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450 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
fervor
|
N.
growing ardor; intensity or feeling. |
ricky sucks
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inert
|
ADJ.
inactive; lacking power to move. |
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illusory
|
ADJ.
deceptive; not real. |
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abrasive
|
rubbing away; tending to grind down.
Just as abrasive cleaning powders can wear away a shiny finish, abrasive remarks can wear away a listener's patience. |
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divergent
|
ADJ.
differing; deviating. |
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discriminating
|
ADJ.
able to see differences; prejudiced. |
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ignominy
|
N.
deep disgrace; shame or dishonor. |
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acclaim
|
applaud; announce with great approval.
The NBC sportscasters acclaimed every American victory in the Olympics and lamented every American defeat. |
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futile
|
ADJ.
ineffective; fruitless. |
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didactic
|
teaching; instructional.
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illicit
|
ADJ.
illegal. |
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abstruse
|
obscure; profound; difficult to understand.
She carries around abstruse works of philosophy, not because she understands them but because she wants her friends to think she does. |
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distant
|
ADJ.
reserved or aloof; cold in manner. |
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dismiss
|
V.
put away from consideration; reject. |
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illuminate
|
V.
brighten; clear up or make understandable; enlighten. |
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accolade
|
award of merit.
In the world of public relations, a "Clio" is the highest accolade an advertising campaign can receive. |
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founder
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N.
person who establishes (an organization, business). |
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disseminate
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V.
distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds). |
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immune
|
ADJ.
resistant to; free or exempt from. |
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enigma
|
N.
puzzle; mystery. |
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accessible
|
easy to approach; obtainable.
We asked our guide whether the ruins were accessible on foot. |
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exemplify
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V.
serve as an example of; embody. |
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discursive
|
ADJ.
digressing; rambling. |
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imbalance
|
N.
lack of balance or symmetry; disproportion. |
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aberrant
|
abnormal or deviant.
Given the aberrant nature of the data, we came to doubt the validity of the entire experiment. |
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forthright
|
ADJ.
outspoken; frank. |
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discerning
|
mentally quick and observant; having insight.
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immaculate
|
ADJ.
spotless; flawless; absolutely clean. |
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abridge
|
condense or shorten.
Because the publishers felt the public wanted a shorter version of War and Peace, they proceeded to abridge the novel. |
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euphemism
|
N.
mild expression used in place of an unpleasant one. |
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incline
|
N.
slope; slant. |
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immutable
|
ADJ.
unchangeable. |
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abate
|
subside or moderate.
Rather than leaving immediately, they waited for the storm to abate. |
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galvanize
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V.
stimulate by shock; stir up; revitalize. |
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deride
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ridicule; make fun of.
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insuperable
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ADJ.
insurmountable; unbeatable. |
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abstemious
|
sparing in eating and drinking; temperate.
Concerned whether her vegetarian son's abstemious diet provided him with sufficient protein, the worried mother pressed food on him. |
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euphoria
|
N.
feeling of great happiness and well-being (sometimes exaggerated). |
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deprecate
|
express disapproval of; protest against; belittle.
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inopportune
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ADJ.
untimely; poorly chosen. |
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absolute
|
complete; totally unlimited; certain.
Although the King of Siam was an absolute monarch, he didn't want to behead his unfaithful wife without absolute evidence of her infidelity. |
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forsake
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V.
desert; abandon; renounce. |
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dispel
|
V.
drive away; scatter; cause to vanish. |
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insularity
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N.
narrow-mindedness; isolation. |
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abstract
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theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational.
To him, hunger was an abstract concept; he never missed a meal. |
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eclectic
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ADJ.
selective in choosing from a variety of sources. |
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despot
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tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler.
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insolvent
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ADJ.
bankrupt; unable to repay one's debts. |
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disparage
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V.
belittle. |
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forestall
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V.
prevent by taking action in advance. |
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devise
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think up; invent; plan.
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infamous
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ADJ.
notoriously bad. |
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dissipate
|
V.
squander; waste; scatter. |
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endorse
|
V.
approve; support. |
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despondent
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depressed; gloomy.
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infiltrate
|
V.
pass into or through; penetrate (an organization) sneakily. |
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diligence
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steadiness of effort; persistant hard work.
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foresight
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N.
ability to foresee future happenings; prudence. |
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disputatious
|
ADJ.
argumentative; fond of arguing. |
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insatiable
|
ADJ.
not easily satisfied; greedy. |
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depravity
|
corruption; wickedness.
