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81 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abash
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embarrass
My brother tries to abash everyone at our reunions. |
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abscond
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flee/sneak
The criminal absconded during the night with the money. |
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accretion
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accumulation/increase
The efforts resulted in an accretion in profit. |
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aerie
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stronghold/perch
The eagle's aerie was filled with eggs. |
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alacrity
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speed/briskness
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aloof
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removed/indifferent/unsociable
Herbert Hoover has been described as being grim and aloof. |
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amalgamate
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mix/combine/merge
Microsoft should amalgamate with Apple to create a monopoly. |
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ameliorate
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improve
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apocryphal
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not genuine, fictional
Sharon knew that she was telling an apocryphal story when she didn't look at her. |
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apostate
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defector/deserter/renounce faith
So that he could be with his lover, Jim declared himself an apostate even if it meant breaking away from church. |
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arboretum
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place where trees are displayed/studied/ garden
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arcane
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esoteric/secret
The arcane rituals of the sect |
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aspersion
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slander/insinuation
It is unfair to cast aspersion on someone beind their back. |
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ascetic
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abstemious/self-denying
Reverend Dimmesdale felt so guilty for his sin, he took it on himself to live an ascetic life. |
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assiduous
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industrious/diligent
I washed the car with assiduous zeal, not missing a single spot. |
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augury
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prophecy/auspices/portent
Troy hoped the rainbow was an augury of good things to come. |
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aviary
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birdhouse
Mom loves birds and pays a visit to the aviary whenever possible. |
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autocrat
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dictator/despot
Mussolini is an autocrat. |
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attenuate
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to weaken/rarefy
The Bill of Rights was meant to attenuate the traditional power of gov. to change laws at will |
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august
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majestic/grandiose
The august view from my bedroom window is exclusive only to me. |
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baleful
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harmful/sinister
I gave my mother a baleful look because she irritated me. |
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balk
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stop short and refuse to go on
When the horse balked at jumping the fence, the rider was thrown off. |
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expropriate
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seize/take as one's own
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surreptitious
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hidden/furtive/covert
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obtrusive
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protruding/noticable
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promulgate
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announce officially (usually decree)
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proliferate
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To increase or spread at a rapid rate
We all have fears that nuclear weapons might proliferate. |
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irreverence
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A disrespectful act or remark.
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feral
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wild/untamed
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extant
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Still in existence
The fossil record shows that ancient life was different from extant life. |
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pundit
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scholar/bookworm
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interlocutor
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Someone who takes part in a conversation
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surrogate
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a substitute
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ambivalence
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The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings
indecisiveness |
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coalesce
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mix/fuse
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divisive
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Creating dissension or discord
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disparate
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Fundamentally distinct or different in kind
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prosaic
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dull
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comparable
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Similar or equivalent
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vestige
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A visible trace, evidence, or sign of something that once existed but exists or appears no more.
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propagate
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multiply.
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supplant
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replace
railroads supplanted the stagecoach trade |
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doggerel
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Trivial or badly written verse (in a poem) Forced rhyme, trite, cliche. Inferior.
I wouldn't go as far as proclaiming your poem as doggerel, but it could use some work. |
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phlegmatic
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sluggish, indifferent, calm.
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ennui
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boredom
The servants relieved their ennui with gambling and gossip about their masters |
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glib
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Performed with a natural, offhand ease; Showing little thought, preparation, or concern that it can't be sincere.
a glib response to a complex question; glib promises |
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incognito
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With one's identity disguised or concealed. Nameless
In Holland he lived incognito as a carpenter in the shipyards of the East India company. |
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lugubrious
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Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree.
Oh yes, he says, and his lugubrious expression suggests that the loss afflicts him still. |
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purloin
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steal
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revile
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To assail with abusive language; vituperate. Criticize
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commensurate
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proportionate; Having a common measure; commensurable; reducible to a common measure; as, commensurate quantities.
'political power commensurate with their numbers.' |
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proffer
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offer, administer
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aversion
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intense dislike
Laura took an instant aversion to Mike because he reminded her of her brother. |
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bay
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bark, wail, ululate
The dog bayed all night much to the annoyance of the neighbors. |
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bawdy
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obscene, lewd, vulgar, risque, rude, coarse
Bawdy poetry ironically draws a large audience. |
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bane
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something causeing death, destruction. Poison.
Speeches were the bane of Jenny's existence; she hated having to stand up in front of a crowd. |
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balk
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to stop short and refuse to go on.
When the horse balked at jumping over the high fence, the rider was thrown off. |
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baleful
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harmful, sinister, dark
The sullen teenager gave his nagging mother a baleful look. |
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beguile
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to deceive, mislead, iveigle.
The Sirens' attempt to beguile him had worked, for Odysseus was ready to abandon his men. |
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beleaguer
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to harass, plague
Mickey vowed to beleaguer his parents until they gave in to his request for a Nintendo. |
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belie
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to misrepresent, distort, refute
The first lady's attempts to belie the press with her carefree attitude worked like a charm. |
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benighted
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unenlightened, ignorant, unschooled
Ben scoffed at the crowd that he believed consisted entirely of benighted individuals. |
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bevy
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group, band, gang
As predicted, a bevy of teenagers surrounded the rock star's limousine. |
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berate
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to scold harshly
When my manager found out I had handled the situation so insensitively, he berated me. |
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bilk
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to cheat, swindle, dupe
Though the lawyer seemed honest, the woman feared he would try to bilk her out of her money. |
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blandish
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to coax with flattery
I was going to blandish the bouncer until he let us into the club. |
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blithely
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merrily, lightheartedly
Wanting to redecorate the office, she blithely assumed her co-workers wouldn't mind and moved the furniture. |
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insidious
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sly;deceptive: insidious rumors; an insidious disease.
Intended to entrap; treacherous: insidious misinformation. Beguiling but harmful; alluring: insidious pleasures. |
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fastidious
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scrupulous, discriminating, punctual, chary. 'fastidious about personal cleanliness'
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supercilious
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arrogant; haughty; secluded; cold; pompous
The girl has a supercilious expression, and seems to be looking down her nose at the camera |
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pander
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distribute, cater to, indulge
He refused to pander to nostalgia and escapism |
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subversion
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ruin, destruction, uproar
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abrogate
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invalidate; destroy; abolish, call off, void
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adjunct
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appendage; counterpart
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adjudicate
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To study and settle (a dispute or conflict):The principal adjudicated our quarrel.
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aplomb
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self-confidence
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arrears
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unpaid, overdue debt or an unfulfilled obligation.
an account in arrears |
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abase
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degrade ; lower in rank, prestige, or esteem.
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artifice
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subterfuge; machination; ploy. Deceptive maneuver. Cleverness or skill
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antipodes
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Contradiction; converse. Any two places or regions that are on diametrically opposite sides of the earth. We just sit and listen to the fullness of the quiet, as an antipode to focused busyness
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abate
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lessen; abolish; attenuate; cool
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