Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
250 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
pugnacity
|
combativeness; disposition to fight
|
|
pulverize
|
crush or grind into dust
|
|
punctilious
|
laying stress on niceties of conduct or form; minutely attentive to fine points (perhaps too much so)
|
|
purchase
|
firm grasp or footing
|
|
purveyor
|
furnisher of foodstuffs; caterer
|
|
pusillanimous
|
cowardly; fainthearted
|
|
quaff
|
drink with relish
|
|
quagmire
|
soft wet boggy land; complex or dangerous situation from which it is difficult to free oneself
|
|
quail
|
cower; lose heart
|
|
quandary
|
dilemma
|
|
quarry
|
n. victim; object of a hunt
v. dig into |
|
quay
|
dock; landing place
|
|
quell
|
extinguish; put down; quiet
|
|
querulous
|
fretful; whining
|
|
quibble
|
minor objection or complaint
|
|
quiescent
|
at rest; dormant; temporarily inactive
|
|
quintessence
|
purest and highest embodiment
|
|
quip
|
taunt
|
|
quirt
|
startling twist; caprice
|
|
quiver
|
v. tremble; shake
n. case for arrows |
|
quixotic
|
idealistic but impractical
|
|
quizzical
|
teasing; bantering; mocking; curious
|
|
quorum
|
number of members necessary to conduct a meeting
|
|
raiment
|
clothing
|
|
rally
|
call up or summon (forces, vital powers, etc.); revive or recuperate
|
|
ramification
|
branching out; subdivision
|
|
ramify
|
divide into branches or subdivisions
|
|
ramshackle
|
rickety; falling apart
|
|
rankle
|
irritate; fester
|
|
rapacious
|
excessively greedy; predatory
|
|
rapt
|
absorbed; enchanted
|
|
rarefied
|
made less dense (of a gas)
|
|
ratiocination
|
reasoning; act of drawing conclusions from premises
|
|
ravel
|
fall apart into tangles; unravel or untwist; entangle
|
|
raze
|
destroy completely
|
|
reactionary
|
recoiling from progress; politically ultra-conservative
|
|
rebuff
|
snub; beat back
|
|
rebuke
|
scold harshly; criticize severely
|
|
rebuttal
|
refutation; response with contrary evidence
|
|
recalcitrant
|
obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly
|
|
recant
|
disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error
|
|
recapitulate
|
summarize
|
|
recast
|
reconstruct (a sentence, story, etc.); fashion again (remake; alter)
|
|
recidivism
|
habitual return to crime
|
|
reciprocate
|
repay in kind
|
|
reconnaissance
|
survey of enemy by soldiers; reconnoitering (literally to recognize)
|
|
recourse
|
resorting to help when in trouble
|
|
recrimination
|
countercharges
|
|
redoubtable
|
formidable; causing fear
|
|
redress
|
remedy; compensation
|
|
refractory
|
stubborn; unmanageable
|
|
refute
|
disprove
|
|
regale
|
entertain
|
|
regimen
|
prescribed diet and habits
|
|
rejoinder
|
retort; comeback; reply
|
|
relegate
|
banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign
|
|
relic
|
surviving remnant; memento
|
|
remiss
|
negligent
|
|
remission
|
temporary moderation of disease symptoms; cancellation of a debt; forgiveness or pardon
|
|
remonstrance
|
protest; objection
|
|
remunerative
|
compensating; rewarding
|
|
render
|
deliver; provide; represent
|
|
rendition
|
translation; artistic interpretation of a song, etc.
