Adj. Section 2 Flashcards
1
Q
compliant
A
obeying, obliging, or yielding
By then , Henry seemed less compliant with his wife’s wishes than he had six months before.
We should not be producing compliant students who do not dare to criticize.
2
Q
composed
A
calm; tranquil; serene
he remain perfectly composed and calm; the committee is composed mainly of lawyers
3
Q
concerted
A
contrived or arranged by agreement; done or performed together or in cooperation; collaborated
a concerted plan of operations; take concerted action
4
Q
concordant
A
agreeing; harmonious
all three tests have concordant results
5
Q
condescending
A
showing or implying a usually patronizing descent from dignity or superiority
his comments were offensive and condescending to us
6
Q
condign
A
well-deserved; fitting; adequate
condign punishment; condign english basic skill, especially written
7
Q
conducive
A
tending to produce; contributive; helpful
good eating habits are conducive to good health
8
Q
congenial
A
(of a person) pleasant because of a personality, qualities, or interests that are similar to one’s own; agreeable, suitable
a congenial work; He thought that was a congenial job.
I met few people congenial to me in the department.
9
Q
congruous
A
exhibiting harmony of parts
The congruous layout of the mansion’s formal gardens conveys a sense of both grandeur and intimacy.
When performing his official duties, the president must be dressed in clothes that are congruous with his high position.
10
Q
consummate
A
to bring to a state of perfection; fulfill
he is a consummate athlete, gentleman, liar
This landscape painting is a consummate work of art .
His happiness was consummated when he heard the good news.
11
Q
contagious
A
scarlet fever is highly contagious; his enthusiasm was contagious; a contagious laugh
12
Q
contemporaneous
A
living or occurring during the same period of time; contemporary
No contemporaneous texts exist to validate their claims.
13
Q
content
A
satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else
Humanists were not content with putting knowledge to new uses.
14
Q
contiguous
A
in close proximity without actually touching; near
the bridge is contiguous to the house; Again, all of these readings are contiguous and present and valid, informing one another emotionally.
The astronauts climbed through a hatch from the command module into the contiguous lander.
So far gene recombination can move only single genes or small contiguous gene units.
15
Q
contingent
A
subject to chance; dependent for existence, occurrence, character, etc., on something not yet certain
Outdoor arrangements are, as ever, contingent on the weather.
Our success is contingent upon your support.
16
Q
convoluted
A
(especially of an argument, story, or sentence) extremely complex and difficult to follow; twisted; coiled; complicated
a convoluted argument, explanation; a convoluted coastline
17
Q
cosmopolitan
A
free from local, provincial, or national ideas, prejudices, or attachments; belonging to all the world
a cosmopolitan city; no dynasty had been so cosmopolitan and outward-looking
18
Q
covert
A
concealed; secret; disguised
covert operations, surveillance; he stole a covert glance at her across the table; Every measure, both overt and covert, is being taken against terrorists.
19
Q
craven
A
cowardly; contemptibly timid, lacking in courage
he had a craven fear of flying
20
Q
credulous
A
willing to believe or trust too readily, especially without proper or adequate evidence
few people are credulous enough to believe such nonsense
21
Q
cryptic
A
mysterious in meaning; puzzling; secret
a cryptic message, remark, smile; a cryptic crossword clue
22
Q
culpable
A
deserving blame or censure; blameworthy
they held her culpable for the accident; he is more culpable than the others because he is old enough to know better
23
Q
cumbersome
A
burdensome; troublesome; clumsy
cumbersome equipment; cumbersome bureaucracy
24
Q
cunning
A
skill employed in a shrewd or sly manner, as in deceiving
a cunning liar; he was as cunning as a fox
25
curt
rudely brief in speech or abrupt in manner; brief; concise
| a curt reply; a curt nod; his tone was curt and unfriendly
26
cynical
distrusting or disparaging the motives of others
| her experiences with men have made her thoroughly cynical about love
27
decent
kind; obliging; generous; conforming to the recognized standard of propriety, good taste, modesty; respectable
a very decent fellow; live in decent conditions; quite a decent house; a decent fortune
28
decorous
characterized by dignified propriety in conduct, manners, appearance, character, etc.; polite and restrained
We were asked to be on our most decorous behavior at the formal event.
