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179 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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Abate
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To reduce in amount, degree, or severity
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As the hurricane's force abated, the winds dropped and the sea became calm.
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Abscond
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To leave secretly
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The patron absconded from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door.
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Abstain
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To choose not to do something
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She abstained from choosing a mouthwatering dessert from the tray.
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Abyss
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An extremely deep hole
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The submarine dove into the abyss to chart the previously unseen depths.
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Adulterate
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To make impure
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The restaurateur made his ketchup last longer by adulterating it with water.
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Advocate
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To speak in favor of
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The vegetarian advocated a diet containing no meat.
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Aesthetic
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Concerning the appreciating of
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Followers of the Aesthetic Movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art.
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Aggrandize
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To increase in power, influence, and reputation
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The supervisor sought to aggrandize himself by claiming that the achievements of his staff were actually his own.
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Alleviate
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To make more bearable
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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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Giant Industries amalgamated with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega Products Incorporated.
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Ambiguous
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Doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways
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The directions he gave were so ambiguous that we disagreed on which way to turn.
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Ameliorate
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To make better; to improve
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The doctor was able to ameliorate the patient's suffering using painkillers.
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Anachronism
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Something out of place in time
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The aged hippie used anachronistic phrases like groovy and far out that had not been popular for years.
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Analogous
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similar or alike in some way; equivalent to
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In a famous argument for the existence of God, the universe is analogous to a mechanical timepiece, the creation of a divinely intelligent "clockmaker."
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Anomaly
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Deviation from what is normal
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Albino animals may display too great an anomaly in their coloring to attract normally colored mates.
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Antagonize
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To annoy or provoke to anger
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The child discovered that he could antagonize the cat by pulling its tail.
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Antipathy
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Extreme dislike
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The antipathy between the French and the English regularly erupted into open warfare.
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Apathy
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Lack of interest or emotion
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The apathy of voters is so great that less than half the people who are eligible to vote actually bother to do so.
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Arbitrate
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To judge a dispute between two opposing parties
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Since the couple could not come to agreement, a judge was forced to arbitrate their divorce proceedings.
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Archaic
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Ancient, old-fashioned
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Her archaic Commodore computer could not run the latest software.
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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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Convoluted
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Intricate and complicated
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Although many people bought A Brief History of Time, few could follow its convoluted ideas and theories.
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Corroborate
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To 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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Although some four-year-olds believe in the Easter Bunny, only the most credulous nine-year-olds also believe in him.
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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; propriety
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The countess complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the decorum appropriate for a visit to the palace.
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Deference
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Respect, courtesy
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The respectful young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justice with the utmost deference.
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Deride
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To speak of or treat with contempt; to mock
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The awkward child was often derided by his "cooler" peers.
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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 in three years.
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Diatribe
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An abusive, condemnatory speech
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The trucker bellowed a diatribe at the driver who had cut him off.
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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 passage of the bill.
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Dilettante
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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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Melville wrote the poem "A Dirge for James McPherson" for the funeral of a union general who was killed in 1864.
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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 revolved around the earth.
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Discern
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To perceive; to recognize
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It is easy to discern the difference between butter and butter-flavored topping.
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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 disguise 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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Dissonance
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A harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds
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Cognitive dissonance is the inner conflict produced when long-standing beliefs are contradicted by new evidence.
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Dogma
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A firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
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The dictator was dogmatic--he, and only he, was right.
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Dupe
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To deceive; a person who is easily deceived
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Bugs Bunny was able to dupe Elmer Fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit.
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Eclectic
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Selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
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Budapest's architecture is an eclectic mix of eastern and western styles.
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Efficacy
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Effectiveness
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The efficacy of penicillin was unsurpassed when it was first introduced; the drug completely eliminated almost all bacterial infections for which it was administered.
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Elegy
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A sorrowful poem or speech
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Although Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" is about death and loss, it urges its readers to endure this life, and to trust in spirituality.
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Eloquent
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Persuasive and moving, especially in speech
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The Gettysburg Address is moving not only because of its lofty sentiments but also because of its eloquent words.
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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 outside of class.
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Enervate
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To reduce in strength
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The guerrillas hoped 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; a mystery
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Speaking in riddles and dressed in old robes, the artist gained a reputation as something of an enigma.
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Enumerate
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To count, list, or itemize
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Moses returned from the mountain 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 politician 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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The annual meeting of philosophy professors was a gathering of the most erudite, well-published individuals in the field.
