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330 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Factious |
(adj.) causing disagreement |
|
Ignoble |
(adj.) dishonorable, shameful |
|
boor |
(n.) a rude or impolite person |
|
aegis |
(n.) a shield; protection |
|
perspicacity |
(n.) keenness of judgement |
|
fervent |
(adj.) eager; earnest |
|
rectify |
(v.) to correct; make right |
|
enervate |
(v.) to weaken |
|
besiege |
(v.) to overwhelm; to surround and attack |
|
ephemeral |
(adj.) lasting only a brief time; short-lived |
|
altruism |
(n.) a concern for others; generosity |
|
carrion |
(n.) decaying flesh |
|
erotic |
(adj.) pertaining to sexual love |
|
amorphus |
(adj.) shapeless, formless, vague |
|
opulent |
(adj.) rich, luxurious; wealthy |
|
fus- or fun- |
"melt" or "pour out" |
|
-ion |
"the act of" |
|
grad- or gress- |
"step" or "go" |
|
-el |
"little" |
|
con- |
"together" |
|
di-, dif-, and dis- |
"apart" |
|
e- |
"out" or "from" |
|
impotent |
(adj.) powerless; lacking strength |
|
antithesis |
(n.) an exact opposite; an opposite extreme |
|
maelstrom |
(n.) whirlpool; turbulence; agitated state of mind |
|
emendation |
(n.) a correction |
|
chagrin |
(n.) embarrassment; a complete loss of courage |
|
bauble |
(n.) a showy but useless thing |
|
diaphanous |
(adj.) very sheer and light |
|
labyrinth |
(n.) a complicated network of winding passages; a maze |
|
gloat |
(v.) to look at or think about with great satisfaction |
|
impediment |
(n.) a barrier; obstruction |
|
bestial |
(adj.) savage; brutal |
|
effete |
(adj.) worn out; barren |
|
shard |
(n.) a fragment |
|
bland |
(adj.) mild; tasteless; dull |
|
nihilism |
(n.) a total rejection of established laws
|
|
somn- |
"sleep" |
|
pot- |
"to drink" |
|
vac- |
"empty" |
|
sid- |
"to sit" or "to settle" |
|
e- |
"out" or "completely" |
|
in- |
"not" |
|
dis- |
"not" or "apart" |
|
pre- |
"before" or "in front of" |
|
pedestrian |
(adj.) ordinary or dull |
|
bona fide |
(adj.) in good faith |
|
adventitious |
(adj.) accidental; nonessential |
|
fecund |
(adj.) fertile; productive |
|
deviate |
(v.) to turn aside from a course; to stray |
|
obfuscate |
(v.) to confuse; to bewilder |
|
impale |
(v.) to pierce with a sharp stake through the body |
|
extenuate |
(v.) to lessen seriousness by providing partial excuses |
|
parochial |
(adj.) local; narrow; limited |
|
glower |
(v.) to stare angrily |
|
edify |
(v.) to improve someone morally |
|
ambiguous |
(adj.) open to more than one interpretation |
|
cataclysm |
(n.) a violent change |
|
optimum |
(adj.) best; most favorable; ideal |
|
importune |
(v.) to ask persistently; to beg |
|
-merge- |
"to plunge" or "to immerse" |
|
-integr- |
"whole", "intact", or "perfect" |
|
-lat- |
"to carry" or "to bear" |
|
-ence and -ance |
"the quality of -ing" |
|
trans- |
"across" or "through" |
|
celibate |
(adj.) abstaining from intercourse |
|
fortuitous |
(adj.) happening by chance or accident |
|
recapitulate |
(v.) to summarize; to repeat briefly |
|
perfunctory |
(adj.) done without care; in a routine fashion |
|
baroque |
(adj.) overly decorated |
|
hedonism |
(n.) pursuit of pleasure, especially the senses |
|
obloquy |
(n.) strong disapproval; a bad reputation resulting from public criticism |
|
debacle |
(n.) a complete failure; a total collapse |
|
quasi |
(adj.) resembling; seeming; half |
|
besmirch |
(v.) ro make dirty; to stain |
|
imperative |
(adj.) extremely necessary; vitally important |
|
sacrosanct |
(adj.) extremely holy |
|
sadistic |
