- Shuffle
Toggle OnToggle Off
- Alphabetize
Toggle OnToggle Off
- Front First
Toggle OnToggle Off
- Both Sides
Toggle OnToggle Off
Front
How to study your flashcards.
Right/Left arrow keys: Navigate between flashcards.right arrow keyleft arrow key
Up/Down arrow keys: Flip the card between the front and back.down keyup key
H key: Show hint (3rd side).h key
PLAY BUTTON
PLAY BUTTON
92 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
|
renunciation
|
noun-rejection, especially by public announcement
|
Fiona's renunciation of red meat resulted in weight loss but confused those people who thought she'd been a vegetarian for years. |
|
chide
|
verb-to voice disapproval
|
Sarah chided Sam for his vulgar habits and sloppy appearance. |
|
myriad
|
adjective-consisting of a very great number
|
It was difficult to decided what to do Friday night because the city presented us with myriad possibilities for fun. |
|
subjugate
|
verb-to bring under control, subdue
|
The invading force captured and subjugated the natives of that place. |
|
dissipate
|
verb-to disappear, cause to disappear
*to waste |
The sun finally came out and dissipated the haze. *She dissipated her fortune on a series of bad investments. |
|
trite
|
adjective-not original, overused
|
Although Keith thought himself quite learned, everyone else thought he was trite, because his observations about the world were always the same as David Letterman's. |
|
abscond
|
verb-to sneak away and hide
|
In the confusion, the super-spy absconded into the night with the secret plans. |
|
iridescent
|
adjective-showing rainbow colors
|
The socialite's large diamond ring was iridescent in the afternoon sun. |
|
trepidation
|
noun-fear, apprehension
|
With great trepidation, Anya entered the boss's office for an annual performance review. |
|
amiable
|
adjective-friendly
|
An amiable fellow, Harry got along with just about everyone. |
|
eminent
|
adj-distinguished, prominent, famous
*adj-conspicuous |
Mr. Jones is such an eminent scholar that every professor on campus has come to hear him lecture. *There is an eminent stain on that shirt. |
|
sycophant
|
noun-one who flatters for self-gain
|
Some see the cabinet as the president's closest advisers, but others see them as sycophants. |
|
promulgate
|
verb-to proclaim, make known
|
The film professor promulgated the idea that Sean Connery's James Bond was superior to Roger Moore's, in terms of both sexual appeal and acting ability. |
|
abjure
|
verb-to reject, renounce
|
To prove his honesty, the president abjured the evil policies of his wicked predecessor. |
|
ingenious
|
adjective-clever, resourceful
|
Her ingenious use of walnuts, rather than the peanuts called for by the recipe, was lauded by the other garden club members, who found her cake delicious. |
|
exacerbate
|
verb-to make more violent or intense
|
The gruesome and scary movie I saw last night exacerbated my fear of the dark. |
|
penitent
|
adjective-remorseful, regretful
|
Had the criminal appeared penitent for his gruesome crimes, the jury's verdict might have been more lenient. |
|
veneer
|
noun-a superficial or deceptively attractive appearance, facade
|
Thanks to her flawless makeup, Shannen was able to maintain a veneer of perfection that hid the blemishes underneath. |
|
vex
|
verb-to confuse or annoy
|
My little brother vexes me by poking me in the ribs for hours on end. |
|
reputable
|
adjective-of good reputation
|
After the most reputable critic in the industry gave the novel a glowing review, sales took off. |
|
fervent
|
adjective-ardent, passionate
|
The fervent protesters chained themselves to the building and shouted all night long. |
|
sanctimonious
|
adjective-giving a hypocritical appearance of piety
|
The sanctimonious Bertrand delivered stern lectures to anyone who would listen, but thought nothing of stealing cars. |
|
wily
|
adjective-crafty, sly
|
Though they were not the strongest of the Thundercats, wily Kit and Kat were definitely the cleverest and full of the most tricks. |
|
acquiesce
|
verb-to agree without protesting
|
Mr. Peters wanted to stay outside and work on his hot rod, but he nevertheless acquiesced to his wife's demands and went inside to watch Entertainment Tonight. |
|
denounce
|
verb-to criticize publicly
|
The senator denounced her opponent as a greedy politician. |
|
inure
|
verb-to cause someone or something to become accustomed to a situation
|
Twenty years in the salt mines inured the man to the discomforts of dirt and grime. |
|
cordial
