Adj. Section 3 Flashcards
1
Q
gregarious
A
fond of the company of others; sociable
she is very outgoing and gregarious
2
Q
gullible
A
easily deceived or cheated; easily persuaded to believe something; credulous
Diehl described his daughter as intelligent but gullible.
3
Q
halfhearted
A
showing little enthusiasm or energy
And its alternative strategy may be wrong, but that doesn’t mean it’s ill-considered, or halfhearted.
4
Q
haphazard
A
lacking any obvious principle of organization; characterized by lack of order or planning, by irregularity, or by randomness; dependent on chance; aimless
Amazingly, this haphazard approach worked.
The original kitchen was a cramped, haphazard jumble.
We see the haphazard speckling of stars in the sky and group them together into constellations.
5
Q
harsh
A
ungentle and unpleasant in action or effect; stern; cruel; austere
a harsh climate; a harsh cloth; a harsh contrast; harsh land; harsh to the taste
6
Q
haughty
A
arrogantly superior and disdainful
a haughty face, look, manner; he replied with haughty disdain
7
Q
heinous
A
(of a person or wrongful act, especially a crime) utterly odious or wicked
a heinous crime
8
Q
heretical
A
believing in or practicing religious heresy; characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards
heretical beliefs
The belief that women should be allowed to have careers outside the home was once considered heretical.
9
Q
heterodox
A
not conforming with accepted or orthodox standards or beliefs, especially in theology
heterodox beliefs, practices
10
Q
humdrum
A
lacking variety; boring; dull
a humdrum existence, job, life; the use of computers to perform humdrum tasks
11
Q
illusory
A
causing illusion; deceptive; misleading; based on illusion; not real
filled with illusory hopes; Although the situation appears to change, the change is illusory.
12
Q
imminent
A
likely to occur at any moment; impending; about to happen
imminent danger; her death is imminent; a storm is imminent
13
Q
immune
A
protected from a disease or the like
be immune against attack; be immune from smallpox; immune from taxation(taxes)
14
Q
immutable
A
unchangeable
immutable laws; Scientists once believed that long-term memories were immutable.
15
Q
impartial
A
not partial or biased; fair; just
impartial judgment
16
Q
impeccable
A
faultless; flawless
no soul is absolutely impeccable; her written English is impeccable; he was dressed in a suit and an impeccable white shirt
17
Q
impending
A
about to happen; imminent
an impending disaster; their impending marriage
18
Q
impenetrable
A
that cannot be penetrated, pierced; incapable of being understood
impenetrable by a bullet; impenetrable darkness; a mind impenetrable by new ideas; an impenetrable mystery, forest, heart, stupidity; a child speaking in an impenetrable language of its own
19
Q
impenitent
A
not feeling shame or regret about one’s sin, actions or attitudes; obdurate
to this day she remains impenitent about her criminal past
20
Q
imperious
A
domineering in a haughty manner; dictatorial; overbearing; arrogant and domineering: an imperious person
urgent: imperious need
21
Q
imperturbable
A
incapable of being upset or agitated; not easily excited; calm
Although he seems outwardly imperturbable, he can get very angry at times; The chef was absolutely imperturbable - even when the kitchen caught on fire.
22
Q
impervious
A
impenetrable; incapable of being injured or impaired / influenced, persuaded, or affected
an impervious desert; a carpet material impervious to most rough treatment; be impervious to all reason; a man impervious to criticism
23
Q
impetuous
A
acting or done quickly and without thought or care; impulsive: an impetuous person
moving with great force; violent: an impetuous wind; with impetuous speed
24
Q
impious
A
not religious; disrespectful
an impious act that horrified their pious mother; an impious son
25
impolitic
not politic, expedient, or judicious; unwise
I thought it impolitic to ask any questions about her ex-husband.
Although he considered the trial to be impolitic and unjust, he performed his duties with calmness and good judgment.