|
|
renege
|
deny; go back on
|
|
rent
|
rip; split
|
|
repast
|
meal; feast; banquet
|
|
reprehensible
|
deserving blame
|
|
reprieve
|
temporary stay
|
|
reprisal
|
retaliation
|
|
reprise
|
musical repetition; repeat performance; recurrent action
|
|
reprobate
|
person hardened in sin, devoid of a sense of decency
|
|
repudiate
|
disown; disavow
|
|
requite
|
repay; revenge
|
|
rescind
|
cancel
|
|
resigned
|
accepting one's fate; unresisting; patiently submissive
|
|
restitution
|
reparation; indemnification
|
|
restive
|
restlessly impatient; obstinately resisting control
|
|
retiring
|
modest; shy
|
|
retrench
|
cut down; economize
|
|
retrograde
|
go backwards; degenerate
|
|
reverie
|
daydream; musing
|
|
revulsion
|
sudden violent change of feeling; reaction
|
|
rhapsodize
|
to speak or write in an exaggeratedly enthusiastic manner
|
|
ribald
|
wanton; profane
|
|
riddle
|
pierce with holes; permeate or spread throughout
|
|
rider
|
amendment or clause added to a legislative bill
|
|
rigor
|
severity
|
|
rile
|
vex; irritate; muddy
|
|
roil
|
to make liquids murky by stirring up sediment
|
|
rostrum
|
platform for speech-making; pulpit
|
|
rote
|
repetition
|
|
rue
|
regret; lament; mourn
|
|
saboteur
|
one who commits sabotage; destroyer of property
|
|
salacious
|
lascivious; lustful
|
|
salvo
|
discharge of firearms; military salute
|
|
sanctimonious
|
displaying ostentatious or hypocritical devoutness
|
|
sanguine
|
cheerful; hopeful
|
|
sardonic
|
disdainful; sarcastic; cynical
|
|
saturnine
|
gloomy
|
|
savant
|
scholar
|
|
scabbard
|
case for a sword blade; sheath
|
|
scad
|
a great quantity
|
|
scale
|
climb up; ascend
|
|
scamp
|
rascal
|
|
schematic
|
relating to an outline or diagram; using a system of symbols
|
|
schism
|
division; split
|
|
scruple
|
fret about; hesitate, for ethical reasons
|
|
scuffle
|
struggle confusedly; move off in a confused hurry
|
|
scurrilous
|
obscene; indecent
|
|
scurry
|
move briskly
|
|
scurvy
|
despicable; contemptible
|
|
scuttle
|
v. scurry; run with short, rapid steps
v. sink |
|
seamy
|
sordid; unwholesome
|
|
sear
|
char or burn; brand
|
|
sectarian
|
relating to a religious faction or subgroup; narrow-minded; limited
|
|
sedition
|
resistance to authority; insubordination
|
|
sedulous
|
diligent; hardworking
|
|
seedy
|
run-down; decrepit; disreputable
|
|
seemly
|
proper; appropriate
|
|
seismic
|
pertaining to earthquakes
|
|
sheer
|
very thin or transparent; very steep; absolute
|
|
shoddy
|
sham; not genuine; inferior
|
|
shroud
|
hide from view; wrap for burial
|
|
shyster
|
lawyer using questionable methods
|
|
simian
|
monkeylike
|
|
simper
|
smirk; smile affectedly
|
|
sinecure
|
well-paid position with little responsibility
|
|
sinewy
|
tough; strong and firm
|
|
skiff
|
small, light sailboat or rowboat
|
|
skimp
|
provide scantily; live very economically
|
|
skirmish
|
minor fight
|
|
skulk
|
move furtively and secretly
|
|
slag
|
residue from smelting metal; dross; waste matter
|
|
slake
|
quench; sate
|
|
slapdash
|
haphazard; careless; sloppy
|
|
slight
|
insult to one's dignity; snub
|
|
slothful
|
lazy
|
|
slough
|
cast off
|
|
slur
|
v. speak indistinctly; mumble
n. insult to one's character or reputation; slander |
|
smelt
|
melt or blend ores, changing their chemical composition
|
|
smolder
|
burn without flame; be liable to break out at any moment
|
|
snivel
|
run at the nose; snuffle; whine
|
|
sojourn
|
temporary stay
|
|
solder
|
repair or make whole by using a metal alloy
|
|
solecism
|
construction that is flagrantly incorrect grammatically
|
|
solicitous
|
worried; concerned
|
|
somnolent
|
half asleep
|
|
sophistry
|
seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning
|
|
sovereign
|
efficacious; supreme or paramount; self-governing
|
|
spat
|
squabble; minor dispute
|
|
spate
|
sudden flood or strong outburst; a large number or amount
|
|
specious
|
seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally)
|
|
spendthrift
|
someone who wastes money
|
|
sphinx-like
|
enigmatic; mysterious
|
|
splice
|
fasten together; unite
|
|
spry
|
vigorously active; nimble
|
|
spurious
|
false; counterfeit; forged; illogical