For all its wildness, its 9000-foot peaks and grizzly bears, Glacier is the most decorous of parks.
29
deleterious
injurious to health; harmful
| the deleterious effect of stress on health
30
derelict
left or deserted, as by the owner or guardian; abandoned
| careless derelict land, buildings, sites; the canal has been derelict for many years
31
desolate
barren or laid waste; devastated; solitary
| a bleak and desolate landscape; the thought that her husband did not want the baby made her feel utterly desolate
32
desperate
reckless or dangerous because of despair or urgency; leaving little or no hope
desperate diseases require desperate remedies; desperate weather; a desperate fool; is desperate for a cup of tea
33
despicable
deserving to be despised; contemptible
| a despicable crime
34
detrimental
damaging; harmful
| detrimental to the company's future
35
devoid
not possessing, untouched by, void, or destitute; entirely lacking or free from
a book devoid of content; be devoid of common sense; devoid of vegetation
36
didactic
intended for instruction; instructive; inclined to teach or lecture others too much
Some colleges and universities are already being didactic about safe computing.
He combines humor and social commentary and does it without being didactic.
37
dignified
showing a composed or serious manner that is worthy of respect; stately; decorous
a dignified person, manner, voice; Throughout his trial, he maintained a dignified silence.
38
dilatory
tending to delay or procrastinate; slow; tardy
The government has been dilatory in dealing with the problem of unemployment.
The dilatory limousine came rolling up the drive.
39
discreet
judicious in one's conduct or speech, especially in order to avoid causing offense or to gain an advantage; prudent; circumspect
he is very discreet in giving his opinions; a discreet silence
40
discursive
passing aimlessly from one subject to another; digressive; rambling
a discursive writer, speech
41
disingenuous
lacking in frankness, candor, or sincerity, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does; falsely or hypocritically ingenuous; insincere
It would be disingenuous of me to claim I had never seen it.
42
disinterested
unbiased by personal interest or advantage; not influenced by selfish motives
a disinterested observer, judgement; a piece of disinterested advice
43
dispassionate
free from or unaffected by passion; devoid of personal feeling or bias; impartial; calm
taking a calm, dispassionate view of the situation; a dispassionate observer
44
dispirited
discouraged; dejected; disheartened; gloomy
| she looked tired and dispirited
45
docile
easily managed or handled; tractable
| a docile horse; be docile at school but unruly at home
46
dogged
persistent in effort; stubbornly tenacious
| a dogged scholar; resume one's dogged effort; It is dogged as does it.
47
dormant
lying asleep or as if asleep
| the dormant economy; a long dormant memory stirred; dormant right; a dormant project; the girl's dormant talent
48
draconian
(of laws or their application) excessively harsh and unusually severe or cruel; rigorous
adopt draconian measures
49
dubious
doubtful; wavering or hesitating in opinion
| These claims are dubious and not scientifically proven.
50
earthly
of or pertaining to the earth, especially as opposed to heaven; worldly; possible or conceivable
They don't make much money, because some things are more valuable than earthly rewards.
51
eccentric
irregular; erratic; peculiar; odd
| an eccentric person; eccentric conduct
52
eclectic
selecting or choosing from various sources
| His house is an eclectic mixture of the antique and the modern.
53
efficacious
capable of having the desired result or effect
| They hope the new drug will prove especially efficacious in the relief of pain.
54
egalitarian
asserting, resulting from, or characterized by belief in the equality of all people, especially in political, economic, or social life
Some professors are very hierarchal, others try to be more egalitarian.
55
egregious
outstandingly bad; shocking; extraordinary in some bad way; glaring; flagrant
egregious behavior; an egregious error
56
elaborate
worked out with great care and nicety of detail; detailed and complicated in design and planning
These stores made it a cinch to expand his original plan for simple tuna sandwiches into a more elaborate salad.
Some are primitively simple, others immensely elaborate.
57
elliptical
pertaining to or having the form of an ellipse; tending to be ambiguous, cryptic, or obscure
an elliptical remark(one that suggests more than is actually said)
He loved elliptical comments capable of many interpretations.
58
empirical
derived from or guided by experience or experiment
| empirical evidence, knowledge, research; an empirical study
59
endearing
tending to make dear or beloved
| an endearing smile; shyness is one of her most endearing qualities
60
engaging
winning; attractive; pleasing
an engaging smile
The color captured in the picture and its arrangement was eye engaging.
