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300 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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acquisitive |
able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property |
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arrogate |
to claim or take without right |
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banal |
hackneyed, trite, commonplace |
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belabor |
to work on excessively; to thrash soundly |
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carping |
tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; petty, nagging criticism |
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coherent |
holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful |
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congeal |
to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid |
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emulate |
to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model |
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encomium |
a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute |
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eschew |
to avoid, shun, keep away from |
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germane |
relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting |
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insatiable |
so great or demanding as not to be satisfied |
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intransigent |
refusing to compromise, irreconcilable |
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invidious |
offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment |
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largesse |
generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions |
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reconnaissance |
a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination |
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substantiate |
to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to |
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taciturn |
habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little |
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temporize |
to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise |
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tenable |
capable of being held or defended |
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accost |
to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way |
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animadversion |
a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval |
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avid |
desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager |
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brackish |
having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink |
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celerity |
swiftness, rapidity of motion or action |
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devious |
straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way |
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gambit |
in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type |
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halcyon |
a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent |
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histrionic |
pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic |
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incendiary |
deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who causes strife |
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maelstrom |
a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction |
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myopic |
nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment |
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overt |
open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized |
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pejorative |
tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling |
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propriety |
the state of being proper, appropriateness; standards of what is proper or socially acceptable |
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sacrilege |
improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred |
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summarily |
without delay or formality; briefly, concisely |
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suppliant |
asking humbly and earnestly; one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor |
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talisman |
an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish |
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undulate |
to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form |
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cavort |
to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry |
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credence |
belief, mental acceptance |
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decry |
to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate |
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dissemble |
to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression |
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distraught |
very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict |
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eulogy |
a formal statement of commendation; high praise |
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evince |
to display clearly; to make evident, to provoke |
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exhume |
to remove from a grave; to bring to light |
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feckless |
lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable |
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murky |
dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision |
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nefarious |
wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards |
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piquant |
stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly provocative |
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primordial |
developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most ancient times or earliest stage; fundamental, basic |
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propinquity |
nearness in place or time; kinship |
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substantive |
real, having a solid basis; considerable in number or amount; meaningful and on topic |
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unwonted |
not usual or expected; not in character |
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utopian |
founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world; impractical |
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verbiage |
language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner of expression |
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verdant |
green in tint or color; immature in experience or judgment |
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viscous |
having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking n easy movement or fluidity |
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atrophy |
the wasting away of a body organ or tissue; any progressive decline or failure; to waste away |
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bastion |
a fortified place, stronghold |
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concord |
