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195 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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abandon
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v. to leave alone or to give up
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The baby wolf was abandoned in the lonely woods.
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abate
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v. to decrease or diminish
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For three terrible days, the heat of the sun never abated.
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abet
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v. to help or aid
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The stranger abetted the lost child by taking him to the police station.
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abhor
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v. to hate something
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Everyone abhors war and the loss of life it causes
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abject
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adj. hopeless or miserable
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Many charities have been started as a result of the abject poverty existing in many countries.
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absorbent
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adj. having the quality of holding water
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The paper towels were not as absorbent as the sponge.
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abundance
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n. greater amount than needed
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There is an abundance of oil in Saudi Arabia.
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accessory
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n. an extra or added part
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A handbag is an important accessory to a woman's wardrobe.
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accomodation
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n. something supplied for convenience
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Temporary accomodation were provided for the refugees.
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accomplice
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n. someone who helps another to break the law
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The bank robber claims to have acted alone, but the police believe he had an accomplice.
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accomplish
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v. to achieve
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Everyone wishes to accomplish something in their lives.
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accost
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v. to bother or threaten
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A person walking alone in a city can be accosted at any time.
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accrue
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v. to build over time
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He had accrued a fortune by the age of 80.
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accumulate
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v. to build up or collect
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If a room is not used, dust begins to accumulate.
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acrid
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adj. having an unpleasant, irritating quality
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The acrid smoke from the chemicals burned his eyes.
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acuity
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n. sharpness of perception
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Visual acuity is important to a pilot.
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adapt
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v. to change
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Many wild animals cannot adapt to life in a zoo.
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admonish
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v. to advise or to warn against
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Parents must admonish their children about the use of drugs
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adroitly
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adv. with easy skill and ability
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A great soccer player like Pele could adroitly pass the ball to a teammate.
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adavantage
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n. benefit
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One advantage of not smoking is you save a lot of money.
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advocate
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v. to propose or support
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Many doctors advocate a balanced diet that includes only a small amount of red meat.
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affluent
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adj. rich or wealthy
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From the size of our homes, people assume we live in an affluent society.
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aggravate
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v. to make worse
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He aggravated his sore elbow by trying to play tennis.
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agile
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adj. able to move wuickly and easily
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A deer in the woods is the most agile of runners.
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agitate
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v. to cause trouble or upset
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The students agitated the teacher by talking during class.
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ailment
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n. physical or mental problem
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Coughing is a common ailment for people working in coal mines.
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akin
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adj. like or similar to
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Although ice skating is akin to roller skating, it is often more difficult for some people.
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alleviate
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adj. to fix or remedy a problem or condition
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Winning a million dollars would alleviate many of his financial problems.
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allure
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n. the ability to strongly attract
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The allure of easy money and little work attracts many to a life of crime.
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amatuer
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n. a nonprofessional
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An amatuer should never try to fix a problem that concerns electrical wiring.
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ambiguous
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adj. unclear
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The clues found by the detective were so ambiguous that he had no idea who committed the crime.
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amicable
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adj. friendly
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An amicable man like Joe has many friends and belongs to many clubs.
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ample
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adj. more than enough
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We had ample time to answer all of the questions.
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analyst
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n. a person who carefully studies data in order to reach a conclusion
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The analyst studied the decline in church attendance.
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anchor
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v. to hold in position
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Only a steel chain with a great weight can anchor a large ship.
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anguish
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n. great worry or concern
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Moving away from his friends caused the young man great anguish.
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angular
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adj. to have sharp, pointed angles
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His long pointed nose and chin gave his face a very angular appearance.
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antique
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adj. old or old-fashioned
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The antique chair was made in 1745.
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apex
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n. the highest point or degree
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At the apex of his career, he had great wealth and power.
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apparatus
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n. device or machine
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A chemistry lab is equipped with an apparatus to allow students to perform experiments.
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appreciable
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adj. noticeable or sustainable
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For weeks, there was no appreciable change in his illness until doctors began to administer antibiotics.