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emulate
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V.
imitate; rival. |
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discount
|
V.
disregard. |
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insinuate
|
V.
hint; imply; creep in. |
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disinclination
|
N.
unwillingness. |
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founder
|
V.
fail completely; sink. |
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dissonance
|
N.
clashing or unresolved chords(as in music). |
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initiate
|
V.
begin; originate; receive into a group. |
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detrimental
|
harmful; damaging.
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expedient
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ADJ.
suitable to achieve a particular end; practical; politic. |
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diffuse
|
wordy; rambling; spread out.
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instigate
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V.
urge; start; provoke. |
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disdain
|
V.
view with scorn or contempt. |
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flippant
|
ADJ.
lacking proper seriousness. |
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indigenous
|
ADJ.
native. |
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insipid
|
ADJ.
lacking flavor; dull. |
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disband
|
dissolve; disperse.
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duration
|
N.
length of time something lasts. |
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disinterested
|
ADJ.
unprejudiced. |
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inexorable
|
ADJ.
relentless; unyielding; implacable. |
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detached
|
emotionally removed; calm and objective; indifferent.
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foolhardy
|
ADJ.
rash; heedless. |
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discrepancy
|
N.
lack of consistency; difference. |
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inimical
|
ADJ.
unfriendly; hostile; harmful; detrimental. |
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dissent
|
V.
disagree. |
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egotistical
|
ADJ.
excessively self-centered; self-important; conceited. |
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hyperbole
|
N.
exaggeration; overstatement. |
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infinitesimal
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ADJ.
exceedingly small; so small as to be almost nonexistent. |
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derivative
|
unoriginal; derived from another source.
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foster
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V.
rear; encourage; nurture. |
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disclose
|
reveal.
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innate
|
ADJ.
inborn. |
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discredit
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V.
defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve. |
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digression
|
wandering away from the subject.
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infraction
|
N.
violation (od a rule or regulation); breach. |
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devious
|
roundabout; erratic; not straightforward.
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flagrant
|
ADJ.
conspicuously wicked; blatant; outrageous. |
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discordant
|
ADJ.
not harmonious; conflicting. |
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intangible
|
ADJ.
not material; not able to be perceived by touch; vague; elusive. |
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inequity
|
N.
unfairness. |
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extant
|
ADJ.
still in existence. |
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deterrent
|
something that discourages; hindrance.
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ingenious
|
ADJ.
clever; resourceful. |
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dismantle
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V.
take apart. |
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frivolous
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ADJ.
lacking in seriousness; self-indulgently carefree; relatively unimportant. |
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dissuade
|
V.
advise against. |
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ingrate
|
N.
ungrateful person. |
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diminution
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lessening; reduction in size.
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expertise
|
N.
specialized knowledge; expert skill. |
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disperse
|
V.
cause to break up; scatter. |
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innovation
|
N.
change; introduction of something new. |
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disparity
|
N.
difference; condition of inequality. |
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fundamental
|
V.
basic; primary; essential. |
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dispassionate
|
ADJ.
calm; impartial. |
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inherent
|
ADJ.
firmly established by nature or habit; intrinsic. |
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analogy
|
similarity; parallelism.
A well-known analogy compares the body's immune system to an army whose defending troops are the lymphocytes or white blood cells. |
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extraneous
|
ADJ.
not essential; superfluous. |
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consistency
|
absence of contradictions; dependability; uniformity; degree of thickness.
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insurgent
|
ADJ.
rebellious. |
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ample
|
abundant.
Bond had ample opportunity to escape. Why did he let us catch him? |
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fickle
|
ADJ.
changeable; faithless. |
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coercion
|
use of force to get someone's compliance.
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infer
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V.
deduce; conclude. |
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anarchist
|
person who seekd to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority.
Denying she was an anarchist, Katya maintained she wished only to make changes in our government, not to destroy it entirely. |
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duplicity
|
N.
double-dealing; hypocrisy. |
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incongruous
|
ADJ.
not fitting; absurd. |
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intervene
|
V.
come between. |
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incidental
|
ADJ.
not essential; minor. |
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furtive
|
ADJ.
stealthy; sneaky. |
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constraint
|
compulsion; repression of feelings.
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insightful
|
ADJ.
discerning; perceptive. |
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archaic
|
antiquated.
"Methinks," "thee," and "thou" are archaic words that are no longer part of our standard vocabulary. |
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exploit
|
V.
make use of, sometimes unjustly. |
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concise
|
brief and compact.