a state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant |
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consummate |
complete or perfect in the highest degree; to bring to a state of completion or perfection |
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disarray |
disorder, confusion; to throw into disorder |
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exigency |
often; urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need; an emergency |
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flotsam |
floating debris; homeless, impoverished people |
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frenetic |
frenzied, highly agitated |
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glean |
to gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of grain left in a field by the reapers |
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grouse |
a type of game bird; a complaint; to complain, grumble |
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incarcerate |
to imprison, confine, jail |
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incumbent |
obligatory, required; one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of |
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jocular |
humorous, jesting, jolly, joking |
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ludicrous |
ridiculous, laughable, absurd |
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mordant |
biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh |
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nettle |
a prickly or stinging plant; to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely |
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pecuniary |
consisting of or measured in money; of or related to money |
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pusillanimous |
contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited |
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recumbent |
in a reclining position, lying down, in the posture of one sleeping or resting |
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stratagem |
a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end |
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acuity |
sharpness (particularly of the mind or senses) |
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delineate |
to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorially |
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depraved |
marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles |
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enervate |
to weaken or lessen the mental, moral, or physical vigor of; enfeeble, hamstring |
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esoteric |
intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret |
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fecund |
fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive |
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fiat |
an arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of will or consciousness |
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figment |
a fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion |
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garner |
to acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away, as for future use |
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hallow |
to set apart as holy or sacred, sanctify, consecrate; to honor greatly, revere |
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idiosyncrasy |
a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify |
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ignominy |
shame and disgrace |
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mundane |
earthly, worldly, relating to practical and material affairs; concerned with what is ordinary |
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nuance |
a subtle or slight variation (as in color, meaning, quality); delicate gradation or shade of difference |
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overweening |
conceited, presumptuous; excessive, immoderate |
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penchant |
a strong attraction or inclination |
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reputed |
according to reputation or general belief; having widespread acceptance and good reputation; alleged |
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sophistry |
reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound; a fallacy |
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sumptuous |
costly, rich, magnificent |
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ubiquitous |
present or existing everywhere |
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abject |
degraded; base, contemptible; cringing, servile; complete and unrelieved |
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agnostic |
one who believes that nothing can be known about God; a skeptic; without faith, skeptical |
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complicity |
involvement in wrongdoing; the state of being an accomplice |
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derelict |
someone or something that is abandoned or neglected; left abandoned; neglectful of duty |
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diatribe |
a bitter and prolonged verbal attack |
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effigy |
a crude image of a despised person |
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equity |
the state or quality of being just, fair, or impartial; fair and equal treatment; something that is fair; the money value of a property above and beyond any mortgage or other claim |
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inane |
silly; empty of meaning or value |
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indictment |
the act of accusing; a formal accusation |
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indubitable |
certain, not to be doubted or denied |
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intermittent |
stopping and beginning again, sporadic |
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moot |
open to discussion and debate, unresolved; to bring up for discussion; a hypothetical law case argued by students |
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motif |
a principal idea, feature, theme, or element; a repeated or dominant figure in a design |
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neophyte |
a new convert, beginer, novice |
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perspicacity |
keenness in observing and understanding |
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plenary |
complete in all aspects or essentials; absolute; attended by all qualified members |
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surveillance |
a watch kept over a person; careful, close, and disciplined observation |
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sylvan |
pertaining to or characteristic of forests; living or located in a forest; wooded, woody |
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testy |
easily irritated; characterized by impatience and exasperation |
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travesty |
a grotesque or grossly inferior imitation; a disguise, especially the clothing of the opposite sex; to ridicule by imitating in a broad or burlesque fashion |
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allay
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to calm or pacify, set to rest; to lessen or relieve |
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bestial |
beastlike; beastly, brutal; subhuman in intelligence and sensibility |
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convivial |
