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25 Cards in this Set
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miser |
n. a stingy hoarder of money and possessions (often living miserably) synonyms: cheapskate; tightwad The most famous fictional miser is probably Scrooge in Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. The image of his shivering with cold while he counts his coins illustrates the misery often associated with misers. To be a miser, your impulse to hoard means you won’t even indulge yourself by spending money for fear of depleting your stash. |
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hoist |
v. raise v. move from one place to another by lifting synonyms: elevate; lift You can certainly hoist a cup to your mouth to drink, but this word is generally used to describe heavier lifting, like the hoisting of a fallen tree onto the bed of a truck or hoisting the Super Bowl trophy over your head after the big game. In nautical terms, where it comes up often, hoist refers to a group of flags that are raised all at once to communicate a signal. |
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bland |
adj. lacking taste or flavor or tang adj. lacking stimulating characteristics; uninteresting synonyms: tasteless; unexciting; unstimulating When you have a nasty cold and you’re very congested, food can taste unappealingly bland. That means dull, flavorless, or just plain “blah.” |
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victor |
n. a combatant who is able to defeat rivals n. the contestant who wins the contestsynonyms: winner; master; superior |
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devour |
v. eat greedily v. destroy completely v. enjoy avidly synonyms: eat; ruin; savor The meaning of devour has grown to include the consumption of things other than food. If you sit down to start a book, and look up ten hours later having turned the last page, you have devoured that book. If your after school activity is devouring all your free time, chances are your grades are going to drop. |
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rash |
n. a series of unexpected and unpleasant occurrences n. any red eruption of the skin adj. marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences adj. unwisely occurring risk synonyms: reckless; bold A rash issomething that spreads like wild fire — red itchy skin or a series ofunfortunate events. It can also describe an impulsive, wild decision. |
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lull |
n. a pause during which things are calm or activities are diminished n. a period of calm weather v. make calm or still v. become quiet or less intense v. calm by deception “Don't let yourself be lulled into a false state of security” synonyms: quiet; still; break The noun lull is often used in relation to a storm, but the term has a broader meaning as well. Lull can be used to describe any temporary period of calm or diminished activity, like the quiet time before the lunch rush in a restaurant or the brief period of tranquility before the doors open for a pre-Christmas sale. The word's verb form means "to soothe or to make someone feel relaxed." When used as a verb lull can turn deceptive, and it is often used to convey a false sense of security. |
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dally |
v. waste time v. consider not very seriously v. behave carelessly or indifferently synonyms: play; toy; dawdle Dally means “to waste time.” When you dally, you will cause a delay because of your dawdling. |
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crude |
n. a dark oil consisting mainly of hydrocarbons adj. not carefully or expertly made adj. belonging to an early stage of technical development adj. not analyzed or broken down for detailed examination adj. tastelessly indecent synonyms: primitive; unskilled; vulgar Is it gross? Unsophisticated? Totally tasteless and positively offensive? Then you can describe it as crude. Crude is not rude when it’s used to describe unprocessed oil, which it first was associated with in 1865. From the Latin crudo, meaning "rough, raw," crude today can be used to describe anything or anyone that's unrefined and rough around the edges. |
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barb |
n. a sharp end/point that makes an arrowhead or spear hard to remove n. an aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect synonyms: point; dig; slam Whether it is the spikes on the wire atop a security fence or a mean remark someone said about you, barbs can hurt. |
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submerge |
v. fill or cover completely, usually with water synonyms: immerse; inundate; deluge When you go swimming, you submerge your body in water. If your head is out of the water, it is not submerged —it's just wet. |
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mellow |
adj. unhurried and relaxed adj. having attained to kindliness or gentleness through age and experience v. soften; become more relaxed v. make or grow softer “The sun mellowed the fruit” synonyms: mature; soft When something becomes mellow,it gets softer or more relaxed. People are often said to mellow with age, meaning their aggressiveness, their sarcasm, and their short temper have given way to a more easygoing, genial manner. Wine and other foods mellow just like people, and can be described as "having mellowed" when they reach a full and pleasing flavor, without sharpness. |
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ripple |
n. v. a small wave on the surface of a liquid v. to rise and fall gently in tone or volume synonyms: undulate; flow |
