Advanced 4, 5 Flashcards
untenable
(Of theories etc.) Incapable of being defended; indefensible.
With the combination of Kepler’s brilliant theories and Galileo’s telescopic observations, the old geocentric theory became untenable to most of the educated people in Europe.
rarefied
Made more subtle or refined.
Jack’s vulgar jokes were not so successful in the rarefied environment of college professors.
equitable
Fair to all parties as dictated by reason and conscience.
The equitable distribution of ice cream to a group of 5 year olds will ensure little to no fighting - at least until the ice cream is gone.
hubris
Overbearing pride or presumption; Arrogance.
Bill Clinton was criticized for his hubris, since he believed he could get away with anything once in the White House.
apposite
Remarkably appropriate; Suiting.
For a writer with such quick wit, Jonathan Swift has a rather apposite name.
ribald
Humorously vulgar.
The speaker was famous for his ribald humor, but the high school principal asked him to keep the talk G-rated when he spoke to the student body.
hobble
To hold back the progress of something.
Bad weather has hobbled rescue efforts, making it difficult for crews to find bodies in the wreckage.
improvident
Not given careful consideration.
Marty was improvident, never putting money aside for the future but spending it on decorating the interior of his home.
unviable
Not able to work, survive, or succeed (also spelled inviable).
The plan was obviously unviable considering that it lead to complete environmental destruction in the river valley.
encumber
Hold back.
The costume encumbered all my movements and caused me to sweat profusely.
impetuous
Acting or done hastily or without thought or care; Without deliberation; Impulsive
Herbert is rarely impetuous, but on the spur of the moment, he spent thousands of dollars on a motorcycle today.
presentiment
A feeling of evil to come.
On the night that Lincoln would be fatally shot, his wife had a presentiment about going to Ford’s Theater, but Lincoln persuaded her that everything would be fine.
obstreperous
Noisily and stubbornly defiant; Willfully difficult to control; Unruly.
When the teacher asked the obstreperous student simply to bus his tray, the student threw the entire tray on the floor, shouted an epithet, and walked out.
dovetail
Fit together tightly, as if by means of an interlocking joint; Agree.
Although Darwin’s evolution and Mendel’s genetics were developed in isolation from one another, they dovetail very well.
surreptitious
Stealthy, taking pains not to be caught or detected; Clandestine.
Kiwi makes random shit up, somehow accusing Peewee of doing surreptitious things on his phone.
firebrand
Someone who deliberately creates trouble.
Freddie is a firebrand: every time he walks into the office, he winds up at the center of heated arguments.
puissant
Powerful.
Over the years of service, and quite to his surprise, he became a puissant advisor to the community.
tempestuous
Driven by turbulent or conflicting emotions; Highly energetic and changing; Tumultuous; Turbulent.
Chuck and Kathy had always been stable and agreeable people on their own, but when they got involved, it was a tempestuous relationship.
subterfuge
Deceit used to achieve one’s goal; Deception.
Finally deciding to abandon all subterfuge, Arthur revealed to Cindy everything about his secret affair over the past two years.
incontrovertible
Impossible to deny or disprove; irrefutable; Undeniable.
Unless you can provide incontrovertible evidence, I will remain skeptical.
magisterial
Self-assured or given to exercising unwarranted power; Dictatorial.
Though she was only a third grade teacher, Ms. Martinet was magisterial in dealing with her class, lording over them like a queen.
puerile
Childishly silly and trivial; Displaying a lack of maturity; Immature.
Helen enjoyed blowing soap bubbles, but Jim regarded this as puerile, totally unworthy of a woman with a Ph.D.
crystallize
Cause to take on a definite and clear shape.
Only after fifteen minutes of brainstorming did Samantha’s ideas for the essay crystallize.
inviolate
Must be kept sacred; Unharmed.
While the literary critic subjected most of the classics to the harshest reviews, he regarded Cervantes as inviolate, and had nothing but praise for him.
machinate
Engage in plotting or enter into a conspiracy, swear together.
She needed to machinate a way to defeat the more popular girl for class president.
dispensation
Exemption from a rule or obligation; Immunity.
Since her father is a billionaire, she is given dispensation from many of the school’s policies
denouement
Final resolution of a play, movie or narrative in which complex sequence of events is explained; Finale; Outcome.
At the denouement of the movie, all questions were answered, and the true identity of the robber was revealed.
intimation
An indirect suggestion.
At first the hostess tried intimation, praising the benefits of cutlery; when Cecil continued eating with his hands, the hostess told him to use a fork at dinner.
ossify
Make rigid and set into a conventional pattern; Solidify.
Even as a young man, Bob had some bias against poor people, but during his years in social services, his bad opinions ossified into unchangeable views.
nonchalant
Coming across as uninterested or unconcerned; Unconcerned.