festive, sociable, having fun together, genial |
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coterie |
a circle of acquaintances; a close-knit, often exclusive, group of people with a common interest |
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counterpart |
a person or thing closely resembling or corresponding to another; a complement |
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demur |
to object or take exception to; an objection |
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effrontery |
shameless boldness, impudence |
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embellish |
to decorate, adorn, touch up; to improve by adding details |
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ephemeral |
lasting only a short time, short-lived |
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felicitous |
appropriate, apt, well chosen; marked by well-being or good fortune, happy |
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furtive |
done slyly or stealthily, sneaky, secret, shifty; stolen |
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garish |
glaring; tastelessly showy or overdecorated in a vulgar or offensive way |
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illusory |
misleading, deceptive; lacking in or not based on reality |
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indigent |
needy, impoverished |
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inordinate |
far too great, exceeding reasonable limits, excessive |
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jettison |
to cast overboard, get rid of as unnecessary or burdensome |
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misanthrope |
a person who hates or despises people |
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pertinacious |
very persistent; holding firmly to a course of action or a set of beliefs; hard to get rid of, refusing to be put off or denied |
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picayune |
of little value or importance, paltry, measly; concerned with trifling matters, small-minded |
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raiment |
clothing, garments |
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allege |
to assert without proof or confirmation |
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arrant |
thoroughgoing, out-and-out; shameless, blatant |
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badinage |
light and playful conversation |
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conciliate |
to overcome the distrust of, win over; to appease, pacify; to reconcile, make consistent |
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countermand |
to cancel or reverse one order or command with another that is contrary to the first |
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echelon |
one of a series of grades in an organization or field of activity; an organized military unit; a steplike formation or arrangement |
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exacerbate |
to make more violent, severe, bitter, or painful |
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fatuous |
stupid or foolish in a self-satisfied way |
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irrefutable |
impossible to disprove; beyond argument |
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juggernaut |
a massive and inescapable force or object that crushes whatever is in its path |
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lackadaisical |
lacking spirit or interest, halfhearted |
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litany |
a prayer consisting of short appeals to God recited by the leader alternating with responses from the congregation; any repetitive chant; a long list |
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macabre |
grisly, gruesome; horrible, distressing; having death as a subject |
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paucity |
an inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth |
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portend |
to indicate beforehand that something is about to happen; to give advance warning of |
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raze |
to tear down, destroy completely; to cut or scrape off or out |
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recant |
to withdraw a statement or belief to which one has previously been committed, renounce, retract
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saturate |
to soak thoroughly, fill to capacity; to satisfy fully |
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saturnine |
of a gloomy or surly disposition; cold or sluggish in mood |
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slough |
to cast off, discard; to get rid of something objectionable or unnecessary; to plod through as if through mud; a mire; a state of depression |
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acclamation
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a shout of welcome; an overwhelming verbal vote of approval |
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bucolic |
characteristic of the countryside, rural; relating to shepherds and cowherds, pastoral |
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calumniate |
to slander; to accuse falsely and maliciously |
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chary |
extremely cautious, hesitant, or slow (to); reserved, diffident |
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collusion |
secret agreement or cooperation |
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dilettante |
a dabbler in the arts; one who engages in an activity in an amateurish, trifling way; superficial |
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imperturbable |
not easily excited; emotionally steady |
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increment |
an enlargement, increase, addition |
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mandate |
an authoritative command, formal order, authorization; to issue such an order |
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paltry |
trifling, insignificant; mean, despicable; inferior, trashy |
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paroxysm |
a sudden outburst; a spasm, convulsion |
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pedantry |
a pretentious display of knowledge; overly rigid attention to rules and details |
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peregrination |
the act of traveling; an excursion, especially on foot or to a foreign country |
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redolent |
fragrant, smelling strongly; tending to arouse memories or create an aura |
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refulgent |
shining, radiant, resplendent |
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shibboleth |
a word, expression, or custom that distinguishes a particular group of persons from all others; a commonplace saying or truism |
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tyro |
a beginner, novice; one with little or no background or skill u |
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unremitting |
not stopping, maintained steadily, never letting up, relentless |
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vacillate |
to swing indecisively from one idea or course of action to another; to waver weakly in mind or will |
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vituperative |
harshly abusive, severely scolding |
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askance |
with suspicion, distrust, or disapproval |
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attenuate |
to make thin or slender; to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value |