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approximate
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adj. not exact but close to the amount or number
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The approximate number of China's population is one billion.
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arduous
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adj. difficult
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Sailing alone across an ocean is an arduous task.
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arouse
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v. to excite
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Sharks are aroused by the smell of blood in water.
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arrogance
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n. offensive display of superiority; overbearing pride
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The man showed his arrogance by pushing his way to the front of the line and demanding to be served first.
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artifact
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n. object made in the past
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Archaelogists dig through the ruins of ancient cities in order to find artifacts.
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aspire
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v. to desire or to long for
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The young actor aspired to someday be a famous movie star.
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assert
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v. to say that something is true or correct
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Columbus asserted that the world was round and not flat.
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assuage
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v. to ease or relieve
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His mother tried to assuage his fears by holding his hand.
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atop
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prep. on top of
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A radio tower was placed atop the building.
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attain
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v. to reach a goal or position
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We can attain our dreams with hard work and dedication.
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audacious
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adj. bold,daring, willing to risk danger
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Many believed that Linbergh's audacious plan to cross the Atlantic alone in a single engine plane was impossible.
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augment
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v. to add to
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He had to take a second job at night to augment his low salary.
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authentic
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adj. real
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The jewels in her necklace were so large that many believed they were not authentic.
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automation
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n. machine which performs jobs normally done by humans
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Automations will be used in space flights to distant planets because of the many years the journeys will take.
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aversion
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n. dislike
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She has a strong aversion to most insects, but hates flies most of all.
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ban
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v. to make illegal
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Many drugs have been banned after it was found out that they caused dangerous side-effects.
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barricade
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v. to be surrounded with walls for protection
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The soldiers built a barricade to keep their enemies out.
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basis
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n. the foundation, what we build upon
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A good education is the basis for a successful career.
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behavior
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n. conduct or actions
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The student's rude and noisy behavior was unnacceptable to his teacher.
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bewilder
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v. to confuse
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He was bewildered by many of the difficult questions asked in the test.
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blight
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n. disease or curse, or a run-down condition
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The blight of many of our inner cities is caused by poor economic conditions.
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blunder
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n. a bad mistake
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Trying to cheat on the test was a blunder that caused him to fail the course.
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bribe
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n. the illegal act of giving money to someone in order to influence their actions
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The man tried to give the policeman a bribe so that he would not give him a speeding ticket.
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brittle
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adj. easily broken
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When we grow older, our bones may become brittle.
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callous
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adj. having no feeling
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Her callousness jept her from making a donation to charity.
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canal
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n. structure designed to carry liquids
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A canal was built across the desert to provide water for the new city.
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capacious
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adj. having a large area
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It was a huge house and the capacious dining room could fit 100 guests.
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castigate
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v. to strongly criticize
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The politician was castigated for having lied about his love affair.
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cessation
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n. an ending or completion
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With the cessation of war, refugees returned to their homes and began to rebuild.
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chaos
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n. total confusion
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The effects of the earthquake created chaos in the city.
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chasm
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n. a deep hole
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The explosion caused a chasm in the side of the mountain.
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coerce
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v. to try to force one to do or say something against his/her will
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She felt coerced by her friends who promisde never to talk to her again if she didn't help them cheat on the test.
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cogent
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adj. convincing or persuasive
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His ideas were so cogent that everyone believed he was the best.
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commerce
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n. the activity of business and trade
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Commerce between the two countries has increased because of the new trade policy.
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composite
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n. something formed by the combination of different elements
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Salt is a composite of sodium and chloride.
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compulsory
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adj. required, necessary, mandatory
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Compulsory education in the US requires that every child attend school until the age of 16.
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condone
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v. to approve of or forgive an action
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The judge condoned the woman's actions by saying she acted in self-defense.
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confine
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v. to limit or restrict movement
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After the accident, he was confined to a wheel chair for many weeks.
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congeal
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v. to change from liquid to a solid
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The milk that was left in the glass overnight slowly began to congeal.
