2400 Flashcards
Abound
Exist in large numbers or amounts
Rumors of a further scandal abound.
Compile
Produce (something, especially a list, report, or book) by assembling information collected from other sources:
The local authority must compile a list of taxpayers.
Entreat
Keep asking earnestly, to beg
His friends entreated him not to go.
Incumbent
Imposed as a duty, obligatory
It is incumbent on all firefighters to save anyone, no matter the risk.
Reciprocate
To give in return
You are expected to reciprocate with a gift.
Tribulation
Hardships or great troubles
The play is about the tribulations of a family escaping from the South.
Autocratic
Having absolute power or authority
Democracy disproves of an autocratic government.
Congenial
Sharing similar tastes; agreeable
The library’s congenial atmosphere gave students a place to study in.
Encumber
To weigh down or burden
The eager tourists were encumbered by heavy luggage.
Manifest
Clear or obvious to the eye or mind
Their relief was manifest.
Tangible
Can be felt by touch
The barbed wire served as a tangible reminder that he was trapped.
Analogy
Drawing a similarity between things that are otherwise different
There are illuminating historical and contemporary analogies.
Billow
A large wave or roll of something (usually water)
The curtains in the open windows billowed in the summer wind.
Intuition
The immediate understanding of something without reasoning
Intuition was telling her that something was very wrong.
Revere
Respect deeply
In China, it is expected that you revere the aged.
Valor
Courage; bravery
He received three badges for valor during combat.
Cognizant
knowledgeable of something especially through personal experience
A good invester is cognizant of the many risks in investing.
Doleful
Full of grief; very sad
She scooted away from me with a doleful expression on her face.
Inquisitive
Improperly curious about the affairs of others
His inquisitive nature has made him an unpopular figure.
Subvert
To overthrow from the foundation
They wanted to subvert the mighty government.
Assiduous
Showing great care, attention and effort
She tended her garden with assiduous attention.
Conspire
to join in a secret agreement to do an unlawful or wrongful act
He was accused of conspiring to overthrow the goverment.
Elusive
Hard to comprehend or define
The elusive mix of good vibes and a good price is hard to find.
Gaudy
Cheap and showy
The gaudy costumes were hideous.
Banal
Lacking originality
The writing was banal but the story was exceptionally good.
Persecute
To oppress or harass, to treat badly
They were persecuted for their beliefs.
Superfluous
Exceeding what is sufficent or necessary; surplus
Stripping away anything superfluous can greatly improve writing.
Vindicate
To justify or defend, to determine the innocence
She will be completely vindicated by the evidence.
Exemplify
To show or illustrate by example
His story in the army exemplified the quality of vigor.
Impend
To be about to occur; upcoming
The impending test jeopardized her mental health and stressed her.
Modulate
To tune to a key or pitch
Because she doesn’t modulate her voice, she sounds the same when she’s excited as when she’s sad.
Tact
A keen sense of what to do or say in order to maintain good relations with others or avoid offense
I was surprised by his lack of tact.
Vindictive
Having or showing a desire for revenge
Jordan was a vindictive player who constantly criticized his teammates throughout his career.
Didactic
Intended primarily to teach rather than to entertain
Insuperable
Incapable of being surmounted, overcome, passed over, or solved
Insuperable financial difficulties as a university student gave me lots of stress.
Append
To add as something extra
Detailed notes were appended to each chapter.
Communal
Shared or used in common by members of a group or community
The tribe lived in communal huts.
Forbear
To hold oneself back from especially with an effort
Past tense- forbore
We decided to forbear from provoking him any further.
Transient
Not lasting or staying long
He experienced a transient moment of dizziness.
Adhere
Stick firmly to another; to cling
The stamp failed to adhere to the envelope.
Contiguity
Proximity; the state of being very close together
Because of the contiguity of the mall to the border, it attracts many shoppers.
Grandeur
Great beauty, power or size
Organizers in Paris are aiming to bring back grandeur to the Games.
Remit
To send (money) to a person or place especially in payment of a demand, account, or draft.
Please remit $1,000 upon receipt of this letter.
Bawdy
Humorously indecent; lewd
This is a world where bawdy remarks abound.
Deformity
Inperfection, blemish
A lot of child deformities are caused by premature births.
Placid
Serenely free of interruption or disturbance
The placid skies of the countryside mirrored my own emotions.
Retaliate
To get revenge
He retaliated by destroying her town model.
Prosecute
To bring legal action against a crime or violation of law
The store’s owner agreed not to prosecute if the boy returned the stolen goods.
Satirical
Exhibiting something in a scornful light
This is a satirical story about fame.
Commute
Travel regularly to and from work
He spent half of his day commuting between home and work.
Fortify
To strengthen or build forts on
This was a city fortified by high walls.
Impunity
Freedom from punishment, harm, or loss
You cannot insult people with impunity.
Shack
hut
They live in a shack.
Armistice
temporary stopping of war between opponents; truce
An armistice was called on Christmas.
Gregarious
tending to live in a community rather than alone; tending to associate with others of one’s kind
These gregarious birds cannot survive on their own.