(adj.) deriving pleasure from inflicting pain on others |
|
demeanor |
(n.) behavior; manner of conducting oneself |
|
facticious |
(adj.) comical; jocular; flippant |
|
-clin- |
"to lean" of "to bend" |
|
-pon- and -pos- |
"to put" or "to place" |
|
-hyper- |
"excessive" |
|
-therm- |
"heat" |
|
com- |
"together" |
|
im- |
"into" |
|
dis- |
"apart" |
|
de- |
"down |
|
fop |
(n.) an excessively fashion-concious man |
|
imprecation |
(n.) a curse |
|
non sequitur |
(n.) something that does not logically follow |
|
sanguine |
(adj.) cheerful; optimistic |
|
bowdlerize |
(v.) to remove offensive passages of a play, novel, etc. |
|
impair |
(v.) to weaken; to cause to become worse |
|
panegyric |
(n.) an expression of praise |
|
quandary |
(n.) a puzzling situation; a dilemma |
|
ebullient |
(adj.) enthusiastic |
|
deference |
(n.) respect; consideration |
|
carnal |
(adj.) relating to physical appetite, especially sexual |
|
nebulous |
(adj.) hazy, vague, uncertain |
|
rakish |
(adj.) dashingly stylish and confident |
|
elegy |
(n.) a sad or mournful poem |
|
pedantic |
(adj.) tending to show off one's learning |
|
-petr- |
"stone" |
|
-sist- |
"to stand", "to stop" or "to set" |
|
-ous |
"full of" |
|
-viv- and -vit- |
"to live" |
|
-glyph- |
"to carve" |
|
-sub |
"under" |
|
-id |
"tending to" |
|
-al |
"pertaining to" |
|
antipathy |
(n.) an intense dislike |
|
elucidate |
(v.) to make clear |
|
imminent |
(adj.) likely to happen |
|
banal |
(adj.) common, ordinary |
|
obdurate |
(adj.) stubborn; hardheaded |
|
peruse |
(v.) to read carefully; to scrutinize |
|
bedlam |
(n.) a noisy uproar; a scene of wild confusion |
|
affluence |
(n.) wealth; richness |
|
scurrilous |
(adj.) coarsely abusive; vulgar |
|
pardoy |
(n.) a work which imitates another in a ridiculous manner |
|
sedulous |
(adj.) hard working; diligent |
|
onerous |
(adj.) burdensome; heavy; hard to endure |
|
amoral |
(adj.) lacking a sense of right and wrong |
|
eschew |
(v.) to keep away from; to avoid; to shun |
|
denoument |
(n.) an outcome; result |
|
-pel- |
"to push" or "to drive" |
|
-sum- and -sumpt- |
"take" |
|
-celer- |
"swift" |
|
dis- |
"apart" or "in different directions" |
|
ex- |
"out" or "from" |
|
-ator |
"one who does" |
|
-ion |
"the act of" |
|
adroit |
(adj.) skillful; clever |
|
macroscopic |
(adj.) visible to the naked eye |
|
fatuous |
(adj.) foolish; inane |
|
bovine |
(adj.) pertaining to cows or cattle |
|
ferret |
(v.) to search or drive out |
|
affectation |
(n.) a phony attitude; pose |
|
knell |
(n.) a sound made by a bell, often rung slowly for a death or funeral |
|
dichotomy |
(n.) a division into two parts |
|
callow |
(adj.) young and inexperienced |
|
laconic |
(adj.) using few words; short; concise |
|
quiddity |
(n.) an essential quality |
|
patent |
(adj.) evident of obvious |
|
peccadillo |
(n.) a minor offense; a misdeed |
|
sagacious |
(adj.) wise; having keen perception and sound judgement |
|
rationalize |
(v.) to make an excuse for |
|
-tach- |
"swift" or "speed" |
|
-mid-, -med-, -meso- |
"middle" |
|
-bol- |
"to throw" or "to put" |
|
-prov- or -porb- |
"good" or "to test" |
|
meta- |
"changed" |
|
-meter |
"measure" |
|
inter- |
"among" |
|
em- and -im |
"in" |
|
sym- |
"with" or "together" |
|
deride |
(v.) to ridicule; to mock |
|
censure |
(v.) to criticize sharply |
|
gambol |
(v.) to frolic; to romp about playfully |
|
immolate |
(v.) to kill someone as a sacrificial victim, usually by fire |
|
recondite |
(adj.) difficult to understand; profound |
|
martinet |
