Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
180 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
abate
|
to reduce in amount, degree, or severity
|
|
|
abscond
|
to leave secretly
|
|
|
abstain
|
to choose not to do something
|
|
|
abyss
|
an extremely deep hole
|
|
|
adulterate
|
to make impure
|
|
|
advocate
|
to speak in favor of
|
|
|
aesthetic
|
concerning the appreciation of beauty
|
|
|
aggrandize
|
to increase in power, influence, and reputation
|
|
|
alleviate
|
to make more bearable
|
|
|
amalgamate
|
to combine; to mix together
|
|
|
ambiguous
|
doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways
|
|
|
ameliorate
|
to make better; to improve
|
|
|
anachronism
|
something out of place in time
|
|
|
analogous
|
similar or alike in some way; equivalent to
|
|
|
anomaly
|
deviation from what is normal
|
|
|
antagonize
|
to annoy or provoke to anger
|
|
|
antipathy
|
extreme dislike
|
|
|
apathy
|
lack of interest or emotion
|
|
|
arbitrate
|
to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
|
|
|
archaic
|
ancient, old-fashioned
|
|
|
ardor
|
intense and passionate feeling
|
|
|
articulate
|
able to speak clearly and expressively
|
|
|
assuage
|
to make something unpleasant less severe
|
|
|
attentuate
|
to reduce in force or degree; to weaken
|
|
|
audacious
|
fearless and daring
|
|
|
austere
|
severe or stern in appearance; undecorated
|
|
|
banal;
|
predictable, clichéd, boring
|
|
|
bolster
|
to support; to prop up
|
|
|
bombastic
|
pompous in speech and manner
|
|
|
cacophony
|
harsh, jarring noise
|
|
|
candid
|
impartial and honest in speech
|
|
|
capricious
|
changing one's mind quickly and often
|
|
|
castigate
|
to punish or criticize harshly
|
|
|
catalyst
|
something that brings about a change in something else
|
|
|
caustic
|
biting in wit
|
|
|
chaos
|
great disorder or confusion
|
|
|
chauvinist
|
someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
|
|
|
chicanery
|
deception by means of craft or guile
|
|
|
cogent
|
convincing and well reasoned
|
|
|
condone
|
to overlook, pardon, or disregard
|
|
|
convoluted
|
intricate and complicated
|
|
|
corroborate
|
to provide supporting evidence
|
|
|
credulous
|
too trusting; gullible
|
|
|
crescendo
|
steadily increasing volume or force
|
|
|
decorum
|
appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety
|
|
|
deference
|
respect, courtesy
|
|
|
deride
|
to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock
|
|
|
desiccate
|
to dry out thoroughly
|
|
|
desultory
|
jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
|
|
|
diatribe
|
an abusive, condemnatory speech
|
|
|
diffident
|
lacking self-confidence
|
|
|
dilate
|
to make larger; to expand
|
|
|
dilatory
|
intended to delay
|
|
|
dilettante
|
someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
|
|
|
dirge
|
a funeral hymn or mournful speech
|
|
|
disabuse
|
to set right; to free from error
|
|
|
discern
|
to perceive; to recognize
|
|
|
disparate
|
fundamentally different; entirely unlike
|
|
|
dissemble
|
to present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character
|
|
|
dissonance
|
a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds
|
|
|
dogma
|
a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
|
|
|
dogmatic
|
dictatorial in one's opinions
|
|
|
dupe
|
to deceive; a person who is easily deceived
|
|
|
eclectic
|
selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
|
|
|
efficacy
|
effectiveness
|
|
|
elegy
|
a sorrowful poem or speech
|
|
|
eloquent
|
persuasive and moving, especially in speech
|
|
|
emulate
|
to copy; to try to equal or excel
|
|
|
enervate
|
to reduce in strength
|
|
|
engender
|
to produce, cause, or bring about
|
|
|
enigma
|
a puzzle; a mystery
|
|
|
enumerate
|
to count, list, or itemize
|
|
|
ephemeral
|
lasting a short time
|
|
|
equivocate
|
to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
|
|
|
erratic
|
wandering and unpredictable
|
|
|
erudite
|
learned, scholarly, bookish
|
|
|
esoteric
|
known or understood by only a few
|
|
|
estimable
|
admirable
|
|
|
eulogy
|
speech in praise of someone
|
|
|
euphemism
|
use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
|
|
|
exacerbate
|
to make worse
|
|
|
exculpate
|
to clear from blame; prove innocent
|
|
|
exigent
|
urgent; requiring immediate action
|
|
|
exonerate
|
to clear of blame
|
|
|
explicit
|
clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression
|
|
|
fanatical
|
acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion
|
|
|
fawn
|
to grovel
|
|
|
fervid
|
intensely emotional; feverish
|
|
|
florid
|
excessively decorated or embellished
|
|
|
foment
|
to arouse or incite
|
|
|
frugality
|
a tendency to be thrifty or cheap
|
|
|
garrulous
|
tending to talk a lot
|
|
|
gregarious
|
outgoing, sociable
|
|
|
guile
|
deceit or trickery
|
|
|
gullible
|
easily deceived
|
|
|
homogenous
|
of a similar kind
|
|
|
iconoclast
|
one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions
|
|
|
imperturbable
|
not capable of being disturbed
|
|
|
impervious
|
impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
|
|
|
impetuous
|
quick to act without thinking
|
|
|
implacable
|
unable to be calmed down or made peaceful
|
|
|
inchoate
|
not fully formed; disorganized
|
|
|
ingenuous
|
showing innocence or childlike simplicity
|
|
|
inimical
|
hostile, unfriendly
|
|
|
innocuous
|
harmless
|
|
|
insipid
|
lacking interest or flavor
|
|
|
intransigent
|
uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled
|
|
|
inundate
|
to overwhelm; to cover with water
|
|
|
irascible
|
easily made angry
|
|
|
laconic
|
using few words
|
|
|
lament
|
to express sorrow; to grieve
|
|
|
laud
|
to give praise; to glorify
|
|
|
lavish
|
to give unsparingly (v.); extremely generous or extravagant (adj.)