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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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Most people consider it estimable that Mother Teresa spent her life helping the poor of India.
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Eulogy
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Speech in praise of someone
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His best friend gave the eulogy, outlining his many achievements and talents.
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Euphemism
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Use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
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The funeral director preferred to use the euphemism "sleeping" instead of the word "dead."
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Exacerbate
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To make worse
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It is unwise to take aspirin to try to relieve heartburn; instead of providing relief, the drug will only exacerbate the problem.
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Exculpate
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To clear from blame; prove innocent
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The adversarial legal system is intended to convict those who are guilty and to exculpate those who are innocent.
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Exigent
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Urgent; requiring immediate action
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The patient was losing blood so rapidly that it was exigent to stop the source of the bleeding.
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Exonerate
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To clear of blame
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The fugitive was exonerated when another criminal confessed to committing the crime.
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Explicit
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Clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression
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The owners of the house left a list of explicit instructions detailing their house-sitter's duties, including a schedule for watering the house plants.
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Fanatical
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Acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion
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The stormtroopers were fanatical in their devotions to the Emperor, readily sacrificing their lives for him.
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Fawn
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To grovel
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The understudy fawned over the director in hopes of being cast in the part on a permanent basis.
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Fervid
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Intensely emotional; feverish
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The fans of Maria Callas were unusually fervid, doing anything to catch a glimpse of the great opera singer.
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Florid
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Excessively decorated or embellished
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The palace had been decorated in an excessively florid style; every surface had been carved and gilded.
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Foment
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To arouse or incite
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The protesters tried to foment feeling against the war through their speeches and demonstrations.
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Frugality
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A tendency to be thrifty or cheap
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Scrooge McDuck's frugality was so great that he accumulated enough wealth to fill a giant storehouse with money.
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Garrulous
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Tending to take a lot
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The garrulous parakeet distracted its owner with its continuous talking.
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Gregarious
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Outgoing, sociable
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She was so gregarious that when she found herself alone she felt quite sad.
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Guile
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Deceit or trickery
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Since he was not fast enough to catch the roadrunner on foot, the coyote resorted to guile in an effort to trap his enemy.
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Gullible
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Easily deceived
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The con man pretended to be a bank officer so as to fool the gullible bank customers into giving him their account information.
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Homogenous
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Of a similar kind
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The class was fairly homogeneous, since almost all of the students were senior journalism majors.
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Iconoclast
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One who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions
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His lack of regard for traditional beliefs soon established him as an iconoclast.
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Imperturbable
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Not capable of being disturbed
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The counselor had so much experience dealing with distraught children that she seemed imperturbable, even when faced with the wildest tantrums.
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Impervious
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Impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
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A good raincoat will be impervious to moisture.
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Impetuous
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Quick to act without thinking
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It is not good for an investment broker to be impetuous, since much thought should be given to all the possible options.
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Implacable
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Unable to be calmed down or made peaceful
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His rage at the betrayal was so great that he remained implacable for weeks.
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Inchoate
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Not fully formed; disorganized
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The ideas expressed in Nietzsche's mature work also appear in an inchoate form in his earliest writing.
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Ingenuous
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Showing innocence or childlike simplicity
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She was so ingenuous that her friends feared that he innocence and trustfulness would be exploited when she visited the big city.
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Inimical
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Hostile, unfriendly
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Even though the children had grown up together they were inimical to each other at school.
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Innocuous
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Harmless
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Some snakes are poisonous, but most species are innocuous and pose no danger to humans.
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Insipid
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Lacking interest or flavor
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The critic claimed that the painting was insipid, containing no interesting qualities at all.
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Intransigent
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Uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled
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The professor was intransigent on the deadline, insisting that everyone turn the assignment in at the same time. |
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Inundate
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To overwhelm; to cover with water
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The tidal wave inundated Atlantis, which was lost beneath the water. |
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Irascible
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Easily made angry
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Attila the Hun's irascible and violent nature made all who dealt with him fear their lives. |
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Laconic
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Using few words
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She was a laconic poet who built her reputation on using words as sparingly as possible. |
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Lament
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To express sorrow; to grieve
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The children continued to lament the death of the goldfish weeks after its demise. |
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Laud
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To give praise; to glorify
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Parades and fireworks were staged to laud the success of the rebels. |
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Lavish
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To give unsparingly (v.); extremely generous or extravagant (adj.)