|
adjective-warm, affectionate
|
His cordial greeting melted my anger at once. |
|
rancid
|
adjective-having a terrible taste or smell
|
Rob was double-dog dared to eat the rancid egg salad sandwich. |
|
trenchant
|
adjective-effective, articulate, clear-cut
|
The directions that accompanied my new cell phone were trenchant and easy to follow. |
|
whimsical
|
adjective-fanciful, full of whims
|
The whimsical little girl liked to pretend that she was an elfin princess. |
|
circuitous
|
adjective-roundabout
|
The bus's circuitous route took us through numerous outlying suburbs. |
|
insolent
|
adjective-rude, arrogant, overbearing
|
This celebrity is so insolent, making fun of his fans right to their faces. |
|
clemency
|
noun-mercy
|
After he forgot their anniversary, Martin could only beg Maria for clemency. |
|
reclusive
|
adjective-solitary, shunning solidarity
|
Reclusive authors, such as J.D Salinger, do not relish media attention and sometimes even enjoy holding up in remote cabins in the woods. |
|
inchoate
|
adjective-unformed or formless, in a beginning stage
|
The country's government is still inchoate and therefore quite unstable. |
|
propriety
|
noun-the quality of being proper
|
Erma's old-fashioned parents believed that her miniskirt lacked the propriety expected of a "nice" girl. |
|
adroit
|
adjective-skillful, dexterous
|
The adroit thief could pick someone's pocket without attracting attention. |
|
refute
|
verb-to prove wrong
|
Alice refuted the president's argument as she yelled and gesticulated at the TV. |
|
superfluous
|
adjective-exceeding what is necessary
|
Tracy had already won the campaign, so her constant flattery of others was superfluous. |
|
derivative
|
adjective-taken directly from a source, unoriginal
|
Joe's lyrics were derivative; they sounded like they had been stolen from a Beatles song. |
|
negligent
|
adjective-habitually careless, neglectful
|
Jessie's grandfather called me a negligent fool after I left the door to his apartment unlocked. |
|
travesty
|
noun-a grossly inferior imitation
|
According to the school newspaper's merciless theater critic, Pacific Coast High's rendition of the musical Oklahoma was a travesty of the original. |
|
reciprocate
|
verb-to give in return
|
When Steve gave Samantha a sweater for Christmas, she reciprocated by giving him a kiss. |
|
belated
|
adjective-late, delayed
|
Lori gave her parents a belated anniversary card, because she had been on vacation on the actual date. |
|
hypocrisy
|
noun-pretending to believe what one does not
|
Once the politician began passing legislation that contradicted his campaign promises, his hypocrisy became apparent. |
|
noxious
|
adjective-harmful, unwholesome
|
Environmentalists showed that the noxious weeds were destroying the insects' natural habitats. |
|
atrophy
|
verb-to wither away, decay
|
If muscles do not receive enough blood, they will soon atrophy and die. |
|
transgress
|
verb-to violate, go over the limit
|
The monster's actions transgressed morality and human decency. |
|
viscous
|
adjective-not free flowing; thick
|
The viscous syrup took three minutes to pour out of the bottle. |
|
compound
|
verb-to combine parts
|
My enjoyment of the meal was compounded by the arrival of a cherry pie and two cupcakes. |
|
animated
|
adjective-lively
|
When he begins to talk about the drama, his true passion, he becomes animated. |
|
nominal
|
adjective-trifling, insignificant
|
Because he was moving the following week and needed to get rid of his furniture, Jordan sold everything for a nominal fee. |
|
repentant
|
adjective-penitent, sorry
|
The repentant Dennis apologized profusely for breaking his mother's prized figurine. |
|
stoic
|
adjective-unaffected by passion or feeling
|
Penelope's faithfulness to Odysseus required that she be stoic and put off her many suitors. |
|
exasperate
|
verb-to irritate, irk
|
George's endless complaints exasperated his roommate. |
|
annul
|
verb-to make void or invalid
|
After seeing its unforeseen and catastrophic effects, Congress sought to annul the law. |
|
malediction
|
noun-a curse
|
When I was arrested for speeding, I screamed maledictions at the policemen. |
|
undulate
|
verb-to move in waves
|
As the storm began to brew, the placid ocean began to undulate furiously. |
|
engender
|
verb-to bring about, create, generate
|
During the Olympics, the victories of the US athletes engender a patriotic spirit among Americans. |
|
linchpin
|
noun-something that holds separate parts together
|
