1 Flashcards
abase
humiliate ; to lower in rank, status, or esteem
abdicate
(v.) to resign, formally give up an office or a duty; to disown, discard
With the angry mob clamoring outside the palace, the king finally abdicated his throne and fled
abate
to lessen
aberrant
abnormal or deviant
Given the aberrant nature of data, we came to doubt the validity of the entire experiment
abeyance
temporary suppression or suspension
matters were held in abeyance pending further inquiries
abjure
to renounce, repudiate under oath; to avoid, shun
I refuse to abjure my Catholic faith
abrasive
(adj.) causing irritation, harsh; grinding or wearing down; (n.) a substance used to smooth or polish
Her abrasive and arrogant personality won her few friends
abreast
Side-by-side.
The more common “abreast of” means keeping up with, staying aware of, or remaining equal in progress with.
The news helped people keep abreast of the olympic games
abscission
cutting off; separation
Leaf abscission in trees
abscond
to leave secretly
She absconded with the remaining thousand dollars
abstain
To not do something; refrain
abyss
an extremely deep hole
accede
to agree, to accept
The authorities did not accede to the strikers’ demands
accretion
growth in size or increase in amount
There was an accretion of ice on the car’s windshield
acerbic
bitter, sharp in taste or temper
his acerbic taste of humor
acidulous
sour or harsh in taste or manner
a gently acidulous writing style that never becomes annoying
acme
the highest point
admonish
(v.) to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty
adulterate
to corrupt, make worse by the addition of something of lesser value
The company is accused of adulterating its products with cheap additives
adumbrate
to sketch out in a vague way
The coach adumbrated a game plan, but none of the players knew precisely what to do
adverse
Not helpful; harmful
aerie
a nest built high in the air; an elevated, often secluded, dwelling (요새)
affable
friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to
affectation
unnatural or artificial behavior, usually intended to impress
His French accent is just an affectation to impress others
aggrandize
(v.) to increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater
He hoped to aggrandize himself by dying a hero’s death
alacrity
brisk and cheerful readiness
She accepted the invitation with alacrity
aloof
not friendly or forthcoming; cool and distant
anoint
(v) rub or sprinkle oil on; make sacred, such as by ceremony that includes applying oil to someone
High priests were anointed with oil
antedate
Be older than, precede in time; assign to an earlier date
The Greeks were a civilization that antedated the Roman Empire.
apathy
a lack of feeling, emotion, or interest
antithetical
sharply contrasted in character or purpose
apocryphal
of doubtful authenticity
A apocryphal rumor surrounding the current president
apostate
one who abandons long-held religious or political convictions
apostle
leader or teacher of a new faith or movement
apposite
appropriate
His observations were apposite to the discussion
apprise
to inform
I apprised him of what had happened that night
approbation
approval or praise
The movie Parasite was met with high approbation from the critics
appropriate
to take possession of for one’s own use; confiscate
His images were appropriated by the advertisers
arbiter
a judge who decides a disputed issue
The military acted as arbiter of conflicts between two political groups
arcane
known or understood by only a few
Modern math has its arcane notations
archaic
ancient; old-fashioned
ardent
very enthusiastic, impassioned
His ardent passion in politics
arduous
hard to do, requiring much effort
arrogate
to claim or take with right
They arrogated to themselves the power to change the constitution
artless
without guile; open and honest
Her simple and artless charm won the public instantly
ascertain
to find out
An attempt to ascertain the cause of his death
ascetic
One who leads a life of self-denial and contemplation; absent of luxury (금욕주의자)
ascribe
to assign or refer to
The doctor ascribed the baby’s crying to her upset stomach
aseptic
free from disease-causing microorganisms
Patients with compromised immune system must be treated in aseptic environments
asperity
harshness of tone or manner
He pointed out my flaws with some asperity
aspersion
a damaging or derogatory statement
Fox news published an article which was intended to cast aspersion against the Democratic Party candidate
