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122 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Anachronism (n)
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something or someone not in its correct historical/chronological time, especially something belonging in the past
My father is a good example of an anachronism since he is such a dinosaur. |
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Amoral (adj)
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neither moral nor immoral; not involving questions of right and wrong
Choosing ice cream was a pretty amoral choice. |
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Apathy (n)
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absence or suppression of passion, emotion or excitement
The apathy in the teacher prevented her from laughing at a student's joke. |
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Apartheid (n)
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any system or practice that separates people according to race, caste, etc.
The apartheid forcing the untouchables to be parriah's in India is disturbing. |
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Amorphous (adj)
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lacking definite form; having no specific shape; formless
The marshmallow turned into an amorphous blob in the microwave. |
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Pathos (n)
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the power to evoke a feeling of pity or compassion from a life experience, literature, art, etc.
The magnitude of the pathos in the film, The Notebook, caused everyone in the theater to bawl. |
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Antipathy (n)
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a natural, basic, or habitual repugnance; aversion
As Sara walked in her parents room, she could feel the thick antipathy between the couple. |
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Parity (n)
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equality, as in amount, status or character
The parity between the two candidates resumes was uncanny. |
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Disparate (adj)
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distant in kind, essentially different; assimilar
Though Sam and Kim were twins, their personalities were quiet disparate. |
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Deign (v)
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to think fit or in accordance with one's dignity; condescend
Due to his ill behavior, the principal deigned the student unfit for the school. |
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Dissipate (v)
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to scatter in various directions; disperse; dispel
When the ball dropped in the puddle, the water dissipated all over the pavement. |
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Miscreant (adj)
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depraved, villainous, or base
Miscreant children often got suspended at school for breaking rules. |
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Anthropology (n)
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the science or study of human kind
Since Tim was such a people person, he decided to study anthropology. |
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Androgynous (adj)
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being both male and female; hermaphroditic
The androgynous adult didn't know what bathroom to go to: ladies or men? |
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Misogyny (n)
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hatred, dislike, or mistrust of women
Even after all the women's rights movements, some old fashioned men still had feelings of misogyny. |
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Technophile (n)
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someone who loves technology
The technophile's favorite career choice was at Apple computers. |
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Technophobe (n)
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someone who is scared of technology
All technophobes avoid technology at all costs. |
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Terrestrial (adj)
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pertaining to, consisting of, or representing the earth as distinct from other planets
A big terrestrial characteristic of earth is water, since no other planets have it in liquid form. |
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Extrapolate (v)
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to infer (an unknown) from something that is known; conjecture
The detective used his first clue to extrapolate more information for his second. |
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Supersede (v)
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to replace in power, authority, effectiveness, acceptance, use, etc., as by another person or thing
Obama superseded George W. Bush as president of America. |
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Subvert (v)
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to overthrow (something established or existing)
Everyone was shocked when Microsoft overtook Youtube. |
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Jeer (v)
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to make fun of
It was easy to jeer my mother because she was so oblivious of everything. |
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Jest (v)
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to joke (court jester)
Another word for something you do in stand up is jest. |
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Adjunct (n)
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an accessory, something added on
Sprinkles on a cake is an adjunct, nice, but not necessary. |
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Coalesce (v)
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come together
The enemies had to coalesce for their science project. |
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Contiguous (adj)
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lying side by side
California and Nevada are contiguous states. |
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Fission (n)
OPPOSITE OF FUSSION |
a splitting apart
Putting the two south poles of a magnet together creates fission. |
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Juxtapose (v)
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to place side by side in stark contrast
"Juxtapose similar puzzle pieces to connect them," the young girl said |
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Rendezvous (n)
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a meeting, usually secret
When he and she were having an affair, they had many a rendezous to keep their cover. |
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Abdicate (v)
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to give up power
When Nixon resigned, he abdicated his power as president. |
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Accord (v)
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to be in agreement
To end a court trial, the judge must be in accord with the jury. |
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Congeal (v)
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to thicken, change from a liquid to solid
When she froze the water to make ice, it congealed. |
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Dyskinesia (n)
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difficulty or abnormality in performing voluntary muscular movements
After the car wreck, Taylor suffered from severe dyskinesia due to corrupting her vertebrae. |
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Clamor (n)
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a loud uproar, as from a crowd of people
The clamor coming from the audience after the big win was exciting! |
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Candor (n)
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sincerity in speech; candidness
Her inability to lie caused her to be a big proponent of candor. |
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Placated (v)
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to appease or pacify, esp. by concessions or conciliatory gestures
She could not thing of any other way to placate the baby, so she decided to give it some candy. |
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Dint (n)
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force; power
The pro wrestler had enough dint to push a car over. |
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Sagacious (adj)
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having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; shrewd
Sagacious men fill the office of the bank. |
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Cavalier (adj)
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haughty, disdainful, or supercilious
Anne was quite cavalier towards the younger kids; she would not talk to one of them since they weren't as "mature". |
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Platitudes (n)
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a flat, dull, or trite remark, esp. one uttered as if it were fresh or profound.
