300 high-frequency words Flashcards
1
Q
aberrant
A
deviating from what is normal
2
Q
abeyance
A
temporary suppression or suspension
3
Q
abstemious
A
moderate in appetite
4
Q
alacrity
A
cheerful willingness; eagerness; speed
5
Q
amalgamate
A
to combine into a unified whole
6
Q
ambivalence
A
state of having conflicting emotional attitudes
7
Q
ameliorate
A
to improve
8
Q
anachronism
A
something out of the proper time
9
Q
anarchy
A
absence of government; state of disorder
10
Q
antipathy
A
dislike, hostility
11
Q
apprise
A
to inform
12
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approbation
A
praise; approval
13
Q
appropriate (v)
A
to take possession for one’s own use; confiscate
14
Q
arduous
A
extremely difficult; laborious
15
Q
artless
A
guileless; natural
16
Q
ascetic
A
one who practises self-denial (n); self-denying; austere (adj)
17
Q
aspersion
A
slander; false rumor
18
Q
assiduous
A
diligent; hard-working
19
Q
attenuate
A
to weaken
20
Q
audacious
A
bold; daring
21
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austere
A
stern; unadorned
22
Q
aver
A
to affirm; declare to be true
23
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belie
A
to contradict; misrepresent
24
Q
bombastic
A
pompous
25
boorish
rude; insensitive
26
burgeon
to flourish
27
burnish
to polish
28
buttress
to reinforce; support
29
cacophonous
unpleasant or harsh-sounding
30
cant
insincere talk
31
capricious
fickle
32
castigation
punishment; criticism
33
chicanery
trickery; fraud
34
commensurate
proportional
35
compendium
brief; comprehensive summary
36
complaisant
overly polite; wiling to please; obliging
37
conciliatory
overcoming distrust or hostility
38
concomitant
existing concurrently
39
confound
to baffle; perplex
40
contentious
quarrelsome
41
conundrum
riddle; puzzle with no solution
42
craven
cowardly"Refusing to fight would be a craven act."
43
credence
acceptance of something as true
44
decorum
proper behaviour (n); decorous (adj)
45
deference
respect; regard for another's wish (n)defer (v): "The young lawyer deferred to the view of the senior partner in the law firm."
46
demotic
pertaining to people
47
demur
to express doubt
48
denigrate
to slur someone's reputation
49
denouement
outcome; unraveling of the plot of a play/ literature"The book tells the story of what was for Europe a rather embarrassing denouement to the Crusades."
50
desiccate
to dry completely"The dry desert air caused the bodies of the dead animals to desiccate quickly."
51
desultory
random; disconnected rambling"The jury had difficulty following the witnesses' desultory testimony."
52
diatribe
bitter verbal attack"The speaker launched into a diatribe against what he called 'the evils of technology'."
53
dichotomy
division into two contradictory part
54
diffidence
shyness; lack of confidence"He overcame his diffidence and decided to run for presidency."
55
diffuse
to spread out
56
disabuse
to free from a misconception
57
disingenuous
not candid; crafty"I don't mean to appear disingenuous..."
58
disinterested
unprejudiced; objective
59
disparage
to belittle"Though sometimes disparaged as an intellectual game, philosophy provides us with a method for inquiring systematically into problems that arise in areas such as medicine, science and technology."
60
disparate
dissimilar (adj); disparity (n)"The huge income disparity in the world is illustrated by ..."
61
dissemble
to pretend; disguise one'e motives"The prosecutor thinks that the witness is dissembling and wants her to tell the whole truth."