(n.) a strict disciplinarian; taskmaster |
|
quagmire |
(n.) a swamp; a difficult or inextricable situation |
|
gibe |
(v.) to scoff; to ridicule |
|
agape |
(adj.) open-mouthed; surprised; agog |
|
carcinogen |
(n.) causing cancer |
|
olfactory |
(adj.) pertaining to smell |
|
imperious |
(adj.) domineering; haughty |
|
grotesque |
(adj.) absurd; distorted |
|
neologism |
(n.) a new word or expression |
|
hackneyed |
(adj.) commonplace; overused |
|
-ive |
"relating to" or "tending to" |
|
-ced- and -ces- |
"to yield", "to stop", "to go" |
|
pro- |
"for" |
|
ante- |
"before" |
|
trans |
"across" or "through" |
|
-mot- |
"to move" |
|
machination |
(n.) an evil design or plan |
|
pejorative |
(adj.) having a negative effect; insulting |
|
harbinger |
(n.) an omen or sign |
|
nubile |
(adj.) suitable for marriage in age and physical development, referring to a female |
|
sapient |
(adj.) wise; full of knowledge |
|
chimerical |
(adj.) imaginary; fantastic |
|
masochist |
(n.) one who enjoys his or her own pain and suffering |
|
finesse |
(n.) diplomacy; tact; artful management |
|
heterogeneous |
(adj.) different; dissimilar |
|
eclectic |
(adj.) choosing from various sources |
|
grandiose |
(adj.) impressive; showy; magnificent |
|
raiment |
(n.) clothing; garments |
|
blanch |
(v.) to whiten; to make pale |
|
hybrid |
(n.) anything of mixed origin |
|
idiosyncrasy |
(n.) a peculiar personality trait |
|
dia- |
"across" |
|
-vad- and -vas- |
"go" |
|
-trud- and -trus- |
"thrust" |
|
-verb- |
"word" |
|
-ab- |
"away" of "from" |
|
-gram |
"written" |
|
-meter |
"measure" |
|
-tele- |
"afar" |
|
idolatry |
(n.) excessive or blind adoration; worship of an object |
|
adulterate |
(v.) to make impure; to contaminate |
|
emanate |
(v.) to come forth; to send forth |
|
garish |
(adj.) tastelessly gaudy |
|
immutable |
(adj.) unchangeable; fixed |
|
diadem |
(n.) a crown |
|
bucolic |
(adj.) pertaining to the countryside; rural; rustic |
|
redolent |
(adj.) having pleasant odor; suggestive or evocative |
|
impecunious |
(adj.) without money; penniless |
|
sedition |
(n.) rebellion or resistance against the government |
|
defile |
(v.) to pollute; to corrupt |
|
gratuitous |
(adj.) unnecessary or uncalled for |
|
onus |
(n.) a burden; a responsibility |
|
impious |
(adj.) disrespectful towards God |
|
caveat |
(n.) a warning |
|
-leg-, -lig-, and -lect- |
"to choose", "to read", "to gather" |
|
-neg- |
"to deny" |
|
re- |
"again" |
|
se- |
"apart" |
|
-ion |
"the act of" |
|
elixir |
(n.) a supposed remedy for all ailments |
|
desiccated |
(adj.) dried up |
|
cessation |
(n.) a stopping; a discontinuance |
|
juxtapose |
(v.) to place side-by-side for comparison |
|
kinetic |
(adj.) pertaining to motion |
|
garrulous |
(adj.) talkative |
|
fetish |
(n.) a object that receives respect or devotion |
|
scintillate |
(v.) to sparkle; to twinkle; to sparkle intellectually |
|
lachrymose |
(adj.) tearful; weepy |
|
fissure |
(n.) an opening; a groove; a split |
|
epitome |
(n.) a typical example |
|
languid |
(adj.) sluggish; drooping from weakness |
|
delineate |
(v.) to describe, to depict |
|
legerdemain |
(n.) sleight of hand; deception |
|
libertine |
(n.) one who leads an immoral life |
|
-ver- |
"true" |
|
-fic- |
"to do" or "to make" |
|
-cra- |
"to mix" |
|
-sacr- |
"sacred" |
|
-idi- |
"peculiar" or "one's own" |
|
e- |
"completely" |
|
pro- |
"in front of" |
|
-fy |
"to make" |
|
suf- |
"under" |
|
-syn- |
"together" |
|
halcyon |
(adj.) calm; pleasant |
|
fastidious |
(adj.) hard to please; fussy |
|
badinage |