The linchpin in the prosecution's case was a hair from the defendant's head, which was found at the scene of the crime. |
|
repose
|
verb-to rest, lie down
|
The cat, after eating an entire can of tuna fish, reposed in the sun and took a long nap. |
|
acclaim
|
noun-high praise
|
Greg's excellent poem won the acclaim of his friends. |
|
congeal
|
verb-to thicken into a solid
|
The sauce had congealed into a thick paste. |
|
ascribe
|
verb-to assign, credit, attribute to
|
Some scholars ascribe the invention of fireworks and dynamite to the Chinese. |
|
notorious
|
adjective-widely and unfavorably known
|
Jacob was notorious for always arriving late at parties. |
|
repulse
|
verb-to disgust
|
Antisocial Annie tried to repulse people by neglecting to brush her teeth. |
|
verdant
|
adj-green in tint or color
|
The verdant leaves on the trees made the world look emerald. |
|
antecedent
|
noun-something that came before
|
The great tradition of Western culture has its antecedent in the culture of Ancient Greece. |
|
dissemble
|
verb-to conceal, fake
|
Not wanting to appear greedy, she dissembled her intention to sell her ailing father's stamp collection. |
|
bias
|
noun-a tendency, inclination, prejudice
|
The judge's hidden bias against smokers led him to make an unfair decision. |
|
accessible
|
adjective-obtainable, reachable
|
After using Spark Notes and getting a great score on the SAT, Sandy happily realized that her goal of getting into an Ivy League college was accessible. |
|
litigant
|
noun-someone engaged in a lawsuit
|
When the litigants began screaming at one another, Judge Koch ordered them to be silent. |
|
precipice
|
noun-the face of a cliff, a steep or overhanging place
|
The mountain climber hung from a precipice before finding a handhold and pulling himself up. |
|
modicum
|
noun-a small amount of something
|
Refusing to display even an modicum of sensitivity, Susan announced her boss's affair in front of the entire office. |
|
umbrage
|
noun-resentment, offense
|
He called me a lily-livered coward, and I took umbrage at the insult. |
|
appropriate
|
verb-to take, make use of
|
The government appropriated the farmer's land without justification. |
|
daunting
|
adjective-intimidating, causing one to lose courage
|
He kept delaying the daunting act of asking for a promotion. |
|
induce
|
verb-to bring about, stimulate
|
Who knew that our decision to boycott lunch would induce a huge riot. |
|
pellucid
|
adjective-easily intelligible, clear
|
Wishing his book to be pellucid to the common man, Albert Camus avoided using complicated grammar when composing The Stranger. |
|
parody
|
noun-a satirical imitation
|
A hush fell over the classroom when the teacher returned to find Deborah acting out a parody of his teaching style. |
|
serendipity
|
noun-luck, finding good things without looking for them
|
In an amazing bit of serendipity, penniless Paula found a $20 bill in the subway station. |
|
turpitude
|
noun-depravity, moral corruption
|
Sir Marcus's chivalry often contrasted with the turpitude he exhibited with the ladies at the tavern. |
|
forestall
|
verb-to prevent, thwart, delay
|
I forestalled the cold I was getting by taking plenty of vitamin C pills and wearing a scarf. |
|
ebullient
|
adjective-extremely lively, enthusiastic
|
Elizabeth became ebullient upon receiving an acceptance letter from her first-choice college. |
|
adumbrate
|
verb-to sketch out in a vague way
|
The coach adumbrated a game plan, but none of the players knew precisely what to do. |
|
penurious
|
adjective-miserly, stingy
|
Stella complained that her husband's penurious ways made it impossible to live the lifestyle she felt she deserved. |
|
salutation
|
noun-a greeting
|
Andrew regularly began letters with the bizarre salutation "ahoy ahoy." |
|
turgid
|
adjective-swollen, excessively embellished in style or language
|
The haughty writer did not realize how we all really felt about her turgid pose. |
|
confound
|
verb-to frustrate, confuse
|
MacGuyver confounded the policemen pursuing him by covering his tracks. |
|
aerial
|
adjective-somehow related to the air
|
We watched a the fighter planes conducted aerial maneuvers. |
|
impregnable
|
adjective-resistant to capture or penetration
|
Though the invaders used battering grams, catapults, and rain dances, the fortress proved impregnable and repelled all attacks. |
|
venerate
|
verb-to regard with respect; to honor
|
The tribute to John Lennon sought to venerate his music, his words, and his legend. |