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benign |
gentle, kind; forgiving, understanding; having a favorable or beneficial effect; not malignant |
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cavil |
to find fault in a petty way, carp; a trivial objection or criticism c |
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charlatan
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one who feigns knowledge or ability; a pretender, impostor, or quack |
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decimate |
to kill or destroy a large part of |
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foible |
a weak point, failing, minor flaw |
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forgo |
to do without, abstain from, give up |
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fraught |
full of or loaded with; accompanied by |
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inure |
to toughen, harden; to render used to something by long subjection or exposure |
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luminous |
emitting or reflecting light, glowing; illuminating |
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obsequious |
marked by slavish attentiveness; excessively submissive, often for purely self-interested reasons |
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obtuse |
blunt, not coming to a point; slow or dull in understanding; measuring between 90 degrees and 180 degrees; not causing a sharp impression |
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oscillate |
to swing back and forth with a steady rhythm; to fluctuate or waver |
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penitent |
regretful for one's sins or mistakes; one who is sorry for wrongdoing |
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peremptory |
having the nature of a command that leaves no opportunity for debate, denial, or refusal; offensively self-assured, dictatorial; determined, resolute |
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rebuff |
to snub; to repel, drive away; a curt rejection, a check |
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reconnoiter |
to engage in reconnaissance; to make a preliminary inspection |
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shambles |
a slaughterhouse; a place of mass bloodshed; a state of complete disorder and confusion, mess |
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sporadic |
occurring at irregular intervals, having no set plan or order |
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abrogate |
to repeal, cancel, declare null and void |
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ambient |
completely surrounding, encompassing |
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asperity |
roughness, severity; bitterness or tartness b |
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burnish |
to make smooth or glossy by rubbing, polish; gloss, brightness, luster |
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cabal |
a small group working in secret |
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delectable |
delightful, highly enjoyable; deliciously flavored, savory; an appealing or appetizing food or dish |
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deprecate |
to express mild disapproval; to belittle |
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detritus |
loose bits and pieces of material resulting from disintegration or wearing away; fragments that result from any destruction |
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ebullient |
overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement; boiling or bubbling |
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eclectic |
drawn from different sources; one whose beliefs are drawn from various sources |
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flaccid |
limp, not firm; lacking vigor or effectiveness |
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impecunious |
having little or no money |
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inexorable |
inflexible, beyond influence; relentless, unyielding |
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moribund |
dying, on the way out |
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necromancer |
one who claims to reveal or influence the future through magic, especially communication with the dead; in general, a magician or wizard |
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onerous |
burdensome; involving hardship or difficulty |
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rife |
common, prevalent, widespread, happening often; full, abounding; plentiful, abundant, replete |
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rudiments |
the parts of any subject or discipline that are learned first; the earliest stages of anything |
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sequester |
to set apart, separate for a special purpose; to take possession of and hold in custody |
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winnow |
to get rid of something unwanted, delete; to sift through to obtain what is desirable; to remove the chaff from the wheat by blowing air on it; to blow on, fan |
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aesthetic |
pertaining to beauty; sensitive or responsive to beauty |
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defunct |
no longer in existence or functioning, dead |
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discomfit |
to frustrate, thwart, or defeat; to confuse, perplex, or embarrass |
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espouse |
to take up and support; to become attached to, adopt; to marry |
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fetish |
an object believed to make magical powers; an object of unreasoning devotion or reverence |
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gregarious |
living together in a herd or group; sociable, seeking the company of others |
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hapless |
marked by a persistent absence of good luck |
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impeccable |
faultless, beyond criticism or blame |
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importune |
to trouble with demands; to beg for insistently |
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interpolate |
to insert between other parts or things; to present as an addition or correction |
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irreparable |
incapable of being repaired or rectified |
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laconic |
concise, using few words, terse |
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languish |
to become weak, feeble, or dull; to droop; to be depressed or dispirited; to suffer neglect |
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mendacious |
given to lying or deception; untrue |
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nadir |
the lowest point |
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omnipresent |
present in all places at all times |
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perfunctory |
done in a superficial or halfhearted manner; without interest or enthusiasm |
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plaintive |
expressive of sorrow or woe, melancholy |
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requite |
to make suitable repayment, as for a kindness, service, or favor; to make retaliation, as for an injury or wrong; to reciprocate |
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tantamount |
equivalent, having the same meaning, value, or effect |
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abstruse |
extremely difficult to understand a |
