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248 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abacus
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Ancient measuring tool used for calculations
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abaft
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To the rear of
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abase
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Lower someone, degrade
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abate
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Lessen
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abdicate
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Give up something (e.g., power, authority)
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aberration
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Something that is far away from what is normal or typical
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abet
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Encourage someone to do something that is wrong; aid someone in doing something wrong
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abhor
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Detest, hate
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abject
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Wretched, degrading
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abominable
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Terrible, horrible, detestable
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aboriginal
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Unsophisticated, primitive, first in a species
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abridge
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Cut down to a shorter length, edit extensively
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abscess
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Collection of pus on the body
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abscond
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Race from the law
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abstemious
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Not letting oneself indulge in eating and drinking
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abstruse
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Puzzling; mysterious; hard to understand
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accentuate
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Highlight, draw attention to
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accolade
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Praise for one's work; a reward
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accost
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Approach aggressively
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account
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Provide a description or justification
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acerbic
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Biting, bitter
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acquiesce
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Give in, agree to, submit
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acquit
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Find not guilty
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acrid
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Having a pungent taste or smell; foul or bitter
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acrimonious
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Hostile; mad; bitter
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acumen
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Knowledge, insight
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adage
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Old often well-known saying; proverb
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adamant
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Persistent, stubborn, unmoving
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adept
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Skilled; expert
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adroit
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Skillful, highly able
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adulation
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Excessive flattery or admiration
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adulterate
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Contaminate; make impure
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adversity
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Bad fate, unfortunate situation
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advocate
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(noun): A strong supporter (verb): Support or encourage
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aesthetic
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Refined, relating to the beautiful; appreciates/likes beauty
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affable
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Easily approachable, friendly
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affinity
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A liking for, a lot in common with
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affix
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Fasten one thing to another
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affluence
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Considerable wealth
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aftermath
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The consequences of an event; results; day after
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aggregate
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(noun): Entirety, sum (adjective): Total(verb): Sum together
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aghast
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Shocked, surprised
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agile
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Quick and skilled, either physically or mentally
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alacrity
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Enthusiasm; eagerness; raring and ready to go
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alleviate
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Make better, lessen
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aloof
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Haughty, stuck-up
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altruism
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Unselfishness; selflessness; willingness to do things for others rather than for oneself
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altruistic
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Selfless; doing good things
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amalgamation
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Merger, combination, mixture
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ambiguous
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Open to several different meanings or interpretations, unclear
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ambivalent
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Unsure; undecided
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ameliorate
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Make better, improve
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amiable
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Friendly, warm
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amicable
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Friendly
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amorous
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Loving, romantic
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amorphous
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Shapeless, blob-like, vague
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anachronism
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Something that belongs to a different time period
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analogous
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Equivalent to, having the same relationship
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anarchist
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One who believes in the absence of any authority or government
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animosity
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Really really intense dislike; hatred
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antediluvian
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Before the flood; really old-fashioned
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antipathy
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Hatred; dislike; ill will
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antiquated
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Old-fashioned, out of date
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apathetic
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Indifferent; uninterested
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apocryphal
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False, but passed off as true
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apprehension
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Fear or anxiety that something bad will happen
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arable
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Suitable for farming
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arbitrary
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Without apparent reason, random; determined by an individual's preference or judgment
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arboreal
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Of or relating to trees
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arcane
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Only known to privileged individuals, obscure
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archaic
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No longer used, out of date
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ardent
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Passionate; dedicated
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articulate
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(adjective): Able to speak clearly(noun): One who speaks well(verb): Speak clearly
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artisan
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A worker in a skilled trade, usually one that involves craftsmanship
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aspire
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Strive for, emulate
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assiduous
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Diligent; persistent; really hard-working
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assuage
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Relieve, ease pain or other negative feelings
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astute
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Clever, smart, attentive
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atrophy
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(noun): Degeneration; a wasting away(verb): Degenerate; waste away
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audacious
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Extremely bold or daring
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augment
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Add to, increase
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aural
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Relating to hearing or the ear
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austere
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Bleak, strict, somber
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autonomy
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Self-sufficiency, self-rule
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avarice
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Greediness
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averse
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Having distaste for; opposed to
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aviary
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A cage for birds
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balk
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Refuse to go on; stop; chicken out
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banal
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Commonplace; ordinary; boring
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beguile
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Trick or confuse
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belie
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Give the wrong impression of something or disguise its true nature
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belligerent
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Prone to fighting at the drop of a sock, war-like
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bemused
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Mildly amused, lost in thought or delight
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beneficial
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Good, helpful
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benevolent
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Doing good; friendly
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benign
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Harmless, OR gracious/kind
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bequeath
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Leave for someone in a will, leave behind for someone
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bereft
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Missing, without
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bilk
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Cheat, take away money
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bleak
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Empty, vacuous, dire, hopeless
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blight
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Misfortune, disaster
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bolster
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Support, lift up, assist
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bombard
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Throw at, overwhelm with many things
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Bombastic
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Pompous, long-winded, trying to impress people with fancy schmancy language
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braggart
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Someone who brags and boasts about himself or herself. Someone who thinks he's hot stuff.