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intermittent
|
ADJ.
periodic; on and off. |
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incentive
|
N.
spur; motive. |
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garbled
|
ADJ.
mixed up; jumbled; distorted. |
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incoherent
|
ADJ.
unintelligible; muddled; illogical. |
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intimidate
|
V.
frighten. |
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arbitrary
|
unreasonable or capriciousl randomly selected w/o any reason; based solely on one's unrestricted will or judgement.
The coach claimed the team lost because the umpire made some arbitrary calls. |
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ebb
|
V.
recede; lessen. |
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clamor
|
noise.
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integrity
|
N.
uprightnessl wholeness. |
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inclusive
|
ADJ.
tending to include all. |
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frugality
|
N.
thrift; economy. |
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concede
|
admit; yield.
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intractable
|
ADJ.
unruly; stubborn; unyielding. |
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incense
|
V.
enrage; infuriate. |
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exhaustive
|
ADJ.
thorough; comprehensive. |
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incontrovertible
|
ADJ.
indisputable; not open to question. |
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integral
|
ADJ.
complete; necessary for completeness. |
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inclined
|
ADJ.
tending or leaning toward; bent. |
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fluctuate
|
V.
waver; shift. |
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compelling
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overpowering; irresistable in effect.
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injurious
|
ADJ.
harmful. |
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inadvertently
|
ADV.
by oversight; carelessly or unintentionally. |
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esoteric
|
ADJ.
hard to understand; known only to the chosen few. |
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inconsequential
|
ADJ.
insignificant; unimportant. |
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innoucuous
|
ADJ.
harmless |
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incite
|
V.
arouse to action; goad; motivate; induce to exist. |
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feasible
|
ADJ.
practical. |
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compile
|
assemble; gather; accumulate.
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irreproachable
|
ADJ.
blameless; impeccable. |
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impudence
|
N.
impertinence; insolence. |
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equanimity
|
N.
calmness of temperment; composure. |
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commemorate
|
honor the memory of.
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intrepid
|
ADJ.
fearless. |
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inane
|
ADJ.
silly; senseless. |
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florid
|
ADJ.
ruddy; reddish; flowery. |
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compliance
|
readiness to yield; conformity in fulfilling requirements.
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intransigence
|
N.
refusal of any compromise; stubbornness. |
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incisive
|
ADJ.
cutting; sharp. |
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eulogy
|
N.
expression of praise, often on the occassion of someone's death. |
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civil
|
having to do with citizens or the state; courteous and polite.
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irrational
|
ADJ.
illogical; lacking reason; insane. |
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inaugurate
|
V.
start; initiate; install in office. |
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fortuitous
|
ADJ.
accidental; by chance. |
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composure
|
mental calmness.
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intricate
|
ADJ.
complex; knotty; tangled. |
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incessant
|
ADJ.
uninterupted; unceasing. |
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exuberance
|
N.
overflowing abundance; joyful enthusiasm; flamboyance; lavishness. |
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chronicle
|
report; record (in chronological order).
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irreverence
|
N.
lack of proper respect. |
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impassive
|
ADJ.
without feeling; imperturbable; stoical. |
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figurative
|
ADJ.
not literal, but metaphorical; using a figure of speech. |
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confirm
|
corroborate; verify; support.
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invert
|
V.
turn upside down or inside out. |
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apprehension
|
fear; discernment; capture.
The tourist refused to drive his rental car through downtown Miami because he felt some apprehension that he might be car-jacked. |
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explicit
|
ADJ.
totally clear; definite; outspoken. |
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clemency
|
disposition to be lenient; mildness, as of the weather.
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irrelevant
|
ADJ.
not applicable; unrelated. |
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implausible
|
ADJ.
unlikely; unbelievable |
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frail
|
ADJ.
weak. |
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conciliatory
|
reconciling; appeasing; amiable.
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irascible
|
ADJ.
irritable; easily angered. |
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implement
|
V.
put into effect; supply with tools. |
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expedite
|
V.
hasten. |
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conclusive
|
convincing; decisive.
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jargon
|
N.
language used by a special group; technical terminology; gibberish. |
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impromptu
|
ADJ.
without previous preparation; off the cuff; on the spur of the moment. |
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denounce
|
condemn; criticize.
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charlatan
|
quack; pretender to knowledge.
When they realized that the Wizard didn't know how to get them back to Kansas, Dorothy and her companions were indignant that they'd been duped by a charlatan. |
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irresolute
|
ADJ.
uncertain how to act; weak. |
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impoverished
|
ADJ.
poor. |
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exacting
|
ADJ.
extremely demanding. |
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concur
|
agree in opinion.
