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328 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
abate
|
v. subside or moderate
(They wated for the storm to abate) |
|
aberrant
|
adj. abnormal or deviant
(Given the aberrant nature of the data, we came to doubt the validity...) |
|
abeyance
|
n. suspended action
(The deal was held in abeyance until her arrival) |
|
abscond
|
v. depart secretly and hide
(The teller who absconded with the bonds went uncaptured) |
|
abstemious
|
adj. sparing in eating and drinking; temperate
(Concerned whether her vegetarian son's abstemious diet provided him with sufficient protein...) |
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admonish
|
v. warn; reprove
(He admonished his listeners to chainge their wicked ways) admonition, n. |
|
adulterate
|
v. make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances
(It is a crime to adulterat foods without informing the buyer.) |
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aesthetic
|
adj. artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful
(The beauty of the stained glass appealed to her aesthetic sense.) aesthete, n. |
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aggregate
|
v. gather; accumulate
also adj. aggregation, n. |
|
alacrity
|
n. cheerful promptness; eagerness
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alleviate
|
v. relieve
|
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amalgamate
|
v. combine; unite in one body
|
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ambiguous
|
adj. unclear or doubtful in meaning
|
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ambivalence
|
n. the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes
ambivalent, adj. |
|
ameliorate
|
v. improve
|
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anachronism
|
n. something or someone misplaced in time
anachronistic, adj. |
|
analogous
|
adj. comparable
|
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anarchy
|
n. absence of governing body; state of disorder
|
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anomalous
|
adj. abnormal; irregular
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antipathy
|
n. aversion; dislike
antipathetic, adj. |
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apathy
|
n. lack of caring; indifference
apathetic, adj. |
|
appease
|
v. pacify or soothe; relieve
appeasement, n. |
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apprise
|
v. inform
|
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approbation
|
n. approval
|
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appropriate
|
v. acquire; take possession of for one's own use
|
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arduous
|
adj. hard, strenusous
|
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artless
|
adj. without guile; open and honest
|
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ascetic
|
adj. practicing self-denial; austere
asceticism, n. |
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assiduous
|
adj. diligent
|
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assuage
|
v. ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger)
assuagement, n. |
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banal
|
adj. hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality
banality, n. |
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belie
|
v. contradict; give a flase impression
|
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beneficent
|
adj. kindly; doing good
|
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bolster
|
v. support; reinforce
|
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bombastic
|
adj. pompous; using inflated language
bombast, n. |
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boorish
|
adj. rude; insensitive
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burgeon
|
v. grow forth; send out buds
|
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burnish
|
v. make shiny by rubbing; polish
|
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buttress
|
v. support; prop up
also n. |
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cacophonous
|
adj. discordant; inharmonious
cacophony, n. |
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capricious
|
adj. unpredictable; fickle
|
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castigation
|
n. punishment; severe criticism
castigate, v. |
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catalyst
|
n. agent that brings about a chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchanged
|
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caustic
|
adj. burning; sarcastically biting
|
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chicanery
|
n. trickery; deception
|
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coagulate
|
v. thicken; congeal; clot
coagulant, n. |
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coda
|
n. concluding section of a musical or literary composition
|
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cogent
|
adj. convincing
cogency, n. |
|
commensurate
|
adj. equal in extent
(Your reward will be commensurate with your effort) |
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compendium
|
v. brief, comprehensive summary
|
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complaisant
|
adj. trying to please; obliging
|
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compliant
|
adj. yielding; confomring to requirements
|
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conciliatory
|
adj. reconciling; soothing
conciliate, v. |
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condone
|
v. overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse
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confound
|
v. confuse; puzzle
|