assail
attack
She was assailed by doubts and regrets
assiduous
diligent; showing great care, attention, and effort
She tended her garden with assiduous attention
assuage
to make something unpleasant less severe
The letters from home assuaged the fears of soldiers in the battlefield
attenuate
to weaken
The candidate’s confidence and public speaking skills attenuated the impact of some awkward facts in his speech
augment
to make larger, increase
He augmented his summer income by panting houses
augury
an omen or prophecy
The ancient Scandinavians used the stars as an augury of their fortunes
august
respected and impressive
We visited their august mansion with a large swimming pool and a vineyard
austere
stern or cold in appearance or manner; morally strict (엄격한)
He was feared amongst the chefs as an austere food critic
avarice
(n.) a greedy desire, particularly for wealth
He was rich beyond the dreams of avarice
aver
affirm or declare
The jury finally averred his innocence from the allegations
bilk
Cheat or defraud
Some businesses bilk thousands of dollars from unsuspecting elderly customers
blight
Disease that kills plants rapidly, or any cause of decay or destruction (noun); ruin or cause to wither (verb)
The scandal blighted the careers of several leading politicians
blithe
Joyous, merry; excessively carefree so as to ignore important concerns
The driver showed his blithe disregard for the rules of the road
bolster
Strengthen or support
bombastic
(Of speech or writing) far too showy or dramatic than is appropriate; pretentious
The candidate disappointed the audience with her bombastic speech full of pretentious fake promises that were unlikely to be met
bonhomie
Friendliness, open and simple good heartedness
boor
Rude, ill-mannered, or insensitive person; a peasant or country bumpkin
At last, the big obnoxious boor had been dealt a punishment for his uncouth and belligerent manner
brandish
Shake, wave as a weapon
The homeless man leaped out brandishing a knife
brook
Suffer or tolerate
Any husband of toxic masculinity would never brook any criticism from his wife or children
bucolic
Pertaining to shepherds; suggesting a peaceful and pleasant view of rural life
He lived a bucolic life as a gardener in Jeju shortly after his retirement
bureaucracy
Government characterized by many bureaus and petty administrators or by excessive, seemingly meaningless requirements (관료주의)
The unnecessary bureaucracy in local government has led to tax increase
burgeon
Grow or flourish rapidly; put forth buds or shoots (of a plant)
The city’s suburbs have burgeoned, sprawling out from the center
burnish
Polish, make smooth and lustrous; enhance or perfect
Lee is a man who took advantage of any opportunity to burnish his image.
buttress
Support or encourage (verb); a support or prop, esp. projecting from and supporting the wall of a building (noun)
The revolution and change in government authorities in Iran was buttressed by religious agenda
cacophony
Harsh, discordant, or meaningless mixture of sounds
calumny
Malicious lie intended to hurt someone’s reputation; the act of telling such lies
Korean media was tainted by calumny and fake news during the presidential election
canard
Rumor, a false or baseless story
… the old canard that LA is a cultural wasteland
canonical
Authorized, recognized; pertaining to the canon, or body of accepted rules, standards or artistic works
Traditionalist Catholics bitterly described the acts of terrorism as the destruction of sacred space and violation of canonical norms
capricious
Acting on impulse, erratic
Every balloon voyage is a race between capricious winds and the remaining fuel on board
cardinal
of the greatest importance; fundamental
My cardinal rule of expanding my breadth of vocabulary is being persistent.
castigate
Criticize severely; punish in order to correct
The judge castigated the lawyers for their lack of preparation.
catholic
Universal, broad-minded
He is a museum director known for his catholic tastes in art
caustic
very critical or sarcastic; capable of corroding metal or burning the skin
It was his gift for satire and his caustic wit that distinguished his writings
censure
Strong disapproval or official reprimand (noun); to issue such disapproval or reprimand (verb)
Saudi Arabia faced international censure for its alleged involvement in the assassination of a journalist.
chauvinism
Fanatical patriotism or blind enthusiasm for military glory; undue or biased devotion to any group, cause, etc.
