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249 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
abate
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v. to lessen in intensity or degree
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aberrant
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deviating from the norm
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abjure
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v. to renounce or reject solemnly; to recant; to avoid; forswear; repudiate
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abrogate
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v. to abolish or annul by authority; put down
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abscission
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n. act of cutting off or removing
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abscond
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v. to depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide
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accretion
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n. growth, increase by successive addition, building up
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acerbic
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adj. having a sour or bitter taste or character
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acumen
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n. a quick keen, or accurate knowledge or insight
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admonish
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v. to reprove; to express warning or disapproval
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adroit
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adept, dexterous
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adulterate
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v. to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients
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adumbrate
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v. to foreshadow vaguely, intimate, suggest, or outline sketchily
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aggrandize
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v. to increase in intensity, power, or prestige; to make appear greater
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alacrity
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n. eager and enthusiastic willingness
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alloy
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v. to commingle, to debase by mixing with something inferior
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amalgamate
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v. to combine several elements into a whole
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ameliorate
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v. to make better or more tolerable
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amenable
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adj. agreeable, responsive to suggestion
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anachronism
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n. something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context
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anathema
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n. a solemn or ecclesiastical (religious) curse; accursed or thoroughly loathed person or thing
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anodyne
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adj. soothing
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antithetical
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adj. diametrically opposed, as in antithesis
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apocryphal
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adj. of dubious authenticity or origin; spurious
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apogee
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n. farthest or highest point; culmination; zenith
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apostate
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one who abandons long-held religious or political convictions, a betrayer of the cause
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apotheosis
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n. deification, glorification to godliness, the perfect example
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apposite
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adj. appropriate, pertinent, relevant, apropos
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apprise
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v. give notice to, inform
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approbation
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n. an expression of approval or praise
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appropriate
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v. to take for one's own use, confiscate
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arabesque
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n. complex, ornate design
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arcane
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adj. mysterious, abstruse, esoteric, knowable only to initiates
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arrant
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adj. impudent; in every way, being completely such barefaced, utter; immodest
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arrest
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to suspend; to engage
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artless
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adj. completely without guile; natural, without artificiality
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asperity
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adj. severity, rigor; roughness, harshness; acrimony, irritability
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aspersion
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n. an act of defamation or maligning
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assiduous
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adj. diligent, hard-working
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assuage
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v. to ease or lessen; to appease or pacify
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astringent
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adj. having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe
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attenuate
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v. to rarefy, weaken or make thinner, lessen
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augury
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n. omen, portent, the reading of omens
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august
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adj. majestic, venerable
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auspice
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n. protection or support, patronage
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auspicious
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adj. favorable, propitious, successful, prosperous
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austere
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adj. without adornment, bare, severely simple, ascetic
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avarice
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n. greed, especially for wealth
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aver
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v. to state as a fact, to confirm or support
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axiomatic
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adj. taken as a given, possessing self-evident truth
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baleful
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adj. sinister, pernicious, ominous
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bane
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adj. cause of injury, source of harm, source of persistent frustration
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beatify
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v. to bless, make happy, or ascribe a virtue to, to regard as saintly
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bedizen
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v. to adorn, especially in a cheap, showy manner, festoon, caparison
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belie
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v. to give a false impression of, to misrepresent
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bellicose
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adj. belligerent, pugnacious, warlike
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blandish
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v. to coax with flattery, toady or fawn
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blithe
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adj. carefree, merry
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bombastic
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adj. pompous, grandiloquent
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boor
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n. a rude or insensitive person, lout, yokel
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broach
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v. bring up, announce, begin to talk about
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brook
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v. to tolerate, endure, countenance
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bucolic
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adj. rustic and pastoral, characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
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burgeon
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v. to grow rapidly or flourish
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burnish
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v. to polish, rub to a shine
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byzantine
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adj. labrynthine, complex
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cadge
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v. to sponge, beg, or mooch
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cajole
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v. to inveigle, coax, wheedle, sweet-talk
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calumniate
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v. to slander, make a false accusation
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capricious
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adj. inclined to change one's mind impulsively, erratic, unpredictable
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castigation
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n. severe criticism or punishment
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caustic
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adj. burning or stinging, causing corrosion
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censure
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v. to criticize severely, to officially rebuke
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chary
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adj. wary, cautious, sparing
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chasten
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v. to chastise or correct, subdue
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chauvinist
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n. one blindly devoted to a group of which one is a member
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chicanery
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n. trickery or subterfuge
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chimera
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n. an illusion, originally, an imaginary fire-breathing she-monster
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churlish
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adj. boorish, vulgar, loutish, difficult and intractable
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coalesce
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v. to come together
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cogent
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adj. appealing forcibly to the mind or reason, convincing
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color
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v. to change as if by dying, influence, distort, or gloss over
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commensurate
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adj. matching, corresponding, or proportionate in degree, size, amount , or other property
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complaisance
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n. the willingness to comply with the wishes of others
complaisant - Exhibiting a desire or willingness to please; cheerfully obliging |
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consequential
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adj. pompous, self-important
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contemn
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v. to scorn or despise
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contrite
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adj. regretful, penitent, seeking forgiveness
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convoluted
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adj. complex or complicated
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corrigible
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adj. capable of being set right, correctable, reparable
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countenance
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v. to approve or tolerate
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cozen
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v. to deceive, beguile, hoodwink
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craven