The professor's speech was full of platitudes about nothingness. |
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Chiding (v)
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to express disapproval of; scold; reproach
The principal chided the children for their thoughtless pranks. |
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Innumerate (adj)
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unfamiliar with mathematical concepts and methods; unable to use mathematics; not numerate.
The advanced math teacher was quite innumerate and wasn't able to do simple addition. |
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Abated (v)
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to reduce in amount, degree, intensity, etc; lessen
2. to put an end to or suppress a nuisance The teacher abated the amount of laughter in the room by yelling. |
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Castrate (v)
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to emasculate
The old general castrated the soldiers when he called them "sissies". |
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Vehement (adj)
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showing strong emotion; passionate
The vehement young student raved about her new english class. |
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Atrophied (adj)
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wasted; withered; shriveled
Cami's atrophied house was falling apart. |
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Catatonic (adj)
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characteristic of a syndrome seen in schizophrenia, muscular rigidity, and mental stupor
Half of the patients in the mental ward were catatonic and becoming crippled. |
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Debunk (v)
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to prove false
Mike's ultimate goal was to debunk all words said by the teacher. |
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Itinerant (adj)
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nomadic; constantly moving
Eskimos are itinerant, never having a permanent locations. |
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Egress (n)
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an exit
Since the girl knew that the date would be awful, she created a seamless egress to get out of it. |
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Epoch (n)
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a period of time
The epoch of the 1970's involved disco and tie-dye. |
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Polymorphous (adj)
(poly=many, morph=shape) |
having many shapes
Silly putty is polymorphous, you can mold it into whatever you want. |
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Prolific (adj)
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fertile, very productive
The prolific apple had many seeds. |
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Mirthless (adj)
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without happiness
Scrooge is mirthless; nothing makes him smile. |
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Dictum (n)
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an authoritative pronouncement; judicial assertion
One of Einstein's dictums was to make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler. |
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Indomitable (adj)
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that cannot be subdued or overcome as persons, will or courage; unconquerable
In the American Revolution, America proved to be indomitable in England's eyes. |
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Palpitant (adj)
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pulsing with unusual rapidity from exertion, emotion, disease, etc; flutter
Her nerves got to her on stage and her heart became palpitant. |
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Evinced (v)
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to show clearly; make evident or manifest; prove
It was easy to evince the fact that the sky is blue, since all you have to do is look up. |
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Epitaph (n)
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the inscription on a tomb about the passed person buried at the site
My dad went to Florida to watch the epitaph carved into Grandma's tomb. |
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Scant (adj)
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barely sufficient in quantity; meager; almost inadequate
The scant amount of food left Bob hungry. |
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Brumal (adj)
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wintry
The brumal snow reminded her it was January. |
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Demesne (n)
(dih-meyn) |
possession of land as one's own
Demesne was very important to blacks in the civil war, as land was their key to freedom. |
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Imperiously (adv)
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domineering in a haughty manner; dictatorial; overbearing
She imperiously tossed her tissue at the boy, expecting him to throw it away for her. |
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Sate (v)
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to satisfy (appetite or desire) fully
He sated her appetite by feeding her a feast. |
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Besetting (adj)
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constantly assailing or obsessing as with temptation
The besetting woman thought about the man all day long, longing to see him. |
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Progeny (n)
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a descendent or offspring, as a child, plant, or animal
The progeny of the mother was small and cute. |
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Hydrophobia (n)
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an unnatural or abnormal fear of water
Since he suffered from hydrophobia, he was unable to drink water and died of thirst. |
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Somnambulate (v)
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sleepwalk
He somnambulated at night due to anxiety. |
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Primogenitor (n)
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ancestor
On the family tree, his primogenitor was his great grandmother Jane. |
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Earthenware (n)
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pottery
The new furniture store sold ceramic earthenware. |
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Hallowed (adj)
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sacred
The hallowed church provided the followers a place to pray. |
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Flagellation (n)
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a whipping
The torture the prisoner suffered from was flagellation, and gave him lashes on his back. |
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Usurp (v)
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seize
ummm... how can i use this in a sentence? |
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Beleaguer (v)
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harass
He beleaguered her about being short. |
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Fatuous (adj)
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silly
The fatuous child ignored the fact that everyone was crying and peed on the floor. |
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Objective (adj)
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stated without opinion; unbiased
The objective commentary from the news on the controversial topic of abortion included just straight facts. |
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Ruction (n)
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a disturbance, quarrel, or row
There was a ruction between the two boys over who got the last piece of pie. |
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Prowess (n)
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exceptional valor, bravery, or ability, especially in combat or battle
His prowess showed when he stabbed the tyrant during the war. |
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Ignominiously (adv)
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discreditable; humiliating
He ignominiously stated that the sky turned green during the day and purple at night. |
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Arduous (adj)
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requiring great exertion; laborious; difficult
The mile run is quite arduous for those not in good physical shape. |
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Ameliorate (v)
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to improve