The outcome of the 2016 election indicated a nationalistic chauvinism rising in the United States.
chicanery
Trickery, deception by knowingly false arguments
He wasn’t above using chicanery to win votes
circumscribe
Strictly limit a role, range of activity, or area
The goal scorer circumscribed his enthusiasm so as to not make the losing side feel worse
recalcitrant
obstinately defiant of authority or restraint; difficult to manage or operate
The law firm was lobbied by the Striker’s Union to help get the recalcitrant lawmakers get on board with the budget.
conciliatory
Reconciling, appeasing, attempting to make the peace
While the conference call might have been seen as a conciliatory gesture, an olive branch to his critics after weeks of tension, the actual meeting seemed anything but
condone
Overlook, tolerate, regard as harmless
Trump’s administration was often accused of condoning blatant racism
confer
Consult, compare views; bestow or give
The cameleers conferred with each other about the safest path across the desert.
The British monarch continues to confer knighthood on those who are outstanding in their fields of endeavor.
confound
Confuse, frustrate; mix up or make worse
The underdog team confounded all predictions and won the competition.
connote
Suggest or imply in addition to the precise, literal meaning
Russian tanks on parade were painted with an orange and black stripe to connote nationalism
constrict
Squeeze, compress; restrict the freedom of
Smoking constricts our blood vessels, thus leading to higher blood pressure
construe
Interpret or translate
This article is meant for informational purposes only and should not construe any such information as investment advice
contentious
Controversial; prone to causing arguments, especially gratuitous or petty ones
contrite
Remorseful; feeling sorry for one’s offenses or sins
The Ford executives had hoped their efficient, well-publicized recall efforts and contrite approach to customers would enable them to put the tire crisis behind them
gratuitous
uncalled for, lacking good reason; given or done for free
Washington Square park can sometimes be a place for gratuitous acts of violence.
Solicitors provide a form of gratuitous legal advice.
contumacious
Rebellious; stubbornly disobedient
The judge eventually charged the contumacious witness with contempt of court
conversant
knowledgeable or have experience with
Professor Zahran is apparently very conversant with the operating system of the computer
convoke
to call together to a meeting
The assembly was convoked at midnight to handle the emergency
convoluted
Twisted; very complicated
The convoluted plot left the audience puzzled
copious
Plentiful, bountiful
The travelers are often welcomed with copious helpings of horse meet when they visit nomad tribes in Mongolia
corroborate
Support, add evidence to
cosmopolitan
including or containing people from many different countries; free from local or national prejudices or attachments
The immigration transformed New York City into a cosmopolitan metropolis
cosset
Treat as a pet, pamper (indulge with attention and kindness)
The hotel cossets its guests with friendly service
coterie
Close or exclusive group
Soho is home to a coteries of artists in North America
countenance
Facial expression, mental composure (noun); approve or tolerate (verb)
At the age of forty, the actor still has a mildly mischievous countenance of a boy.
The United States has refused to countenance lowering the hurdles for medical care, insisting that a waiver cover only vaccines
covert
secret, veiled, undercover
He has taken part in several covert military operations
submerge
cause to be under water; completely cover or obscure
… houses had been flooded and cars submerged.
the tensions submerged earlier in the campaign now came to the fore.