62
disseminate
to spread; scatter; disperse
63
dissolution
disintegration; debauchery
64
dissonance
discord; lack of harmony
65
dogmatic
stating opinions without proof
66
ebullient
exhilarated; enthusiastic
67
eclectic
selected from various sources
68
effete
depleted of vitality; overrefined decadent
69
effrontery
shameless boldness
70
elicit
to provoke; draw out
71
emulate
to imitate; copy
72
endemic
inherent; belonging to an area
73
enervate
to weaken
74
ephemeral
short-lived; fleeting
75
equanimity
composure; calmness
76
equivocate
to intentionally use vague language
77
erudite
learned; scholarly
78
esoteric
hard to understand known only to a few
79
exacerbate
to aggravate; make worse
80
exculpate
to clear of blame; vindicate
81
execrable
detestable; abhorrent
82
exigency
crisis; urgent requirements
83
extant
in existence; not lost
84
extraneous
not essential
85
facetious
not inherent or essential
86
fallacious
based on a false idea or fact; misleading
87
fatuous
foolishly self-satisfied
88
felicitous
suitably expressed; appropriate; well-chosen
89
fledgling
beginner; novice
90
foment
to incite; arouse
91
forestall
to prevent; delay
92
fractious
quarrelsome; rebellious
93
fulminate
to attack loudly; denounce
94
gainsay
to deny; dispute; oppose
95
garrulous
very talkative; wordy
96
gregarious
sociable
97
guileless
free of cunning or deceit
98
harangue
long pompous speech
99
heterodox
unorthodox; not widely accepted
100
histrionic
relating to exaggerated emotional behaviour calculated for effect; theatrical arts or performances
101
homily
sermon; platitude
102
iconoclastic
attacking cherished traditions
103
idolatry
idol worship; blind devotion
104
igneous
produced by fire; volcanic
105
immutable
unchangeable
106
imperturbable
not easily disturbed
107
impervious
impossible to penetrate
108
implacable
inflexible; incapable of being pleased
109
inchoate
imperfectly formed or formulated
110
incongruity
state of not fitting
111
indigence
poverty
112
indolent
lazy; idle
113
ineluctable
not to be avoided or escaped; inevitable
114
ingenuous
naive and trusting; lack sophistication
115
innocuous
harmless
116
insinuate
to suggest; imply
117
insensible
unconscious; unresponsive
118
insipid
lacking in flavor; dull
119
insularity
narrow-mindedness; isolation
120
intractable
not easily managed
121
intransigence
stubbornness; refusal to compromise
122
inundate
to cover with water; overwhelm
123
inured
hardened; accustomed; used to"After 20 years in the army, he had not become inured to the sight of men dying on battlefield."
124
invective
verbal abuse (n)"The judge cautioned participants not to engage in invective, but rather in reasoned and decorous discourse."
125
irascible
easily angered"The irascible old man complains every time someone makes a little noise."
126
irresolute
unsure of how to act; weak
127
laconic
using few words
128
lassitude
lethargy; sluggishness
129
laud
to praise
130
lethargic
inactive
131
levity
light manner or attitude
132
limpid
clear; transparent"At the bottom of the limpid pond we could see hundreds of fish swimming."
133
magnanimity
generosity; nobility
134
malinger
to feign illness to escape duty"In order to discourage malingering, the company decided to require employees taking sick leave to produce a doctor's certification."
135
maverick
dissenter" xxx has a reputation as a maverick; he is one of only members of the congress who is independent."
136
mendacious
dishonest"The judge ruled the testimony inadmissible because he considered it mendacious."
137
meretricious
gaudy; plausible but false
138
misanthrope
one who hates humanity
139
mitigate
to cause to become less harsh, severe; alleviate
140
mollify
to soothe
141
morose
ill-humored; sullen
142
neophyte
novice; beginner
143
obdurate
stubborn
144
obsequious
overly submissive"He should overcome this obsequiousness by taking an assertiveness training course."
145
obviate
to make unnecessary; to anticipate and prevent"An experienced physician can often discern if a patient's symptoms are psychosomatic, thus obviating the need for expensive medical tests."
146
occlude
to shut; block
147
officious
too helpful; meddlesome
148
onerous
burdensome"The duty the judge considers most onerous is sentencing convicted criminals."
149
opprobrium
disgrace; contempt (n)"It is difficult to imagine the opprobrium heaped on a person who is a traitor to his or her group."
150
ostentatious
showy; trying to attract attention
151
paragon
model of excellence or perfection"The epic poet Homer was regarded by the ancient Greeks as a paragon of literary excellence."
152
partisan
one-sided; committed to a party, group or cause
153
paucity
scarcity
154
pedantic
showing off learning (adj); pedant (n): an uninspired boring academic
155
pellucid
transparent; easily understood
156
penchant
inclination (n)"Sue has a penchant for science, while her brother is more interested in the arts."
157
penury
extreme poverty
158
perfidious
faithless; disloyal; untrustworthy
159
perfunctory
superficial; not thorough; performed as a duty"The perfunctory inspection of the airplane failed to reveal structural faults in the wing."