|
|
squalor
|
filth; degradation; dirty, neglected state
|
|
staid
|
sober; sedate
|
|
stanch
|
check flow of blood
|
|
steep
|
soak; saturate
|
|
stilted
|
bombastic; inflated
|
|
stint
|
n. supply; allotted amount; assigned portion of work
v. be thrifty; set limits |
|
stipend
|
pay for services
|
|
stipulate
|
make express conditions; specify
|
|
stodgy
|
stuffy; boringly conservative
|
|
stoke
|
stir up a fire; feed plentifully
|
|
stricture
|
restriction; adverse criticism
|
|
strident
|
loud and harsh; insistent
|
|
strut
|
n. pompous walk; swagger
n. supporting bar |
|
stultify
|
cause to appear or become stupid or inconsistent; frustrate or hinder
|
|
stymie
|
present an obstacle; stump
|
|
subjective
|
occurring or taking place within the subject; unreal
|
|
suborn
|
persuade to act unlawfully (especially to commit perjury)
|
|
subsidiary
|
subordinate; secondary
|
|
subsistence
|
existence; means of support; livelihood
|
|
substantive
|
essential; pertaining to the substance
|
|
subterfuge
|
pretense; evasion
|
|
subversive
|
tending to overthrow; destructive
|
|
suffragist
|
advocate of voting rights (for women)
|
|
sully
|
tarnish; soil
|
|
sultry
|
sweltering
|
|
sumptuous
|
lavish; rich
|
|
supersede
|
cause to be set aside; replace; make obsolete
|
|
supplant
|
replace; usurp
|
|
surrogate
|
substitute
|
|
swarthy
|
dark; dusky
|
|
swathe
|
wrap around; bandage
|
|
swill
|
drink greedily
|
|
sybarite
|
lover of luxury
|
|
symbiosis
|
interdependent relationship (between groups, species), often mutually beneficial
|
|
talisman
|
charm to bring good luck and avert misfortune
|
|
tangential
|
peripheral; only slightly connected; digressing
|
|
tanner
|
person who turns animal hides into leather
|
|
tarry
|
delay; dawdle
|
|
tautological
|
needlessly repetitious
|
|
temporize
|
avoid committing oneself; gain time
|
|
tendentious
|
having an aim; biased; designed to further a cause
|
|
tenet
|
doctrine; dogma
|
|
tenuous
|
thin; rare; slim
|
|
tether
|
tie with a rope
|
|
thespian
|
pertaining to drama
|
|
throes
|
violent anguish
|
|
tightwad
|
excessively frugal person; miser
|
|
tiller
|
handle used to move boat's rudder (to steer)
|
|
titter
|
nervous laugh
|
|
tonic
|
invigorating; refreshing
|
|
torrent
|
rushing stream; flood
|
|
torrid
|
passionate; hot or scorching
|
|
totter
|
move unsteadily; sway, as if about to fall
|
|
tout
|
publicize; praise excessively
|
|
tract
|
region of land (often imprecisely described); pamphlet
|
|
traduce
|
expose to slander
|
|
trajectory
|
path taken by a projectile
|
|
transcribe
|
copy
|
|
translucent
|
partly transparent
|
|
transmute
|
change; convert to something different
|
|
transport
|
strong emotion
|
|
travail
|
painful labor
|
|
travesty
|
comical parody; treatment aimed at making something appear ridiculous
|
|
treatise
|
article treating a subject systematically and thoroughly
|
|
tribute
|
tax levied by a ruler; mark of respect
|
|
trough
|
container for feeding farm animals; lowest point (of a wave, business cycle, etc.)
|
|
truculence
|
aggressiveness; ferocity
|
|
tryst
|
meeting
|
|
tundra
|
rolling, treeless plain in Siberia and arctic North America
|
|
turgid
|
swollen; distended
|
|
turpitude
|
depravity (morally corrupt)
|
|
tyro
|
beginner; novice
|
|
unaccountable
|
inexplicable; unreasonable or mysterious
|
|
unassuming
|
modest
|
|
unbridled
|
violent
|
|
underlying
|
fundamental; lying below
|
|
undulating
|
moving with a wavelike motion
|
|
unequivocal
|
plain; obvious; unmistakable
|
|
unfathomable
|
incomprehensible; impenetrable
|
|
unfrock
|
to strip a priest or minister of church authority
|
|
ungainly
|
awkward; clumsy; unwieldy
|
|
uniformity
|
sameness; monotony
|
|
unimpeachable
|
blameless and exemplary
|
|
unprepossessing
|
unattractive
|
|
unrequited
|
not reciprocated
|
|
unscathed
|
unharmed
|
|
unseemly
|
unbecoming; indecent; in poor taste
|
|
unwitting
|
unintentional; not knowing
|
|
veer
|
change in direction
|
|
vehement
|
forceful; intensely emotional; with marked vigor
|
|
venal
|
capable of being bribed; corrupt
|
|
vendetta
|
blood feud
|
|
veneer
|
thin layer; cover
|