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jocular
|
ADJ.
said or done in jest; joking. |
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implicit
|
ADJ.
understood but not stated. |
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converge
|
approach; tend to meet; come together.
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condone
|
overlook voluntarily; forgive.
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arid
|
dry; barren.
The cactus has adapted to survive in an arid environment. |
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impartial
|
ADJ.
not biased; fair. |
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erroneous
|
ADJ.
mistaken; wrong. |
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comprehensive
|
thorough; inclusive.
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intuition
|
N.
immediate insight; power of knowing without reasoning. |
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antagonistic
|
hostile; opposed.
Despite his lawyer's best efforts to stop him, the angry prisoner continued to make antagonistic remarks to the judge. |
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ineffectual
|
ADJ.
not effective; weak. |
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conflagration
|
great fire.
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intrinsic
|
ADJ.
essential; inherent; built-in; natural. |
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antidote
|
medicine to counteract a poison or disease.
When Marge's child accidentally swallowed some cleaning fluid, the local poison control hotline told Marge how to administer the antidote. |
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extol
|
V.
praise; glorified. |
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confound
|
confuse; puzzle.
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introspective
|
ADJ.
looking within oneself. |
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appease
|
pacify or soothe; relieve.
Tom and Jody tried to appease their crying baby by offering him one toy after another. However, they couldn't calm him down until they appeased his hunger by giving him a bottle. |
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indifferent
|
ADJ.
unmoved; lacking concern. |
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confront
|
face; challenge.
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ironic
|
ADJ.
relating to a contradiction between an event's expected result and its actual outcome; sarcastic. |
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impecunious
|
ADJ.
wihtout money. |
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document
|
V.
provide written evidence. |
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consensus
|
general agreement.
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ardor
|
heat; passion; zeal.
Katya's ardor was catching; soon all her fellow demostrators were busily making posters and handing out flyers, inspired by her enthusiasm for the cause. |
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antiquated
|
old-fashioned; obsolete.
Philip had grown so accustomed to editing his articles on word processors that he thought typewriters were too antiquated for him to use. |
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indulge
|
V.
humor; treat leniently. |
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conscientious
|
scrupulous; careful.
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arrogance
|
pride; haughtiness.
Convinced that Emma thought she was better than anyone else in the class, Ed rebuked her for her arrogance. |
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impervious
|
ADJ.
impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed. |
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dubious
|
ADJ.
doubtful; questionable. |
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imperious
|
ADJ.
domineering; haughty. |
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inundate
|
V.
overwhelm; flood; submerge. |
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antithesis
|
contrast; direct opposite of or to.
Good is the antithesis of evil, innocence the antithesis of guilt. |
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curtail
|
shorten; reduce.
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apocryphal
|
untrue; made up.
To impress his friends, Ted invented apocryphal talkes of his adventures in the big city. |
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ascendancy
|
controlling influence.
Leaders of religious cults maintain ascendancy over their followers by methods that can verge on brain-washing. |
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contagion
|
infection.
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hardy
|
ADJ.
sturdy; robust; able to stand inclement weather. |
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|
appreciate
|
be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly concious of.
Little Orphan Annie truly appreciated the stocks Daddy Warbucks gave her, which appreciated in value considerably over the years. |
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|
elusive
|
ADJ.
evasive; baffling; hard to grasp. |
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|
animosity
|
active enmity.
By advocating cuts in campaign spending and limits on congressional powers, the reform candidate almost seemed to invite the animosity of the party's leaders. |
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|
astute
|
wise; shrewd.
Expecting Miss Marple to be a woolly-headed old lady, Inspector Craddock was startled by the astute observations she made. |
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apathy
|
lack of caring; indifference.
A firm believer in democratic government, she could not understand the apathy of people who never bothered to vote. |
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defiance
|
refusal to yield; resistance.
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impeccable
|
ADJ.
faultless. |
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|
authentic
|
genuine.
The art expert was able to distinguish the authentic Van Gogh painting from the forged copy. |
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anecdote
|
short account of an amusing or interesting event.
Rather than make concrete proposals for welfare reform, President Ronald Reagan told anecdotes about poor people who became wealthy despite their impoverished backgrounds. |
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eloquence
|
N.
expressiveness; persuasive speech. |
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impair
|
V.
injure; hurt. |
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attentive
|
considerate; thoughtful; paying attention.
