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ACT/SAT Vocab Words > ACT - SAT Vocab Words - O, P > Flashcards

ACT - SAT Vocab Words - O, P Flashcards

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1
Q

obdurate

A

(adj.) unyielding to persuasion or moral influences (The obdurateold man refused to take pity on the kittens.)

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2
Q

obfuscate

A

(v.) to render incomprehensible (The detective did want to answer the newspaperman’s questions, so he obfuscatedthe truth.)

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3
Q

oblique

A

(adj.) diverging from a straight line or course, not straightforward (Martin’s obliquelanguage confused those who listened to him.)

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4
Q

oblivious

A

(adj.) lacking consciousness or awareness of something (Oblivious to the burning smell emanating from the kitchen, my father did not notice that the rolls in the oven were burned until much too late.)

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5
Q

obscure

A

(adj.) unclear, partially hidden (Because he was standing in the shadows, his features were obscure.)

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6
Q

obsequious

A

(adj.) excessively compliant or submissive (Mark acted like Janet’s servant,obeying her every request in an obsequiousmanner.)

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7
Q

obsolete

A

(adj.) no longer used, out of date (With the inventions of tape decks and CDs, which both have better sound and are easier to use, eight-track players are now entirely obsolete.)

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8
Q

obstinate

A

(adj.) not yielding easily, stubborn (The obstinatechild refused to leave the store until his mother bought him a candy bar.)

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9
Q

obstreperous

A

(adj.) noisy, unruly (Billy’s obstreperousbehavior prompted the librarian to ask him to leave the reading room.)

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10
Q

obtuse

A

(adj.) lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect (Political opponents warned that the prime minister’s obtuseapproach to foreign policy would embroil the nation in mindless war.)

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11
Q

odious

A

(adj.) instilling hatred or intense displeasure (Mark was assigned the odioustask of cleaning the cat’s litter box.)

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12
Q

officious

A

(adj.) offering one’s services when they are neither wanted nor needed (Brenda resented Allan’s officiousbehavior when he selected colors that might best improve her artwork.)

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13
Q

ominous

A

(adj.) foreboding or foreshadowing evil (The fortuneteller’s ominouswords flashed through my mind as the hooded figure approached me in the alley.)

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14
Q

onerous

A

(adj.) burdensome (My parents lamented that the pleasures of living in a beautiful country estate no longer outweighed the onerousmortgage payments.)

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15
Q

opulent

A

(adj.) characterized by rich abundance verging on ostentation (The opulent furnishings of the dictator’s private compound contrasted harshly with the meager accommodations of her subjects.)

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16
Q

oration

A

(n.) a speech delivered in a formal or ceremonious manner (The prime minister was visibly shaken when the unruly parliament interrupted his orationabout failed domestic policies.)

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17
Q

ornate

A

(adj.) highly elaborate, excessively decorated (The ornatestyling of the new model of luxury car could not compensate for the poor quality of its motor.)

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18
Q

orthodox

A

(adj.) conventional, conforming to established protocol (The company’s profits dwindled because the management pursued orthodoxbusiness policies that were incompatible with new industrial trends.)

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19
Q

oscillate

A

(v.) to sway from one side to the other (My uncle oscillatedbetween buying a station wagon to transport his family and buying a sports car to satisfy his boyhood fantasies.)

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20
Q

ostensible

A

(adj.) appearing as such, seemingly (Jack’s ostensiblereason for driving was that airfare was too expensive, but in reality, he was afraid of flying.)

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21
Q

ostentatious

A

(adj.) excessively showy, glitzy (On the palace tour, the guide focused on the ostentatiousdecorations and spoke little of the royal family’s history.)

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22
Q

ostracism

A

(n.) exclusion from a group (Beth risked ostracismif her roommates discovered her flatulence.)

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23
Q

pacific

A

(adj.) soothing (The chemistry professor’s pacificdemeanor helped the class remain calm after the experiment exploded.)

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24
Q

palatable

A

(adj.) agreeable to the taste or sensibilities (Despite the unpleasant smell, the exotic cheese was quite palatable.)

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25
Q

palette

A

(adj.) a range of colors or qualities (The paletteof colors utilized in the painting was equaled only by the range of intense emotions the piece evoked.)

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26
Q

palliate

A

(v.) to reduce the severity of (The doctor trusted that the new medication would palliateher patient’s discomfort.)

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27
Q

pallid

A

(adj.) lacking color (Dr. Van Helsing feared that Lucy’s pallidcomplexion was due to an unexplained loss of blood.)

