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280 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
abrogate
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v. to abolish, repeal, or nullify
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abstruse
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adj. difficult to understand
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abysmal
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adj. extremely hopeless or wretched; bottomless
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accolade
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n. an award or honor
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acerbic
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adj. bitter, sour, severe
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acumen
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n. keeness of judgment; mental sharpness
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affable
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adj. easy to talk to; friendly
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afford
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v. to permit or allow; enable
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aggregate
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n., adj. collection of things mixed together; the sum total
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allocate
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v. to distribute, assign, or allot
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aloof
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adj. standoffish, uninvolved, keeping one's distance
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ameliorate
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v. to make better or more tolerable
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anachronistic
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adj. out of place in time or history
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anathema
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n. something or someone loathed or detested
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ancillary
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adj. subordinate; providing assistance
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annul
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v. to make void, usually refers to marriage
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anomaly
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n. an aberration, deviation, or irregularity
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anthropology
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n. the study of human cultures
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antithetical
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adj. in opposition, contrary to
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apostate
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n. one who deserts his or her professed principles or faith
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apotheosis
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n. elevation to divine status; the perfect example of something
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appropriate
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v. to take without permission; to set aside for particular use
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archetype
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n. an original model or pattern
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ardent
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adj. passionate
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ascertain
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v. to determine with certainty; to find out definately
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ascetic
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adj. hermitlike, practicing self-denial
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assiduous
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adj. hardowrking, diligent, busy
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assuage
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v. to soothe, pacify, or relieve
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attrition
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n. gradual wearing away; a natural or expected decrease in size or number
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augury
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n. an omen, especially a good omen
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auspices
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n. protection, support; sponsorship
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avarice
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n. greed
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avuncular
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adj. kind, helpful, generous; like a nice uncle
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barometer
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n. an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure
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beguile
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v. to delude by guile or crafty; to mislead, divert
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behest
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n. a command or order
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beleaguer
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v. to surround, besiege, or harass
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belie
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v. to give a false impression; to contradict
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bellicose
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adj. warlike, belligerent
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bequest
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n. something left to someone in a will
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blithe
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adj. carefree, cheerful
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broach
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v. to open up a subject, often a delicate one, for discussion
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brusque
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adj. rough and short in manner, blunt, abrupt
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burgeon
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v. to expand; to flourish
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buttress
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n., v. a support for a building or structure; to support
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cabal
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n. a group of conspirators; the acts of such a group; a clique
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cajole
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v. to persuade with flattery or gentle urging
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calipers
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n. a pinching instrument used for determining the thickness of objects or the distance between surfaces
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candor
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n. sincerity, honesty
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cannon
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n. a rule or law, especially a religious one; a body of rules or laws; an authoritative list; the set of works by an author that are accepted as authentic
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cantankerous
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adj. ill-natured, contentious
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canvass
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v. to campaign; to seek or solicit orders, votes, etc.