160
pervasive
spread throughout every part
161
phlegmatic
calm in temperament; sluggish
162
placate
to lessen another's anger; to pacify
163
platitude
stale; overused expression"She took comfort in the latitude that the first 6 months of a marriage were always the most difficult."
164
plethora
excess; overabundance"... a plethora of euphemisms"
165
pragmatic
practical
166
precarious
uncertain
167
precipitate
adj: rash, hasty, sudden "please don't take any precipitate action."
168
prevaricate
to quibble; evade the truth"Journalists accused government leaders of prevaricating about the progress of the war."
169
pristine
untouched; uncorrupted"...in pristine condition for 50 years."
170
probity
honesty; high-mindedness"No one questioned the probity of the judge..."
171
propitiate
to win over; appease
172
propriety
correct conduct fitness"Judges are expected to conduct themselves with propriety in the courtroom."
173
proscribe
to condemn; forbid; outlaw
174
qualified
limited; restricted
175
rarefied
refined (adj)rarefy (v): to make thinner, purer or more refined
176
recalcitrant
resisting authority or control
177
recant
to retract a statement or opinion"The bishop told the theologian that he must recant his heretical teaching or risk excommunication."
178
recondite
abstruse; profound
179
refractory
stubborn; unmanageable; resisting ordinary methods of treatment".....determine the cause of the patient's refractory illness."
180
relegate
to consign to an inferior position
181
reproach
to find fault with; blamereprise (v)
182
reprobate
morally unprincipled person"The social worker refused to give up hope reforming the criminal who was generally regarded as a reprobate."
183
repudiate
to reject as having no authority
184
rescind
to cancel
185
reticent
not speaking freely; reserved; reluctant
186
sage
wise
187
salubrious
healthful"The salubrious effects of exercise on both physical and mental health have been well documented."
188
salutary
expecting an improvement; favourable to health
189
sanction
to approve, ratify; permit (v)(n) sanction: approval etc or penalisation
190
sartorial
pertaining to tailors"Pff-screen, the glamorous actress' sartorial style runs more to jeans and T-shirts than to elaborate gowns."
191
satiate
to satisfy
192
sentient
aware; conscious; able to perceive (adj):Charles Darwin regarded many animals as being sentient and as having intelligence."(n) sentience
193
solicitous
concerned; attentive; eager"The nurse is extremely solicitous of the health of every patient in the ward."
194
soporific
sleep producing "The best soporific is reading a boring book."
195
specious
seeming to be logical and sound, but not really so"The article rebuts the specious argument advanced by the so-called expert in the field."
196
sporadic
irregular
197
stigma
mark of disgrace or inferiority(v) stigmatize: "The civil rights movement helped to stigmatise racism, augmenting legal effects to desegregate American society."
198
stipulate
to specify as an essential condition
199
stolid
having or showing little emotion
200
substantiate
to support with proof or evidence
201
subsume
to include; incorporate"...attempt to arrive at a final generalisation that will subsume all previous generalisations about the nature of logic."
202
supersede
to replace
203
supposition
the act of assuming to be true or real
204
tacit
silently understood; implied
205
tangential
peripheral; digressing
206
tenuous
weak; insubstantial
207
tirade
long, violent speech; verbal assault"The students had no choice but to sit and wait for the principal's trade about poor discipline to end."
208
torpor
lethargy; dormancy
209
tortuous
having many twists and turns; highly complex
210
tractable
obedient; yielding
211
transgression
act of trespassing or violating a law or rule
212
truculence
aggressiveness, ferocity
213
turgid
swollen, bloated, pompous
214
untenable
indefensible
215
vacillate
to water; oscillate
216
vapid
tastelss; dull
217
venerate
to honour; respect(adj) venerable
218
veracious
truthful; accurate
219
verbose
wordy
220
vitiate
to impair the quality of; corrupt morally"One error in the study's methodology vitiates the entire body of work."
221
vituperative
using harsh, abusive censure(v) vituperate"The young music critic's vituperative comments aroused the wrath of nearly every serious composer."
222
whimsical
fanciful; unpredictable
223
zealot
one who is fanatically devoted to a cause(n) zealotry(adj) zealous