(n.) playful, teasing talk |
|
malapropism |
(n.) a word humorously misused |
|
garner |
(v.) to gather; to acquire |
|
kismet |
(n.) destiny; fate; fortune |
|
hegira |
(n.) flight; escape |
|
paradigm |
(n.) a model; an example |
|
debauchery |
(n.) corruption; self indulgence |
|
milieu |
(n.) environment; setting |
|
regress |
(v.) to move backward |
|
bilious |
(adj.) bad tempered; cross |
|
necromancy |
(n.) magic, especially that practiced by a witch |
|
gumption |
(n.) courage and initiative; common sense |
|
blandishment |
(n.) flattery |
|
-greg- |
"flock" or "herd" |
|
-val- and -vail- |
"to be strong" or "to be worthy" |
|
-ven-, -vent-, and -venu- |
"to come to" or "to approach" |
|
co- |
"with" or "together" |
|
seg- |
"apart" |
|
a- |
"away" or "from" |
|
ambi |
"both" or "around" |
|
in- |
"not" |
|
nirvana |
(n.) a condition of great peace or happiness |
|
salutary |
(adj.) healthful; wholesome |
|
despicable |
(adj.) contemptible; hateful |
|
harlequin |
(n.) a clown |
|
empathy |
(n.) an understanding of another's feelings |
|
brevity |
(n.) briefness; short duration |
|
savant |
(n.) a person of extensive learning; an imminent scholar |
|
obsequious |
(adj.) excessively submissive or overly attentive |
|
redundant |
(adj.) repetitious; using more words than needed |
|
offal |
(n.) garbage; waste parts |
|
hoi polloi |
(n.) the common people; the masses |
|
sentient |
(adj.) conscious; capable of feeling or perceiving |
|
impinge |
(v.) to encroach; to trespass |
|
cataract |
(n.) a large waterfall |
|
animosity |
(n.) hatred |
|
-anim- |
"feeling", "spirit", "life" |
|
-sec- and -sect- |
"cut" |
|
-cand- |
"to shine" |
|
-magn- |
"great" |
|
-un- |
"one" |
|
-ence- |
"of" |
|
bombast |
(n.) impressive but meaningless language |
|
orthography |
(n.) correct spelling |
|
paleontology |
(n.) a science dealing with prehistoric life through the study of fossils |
|
recoil |
(v.) to retreat; to draw back |
|
panache |
(n.) self-confidence; a showy manner |
|
saturnine |
(adj.) gloomy; sluggish |
|
endemic |
(adj.) confined to a particular country or area |
|
mendacious |
(adj.) lying; false; deceitful |
|
obviate |
(v.) to prevent; to get around |
|
paroxysm |
(n.) a sudden outburst; a fit |
|
aggrandize |
(v.) 1. to increase the range of; to expand 2. to make appear larger |
|
deign |
(v.) to lower oneself before an inferior |
|
flaunt |
(v.) to show off |
|
shibboleth |
(n.) a word or pronunciation that distinguishes someone as of a particular group |
|
elicit |
(v.) to draw forth; to call forth |
|
-mon- |
"to advise", "to remind", "to warn" |
|
-volv- and -volut- |
"to roll" or "to turn" |
|
-ambulare- |
"to walk" |
|
-ance |
"state of" or "quality of" |
|
per- |
"through", "completely" |
|
orifice |
(n.) mouth; opening |
|
hallow |
(v.) to make holy |
|
perdition |
(n.) damnation; ruin; hell |
|
chaff |
(n.) worthless matter |
|
aesthetic |
(adj.) pertaining to beauty |
|
empirical |
(adj.) based on practical experience rather than theory |
|
germane |
(adj.) relavant; fitting |
|
hermetic |
(adj.) tightly sealed |
|
meretricious |
(adj.) attractive in a cheap and flashy way |
|
querulous |
(adj.) complaining; grumpy |
|
flaccid |
(adj.) flabby |
|
hospice |
(n.) a shelter for travelers, orphans, or the ill and destitute |
|
egregious |
(adj.) remarkably bad; outrageous |
|
ratiocinate |
(v.) to reason; to think |
|
foment |
(v.) to stir up; to incite |
|
-flect- and -flex- |
"bend" |
|
-ity |
"quality of" |
|
-nox- |
"night" |
|
sub- |
"secretly" |
|
-fug- |
"flee" |