate
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(V) to make thin or slender; to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value
SYN: thin out, dilute, water down |
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benign
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(adj) gentle, kind forgiving, understanding, hving a favorable or beneficial effect; not malignant
SYN: benevolent salutary, salubrious, harmless |
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cavil
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(v) to find fault in a petty way, carp;
(n) a trivial objection or criticism SYN: (v) nitpick, quibble |
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charlatan
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(n) one who feigns knowldge or ability; a pretender, impostor, or quack
SYN: fraud, mountebank |
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decimate
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(V) to kill or destroy a large part of
SYN: ravage, devastate |
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foible
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(n) a weak point, failling, minor flaw
SYN: shortcoming, defect, quirk |
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forgo
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(v) to do without, abstain from, give up
SYN: refraim from, renounce |
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fraught
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(adj) full of or loaded with; accompanied by
SYN: charged with |
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inure
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(V) to toughen, harden; to rendure used to something by long subjection or exposure
SYN: accustom, acclimate |
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luminous
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(adj) emitting or reflecting light, glowing; illuminating
SYN: radiant, bright, refulgent, lustrous |
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obsequious
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(adj) marked by slavish attentiveness; excessively submissive=, often for purely self-interested reasons.
SYN: fawning, sevile, sycophantic, mealymouthed |
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obtuse
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(adj) blunt, not coming to a point; slow or dull in undertsanding, measureing between 90 and 180 dgrees, not causing a sharp impression
SYN: stupid, dumb, thick, mild, dull-witted |
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oscillate
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(v) to swing back and forth with a steady rhythm, to fluctuate or waver
SYN: vibrate, vacillate |
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penitent
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(adj) regretful for one's sins or mistakes (n) one who is sorry for wrongdoing
SYN: remorseful, regretful, rueful, sorry |
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peremptory
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(adj) having the nature of a command that leaves no opportunity for debate, denial or refusal; offensively self-assured, dictatorial; determined, resolute
SYN: high-handed, unconditional |
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rebuff
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(v) to snub; to repel, drive away (b) a curt rejection, a check
SYN: (v) spurn, repulse, reject (n) setback |
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reconnoiter
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(v) to engage in reconnaissance; to make a preliminary inspection
SYN: scout |
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shambles
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(n) a slaughterhouse; a place of mass bloodshed; a state of complete disorder and confusion, mess
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sporadic
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(adj) occurring in irregular intervals, having no set plan or order
SYN: constant, steady, continuous, uninterrupted |
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abrogate
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v. to repeal, cancel, declare null and void
SYN: annul, revoke |
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ambient
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adj. completely surrounding, encomapssing
SYN: none |
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asperity
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n. roughness, severity; bitterness or tartness
SYN: rigor, harshness |
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burnish
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v. to make smooth or glossy by rubbing, polish;
n. gloss, brightness, luster SYN: v. shine, buff |
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cabal
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n. a small group working in secret
SYN: clique, ring, gang, plot, conspiracy |
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delectable
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adj. delightful, highly enjoyable; deliciously flavored, savory;
n. an appealing or appetizing food or dish SYN: delicious, scrumptious |
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deprecate
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v. to express mild disapproval; to belittle
SYN: deplore, frown upon |
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detritus
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n. loose bits and pieces of material resulting from disintegration or wearing away; fragments that result from any destruction
SYN: debris, wreckage, ruins, rubble |
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ebullient
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adj. overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement; boiling, bubbling
SYN: exhilarated, elated, exuberant |
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eclectic
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adj. drawn from different sources
n. one whose beliefs are drawn from various sources SYN: selective, synthetic, pick-and-choose |
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flaccid
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adj. limp, not firm; lacking vigor or effectiveness
SYN: soft, flabby |
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impecunious
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adj. having little or no money
SYN: penniless, impoverished, indigent |
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inexorable
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adj. inflexible, beyond influence; relentless, unyielding
SYN: inescapable, ineluctable, obdurate |
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moribund
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adj. dying, on the way out
SYN: obsolescent |
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necromancer
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n. one who claims to reveal or influence the future though magic, epecially communication with the dead; in general, a magician or wizard
SYN: sorcerer, conjurer |
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onerous
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adj. burdensome; involving hardship or difficulty
SYN: oppressive, weighty |
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rife
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adj. common, prevalent, widespread, happening often; full, abounding; pelntiful, abundant, replete
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rudiments
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n. pl. the parts of any subject or discipline that are learned first; the earliest stages
SYN: basics, fundamentals |
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sequester
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v. to set apart, separate for a special purpose; to take possession of and hold in custody
SYN: seclude, segregate, isolate, closet |
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winnow
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v. to get rid of ssomething unwanted, delete; to sift through and obtain what is desirable; to remove the chaff from the wheat by blowing air on it; to blow on, fan
