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102 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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Abate
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To reduce in amount
As the earthquake's force abated we stood up |
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Abscond
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to leave secretly
I absconded from Ralphs without paying for groceries |
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Abstain
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To choose not to do something
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Abyss
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An extremely deep hole
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Adulterate
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To make something impure.
The restaurateur made his ketchip last longer by adulterating it with water |
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advocate
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speak in favor of
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aesthetic
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concerning the appeciation of beauty
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aggrandize
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to increase in power, influence, and reputation
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Alleviate
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To make more bearable.
Taking aspirin helps to alleviate a headache |
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Amalgamate
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To combine, to mix together
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Ambiguous
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Interpreted in several ways/uncertain
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Ameliorate
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To make better/improve
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The doctor was able to AMELIORATE the patient's sufering using painkillers
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Anachronism
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something out of place in time
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Analogous
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Similar or alike in some way
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Anomaly
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Deviation from what is normal
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Antagonize
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to annoy or provoke to anger
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Antipath
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Extreme dislike
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Apathy
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Lack of interest or emotion
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Arbitrate
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to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
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Archaic
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Ancient, Old fashioned
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Ardor
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Intense and passionate feeling
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Articulate
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Able to speak clearly and expressively
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Assuage
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Make something unpleasant less severe
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attenuate
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to reduce in force or degree; weaken
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audacious
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fearless and daring
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austere
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severe ir stern in appearance; undecorated
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banal
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Predictable, cliched, boring
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bolster
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to support; prop up
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bombastic
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pompous (egotistic) in speech and manner.
The dictator's speeches were mostly bombastic; his boasting and outrageous claims had no basis in fact. |
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cacophony
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Harsh, jarring noise.
The junior high orchestra created an almost unbearable cacophony as they tried to tune their instruments |
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CANDID
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Impartial and honest in speech
The observations of a child can be charming since they are candid and unpretentious. |
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CAPRICIOUS
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Changing ones mind quickly and often.
Queen Elizabeth was quite the CAPRICIOUS; her courtiers could never be sure which of their number would catch her fancy. |
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CASTIGATE
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Punish or critize harshly
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CATALYST
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Something that brings about a change in something else.
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CAUSTIC
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Biting in wit
Jamie gained her reputation for CAUSTIC wit from her cutting, yet clever, insults. |
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CHAOS
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Great disorder or confushion
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CHAUVINIST
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Someone prejudiced in favor of a group they belong.
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CHICANERY
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Deception by means of craft.
Salesmen often use CHICANERY to sell their sucky websites |
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COGENT
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Convincing and well reasoned
Swayed by the COGENT presentation of the consultant, the realtor has no choice but to buy the website. |
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CONDONE
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To overlook, pardon, or disregard
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CONVOLUTED
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Intricate and complicated
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CORROBORATE
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Provide supporting evidence
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fingerprints corroborated the witness's testimony that he saw the defendant in the victim's apartment.
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Credulous
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Too trusting; gullible
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CRESCENDO
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Steadily increasing volume or force
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The crescendo of tension became unbearable as Evel Knievel prepared to jump his motorcycle over the school buses.
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DECORUM
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Appropriateness of behavior or conduct
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The countess complained that the culgar peasants lacked the decorum appropriate for a visit to the palace.
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DEFERENCE
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Respect, courtesty
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The respectful young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justive with the utmost deference.
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DERIDE
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To mock
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DESICCATE
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to dry out thoroughly
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After a few weeks of lying on the desert's baking sands, the cow's carcass became completely desiccated.
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DESULTORY
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Jumping from one thing to another, disconnected
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Diane had a desultory academic record, she had changed majors 12 times.
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DIATRIBE
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An abusive, comdemnatory speech
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The trucker bellowed a diatribe at car that cut him off
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urbande
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refined and elegant
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gaucherie
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social awkardness
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brusque
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blunt
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apostate
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abandons belief
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diffident
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lacking self confidence
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Steve's diffident manner during the job interview stemmed from his nervous nature and lack of experience in the field
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Dilate
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to make larger, to expand
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when you enter a darkened room, the pupils of your eyes dilate to let in more light.
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dilatory
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intended to delay
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the congressman used dilatory measures to delay the bill
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dillettante
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someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
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Jerry's friends were such dilettantes that they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week.
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dirge
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a funeral hymn or mournful speech
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disabuse
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to set right, to free from error
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Galileo's observations disabused scholars of the notion that the Sun revoolved around the earth.
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Discern
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To rcognize
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it is easy to discern the difference between splenda and sugar
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Disparate
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fundamentally different; entirely unlike
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although the twins appear to be identical physically, their personalities are disparate.
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dissemble
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to present a false appearance; to disguide one's real intentions or character
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the villain could dissemble to the police no longer--he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the body of the old man.
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dogma
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firmly held opinion, often a religious belief.
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Linus's central dogma was that children who believed in the Great Pumpkin would be rewarded.
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Discern
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to recognize
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it is easy to discern the difference between butter and butter flavor
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Disparate
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fundamentally different; entirely unlike
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although the twins looked alike, their personalities are disparate.
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Dissemble
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to present a flase appearance, to disguise one's real intentions or character
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the villain could dissemble to the police no longer.
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dogma
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firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
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dogmatic
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dictatorial in one's opinions
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Dupe
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to decieve, a person who is easily deceived
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bugs bunny was able to duoe elmer fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit.
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eclectic
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made up from a variety of sources
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Budapest's architecture is an eclectc mix of eastern and western styles.
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efficacy
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effectivness
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elegy
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sorrowful poem or sppech
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eloquent
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persuasive and moving, especially in speech
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emulate
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to copy, to try to equal or excel
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the graduate student sought to emulate his professor in every way, copying not only how she taught but also how she conducted herself in class.
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enervate
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to reduce in strenght
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the guerrillas jopes that a series of surprise attacks would enervate the regular army.
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engender
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to produce, cause, or bring about
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his fear and hatred of clowns was engendered when he witnessed the death of his father at the hands of a clown.
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enigma
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a puzzle or mustery
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speaking in riddles and dressed in old robes, the artist gained a reputation as something of a enigma.
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enumerate
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to count, list, or itemize
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moses returned from the moungtain with tablets on which the commandments were enumerated.
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ephemeral
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lasting a short time
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the lives of mayflies seem ephemeral to us, since the flies average life span is a matter of hours.
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equivocate
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to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
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when faced with criticism of his policies, the politican equivocated and left all parties thinking he agreed with them.
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erratic
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wandering and unpredictable
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the plot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of erratic turns that surprised the audience
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erudite
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learned, scholarly, bookish
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esoteric
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known or understood by only a few
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only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the esoteric world of particle physics
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Estimable
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Admirable
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Euphemism
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using a better word in replace of a bad one
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Exculpate
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To clear from blame; prove innocent.
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Exacerbate
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To make worse
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Exigent
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Urgent, requiring immediate action.
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exonerate
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to clear from blame
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Fanatical
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Acting excessively enthusiastic, filled with unquestioned devotion.
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Fawn
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to grovel
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fervid
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intensely emotional
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florid
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excessively decorated or embellished
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foment
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arouse, awaken, incite
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Garrulous
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tending to talk a lot
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Gregarious
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outgoing, sociable
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guile
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deceit, trickery
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Iconoclast
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One who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions
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Imperturbable
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not capable of being disturbed.
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impervous
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impossible to penetrate, immune.
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impetuous
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quick to act without thinking
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