|
|
|
lethargic
|
acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
|
|
|
loquacious
|
talkative
|
|
|
lucid
|
clear and easily understood
|
|
|
luminous
|
bright, brilliant, glowing
|
|
|
malinger
|
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
|
|
|
malleable
|
capable of being shaped
|
|
|
metaphor
|
a figure of speech comparing two different things; a symbol
|
|
|
meticulous
|
extremely careful about details
|
|
|
misanthrope
|
a person who dislikes others
|
|
|
mitigate
|
to soften; to lessen
|
|
|
mollify
|
to calm or make less severe
|
|
|
monotony
|
lack of variation
|
|
|
naive
|
lacking sophistication or experience
|
|
|
obdurate
|
hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion
|
|
|
obsequious
|
overly submissive and eager to please
|
|
|
obstinate
|
stubborn, unyielding
|
|
|
obviate
|
to prevent; to make unnecessary
|
|
|
occlude
|
to stop up; to prevent the passage of
|
|
|
onerous
|
troublesome and oppressive; burdensome
|
|
|
opaque
|
impossible to see through; preventing the passage of light
|
|
|
opprobrium
|
public disgrace
|
|
|
ostentation
|
excessive showiness
|
|
|
paradox
|
a contradiction or dilemma
|
|
|
paragon
|
model of excellence or perfection
|
|
|
pedant
|
someone who shows off learning
|
|
|
perfidious
|
willing to betray one's trust
|
|
|
perfunctory
|
done in a routine way; indifferent
|
|
|
permeate
|
to penetrate
|
|
|
philanthropy
|
charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness
|
|
|
placate
|
to soothe or pacify
|
|
|
plastic
|
able to be molded, altered, or bent
|
|
|
plethora
|
excess
|
|
|
pragmatic
|
practical as opposed to idealistic
|
|
|
precipitate
|
to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation
|
|
|
prevaricate
|
to lie or deviate from the truth
|
|
|
pristine
|
fresh and clean; uncorrupted
|
|
|
prodigal
|
lavish, wasteful
|
|
|
proliferate
|
to increase in number quickly
|
|
|
propitiate
|
to conciliate; to appease
|
|
|
propriety
|
correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs
|
|
|
prudence
|
wisdom, caution, or restraint
|
|
|
pungent
|
sharp and irritating to the senses
|
|
|
quiescent
|
motionless
|
|
|
rarefy
|
to make thinner or sparser
|
|
|
repudiate
|
to reject the validity of
|
|
|
reticent
|
silent, reserved
|
|
|
rhetoric
|
effective writing or speaking
|
|
|
satiate
|
to satisfy fully or overindulge
|
|
|
soporific
|
causing sleep or lethargy
|
|
|
specious
|
deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious
|
|
|
stigma
|
a mark of shame or discredit
|
|
|
stolid
|
unemotional; lacking sensitivity
|
|
|
sublime
|
lofty or grand
|
|
|
tacit
|
done without using words
|
|
|
taciturn
|
silent, not talkative
|
|
|
tirade
|
long, harsh speech or verbal attack
|
|
|
torpor
|
extreme mental and physical sluggishness
|
|
|
transitory
|
temporary, lasting a brief time
|
|
|
vacillate
|
to sway physically; to be indecisive
|
|
|
venerate
|
to respect deeply
|
|
|
veracity
|
filled with trust and accuracy
|
|
|
verbose
|
wordy
|
|
|
vex
|
to annoy
|
|
|
volatile
|
easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive
|
|
|
waver
|
to fluctuate between choices
|
|
|
whimsical
|
acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable
|
|
|
zeal
|
passion; excitement
|