Thu is very attentive to her Vietnamese-speaking parents, acting as their interpreter and helping them deal with American society. |
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imperceptible
|
ADJ.
unnoticeable; undetectable. |
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industrious
|
ADJ.
diligent; hard-working. |
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|
impede
|
V.
hinder; block; delay. |
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|
audacious
|
daring; bold.
Audiences cheered as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia made their audacious, death-defying leap to freedom, escaping Darth Vader's troops. |
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arable
|
fit for growing crops.
The first settlers wrote home glowing reports of the New World, praising its vast acres of arable land ready for the plow. |
|
|
dormant
|
ADJ.
sleeping; lethargic; latent. |
|
|
implication
|
N.
something hinted at or suggested. |
|
|
artifact
|
object made by human beings, either handmade or mass-produced.
Archaeologists debated the significance of the artifacts discovered in the ruins of Asia Minor but came to no conclusion about the culture they represented. |
|
|
impel
|
V.
drive or force onward. |
|
|
cursory
|
casual; hastily done.
|
|
|
impetuous
|
ADJ.
violent; hasty; rash. |
|
|
atrophy
|
waste away.
Afet three months in a cast, Stan's biceps had atrophied somewhat; however, he was sure that if he pumped iron for a while he would soon build them up. |
|
|
certitude
|
certainty.
Though there was no certitude of his getting the job, Lou thought he had a good chance of doing so. |
|
|
extricate
|
V.
free; disentangle. |
|
|
caricature
|
distortion; burlesque.
The caricatures he drew always emphasized a personal weakness of the people he burlesqued. |
|
|
augment
|
increase; add to.
Beth augmented her inadequate salary by selling Tupperware at parties at friends' homes. |
|
|
censure
|
blame; criticize.
The senator was censured for his inappropriate behavior. |
|
|
dawdle
|
loiter; waste time.
|
|
|
censorious
|
critical.
Censorious people delight in casting blame. |
|
|
artisan
|
manually skilled worker; craftsman, as opposed to artist.
Elderly artisans from Italy trained Harlem teenagers to carve the stone figures that would decorate the new wing of the cathedral. |
|
|
capricious
|
fickle; incalculable.
The storm was capricious, changing its course constantly. |
|
|
eclipse
|
V.
darken; extinguish; surpass |
|
|
heyday
|
N.
time of greatest success; prime. |
|
|
attribute
|
ascribe; explain.
I attribute her success in science to the encouragement she received from her parents. |
|
|
grudging
|
ADJ.
unwilling; reluctant; stingy. |
|
|
cynic
|
one who is skeptical or distrustful of human motives.
|
|
|
hoard
|
V.
stockpile; accumulate for future use. |
|
|
articulate
|
effective; distinct.
Her articulate presentation of the advertising campaign impressed her employers so much that they put her in charge of the project. |
|
|
heterodox
|
ADJ.
unorthodox; unconventional. |
|
|
diverse
|
ADJ.
differing in some characteristics; various. |
|
|
heterogeneous
|
ADJ.
dissimilar; mixed. |
|
|
ascetic
|
practicing self-denial; austere.
The wealthy, self-indulgent young men felt oddly drawn to the ascetic life led by members of some monastic orders. |
|
|
glacial
|
ADJ.
like a glacier; extremely cold. |
|
|
degenerate
|
become worse; detereorate.
|
|
|
guile
|
N.
deceit; duplicity; wiliness; cunning. |
|
|
assuage
|
ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger).
Jilted by Jane, Dick tried to assuage his heartache by indulging in ice cream. One gallon later, he had assuaged his appetite but not his grief. |
|
|
gregarious
|
ADJ.
sociable. |
|
|
engender
|
V.
cause; produce. |
|
|
hone
|
V.
sharpen. |
|
|
austerity
|
sternness; severity; strict economy; lack of luxuries.
The bishops charged with conducting the heresy inquiry were a solemn, somewhat forbidding group; their demeanor reflected their austerity. |
|
|
hackneyed
|
ADJ.
commonplace; trite. |
|
|
degrade
|
lower in rank or dignity; debase.
|
|
|
harass
|
V.
annoy by repeated attacks; torment. |
|
|
aspire
|
seek to attain; long for.
