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;
42 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Coterie
Noun [-koh- tuh ree] [koh tuh -ree-] |
An intinmate group of persons with a similar purpose
Angel invited a coterie of fellow stamp enthusiast to a stamp-trading party. Synonyms: clique; set |
|
Craven
Adj [-kray- vuhn] |
Lacking courage
The craven lion cringed in the corner of his cage, terrified of the mouse. Synonyms: faint-hearted; spineless; timid |
|
Credulous
Adj [-kreh- juh luhs] |
Too trusting; gullible
Though many 4-year-olds believe in the Tooth Fairy, only the most credulous 9-year-olds also believe in her. Synonym: naive; susceptible; trusting |
|
Crescendo
Noun [kruh -shehn- doh] |
Steadily increasing in volume or force
The crescendo of tension became unbearable as Evel Knievel prepared to jump his motorcycle over the school buses. Synonyms: acme; capstone; climax; crest; culmen; culmination; meridian; peak |
|
Cupidity
Noun [kyoo -pih- dih tee] |
Greed; strong desire
The thief stared at the shining jewels with cupidity in his gleaming eyes. Synonyms: avarice; covetouness; rapacity |
|
Curmudgeon
Noun [kuhr -muh- juhn] |
Cranky person, usually old
Ernesto was a notorious curmudgeon who snapped at anyone who disturbed him. |
|
Debutante
Noun [-dehb- yoo tahnt] |
Young woman making debut in high society
The debutante spent hours dressing for her very first ball, hoping to catch the eye of an eligible bachelor. Synonyms: lady; maiden |
|
Declivity
Noun [dih -klih- vih tee] |
downward slope
Because the village was situated on the declivity of a hill, it never flooded. Synonyms: decline; descent; grade; slant; tilt |
|
Decorous
Adj [-deh- kuhr uhs] [deh -kohr- uhs] |
Proper, tasteful, socially correct
The countess trained her daughters in the finer points of decorous behavior, hoping they would make a good impression when she presented them at court. Synonyms:appropriate; courteous; polite |
|
Decorum
Noun [deh -kohr- uhm] |
Appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety
The countess complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the decorum appropriate for a visit to the palace. Synonyms: correctness; decency; etiquette; manners; mores; propriety; seemliness |
|
Deface
Verb [dih -fays-] |
To mar the appearance of, to vandalize
After the wall was torn down, the students began to deface the statues of communist leaders of the former Eastern bloc. Synonyms: disfigure; impair; spoil |
|
Deference
Noun |
Respect, courtesy
The respectful young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justice with the utmost deference. Synonyms: courtesy; homage; honor; obeisance; respect; reverence; veneration |
|
Deleterious
Adj [dehl ih -teer- ee uhs] |
Subtly or unexpectedly harmful
If only we had known the clocks were defective before putting them on the market, it wouldn't have been quite so deleterious to our reputation. Synonyms: adverse; inimical; injurious; hurtful |
|
Demagogue
Noun [-deh- muh gahg] [-deh- muh gawg] |
A leader, rabble-rouser, usually appealing to emotion or prejudice
He began his career as a demagogue, giving fiery speeches at political rallies. Synonyms: agitator; inciter; instigator |
|
Demur
Verb [dih -muhr-] |
To express doubts or objections
When scientific authorities claimed that all the planets revolved around the earth, Galileo, with his superior understanding of the situation, was forced to demur. Synonyms: dissent; expostulate; kick; protest; remonstrate |
|
Deride
Verb [dih -ried-] |
To speak of or treat with contempt, to mock
The awkward child was often derided by his 'cooler' peers. Synonyms: gibe; jeer; mock; ridicule |
|
Desiccate
Verb [-deh- sih kayt] |
To dry out thoroughly
After a few weeks lying in the desert, the cow's carcass became completely desiccated. Synonyms: dehydrate; dry; parch |
|
Desultory
Adj [dehs -uhl- tohr ee] [-dehz- uhl tohr ee] |
Jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
Athena had a desultory academic record; she had changed majors 12 times in three years. Synonyms: erratic; haphazard; indiscriminate; random |
|
Diaphanous
Adj [die -aaf- uh nuhs] |
Allowing light to show through; delicate
These diaphanous curtains do nothing to block out the sunlight. Synonyms: gauzy; sheer; tenuous; translucent; transparent |
|
Diatribe
Noun [-die- uh trieb] |
An abusive, condemnatory speech
The trucker bellowed a diatribe at the driver who had cut him off. Synonyms: fulmination; harangue; invective |
|
Dictum
Noun [-dihk- tuhm] |
Authoritative statement