61
enormous
greatly exceeding the common size; huge; immense
| an enormous difference; enormous profits; a man of enormous strength
62
ephemeral
lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory
| an ephemeral fever; an ephemeral flower; ephemeral joys, pleasures
63
equitable
just and right; fair; reasonable
| an equitable distribution of resources
64
equivalent
five pounds or its equivalent in books
65
equivocal
allowing the possibility of several different meanings, as a word or phrase, especially with intent to deceive or misguide; questionable; dubious; suspicious
She gave an equivocal answer, typical of a politician.
Women were less equivocal than men on the subject of fidelity in marriage.
66
erratic
having no certain or definite course; not fixed; eccentric; queer
The electricity supply here is quite erratic.
She has learnt to live with his sudden changes of mood and erratic behavior.
The event is erratic and unpredictable, but it occurs roughly every three to seven years.
67
erudite
educated, knowledgeable; wise, sapient
| an erudite professor, commentary
68
esoteric
understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest; recondite
Specialist dictionaries may be required to understand some of the more esoteric texts.
69
euphoric
intensely happy or confident
| She was euphoric when she received the Oscar.
70
evanescent
vanishing; fading away; fleeting
It was an evanescent moment, captured in the pop of a photographer's flashbulb.
Elusive and evanescent, the rainbow has generated wonder and speculation .
71
evenhanded
impartial; equitable
Several broadcasters have been criticized for failing to give evenhanded treatment to all the parties during the election campaign.
72
evocative
tending to evoke; bringing strong images, memories, or feelings to mind
evocative words; the perfume was evocative of spring
Once, headlines were meant to be clever or catchy or evocative.
It's a beautiful phrase, evocative of an ideal to which anyone would want to aspire.
73
exacting
rigid or severe in demands or requirements; requiring close application or attention
an exacting microbe, teacher; exacting work, terms
He was known as a demanding and exacting newsman and anchor.
Strawberries have somewhat more exacting requirements.
74
exemplary
serving for example; serving as a desirable model; representing the best of its kind; serving as a warning
exemplary conducts, punishments, penalty
The overriding goal is to help students become exemplary global citizens.
The prime minister leads a life of exemplary simplicity.
His character was special and exemplary in the dog-eat-dog world of politics.
75
exhaustive
exhausting a subject, topic, etc.; comprehensive; thorough; drain, as resources or strength
Take a look at the festival website to see the exhaustive list of free attractions.
As is customary, this list is hardly exhaustive or comprehensive.
76
exorbitant
going beyond the usual, necessary, or proper limit or degree; greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation
exorbitant costs, fares, fees, prices, rents; it's a good hotel but the price is exorbitant
She pays an exorbitant amount of rent living there.
77
exotic
of foreign origin or character
| exotic flowers, food, designs
78
exquisite
extraordinarily fine or admirable; intense; acute, or keen, as pleasure or pain
exquisite craftsmanship; exquisite pain, pleasure; an exquisite sense of timing
79
extant
still existing
| extant remains of the ancient wall; a limited number of documents from the period are still extant
80
extinct
no longer in existence
| an extinct family, species, volcano
81
extraneous
not belonging or proper to a thing; not pertinent; irrelevant; external; foreign
extraneous help, interference; extraneous to the subject
If you remove what's extraneous, it all makes sense.
Many people might not want all this extraneous software cluttering up their hard drive.
82
extravagant
spending much more than is necessary or wise; wasteful
| an extravagant price; to load somebody with extravagant praise; extravagant in conduct, dress; extravagant habit
83
exuberant
produced or growing in extreme abundance; joyously unrestrained; lavish or extravagant
lavishly abundant: exuberant growth, imagination
extremely joyful: exuberant spirits
extremely good: exuberant health
Johnny lived a very exuberant lifestyle.
84
exultant
triumphant; showing great joy, satisfaction
| the fans were exultant at their team's victory
85
facetious
not meant to be taken seriously; amusing; humorous
| a facetious comment, remark; stop being facetious, this is serious
86
facile
moving, acting with ease: a facile style
easily done, performed, used: a facile task, liar
she has a facile tongue
Her way of thinking which is highly visual and extraordinarily facile and detailed.