Incur
to meet with (as an inconvenience)
He incurred significant financial losses.
Austere
Severe or stern in manner or appearance
The new look is much more austere and modern.
Taper
to become progressively smaller toward one end
Tapering roads led to traffic congestion.
Coxcomb
A conceited, foolish man
The general was portrayed as a coxcomb.
Conceited
having or showing an excessively high opinion of oneself
He was a brilliant but conceited musician.
Foliage
The aggregate/collect of leaves of one or more plants
The trees, with autumn foliage, decorated our yard.
Reservoir
A place where something is stored (usually water)
The big reservoir collects water.
Sod
the grass-covered and herb-covered surface of the ground
Stigmatize
to describe or regard in a way that shows strong disapproval
Mental illness is still stigmatized.
Cater
to provide a supply of food/ provide service
The restaurant caters for parties.
Bequeath
To pass down to others after death
This is a ring bequeathed to me by my grandmother.
Census
An official count of the a country’s total population
This year’s U.S. census hasn’t been released yet.
Masquerade
A social gathering of people wearing masks (noun) to disguise oneself (verb)
He was masquerading under a false name.
Morale
The state of mind referring to pride or faith
The team played well and their morale was high.
Commodious
roomy; spacious
A commodious closet is all she needs.
Invoke
Request or beg for
The suspect invoked his right to an attorney.
Myriad
mee-riad
a great number; ten thousand
I stared at the myriads of tiny colored dots that make up darkness.
Quarry
A place where stone, sand etc. are find
We wanted to open a stone quarry.
Fawn
to get favor in a cringing or flattering way
She fawned over the new teacher.
Resound
To become filled with sound, to sound loudly
The organ resounded throughout the church.
Anesthetic
Substance that produces the inability to feel pain
The doctors gave me anesthetic.
Straggle
To wander off from the direct course; to trail off from others
She straggled behind the rest of the group.
Plight
An unfortunate or difficult situation; predicament
Her death exposed the plight of African Americans.
Ingratiate
to gain favor or acceptance with deliberate effort
His attempts to ingratiate himeself with the prime minister failed.
Prostrate
Stretched out with face on the ground
The body was found in a prostrate position.
Allude
To make indirect reference
People who cry out for environment conservation rarely allude critical solutions.
Flit
To move in an erractic, fluttering manner
erractic= lack of uniform; wandering
The birds are free to flit in their cages.
Belabor
To beat soundly or to attack verbally
The contestants constantly belabored each other.
Devolve
To pass on a responsibility or property from one person to the next
The estate devolved to a distant cousin.
Ambush
A surprise attack from a place of hiding
Our troops ambushed the enemy headquarters.
Shroud
something that covers or guards
A shroud of secrecy surrounds his death.
Ballad
A popular, slow romantic or sentimental song
This is a haunting ballad about losing love.
Enshrine
Place in an appropiate reptacle, preserve in a form that ensures it will be protected and respected:
reptacle= container
The right of all workers was enshrined after the big fire.
Harangue
a lengthy and aggressive speech
He gave me a long harangue about the evils of urbanization on countrysides.
Hangar
A garage for airplanes
The hangar was huge.
Kernel
the inner softer part of a seed, fruit stone, or nut
Their love was sweeter than the kernels of hazelnuts.
Morsel
Fragment; small quantity
His food was so good that I savored every morsel.
Snare
Trap, usually for birds
They were caught in the snare of drug addiction.
Adverse
Unwilling, opposite, not desirable
He was calm in adverse situations.
Affectation
A not natural way of talking or acting
His french accent is just an affectation.
Apprise
To give notice to; tell
They apprised him of his rights.
Augment
Enlarge; increase
Censure
Reprimand; blame
Eminent
Highly respected, well-known
Imminent
About to happen
Zealous
Actively enthusiastic
Ordinance
Rule or law made by authority
Potable
Fit for drinking
Contemptible
deserving dislike or disrespect
Contemptuous
Showing or displaying contempt
Credulous
Gullible; easily decieved
Altar
Raised surface on which things are offered to a god
Bereave
Rob; take away
News of a death in the family bereaved them of joy.
Consecrate
Devote to some special use
He consecrated his fortune to the charity.
Evoke
Cause to appear; bring out
The house evoked old memories.
Obsolete
Out of date
Telegrams are obsolete.
Commemorate
to call to remembrance; honor the memory of
纪念
Defile
Make dirty or impure
The highway was defiled by billboards.
Deviation
Divergence from accepted norms
There have been slight deviations in the satellite’s orbit.
Fortitude
Strength in mind that allows a person to bear adversity or pain with courage
Inconsolable
Console
Not to be comforted; brokenhearted
Scourge
Something or someone that causes great trouble
Dissimulation
to hide or pretend
She smiled to dissimulate her urgency.
Flog
to beat with a rod or whip
Spout
Come out suddenly in a stream
Traverse
pass across, over or through
Wistful
Longing
Bulwark
something that protects you from dangerous or unpleasant situations
My savings were a bulwark against unemployment.