upend
set or turn (something) on its end or upside down
A rapidly changing climate upended the country’s plans for suburb development
revere
to deeply respect
Abraham Lincoln’s speech is revered by many even to this day
delineate
Mark the outline of; sketch; describe in detail
The challenge for black-hole cinema will be to delineate the underlying structure of the black hole from the matter that is moving around it
demagogue
A leader who lies and gains power by arousing the passions and especially prejudices of the people
Before the US could help Haiti rebuild its ravaged democracy, it first had to remove a raving demagogue
demur
Show reluctance, especially for moral reasons
Don’t hesitate to demur to the idea if you have any qualms
denigrate
Belittle, attack the reputation of
Racists often denigrate the talents and achievements of the Asian people
deride
Mock, scoff at, laugh at contemptuously
My parents derided our efforts, but were forced to eat their words when we won first place
desiccate
Thoroughly dried up, dehydrated
The historian’s dryasdust prose desiccates what is actually an exciting period in European history
desultory
Lacking consistency or order, disconnected, sporadic; going off topic
The Youtube comment section is often full of desultory remarks that are unrelated to the message of the video
detached
Impartial, disinterested; unconcerned, distant, aloof
As an introvert, I am often a detached observer at my company parties, taking it all in and saying very little
deterrent
Something that restrains or discourages
The panel evaluated Putin’s immediate and long-term objectives and discussed how deterrent measures might be enhanced
diaphanous
Very sheer, fine, translucent
the bride wore a diaphanous veil
diatribe
Bitter, abusive attack or criticism; rant
The journalist wrote a bitter diatribe about how unfair the health care system is
dictum
Formal or authoritative pronouncement; saying or proverb
The Taliban dictum reversed an announcement - demanded by and promised to donor countries - just days earlier that all schools for girls would be open
didactic
Intended to instruct; teaching, or teaching a moral lesson
The poet’s works became increasingly didactic after his religious conversion
diffuse
Spread widely, disseminate (verb); dispersed, widely spread out, or wordy and going off- topic (adj)
a diffuse speech that took a great deal of time to make a very small point
The forest was filled with a soft, diffuse light
dilate
To become wider or make wider, cause to expand; to speak or write at length, elaborate upon
The drug caused his blood vessels to dilate
dilatory
Slow, late; procrastinating or stalling for time
The landlord claimed that local firefighters were dilatory in responding to the call
dilettante
Person who takes up an art or activity for amusement only or in a superficial way
Most articles published by this media reflect time-consuming research and investigation; the efforts are not work of dilettantes, but of professional journalists.
din
Loud, confused noise, esp. for a long period of time
It was hard to hear anything above the din in the restaurant.
dirge
A funeral or mourning song or poem
The local band played a dirge at the funeral for the fallen leader
disabuse
Free someone from a mistake in thinking
The prime minister was quickly disabused of the idea that peace had finally arrived
discerning
Having good judgment or insight; able to distinguish mentally
She had a discerning taste for good food and restaurants
disparage
Belittle, put down; bring shame upon, discredit
Voters don’t like political advertisements in which opponents disparage one another.
disparate
Distinct, different
There are disparate notions among adults and adolescents about when middle age begins
dispassionate
Unbiased, not having a selfish or personal motivation; calm, lacking emotion
Journalists aim to be dispassionate observers
diurnal
Occurring every day; happening in the daytime (rather than at night)
Only few owls are diurnal
divest
Deprive or strip of a rank, title, etc., or of clothing or gear; to sell off holdings (opposite of invest)
The company was forced to divest assets to raise capital during the recession
doctrinaire
Person who applies doctrine in an impractical or rigid and close-minded way (noun); merely theoretical, impractical, or fanatical about other people accepting one’s ideas (adj)
a doctrinaire conservative, the columnist takes special delight in baiting liberals
doff
Take off (such as clothes), put aside; remove one’s hat as a gesture
He doffed his hat as he introduced himself to the audience
dormant
Asleep, inactive, on a break
Her emotions have remained dormant for many years
dovetail
Join or fit together
The company’s mission dovetails well with my passion in software engineering
droll
Funny in an odd way
His low-key swagger and distinct delivery — engagingly droll, with a slurred word sometimes playfully disrupting his sharp flow — drew listeners in to his witty wordplay.
dupe
Person who is easily fooled or used (noun); to fool or exploit (verb)
We were duped into thinking that the doll was a real alien
dyspeptic
Grumpy, pessimistic, irritable; suffering from dyspepsia (indigestion)
Over-indulging myself in beer made me dyspeptic the next day
ebullient
Very enthusiastic, lively, excited; bubbling as though being boiled
Democrats appeared ebullient about the bill, even with some of their priorities jettisoned or severely curtailed.
eccentric
Peculiar, odd, deviating from the norm esp. in a whimsical way
Faull’s family sued the eccentric software guru John McAfee for Faull’s wrongful death in Orlando in November 2013, a year following Faull’s alleged murder.