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capacitor
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n. a device that stores energy
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capitulate
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v. to surrender, give up, or give in
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capricious
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adj. unpredictable, likely to change at any moment
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captious
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adj. ill-natured, quarrelsom
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carp
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v. to complain or find fault with someone
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cartography
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n. the study and creation of maps
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castigate
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v. to criticize severely, to chastise
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catalyst
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n. anyone or anything that makes something happen without being difrectly involved
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catharsis
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n. purification that brings emotional relief or renewal
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cavil
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v. to quibble, to raise trivial questions
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censure
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v. to condemn severely for doing something bad
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chagrin
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n. humiliation; embarrassed disappointment
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chicanery
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n. trickery, deceitfulness, artifice (especially legal or political)
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chimerical
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adj. imaginary, given to fantasy
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choleric
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adj. hot-tempered, quick to anger
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circumvent
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v. to go around
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closefisted
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adj. stingy
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coalesce
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v. to come together as one, to fuse, to unite
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cogitate
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v. to ponder; to meditate; to think carefully about
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colloquial
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adj. ordinary, informal in relationship to speech
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conscript
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v. enlisted, drafted, or enrolled; usually refers to mandatory military service
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corroborate
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v. to confirm; to back up with evidence
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coterie
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n. a group of close associates; a circle of friends
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coy
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adj. shy, reluctant to make a commitment
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craven
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adj. cowardly, afraid
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curmudgeon
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n. a greedy, irascible, crotchety old person
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dearth
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n. a shortage or scarcity of something
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debacle
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n. a big disaster
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deft
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adj. very skillful
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dehydrate
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v. to remove water
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deleterious
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adj. harmful
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demagogue
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n. a leader of the people, but more a rabble-rouser
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demography
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n. the statistical study of the characteristics of populations
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desalinate
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v. to remove salt from something
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desiccate
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v. to dry out
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diplomatic
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adj. tactful; good at negotiating
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discomfit
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v. to frustrate, to confuse
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dither
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v. to vacillate between choices; to tremble with excitement
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diural
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adj. occurring every day; occuring during hte daytime
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divisive
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adj. creating conflict and disagreement
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draconian
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adj. severe, harsh, cruel
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ebullient
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adj. bubbling with excitement, exuberant
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eclectic
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adj. drawn from many sources
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effigy
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n. a likeness of a person, usually one used to express hatred for that person
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egregious
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adj. extremely bad, flagrant
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elliptical
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adj. oval; missing a word or words; obscure
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endemic
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adj. native, restricted to a particular region or area, indigenous
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ephemeral
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adj. lasting a very short time
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equine
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adj. relating to horses, horselike
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equivocal
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adj. ambiguous, intentionally confusing, capable of being interpreted many ways
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ersatz
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adj. serving as a substitute; synthetic, artificial
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ethereal
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adj. heavenly, light, insubstantial
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etymology
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n. the study of words and their meanings
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euphonious
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adj. pleasant-sounding, opposite of cacophonous; melodious
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evanescent
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adj. fleeting, vanishing, happening only for the briefest period
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evince
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v. to demonstrate convincingly; to prove
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execrate
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v. to curse, denounce
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exhume
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v. to unbury; to dig out of the ground
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exonerate
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v. to free completely from blame
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expeditious
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adj., v. prompt, speedy; to expedite
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expiate
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v. to make amends, to atone
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expunge
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v. to erase, obliterate, to blot out
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facile
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adj. fluent, skillful in a superficial way
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fervent
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adj. having intense feeling, enthusiastic; fervid
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feign
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v. to pretend; to make a false representation of something
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flaccid
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adj. soft and limp
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florid
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adj. very fancy, usually refers to intangivle objects (ie. florid speech)
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flout
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v. to disregard something or someone out of disrespect
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ford
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n., v. the shallow part of a river; to cross a river at the shallow part
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forensics
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n. the art or study of argumentation and formal debate
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fortuitous
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adj. accidental, occuring by chance
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fracas
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n. a big fight
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furrow
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n., v. a narrow groove made in the ground; to make wrinkles in the face
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gaffe
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n. a social blunder, an embarrasing mistake, a faux pas
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galvanize
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v. to startle into sudden activity; to revitalize
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gastoronomy