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connoisseur
|
n. person competent to act as a judge of art, etc.; a lover of an art
|
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contention
|
n. claim; thesis
contend, v. |
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contentious
|
adj. quarrelsome
|
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contrite
|
adj. penitent
contrition, n. |
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conundrum
|
n. riddle; difficult problem
|
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converge
|
v. approach; tend to meet; come together
convergence, n. |
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convoluted
|
adj. coiled around; invovled; intricate
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craven
|
adj. cowardly
|
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daunt
|
v. intimidate, frighten
|
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decorum
|
n. propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners
decorous, adj. |
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default
|
n. failure to act
|
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deference
|
n. courteous regard for another's wish
|
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delineate
|
v. portray; depict; sketch
delineation, n. |
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denigrate
|
v. blacken
|
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deride
|
v. ridicule; make fun of
derisive, adj. derision, n. |
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derivative
|
adj. unoriginal; obtained from another source
|
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desiccate
|
v. dry up
|
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desultory
|
adj. aimless; haphazard; digressing at random
|
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deterrent
|
n. something that discourages; hindrance
also adj. |
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diatribe
|
n. bitter scolding, invective
|
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dichotomy
|
n. split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones)
|
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diffidence
|
n. shyness
|
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diffuse
|
adj. wordy; rambling; spread out (like a gas)
also v. diffusion, n. |
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digression
|
n. wandering away from the subject
digress, v. |
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dirge
|
n. lament with music
|
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disabuse
|
v. correct a false impression, undeceive
|
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discerning
|
adj. mentally quick and observant; having insight
discern, v. discernment, n. |
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discordant
|
adj. not harmonious; conflicting
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discredit
|
v. defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve
|
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discrepancy
|
n. lack of consistency; difference
|
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discrete
|
adj. separate; unconnected
|
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disingenuous
|
adj. not naive; sophisticated
|
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disinterested
|
adj. unprejudiced
|
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disjointed
|
adj. disconnected
|
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dismiss
|
v. eliminate from consideration; reject
|
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disparage
|
v. belittle
|
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disparate
|
adj. basically different; unrelated
|
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dissemble
|
v. disguise; pretend
|
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disseminate
|
v. distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds)
|
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dissolution
|
n. disintegration; looseness in morals
dissolute, adj. |
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dissonance
|
n. discord; opposite of harmony
dissonant, adj. |
|
distend
|
v. expand; swell out
|
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distill
|
v. purify; refine; concentrate
|
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diverge
|
v. vary; go in different directions from the same point
|
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divest
|
v. strip; deprive
divestiture, n. |
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document
|
v. provide written evidence
also n. |
|
dogmatic
|
adj. opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal
|
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dormant
|
adj. sleeping; lethargic; latent
dormancy, n. |
|
dupe
|
n. someone easily fooled
|
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ebullient
|
adj. showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm
ebullience, n. |
|
eclectic
|
adj. selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources
eclecticism, n. |
|
efficacy
|
n. power to produce desired effect
efficacious, adj. |
|
effrontery
|
n. shameless boldness
|
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elegy
|
n. poem or song expressing lamentation
elegiacal, adj. |
|
elicit
|
v. draw out by discussion
|
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embellish
|
v. adorn; ornament; enhance, as a story
|
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empirical
|
adj. based on experience
|
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emulate
|
v. irritate; rival
|
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endemic
|