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28
Q

panacea

A

(n.) a remedy for all ills or difficulties (Doctors wish there was a single panacea for every disease, but sadly there is not.)

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29
Q

paradigm

A

(n.) an example that is a perfect pattern or model (Because the new SUV was so popular, it became the paradigmupon which all others were modeled.)

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30
Q

paradox

A

(n.) an apparently contradictory statement that is perhaps true (The diplomat refused to acknowledge the paradoxthat negotiating a peace treaty would demand more resources than waging war.)

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31
Q

paragon

A

(n.) a model of excellence or perfection (The mythical Helen of Troy was considered a paragonof female beauty.)

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32
Q

paramount

A

(adj.) greatest in importance, rank, character (It was paramountthat the bomb squad disconnect the blue wire before removing the fuse.)

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33
Q

pariah

A

(n.) an outcast (Following the discovery of his plagiarism, Professor Hurley was made a pariahin all academic circles.)

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34
Q

parody

A

(n.) a satirical imitation (A hush fell over the classroom when the teacher returned to find Deborah acting out a parodyof his teaching style.)

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35
Q

parsimony

A

(n.) frugality, stinginess (Many relatives believed that my aunt’s wealth resulted from her parsimony.)

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36
Q

partisan

A

(n.) a follower, adherent (The king did not believe that his rival could round up enough partisansto overthrow the monarchy.)

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37
Q

patent

A

(adj.) readily seen or understood, clear (The reason for Jim’s abdominal pain was made patentafter the doctor performed a sonogram.)

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38
Q

pathology

A

(n.) a deviation from the normal (Dr. Hastings had difficulty identifying the precise nature of Brian’s pathology.)

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39
Q

pathos

A

(n.) an emotion of sympathy (Martha filled with pathosupon discovering the scrawny, shivering kitten at her door.)

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40
Q

paucity

A

(adj.) small in quantity (Gilbert lamented the paucityof twentieth century literature courses available at the college.)

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41
Q

pejorative

A

(adj.) derogatory, uncomplimentary (The evening’s headline news covered an international scandal caused by a pejorativestatement the famous senator had made in reference to a foreign leader.)

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42
Q

pellucid

A

(adj.) easily intelligible, clear (Wishing his book to be pellucidto the common man, Albert Camus avoided using complicated grammar when composing The Stranger.)

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43
Q

penchant

A

(n.) a tendency, partiality, preference (Jill’s dinner parties quickly became monotonous on account of her penchantfor Mexican dishes.)

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44
Q

penitent

A

(adj.) remorseful, regretful (The jury’s verdict may have been more lenient if the criminal had appeared penitentfor his gruesome crimes.)

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45
Q

penultimate

A

(adj.) next to last (Having smoked the penultimatecigarette remaining in the pack, Cybil discarded the last cigarette and resolved to quit smoking.)

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46
Q

penurious

A

(adj.) miserly, stingy (Stella complained that her husband’s penuriousways made it impossible to live the lifestyle she felt she deserved.)

47
Q

perfidious

A

(adj.) disloyal, unfaithful (After the official was caught selling government secrets to enemy agents, he was executed for his perfidiousways.)

48
Q

perfunctory

A

(adj.) showing little interest or enthusiasm (The radio broadcaster announced the news of the massacre in a surprisingly perfunctorymanner.)

49
Q

permeate

A

(v.) to spread throughout, saturate (Mrs. Huxtable was annoyed that the wet dog’s odor had permeatedthe furniture’s upholstery.)

50
Q

pernicious

A

(adj.) extremely destructive or harmful (The new government feared that the Communist sympathizers would have a perniciousinfluence on the nation’s stability.)

51
Q

perplex

A

(v.) to confuse (Brad was perplexedby his girlfriend’s suddenly distant manner.)

52
Q

perspicacity

A

(adj.) shrewdness, perceptiveness (The detective was too humble to acknowledge that his perspicacitywas the reason for his professional success.)

53
Q

pert

A

(adj.) flippant, bold (My parents forgave Sandra’s perthumor at the dinner table because it had been so long since they had last seen her.)

54
Q

pertinacious

A

(adj.) stubbornly persistent (Harry’s parents were frustrated with his pertinaciousinsistence that a monster lived in his closet. Then they opened the closet door and were eaten.)

55
Q

perusal

A

(n.) a careful examination, review (The actor agreed to accept the role after a two-month perusalof the movie script.)