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n. the art of eating well
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germane
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adj. relevant, applicable, pertinent
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glower
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v. to look or stare with sullen dislike or anger
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goldbrick
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v., n. to swindle to sell something worthless as if it were valuable; a swindle
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grandiloquent
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adj. using a lot of big, fancy words to sound impressive
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gratuitous
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adj. given freely; uncalled for; unjustified; unprovoked
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glut
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n. surplus, overabundance
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hackneyed
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adj. overused, trite, stale
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halcyon
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adj. peaceful, serene; carefree
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harbinger
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n. a forerunner, a signal of
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hedonism
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n. the persuit of pleasure as a way of life
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hegemony
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n. leadership, especially of one nation over another
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hermetic
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adj. airtight, impervious to external influence
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homily
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n. a sermon
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hubris
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n. excessive pride
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humanist
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n. one who has great concern for human welfare, values, and dignity; a student of the classics
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hybrid
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n. formed, bred or composed from different elements
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hypodermic
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adj. beneath the skin
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idiosncratic
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adj. quirky, peculiar, eccentric
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ignominy
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n. shame, disrepute, disgrace
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importune
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v. to beg, urge, or insist persistently
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inane
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adj. silly, senseless
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incantation
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n. a chant
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incarnate
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adj. in the flesh
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incensed
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adj. very angry
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inchoate
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adj. incomplete; only partially formed
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indignant
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adj. angry or insulted, especially as a result of something unjust or unworthy
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indolent
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adj. averse to activity; habitually lazy
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ineffable
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adj. incapable of being expressed or described
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inexorable
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adj. relentless, inevitable, unavoidable
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inoculate
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v. to protect against disease
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insouciant
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adj. nonchalant, lighthearted, carefree
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irascible
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adj. easily angered or provoked; irritable
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jaunt
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n. a short pleasure trip
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jejune
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adj. lacking maturity or significance; irrelevant
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jettison
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v. to throw or cast off
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jingoist
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n. an excessively vigilant patriot; a bellicose chauvinist; a war mongering nationalist
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jurisprudence
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n. the study of law
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karma
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n. consequences of one's actions; fate, destiny
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kudos
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n. honor, glory, acclaim, compliment
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lambaste
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v. to assalt violently with words
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lament
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v. to mourn
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laudatory
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adj. praising
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lax
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adj. not strict; careless or negligent
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lexicon
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n. a glossary or dictionary
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limpid
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adj. transparent, clear, lucid
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liniment
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n. a medicinal liquid or salve for rubbing on the skin
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liquidate
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v. to get rid of; to settle a debt
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lugubrious
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adj. exaggeratedly mournful
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luminary
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n. a person who has attained eminence in his/her field
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maudlin
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adj. silly and overly sentimental
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maverik
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n. a nonconformist; a rebel
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mellifluous
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adj. flowing sweetly, usually refers to sounds or voices
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mendacious
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adj. lying, dishonest
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meritorious
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adj. deserving praise or reward
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mirth
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n. amusement or laughter
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misanthrope
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n. one who hates people
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mollify
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v. to soften, soothe, pacify
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moribund
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adj. dying
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narcissism
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n. excessive love of one's body or oneself
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nebulous
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adj. vague, hazy, indistinct
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neologism
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n. a new word or phrase; a new usage of a word
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neophyte
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n. a novice or begginer
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noisome
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adj. offensive or disgusting; stinking, noxious
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noxious
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adj. harmful offensive
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nuance
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n. a subtle difference or distinction
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numerology
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n. the study of numbers for the purposes of predicting the future
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obdurate
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adj.stubborn, insensitive, unyielding, resistant to persuasion
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obeisance
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n. deep reverence; a bow or curtsy
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obfuscate
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v. to darken or confuse
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obsequious
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adj. fawning, subservient, servile, excessively deferential
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odometer
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n. instrument that measures how many miles one has traveled
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olfactory
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adj. pertaining to the sense of smell
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oligarchy
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n. government by only a very few people
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ornate
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adj. very fancy, usually refers to tangivle objects (ie. orate woodwork)
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palliative
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adj., n. something that provides temporary relief without getting rid of the problem
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paltry
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adj. insignificant; worthless
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panacea