adj. prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific area or country
|
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enervate
|
v. weaken
enervation, n. |
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engender
|
v. cause; produce
|
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enhance
|
v. increase; improve
|
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ephemeral
|
adj. short-livied; fleeting
|
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equanimity
|
n. clamness of temperament; composure
|
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equivocate
|
v. lie; mislead; attempt to conceal the truth
|
|
erudite
|
adj. learned; scholarly
erudition, n. |
|
esoteric
|
adj. hard to understand; known only to the chosen few
esoterica, n. |
|
eulogy
|
n. expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death
eulogize, v. |
|
euphermism
|
n. mild expression in place of an unpleasant one
|
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exacerbate
|
v. worsen; embitter
exacerbation, n. |
|
exculpate
|
v. clear from blame
|
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exigency
|
n. urgent situation
exigent, adj. |
|
extrapolation
|
n. projection; conjecture
extrapolate, v. |
|
facetious
|
adj. joking (often inappropriately); humorous
|
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facilitate
|
v. help bring about; make less difficult
|
|
fallacious
|
adj. false; misleading
fallacy, n. |
|
fatuous
|
adj. foolish; inane
|
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fawning
|
adj. courting favor by cringing and clattering
fawn, v. |
|
felicitous
|
adj. apt; suitably expressed; well chosen
|
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fervor
|
n. glowing adorl intensity of feeling
|
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flag
|
v. droop; grow feeble
flagging, adj. |
|
fledgling
|
adj. inexperienced
aslo n. |
|
flout
|
v. reject; mock
|
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foment
|
v. stir up; instigate
|
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forestall
|
v. prevent by taking action in advance
|
|
frugality
|
n. thirft; economy
frugal, adj. |
|
futitle
|
adj. useless; hopeless; ineffectual
futility, n. |
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gainsay
|
v. deny
|
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garrulous
|
adj. loquacious; wordy; talkative
garrulity, n. |
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goad
|
v. urge on
also n. |
|
gouge
|
v. overcharge
|
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grandiloquent
|
adj. pompous; bombastic; using highsounding language
|
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gregarious
|
adj. sociable
|
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guileless
|
adj. without deceit
|
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gullible
|
adj. easily deceived
|
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harangue
|
n. long, passionate, and vehement speech
|
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homogeneous
|
adj. of the same kind
homogeneity, n. |
|
hyperbole
|
n. exaggeration; overstatement
hyperbolic, adj. |
|
iconoclastic
|
adj. attacking cherished traditions
iconoclasm, n. |
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idolatry
|
n. worship of idols; excessive admiration
|
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immutable
|
adj. unchnageable
|
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impair
|
v. injure; hurt
|
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impassive
|
adj. without feeling; imperturbable; stoical
|
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impede
|
v. hinder; block
|
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impermeable
|
adj. impervious; not permitting passage through its substance
|
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imperturbable
|
adj. calm; placid
imperturbability, n. |
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impervious
|
adj. impenetrable; incapable of being damanged or distressed
|
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implacable
|
adj. incapable of being pacified
|
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implicit
|
adj. understood but not stated
|
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implode
|
v. burst inward
implosion, n. |
|
inadvertently
|
adv. unintentionally; by oversight; carelessly
|
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inchoate
|
adj. recently begun; rudimentary; elementary
|
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incongruity
|
n. lack of harmony; absurdity
incongruous, adj. |
|
inconsequential
|
adj. insignificant; unimportant
|
|
incorporate
|
v. introduce something into a larger whole; combine; unite
also adj. |
|
indeterminate
|
adj. uncertain; not clearly fixed; indefinite
|
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indigence
|
n. poverty
indigent, adj., n. |
|
indolent
|
adj. lazy
indolence, n. |
|
inert
|
adj. inactive; lacking power to move
inertia, n. |
|
ingenuous
|
adj. naive and trusting; young; unsophisticated
ingenue, n. |
|
inherent
|
adj. firmly established by nature or habit
|
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innocuous
|
adj. harmless
|
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insensible
|
adj. unconscious; unresponsive
|
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insinuate
|
v. hint; imply; creep in
|
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insipid
|
adj. lacking in flavor; dull
|
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insularity
|
n. narrow-mindedness; isolation
insular, adj. |
|
intractable
|
adj. unruly; stubborn; unyielding
|
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intransigence