56
Q

pervasive

A

(adj.) having the tendency to spread throughout (Stepping off the plane in Havana, I recognized the pervasiveodor of sugar cane fields on fire.)

57
Q

petulance

A

(n.) rudeness, irritability (The Nanny resigned after she could no longer tolerate the child’s petulance.)

58
Q

philanthropic

A

(adj.) charitable, giving (Many people felt that the billionaire’s decision to donate her fortune to house the homeless was the ultimate philanthropicact.)

59
Q

phlegmatic

A

(adj.) uninterested, unresponsive (Monique feared her dog was ill after the animal’s phlegmaticresponse to his favorite chew toy.)

60
Q

pillage

A

(v.) to seize or plunder, especially in war (Invading enemy soldiers pillagedthe homes scattered along the country’s border.)

61
Q

pinnacle

A

(n.) the highest point (Book reviewers declared that the author’s new novel was extraordinary and probably the pinnacleof Western literature.)

62
Q

pithy

A

(adj.) concisely meaningful (My father’s long-winded explanation was a stark contrast to his usually pithystatements.)

63
Q

pittance

A

(n.) a very small amount, especially relating to money (Josh complained that he was paid a pittancefor the great amount of work he did at the firm.)

64
Q

placate

A

(v.) to ease the anger of, soothe (The man purchased a lollipop to placatehis irritable son.)

65
Q

placid

A

(adj.) calm, peaceful (The placidlake surface was as smooth as glass.)

66
Q

platitude

A

(n.) an uninspired remark, cliché (After reading over her paper, Helene concluded that what she thought were profound insights were actually just platitudes.)

67
Q

plaudits

A

(n.) enthusiastic approval, applause (The controversial new film received plauditsfrom even the harshest critics.)

68
Q

plausible

A

(adj.) believable, reasonable (He studied all the data and then came up with a plausibletheory that took all factors into account.)

69
Q

plenitude

A

(n.) an abundance (My grandmother was overwhelmed by the plenitudeof tomatoes her garden yielded this season.)

70
Q

plethora

A

(n.) an abundance, excess (The wedding banquet included a plethoraof oysters piled almost three feet high.)

71
Q

pliable

A

(adj.) flexible (Aircraft wings are designed to be somewhat pliableso they do not break in heavy turbulence.)

72
Q

poignant

A

(adj.) deeply affecting, moving (My teacher actually cried after reading to us the poignantfinal chapter of the novel.)

73
Q

polemic

A

(n.) an aggressive argument against a specific opinion (My brother launched into a polemicagainst my arguments that capitalism was an unjust economic system.)

74
Q

portent

A

(n.) an omen (When a black cat crossed my sister’s path while she was walking to school, she took it as a portentthat she would do badly on her spelling test.)

75
Q

potable

A

(adj.) suitable for drinking (During sea voyages it is essential that ships carry a supply of potablewater because salty ocean water makes anyone who drinks it sick.)

76
Q

potentate

A

(n.) one who has great power, a ruler (All the villagers stood along the town’s main road to observe as the potentate’sprocession headed towards the capital.)

77
Q

pragmatic

A

(adj.) practical (The politician argued that while increased security measures might not fit with the lofty ideals of the nation, they were a pragmaticnecessity to ensure everyone’s safety.)

78
Q

precipice

A

(n.) the face of a cliff, a steep or overhanging place (The mountain climber hung from a precipicebefore finding a handhold and pulling himself up.)

79
Q

preclude

A

(v.) to prevent (My grandfather’s large and vicious guard dog precluded anyone from entering the yard.)

80
Q

precocious

A

(adj.) advanced, developing ahead of time (Derek was so academically precociousthat by the time he was 10 years old, he was already in the ninth grade.)

81
Q

predilection

A

(n.) a preference or inclination for something (Francois has a predilection for eating scrambled eggs with ketchup, though I prefer to eat eggs without any condiments.)

82
Q

preponderance

A

(adj.) superiority in importance or quantity (Britain’s preponderanceof naval might secured the nation’s role as a military power.)

83
Q

prepossessing

A

(adj.) occupying the mind to the exclusion of other thoughts or feelings (His prepossessingappearance made it impossible for me to think of anything else.)

84
Q

presage

A

(n.) an omen (When my uncle’s old war injury ached, he interpreted it as a presageof bad weather approaching.)

85
Q

prescient

A

(adj.) to have foreknowledge of events (Questioning the fortune cookie’s prediction, Ray went in search of the old hermit who was rumored to be prescient.)