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conscientious
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adj. careful to fulfill responsibilities
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Since the lives of many people are in their hands, pilots and doctors need to be consciencetious.
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consummate
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v. to perfect or complete
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Their long romance was consummated in marriage.
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contingent
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adj. likely but not certain to happen
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adj. likely but not certain to happen
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conventional
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adj. common or usual
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In Japan, wood is the conventional material used to build cities.
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corroborate
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v. to confirm or support what someone else has said
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His explanation of what caused the accident was corroborated by a policeman who saw it happen.
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credulous
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adj. trusting or unexpected
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A credulous person is often the first to be robbed.
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decrepit
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adj. old and in poor condition
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The house was so decrepit that it would be cheaper to tear it down and rebuild than try to repair it.
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deprecate
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v. to criticize or belittle
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Thomas Edison's efforts to create a light bulb were deprecated by many experts as impossible.
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deride
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v. to strongly criticize
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Crititcs dereided the author's new book as being poorly written and filled with lies.
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deviate
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v. to change course
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If we never deviate from our normal activities our lives will be boring.
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digress
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v. to turn away from the main subject of attention
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To be an effective writer, you must never digress to far from the main topic.
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diminutive
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adj. small
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The problem was so diminutive that nobody was concerned about it.
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discern
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v. to discover or to be able to tell the difference between two things
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Only an expert could discern which painting was the original.
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disseminate
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v. to send out
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His job as a mailman is to disseminate the mail.
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divulge
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v. to give secret or personal information
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She was angry that her sister divulged her secrets to the neighborhood gossip.
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dubious
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adj. doubtful or uncertain
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Fred was not hired for the job because of his dubious reputation.
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elicit
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v. to draw out
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The inspector was determined to elicit as much information as he could from each suspect.
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elucidate
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v. to explain or clarify
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He was always proud that he could elucidate the difficult passages in the chemistry book.
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elusive
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adj. difficult to find, catch, or see
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The criminal remained elusive to the police for a few months.
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emulate
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adj. to copy or to follow
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Many children like to emulate their parents in some ways.
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ensue
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v. to follow
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Carlos was determined to ensue the career choice he had in mind.
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enticement
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v. something that attracts or lures
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The enticement of winning a trip to Hawaii caused her to her to fill out 15 contest entry forms.
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equivocal
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adj. uncertain or vague
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Her equivocal response did not tell me if she liked the idea or not.
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exasperate
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v. to annoy a person until he/she reaches a state of confusion or anger
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He exasperated him so much that he backed into a fence with his car.
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exempt
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v. to release from a committment
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Jimmy was exempted from from gym after he ran into a fence.
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exorbitant
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adj. extremely high priced
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They were selling hot dogs for the exorbitant price of $10.
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explicit
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adj. clear and specific
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She considered her instructions explicit and did not understand why he kept following them incorrectly.
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facile
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adj. easy or simple
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For some complex problems, there are no facile solutions.
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facilitate
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v. to aid or assist
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Automatic doors facilitate the movement of handicapped people.
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foster
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v. to help to grow with care and support
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Sunlight and water help to foster the growth of plants.
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futile
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adj. useless or hopeless
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He made a futile attempt to put out the fire, but the building burned to the ground.
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generic
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adj. common or general
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A generic brand of aspirin is much cheaper than the one with the brand name.
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germinate
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v. to begin to grow
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It takes two weeks after the seeds have been planted for them to germinate.
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gist
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n. the essential part or a summary
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He didn't want the details; he just wanted the gist of the story.
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globose
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adj. shaped like a globe or a sphere
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The shape of the fat man's stomach was globose.
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grievance
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n. a complaint or an objection
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If a worker has a grievance, he should discuss it with his supervisor.
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hamper
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v. to bother or hinder
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Rain and snow hampered the construction of the building.
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haphazard
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adj. in a careless or disorganized fashion
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She was such a haphazard driver that she had four accidents in four days.
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hold
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v. to argue or propose
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Many geographers held that the world was flat.