87
fake
designed to deceive or cheat; not real; counterfeit
| fake diamonds; a medical fake
88
fanatical
motivated or characterized by an extreme, uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics
His enthusiasm for aerobics was almost fanatical; Gary is fanatical about football
89
fastidious
excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please
he is fastidious about his food
90
fatuous
foolish or inane, especially in an unconscious, complacent manner; silly
a fatuous attempt; a fatuous smile
91
feasible
capable of being done, effected, or accomplished
| a feasible plan; a road feasible for travel
92
feckless
ineffective; lazy; having no sense of responsibility
| two years of feckless negotiations; feckless parents
93
felicitous
well-suited for the occasion
a felicitous remark; felicitous weather
The chairman's felicitous anecdote set everyone at ease.
94
ferocious
savagely fierce, as a wild beast, person, action, or aspect; violently cruel
a ferocious appetite; a ferocious look
95
fervent
having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit, feeling, enthusiasm
fervent heat; fervent hatred, love; a fervent soul
96
fickle
casually changeable
| the fickle world of fashion; a fickle lover
97
figurative
metaphorically so called; ornamental, flowery, elaborate
| the figurative art; a figurative design; in a figurative sense; a figurative style
98
finicky
excessively particular or fastidious; difficult to please; exacting, demanding, meticulous; choosy, picky
he is terribly finicky about his food; repairing watches must be a very finicky job
99
fitful
coming, appearing, acting; recurring irregularly
a fitful breeze, gleam, wind; a fitful worker
Loneliness may cause fitful sleep.
The popular acclaim of dinosaurs has been fitful and episodic.
His fitful attempts to present his programs as a coherent, compelling whole have been a failure.
100
fleeting
passing swiftly; vanishing quickly
| a fleeting glimpse, smile; a fleeting moment of happiness; we paid a fleeting visit to Paris
101
florid
reddish; flowery; excessively ornate
| a middle-aged man with a florid complexion; a book written in a very florid style
102
foolhardy
recklessly or thoughtlessly bold
| a foolhardy decision; sailing the Atlantic in such a tiny boat wasn't so much brave as foolhardy
103
formidable
causing fear, apprehension, or dread
| a formidable enemy, task
104
fortuitous
happening or produced by chance; accidental; lucky; fortunate
a fortuitous meeting; his success depended on a fortuitous combination of circumstances
105
fractious
refractory or unruly; readily angered; peevish; irritable
| children often get fractious and tearful when tired
106
fragile
easily broken, shattered, or damaged
| the economy remains extremely fragile; her father is now 86 and in fragile health
107
frail
easily broken or destroyed; fragile
| mother was becoming too frail to live alone
108
frantic
desperate or wild with excitement, passion, fear, pain
| a frantic dash, search, struggle; let's go back, your parents must be getting frantic by now
109
frivolous
unconcerned about or lacking any serious purpose
frivolous comment, suggestions
To deny it is to see in art only something frivolous and insincere.
It's not as though proofreading instructions are arbitrary and frivolous.
110
frolicsome
merrily playful; full of fun
| the frolicsome students left school for summer vacation
111
frugal
economical in use or expenditure
| he has always been hard-working and frugal
112
futile
incapable of producing any result; ineffective; useless; pointless
a futile attempt, exercise, gesture
Those efforts proved futile.
To critique how the dinosaurs and monsters were drawn would be a futile exercise.
113
gargantuan
gigantic; enormous
| a gargantuan appetite, meal
114
garrulous
excessively talkative in a rambling, roundabout manner, especially about trivial matters
he became positively garrulous after a few glasses of wine
115
gawky
awkward; ungainly; clumsy
| a shy gawky teenager
116
genuine
not counterfeit; authentic; real
| a genuine signature, writing
117
glib
(of words or the person speaking them) fluent and voluble but insincere and shallow; insincerely
no one was convinced by his glib answers, explanations
118
gloomy
dark or dim; deeply shaded
| a gloomy room, atmosphere; gloomy skies
119
grandiose
more complicated or elaborate than necessary; grand in an imposing or impressive way
the grandiose scheme for a journey across the desert came to nothing
120
gratuitous
given, done, bestowed, or obtained without charge or payment; free; voluntary
gratuitous service, help; gratuitous blessing; there is too much gratuitous violence in the movie