Because he aspired to a career in professional sports, Philip enrolled in a graduate program in sports management. |
|
|
heed
|
V.
pay attention to; consider. |
|
|
eccentric
|
ADJ.
odd; whimsical; irregular. |
|
|
gratuitous
|
ADJ.
given freely; unwarranted; unprovoked. |
|
|
embellish
|
V.
adorn; ornament. |
|
|
heresy
|
N.
opinion contrary to popular belief; opinion contrary to accepted religion. |
|
|
contentious
|
quarrelsome.
|
|
|
hostility
|
N.
unfriendliness; hatred. |
|
|
enhance
|
V.
advance; improve. |
|
|
hiatus
|
N.
gap; interruption in duration or continuity; pause. |
|
|
debilitate
|
weaken; enfeeble.
|
|
|
germane
|
ADJ.
pertinent; bearing upon the case at hand. |
|
|
enervate
|
V.
weaken. |
|
|
hamper
|
V.
obstruct. |
|
|
contract
|
compress or shrink; make a pledge; catch a disease.
|
|
|
grandiose
|
ADJ.
pretentious; high-flown; ridiculously exaggerated; impressive. |
|
|
dogmatic
|
ADJ.
opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal. |
|
|
hypothetical
|
ADJ.
based on assumptions or hypotheses; supposed. |
|
|
credibility
|
believability.
|
|
|
garrulous
|
ADJ.
loquacious; wordy; talkative. |
|
|
espouse
|
V.
adopt; support. |
|
|
iconoclast
|
N.
one who attacks cherished traditions. |
|
|
daunt
|
intimidate; frighten.
|
|
|
hallowed
|
ADJ.
blessed; consecrated. |
|
|
equivocal
|
ADJ.
ambiguous; intentionally misleading. |
|
|
homogeneous
|
ADJ.
of the same kind. |
|
|
depict
|
portray; describe.
|
|
|
gullible
|
ADJ.
easily deceived. |
|
|
exalt
|
V.
raise in rank or dignity; praise. |
|
|
gorge
|
N.
small, steep-walled canyon. |
|
|
conviction
|
stringly held belief.
|
|
|
gratify
|
V.
please |
|
|
erudite
|
ADJ.
learned; scholarly. |
|
|
humane
|
ADJ.
marked by kindness or consideration. |
|
|
cryptic
|
mysterious; hidden; secret.
|
|
|
hindrance
|
N.
block; obstacle. |
|
|
doctrine
|
N.
teachings, in general; particular principle (religious, legal, and so on) taught. |
|
|
haughtiness
|
N.
pride; arrogance. |
|
|
indefatigable
|
ADJ.
tireless. |
|
|
hedonist
|
N.
one who believes that pleasure is the sole aim in life. |
|
|
exonerate
|
V.
acquit; exculpate. |
|
|
idiosyncrasy
|
N.
individual trait, usually odd in nature; eccentricity. |
|
|
indolent
|
ADJ.
lazy. |
|
|
glutton
|
N.
someone who eats too much; greedy person. |
|
|
expository
|
ADJ.
explanatory; intended to explain. |
|
|
genre
|
N.
particular variety of art or literature. |
|
|
credulity
|
belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naivete.
|
|
|
grievance
|
N.
cause of complaint. |
|
|
dutiful
|
ADJ.
respectful; obedient. |
|
|
gravity
|
N.
seriousness. |
|
|
indict
|
V.
charge. |
|
|
hierarchy
|
N.
arrangement by rank or standing ; authoritarian body divided into ranks. |
|
|
epic
|
N.
long heroic poem, or similar work of art. |
|
|
glib
|
ADJ.
fluent; facile; slick. |
|
|
contend
|
struggle; compete; assert earnestly.
|
|
|
husband
|
V.
use sparingly; conserve; save. |
|
|
episodic
|
ADJ.
loosely connected; divided into incidents; occuring at intervals. |
|
|
hypocritical
|
ADJ.
pretending to be viruous; deceiving. |
|
|
contemporary
|
person belonging to the same period.
|
|
|
bane
|
cause of ruin.
Lack of public transportation is the bane of urban life. |
|
|
effervescent
|
ADJ.
exuberant; bubbly and excited. |
|
|
biased
|
slanted; prejudiced.
Because the jugde played golf regularly with the district attorney's father, we feared he might be biased in the prosecution's favor. |
|
|
indiscriminate
|
ADJ.
choosing at random; confused. |
|
|
bequeath
|
leave to someone by a will; hand down.
Although Maud had intended to bequeath the family home to her nephew, she died before changing her will. |
|
|
divulge
|
V.
reveal. |
|
|
belligerent
|
quarrelsome.
Whenever he had too much to drink, be bacame belligerent and tried to pick fights with strangers. |
|
|
decorum
|
propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners.
|
|
|
authoritarian
|
favoring or exercisng total control; nondemocratic.