She ameliorated upon the already great work done on the car. |
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Foment (v)
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to investigate or foster; promote the growth or development of
The hen fomented the hatching of her eggs by warming them with her butt. |
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Reticent (adj)
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to be silent or not speak freely; reserved
Amelia's reticent attitude shattered when she bursted in front of her parents about her anger towards humanity. |
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Congenial (adj)
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agreeable
After the negotiation in the meeting, both sides were congenial with the latest contract. |
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Mitigate (v)
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to lessen in force or intensity, as wrath, grief, or pain; moderate
The father mitigated his anger with his daughter after she snuck out of the house, but only after 3 hrs of yelling. |
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Admonish (v)
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to caution, advise, or counsel against something
She admonished the legalization of marijuana, as it was a large health risk to the Californian citizens. |
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Ebb (v)
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to recede
His hairline ebbed as he aged, gradually going further and further towards the back of his head. |
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Indict (v)
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to accuse
The criminal indicted his own brother of committing the crime he was guilty for. |
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Quell (v)
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to subdue
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Gumption (n)
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initiative
She had the gumption to organize the entire event on her own. |
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Preeminence (n)
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superiority
He held false preeminence at Wal-Mart, where he was merely a bag boy. |
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Amiable (adj)
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friendly, good natured
Her amiable personality made her easy to talk to. |
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Pious (adj)
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deeply religious
The pious young man wanted to be a priest. |
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Prosaic (adj)
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dull; unimaginative
His history teacher was quite prosaic and made the class unbearable. |
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Incited (v)
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to encourage; stimulate
He incited her to join the circus since it was her dream. |
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Hackneyed (adj)
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stale; banal
The math class was very hackneyed since everyone had already learned the subject before. |
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Banal (adj)
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boring; unoriginal
The t-shirt was banal since it was very basic. |
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Esoteric (adj)
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private to a select few
The country club kept up the esoteric style of New England standards, making it very elite. |
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Penurious (adj)
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stingy; parsimonious; extremely frugal
Scrooge was very penurious since he refused to give his loyal employee a bonus for Christmas. |
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Chagrin (n)
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disappointment; humiliation
Getting an F on the easy test caused the kid to create chagrin. |
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Dilettante (n)
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someone who does arts for superficial reasons; dabbler
The dilettante picked up the guitar and played a lick, but quickly put it down to move on. |
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Scull (n)
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a small rowboat or an oar for a rowboat
The scull sailed down the river slowly. |
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Variegated (adj)
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having many parts or colors
The rainbow is variegated, containing 6 primary colors. |
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Extol (v)
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to praise
The teacher extolled the girl for getting an A by giving her candy and a pat on the head. |
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Astute (adj)
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crafty, clever
The astute man conned everyone into giving him money. |
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Mollify (v)
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to sotten; pacify
The child was mollified after crying with a piece of candy. |
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Paltry (adj)
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ridiculously or insultingly small; worthless
The paltry meal barely satisfied any bit of hunger in Ulga. |
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Auspicious (adj)
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promising success; opportune; favorable
The auspicious business was recession proof, so Mr. Smith knew it would do well. |
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Opulent (adj)
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wealthy; rich; affluent
The opulent neighborhood streets had mansion after mansion with countless medieval gates. |
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Amity (n)
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friendship; harmony
The amity between Cassie and Meena grew stronger over the years, so they will never lose touch. |
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Virulent (adj)
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poisonous
The virulent spider can kill a man with one bite. |
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Hapless (adj)
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unlucky; unfortunate
The hapless young man got hit by a bus, peed on by a dog, and bit by a snake all in one day. |
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succinct (adj)
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concise; expressed in few words
The succinct letter clearly stated she did not love him anymore. |
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magnanimous (adj)
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generous in forgiveness
The magnanimous lady accepted the young girls apology for murdering her husband. |
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iniquity (n)
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gross injustice or wickedness
The government's iniquity is shown in the death penalty. |
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equanimity (n)
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mental or emotional stability, esp. under pressure
Equanimity is important in war because you see people die daily. |
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Equivocate (v)
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to use unclear expressions, usually to avoid commitment or to mislead
He equivocated when his girlfriend mentioned marriage by shrugging his shoulders. |
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vociferous (adj)
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crying out noisily; clamorous
The vociferous baby pissed off everyone on the airplane. |
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magniloquent (adj)
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pompous; boastful
Almost all of the country club's members are magniloquent about their billions of dollars. |
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loquacious (adj)
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talkative; chattering
I am quite loquacious in class, which upsets most of my teachers if it disrupts the class. |
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circumlocution (n)
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roundabout or indirect way of speaking
She used circumlocution in order to avoid the topic of boys with her mother. |
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neologism (n)
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a new word, meaning, usage, or phrase
The neologism of "kleenex" is now considered old news. |