26
impoverished
reduced to poverty; (of a country, area, etc.) having few trees, flowers, birds, wild animals; deprived of strength, vitality, creativeness
impoverished soil; impoverished health; an impoverished rubber
27
impromptu
made or done without previous preparation
| an impromptu speech
28
imprudent
not prudent; lacking discretion; incautious; rash
| an imprudent investor; she is a very sweet girl, but so imprudent that no one trusts her with a secret
29
impudent
not showing due respect for another person; impertinent
| an impudent young rascal
30
inadvertent
unintentional; not attentive
| an inadvertent insult; an inadvertent omission
31
incipient
in an initial stage; beginning to happen or develop
| an incipient disease; an incipient light of day; the project is still in its incipient stages
32
incompatible
unable to exist together in harmony
| she asked for a divorce because they were utterly incompatible; incompatible colors
33
incorrigible
not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed; not easily swayed or influenced
an incorrigible criminal; a training school for incorrigible boys; felt an incorrigible optimism
I've got an incorrigible sweet tooth, so I can find something to love on any dessert menu.
34
indispensable
absolutely necessary, essential, or requisite
| air and water are indispensable to life; an indispensable obligation
35
indomitable
impossible to subdue or defeat; unconquerable
| an indomitable spirit, will, warrior, struggle
36
indulgent
having or indicating a tendency to be overly generous to or lenient with someone
an indulgent parent; be indulgent to children
37
ineffable
too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words
| ineffable joy, torture, disgust, bungler
38
inelegant
not elegant
| an inelegant posture; inelegant surroundings
39
inept
having or showing no skill; clumsy; inappropriate; unsuitable; out of place; absurd or foolish
he was left feeling inept and inadequate; she is inept at dealing with people
40
inestimable
too great to calculate; valuable beyond measure
| the flood caused inestimable damage; jewels of inestimable worth
41
inevitable
unable to be avoided
| it was an inevitable consequence of the decision; the English and their inevitable cups of tea
42
inexorable
unyielding; unalterable; impossible to stop or prevent
| the inexorable decline of Britain's manufacturing industry; the seemingly inexorable rise in crime
43
inexplicable
unable to be explained or accounted for
| there are many things which are inexplicable by science; inexplicable mystery
44
infallible
incapable of making mistakes or being wrong
an infallible memory, remedy
Although this so-called continuous speech-recognition approach has indeed improved accuracy, it is by no means infallible.
45
inflammatory
tending to arouse anger, hostility, passion
| inflammatory speeches; an inflammatory response, process
46
inflated
fill (a balloon, tire, or other expandable structure) with air or gas so that it becomes distended: an inflated tire
unduly increased in level: an inflated style; inflated prices, salaries; the inflated value of land
47
ingenious
clever, original, and inventive
| an ingenious mind; an ingenious machine
48
ingenuous
innocent and unsuspecting; artless; naive; candid; sincere
| an ingenuous smile; it is ingenuous to suppose that money did not play a part in his decision
49
ingrained
(of a habit, belief, or attitude) firmly fixed or established; difficult to change; deep-rooted
ingrained habits, prejudices; the belief that we should do our duty is deeply ingrained in most of us
50
inherent
existing in someone or something as a permanent and inseparable element, quality, or attribute
weight is an inherent quality of matter; he has an inherent love of beauty; an inherent distrust of strangers
51
inimical
tending to obstruct or harm; unfriendly; hostile
nations inimical to one another; circumstance inimical to success; he received an inimical response rather than the anticipated support
52
iniquitous
grossly unfair and morally wrong; wicked; sinful
| it is an iniquitous system that allows a person to die because they have no money to pay for medicine
53
innate
existing in one from birth; inborn; native
| someone's innate courtesy; an innate defect, gift
54
innocuous
not harmful or offensive
| an innocuous drug; innocuous generalities
55
innovative
(of a product, idea, etc.) featuring new methods; advanced and original
an innovative approach; an innovative young movie director
56
inoffensive
not objectionable or harmful
| an inoffensive article; he seemed like a quiet, inoffensive sort of a guy
57
inopportune
inappropriate; inconvenient
| at an inopportune time; they arrived at an inopportune moment
58
insatiable
(of an appetite or desire) impossible to satisfy
| an insatiable hunger for knowledge; be insatiable in learning
59
insidious
intended to entrap or beguile: an insidious plan
stealthily treacherous or deceitful: an insidious enemy
proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects
insidious wiles; the insidious approach of age
Climate change is insidious and uncertain, inviting denial and procrastination.
The in-air bird deaths aren't due to some apocalyptic plague or insidious experiment-they happen all the time, scientists say.
