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182 Cards in this Set
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- Back
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Bombastic |
pompous in speech and maner - The ranting of the radio talk-show host was mostly BOMBASTIC; his boasting and outrageous claims had no basis in fact. |
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Cacophony |
Harsh, jarring noise -The junior high orchestra created an almost unbearable CACOPHONY as they tried to tune their instruments. |
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CANDID |
Impartial and honest in speech -The observations of a child can be charming since they are CANDID and unpretentious. |
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Capricious |
Changing one's mind quickly and often -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 |
To punish or criticize harshly -Many Americans are amazed at how harshly in Singapore CASTIGATE perpetrators of what would be considered minor crimes in United States. |
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Catalyst |
Something that brings about a change in something else. -That imposition of harsh taxes was the CATALYST that finally brought on the revolution. |
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Caustic |
Biting in wit -Dorothy Parker gained her reputation for CAUSTIC wit from her cutting, yet clever, insults. |
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Chaos |
great disorder or confusion -In many religious traditions, God created an ordered universe from Chaos. |
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Chauvinist |
Someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs. -The attitude that men are inherently superior to women and therefore must be obeyed is common among male CHAUVINIST. |
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Chicanery |
deception by means of craft or guile -Dishonest used car sales people often us 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 |
to overlook, pardon, or disregard -some theorist believe that failing to prosecute minor crimes is the same as CONDONING an air of lawlessness |
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Convoluted |
intricate and complicated -Although many people bought brief history of time, few could follow its CONVOLUTED ideas and theories. |
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CORROBORATE |
to provide supporting evidence -fingerprints CORROBORATED the witness's testimony that he saw the defendant in the victim's apartment |
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CREDULOUS |
too trusting, gullible -Although some four year old believe in the Easter bunny, only the most credulous nine year old also believe in him |
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Crescendo |
steadily increasing volume or force -the CRESCENDO of tension became unbearable as Evel Knievel prepared to jump his motorcycle over the school buses |
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Decorum |
Appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety -The countless complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the DECORUM appropriate for a visit to the palace. |
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Deference |
respect, courtesy -The respectful young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justice with the Utmost DEFERENCE. |
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DERIDE |
to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock -the awkward child was often DERIDED by his "cooler" peers |
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DESICCATE |
to dry out thoroughly -After a few weeks of lying on the desert's baking sands, the cow's carcass became completely DESICCATED. |
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DESULTORY |
jumping from one thing to another; disconnected -Diane had a DESULTORY academic record; she had changed majors 12 times in three years. |
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DIATRIBE |
an abusive, condemnatory speech -the trucker bellowed a DIATRIBE at the driver who had cut him off. |
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DIFFIDENT |
lacking self-confidence -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 |
to make larger; to expand -when you enter a darkened room, the pupils of your eyes DILATE to let in more light. |
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DILATORY |
intended to delay -the congressman used DILATORY measures to delay the passage of the bill. |
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DILETTANTE |
someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in topic -Jerry's friend were such DILETTANTES that they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week. |
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DIRGE |
A funeral hymn or mournful speech -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 |
to set right; to free from error -Galileo's observations DISABUSED scholars of the notion that the sun revolved around the earth. |
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DISCERN |
to perceive; to recognize -it is easy to DISCERN the difference between butter and butter-flavored topping. |
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DISPARATE |
fundamentally different; entirely unlike -Although the twins appear to be identical physically, their personalities are DISPARATE |
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DISSEMBLE |
to present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character -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 |
A harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds. -Cognitive DISSONANCE is the inner conflict produced when long-standing beliefs are contracted by new evidence. |
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DOGMA |
a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief -Lunu's central DOGMA was that children who believed in the Great Pumpkin would be rewarded. |
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DOGMATIC |
dictatorial in one's opinions The dictator was DOGMATIC he and only he was right. |
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DUPE |
to deceive; a person who is easily deceived -bugs bunny was able to DUPE Elmer Fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit. |
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ECLECTIC |
selecting form or made up from a variety of sources. Budapest's architecture is an ECLECTIC mix of Eastern and Western styles. |
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EFFICACY |
Effectiveness -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 |
a sorowful poem or speech -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 |
persuasive and moving, especially in speech. -The Gettysburg Address is moving not only because of its lofty sentiments but also because of its ELOQUENT words. |
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EMULATE |
To copy; to try to equal or excel -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 |
to reduce in strength -The guerrillas hoped that a series of surprise attacks would ENERVATE the regular army. |
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ENGENDER |
To produce, cause, or bring about -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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ENUMERATE |
to count, list, or itemize -Moses returned from the mountains with tablets on which the commandments were ENUMERATED. |
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EPHEMERAL |
lasting a short time. -the lives of mayflies seem EPHEMERAL to us, since the flies average life span is a matter of hours. |
