6/29 Flashcards
Nebulous
adj.
vague; cloudy; lacking clearly defined form
Neologism
n.
a new word, expression, or usage; the creation or use of new words or senses
Obtuse
adj.
lacking sharpness of intellect; not clear or precise in thought or expression
Latin
obtundere: beat against
Obviate
v.
to anticipate and make unnecessary
Latin
via: way
obviat-: prevented
Onerous
adj.
troubling; burdensome
onus, oner-: burden
Paean
n.
a song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving
Perennial
adj.
recurrent through the year or many years; happening repeatedly
perennis: lasting the year through
Perfidy
n.
deceitfulness; untrustworthiness
adj. perfidious
Latin
per-: to ill effect
fides: faith
Perfunctory
adj.
cursory; done without care or interest (desultory, hasty)
Perspicacious
adj.
acutely perceptive; having keen discernment
n. perspicacity
Latin
perspicax: seeing clearly
Prattle
v.
to babble meaninglessly; to talk in an empty and idle manner
Precipitate
adj.
acting with excessive haste or impulse
v.
to cause or happen before anticipated or required
Prescience
n.
foreknowledge of events; knowing of events prior to their occurring
adj. prescient
Prevaricate
v.
to deliberately avoid the truth; to mislead
Latin
prae: before
varicari: straddle
Qualms
n.
misgivings; reservations; causes for hesitancy
Old English
cwealm: pain
Recant
v.
to retract, especially a previously held belief
Latin
re-
cantare: sing, chant
recantare: revoke
Reticent
adj.
quiet; reserved; reluctant to express thoughts and feelings
Solicitous
adj.
concerned and attentive; eager
Sordid
adj.
characterized by filth, grime, or squalor; foul
Latin
sordere: be dirty
Squander
v.
to waste by spending or using irresponsibly
Stupefy
v.
to stun, baffle, or amaze
stupere: be struck senseless
Torque
n.
a force that causes rotation
Tortuous
adj.
winding, twisting; excessively complicated
torquere: to twist
Truculent
adj.
fierce and cruel; eager to fight
trux, truc-: fierce
Veracity
n.
truthfulness, honesty
verax: speaking truly
Virulent
adj.
extremely harmful or poisonous; bitterly hostile or antagonistic
virus: poison
Voracious
adj.
having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; ravenous
vorare: devour
Abscond
v.
to depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide
Latin
ab-: away, from
condere: stow
Abberrant
adj.
deviating from the norm
n. abberation
Latin
ab-: away, from
errare: to stray
Alacrity
n.
eager and enthusiastic willingness
Latin
alacer: brisk
Anomaly
n.
deviation from the normal order, form, or rule; abnormality
adj. anomalous
Approbation
n.
an expression of approval or praise
Arduous
adj.
strenuous, taxing; requiring significant effort
Latin
arduus: steep, difficult
Assuage
v.
to ease or lessen; to appease or pacify
Latin
ad: to
suavis: sweet
Audacious
adj.
daring and fearless; recklessly bold
n. audacity
Latin
audere: dare
Austere
adj.
without adornment; bare; severely simple; ascetic
n. austerity
Axiomatic
adj.
taken as a given; possessing self-evident truth
n. axiom
Canonical
adj.
following or in agreement with accepted, traditional standards
n. canon
Capricious
adj.
inclined to change one’s mind impulsively; erratic, unpredictable
Censure
v.
to criticize severely; to officially rebuke