Forced to obey the dictates of the authoritarian regime, the people had no control over their own destiny. |
|
|
execute
|
V.
put into effect; carry out. |
|
|
cajole
|
coax; wheedle.
Diane tried to cajole her father into letting her drive the family car. |
|
|
indomitable
|
ADJ.
unconquerable; unyielding. |
|
|
benevolent
|
generous; charitable.
Mr. Fezziwig was a benevolent employer who wished to make Christmas merrier for young Scrooge and his other employees. |
|
|
elated
|
ADJ.
overjoyed; in high spirits. |
|
|
belie
|
contradict; give a false impression.
His coarse, hard-bitten exterior belied his inner sensitivity. |
|
|
cordial
|
gracious; heartfelt.
|
|
|
aversion
|
firm dislike.
Their mutual aversion was so great that they refused to speak to one another. |
|
|
exacerbate
|
V.
worsen, embitter. |
|
|
banal
|
hackneyed; commonplace; trite.
Was it Pendleton's stale plot or his cliché-ridden dialogue that made his play seem so banal? |
|
|
induce
|
V.
persuade; bring about. |
|
|
blasphemy
|
irreverence; sacrilege; cursing.
In my father's house, the Dodgers were the holiest of holies; to cheer for another team was to utter words of blasphemy. |
|
|
esteem
|
V.
respect; value; judge. |
|
|
brevity
|
conciseness; briefness.
Brevity is essential when you send a telegram or cablegram; you are charged for every word. |
|
|
criterion
|
standard used in judging.
|
|
|
braggart
|
boastful person.
I wouldn't mind Bob's being such a braggart if I felt he'd done anything worth bragging about. |
|
|
evanescent
|
ADJ.
fleeting; vanishing. |
|
|
bland
|
soothing; mild; dull.
Unless you want your stomach lining to be eaten away, stick to a bland diet. |
|
|
deference
|
courteous regard for another's wish.
|
|
|
benign
|
kindly; favorable; not malignant.
Though her benign smile and gentle bearing made Miss Marple seem a sweet little old lady. in reality she was a tough-mined, shrewd observer of human nature. |
|
|
enduring
|
ADJ.
lasting; surviving. |
|
|
belittle
|
disparage; make fun of.
Parents should not belittle their children's early attempts at drawing, but should encourage their efforts. |
|
|
corroborate
|
confirm, support.
|
|
|
bolster
|
support; reinforce.
The debaters amassed file boxes full of evidence to bolster their arguments. |
|
|
exemplary
|
ADJ.
serving as a model; outstanding. |
|
|
autonomous
|
self-governing.
Although the University of California at Berkeley is just one part of the state university system, in many ways Cal Berkeley is autonomous, for it runs several programs that are not subject to outside control. |
|
|
debunk
|
expose something as nonsensical or false.
|
|
|
brawn
|
muscular strength; sturdiness.
It takes brawn to become a champion weight-lifter. |
|
|
enmity
|
N.
ill will; hatred. |
|
|
candor
|
frankness.
The candor with which Gene spoke during the job interview impressed us all; it was clear he held nothing back. |
|
|
indubitable
|
ADJ.
unable to be doubted; unquestionable. |
|
|
buttress
|
support; prop up.
The attorney came up with several far-fetched arguments in a vain attempt to buttress his weak case. |
|
|
enumerate
|
V.
list; mention one by one. |
|
|
cacophonous
|
discordant; inharmonious.
Do the students in the orchestra enjoy the cacophonous sounds they make when they're tuning up? I don't know how they stand the racket. |
|
|
defame
|
harm someone's reputation; malign.
|
|
|
calculated
|
deliberately planned; likely.
Lexy's choice of clothes to wear to the debate tournament was carefully calculated. Her conventional suit was one calculated to appeal to the conservative judges. |
|
|
erratic
|
ADJ.
odd, unpredictable; wandering. |
|
|
deny
|
contradict; refuse.
|
|
|
euphonious
|
ADJ.
pleasing in sound. |
|
|
corrosion
|
destruction by chemical action.
|
|
|
ethereal
|
ADJ.
light; heavenly; unusually refined. |
|
|
incorrigible
|
ADJ.
uncorrectable. |
|
|
ephemeral
|
ADJ.
short-lived; fleeting. |
|
|
indigent
|
ADJ.
poor; destitute. |
|
|
epicure
|
N.
connoisseur of food and drink. |
|
|
deliberate
|
consider; ponder.
|
|
|
exhilarating
|
ADJ.
invigorating and refreshing; cheering. |
|
|
inept
|
ADJ.
unsuited; absurd; incompetent. |
|
|
fanaticism
|
N.
excessive zeal; extreme devotion to a belief or cause. |
|
|
deplore
|
regret strongly; express grief over.
|
|
|
fallacious
|
ADJ.
false; misleading. |
|
|
delineate
|
portray; depict; sketch.
|
|
|
facilitate
|
V.
help bring about; make less difficult. |
|
|
aesthetic
|
artistic; dealing w/ or capable of appreciation of the beautiful.