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EQUIVOCATE |
to use expressions of double meaning in order to be mislead. When faced with criticism of her policies, the politician EQUIVOCATED and left all parties thinking she agreed with them. |
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ERRATIC |
wandering and unpredictable -The plot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of ERRATIC turns that surprised the audience. |
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ERUDITE |
learned, scholarly, bookish -The annual meeting of philosophy professors was a gathering of the most ERUDITE, well published individuals in the field. |
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Erudite
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-The annual meeting of philosophy professors was a gathering of the most ERUDITE, well published individuals. |
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Esoteric
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-only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the ESOTERIC world of particle physics. |
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Estimable |
-most people consider it Estimable that Mother Teresa spent her life helping the poor of India. |
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Eulogy |
-His best friend gave the Eulogy, outlining his many achievements and talents. |
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Euphemism |
-the Funeral director preferred to use the Euphemism sleeping instead of the word dead. |
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Exacerbate |
-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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Exulpate |
-The adversarial legal system is intended to convict those who are guilty and to exculpate those who are innocent. |
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Exigent |
urgent; requiring immediate action -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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-The fugitive was exonerated when another criminal confessed to committing the crime. |
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Explicit |
-The owners of the house left a list of Explicit instructions detailing their house-sitters duties, including a schedule for watering the house plants. |
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Fanatical |
-The stormtroopers were FANATICAL in their devotion to the emperor, readily sacrificing their lives for him |
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FAWN
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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 |
-The fans of Maria Callas were unusually FERVID, doing anything to catch a glimpse of the great opera singer. |
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Florid |
-The palace has been decorated in FLORID style; every surfacehad been carved and gilded. |
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Foment |
-the protestors tried to FOMent feeling against the war through their speeches and demonstrations. |
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Frugality |
-Scrooge McDuck's Frugality as so great that he accumulated enough wealth to fill a giant storehouse with money |
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Garrulous |
-The Garrulous parakeet distracted its owner with its continuous talking. |
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Gregarious |
-She was so Gregarious that when she gound herself, she felt quite sad |
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Guile |
-Since he was not fast enough to catch the roadrunner on foot, the coyote resorted to GUILE in an effort trap his enemy. |
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Homogenous |
-The class was fairly Homogenous, since almost all the students were senior journalism majors. |
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Iconoclast
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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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-The counselor had so much experience dealing with distraught children that she seemed IMPERTURABLE, even when faced with the wildest tantrums |
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Impervious
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-A good raincoat will be impervious to moisture. |
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Impetuous |
-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 -his rage at the betrayal was so great that he remained implacable for weeks. |
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Inchoate
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-the ideas expressed in Nietzhe's mature work also appear in an INCHOATE form in his earliest writing. |
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Ingenuous |
-she was so INGENUOUS that her friend feared that her innocence and trustfulness would be exploited when she visited the big city |
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Inimical |
-Even though the children had grown up together they were INIMICAL to each other at school. |
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Innocuous |
-Some snakes are poisonous, but most species are INNOCUOUS and pose no danger to humans, |
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Insipid |
-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 -the professor was intransigent on the deadline, insisting that everyone turn the assignment in at the same time. |
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inundate |
-The tidal wave INUNDATED Atlantis, which was lost beneath the water. |
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Irascible
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-Attila the Hun's Irascible and violent nature made all who dealt with him fear for their lives |
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laconic |
-She was Laconic poet who built her reputation on using words as sparingly as possible. |
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Lament |
-the children continued to Lament the death of goldfish weeks after is demise. |
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Laud |
-parades ad fireworks were staged to Laud the success of the rebels |
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lavish |
-She lavished the puppy with so many treats that it soon became overweight and spoiled. |
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Lethargic |
-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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-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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-The explanation 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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- The park was bathed in luminous sunshine which warmed the bodies and the souls of the visitors. |
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Malinger |
- A common way to avoid the draft was by malingering-pretending to be mentally or physically ill so as to avoid being taken by the army. |
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Malleable |
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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-the Mataphor's " 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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-to find all the cues to the crime scene the investigators Meticulously examined every inch of the area. |
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Misanthrope |
