1 Deck Flashcards
abate
v. subside; decrease, lessen.
n. abatement
Rather than leaving immediately, they waited for the storm to abate.
There was an abatement of bullying in the school.
abridge
v. condense; shorten.
Because the publishers felt the public wanted a shorter version of War and Peace, the proceeded to abridge the novel.
abstemious
adj. sparing in eating and drinking; temperate.
Concerned whether her vegetarian son’s abstemious diet provided him with sufficient protein, the worried mother pressed food on him
abstract
adj. theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational.
To him, hunger was an abstract concept; he had never missed a meal.
abstruse
adj. hard to understand; obscure; profound.
Baffled by the abstruse philosophical texts assigned in class, Dave asked Lexy to explain Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason.
accessible
adj. easy to approach, obtainable.
We asked our guide whether the ruins were accessible on foot.
acclaim
v. applaud; announce with great approval.
n. acclaim
The NBC sportscasters acclaimed every American victory in the Olympics and decried every American defeat.
She has won acclaim for her commitment to the community.
accolade
n. award of merit.
In Hollywood, an “Oscar” is the highest accolade.
acknowledge
v. recognize; admit.
Although Iris acknowledged that the Beatles’ tunes sounded pretty dated nowadays, she still preferred them to the hip-hop songs her brothers played.
acquiesce
v. assent, agree without protesting.
n. acquiescence
adj. acquiescent
Although she appeared to acquiesce to her employer’s suggestions, I could tell she had reservations about the changes he wanted made.
In silent acquiescence, she stood up.
The political parties were acquiescent and there was no conflict between them.
acrid
adj. sharp, bitterly pungent.
The acrid odor of burnt gunpowder filled the room after the pistol had been fired.
acrimonious
adj. bitter in words or manner.
n. acrimony
The candidate attacked his opponent in highly acrimonious terms.
Children exposed to acrimony can cause them to be mean.
adulation
n. flattery; admiration.
v. adulate
The rock star thrived on the adulation of his groupies and yes men.
Many people adulate celebrities.
adversary
n. opponent.
The young wrestler struggled to defeat his adversary.
adversity
n. unfavorable fortune; hardship.
According to the humorist Mark Twain, anyone can easily learn to endure adversity, as long as it is another man’s.
advocate
v. urge; plead for.
n. advocate
The abolitionists advocated freedom for the slaves.
He was an advocate for economic reform.
aesthetic
adj. artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciation of the beautiful.
n. aesthete
The beauty of Tiffany’s stained glass appealed to Esther’s aesthetic sense.
The model remains an aesthete, but has to endure the harsh eating habits.
affable
adj. easily approachable; warmly friendly.
Accustomed to the cold, aloof supervisors, Nicholas was amazed at how affable his new employer was.
affirmation
n. positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath.
Despite Tom’s affirmations of innocence, Aunt Polly still suspected he had eaten the pie.
aggregate
v. gather; accumulate.
n. aggregation
Before the Wall Street scandals, dealers in so-called junk bonds managed to aggregate great wealth in short periods of time.
Elephants are found in large aggregations.
alleviate
v. relieve.
This should alleviate the pain; if it does not, we shall have to use stronger drugs.
aloof
adj. apart; reserved.
Shy by nature, she remained aloof while all the rest conversed.
altruistic
adj. unselfishly generous; concerned for others.
n. altruism
In providing tutorial assistance and college scholarships for hundreds of economically disadvantaged youths, Eugene Lang preformed a truly altruistic deed.
My friend helps everyone out of altruism.
ambiguous
adj. unclear or doubtful in meaning.
n. ambiguity
His ambiguous instructions misled us; we did not know which road to take.
Legislators work hard to make sure there are no ambiguities in the Constitution.