English Vocab Ii

Front 1

despond

Back 1

v. to become discouraged or disheartened

Front 2

semantic

Back 2

adj. of or relating to meaning in language

Front 3

out-and-out

Back 3

adj. complete, thorough-going

Front 4

gross

Back 4

adj.
1. obvious ()
2. unmitigated in any way; utter ()
3. big, bulky, esp. excessively fat
4. general, broad ()
5. carnal, earthy
6. unrefined, crudely vulgar

Hint 4

1. gross injustice

2. gross sales

4. the gross outlines of a plan

Front 5

zeal

Back 5

n. enthusiastic devotion to something and tireless diligence in its furtherance

Front 6

ardent

Back 6

adj.
1. passionate, devoted, enthusiastic, zealous, fervent
ardent love; ardent theater-goer

2. fiery, hot
ardent core of a star

3. vehement, fierce
ardent eyes

Front 7

fervor

Back 7

n.
1. intense heat
2. intensity of feeling or expression

Front 8

ardor

Back 8

–noun

1. great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion:
She spoke persuasively and with ardor.

2. intense devotion, eagerness, or enthusiasm; zeal:
his well-known ardor for Chinese art.

3. burning heat.

Front 9

appropos (adv. & adj.)

Back 9

adv.
1. at the appropriate time
2. in passing; by the way

adj.
relevant

Front 10

avarice

Back 10

n. greed

Front 11

alliteration

Back 11

n. the repetition of initial sounds in adjacent words or syllables

Front 12

vain

Back 12

adj.

1. excessively proud of or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements, etc.; conceited: a vain dandy: vain remarks.

2. ineffectual or unsuccessful; futile: a vain effort.

3. without real significance, value, or importance; baseless or worthless: vain pageantry; vain display.

Front 13

vainglory

Back 13

n.
1. Outspoken conceit;

Boastful, unwarranted pride in one's accomplishments or qualities; vain()

2. Vain (), ostentatious display;

empty pomp() or show.

Hint 13

vain: Excessively proud of one's appearance or accomplishments; conceited

2. vain: worthless, baseless

pomp: stately or splendid display; splendor; magnificence.

Front 14

coy

Back 14

adj.
1. bashful, shy (real or affected)

2. irritatingly reticent ()

Hint 14

reticent: restrained; reluctant

Front 15

hackneyed

Back 15

adj. lacking in freshness or originality

Front 16

ostentatious

Back 16

adj

making an exaggerated outward show to impress others; a pretentious and vulgar display, esp. of wealth and luxury; showing off [syn: pretentious, kitsch]

Hint 16

1. "an ostentatious sable coat"

2. Tawdry: Gaudy and cheap in nature or appearance.
2. Shameful or indecent: tawdry secrets.

Front 17

cresendo

Back 17

adv/adj. increasing in loudness--used as a direction in music

Front 18

wily

Back 18

adj. marked by skill in deception; cunning

Front 19

cunning

Back 19

adj.
1. marked by or given to artful () deception

2. executed with or exhibiting ingenuity ()

3. cute, attractive, quaint()

Hint 19

artful: skillful; --done with or characterized by art or skill

ingenuity: creativity, cleverness, resourcefulness

quaint: charmingly odd, especially in an old-fashioned way

Front 20

clever

Back 20

adj.
marked by wit () or ingenuity ()

Hint 20

wit: intelligence

ingenuity: creativity, cleverness, or resourcefullness

Front 21

dexterity

Back 21

n.
1. mental skill or quickness

2. readiness and grace in physical activity, esp. skill and ease in using the hands

Front 22

ingenuity

Back 22

n.
marked by or showing creativity, cleverness, or resourcefullness

Front 23

guile

Back 23

n. treacherous cunning; skillful deceit

Front 24

rancor

Back 24

n. bitter, deep-seated ill will

Front 25

enmity

Back 25

n. ill will, esp. mutual hatred

Front 26

delineate

Back 26

v. to depict in drawing or words; outline; describe

Front 27

gad

Back 27

v. to move about restlessly with little purpose; wander

Front 28

gaffe

Back 28

n. an unusual social blunder

Front 29

gallivant

Back 29

v. to travel, roam, or move about for pleasure

Front 30

meander

Back 30

n. a winding course, as of a person's travels or the path of a river or stream

Front 31

rove

Back 31

v. to wander over or through, esp. a large area; roam

Front 32

pithy

Back 32

adj. Precisely meaningful; forceful and brief; concise

Front 33

impudent

Back 33

adj. marked by offensive boldness;

insolent ()

impertinent()

shameless

Hint 33

insolent: audaciously rude

impertinent: improperly forward or bold

Front 34

impertinent

Back 34

adj.
1. improperly bold or forward
2. not relevant

Front 35

prowess

Back 35

n.
1. military valor() or skill
2. extraordinary ability

Hint 35

valor: bravery

Front 36

serrepticious

Back 36

adj. done by stealth; clandestine

Front 37

asseverate

Back 37

v. to declare seriously or positively; affirm

Front 38

ascribe

Back 38

v. to attribute; to refer to a supposed cause, source or author

Front 39

dawdle

Back 39

v.
1. to spend time wastefully or idlely
2. loiter

Front 40

impute

Back 40

v. to attribute or relate a particular cause, source, responsibility or credit

esp. attribute fault to

Front 41

shrewd

Back 41

1. astute or sharp in practical matters ()

2. tricky, artful ()

3. keen; piercing; penetrating ()

Hint 41

1. a shrewd politician.

