9b. Vocabulary - Key Terms Group 2 Flashcards
heretical
(adj.) violating accepted dogma or convention (noun form: heresy)
catalyst
(noun) a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change
precursor
(noun) one that precedes and indicates or announces another
preen
(verb) to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care
inert
(adj.) unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
quiescence
(noun) stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest (adj. form: quiescent)
didactic
(adj.) intended to teach or instruct
ascetic
(noun) one who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion
empirical
(adj.) based on observation or experiment
elegy
(noun) a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead (adj. form: elegiac)
oscillation
(noun) the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm (verb form: oscillate)
viscous
(adj.) thick; sticky (noun form: viscosity)
furtive
(adj.) done in a quiet and secretive way to avoid being noticed: SURREPTITIOUS
canon
(noun) an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature (adj. form: canonical)
stoic
(adj.) indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast (noun form: stoicism)
vilify
(verb) to defame; to characterize harshly
supplant
(verb) to take the place of; to supersede
putrefy
(verb) to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor (adj. form: putrid)
adulation
(noun) an expression of praise
opaque
(adj.) impenetrable by light; not reflecting light
esoteric
(adj.) intended for or understood by a small, specific group
eclectic
(adj.) composed of elements drawn from various sources
disinterested
(adj.) free of bias or self-interest; impartial
aesthetic
(adj.) dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
castigation
(noun) severe criticism or punishment (verb form: castigate)
exonerate
(verb) to remove blame
avarice
(noun) greed, especially for wealth (adj. form: avaricious)
eulogy
(noun) a speech honoring the dead (verb form: eulogize)
intransigent
(adj.) refusing to compromise (noun form: intransigence)
quaff | kwäf |
(verb) to drink deeply
facetious | fəˈsēSHəs |
(adj.) playful; humorous
satire
(noun) a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision (adj. form: satirical)
emollient
(adj.)/ (noun) soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smoothes the skin
culpable
(adj.) deserving blame (noun form: culpability)
inveigle \ in-ˈvā-gəl \
(verb) to win over by wiles : ENTICE
accolade
(noun) an expression of praise
chary | ˈCHerē |
(adj.) wary; cautious; sparing
ebullience
(noun) the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings (adj. form: ebullient)
abate
(verb) to lessen in intensity or degree
pernicious
(adj.) extremely harmful in a way that is not easily seen or noticed
squalid
(noun) marked by filthiness and degradation from neglect or poverty
impecunious
(noun) an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech (adj. form: hyperbolic)
penurious
(adj.) penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
cacophony
(noun) harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance (adj. form: cacophonous)
sanction
(noun)/(verb) authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority
complaisance
(noun) the willingness to comply with the wishes of others (adj. form: complaisant)
gregarious
(adj.) sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
contentious
(adj.) argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
harangue
(verb)/ (noun) to deliver a forceful or angry speech; ranting speech or writing
caustic
(adj.) burning or stinging; causing corrosion
fallacy
(noun) an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief (adj. form: fallacious)
odious
(adj.) evoking intense aversion or dislike
cogent
(adj.) appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
demur
(verb) to question or oppose
prolific
(adj.) producing large volumes or amounts; productive
peruse
(verb) to examine with great care (noun form: perusal)
prodigious
(adj.) abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary
ubiquitous
(adj.) existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread
inocuous
(adj.) harmless; causing no damage
morose
(adj.) sad; sullen; melancholy
burgeon
(verb) to grow rapidly or flourish
torpid
(adj.) lethargic; sluggish; dormant (noun form: torpor)
discretion
(noun) cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions (adj. form: discreet)
dogmatic
(adj.) expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles (noun form: dogma)
pious
(adj.) extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion (noun form: piety)
incipient
(adj.) beginning to come into being or to become apparent
hyperbole
(noun) an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech (adj. form: hyperbolic)
urbane
(adj.) sophisticated; refined; elegant (noun form: urbanity)
bucolic
(adj.) rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
redoubtable
(adj.) awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
contrite
(adj.) regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness (noun form: contrition)
dearth
(noun) smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
ameliorate
(verb) to make better or more tolerable
ephemeral
(adj.) brief; fleeting
enigmatic | ˌenəɡˈmadik |
(adj.) mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand (noun form: enigma)