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consume |
v. use up (resources or materials) v. destroy completely “The fire consumed the building” v. engage fully “The effort to pass the exam consumed all his energy” v. spend extravagantly v. serve oneself; take in synonyms: squander; deplete; occupy; ruin Consume means to devour, to take in, or to use up. The Unites States is often referred to as a consumer society because our economy is based on things being consumed. Whether it's gas, clothes, burgers, music, or anything that we use up as we purchase it, it's something that we consume. |
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sly |
adj. marked by skill in deception synonyms: crafty; cunning; dodgy If you're good at lying, you're quite sly: people who are sly are good at pulling one over on other people. Being sly helps you get away with things. If you made a mess in your house but got your parents to blame the dog, that was sly. Being sly means you're not being honest, but this word has kind of a harmless flavor to it. Slyness has to do with smaller, sneakier, more harmless kinds of lying. |
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conquest |
n. success in mastering something difficult n. the act of conquering synonyms: capture; seizure; gaining control |
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hoard |
n. a secret store of valuables or money v. get or gather together v. save up as for future use synonyms: fund; stock; accumulate; compile; stash To hoard is to save something (or lots of things) for future use. Squirrels hoard nuts for the winter. People have been using the word hoard for both "to hide" and "treasure" for centuries (as both a verb and as a noun). Some hoard valuables, such as money, jewelry, and family antiques. Others build up a hoard, or cache, of things that aren't worth money but are important to them — like comic books or matchbooks. |
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witty |
adj. showing or characterized by quick and inventive verbal humor synonyms: clever; funny A witty remark is clever and funny and timed just right. When you make such a remark, you are also considered to be witty. The adjective witty can be used to describe those quick little funny remarks that often demonstrate a sharp, biting humor delivered in a playful manner. Witty usually describes things that are spontaneously amusing, rather than remarks that are elaborate or carefully planned in advance. |
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clatter |
n. a rattling noise (often produced by rapid movement) “the clatter of iron wheels on cobblestones” v. make a rattling sound “clattering dishes” synonyms: clack |
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waver |
n. the act of pausing uncertainly n. the act of moving back and forth v. be unsure or weak v. move hesitatingly, as if about to give way synonyms: waffle; fluctuate; falter To waver is to move back and forth, like when you waver, one minute thinking you'll stay home, planning to go meet your friends the next, until you finally make your decision. When the wind blows, it makes the leaves and flowers waver, or move, in that same direction. A person who wavers is much the same — affected by any influence or change. He or she isn't sure what to do or may be too shy to express a preference until time is just about up and a decision must be made. |
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aloft |
adv. at or to great height; high up in or into the air “eagles were soaring aloft” adv. upward “the good news sent her spirits aloft” adv. the upper rigging of a ship “climbed aloft to unfurl the sail” |
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deluge |
n. a heavy rain n. an overwhelming number or amount v. fill or cover completely, usually with water v. charge someone with too many tasks synonyms: downpour; inundate; submerge; overwhelm The noun deluge is an overwhelming amount of something in general, such as work, people, or questions. Because of its Latin roots, however, in particular it means an overwhelming amount of water. It comes from diluvian, which means flood. The verb deluge similarly means to overwhelm or inundate with something, particularly water. The hurricane deluged the island with rain. A deluge isn't always a bad thing, however. One thing most people would like to be deluged with? Money. |
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rustle |
n. a light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind v. make a dry crackling sound v. forage food v. take illegally “rustle cattle” synonyms: whisper; scrounge A rustle can be the dry sounds made by papers rubbing together or leaves crackling. It can also be the act of searching, stealing, finding food, or making rustle sounds. |
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stealthy |
adj. marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed synonyms: sneaky; furtive; concealed Use the adjective stealthy to describe something or someone that is marked by secrecy, even sneakiness. Ninjas are stealthy, moving quietly and cautiously, which makes them excellent spies. |
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impulse |
n. an instinctive motive n. a sudden desire n. the act of applying force suddenly “the impulse knocked him over” synonyms: urge; whim An impulse is a sudden force or desire — this could be an electrical impulse, or an impulse to get some pizza. If you act on a sudden feeling or thought, you’re following an impulse. That's like a whim: an impulse isn't something you've given a lot of thought. |