"You have time to lean, you have time to clean," was the dictum our boss made us live by. Synonyms: adage; apothegm; decree; edict |
|
Diffident
Adj [-dih- fih dint] |
Lacking self-confidence
Steve was diffident during the job interview because of his nervous nature and lack of experience in the field. Synonyms: backward; bashful; coy; demure; modest; retiring; self-effacing; shy; timid |
|
Dilate
Verb [-die- layt] [ die -layt-] |
To make larger, to expand
When you enter a darkened room, the pupils of your eyes dilate so as to let in more light. Synonyms: amplify; develop; elaborate; enlarge; expand; expatiate |
|
Dilatory
Adj [-dihl- uh tohr ee] |
Intended to delay, procrastinating
The congressman used dilatory measures to delay the passage of the bill. Synonyms: sluggish; putting off |
|
Dilettante
Noun [-dih- luh tahnt] |
Someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
Jerry's friends were such dilettantes they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week. Synonyms: amateur; dabbler; rookie |
|
Dirge
Noun [duhrj] |
A funeral hymn or mournful speech
Melville wrote the poem "A dirge for james McPherson" for the funeral of a Union general who was killed in 1864 Synonyms: elegy; lament |
|
Disabuse
Verb [dih suh -byuze-] |
To set right, to free from error
The scientist's observations diabused scholars of the notion that wheat could be turned into gold. Synonyms: correct; dismiss; undeceive |
|
Deride
Verb [dih -ried-] |
To speak of or treat with contempt, to mock
The awkward child was often derided by his 'cooler' peers. Synonyms: gibe; jeer; mock; ridicule |
|
Desiccate
Verb [-deh- sih kayt] |
To dry out thoroughly
After a few weeks lying in the desert, the cow's carcass became completely desiccated. Synonyms: dehydrate; dry; parch |
|
Desultory
Adj [dehs -uhl- tohr ee] [-dehz- uhl tohr ee] |
Jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
Athena had a desultory academic record; she had changed majors 12 times in three years. Synonyms: erratic; haphazard; indiscriminate; random |
|
Diaphanous
Adj [die -aaf- uh nuhs] |
Allowing light to show through; delicate
These diaphanous curtains do nothing to block out the sunlight. Synonyms: gauzy; sheer; tenuous; translucent; transparent |
|
Diatribe
Noun [-die- uh trieb] |
An abusive, condemnatory speech
The trucker bellowed a diatribe at the driver who had cut him off. Synonyms: fulmination; harangue; invective |
|
Dictum
Noun [-dihk- tuhm] |
Authoritative statement
"You have time to lean, you have time to clean," was the dictum our boss made us live by. Synonyms: adage; apothegm; decree; edict |
|
Diffident
Adj [-dih- fih dint] |
Lacking self-confidence
Steve was diffident during the job interview because of his nervous nature and lack of experience in the field. Synonyms: backward; bashful; coy; demure; modest; retiring; self-effacing; shy; timid |
|
Dilate
Verb [-die- layt] [ die -layt-] |
To make larger, to expand
When you enter a darkened room, the pupils of your eyes dilate so as to let in more light. Synonyms: amplify; develop; elaborate; enlarge; expand; expatiate |
|
Dilatory
Adj [-dihl- uh tohr ee] |
Intended to delay, procrastinating
The congressman used dilatory measures to delay the passage of the bill. Synonyms: sluggish; putting off |
|
Dilettante
Noun [-dih- luh tahnt] |
Someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
Jerry's friends were such dilettantes they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week. Synonyms: amateur; dabbler; rookie |
|
Dirge
Noun [duhrj] |
A funeral hymn or mournful speech
Melville wrote the poem "A dirge for james McPherson" for the funeral of a Union general who was killed in 1864 Synonyms: elegy; lament |
|
Disabuse
Verb [dih suh -byuze-] |
To set right, to free from error
The scientist's observations diabused scholars of the notion that wheat could be turned into gold. Synonyms: correct; dismiss; undeceive |
|
Discern
Verb [dihs -uhrn-] |
To perceive, to recognize
It is easy to discern the difference between butter and butter-flavored topping. Synonyms: Differentiate; discriminate; distinguish |
|
Disparate
Adj [-dih- spuh ruht] [di -spar- uht] |
Fundamentally different; entirely unlike
Although the twins are physically identical, their personalities are disparate. Synonyms: different; dissimilar; divergent; diverse; variant; various |
|
Dissemble
Verb [dihs -sehm- buhl] |
To represent a false appearance, to disguise one's real intentions or character
The villain could dissemble to the police no longer--he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the stash of stolen money. Synonyms: camouflage; cloak; feign |