Envy may be the subtlest--perhaps I should say the most insidious--of the seven deadly sins.
60
insipid
lacking flavor; bland
| insipid food; insipid conversation
61
insolent
showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect
| insolent behavior; an appallingly insolent reply to a reasonable request
62
insular
pertaining to an island; ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one's own experience
an insular climate, fortress; For another musician, this insular quality might represent a lack of curiosity and range.
63
insurgent
rising in active revolt
| insurgent troops, groups
64
intact
not damaged or impaired in any way; complete
let's keep our friendship intact; most of the house remains intact even after two hundred years; he emerged from the trial with his reputation intact
65
intangible
unable to be touched or grasped; not having physical presence
intangible value, ideas; an intangible asset; the benefits are intangible
66
intemperate
having or showing a lack of self-control; immoderate
| intemperate ambition, language, habits, wind, weather
67
interim
an intervening time; interval; meantime; temporary; provisional
in the interim; the vice-president took power in the interim period before the election
68
intermittent
occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady
| intermittent fever, rain; Give yourself intermittent deadlines and take them seriously.
69
internecine
destructive to both sides in a conflict
| internecine war
70
intimate
closely acquainted; familiar, close
| an intimate friend; The personal stories shed a light on the intimate involvement of people with their obsession.
71
intransigent
refusing to agree or compromise
| intransigent in their opposition; an intransigent attitude
72
intrepid
fearless; adventurous
an intrepid explorer; And the sea's silty, cold waters made visibility almost nonexistent for the intrepid few who wanted to explore the medieval ruins.
73
intricate
very complicated or detailed
| an intricate piece of machinery; an intricate plot, problem
74
intrinsic
belonging naturally; essential
intrinsic qualities; So even though this kind of science and thinking has no intrinsic economic value, it's hugely motivating and quite cheap.
75
invidious
(of an action or situation) likely to arouse or incur resentment or anger in others
invidious position; Choosing what to protect and what to try to save from the waters around the eastern coast is an invidious task.
She learned quickly not to make invidious comparisons between her husband's cooking and her father's expertise in the kitchen.
76
invincible
too powerful to be defeated or overcome
| an invincible army; invincible ignorance
77
inviolable
never to be broken, infringed, or dishonored
| an inviolable promise, heaven; Such companies frequently bleat that personal data is secure and inviolable.
78
inviolate
free or safe from injury or violation
| keep my faith inviolate; their privacy remained inviolate
79
irascible
easily provoked to anger; very irritable
| she's becoming more and more irascible as she grows older
80
jaded
tired, bored, or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having had too much of something
a jaded appetite; he became jaded from years of work as a police officer
81
jubilant
showing great joy, satisfaction, or triumph
| the fans were in jubilant mood after the victory
82
judicious
showing, or done with good judgment or sense; prudent
| judicious use of our resources; judicious planning now can prevent problems later
83
keen
finely sharpened, as an edge; extremely sensitive or responsive
a razor with a keen edge; a keen scent; be keen of hearing, sight; keen eyes, ears
84
lackluster
lacking liveliness, vitality, spirit, or enthusiasm
| lackluster eyes; lackluster dirt streets
85
laconic
expressing much in few words; concise
| the sportscaster's color commentary tends to be laconic but very much to the point
86
languid
(of a person, manner, or gesture) displaying or having a disinclination for physical exertion or effort; slow and relaxed
a languid wave of the hand; My mid-morning snack cost about three dollars, a delicious if atypical meal for an incredibly hot and languid summer day.
87
latent
existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden; concealed
latent disease; the children have a huge reserve of latent talent
88
lavish
sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious
| be lavish of money; lavish spending, hospitality
89
legitimate
according to law; lawful
| a legitimate claim, inference
90
lenient
(of punishment or a person in authority) permissive, merciful; agreeably tolerant; indulgent
the judge was far too lenient with him
91
lethal
sufficient to cause death; deadly; fatal
| a lethal chamber; a lethal dose; lethal gas; lethal military aid/non-lethal aid
92
lethargic
affected by lethargy; sluggish and apathetic
| the weak and lethargic government; he yielded to the lethargic music and fell asleep
93
lighthearted
carefree; cheerful
| a lighthearted attitude toward life
94
lithe
(especially of a person's body) thin, supple, and graceful; flexible
the lithe body of a ballerina; he was as lithe and strong as an athlete
95
loath
unwilling; reluctant; disinclined; averse
| is loath for him to go; he was loath to admit his mistake
96
lofty
extending high in the air; of imposing height; towering; haughty
a lofty mountain; lofty ceilings, rooms, towers; lofty aims, ambitions, ideas, contempt; her lofty disdain for other people
97
lopsided
heavier, larger, or more developed on one side than on the other; unevenly balanced; unsymmetrical
a lopsided spill; At the meeting, a dispute breaks out, albeit a lopsided one.