86
Q

prescribe

A

(v.) to lay down a rule (The duke prescribedthat from this point further all of the peasants living on his lands would have to pay higher taxes.)

87
Q

presumptuous

A

(adj.) disrespectfully bold (The princess grew angry after the presumptuousnoble tried to kiss her, even though he was far below her in social status.)

88
Q

pretense

A

(n.)an appearance or action intended to deceive (Though he actually wanted to use his parents’ car to go on a date, Nick borrowed his parents’ car under the pretenseof attending a group study session.)

89
Q

primeval

A

(adj.) original, ancient (The first primates to walk on two legs, called Australopithecus, were the primevaldescendants of modern man.)

90
Q

privation

A

(n.) lacking basic necessities (After decades of rule by an oppressive government that saw nothing wrong with stealing from its citizens, the recent drought only increased the people’s privation.)

91
Q

probity

A

(n.) virtue, integrity (Because he was never viewed as a man of great probity, no one was surprised by Mr. Samson’s immoral behavior.)

92
Q

proclivity

A

(n.) a strong inclination toward something (In a sick twist of fate, Harold’s childhood proclivityfor torturing small animals grew into a desire to become a surgeon.)

93
Q

procure

A

(v.) to obtain, acquire (The FBI was unable to procuresufficient evidence to charge the gangster with racketeering.)

94
Q

profane

A

(adj.) lewd, indecent (Jacob’s profaneact of dumping frogs in the holy water in the chapel at his boarding school resulted in his dismissal.)

95
Q

profligate

A

(adj.) dissolute, extravagant (The profligategambler loved to drink, spend money, steal, cheat, and hang out with prostitutes.)

96
Q

profuse

A

(adj.) plentiful, abundant (The fans were profusein their cheers for the star basketball player.)

97
Q

promulgate

A

(v.) to proclaim, make known (The film professor promulgatedthat both interms of sex appeal and political intrigue, Sean Connery’s James Bond was superior to Roger Moore’s.)

98
Q

propagate

A

(v.) to multiply, spread out (Rumors of Paul McCartney’s demise propagated like wildfire throughout the world.)

99
Q

propensity

A

(n.) an inclination, preference (Dermit has a propensityfor dangerous activities such as bungee jumping.)

100
Q

propitious

A

(adj.) favorable (The dark storm clouds visible on the horizon suggested that the weather would not be propitiousfor sailing.)

101
Q

propriety

A

(n.) the quality or state of being proper, decent (Erma’s old-fashioned parents believed that her mini-skirt lacked the proprietyexpected of a “nice” girl.)

102
Q

prosaic

A

(adj.) plain, lacking liveliness (Heather’s prosaicrecital of the poem bored the audience.)

103
Q

proscribe

A

(v.) to condemn, outlaw (The town council voted to proscribethe sale of alcohol on weekends.)

104
Q

protean

A

(adj.)able to change shape; displaying great variety (Among Nigel’s proteantalents was his ability to touch the tip of his nose with his tongue.)

105
Q

prowess

A

(n.) extraordinary ability (The musician had never taken a guitar lesson in his life, making his prowesswith the instrument even more incredible.)

106
Q

prudence

A

(n.) cautious, circumspect (After losing a fortune in a stock market crash, my father vowed to practice greater prudencein future investments.)

107
Q

prurient

A

(adj.) eliciting or possessing an extraordinary interest in sex (David’s mother was shocked by the discovery of prurientreading material hidden beneath her son’s mattress.)

108
Q

puerile

A

(adj.) juvenile, immature (The judge demanded order after the lawyer’s puerile attempt to object by stomping his feet on the courtroom floor.)

109
Q

pugnacious

A

(adj.) quarrelsome, combative (Aaron’s pugnaciousnature led him to start several barroom brawls each month.)

110
Q

pulchritude

A

(n.) physical beauty (Several of Shakespeare’s sonnets explore the pulchritudeof a lovely young man.)

111
Q

punctilious

A

(adj.) eager to follow rules or conventions (Punctilious Bobby, hall monitor extraordinaire, insisted that his peers follow the rules.)

112
Q

pungent

A

(adj.) having a pointed, sharp quality—often used to describe smells (The pungentodor in the classroom made Joseph lose his concentration during the test.)

113
Q

punitive

A

(adj.) involving punishment (If caught smoking in the boys’ room, the punitiveresult is immediate expulsion from school.)

114
Q

putrid

A

(adj.) rotten, foul (Those rotten eggs smell putrid.)

ACT/SAT Vocab Words (10 decks)

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