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affront
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an open or intentional insult; a slight; to insult to one's face; to face in defiance, confront |
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canard |
a false rumor, fabricated story |
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captious |
excessively ready to find fault; given to petty criticism; intended to trap, confuse, or show up |
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cognizant |
aware, knowledgeable, informed; having jurisdiction |
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contrite |
regretful for some misdeed or sin; plagued by a sense of guilt; thoroughly penitent, apologetic |
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cynosure |
the center of attraction, attention, or interest; something that serves to guide or direct |
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decorous |
well behaved, dignified, socially proper |
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deign |
to think it appropriate or suitable to one's dignity to do something; to condescend |
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desiccated |
thoroughly dried out; divested or spirit or vitality; arid and uninteresting |
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efficacy |
the power to produce a desired result |
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engender |
to bring into existence, give rise to, produce; to come into existence, assume form |
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ethereal |
light, airy, delicate; highly refined; suggesting what is heavenly (rather than earthbound) |
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facade |
the front or face of a building; a surface appearance (as opposed to what may lie behind) |
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ghoulish |
revolting in an unnatural or morbid way; suggestive of someone who robs graves or otherwise preys on the dead |
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incongruous |
not in keeping, unsuitable, incompatible |
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machination |
a crafty, scheming, or underhanded action designed to accomplish some (usually evil) end |
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mesmerize |
to hypnotize, entrance; to fascinate, enthrall, bewitch |
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opprobrium |
disgrace arising from shameful conduct; contempt, reproach |
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putative |
generally regarded as such; reputed; hypothesized, inferred |
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beatific |
blissful; rendering or making blessed |
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behemoth |
a creature of enormous size, power, or appearance |
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blandishment |
anything designed to flatter or coax; sweet talk, apple-polishing |
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cacophonous |
harsh-sounding, raucous, discordant, dissonant |
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chicanery |
trickery, deceptive practices or tactics, double-dealing |
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consign |
to give over to another's care, charge, or control; to entrust, deliver, to set apart for a special use |
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coup |
a highly successful stroke, masterstroke; tour de force, act, plan, or stratagem; a sudden takeover of power or leadership |
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euphemism |
a mild or inoffensive expression used in place of a harsh or unpleasant one; a substitute |
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febrile |
feverish; pertaining to or marked by fever; frenetic |
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gainsay |
to deny, contradict, controvert; to dispute, oppose |
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imminent |
about to happen, threatening |
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innate |
natural, inborn, inherent; built-in |
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loath |
unwilling, reluctant, disinclined |
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manifest |
clear, evident to the eyes or mind; to show plainly, exhibit, evince; a list of cargo and/or passengers |
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minutiae |
small or trivial details, trifling matters |
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moratorium |
a suspension of activity; an official waiting period; an authorized period of delay |
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nostrum |
an alleged cure-all; a remedy or scheme of questionable effectiveness |
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pariah |
one who is rejected by a social group or organization |
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visionary |
not practical, lacking in realism; having the nature of a fantasy or dream; one given to far-fetched ideas; a dreamer or seer characterized by vision or foresight |
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wizened |
dry, shrunken, and wrinkled (often as the result of aging) |
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amenity |
that which is pleasant or agreeable; attractive features, customs, etc. |
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aperture |
an opening, gap, hole, orifice |
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dissidence |
a difference of opinion; discontent |
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epicurean |
devoted to the pursuit of pleasure; fond of good good, comfort, and ease; with discriminating tastes; a person with discriminating tastes |
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improvident |
not thrifty; failing to plan ahead |
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iniquity |
wickedness, sin; a grossly immoral act |
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inviolable |
sacred; of such a character that it must not be broken, injured, or profaned |
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mutable |
open to or capable of change, fickle |
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nascent |
just beginning to exist or develop; having just come into existence |
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obeisance |
a deep bow or other body movement indicating respect or submission; deference, homage |
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panegyric |
formal or elaborate praise; a tribute |
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pillory |
a device for publicly punishing offenders; a means for exposing one to public contempt or ridicule; to expose to public contempt or ridicule |
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pittance |
a woefully meager allowance, wage, or portion |
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presage |
to foreshadow or point to a future event; to predict; a warning or indication of the future |
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progeny |
descendants, offspring, children, followers, disciples |
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promulgate |
to proclaim or issue officially; to make known far and wide |
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rectitude |
uprightness, righteousness; correctness |
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restive |
restless, hard to manage, balky |
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seraphic |
angelic, heavenly, celestial |
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subsist |
to have existence; to remain alive, manage to make a living or maintain life; to persist or continue |