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brandish
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Wave threateningly or for show
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brazen
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Bold, aggressive, in your face
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brevity
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Briefness or shortness, sticking to the point
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burgeoning
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Budding; growing, especially at a rapid pace
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buttress
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Sustain or bolster
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byzantine
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Relating to the Byzantine Empire
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cacophony
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Big, loud noise
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cajole
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Convince someone to do something
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calamity
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Disaster
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calculable
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May be estimated
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callous
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(adjective): Harsh, unfeeling, insensitive. (noun): a portion of skin that is thickened and has little feeling.
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camaraderie
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Spirit of friendship
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candid
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Real, true, honest, unfiltered
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candor
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Honesty, straightforwardness
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canny
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Clever, shrewd
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cantankerous
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Bad-tempered; crabby
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capricious
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Fickle, whimsical, unpredictable, without rhyme or reason
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cardiac
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Relating to the heart
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carp
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Annoy, pester
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castigate
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Punish, criticize
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Cede
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Yield, give up
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censorious
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Judging harshly, being a tough critic
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censure
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(verb): Negate an action; disapprove; reprimand; "to just say no"(noun): A formal reprimand for inappropriate behavior, issued from a legislative body to one of its members
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certitude
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The state of being absolutely sure; certainty
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chagrin
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A feeling of embarrassment or humiliation
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charlatan
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Swindler
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chicanery
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Tricking people to get your way
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chide
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Scold
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circumlocution
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Wordy, unclear language
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circumscribe
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Confine, enclose, draw a line around
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circumspect
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Cautious, discreet, subtle
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clandestine
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secret
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cliche
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A popular expression or phrase, often overused
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coalesce
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Come together, fuse into one
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coerce
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Force someone to do something, using the threat of a bad consequence if they do not cooperate
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coercion
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Act of using force to make someone do something
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cogent
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Ability to convince someone; compel as a result of clarity, force, or incisiveness
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Collateral
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(noun): Property provided to secure a loan OR secondary effect(adjective): Separate; secondary
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colloquial
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Characteristic of informal language
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colloquialism
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Form of speech used only in day to day conversation, informal speaking
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comical
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Funny, amusing
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commemorate
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Serve as remembrance, remember with honor
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commodious
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Roomy, spacious
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commodity
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Something that is bought or sold; A raw material (wheat, pulp)Something that doesn't always have differentiated value (it is hard to tell one from the other)
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communicative
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A real talker
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compelling
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Forceful, persuasive, attracting attention or admiration
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complacency
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Satisfied but ignorant of danger, blissful and uninformed happiness
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complacent
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Pleased, happy with oneself, smug
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complaisant
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Agreeable
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complement
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(noun): That which completes, fills or makes just perfect(verb): Bring to perfection
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compliant
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Ready to adapt, submissive
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complicit
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Being involved, aware, or helpful in something, often something illegal
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composure
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Calmness, tranquility
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comprehensive
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Complete, full
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compulsory
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Required, mandatory
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concede
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Surrender, accept as true
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conceit
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Arrogance, self confidence
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conceive
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Form an idea, start a baby
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concession
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Act of giving in Grant of land Place where food/games are sold
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conciliatory
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agreeable
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concise
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Brief
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Concoct
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Make up, fabricate, make
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concord
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Happy and in agreement
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concur
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Agree, affirm
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concurrence
concussion |
Big hit, violent shock (often to the head)
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condescending
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Patronizing
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condolence
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Expression of sympathy
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condone
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Deliberately overlook, provide tacit approval
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conducive
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Contributing to state of affairs, helping something occur
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conductible
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Capable of being transmitted, conducted, managed
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conduit
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Channel, something through which things pass to get from one place or person to another
