P.r. Group 3 Vocab

Front 1

abate

Back 1

(verb) to lessen in intensity or degree

Front 2

accolade

Back 2

(noun) an expression of praise

Front 3

adulation

Back 3

(noun) excessive praise; intense adoration

Front 4

aesthetic

Back 4

(adj) dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful

Front 5

avarice

Back 5

(noun) greed, esp. for wealth

Front 6

burgeon

Back 6

(verb) to grow rapidly or flourish

Front 7

cacophony

Back 7

(noun) harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance

Front 8

canon

Back 8

(noun) an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature

Front 9

castigation

Back 9

(noun) severe criticism or punishment

Front 10

catalyst

Back 10

a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing
OR
a person or thing that causes change

Front 11

caustic

Back 11

burning or stinging; causing corrosion

Front 12

chary

Back 12

wary; cautious; sparing

Front 13

cogent

Back 13

appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing

Front 14

complaissance

Back 14

the willingness to comply with the wishes of others

Front 15

contrite

Back 15

regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness

Front 16

dearth

Back 16

smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack

Front 17

demur

Back 17

to question or oppose

Front 18

didactic

Back 18

intended to teach or instruct

Front 19

discretion

Back 19

cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions

Front 20

disinterested

Back 20

indifferent; free from self-interest

Front 21

dogmatic

Back 21

stubbornly opinionated

Front 22

ebullience

Back 22

the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings

Front 23

elegy

Back 23

a mournful poem, esp. one lamenting the dead

Front 24

emollient

Back 24

soothing, esp. to the skin; making less harsh

Front 25

empirical

Back 25

based on observation or experiment

Front 26

enigmatic

Back 26

mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand

Front 27

esoteric

Back 27

intended for or understood by a small, specific group

Front 28

exonerate

Back 28

to remove blame

Front 29

fallacy

Back 29

an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief

Front 30

furtive

Back 30

marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious

Front 31

gregarious

Back 31

sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people

Front 32

harangue

Back 32

to deliver a pompous speech or tirade

Front 33

heretical

Back 33

violating accepted dogma or convention

Front 34

impecunious

Back 34

lacking funds; without money

Front 35

incipient

Back 35

beginning to come into being or to become apparent

Front 36

inert

Back 36

unmoving; lethargic; sluggish

Front 37

innocuous

Back 37

harmless; causing no damage

Front 38

instransignent

Back 38

refusing to compromise

Front 39

inveigle

Back 39

to obtain by deception or flattery

Front 40

morose

Back 40

sad; sullen; melancholy

Front 41

odious

Back 41

evoking intense aversion or dislike

Front 42

opaque

Back 42

impenetrable by light; not reflecting light

Front 43

peruse

Back 43

to examine with great care

Front 44

preen

Back 44

to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care

Front 45

prodigious

Back 45

abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary

Front 46

putrefy

Back 46

to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor

Front 47

quaff

Back 47

to drink deeply

Front 48

sanction

Back 48

authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance

Front 49

urbane

Back 49

sophisticated; refined; elegant

Front 50

viscous

Back 50

thick; sticky