A person who dislikes others -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 |
To soften: to lessen -A judge may MITIGATE a sentence if she decides that a person committed a crime out of need. |
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Mollify |
to calm or make less severe -Their argument was so intense that it was difficult to believe any compromise would MOLLIFY them. |
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Monotony |
A lack of variation -The MONOTONY of the sounds of the dripping faucet almost drove the research assistant crazy. |
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Naive |
Lacking sophistication or experience -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 |
Hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion -The president was completely OBDURATE on the issue, and no amount of persuasion would change his mind. |
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OBSEQUIOUS |
overly submissive and eager to please -The OBSEQUIOUS new associate made sure to compliment her supervisors tie and agree with him on every issue. |
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OBSTINATE |
stubborn, unyielding -The OBSTINATE child could not be made to eat any food that he disliked. |
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OBVIATE |
to prevent; to make unecessary -THe river was shallow enough to wade across at many points, which OBVIATED the need for a bridge. |
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OCCLUDE |
to stop up; to prevent the passage of -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 |
troublesome and oppressive brdensome -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 |
Impossible to see through; preventing the passage of light -THe heavy buildup of dirt and grime on the windows almost made them OPAQUE |
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OPPROBRIUM |
public disgrace -After the scheme to embezzle the elderly was made public, the treasurer resigned in utter OPPROBRIUM. |
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OSTENTATION |
excessive showiness -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 |
A contradiction or dilemma -It is a PARADOX that those most in need of medical attention are often those least able to obtain. |
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Paragon |
model of excellence of perfection -She is the Paragon of what is judge should be; honest intelligence, hardworking, and just. |
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Pedant |
someone who shows off learning -The graduate instructor's tedious and excessive commentary on the subject soon gained her a reputation as a PEDANT |
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Perifidious |
willing to betray one's trust -The actress's PERFIDIOUS companion revealed all of her intimate secrets to the gossip columnists. |
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PERFUNCTIORY |
done in a routine way; indifferent -The machine like bank teller processed the transaction and gave the waiting customers a PERFUNCTORY smile. |
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Permeate |
to penetrate -The miraculous new cleaning fluid is able to PERMEATE stains and dissolve them in minutes! |
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Philanthropy |
charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness -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 |
to sooth or pacify -The burglar tired to PLACATE the snarling dog by saying "NIce Doggy." and offering it a treat. |
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Plastic |
able to be molded, altered or bent -The new material was very plastic and could be formed into products of vastly different shapes. |
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Plethora |
excess -Assuming that more was better, the defendant offered the judge a PLETHORA of excuses. |
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Pragmatic |
practical as opposed to idealistic
-While daydreaming 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 |
To throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation -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 |
to lie or deviate from the truth -Rather than admit that he had overslept again, the employee PREVARICATED and and claimed that heavy traffic had prevented him from arriving at work on time. |
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PRISTINE |
Fresh and clean; uncorrupted -Since concerted measure had been taken to the prevent looting, the archaeological site was still PRISTINE when researchers arrived. |
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PRODIGAL |
lavish, wasteful -The prodigal son quickly wasted all of his inheritance on a lavish lifestyle devoted to pleasure |
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PROLIFERATE |
to increase in number quickly -Although she only kept two guinea pigs initially, they PROLIFERATED to such an extent that she soon had dozens. |
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PROPITIATE |
to conciliate; to appease -The management PROPITIATED the irate union by agreeing to raise wages for its members. |
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PROPRIETY |
correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs -The aristocracy maintained a high level of PROPRIETY, adhering to even the most minor social rules. |
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PRUDENCE |
wisdom, caution, or restraint -The college student exhibited PRUDENCE by obtaining practical experience along with her studies, which greatly strengthened her resume |
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PUNGENT |
Sharp and irritating to the senses -The smoke from the burning tires was extremely pungent. |
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QUIESCENT |
motionless -Many animals are QUIESCENT over the winter months, minimizing activity in order to conerve energy. |
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RAREFY |
to make thinner or sparser -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 |
to reject the validity of -The only 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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REETICENT |
silent, reserved -Physically small and RETICENT in her speech, Joan Didion often went unnoticed by those upon whom she was reporting. |
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RHETORIC |
effective writing or speaking -Lincoln's talent for Rhetoric was evident in his beautifully expressed Gettysburg Address |
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Satiate |
to satisfy fully or overindulge -His desire for power was so great that nothing less than complete control of the country could SATIATE it. |
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SOPORIFIC |
causing sleep or lethargy -The movie proved to be so SOPORIFIC that soon loud snores were heard througout the theater. |
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Specious |
deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious -The students Specious excuse for being late sounded legitimate but was proved otherwise when her teacher called her home. |
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Stigma |
A mark of shame or discredit -In the Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne was required to war the letter A on her cloths as a public STIGMA for her adultery. |
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STOLID |
unemotional; lacking sensitivity -The prisoner appeared STOLID and unaffeected by the judge's harsh sentence. |
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SUBLIME |