echelon
A level, rank or grade; the people at that level
We heard rumors of corruption in the upper echelon of the firm
eclectic
Selecting the best of everything or from many diverse sources
MOMA’s eclectic collection includes everything from a giraffe skeleton to medieval musical instruments
eclipse
The obscuring of one thing by another, such as the sun by the moon or a person by a more famous or talented person (noun); to obscure, darken, make less important (verb)
The popularity of television led to the eclipse of the radio drama
edify
Uplift, enlighten, instruct or improve in a spiritual or moral way
I tried to edify his mood after hearing the news of his breakup
effigy
Representation or image of a person, esp. a crude facsimile used to mock a hated person
The chosen child was burned in effigy per the shamanistic tradition of the tribe
effrontery
shameless boldness; insolence
The little squirt had the effrontery to deny eating the cookies, even with the crumbs still on his lips
egalitarian
Related to belief in the equality of all people
Moon’s regime pursued egalitarian policies for the redistribution of wealth
egregious
Extraordinarily or conspicuously bad; glaring
The detective soon listed the egregious padding of evidences pointing to her crime.
egress
An exit or the action of exiting
The auditorium is designed to provide easy egress in an emergency.
elated
Very happy, in high spirits
elegy
Song or poem of sorrow, esp. for a deceased person
erratic
Inconsistent, wandering, having no fixed course
Because of his erratic attendance at practice, he was in danger of getting fired from the film
erroneous
Mistaken, in error; improper, morally incorrect
ersatz
Artificial, synthetic; being an inferior substitute
The apartment complex was designed as an ersatz Mediterranean villa
erstwhile
Former, previous (adj); in the past, formerly (adv)
There’s now a skyscraper where erstwhile lay green and pleasant pastures
erudite
Scholarly, knowledgeable; possessing deep, often systematic, knowledge
The conference was attended by some of the most erudite people in medical research
eschew
Shun, avoid, abstain from
A fair number of academics eschew from the simple title “professor” and call themselves economist, historians, philosophers, etc.
esoteric
Understood by or intended for only a few; secret
She must have had some esoteric motive for leaving everything behind and deciding to travel around the world
estimable
Worthy of esteem, admirable; able to be estimated
euphemism
Substitution of a mild, inoffensive, or indirect expression for one that is considered offensive or too direct
Cougar is the euphemism for a woman who has reached mid-life, who is single, financially secure and on the lookout for relationships with younger men—as in “prey.”
exacerbate
Make worse (more violent, severe, etc.), inflame; irritate or embitter (a person)
The new law only exacerbated the housing crisis in Seoul
exacting
Very severe in making demands; requiring precise attention
He was shocked when his normally exacting supervisor complimented him on a job well done
exculpate
Clear from guilt or blame
The court exculpated him after a thorough investigation.
exigent
Requiring immediate attention, action, or aid; excessively demanding
Police said exigent circumstances and the fact that the building appeared to be abandoned led them to enter without a warrant.
expedient
Suitable, proper; effective, often at the expense of ethics or other considerations
The cartel found expedient to maintain social relationships with gunmen and politicians from both parties
exponent
Person who expounds or explains; champion, advocate, or representative
Liberal academics have often described him as a leading exponent of Christian nationalism, because of his tendency to frame political events as theological challenges
expurgate
Censor; remove objectionable or offensive parts
They felt it was necessary to expurgate his letters before publishing them.
extemporaneous
Done without preparation (esp. of a speech), or with some preparation but no notes; improvised, done on the spur of the moment
The president’s extemporaneous comments have repeatedly caused problems for his administration
extraneous
Irrelevant; foreign, coming from without, not belonging
Some degree of packaging is necessary to transport and protect the products we need, but all too often manufacturers add extraneous wrappers over wrappers of unnecessary plastic.
extrapolate
Conjecture about an unknown by projecting information about something known; predict by projecting past experience
We can extrapolate the number of new students entering next year by looking at how many entered in previous years.
