100 Words to Know Flashcards
acuity (n)
sharpness, keenness
adept (adj)
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
admonish (v); admonition (n)
warn, scold, caution
ambiguous (adj)
unclear meaning, two possible interpretations
apocalyptic (adj)
involving widespread devastation or ultimate doom
apocryphal (adj)
of questionable authenticity
appellation (n)
a name, title, or designation
archetype (n); archetypal (adj)
an original model, pattern, or type
ascertain (v)
to determine; to find out
assiduous (adj)
diligent, persistent
baize (n)
a type of coarse woolen cloth, often green, usually used for covering card tables
base (adj)
inferior, dishonorable
bastion (n)
a well-fortified position
berate (v)
to rebuke, reprimand, or scold
bourgeoisie (n)
the middle class
calumny (n)
slander; a false statement maliciously made to injure another’s reputation
cant (n)
tedious talk
censure (v)
to reprimand; to excommunicate or expel
coarse (adj)
lacking refinement or rough grained in texture
confute (v)
to prove to be wrong or in error
connoisseur (n)
a person with expert knowledge or training, especially in the fine arts
corporeal (adj)
having physical substance, material form
decry (v)
express strong disapproval of
defer (v); deference (n)
submit or yield to another’s wish or opinion
deliquesce (v)
to disappear as if by melting
dilatory (adj)
inclined to waste time and lag behind
disparage (v)
to criticize someone or something in a way that shows you do not respect or value them
draught (n)
a current of unpleasantly cold air blowing through a room (archaic for draft)
dray (n)
a large low of carriage with four wheels pulled by horses
dyspeptic (adj); dyspepsia (n)
always angry or easily annoyed or having indigestion
elicit (v)
to call forth, draw out, or provoke
emit (v)
to send a beam, noise, smell, or gas
espionage (n)
spying; the discovering of secrets
facile (adj)
easy
feign (v)
to pretend, to dissemble, to misrepresent
fester (n/v)
to become infected/an infection
festoon(ed) (v)
draped, decorated as for a parade or state event
fledgeling (adj)
new and inexperienced
gainsay (v)
challenge, dispute
genuflect (v); genuflections )n)
to bow as before a priest
grandeur (n)
magnificent, splendid, vast beauty
grudging (adj); grudgingly (adv)
done in an unwilling way; unwillingly
hack (n)
a reporter, artist, or writer whose work is not very good
husband(ed) (v)
to use something carefully so that you do not use all of it
illicit (adj)
contrary to accepted morality (especially sexual morality) or convention
illusory (adj)
not real, based on illusion
imbibe (v)
to drink, especially alcohol
inexorable (adj)
without end, interminable
introspection (n)
examination of and attention to your own ideas, thoughts, and feelings
kowtow (v)
to show too much respect to someone in authority, always obeying them and changing what you do in order to please them (sucking up)
languid, languished, languor (n)
without energy; pleasant mental or physical tiredness or lack of activity
latent (adj)
potentially existing but not presently evident or realized
magnanimity (n)
great generosity of spirit or money
malevolent (adj); malevolence (n)
ill will, maliciousness
mutton (n)
meat from a sheep
orthodoxy (n)
a belief or orientation agreeing with conventional standards
parochial (adj)
provincial; country-like, or of a parish (church community or region)
pathos (n)
poignancy; quality of emotion in a work of art or literature
pecuniary (adj)
relating to money; monetary
permeate (v)
pervade, penetrate, get into everything
pernicious (adj)
deadly, harmful, pestilent
pious (adj); piety (n)
godly, reverent, holy (state of being pious)
plait (v); plaits (n)
to braid; braids
porter (n)
a railroad employee who assists passengers
prattle (v)
idle talk, to go on and on meaninglessly
precipitate (v); precipitous (adj)
to cause to happen, especially suddenly or prematurely; done hastily, without thought
precocious (adj)
characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity, especially mental development
profligate (adj)
wasteful, extravagent, prodigal
prostrate (adj/v)
to lay face down on the ground in humility, submission, or adoration
prerogative (n)
privilege, right
prudent (adj)
careful and sensible; marked by sound judgement
qualm(s) (n)
an uncomfortable feeling of doubt about whether you are doing the right thing
randy (adj)
sexually aroused
recitation (n)
an event when one recites a literary work (usually) orally for an audience
reiterate (v); reiteration (n)
to say or explain again
resonant (adj); resonance (n)
strong and deep in tone or strongly reminiscent; evocative
rheumatism (n)
any painful disorder of the joints or muscles or connective tissues
sated (adj); satiety (n)
satisfied; full
scant, scanty (adj)
barely sufficient
schizoid (adj)
of, relating to, or having a personality disorder marked by extreme shyness, flat affect, discomfort with others, and an inability to form close relationships; a person who is reclusive
self abasement (n)
to put oneself down, to denigrate oneself
sodden (adj)
drenched, soaked, sopping; expressionless, stupid, or dull, especially from drink
tawdry (adj)
cheap, gaudy, trashy, tacky
throes (n)
condition of agonizing struggle or trouble
timorous (adj)
fearful; shy; timid
torrent (n)
an overwhelming number or amount or a violently fast stream of water
torpor (n)
listlessness; languor, without energy, apathetic
transcendant (adj); transcendence (n)
beyond ordinary; sublime
transiet, transience
fleeting, not lasting
tremulous (adj)
quivering as from weakness or fear
turbid (adj)
churned up; cloudy, muddy, murky
unabashed (adj)
not embarrassed
variegated (adj)
having streaks, marks, or patches of a different color or colors; varicolored
veracity (n)
truthfulness
veritable (adj)
being truly so-called; real or genuine
vigilant (adj); vigilance (n)
on guard, cautiously aware, continuous attention
vigilante (n)
one who takes or advocates the taking of law enforcement into one’s own hands
vociferation (n); vociferous (adj)
cry out loudly, especially in protest
voluble (adj); volubility (n)
taking easily, readily, and at length; fluent
weft (n)
the horizontal threads interlaced through the warm in a woven fabric