|
n. refusal of any compromise; stubbornness
intransigent, adj. |
|
inundate
|
v. overwhelm; flood; sumerge
|
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inured
|
adj. accustomed; hardened
|
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invective
|
n. abuse
|
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irascible
|
adj. irritable; easily angered
|
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irresolute
|
adj. uncertain how to act; weak
|
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itinerary
|
n. plan of a trip
|
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laconic
|
adj. brief and to the point
|
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lassitude
|
n. langour; weariness
|
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latent
|
adj. portential but undeveloped; dormant; hidden
latency, n. |
|
laud
|
v. praise
also n. laudable, laudatory, adj. |
|
lethargic
|
adj. drowsy; dull
lethargy, n. |
|
levee
|
n. earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding
|
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levity
|
n. lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity
|
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log
|
n. record of a voyage or flight; record of day-to-day activities
also v. |
|
loquacious
|
adj. talkative
loquacity, n. |
|
lucid
|
adj. easily understood; clear; intelligible
lucidity, n. |
|
luminous
|
adj. shining; issuing light
|
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magnanimity
|
n. generosity
magnanimous, adj. |
|
malingerer
|
n. one who feigns illness to escape duty
malinger, v. |
|
malleable
|
adj. capable of being shaped by pouding; impressionable
|
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maverick
|
n. rebel; nonconformist
|
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mendacious
|
adj. lying; habitually dishonest
mendacity, n. |
|
metamophosis
|
n. change of form
metamorphose, v. |
|
meticulous
|
adj. excessively careful; painstaking; scrupulous
|
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misanthrope
|
n. one who hates mankind
misanthropic, adj. |
|
mitigate
|
v. appease; moderate
|
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mollify
|
v. soothe
|
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morose
|
adj. ill-humored; sullen; melancholy
|
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mundane
|
adj. wordly as opposed to spiritual; everyday
|
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negate
|
v. cancel out; nullify; deny
negation, n. |
|
neophyte
|
n. recent convert; beginner
|
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obdurate
|
adj. stubborn
|
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obsequious
|
adj. slavishly attentive; servile; sycophantic
|
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obviate
|
v. make unnecessary; get rid of
|
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occulde
|
v. shut; close
occlusion, n. |
|
officious
|
adj. meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services
|
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onerous
|
adj. burdensome
|
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opprobrium
|
n. infancy; vilification
|
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oscillate
|
v. vibrate pendulumlike; waver
|
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ostentatious
|
adj. showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention
ostentation, n. |
|
paragon
|
n. model of perfection
|
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partisan
|
adj. one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party
also n. |
|
pathological
|
adj. pertaining to disease
|
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paucity
|
n. scarcity
|
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pedantic
|
adj. showing off learning; bookish
pedantry, n. |
|
penchant
|
n. strong inclination; liking
|
|
penury
|
n. severe poverty; stinginess
penurious, adj. |
|
perennial
|
n. something long-lasting
also adj. |
|
perfidious
|
adj. trecherous; disloyal
perfidy, n. |
|
perfunctory
|
adj. superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm
|
|
permeable
|
adj. penetrable; porous; allowing liquids or gas to pass through
permeate, v. |
|
pervasive
|
adj. spread throughout
pervade, v. |
|
phlegmatic
|
adj. calm, not easily disturbed
|
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piety
|
n. devoutness; reverence for God
pious, adj. |
|
placate
|
v. pacify; conciliate
|
|
plasticity
|
n. ability to be molded
|
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platitude
|
n. trite remark; commonplace statement
|
|
plethora
|
n. excess; overabundance
|
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plumment
|
v. fall sharply
|
|
porous
|
adj. full of pores; like a sieve
|
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pragmatic
|
adj. practical (as opposed to idealistic); concerned with the practical worth or impact of something
|
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preamble
|
n. intoductory statement
|
|
precarious
|
adj. uncertain; risky
|
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precipitate
|
adj. rash; premature; hasty; sudden
|
|
precursor
|
n. forerunner
|
|
presumptuous
|
adj. arrogant; taking liberties
presumption, n. |
|
prevaricate
|
v. lie
|
|
pristine
|
adj. characteristic of earlier times; primitive; unspoiled
|
|
probity
|
n. uprightness; incorruptibility
|
|
problematic
|
adj. doubtful; unsettled; questionable; perplexing
|
|
prodigal
|
adj. wasteful; reckless with money
aslo n. |
|
profound
|
adj. deep; not superficical; complete
profundity, n. |
|
prohibitive
|
adj. tending to prevent the pruchase or use of something; inclined to prevent or frobid
prohibition, n. |
|