2. slyly crafty or cunning; deceitful

a shrewd con-man

shrewd schemes

3. a shrewd wind.

Front 42

discerning

Back 42

adj. revealing insight and understanding; perceptive

Front 43

astute

Back 43

adj.

Having or showing shrewdness and discernment, especially with respect to one's own concerns. See Synonyms at shrewd.

Front 44

discern

Back 44

v.
1. to detect with the eyes or other senses

2. to discriminate; differentiate

3. to come to know or recognize mentally

Front 45

machination

Back 45

n. a crafty scheme or cunning design for the accomplishment of a sinister end

Front 46

crestfallen

Back 46

adj. dejected, dispirited

Front 47

judicious

Back 47

adj. sound discernment () and judgment; sensible and prudent

Hint 47

discernment: having keen perception and insight

Front 48

lackidaisical

Back 48

adj. lacking spirit or liveliness; showing lack of interest; languid, listless

Front 49

facetious

Back 49

adj. characterized by flippant () or inappropriate humor

Hint 49

flippant: marked by disrespectful levity or casualness

Front 50

flippant

Back 50

adj. lacking in seriousness; treating serious things lightly; disrespectful

Front 51

languid

Back 51

adj. lacking vigor ();
idle ();
inert ();
apathetic ()

Hint 51

vigor: active physical and mental strength or energy

indle: indolent/lazy

inert (sluggish and slow)

apathetic: having or showing no emotion or interest

Front 52

colloquy

Back 52

n. the act of conversing; a conversation

Front 53

garland

Back 53

n.
1. a wreath of flowers, leaves, etc. worn on the head or hung as decoration

2. a prize or distinction

Front 54

listless

Back 54

adj. lacking energy or enthusiasm, disinclined for exertion

Front 55

inert

Back 55

adj.
1. motionless
2. sluggish, slow

Front 56

idle

Back 56

adj.
1. indolent; lazy

2. not in use; unemployed

3. having no special basis or purpose

4. (of an action, thought, word) ineffective, worthless, vain

Hint 56

3. an idle insult

4. vain: (not yielding the desired outcome; fruitless)

Front 57

loquacious

Back 57

adj. talkative

Front 58

susurus

Back 58

n. a whispering or rustling sound; a murmur

Front 59

adulation

Back 59

n. obsequious () flattery ()

exaggerated and hypocritical praise

Hint 59

obsequious: servile, fawning

flattery: exaggerated or insincere praise

Front 60

tawdry

Back 60

adj.
1. Gaudy() and cheap in nature or appearance.

2. Shameful or indecent()

Hint 60

1. gaudy: Showy in a tasteless or vulgar way.

2. tawdry secrets.

Front 61

gaudy

Back 61

adj.

Showy in a tasteless or vulgar way.

Front 62

pretentious

Back 62

adj.
1. Claiming or demanding a position of distinction or merit, especially when unjustified.

2. Making or marked by an extravagant outward show; ostentatious; bombastic ((of speech, writing, etc.) high-sounding; high-flown; inflated); showy.

Front 63

quaint

Back 63

adj.
1. Charmingly odd, especially in an old-fashioned way()

2. Unfamiliar or unusual in character; strange ()

3. Cleverly made

Hint 63

1. Quaint old maid
“Sarah Orne Jewett... was dismissed by one critic as merely a New England old maid who wrote quaint, plotless sketches of late 19th-century coastal Maine” (James McManus).

2. quaint dialect words.

3. quaint invention

Front 64

keen

Back 64

1. finely sharpened, as an edge; so shaped as to cut or pierce substances readily: a keen razor.

2. having or showing great mental penetration or acumen: keen reasoning; a keen mind.

3. characterized by strength and distinctness of perception; extremely sensitive or responsive: keen eyes; keen ears.

4. sharp, piercing, or biting: a keen wind; keen satire.

5. animated by or showing strong feeling or desire: keen competition: keen ambition; keen jealousy.

6. eager; interested; enthusiastic (often fol. by about, on, etc., or an infinitive): She is really keen on going swimming.

7. Slang. great; wonderful; marvelous. a keen party, a keen song