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confederate
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An ally, A supporter of the Confederacy during the Civil War
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confer
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Bestow, give (an honor)Consult
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conferee
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Person with whom one consults or gives an honor
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confidant
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Person trusted with secrets
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conflagration
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Big fire
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confluence
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Coming together, gathering
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confluent
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Flowing or coming together
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conform
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Comply, go along with others
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conformance
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Act of conforming, of going along with what is expected
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conformity
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Process by which an individual's attitudes are influenced, Actions in accordance with social expectations
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confound
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Confuse
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congeal
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Thicken. coagulate, solidify by freezing
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congenial
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Pleasant, agreeable
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coniferous
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Trees that have cones
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conjecture
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(noun): A guess, sometimes educated(verb): Guess
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Conjugate
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Join together, couple, Features or derivation in common
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connote
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Mean, signify
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connubial
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Relating to marriage
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consanguineous
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Having the same ancestor
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conscientious
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Dedicated, disciplined
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conscript
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Forced into the military, drafted
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consecrate
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Dedicated for a religious purpose
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consensus
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Agreement, unanimity
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conservatism
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Preference for current situation; wanting to preserve the status quo
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conservatory
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Greenhouse, where plants hang out; School of music or fine arts
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consign
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Transfer, deliver, or dispatch something to someone, usually so it can be sold
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consignee
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Person trusted with another's things
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consignor
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One who entrusts another with valuables
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consolation
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Act of making someone feel better; Not first prize
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console
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Comfort
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consolidate
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Group, unite, strengthen, form together
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consonance
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Agreement, harmony; Repetition of sounds in words
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consort
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(noun): Companion(verb): Be a companion
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conspicuous
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Obvious, easily-sensed
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constituent
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Important part OR one who votes
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constrain
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Hold back
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constraint
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A limitation or restriction
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construe
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Interpret
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consumptive
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Tending to consume; Related to a disease called consumption that wears away at your body
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contemptible
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Terrible, worthy of scorn
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contend
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Complete
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contender
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One who is in the game, challenger
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contentious
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Quarrelsome, tendency to get in arguments
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contiguous
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Touching on, bordering on
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contingency
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Possibility, an event that might occur, future emergency, B plan
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contraband
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Goods smuggled or probibited, illegal trade
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contrite
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Wishing to be forgiven
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conundrum
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Difficult problem, puzzle
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converge
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Meet at one point, (idea or lines)
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conviction
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Belief; assurance; determination; OR a guilty verdict in court
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convivial
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Festive, merry, lively
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convoluted
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Complex, difficult to understand
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copious
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Plentiful, full of thought
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cordial
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Friendly, warm-hearted
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corollary
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Statement that follows logically from another
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corroborate
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Support with data
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corrode
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Ruin, decay
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corrugated
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Arranged into folds; wrinkled
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cosmopolitan
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Savvy, sophisticated
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covenant
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Agreement
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credulity
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Willingness to believe, often too willing
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credulous
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Easily manipulated, easily deceived
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crescendo
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Steady increase in volume, climax
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criterion
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Rule used for judgment, standard
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cryptic
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Having a mysterious or obscure meaning
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culpable
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Responsible; worthy of blame
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cumbersome
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Unbalanced, hard to manage
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cumulative
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: Continually adding; like a dividend or interest payment
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curative
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A medicine or treatment intended to provide a cure
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curator
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Person who is in charge of a museum or art exhibit
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cursory
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Shallow, light, quick, brief, short
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curtail
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Lessen, reduce
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