facetious
Joking, humorous, esp. inappropriately; not serious, concerned with frivolous things
This writing is a facetious and tasteless remark about people in famine-stricken countries being spared the problem of overeating
faction
Group or clique within a larger organization; party strife and dissension
fallacious
Containing a fallacy, or mistake in logic; logically unsound; deceptive
The decision feels less like a rational Court judgement and more like a fallacious argument that a fringe Facebook group might circulate as a fact
fallow
Left unplanted (of land); not in use
Back when writing system was yet to be developed, some important inventions and discoveries may have lied fallow
finesse
Extreme delicacy, subtlety, or diplomacy in handling a sensitive situation or in a performance or skill (noun); use tact or diplomacy; employ a deceptive strategy (verb)
He managed to finesse a deal through bargaining.
flag
Get tired, lose enthusiasm; hang limply or droop
flagging stock prices
fledgling
A young bird that has just recently gotten its feathers, an inexperienced person (noun); new or inexperienced (adj)
Fledgling movements toward democracy have been aborted by military coups in struggling Asian countries
fleeting
Passing quickly, transitory
Inflation is low-hanging political fruit for Republicans amid everyday reminders - underscored by weekly and monthly data drops - that show prices spiraling while policy solutions are fleeting.
florid
Reddish or rosy; flowery, showy, or excessively fancy
He gave a florid speech in honor of the Queen’s visit
flout
Treat with disdain, contempt, or scorn (usually of rules)
That led a handful of Republican lawmakers to purposely flout the House mask rules, resulting in them getting slapped with a mix of fines and warnings for their defiance.
fluke
Stroke of luck, something accidentally successful
After years of disappointment, it became evident that the player just had one good fluke season
foment
Incite, instigate, stir up, promote the growth of; apply medicated liquid to a body part
Typically, Moscow exploits mass protests in the U.S. to amplify discord and divisions in America through social media in the attempt to help foment social unrest.
forage
Wander in search of; rummage, hunt, make a raid
The town foraged the cow for the annual feast
ford
Place where a river or similar body of water is shallow enough to walk or ride a vehicle across (noun); to cross at such a place (verb)
The hiker eventually drowned herself while trying to ford the river
forestall
Delay, hinder, prevent by taking action beforehand
Earlier in the pandemic, experts thought that immunity from vaccination or previous infection would forestall most reinfections.
fortify
Strengthen, invigorate, encourage
The shooting already has led to calls to fortify schools further, on top of millions spent on equipment and other measures following earlier shootings.
fortuitous
Happening by chance; lucky
I belted down the stairs, and to my lucky, there was a fortuitous train incoming
fracas
Noisy disturbance or fight; brawl
The police broke up the fracas in the bar and threw both combatants in the lockup
fractious
Unruly, troublemaking; irritable
Sometimes cats who are particularly fractious — or short-tempered — need to be medicated or under anesthesia for vet technicians to clip their nails.
frenetic
Wildly excited, frantic, distracted
There was a frenetic rush to get all members of the cast in place before the curtains went down
fringe
On the margin, periphery (adj); the people in a group who hold the most extreme views (noun)
The presidency is the one office for which the entire country votes, and for it to be captured by progressive fringe is a travesty
fulminate
Explode, detonate; attack verbally in a vehement, thunderous way
But with the 2020 election, the left-leaning show no longer had Donald Trump to fulminate against
furtive
Done secretly; stealthy, sly, shifty
Until this year, the museum officials were extremely furtive about the exhibition - so much so that even journalists had no clue what was about
gainsay
Declare false, deny; oppose
Her role in passing the Affordable Care Act was absolutely heroic and should not be gainsaid
gambol
Frolic; skip or leap playfully
Three friends gambol drunkenly on the lawn, noisy in their adamant youthfulness
garrulous
Talkative, wordy, rambling
He was a garrulous boy who was in constant trouble for speaking out of turn
gauche
Tactless, lacking social grace, awkward, crude
His loud talking at the opera marked him as gauche and uncultured
gawky
Physically awkward (esp. of a tall, skinny person, often used to describe teenagers)
germane
Relevant and appropriate, on-topic
omit details that are not germane to the topic