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imminent
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adj. approaching, near, about to happen
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The residents who remained in the city were in imminent danger of the approaching storm.
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impede
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v. to hinder, restrict, or delay
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Doctors had to operate to remove the obstacle which impeded the flow of blood to his heart.
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impediment
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n. obstacle or barrier
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Nervousness is often an impediment to learning to speak a new language.
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impinge
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v. to impact, make an impression on
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The long hours he spent at work impinged his relationship with his family.
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inaugurate
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v. to begin
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A ceremony took place to inaugurate the opening of the new bridge.
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inception
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n. the beginning
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At the inception of the company there were only two employees; a year later, there were a hundred.
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incessant
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v. constant, continuous
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He had to leave the city to escape the incessant noise of traffic.
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incisive
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adj. clear, sharp understanding
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His incisive ideas helped them find a solution to the problems.
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inconsequential
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adj. of no real importance
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We do a thousand inconsequential actions each day which our minds quickly forget after doing them.
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indict
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v. to be brought to trial and accused
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The wife, who was found holding the gun, was indicted for the murder of her husband.
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induce
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v. to cause to happen
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Doctors often prescribe drugs that induce sleep.
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inept
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adj. lacking the necessary skill or ability
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Her nervousness made her totally inept as a speaker.
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integrate
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v. to combine with or to unite together
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In the 1960s, schools in America were integrated so that black and white children could attend classes together.
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intrepid
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adj. adventurous or fearless
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American pioneers had to be intrepid to face the dangers of the wilderness.
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intricate
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adj. complex or complicated
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A wristwatch is a very intricate machine.
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jilt
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v. to abandon one's lover
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After waiting an hour in a restaurant for her boyfriend to appear, she knew she had been jilted.
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lament
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v. to express great sorrow, to cry and moan
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For many years, the mother lamented the death of her son.
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loot
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v. to steal
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When the electricity went out, people began to loot the shops along the darkened streets.
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malign
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v. to injure someone by saying bad things about him or her
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His reputation was maligned by the story in the newspaper which called him a liar.
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masonry
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n. blocks or bricks jointed together with cement
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The masonry of ancient Egyptians can be seen in their pyramids.
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menace
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n. a threat or threatening
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Air pollution is a menace to our health.
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meticulous
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adj. precise and careful about even the smallest detail
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She was so meticulous about her house that she even scrubbed the garage door.
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morbid
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adj. psychologically unhealthy
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Sally was so morbid at times that her friends stopped calling her.
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mundane
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adj. common or ordinary
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The professor always tried to persuade his students from living a mundane life.
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nadir
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n. the lowest point
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He considered the six months he lived in New York City without a job as the nadir of his existence.
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negligible
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adj. unimportant or insignificant
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Debbie felt her opinions were negligible by her coworkers.
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notorious
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adj. famous for wrong actions
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Luiz was notorious for borrowing money and failing to pay it back.
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obscure
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adj. not well known
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Alex always enjoyed the obscure writings of the early philosophers.
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obsolete
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adj. no longer of any use
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The customer knew the record player would soon become obsolete, but he bought it anyway.
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ominous
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adj. menacing or threatening
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The large black clouds looked ominous, and so the baseball game was canceled.
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ostensibly
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adv. as it appears, apparently
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Ostensibly, he was honest about his past, but she didn't trust him.
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palatable
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adj. eatable or good tasting
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Mike and Sara agreed that their dinner at the new restaurant was just about palatable.
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patent
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n. legal right of ownership
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Tom was advised to get a patent for his latest invention.
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perpetual
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adj. lasting forever
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Mary hoped that her neighbor's sunrise visists would not become a perpetual problem.
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phlegmatic
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adj. showing no feeling or energy
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After two straight days without sleep, he appeared phlagmatic as he sat at his desk with the test before him.
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placate
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v. to make peace with an enemy
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He tried to placate his angry wife by giving her flowers.
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plethora
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n. large amount of variety
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When he saw the plethora of food and drink, he knew it was a real feast.