Dubious
Doubtful, uncertain
I was dubious about the plan.
Heed
To pay attention; mind
He didn’t heed wildfire reports.
Absolve
to set (someone) free from an obligation or the consequences of guilt
The judge absolved them of their crimes.
Deplore
to express grief for
He deplored the death of a friend.
Pith
The essential part
The fruit had a bitter pith.
Relish
A pleasing flavor; enjoyment in something that satisfies one’s inclinations
Her relish in singing stood out.
Aghast
struck with terror, amazement, or horror
She was aghasted when she heard the news.
Decree
Give an order (usually involving force of law)
The President issued a decree that made the day a national holiday.
Frolic
To play happily
Children were frolicking in the park.
Precipice
a very steep or overhanging place
He stood on the edge of the precipice.
Doting
Engross
Occupy completely
These are ideas that have engrossed the minds of scholars for generations.
Ordeal
Tribulation, severe experience
They were rescued from a three-day ordeal in the wilderness.
Stature
The height of a person or thing; elevation
The university has declined in stature during her time as the principal.
Undermine
To subvert or weaken; to excavate the earth beneath
He tried to undermine his political rival.
Espy
Catch sight of; see at a distance
I espied his lean figure.
Pulpit
an elevated platform or high reading desk used in preaching or conducting a worship service
Detain
To hold or keep in (as if in custody); to restrain from proceeding
Denounce
To accuse something of being evil or blameworthy, especially in public
Hamper
Hold back
Malady
Disease; illness
Plod
Walk heavily or slowly
Ailment
Trouble or distress; pain
Contrive
Plan with cleverness or skill; invent
Impair
Weaken; harm
Mortify
Degrade; wound a person’s feelings
Brawl
A noisy quarrel or fight; bicker
A brawl broke out among the fans.
Cynical
Not trusting human nature or motives
Those cynical men disprove of democracy.
Embellish
Add beauty to; decorate
Her book was embellished with decorations.
Gallant
Spirited/brave
They didn’t reach the summit, but they made a gallant attempt.
Ostentatious
Done for display, intended to attract notice
Presentiment
A feeling that something is about to happen
Satiate
To satisfy fully or to excess
Water satiated my thirst.
Undulate
Rise and fall in a wavelike motion; move in waves
Apparel
Outer clothing
Cajole
Persuade by pleasant words or flattery; efforts stronger than coaxing
Negative
He cajoled her into cheating on the final exams.
Scour
Clean or polish by hard rubbing; search for something
He scoured the area for his camera.
Chasm
A deep opening in the earth
They built a bridge over the chasm.
Abdicate
to renounce a throne, high office, dignity, or function
He abdicated his title as a king.
Accrue
to come about as a natural growth, increase, or advantage
Wisdom accrues with age.
Badger
to harass or annoy persistently
He badgered her into robbing the store.
Conjecture
Verb
Guess
Scientists conjectured that a disease caused the devastation.
Derange
To disturb the operation of, throw into confusion
This elaborate system could be deranged by even a small population increase.
Fiend
A very wicked person; witch
Fiends can badger you everywhere.
Crevice
“Creviss”
a narrow opening resulting from a split or crack (as in a cliff)
A lizard emerged from the crevice.
Demean
To lower the dignity or standing
He demeaned the situation until it was too late.
Converge
Tend to meet at one point
With the roads converging, accidents skyrocketed.
Partisan
a person who is strongly devoted to a particular cause or group
帮伙
They are political partisans, who see only one side of the problem.
Dissipate
to break up and drive off
The police dissipated the crowd.
Propensity
Intense natural inclination
She has the propensity to offer gifts and advice.
Devout
Devoted to religion or religious duties
Latent
present and capable of emerging or developing but not visible yet
She developed a latent infection.
Admonish
Warn, advise against doing something
Earnest or friendly warning
Condone
Forgive wrong action or behavior; pass over
He was accused of condoning racism.
Philanthropy
Love of mankind
Recollect
Remember something from past, call to mind again
Totter
Todler
Stand or walk with shaky steps
Daunt
Frighten
Gape
Stare with the mouth open
Saunter
Walk slowly and idly
Glutton
a greedy eater
Probe
examine throughly
Condescend
to descend willingly to a less formal or dignified leve
They are wealthy people who tend to be condescending toward their poor relations.
Grisly
Causing horror
The house was grisly under the rainy day.
Surmise
Form idea or opinion with few supporting facts
Vicissitude
“visisitude”
Changes that happen at different times in one’s life (especially those that result in conditions being worse)
Negative word
Abhor
Feel hatred or loathing for
Malign
Speak ill of
Rue
Feel remorse for
With rue in my heart…
Caprice
Sudden change of mind without reason
Changes that seemed to be motivated by caprice
Fallacy
mistakes
Mirage
An optical illusion
Preclude
To make impossible beforehand
The injury precluded a future career in sports.
Succinct
Express briefly and clearly
Complacent
Self satisfied, marked with expecially unawareness of actual dangers
Redundant
Not needed, more than necessary
Abate
Decrease, lessen
