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20 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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Ardor
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Intense and passionate feeling
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Bishop's ardor for landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley.
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Articulate
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Able to speak clearly and expressively
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She is such an articulate defender of labor that unions are among her strongest supporters.
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Assuage
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To make something unpleasant less severe
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Serena used aspirin to assuage her pounding headache.
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Attenuate
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To reduce in force or degree; to weaken
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The Bill of Rights attenuated the traditional power of government to change laws at will.
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Audacious
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Fearless and daring
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Her audacious nature allowed her to fulfill her dream of skydiving.
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Austere
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Severe or stern in appearance; undecorated
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The lack of decoration makes Zen temples seem austere to the untrained eye.
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Banal
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Predictable, clichéd, boring
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He used banal phrases like Have a nice day, or Another day, another dollar.
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Bolster
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To support; to prop up
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The presence of giant footprints bolstered the argument that Sasquatch was in the area.
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Bombastic
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Pompous in speech and manner
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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
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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
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The observations of a child can be charming since they are candid and unpretentious.
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Capricious
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Changing one's mind quickly and often
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Queen Elizabeth I was quite capricious; her courtiers could never be sure which of their number would catch her fancy.
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Castigate
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To punish or criticize harshly
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Americans are amazed at how harshly the authorities in Singapore castigate perpetrators of what would be considered minor crimes in the United States.
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Catalyst
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Something that brings about a change in something else
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The imposition of harsh taxes was the catalyst that finally brought on the revolution.
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Caustic
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Biting in wit
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Dorothy Parker gained her reputation for caustic wit from her cutting, yet clever, insults.
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Chaos
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Great disorder or confusion
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In most religious traditions, God created an ordered universe from chaos.
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Chauvinist
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Someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
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The attitude that men are inherently superior to women and therefore must be obeyed is common among male chauvinists.
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Chicanery
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Deception by means of craft or guile
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Dishonest used car salesmen often use chicanery to sell their beat-up old cars.
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Cogent |
Convincing and well reasoned |
Swayed by the cogent argument of the defense, the jury had no choice but to acquit the defendant. |
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Condone
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To overlook, pardon, or disregard
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Some theorists believe that failing to prosecute minor crimes is the same as condoning an air of lawlessness.
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