Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
105 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
absolve
|
to forgive or free from blame
|
|
|
abdicate
|
to step down from a position of power
|
|
|
abridge
|
to shorten, condense, or lessen in length
|
|
|
abysmal
|
extremely wretched, bottomless
|
|
|
acquiesce
|
to comply passively, to give in
|
|
|
advocate
|
to support, to be in favor of
|
|
|
aesthetic
|
concerned with or appreciative of beauty
|
|
|
affinity
|
sympathy, attraction, kinship
|
|
|
agenda
|
program, things to be done
|
|
|
aggrandize
|
to make great
|
|
|
allusion
|
an indirect reference
|
|
|
altruistic
|
unselfish concern with the welfare of others
|
|
|
amnesty
|
an official pardon for a group of people who violate a law
|
|
|
animosity
|
ill will, active dislike
|
|
|
anomalous
|
irregular, abnormal, unusual
|
|
|
arduous
|
difficult to do, laborious
|
|
|
augment
|
to increase, enlarge
|
|
|
austere
|
stern in manner or appearance, strict in morals
|
|
|
aversion
|
strong or fixed dislike, a feeling of repugnance
|
|
|
banal
|
commonplace, trite, unoriginal
|
|
|
baroque
|
extravagantly ornate, flamboyant, characterized by bold ornamentation
|
|
|
begrudge
|
to envy another's possessions, to concede reluctantly
|
|
|
benediction
|
a blessing, good wish
|
|
|
benign
|
gentle, not harmful, kind
|
|
|
blanch
|
to turn pale
|
|
|
blithe
|
happily, lighthearted, joyful
|
|
|
botch
|
to bungle, foul up
|
|
|
bracing
|
invigorating
|
|
|
brace
|
to prepare
|
|
|
broach
|
to open up a subject for discussion
|
|
|
buffoon
|
clown, fool
|
|
|
bulwark
|
something used as a defense, a strong protections
|
|
|
cache
|
a hiding place, something hidden in a secret place
|
|
|
callous
|
unfeeling and insensitive
|
|
|
candor
|
truthfulness, great honesty, frankness
|
|
|
capitulate
|
to surrender, to stop resisting
|
|
|
catharsis
|
an emotional purification, an emotional release
|
|
|
caustic
|
biting in humor
|
|
|
censure
|
the act of blaming or condemning
|
|
|
chastise
|
to criticize severely
|
|
|
chronic
|
constant, lasting a long time
|
|
|
circumspect
|
careful, thought through
|
|
|
clemency
|
disposition towards mercy, mildness
|
|
|
clique
|
an exclusive group
|
|
|
coalesce
|
to come together as one, to fuse or unite
|
|
|
coherent
|
making sense, organized and logical
|
|
|
colloquial
|
conversational, used in informal speech
|
|
|
convey
|
to transport, to conduct, to communicate
|
|
|
conviction
|
determination, a state of being convinced
|
|
|
copious
|
abundant, lavish
|
|
|
corroborate
|
to support with evidence
|
|
|
craven
|
cowardly
|
|
|
criterion
|
standard for judging
(plural: criteria) |
|
|
cursory
|
brief, without much attention to detail
|
|
|
dearth
|
a shortage
|
|
|
deference
|
respect, courtesy
|
|
|
deft
|
skillful
|
|
|
delineate
|
to describe or picture in words, t detail
|
|
|
delude
|
to deceive, to have false illusions
|
|
|
depravity
|
moral corruption
|
|
|
depreciate
|
to lessen in value, to belittle
|
|
|
desecrate
|
to treat with disrespect
|
|
|
destitute
|
very poor, totally lacking
|
|
|
diatribe
|
a denunciation, a biting speech
|
|
|
didactic
|
instructive, intended to educate
|
|
|
diffuse
|
(adj) not concentrated
(v) to spread widely |
|
|
digress
|
to stray from the main subject
|
|
|
discount
|
to deduct, to disregard
|
|
|
discerning
|
keenly perceptive, shrewd
|
|
|
docile
|
easily taught, submissive
|
|
|
dogmatic
|
arrogantly assertive, positive about unproven ideas
|
|
|
dormant
|
as though asleep, not actively growing
|
|
|
dupe
|
to deceive, to trick
|
|
|
ebb
|
to decline, recede
|
|
|
eccentric
|
unconventional, a little kooky
|
|
|
eclectic
|
drawn from many sources
|
|
|
efface
|
to erase, to rub away the features, to obscure
|
|
|
egocentric
|
self-involved, selfish
|
|
|
egregious
|
extremely bad, flagrant
|
|
|
elucidate
|
to make clear
|
|
|
embellish
|
to exaggerate, garnish, ornament
|
|
|
emigrate
|
to move to a new country, to move to a new place
|
|
|
emissary
|
a messenger or representative, an agent
|
|
|
emulate
|
to imitate, to strive to equale
|
|
|
engaging
|
charming, interesting
|
|
|
enigma
|
a puzzle, a baffling situation, something obscure
|
|
|
enshroud
|
to cover, to enclose with a dark cover
|
|
|
esoteric
|
understood by only a few
|
|
|
eulogize
|
to speak praise of someone, to pay written or spoken tribute
|
|
|
exacerbate
|
to make worse or severe
|
|
|
exacting
|
greatly demanding, requiring close attention
|
|
|
exalt
|
to raise high, to glorify
|
|
|
exorbitant
|
extravagant, exceeding what is usual
|
|
|
expedite
|
to make faster or easier, to carry out promptly
|
|
|
explicit
|
clearly stated, precisely shown
|
|
|
expunge
|
to erase, strike out
|
|
|
extol
|
to praise highly
|
|
|
facade
|
the principal front of a building, a false appearance
|
|
|
faction
|
a group, or part of a large group, united on an issue
|
|
|
fallacy
|
false idea, mistaken belief, an implausible argument
|
|
|
fawning
|
to show excessive affection, to be overly flattering in return for favor
|
|
|
feign
|
to pretend, give a false impression, to invent falsely
|
|
|
fidelity
|
a state of being faithful, loyal
|
|
|
finesse
|
delicacy of workmanship, subtlety, skillful maneuvering
|
|
|
fledgling
|
a young bird learning to fly, a beginner, a novice
|