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n. something that cures everything
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panache
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n. flair, verve; dashing elegance
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paragon
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n. a model of excellence
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peccadillo
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n. a minor offense or error
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pedantic
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adj. boringly scholarly or academic; overconcerned with details
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penurious
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adj. extremely stingy, poor, or miserly
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perfidy
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n. treachery
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perfunctory
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adj. unenthusiastic, careless
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pernicious
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adj. deadly, extremely evil
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perquisite
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n. a privilege that goes along with a job; a "perk"
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philistine
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n. a smugly ignorant person with no appreciation for intellectual or artistic matters
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piquant
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adj. pleasantly sharp in favor; interestingly provocative or stimulating
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pique
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v. to excite; to arouse an emotion or provoke to action
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plebeian
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adj. common, vulguar, low-class
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poignant
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adj. painfully emotional, extremely moving, sharp, or astute
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portent
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n. an omen, a sign of something coming
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potentate
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n. a person who possesses great power
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predilection
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n. a natural preference for something
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preempt
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v. to seize something by prior right
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prescient
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adj. having knowledge of things before they exist or happen
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priggish
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adj. very fussy, self-righteous, high-maintenance, usually refers to people
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profligate
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adj. extravagantly wasteful; wildly immoral
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prolific
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adj. abundantly productive, fruitful, or fertile
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promulgate
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v. to publicly or formally declare something
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prosaic
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adj. dull, unimaginative
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pugnacious
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adj. quarrelsome, combative, always ready to right
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pulchritude
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n. physical beauty
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queue
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n., v. a line; to line up
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quiescent
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adj. motionless; at rest; still
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quintessential
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adj. being the most perfect example of
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quixotic
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adj. idealistic to a foolish or impractical degree, like Don Quixote
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quotidian
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adj. daily; everyday; ordinary
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raze
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v. to completely destroy or level something
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rebuke
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to criticize sharply
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recapitulate
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v. to review or summarize
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recidivism
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n. the act of repeating an offense
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redolent
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adj. fragrant
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renege
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v. to go back on a bet or promise
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retrenchment
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n. cutting down or off, reduction
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rhetoric
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n. the study or art of using language well; the use of undue exaggeration
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sacrosanct
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adj. sacred, held to be inviolable
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sanguine
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adj. cheerful, optimistic, hopeful
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sardonic
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adj. mocking, scornful
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saturnine
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adj. gloomy or taciturn
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scrupulous
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adj. strict, careful; hesitant for ethical reasons
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semantic
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n. pertaining to the meaning of words or symbols
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semaphore
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n. a system of signaling, usually through the use of flags
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serendipity
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n. acciental good fortune, discovering good things without looking for them
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skinflint
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n. a mean, penny pinching person
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smidgen
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n. a very small amount
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somber
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adj. depressing, dismal, gloomy
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specious
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adj. deceptively plausible or attractive; misleading
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stand
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n. a group of trees
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sublime
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adj. of great intellectual, oral, or spiritual value
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subsidy
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n. a gift of money
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subterfuge
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n. deceptive stategy used to conceal, escape, or evade
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supercilious
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adj. haughty, patrionizing
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supplicate
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v. to ask or beg humbly
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tenable
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adj. valid capable of being argued successfully
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threadbare
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adj. falling apart, meager, poor, old
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truculent
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adj. fierce, cruel, savagely brutal
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turbid
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adj. unclear or opaque; lacking clarity or purity
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uncanny
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adj. extraordinary, mysterious, uncomfortably strange
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unilateral
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adj. involving one side only; done on the behalf of one side only
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usury
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n. the practice of lending money at a high rate of interest
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vacuous
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adj. empty of content; lacking in ideas or intelligence
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vapid
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adj. dull, spiritless
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verdant
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adj. covered with green plants; leafy; inexperienced
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vernacular
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n. everyday speech, slang, idiom
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vestige
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n. a remaining bit of something, a last trace
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vilify
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v. to say vile things about; to defame
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wane
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v. to decrease in strength or intensity; to fade away; to decline in power
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wanton
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adj. malicious, unjustifiable, unprovoked, egregious
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wizened
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adj. shriveled, withered, shrunken
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zeitgeist
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n. the mood or spirit of the times
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zenith
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n. the highest point; peak; pinnacle
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