The beauty of Tiffany's stained glass appealed to Esther's aesthetic sense. |
|
|
exploit
|
N.
deed or action, particularly a brave deed. |
|
|
adroit
|
skillful; nimble.
The juggler's admirers particularly enjoyed his adroit handling of difficult balancing tricks. |
|
|
fastidious
|
ADJ.
difficult to please; squeamish. |
|
|
acquiesce
|
assent; agree w/o protesting.
When we asked her to participate in the play, she immediately acquiesced. |
|
|
facile
|
ADJ.
easily accomplished; ready or fluent; superficial. |
|
|
alienate
|
make hostile; separate.
Heather's attempts to alienate Amy from Ellen failed because the two friends had complete faith in one another. |
|
|
affinity
|
natural liking; kinship; similarity.
Octavia felt an immediate affinity for the folk dancers she met; their love of dance was hers as well. |
|
|
affirmation
|
positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath.
Despite Tom's affirmations of innocence, Aunt Polly still suspected he had eaten the pie. |
|
|
ambiguous
|
unclear or doubtful in meaning.
The proctor's ambiguous instructions thoroughly confused us; we didn't know which columns we should mark and which we should leave blank. |
|
|
aggressor
|
attacker.
Before you punish both boys for fighting, see whether you can determine which one was the aggressor. |
|
|
aloof
|
apart; reserved; standoffish.
His classmates thought James was a snob because, instead of joining in their conversations, he remained silent and aloof. |
|
|
acute
|
quickly perceptive; keen; brief and severe.
The acute young doctor realized immediately that the gradual deterioration of her patient's once-acute hearing was due to a chronic illness, not an acute one. |
|
|
affable
|
easily approachable; warmly friendly.
Accustomed to cold, aloof supervisors, Nicholas was amazed at how affable his new employer was. |
|
|
adjacent
|
neighboring; adjoining.
You will find questions based on this reading passage located on the adjacent page. |
|
|
advocate
|
urge; plead for.
Noted abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth advocated the eradication of the Southern institution of slavery. |
|
|
acrimonious
|
bitter in words or manner.
The candidate attacked his opponent in highly acrimonious terms. |
|
|
adverse
|
unfavorable; hostile.
The recession had a highly adverse effect on Father's investment portfolio: he lostso much money that he could no longer afford the butleer and the upstairs maid. |
|
|
alleviate
|
relieve.
The doctor's reassuring remarks alleviated June's fears for the baby; though he'd been born prematurely, he was rapidly gaining weight and could go home in a couple of weeks. |
|
|
adulation
|
flattery; admiration.
The rock star relished the adulation she received from her groupies and yes-men. |
|
|
altruistic
|
unselfishly generous; concerned for others.
In providing tutorial assistance and college scholarships for hundreds of economically disadvataged youths, Eugene Lang performed a truly altruistic deed. |
|
|
address
|
direct a speech to; deal with or discuss.
Due to address the convention in July, Brown planned to address the issue of low-income housing in his speech. |
|
|
adherent
|
supporter; follower.
In the wake of the scandal, the senator's one-time adherents quietly deserted him. |
|
|
adversary
|
opponent.
The young wrestler struggled to overcome his adversary. |
|
|
acknowledge
|
recognize; admit.
Although I acknowledge that the Beatles' tunes sound pretty dated nowadays, I still prefer them to the "gangsta" rap songs my brothers play. |
|
|
ambivalence
|
the atate of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes.
Torn between loving her parents one minute and hating them the next, she was confused by the ambivalence of her feelings. |
|
|
ameliorate
|
improve; make more satisfactory.
Carl became a union organizer because he wanted to join the fight to ameliorate the working conditions in the factory. |
|
|
amorphous
|
formless; lacking shape or definition.
As soon as we have decided on our itinerary, we shall send you a copy; right now, our plans are still amorphous. |
|
|
amend
|
correct; change, generally for the better.
Hoping to amend his circumstances, Luong left Vietnam for the United States. |
|