proliferate
|
v. grow rapidly; spread; multiply
proliferation, n. |
|
propensity
|
n. natural inclination
|
|
propitiate
|
v. appease
|
|
propriety
|
n. fitness; correct conduct
|
|
proscribe
|
v. ostrasize; banish; outlaw
|
|
pungent
|
adj. stining; sharp in taste or smell; caustic
pugency, n. |
|
qualified
|
adj. limited; restricted
|
|
quibble
|
n. minor objection or complaint
also v. |
|
quiescent
|
adj. at rest; dormant; temporarily inactive
quiescence, n. |
|
rarefied
|
adj. made less dense [of a gas]
rarefaction, n. |
|
recalcitrant
|
adj. obstinately stubborn; determiend to resist authority; unruly
|
|
recant
|
v. disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error
|
|
recluse
|
n. hermit; loner
reclusive, adj. |
|
recondite
|
adj. abstruse; profound; secret
|
|
refractory
|
adj. stubborn; unmanageable
|
|
refute
|
v. disprove
refutation, n. |
|
relegate
|
v. banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign
|
|
reproach
|
v. express disapproval or disapointment
also n. reproachful, adj. |
|
reprobate
|
n. person hardened in sin, devoid of a sense of decency
|
|
repudiate
|
v. disown; disavow
|
|
rescind
|
v. cancel
|
|
resolution
|
n. determination
resolute, adj. |
|
resolve
|
n. determination; firmness of purpose
also v. |
|
reticent
|
adj. reserved; uncommunicative; inclined to silence
reticence, n. |
|
reverent
|
adj. respectful; worshipful
revere, v. reverence, n. |
|
sage
|
n. person celebrated for wisdom
also adj. |
|
salubrious
|
adj. healthful
|
|
sanction
|
v. approve; ratify
|
|
satiate
|
v. satisfy fully
satiety, n. |
|
saturate
|
v. soak thoroughly
|
|
savor
|
v. enjoy; have a distinctive flavor, smell, or quality
|
|
secrete
|
v. hide away or cahce; produce and release a substance into an organism
|
|
shard
|
n. fragment, generally of pottery
|
|
skeptic
|
n. doubter; person who suspends judgement until having examined the evidence supporting a point of view
skeptical, adj. skepticisim, n. |
|
solicitous
|
adj. worried, concerned
solicitude, n. |
|
soporific
|
adj. sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness
also n. |
|
specious
|
adj. seemingly resonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally)
|
|
spectrum
|
n. colored band produced when a beam of light passes through a prism
|
|
sporadic
|
adj. occurring irregularly
|
|
stigma
|
n. token of disgrace; brande
stigmatize, n. |
|
stint
|
v. be thirfty; set limits
|
|
stipulate
|
v. make express conditions, specify
|
|
stolid
|
adj. dull; impassive
stolidity, n. |
|
striated
|
adj. marked with parallel bands; grooved
striate, v. |
|
strut
|
n. pompous walk (also v.)
n. supporting bar |
|
subpoena
|
n. writ summoning a witness to appear
also v. |
|
subside
|
v. settle down; descent; grow quiet
|
|
substantiate
|
v. establish by evidence; verify; support
|
|
supersede
|
v. vause to be set aside; replace; make obsolete
supersession, n. |
|
supposition
|
n. hypothesis; surmise
suppose, v. |
|
tacit
|
adj. understood; not put into words
|
|
tangential
|
adj. peripheral; only slightly connected; disgressing
|
|
tenuous
|
adj. thin; rare; slim
|
|
tirade
|
n. extended scolding; denunciation; harrangue
|
|
torpor
|
n. lethargy; sluggshness; dormancy
torpid, adj. |
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tortuous
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adj. winding; full of curves
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tractable
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adj. docile; easily managed
tractability, n. |
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transgression
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n. violation of a law; sin
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truculence
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n. aggressiveness; ferocity
truculent, adj. |
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vacillate
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v. waver; fluctuate
vacillation, n. |
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venerate
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v. revere
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veracious
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adj. truthful
veractiy, n. |
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verbose
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adj. wordy
verbosity, n. |
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viable
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adj. practical or workable; capable of maintaining life
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viscous
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adj. sticky, gluey
viscosity, n. |
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vituperative
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adj. abusive; scolding
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volatile
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adj. changeable; explosive; evaporating rapidly
volatility, n. |
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warranted
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adj. justified; authorized
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wary
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adj. very cautious
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welter
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n. turmoil; bewildering jumble
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whimsical
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n. capricious; fanciful
whimsy, n. |
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zealot
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n. fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal
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