SYN: sift, strain, filter, sort |
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aesthetic
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adj. pertaining to beauty; sensitive or responsive to beauty
SYN: artistic |
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defunct
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adj. no longer in existence or functioning, dead
SYN: extinct, nonexistent |
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discomfit
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v. to frustrate, thwart or defeat; to confuse, perplex or embarrass
SYN: nonplus, disconcert, foil |
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espouse
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v. to take up and support; to become attached to, adopt; to marry
SYN: embrace, wed |
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fetish
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n. an object believed to have magical powers; an object of unreasoning devotion or reverence
SYN: charm, talisman, obsession |
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gregarious
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adj. living together in a herd or group; sociable, seeking the company of others
SYN: outgoing, extroverted |
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hapless
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adj. marked by a persistent absense of good luck
SYN: unlucky, ill-starred, unfortunate |
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impeccable
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adj. faultless, beyond criticism or blame
SYN: flawless, spotless, immaculate |
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importune
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v. to trouble with demands; to beg for insistently
SYN: implore, entreat, dun, tax |
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interpolate
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v. to insert between other parts or things; to present as an addition or correction
SYN: inject, interpose, introduce |
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irreparable
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(adj) incapapble of being repaired or rectified
SYN: irremediable |
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laconic
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(adj) concise, using few words
SYN: terse, succinct, pithy, compact |
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languish
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(v) to become weak, feeble or dull; to droop; to be depressed or dispirited; to suffer neglect
SYN: flag, wilt, fade, pine |
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mendacious
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(adj) given to lying or deception; untrue
SYN: untruthful, false |
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nadir
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(n) the lowest point
SYN: rock bottom |
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omnipresent
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(adj) present in all places at all times
SYN: ubiquitous, ever-present |
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perfunctory
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(adj) done in a superificial or halfhearted manner; without interest or enthusiasm
SYN: slapdash, cursory, shallow |
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plaintive
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(adj) expressive of sorrow or woe, melancholy
SYN: sad, doleful, lugubrious |
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requite
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(v) to make suitable repayment, as for a kindness, service or favor; to make taliation, as for an injury or wrong; to reciprocate
SYN: reimburse, recompense, avenge |
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tantamount
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(adj) equivamlent, having the same meaning, value or effect
SYN: indistinguishable from |
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abtruse
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(adj) extremely difficult to understand
SYN: esoteric, arcane, recondite, occult |
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affront
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(n) an open or intentional insult; a slight
(v) to insult to one's face; to face in difiance, confront SYN: (n) offense (v) offend |
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canard
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(v) a false rumor, fabricated story
SYN: hoax |
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captious
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(adj) excessively ready to find fault; given to petty criticism; intended to trap, confuse or show up
SYN: faultfinding, nit-picking, carping |
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cognizant
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(adj) aware, knowledgeable, informed; having jurisdiction
SYN: conscious, acquainted |
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contrite
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(adj) regretful for some misdeed or sin; plagued by a sense of guilt; thoroughly penitent
SYN: remorseful, rueful |
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cynosure
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(n) the center of attraction, attention or interest; something that serves to guide or direct
SYN: focus |
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decorous
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(adj) well behaved, dignified, socially proper
SYN: seemly, becoming, tasteful |
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deign
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(v) to think it appropriate or suitable to one's dignity to do something; to condescend
SYN: deem, stoop |
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desiccated
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(adj., part.) thoroughly dried out; divested of spirit or vitality; arid and uninteresting
SYN: dehydrated, shriveled, parched |
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efficacy
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(n) the power to produce a desired result
SYN: effectiveness, potency, reliability |
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engender
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v. to bring into existence, give rise to, produce; to come into existence, assume form
SYN: beget, generate, cause, form |
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ethereal
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adj. light, airy, delicate; highly refined; suggesting what is heavenly (rather than earthbound)
SYN: heavenly, celestial, gossamer |
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facade
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n. the front or face of a building; a surface appearance (as opposed to what may lie behind)
SYN: exterior, surface, mask, pretense |
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ghoulish
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adj. revolting in an unnatural or morbid way; suggestive of someone who robs graves or otherwise preys on the dead
SYN: fiendish, barbarous, monstrous |
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incongruous
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adj. not in keeping, unsuitable, incompatible
SYN: discordant, jarring |
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machination
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n. a crafty, scheming or underhanded action designed to accomplish some (usually evil) end
SYN: plot, scheme, maneuver |
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mesmerize
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v. to hypnotize, entrance;l to fascinate, enthrall, bewitch
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opprobrium
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n. disgrace arising from shameful conduct; contempt, reproach
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putative
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adj. generally regarded as ssuch; reputed; hypothesized; inferred
SYN; supposed, presumed |
