34-39 Flashcards
overwrought
nervous or excited
pachyderm
thick-skinned animal
paen
song of praise or joy
palatial
magnificent; suitable for a palace
palimpsest
something that has changed over time and shows evidence of that change
pall
become boring; grow tiresome
paltry
insignificant
pan
criticize harshly
panache
flair
pander
cater to
panegyric
formal praise
encomium
glowing and warmly enthusiastic praise
parable
short simple story teaching a moral
paradigm
a model or pattern for something that may be copied
paragon
model of perfection
paramour
illicit lover
inamorata
woman whom a man loves
parlance
language; manner of speaking
parley
conference
takeoff
burlesque
paroxysm
sudden, violent outburst
parquet
a surface (such as a floor) made of small pieces of wood that fit together to form a pattern
parry
ward off a blow
parsimony
stinginess
partisan
one-sided; prejudiced
parvenu
newly wealthy
pastiche
something that imitates the style of someone or something else
patent
obvious; easily seen
patina
a superficial covering or exterior
patois
local or provincial dialect
patrician
noble; aristocratic
peccadillo
slight offence or fault
pecuniary
pertaining to money
peerless
having no equal; incomparable
pejorative
belittling
pell-mell
in confusion; disorderly
pellucid
transparent; clear in meaning
penance
self-imposed punishment for sin
penumbra
partial shadow
penury
extreme poverty; stinginess
perdition
damnation; complete ruin
peregrination
journey
perfidious
treacherous
perfunctory
done routinely without care
perigee
the point nearest a planet or a satellite (as the moon) reached by an object orbiting it
peripatetic
going from place to place usually as part of your job
pernicious
very harmful; deadly
peroration
conclusion of an oration
perquisite
perk
personable
attractive
perspicacious
having insight
perspicuous
plainly expressed
pert
impertinent
pertinacious
stubborn; persistent
pervasive
spread throughout
pestilential
causing plague; baneful
petulant
peevish; ill-tempered
phalanx
a large group of people, animals, or things often placed close together
pharisaical
marked by hypocritical censorious self-righteousness
philistine
narrow-minded person
phlegmatic
calm and unexcitable
physiognomy
the appearance of a person’s face
piebald
multi-colored
piecemeal
gradually; in stages
pied
multicolored
pillory
subject to criticism and ridicule
pinion
restrain or immobilize by binding wings or legs
pique
irritation; resentment from wounded pride
pith
core or marrow; essence
pittance
small amount (of money)
plaintive
expressing sorrow; mournful
plasticity
ability to be molded
platitude
trite remark; commonplace statement
plaudit
praise
plebiscite
direct vote by the entire electorate
plenary
complete; full
plenitude
abundance
plight
difficult condition
pluck
courage
plumb (v)
to examine (something) in a careful and complete way in order to understand it
plumb (adj)
exactly vertical
poignancy
quality of being deeply moving
polemic
arrack or defense of an opinion
polemical
aggressive in verbal attack
politic
prudent; judicious
polyglot
speaking several languages
ponderous
having great weight; dull
pontifical
pompous or pretentious
pore
ponder; scrutinize
interstice
narrow space between things
postulate (v)
to assume or claim as true, existent, or necessary
postulate (n)
a statement that is accepted as being true and that is used as the basis of a theory, argument, etc
potentate
monarch; sovereign
poultice
a soft, usually heated substance that is spread on cloth and then placed on the skin to heal a sore or reduce pain
pragmatic
practical
prate
talk long and idly
prattle
babble; talk idly
preamble
introductory statement
precarious
unsafe; risky
precept
practical rule guiding conduct
precocious
advanced in development
predilection
preference; partiality
predispose
give an inclination toward; make susceptible to
preen
make oneself tidy in appearance
prefatory
introductory
prehensile
gifted with mental grasp or moral or aesthetic perception
prelate
church dignitary
preponderance
superiority of power, quantity
prerogative
privilege; unquestionable right
presage
foretell; be a warning or sign of
presentiment
premonition
presumptuous
going beyond what is right; arrogant
presume
take for granted; act overconfidently
preternatural
beyond what is normal in nature; supernatural
prevaricate
lie; hide the truth
primogeniture
being the first born child
probity
honesty
defalcate
embezzle
proclivity
inclination; natural tendency
procurement
obtaining
prodigal
wasteful
prodigious
enormous; marvelous
profligate
wasteful; dissipated
profusion
great amount
prognosticate
predict
proletarian
member of the working class
prolixity
tedious wordiness; verbosity
promontory
a high area of land or rock that sticks out into the sea
promulgate
announce; proclaim a doctrine or law
propensity
natural inclination
propinquity
nearness
propitiate
appease; conciliate
propitious
favorable; auspicious
propound
put forth for consideration or analysis; set forth
prosaic
lacking in imagination
proscenium
part of stage in front of curtain
proscribe
prohibit
proselytize
convert to a religion or belief
prosody
art of versification
prostrate
stretch out full on ground; completely overcome and lacking vitality, will, or power
protean
versatile
protract
prolong
proturberance
protrusion
provender
fodder; dry food for livestock
providence
being provident; divine care
provisional
tentative; temporary
proviso
an article or clause that introduces a condition
prowess
extraordinary ability
prurient
having or causing lustful desires and thoughts
psychosomatic
of the influence of the mind on the body
puerile
childish; immature
pugilist
boxer
pugnacity
combativeness
pulchritude
beauty
punctilious
minutely attentive
pundit
authority on a subject
punitive
punishing
purport
intention; purpose
rabble
mob; noisy crowd
purveyor
caterer
pusillanimous
cowardly
putative
supposed
putrid
decayed and foul-smelling
quack
charlatan
quaff
drink with zest
quagmire
predicament
quail
cower
quandary
dilemma; state of uncertainty
quash
crush; subdue
squelch
produce a splashing sound
querulous
given to complaining
quibble
minor objection or complaint
quiescent
dormant; inactive
quintessence
purest and highest embodiment; most essential element
quip
taunt; clever sarcastic remark
quisling
traitor who aids invaders
quorum
minimal number of members necessary to conduct a meeting
ragamuffin
dirty child in torn clothes
rail
complain bitterly; scold
raiment
clothing; garments
rakish
jaunty; stylish
rake
angle of a slope; immoral or dissolute person
ramify
branch out; divide into branches or subdivisions
rampant
growing or spreading uncontrollably
rampart
defensive mound of earth
ramshackle
poorly constructed; rickety
rancor
bitterness
rankle
irritate; festor
rapacious
ravenous; voracious
rapt
engrossed; absorbed
ratify
approve formally; confirm
ratiocination
reasoning
ravel
unravel
raze
destroy completely
reactionary
strongly opposed to social or political change
rebus
representation of words in the form of pictures or symbols
recant
disclaim or disavow; retract (statement)
recast
reconstruct
recidivism
habitual return to crime
recluse
hermit; loner
recondite
abstruse; not easily understood
recourse
resorting to help when in trouble
recreant
disloyal; cowardly
recrimination
a retaliatory accusation
recumbent
reclining