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She lavished the puppy with so many treats that it soon became overweight and spoiled. |
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Lethargic
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Acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
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The clerk was so lethargic that, even when the store was slow, he always had a long line in front of him. |
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Loquacious
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Talkative
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She was naturally loquacious, which was a problem in situations in which listening was more important than talking. |
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Lucid
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Clear and easily understood
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The explanations were written in a simple and lucid manner so that students were immediately able to apply what they learned. |
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Luminous
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Bright, brilliant, glowing
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The park was bathed in luminous sunshine which warmed the bodies and the souls of the visitors. |
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Malinger
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To evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
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A common way to avoid the draft was by was by malingering--pretending to be mentally or physically ill so as to avoid being taken by the Army. |
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Malleable
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Capable of being shaped
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Gold is the most malleable of precious metals; it can easily be formed into almost any shape. |
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Metaphor
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A figure of speech comparing two different things; a symbol
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The metaphor "a sea of troubles" suggests a lot of troubles by comparing their number to the vastness of the sea. |
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Meticulous
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Extremely careful about details
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To find all the clues at the crime scene, the investigators meticulously examined every inch of the area. |
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Misanthrope
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A person who dislikes others
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The character Scrooge in A Christmas Carol is such a misanthrope that even the sight of children singing makes him angry. |
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Mitigate
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To soften; to lessen
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A judge may mitigate a sentence if she decides that a person committed a crime out of need. |
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Mollify
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To calm or make less severe
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Their argument was so intense that it was difficult to believe any compromise would mollify them. |
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Monotony
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Lack of variation
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The monotony of the sound of the dripping faucet almost drove the research assistant crazy. |
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Naive
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Lacking sophistication or experience
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Having never traveled before, the elementary school students were more naive than their high school counterparts on the field trip. |
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Obdurate
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Hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion
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The president was completely obdurate on the issue, and no amount of persuasion would change his mind. |
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Obsequious
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Overly submissive and eager to please
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The obsequious new associate made sure to compliment her supervisor's tie and agree with him on every issue. |
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Obstinate
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Stubborn, unyielding
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The obstinate child could not be made to eat any food that he disliked. |
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Obviate
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To prevent; to make unnecessary
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The river was shallow enough to wade across at many points, which obviated the need for a bridge. |
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Occlude
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To stop up; to prevent the passage of
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A shadow is thrown across the earth's surface during a solar eclipse, when the light from the sun is occluded by the moon. |
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Onerous
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Troublesome and oppressive; burdensome
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The assignment was so extensive and difficult to manage that it proved onerous to the team in charge of it. |
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Opaque
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Impossible to see through; preventing the passage of light
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The heavy buildup of dirt and grime on the windows almost made them opaque. |
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Opprobrium
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Public disgrace
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After the scheme to embezzle the elderly was made public, the treasurer resigned in utter opprobrium. |
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Ostentation
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Excessive showiness
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The ostentation of the Sun King's court is evident in the lavish decoration and luxuriousness of his palace at Versailles. |
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Paradox
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A contradiction or dilemma
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It is a paradox that those most in need of medical attention are often those least able to obtain it. |
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Paragon
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Model of excellence or perfection
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She is the paragon of what a judge should be: honest, intelligent, hardworking, and just. |
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Pedant
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Someone who shows off learning
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The graduate instructor's tedious and excessive commentary on the subject soon gained her a reputation as a pedant. |
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Perfidious
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Willing to betray one's trust
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The actress's perfidious companion revealed all of her intimate secrets to the gossip columnist. |
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Perfunctory
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Done in a routine way; indifferent
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The machinelike bank teller processed the transaction and gave the waiting customer a perfunctory smile. |
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Permeate
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To penetrate
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The miraculous new cleaning fluid is able to permeate stains and dissolve them in minutes! |
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Philanthropy
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Charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness
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New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art owes much of its collection to the philanthropy of private collectors who willed their estates to the museum. |
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Placate
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To soothe or pacify
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The burglar tried to placate the snarling dog by saying "Nice doggy," and offering it a treat. |
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Plastic
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Able to be molded, altered, or bent
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The new material was very plastic and could be formed into products of vastly different shapes. |
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Plethora
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Excess
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Assuming that more was better, the defendant offered the judge a plethora of excuses. |
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Pragmatic
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Practical as opposed to idealist
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While daydreaming of gamblers think they can get rich by frequenting casinos. Pragmatic gamblers realize that the odds are heavily stacked against them. |
