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;
129 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
abominate
|
(v) to hate or loathe intensely
|
|
|
abridge
|
(v) to shorten in duration or extent; to diminish
|
|
|
affinity
|
(n) attraction for someone or something with which one feels a closeness or kinship
|
|
|
aftermath
|
(n) a consequence or result, often a negative one
|
|
|
agrarian
|
(adj) having to do with farming or agriculture
|
|
|
ambivalent
|
(adj) having mixed, often opposing, feelings about something or someone; indecisive
|
|
|
ameliorate
|
(v) to make better; to become better; to improve
|
|
|
animosity
|
(n) intense ill will
|
|
|
antiquated
|
(adj) grown old; out-of-date
|
|
|
attest
|
(v) to declare or be evidence of something as true, genuine, or accurate.
|
|
|
aura
|
(n) A distinctive atmosphere or feeling that seems to surround someone or something; a distinctive appearance or impression
|
|
|
axiom
|
(n) A statement or principle that requires no proof because its truth is obvious
|
|
|
bemuse
|
(v) To confuse or bewilder
|
|
|
buffoon
|
(n) A person who often makes attempts to be funny; a clown; a fool
|
|
|
castigate
|
(v) To punish by criticizing sharply; to berate
|
|
|
cautionary
|
(adj) Offering or serving as a warning
|
|
|
celestial
|
(adj) Of or relating to the skies or heavens
|
|
|
centennial
|
(n) A one-hundredth anniversary or its celebration
|
|
|
certitude
|
(n) The state of being certain of the truth or rightness of something
|
|
|
clique
|
(n) A small, exclusive group; a group held together by like interests or purpose.
|
|
|
cognizant
|
(adj) Fully aware; taking notice
|
|
|
colloquial
|
(adj) Characterized by informal language
|
|
|
concoct
|
(v) To make up, prepare, or invent
|
|
|
condone
|
(v) To overlook or accept without punishment; to pardon or excuse
|
|
|
confidant
|
(n) (spelled confidante when female) A person to whom secrets are told
|
|
|
constrain
|
(v) To confine, inhibit, or hold back by force or necessity
|
|
|
countenance
|
(n) A person’s face; the expression on a person’s face
|
|
|
culinary
|
(adj) Having to do with cooking
|
|
|
culpable
|
(adj) Deserving blame or censure
|
|
|
curtail
|
(v) To cut short or reduce
|
|
|
decrepit
|
(adj) Worn-out with use; broken-down
|
|
|
derivative
|
(n) Something that grows out of or results from an earlier form or condition
|
|
|
differentiate
|
(v) To see the difference; to distinguish
|
|
|
dilemma
|
(n) A problem that seems to have no satisfactory solution; a difficult choice
|
|
|
diminutive
|
(adj) Very small; tiny
|
|
|
emaciated
|
(adj) Very thin or wasted away, especially from lack of nourishment; scrawny
|
|
|
endow
|
(v) To provide with a quality, a thing, or a gift of money
|
|
|
engender
|
(v) To bring into being, to produce
|
|
|
enormity
|
(n) The state or quality of being monstrous or outrageous
|
|
|
ephemeral
|
(adj) Lasting a very short time
|
|
|
epitaph
|
(n) The words carved on a tombstone in memory of the deceased
|
|
|
equilibrium
|
(n) A state of balance
|
|
|
eradicate
|
(v) To get rid of; to uproot
|
|
|
espionage
|
(n) The act of spying, especially a government spy obtaining secrets of another government
|
|
|
evanescent
|
(adj) Short-lived; staying temporarily
|
|
|
exodus
|
(n) A mass departure
|
|
|
expedite
|
(v) To speed up a process; to facilitate
|
|
|
flotilla
|
(n) A fleet of boats or small ships
|
|
|
foment
|
(v) To stir up, to rouse; to instigate
|
|
|
galaxy
|
(n) A vast cluster of stars and other matter, billions of which make up the known universe
|
|
|
garish
|
(adj) Excessively bright and flashy; tastelessly glaring
|
|
|
gird
|
(v) To encircle, bind, or surround
|
|
|
gossamer
|
(n) Thin, sheer fabric resembling gauze
|
|
|
gourmet
|
(n) A person who likes fine food and is a good judge of its quality
|
|
|
grandiose
|
(adj) Impressive because of large size or scope
|
|
|
gratuitous
|
(adj) Not called for; unnecessary
|
|
|
hybrid
|
(n) The offspring of two animals or plants of different species or varieties
|
|
|
illicit
|
(adj) Not allowed, improper, or unlawful
|
|
|
incarcerate
|
(v) To confine or to put in prison
|
|
|
galaxy
|
(n) A vast cluster of stars and other matter, billions of which make up the known universe
|
|
|
garish
|
(adj) Excessively bright and flashy; tastelessly glaring
|
|
|
gird
|
(v) To encircle, bind, or surround
|
|
|
gossamer
|
(n) Thin, sheer fabric resembling gauze
|
|
|
gourmet
|
(n) A person who likes fine food and is a good judge of its quality
|
|
|