Lofty or grand -The music was so SUBLIME that it transformed the rude surrounding into a special place. |
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TACIT |
done without using words -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 |
silent, not talkative -The clerk's TACITURN nature earned him the nickname "silent Bob" |
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Tirrade |
long harsh speech or verbal attack -observers were shocked at the manager's TIRADE over such a minor mistake. |
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TORPOR |
extreme mental and physical sluggishness -After surgery, the patient experienced TORPOR until the anesthesia were off. |
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TRANSITORY |
temporary, lasting a brief time -The reporter lived a TRANSITORY life, staying in one place only long enough to cover the current story. |
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Vacillate |
to sway physically; to be indecisive -The customers held up the line as he VACILLATED between ordering chocolate chip or rocky road ice cream. |
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Venerate |
to respect deeply -In a traditional Confucian society, the young VENERATE their elders, deferring to the elders' wisdom and experience. |
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Veracity |
filled with truth and accuracy -She had a reputation for VERACITY, so everyone trusted her description of events |
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VERBOSE |
wordy -The Professors answer was so VERBOSE that his student forgot what the original question had been. |
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VEX |
to annoy -the old man who loved his peace and quiet was VEXED by his neighbor's loud music. |
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Volatile |
easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive -His Volatile personality made it difficult to predict his reaction to anything. |
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Waver |
to fluctuate between choices -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 |
acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable -The ballet was Whimsical, delighting the children with its imaginative characters and unpredictable sets. |
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Zeal |
Passion excitement -She brought her typical ZEAL to the project, sparking enthusiasm in the other team members. |
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Already |
by this or that time, previously he already completed his work. |
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All ready |
completely prepared -The students were all ready to take their exam. |
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Austere |
Severe or stern in appearance undecorated -The lack of decoration makes military barracks seem Austere to the civilian eye. |
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Anomaly |
deviation from what is normal -Albino animals may display too great an anomaly in their coloring to attract normally colored mates. |
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Analogous |
similar or alike in some way; equivalent to -in the Newtonian construct for explaining the existence of God the universe is analogous to a mechanical timepiece, the creation of a divinely intelligent "clockmaker" |
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Anachronism |
Something out of place in time -the aged hippie used anachronistic phrases like groovy and far out that had not been popular for years. |
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Ameliorate |
to make better; to improve -the doctor was able to ameliorate the patients suffering using painkillers. |
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Ambiguous |
Doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways. -The direction she gave were so Ambiguous that we disagreed on which way to turn. |
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Amalgamate |
to combine; to mix together -Giant industries Amalgamated with "Mega Products" to form Giant-Mega Products incorporated. |
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Alleviate |
to make more bearable -taking aspiring helps to alleviate a headache |
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Aggrandize |
to increase in power, influence, and reputation -The supervisor sought to aggrandize herself by claiming that the achievements of her staff were actually her own. |
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Aesthetic |
Concerning the appreciation of beauty -followers of the Aesthetic movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art. |
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Advocate |
to speak in favor of -the vegetarian advocated a diet containing no meat |
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Adulterate |
to make impure -the chef made his ketchup last longer by Adulterating with water. |
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Abyss |
An extremely deep hole -The submarine dove into the Abyss to chart the previously unseen depths. |
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Abstain |
to choose not to do something She abstained from choosing a mounthwatering dessert from the tray. |
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Banal |
predictable, cliched, boring -He used BANAl phrases like have a nice day or another day, another dollar. |
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Bolster |
to support; to prop up -the presence of giant footprints bolstered the argument that sasquatch was in the area. |
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Audracious |
fearless and daring -Her audacious nature allowed her to fulfill her dream of skydiving. |
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Abate |
to reduce in amount, degree, or severity As the hurricane is force abated the winds dropped and the sea became calm. |
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Abscond |
to leave secretly -The patron absconded from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door. |
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Articulate |
able to speak clearly and expressively -She is such an articulate defender of labor that unions are among her strongest supporters. |
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Ardor |
Intense and passionate feeling -Bishops Ardor for the landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley |
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Archaic |
Ancient, old fashioned -Her Archaic commodore computer could not run the latest software. A |
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Arbitrate |
to judge a dispute between two opposing parties -since the couple could not come to an agreement a judge was forced to arbitrate their divorce proceedings. |
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Apathy |
Lack of interest or emotion -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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Antipathy |
extreme dislike -The antipathy between the French and the English regularly erupted into open warefare. |
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Antagonize |
to annoy or provoke to anger -The child discovered that he could Antagonize the cat by pulling its tail. |
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Assuage |
to make something unpleasant less severe -serena used aspirin to Assuage her pounding headache. |
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Attenuate |
to reduce in force or degree to weaken -The bill of rights Attenuated the traditional power o f government to change laws at its will. |