98
lucid
expressed clearly; easy to understand; completely intelligible or comprehensible
a lucid mind; his style is lucid and he always makes his meaning clear
shining or bright; clear; pellucid; transparent: lucid streams
99
ludicrous
so foolish, unreasonable, or out of place as to be amusing; ridiculous
a ludicrous suggestion; it was ludicrous to think that the plan could succeed
100
lukewarm
(of liquid or food that should be hot) only moderately warm; tepid
lukewarm water, food; her proposals got a lukewarm response
101
luminous
shining; bright
| a luminous body; a square luminous with sunlight; full of luminous ideas; his prose is simple and luminous
102
lurid
very vivid in color, especially so as to create an unpleasantly harsh or unnatural effect
a lurid tale of violence and betrayal; the lurid lighting of a nightclub; the light from the fire cast a lurid glow on everything
103
magnificent
impressively beautiful, elaborate, or extravagant; striking
| a magnificent performance; the twelve-mile coastline has magnificent scenery; she looked magnificent in a long red dress
104
malevolent
having or showing a wish to do evil to others
| a malevolent look, smile, intention, thought; a gossipy malevolent old woman
105
malignant
disposed to cause harm, suffering, or distress deliberately; very dangerous or harmful in influence or effect
a malignant growth, tumor, glare; he developed a malignant hatred for the land of his birth
106
malleable
(of a metal or other material) able to be hammered or pressed permanently out of shape without breaking or cracking
the malleable character of youth; tactics that are malleable and vary with circumstances; most metals are malleable
107
maniacal
wildly disordered
| maniacal laughter; a maniacal mob
108
manifest
clear or obvious to the eye or mind; obvious; apparent
| his nervousness was manifest to all those present; the anger he felt is manifest in his painting
109
meager
deficient in quantity or quality; lacking fullness or richness
a meager food supply, harvest; every morning he eats a meager breakfast of toast and coffee; he came to this country with a fairly meager English vocabulary
110
mediocre
of only ordinary or moderate quality; neither good nor bad; barely adequate
a mediocre performance; he received a mediocre rating; the film's plot is predictable and the acting is mediocre; parents do not want their children going to mediocre schools
111
melancholy
a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause
He had no successful military experience, no formal education, and suffered from depression and melancholy all his life.
a bleak and melancholy landscape; a mood of melancholy descended on us; there is a brooding melancholy in his black and white photography
112
melodious
of, producing, or having a pleasant tune; tuneful
| preferred the melodious sound of the woodlands to anything produced in a concert hall
113
mendacious
telling lies, especially habitually; dishonest; lying; untruthful
a mendacious salesman, report
114
mercenary
working or acting merely for money or other reward
| a mercenary society, attitude; she is interested in him for purely mercenary reasons
115
mercurial
(of a person) subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind; changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic
Emily's mercurial temperament made her difficult to live with; advertising is a mercurial business
116
meretricious
apparently attractive but having in reality no value or integrity
he claims that a lot of journalism is meretricious and superficial
117
meteoric
resembling a meteor in transient brilliance, suddenness of appearance, swiftness
her meteoric rise from dancer to professional actress; the company has experienced meteoric growth; the scandal ended his meteoric political career
118
meticulous
showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise
careful and meticulous calculation; meticulous planning, records, research; he is always meticulous in keeping the record up to date; my father was meticulous about his appearance
119
mettlesome
(of a person or animal) full of spirit and courage
a mettlesome debate on the teaching of evolution in the schools; the mettlesome opening dance number got the audience all jazzed up
120
minute
extremely small, as in size, amount, extent, or degree
| minute descriptions, differences