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Precipitate
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To throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation
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Upon learning that the couple married after knowing each other only two months, friends and family members expected such a precipitate marriage to end in divorce. |
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Prevaricate
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To lie or deviate from the truth
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Rather than admit that he had overslept again, the employee prevaricated and claimed that heavy traffic had prevented him from arriving at work on time. |
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Pristine
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Fresh and clean; uncorrupted
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Since concerted measures had been taken to prevent looting, the archeological site was still pristine when researchers arrived. |
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Prodigal
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Lavish, wasteful
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The prodigal son quickly wasted all of his inheritance on a lavish lifestyle devoted to pleasure. |
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Proliferate
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To increase in number quickly
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Although she only kept two guinea pigs initially, they proliferated to such an extent that she soon had dozens. |
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Propitiate
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To conciliate; to appease
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The management propitiated the irate union by agreeing to raise wages for its members. |
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Propriety
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Correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs
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The aristocracy maintained a high level propriety, adhering to even the most minor social rules. |
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Prudence
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Wisdom, caution, or restraint
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The college student exhibited prudence by obtaining practical experience along with her studies, which greatly strengthened her resume. |
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Pungent
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Sharp and irritating to the senses
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The smoke from the burning tires was extremely pungent. |
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Quiescent
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Motionless
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Many animals are quiescent over the winter months, minimizing activity in order to conserve energy. |
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Rarefy
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To make thinner or sparser
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Since the atmosphere rarefies as altitudes increase, the air at the top of very tall mountains is too thin to breathe. |
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Repudiate
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To reject the validity of
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The old woman's claim that she was Russian royalty was repudiated when DNA tests showed she was of no relation to them. |
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Reticent
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Silent, reserved
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Physically small and reticent in her speech, Joan Didion often went unnoticed by those upon whom she was reporting. |
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Rhetoric
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Effective writing or speaking
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Lincoln's talent for rhetoric was evident in his beautifully expressed Gettysburg Address. |
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Satiate
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To satisfy fully or overindulge
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His desire for power was to great that nothing less than complete control of the country could satiate it. |
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Soporific
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Causing sleep or lethargy
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The movie proved to be so soporific that soon loud snores were heard throughout the theater. |
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Specious
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Deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious
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The student's specious excuse for being late sounded legitimate but was proved otherwise when her teacher called her home. |
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Stigma
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A mark of shame or discredit
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In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne was required to wear the letter A on her clothes as a public stigma for her adultery. |
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Stolid
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Unemotional; lacking sensitivity
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The prisoner appeared stolid and unaffected by the judge's harsh sentence. |
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Sublime
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Lofty or grand
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The music was so sublime that it transformed the rude surroundings into a special place. |
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Tacit
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Done without using words
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Although not a word had been said, everyone in the room knew that a tacit agreement had been made about which course of action to take. |
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Taciturn
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Silent, not talkative
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The clerk's taciturn nature earned him the nickname "Silent Bob." |
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Tirade
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Long, harsh speech or verbal attack
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Observer's were shocked at the manager's tirade over such a minor mistake. |
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Torpor
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Extreme mental and physical sluggishness
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After surgery, the patient experienced torpor until the anesthesia wore off. |
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Transitory
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Temporary, lasting a brief time
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The reporter lived a transitory life, staying in one place only long enough to cover the current story. |
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Vacillate
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To sway physically; to be indecisive
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The customer held up the line as he vacillated between ordering chocolate chip or rocky road ice cream. |
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Venerate
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To respect deeply
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In a traditional Confucian society, the young venerate their elders, deferring to the elders' wisdom and experience. |
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Veracity
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Filled with truth and accuracy
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She had a reputation for veracity, so everyone trusted her description of events. |
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Verbose
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Wordy
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The professor's answer was so verbose that his student forgot what the original question had been. |
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Vex
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To annoy
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The old man who loved his peace and quiet was vexed by his neighbor's loud music. |
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Volatile
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Easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive
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His volatile personality made it difficult to predict his reaction to anything. |
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Waver
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To fluctuate between choices
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If you waver too long before making a decision about which testing site to register for, you may not get your first choice. |
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Whimsical
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Acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable
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The ballet was whimsical, delighting the children with its imaginative characters and unpredictable sets. |
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Zeal
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Passion, excitement
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She brought her typical zeal to the project, sparking enthusiasm in the other team members. |