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adj. contemptibly fainthearted
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credulous
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adj. tending to believe too readily, gullible
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culpable
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adj. deserving blame
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daunt
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v. to intimidate or dismay
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decorum
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n. politeness or appropriateness of conduct or behavior
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demur
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v. to question or oppose
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denigrate
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v. blacken, belittle, sully, defame, disparage
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denouement
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n. an outcome or solution
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deprecate
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v. to disparage or belittle
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depredate
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v. to plunder, pillage, ravage, or destroy, to exploit in a predatory manner
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derision
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n. scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment
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desuetude
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n. disuse
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desultory
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adj. random, thoughtless; marked by a lack of plan or purpose
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detraction
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n. slandering, verbal attack, aspersion
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diaphanous
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adj. transparent, gauzy
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didactic
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adj. intended to teach or instruct
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die
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n. a tool used for shaping
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diffident
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adj. reserved, shy, unassuming, lacking in self-confidence
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dilatory
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adj. causing delay, procrastinating
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dilettante
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n. one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge
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din
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n. loud sustained noise
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disabuse
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v. to undeceive
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discomfit
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v. to defeat, put down
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discordant
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adj. conflicting, dissonant or harsh in sound
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discretion
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n. cautious reserve in speech
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disinterested
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adj. free from self-interest
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disparage
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v. to slight or belittle
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disparate
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adj. fundamentally distinct or dissimilar
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dissemble
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v. to disguise or conceal, to mislead
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dissolution
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n. disintegration, looseness in morals
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distrait
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v. distracted, absent-minded, especially due to anxiety
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doggerel
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n. trivial, poorly constructed verse
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dogmatic
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adj. authoritatively and or arrogantly assertive of principles, which often cannot be proved
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dross
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n. slag, waste or foreign matter, impurity, surface scum
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dulcet
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adj. melodious, harmonious, mellifluous
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dynamo
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n. generator, forceful, energetic person
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ebullience
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adj. the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings
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eccentric
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adj. departing from norms or conventions
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eclectic
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adj. composed of elements dawn from various sources
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edifying
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adj. enlightening, informative
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effrontery
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n. extreme boldness / presumptuousness
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effusive
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adj. gushing / excessively demonstrative
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egress
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n. exit
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emollient
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adj. soothing, especially to the skin / making less harsh / mollifying / anodyne
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empirical
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adj. based on observation or experiment
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encomium
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n. glowing and enthusiastic praise / panegyric, tribute, eulogy
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endemic
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adj. characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region, or people / restricted to or peculiar to that region / indigenous
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enervate
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v. to weaken / to reduce in vitality
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engender
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v. to cause, produce, give rise to
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ennui
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n. dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy
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enormity
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n. excessive wickedness / evilness
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epicure
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n. one devoted to sensual pleasure, particularly in food and drink / gourmand, sybarite
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epithet
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n. disparaging word or phrase
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equanimity
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n. composure, self-possession
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equivocate
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v. to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent
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errant
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adj. traveling, itinerant, peripatetic
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erudite
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adj. very learned / scholarly
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eschew
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v. to shun or avoid
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esoteric
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adj. intended for or understood by a small specific group
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essay
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v. to test or try / attempt, experiment
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estimable
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adj. worthy, formidable
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evanescent
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adj. tending to disappear like vapor / vanishing
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evince
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v. to show clearly, to indicate
To show or demonstrate clearly; manifest: evince distaste by grimacing. |
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exacerbate
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v. to make worse or more severe
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exact
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v. to demand, call for, require, take eg. to exact revenge or the job is very exacting
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excoriate
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v. to censure scathingly, to upbraid
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exculpate
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v. exonerate / to clear of blame
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exemplar
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n. typical or standard specimen / paradigm, model
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exhort
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v. to incite, to make urgent appeals
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exigent
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adj. urgent / pressing / requiring immediate action or attention
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exonerate
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v. to remove blame
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expatiate
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v. discuss or write about at length / to range freely
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expiate
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v. to atone or make amends for
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expurgate
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v. to remove obscenity, purify, censor
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extant
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adj. existing, not destroyed or lost
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extirpate
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v. to destroy, exterminate, cut out, pull out by the roots
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fatuous
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adj. silly, inanely foolish
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fawn
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v. to flatter or praise excessively
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feckless
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adj. ineffectual / irresponsible
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felicitous
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adj. apt / suitably expressed, well chosen, / delightful
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fell
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n. a barren or stony hill / an animal's hide
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fervent
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adj. greatly emotional or zealous
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fetid
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adj. stinking, having a heavy bad smell
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fetter
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v. to shackle, put in chains, restrain
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filibuster
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n. intentional obstruction, usually using prolonged speechmaking to delay legislative action
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filigree
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n. an ornamental work, especially of delicate lacelike patterns / resembling such a pattern
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flag
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v. to sag or droop, to become spiritless, to decline
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flip
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adj. sarcastic, impertinent
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florid
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adj. flushed with color, ruddy, ornate
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flout
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v. to demonstrate contempt for
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foment
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v. to stir up, incite, rouse
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forbearance
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n. patience, willingness to wait
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ford
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v. to wade across the shallow part of a river or stream
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forestall
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To delay, hinder, or prevent by taking precautionary measures beforehand.