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precede
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v. to come before
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Fall precedes winter.
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prelude
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adj. what comes before
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The dark skies were a prelude to the upcoming storm.
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premise
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n. an unproven idea which is the basis for research
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His theory was based on the premise that animals could be taught to read.
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prevalent
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adj. common in many areas
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Colds are most prevalent during the winter months.
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probe
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v. a careful study to discover information
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The detective began to probe through the dark house with a flashlight.
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prolific
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adj. abundant or productive
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He was such a prolific writer that he was able to complete the novel in three weeks.
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prosecute
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v. to seek punishment for breaking the law
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The banker was prosecuted for stealing money from his own bank.
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prudent
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adj. careful
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It is considered prudent for a married man to have life insurance.
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raze
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v. to demolish or destroy
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It took the bulldozer only one hour to raze the old building to a pile of bricks.
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recede
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v. to go back to a previuos state
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The water slowly began to recede to its normal level.
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receptive
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adj. open to new ideas
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He was not receptive to new ideas.
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recluse
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n. one who wishes to live alone
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The old recluse lived deep in the woods
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revenue
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n. money collected from taxes or by a business
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The government receives the revenue needed to operate by taxing people and companies.
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sagacity
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n. wisdom or great knowledge
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Through long years of experience and study, the old man had acquired a sagacity about the ways of men.
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senility
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n. mental condition of confusion caused by old age
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Everyone reaches a stage of senility if they live long enough.
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shrewd
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adj. very clever
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A shrewd person knows his/her strengths and weaknesses.
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skeptical
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adj. unbelieving
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We should always be skeptical when someone tells us they know an easy way to make money.
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sleazy
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adj. of low quality
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The hotel room was so sleazy that not even rats wanted t be there.
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sporadic
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adj. occuring at odd intervals
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At sporadic times, the sky was lit by flashes of lightning.
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spurn
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v. to reject
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She would never forget how her husband had spurned her for another woman.
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stagnant
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adj. not flowing or moving
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Mosquitoes will breed in stagnant water.
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subordinate
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v. to put under control of higher power
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They were surprised to hear that tha company subordinated him under a newer employee.
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supercede
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v. to take the place of
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Judy superceded Beatrice as the president of the Woman's Club.
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surmise
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v. to assume
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They surmised the class professor would be harsh by the stern look on his face.
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taciturn
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adj. quiet and stern
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Jean complains that her husband is so taciturn that she can't even have an argument with him.
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tactile
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adj. related to the sense of touch
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The curators of the state museum were pleased that the tactile activities delighted the children who visited it.
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tailor
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v. to design to fit particular needs
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The passengers had such a good time that they swore the trip was tailored just for them.
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tangible
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adj. toucahble or real
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Marissa insisted on some tangible evidence from the victim before she could accuse the susppect.
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tentative
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adj. temporary or uncertain
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A tentative schedule was set up for the employees until the new business was fully operational.
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tenuous
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adj. vague or weak
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She felt her husbands tenuous grasp of their marital problems would lead them to divorce.
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terse
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adj. short or brief
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She abruptly hung up the phone after Kurt's terse reply.
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tract
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n. an area or region
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City officials plan to turn the tract along the river into a park.
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transact
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v. to engage in or to accomplish
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Simon hated the daily routine of transacting with business leaders, so he quit and became a sculptor.
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transcribe
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v. to write down what is spoken
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Fortunately,many of the poet's last words were transcribed by his wife.
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traverse
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v. to cross
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Because the bridge was traversed by so many people traveling in the city, it was finally closed for repairs.
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trivial
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adj. unimportant
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He thought his complaints were trivial and left the room.
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tumult
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n. chaos or upheaval
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The sudden cancellation of the concert caused such tumult in the crowd that police were called.
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vacillate
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v. to hesitate or to waver
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He impatiently drummed his finger on the table as his son vacillated between ordering french fries or a hamburger.
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venture
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v. too gamble or risk
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He refused to support his son's latest business venture.
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