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90 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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obstreperous
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boisterous; noisy and uncontrollable
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obtuse
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blunt; not sharp; stupid; slow in understanding
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obviate
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make unnecessary; get rid of; Ex. obviate the need
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occult
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mysterious; secret; supernatural; beyond human comprehension; CF. mysterious to human ?; OP. bare
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odious
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arousing strong dislike; hateful(causing hatred); vile
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odium
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detestation; quality of being odious; hatefulness; disrepute (resulting from hateful conduct)
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odyssey
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long, eventful, adventurous journey
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offhand
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casual; done without prior thought or preparation
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officious
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meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services; overly eager in offering unwanted services or advices; Ex. officious bellboy
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oligarchy
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government by a privileged few
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ominous
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threatening; of an evil omen
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opprobrium
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infamy; disgrace arising from shameful conduct; vilification(slander); scorn; contempt; Ex. opprobrium hurled against him; ADJ. opprobrious: expressing contempt; shameful or infamous
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ordain
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decree or command; grant holy orders; predestine; install as a minister, priest, or rabbi; N. ordainment; CF. ordination
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ordeal
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severe trial or affliction; difficult experience; trial(test of patience or endurance); affliction
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ordinance
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decree; authoritative order
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ornithologist
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scientific student of birds; N. ornithology: scientific study of birds
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orthography
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correct spelling; CF. ortho-: straight; correct; Ex. orthodontics
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osseous
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made of bone; bony
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ostensible
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apparent; appearing as such; professed(pretended); pretended; Ex. ostensible purpose of the expedition
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ostentatious
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showy; trying to attract attention; pretentious; N. ostentation: showy display
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ostracize
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banish from a group; exclude from public favor; ban; Ex. His friends ostracized him. N. ostracism
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outspoken
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candid; blunt
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outstrip
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outrun; surpass; outdo
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overbearing
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bossy; domineering and arrogant; decisively important; Ex. overbearing manner/importance; V. overbear: dominate
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overt
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open to view; public; not secret; CF. covert
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overweening
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arrogant; presumptuous
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overwrought
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nervous or excited; extremely agitated; hysterical; wrought-up; CF. wrought: made or done
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paean
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song of praise or joy; Ex. paeans celebrating the victory
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palatial
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of or suitable for a palace; magnificent
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palimpsest
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parchment or piece of writing material used for second time after original writing has been erased
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pall
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become boring; grow tiresome
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pallet
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small poor bed; Ex. straw pallet
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palliate
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ease pain (without curing); make less severe or offensive (a crime or illness)
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pallid
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pale; wan; Ex. pallid complexion
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palpitate
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throb; beat rapidly; flutter; tremble; Ex. Her heart began to palpitate.
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paltry
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insignificant; petty; trifling; contemptible; Ex. paltry sum; CF. trash
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pan
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criticize harshly
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panacea
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cure-all; remedy for all diseases
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pandemonium
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wild tumult(commotion); wild noisy disorder; CF. Paradise Lost
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pander
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cater to (the low desires of others)
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panegyric
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formal praise; encomium; Ex. I don't deserve such panegyrics.
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pantomime
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acting without dialogue; V.
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paradigm
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model; example that serves as a model; pattern; list of all the inflectional forms of a word
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paragon
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model of perfection; Ex. paragon of virtue
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paramour
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illicit lover
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paraphernalia
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equipment; odds and ends used in a particular activity; personal belongings; Ex. photographic paraphernalia; CF. married woman's property exclusive of her dowry
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parched
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extremely dry; very thirsty; V. parch: make or become extremely dry (by exposure to heat)
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parity
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equality; close resemblance; CF. disparate
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parlance
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language; manner of speaking; idiom; Ex. in legal/common parlance
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parley
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conference (between opponents); CF. speak
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parochial
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narrow in scope or outlook; provincial; related to parishes
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paroxysm
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fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage; sudden outburst
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parquet
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floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaic like matter; CF. strip: long narrow piece
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parry
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ward off a blow; deflect; Ex. He parried the unwelcome question very skillfully; N.
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pass\'e
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old-fashioned; past the prime
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pastiche
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imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing; work of art openly imitating the works of other artists
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patent
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obvious; easily seen; open for the public to read; of or protected by a patent; Ex. patent to everyone; N.
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pathos
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tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings; Ex. pathos that runs through the novel
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patina
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green crust on old bronze works or copper; tone slowly taken by varnished painting
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patois
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local or provincial dialect
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paucity
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scarcity; dearth
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pauper
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very poor person
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peccadillo
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slight offense or fault; CF. sin
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pecuniary
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pertaining to money
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pedagogue
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teacher; CF. child leader
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pedant
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scholar who overemphasizes book learning, trivial details of learning, or technicalities
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pedestrian
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ordinary; dull; unimaginative(lacking in imagination); going on foot; Ex. pedestrian prose; N.
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pedigree
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ancestry; lineage
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penance
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self-imposed punishment for sin; Ex. do penance for one's sins; CF. penitent
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penchant
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strong inclination; strong liking (esp. for something that is disapproved of by other people); Ex. penchant for fast cars
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penury
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extreme poverty; stinginess; ADJ. penurious: very poor; stingy
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peregrination
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journey; V. peregrinate
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peremptory
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demanding and leaving no choice; imperative; Ex. peremptory decree/knock
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perfunctory
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done routinely and with little care; superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; Ex. perfunctory kiss
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peripatetic
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walking about from place to place (to work); moving; Ex. peripatetic school of philosophy
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perjury
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false testimony while under oath; V. perjure oneself: testify falsely under oath
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pernicious
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very harmful; deadly; very destructive; Ex. pernicious effect/anemia
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peroration
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conclusion of an oration; perorating; V. perorate: conclude a speech; speak at great length
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perpetrate
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commit an offense; do (something wrong)
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perquisite(perk)
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any gain above stipulated salary; Ex. perquisites such as free meals and a car
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perspicacious
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(of someone) having insight; penetrating; astute
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perspicuity
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clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity
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perspicuous
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(of something) plainly expressed; easy to understand; Ex. perspicuous comments
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pert
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(esp. of a girl or young woman) impertinent; forward; trim; jaunty; Ex. pert young miss/hat
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pertinacious
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holding tenaciously to an action; stubborn; persistent
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pestilential(pestilent)
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causing plague; tending to cause death; baneful; N. pestilence: fatal epidemic disease (esp. bubonic plague)
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petrify
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turn to stone; cause to become stonelike; stun or paralyze
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petulant
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touchy; peevish; ill-tempered
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pharisaical
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pertaining to the Pharisees, who paid scrupulous attention to tradition; self-righteous; hypocritical
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pestle
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tool for mashing or grinding substances in a hard bowl or mortar
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