To deal with or think of beforehand; anticipate. ie. preclude, obviate |
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forswear
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v. to renounce, disallow, repudiate
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fracas
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n. noisy fight or quarrel, brawl
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fractious
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adj. quarrelsome, rebellious, unruly, cranky
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froward
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adj. intractable, not willing to yield or comply, stubbornly disobedient
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fulminate
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v. to attack loudly or denounce
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furtive
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adj. marked by stealth / covert / surreptitious
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gainsay
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v. to deny, dispute, contradict, oppose
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gambol
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v. to skip about playfully, frolic
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gauche
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adj. crude, awkward, tasteless
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glib
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adj. marked by ease or informality / nonchalant / lacking in depth / superficial
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gossamer
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adj. delicate, insubstantial or tenuous / insincere
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grandiloquence
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n. pompous speech or expression
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grouse
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v. to complain or grumble
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guy
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n. a rope or cord attached to something as a brace or guide
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hackneyed
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adj. rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage
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halcyon
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adj. calm and peaceful, prosperous
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hallow
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v. to set apart as holy
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harrow
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v. to distress, create stress or torment
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hedonism
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n. devotion to pleasurable pursuits, especially to the pleasures of the senses
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hegemony
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n. the consistent dominance or influence of one group, state, or ideology over others
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heretical
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adj. violating accepted dogma or convention, unorthodox
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hermetic
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adj. airtight, impervious to outside influence
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heterodox
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adj. unorthodox, heretical / iconoclastic
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iconoclast
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n. one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions
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idolatrous
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adj. given to intense or excessive devotion to something
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ignominious
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adj. shameful, dishonorable, ignoble, undignified, disgraceful
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imbroglio
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n. difficult or embarrassing situation
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impassive
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adj. revealing no emotion or sensibility
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impecunious
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adj. lacking funds / without money
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imperious
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adj. commanding, masterful, arrogant, domineering, haughty
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impetuous
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adj. hastily or rashly energetic / impulsive and vehement
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importune
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v. to ask incessantly, beg, nag
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impugn
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v. attack or assail verbally, censure, execrate, deny
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impunity
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n. immunity from punishment, penalty or harm
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impute
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v. to attribute to a cause or source, ascribe, assign as a characteristic
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inchoate
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adj. in an initial stage, not fully formed
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incipient
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adj. beginning to come into being or to become apparent
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indefatigable
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adj. not easily exhaustible, tireless, dogged
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indolent
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adj. lazy, listless, torpid
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ineluctable
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adj. certain, inevitable
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inert
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adj. unmoving, lethargic, sluggish, not reactive chemically
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infelicitous
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adj. unfortunate / inappropriate
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ingenuous
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adj. artless, frank and candid/lacking in sophistication
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inimical
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adj. damaging, harmful, injurious, hostile, unfriendly
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inimitable
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adj. one of a kind, peerless
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iniquity
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n. wickedness, gross injustice
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innervate
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v. to supply with nerves, energize
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innocuous
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adj. harmless / causing no damage
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inscrutable
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adj. incapable of being discovered or understood, mysterious, incomprehensible
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insensible
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adj. unconscious, unresponsive, unaware, unaffected, numb
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insipid
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adj. without taste or flavor, lacking in spirit, dull
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insouciant
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adj. unconcerned, carefree, nonchalant
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insular
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adj. parochial, narrow-minded, like an island
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interdict
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v. prohibit, forbid, ban, halt
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intimate
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v. to imply, suggest, or insinuate
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intractable
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adj. not easily managed or directed, stubborn, obstinate
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intransigent
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adj. refusing to compromise
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intrepid
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adj. steadfast, courageous
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inured
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adj. accustomed to accepting something undesirable
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inveigh
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v. to attack verbally, denounce, deprecate
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inveigle
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v. to obtain by deception or flattery
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inveterate
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adj. deep rooted, ingrained, habitual
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irascible
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adj. easily angered / prone to temperamental outbursts
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itinerate
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v. to travel from place to place
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