grandiose
|
(adj) Impressive because of large size or scope
|
|
|
gratuitous
|
(adj) Not called for; unnecessary
|
|
|
hybrid
|
(n) The offspring of two animals or plants of different species or varieties
|
|
|
illicit
|
(adj) Not allowed, improper, or unlawful
|
|
|
incarcerate
|
(v) To confine or to put in prison
|
|
|
indigenous
|
(adj) Naturally living or growing in a certain area; native
|
|
|
infamous
|
(adj) Having a very bad reputation; notorious
|
|
|
infatuated
|
(adj) Filled with excessive, shallow, or foolish love or desire
|
|
|
juncture
|
(n) A joining or coming together; the place where such a connection occurs
|
|
|
juxtapose
|
(v) To place side by side
|
|
|
laudatory
|
(adj) Full of praise
|
|
|
liquidate
|
(v) To settle the affairs of a business; to convert into cash
|
|
|
luminary
|
(n) A source of light, especially from the sky, such as the sun or moon
|
|
|
maelstrom
|
(n) A large and violent whirlpool or something resembling a whirlpool
|
|
|
malign
|
(v) To say negative and unfair things about; slander
|
|
|
indigenous
|
(adj) Naturally living or growing in a certain area; native
|
|
|
infamous
|
(adj) Having a very bad reputation; notorious
|
|
|
infatuated
|
(adj) Filled with excessive, shallow, or foolish love or desire
|
|
|
juncture
|
(n) A joining or coming together; the place where such a connection occurs
|
|
|
juxtapose
|
(v) To place side by side
|
|
|
laudatory
|
(adj) Full of praise
|
|
|
liquidate
|
(v) To settle the affairs of a business; to convert into cash
|
|
|
luminary
|
(n) A source of light, especially from the sky, such as the sun or moon
|
|
|
maelstrom
|
(n) A large and violent whirlpool or something resembling a whirlpool
|
|
|
malign
|
(v) To say negative and unfair things about; slander
|
|
|
indigenous
|
(adj) Naturally living or growing in a certain area; native
|
|
|
infamous
|
(adj) Having a very bad reputation; notorious
|
|
|
infatuated
|
(adj) Filled with excessive, shallow, or foolish love or desire
|
|
|
juncture
|
(n) A joining or coming together; the place where such a connection occurs
|
|
|
juxtapose
|
(v) To place side by side
|
|
|
laudatory
|
(adj) Full of praise
|
|
|
liquidate
|
(v) To settle the affairs of a business; to convert into cash
|
|
|
luminary
|
(n) A source of light, especially from the sky, such as the sun or moon
|
|
|
maelstrom
|
(n) A large and violent whirlpool or something resembling a whirlpool
|
|
|
malign
|
(v) To say negative and unfair things about; slander
|
|
|
mandatory
|
(adj) Ordered by an authority; required
|
|
|
mesmerize
|
(v) To fascinate or hypnotize
|
|
|
misnomer
|
(n) A name that does not fit
|
|
|
necessitate
|
(v) To require; to make necessary
|
|
|
obituary
|
(n) A notice of someone’s death, such as in a newspaper, usually with a brief summary of that person’s life
|
|
|
odyssey
|
(n) A long, adventurous journey
|
|
|
olfactory
|
(adj) Relating to the sense of smell
|
|
|
omnivorous
|
(adj) Eating all kinds of food, including both animal and vegetable food
|
|
|
panacea
|
(n) Something that is supposed to cure all ills or difficulties; a cure-all
|
|
|
panache
|
(n) Dash or flamboyance in style or action
|
|
|
pandemonium
|
(n) A state or place of great confusion or uproar
|
|
|
plethora
|
(n) Too great a number; an excess
|
|
|
poignant
|
(adj) Painfully moving, affecting, or touching
|
|
|
predecessor
|
(n) A person or thing that has held a position or office before another
|
|
|
pretext
|
(n) An effort to conceal the real intention or state of affairs; an excuse
|
|
|
prohibitive
|
(adj) Serving to restrain action or discourage use of
|
|
|
reparation
|
(n) A mending or repair
|
|
|
rudiment
|
(n) A basic principle or skill
|
|
|
sabotage
|
(n) Acts that intentionally damage, hinder, or seek to discredit
|
|
|
sadistic
|
(adj) Taking pleasure in causing pain
|
|
|
scurrilous
|
(adj) Vulgar; coarsely abusive
|
|
|
singular
|
(adj) Denoting a single person or thing, contrasted to more than one
|
|
|
somnolent
|
(adj) Tending to cause sleepiness
|
|
|
stereotype
|
(n) A generalization that is used to characterize a person without acknowledging individual differences
|
|
|
temperate
|
(adj) Mild, moderate; restrained
|
|
|
titanic
|
(adj) Marked by great strength, size, or influence
|
|
|
unremitting
|
(adj) Not stopping or slowing down; constant
|
|
|
vagary
|
(n) (usually plural) A departure from the normal, expected course; a whim or unpredictable action
|
|
|
volatile
|
(adj) Evaporating quickly
|
|
|
zephyr
|
(n) A light, gentle breeze
|