The twenty-something at the coffee shop always irked Sheldon, especially the way in which they acted nonchalantly towards everything, not even caring when Sheldon once spilled his mocha on them.
corollary
A practical consequence that follows naturally; Consequence.
A corollary of Hurricane Sandy, which ravaged the east coast of the US, is a push to build higher sea walls to protect against future hurricanes.
asperity
Harshness of tone or manner.
The editor was known for his asperity, often sending severe letters of rejection to amateur writers.
inimitable
Defying imitation; Matchless; Unique.
Mozart’s music follows a clear pattern that, anyone could imitate, but his music gives an overall sense of effortlessness that is inimitable.
patent
Glaringly obvious.
Since the book had been through no fewer than six proof runs, the staff was shocked to see such a patent spelling mistake remaining, right in the middle of the front cover!
stalwart
Dependable; Inured to fatigue or hardships; Faithful.
Despite all the criticism directed at the President during this scandal, Lisa has remained his stalwart supporter.
cosset
Treat with excessive indulgence; Pamper.
The king and queen cosseted the young prince, giving him a prized miniature pony for his fifth birthday.
immure
Enclose or confine, usually in walls.
The modern supermarket experience makes many feel claustrophobic, as they are immured in walls upon walls of products.
lacerate
Deeply hurt the feelings of; Distress.
The teacher was fired for lacerating a student who wrote a poor essay.
inure
Make accustomed to something unpleasant; Season or harden.
Three years of Manhattan living has inured her to the sound of wailing sirens; She could probably sleep through the apocalypse.
unpropitious
With little chance of success.
With only a bottle of water and a sandwich, the hikers faced an unpropitious task: ascending a huge mountain that took most two days to climb.
invidious
Likely to cause resentment.
At a time when many others in the office were about to be laid off, many considered Cheryl’s fine clothes that day an invidious display.
recrimination
Mutual accusations.
The two brothers sat and cried, pointing fingers and making elaborate recriminations of the other’s guilt.
crestfallen
Brought low in spirit; Sad and disappointed.
I asked Maria on a date and she refused without a moment’s thought; I was crestfallen.
imperious
Having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy.
Children are imperious with each other before they learn that earning someone’s respect is better than demanding.
unflappable
Not easily perturbed or excited or upset; Marked by extreme calm and composure.
The house shook and the ground quaked, but my dad was unflappable and comforted the family.
peripatetic
Traveling by foot; Itinerant.
Jim always preferred a peripatetic approach to discovering a city: he felt that he could see so many more details while walking.
flippant
Showing inappropriate levity or humor or frivolity; Superficial.
Although Sam was trying to honor Mark’s sense of humor, many found it quite flippant that he wore a comic nose and glasses mask to Mark’s funeral.
celerity
Speed; Rapidity; Swiftness.
We aim to respond to customers’ questions with celerity and accuracy, with no longer than a 24 hour wait time.
irrefutable
Impossible to deny or disprove.
Scientists are searching for irrefutable evidence that some form of life existed on Mars at some point in its history.
decry
Express strong disapproval of; Censure.
The entire audience erupted in shouts and curses, decrying the penalty card issued by the referee.
spartan
Uncompromising in discipline or judgement; Practicing great self-denial; Ascetic.
After losing everything in a fire, Tim decided to live in spartan conditions, sleeping on the floor and owning as little furniture as a possible.
languish
Become feeble or weak.
Stranded in the wilderness for four days, the hiker languished, eating protein bars and nuts.
brook
Put up with something or tolerate somebody.
While she was at the chalkboard, the teacher did not brook any form of talking - even a tiny peep resulted in afternoon detention.
paragon
Model of excellence; Having no equal; Perfect embodiment of a concept; Epitome.
Even with the rise of Kobe Bryant, many still believe that Michael Jordan is the paragon for basketball players.
anachronism
Something that is inappropriate for the given time period.
Dressed in 15th century clothing each day, Edward was a walking anachronism.
inchoate
Only partly in existence; Not fully formed.
Inchoate ideas about the relation of humans to other animals had been discussed since the Middle Ages but the modern theory really began with Darwin.
antic
Bizarre; Ludicrously odd.
The clown’s antic act was too extreme for the youngest children, who left the room in tears.
nettlesome
Causing irritation or annoyance.
Maria found her coworker’s cell phone nettlesome, because every few minutes it would buzz to life with another test message.
exemplar
Something to be imitated; Epitome.
Lena’s homework is on the wall because it is an exemplar of clean, neat, and thoughtful work.
besotted
Strongly affectionate towards; Very drunk.
Even though her father did not approve, Juliet became besotted with the young Romeo; Never before have I seen my mom so besotted, and honestly, I hope it’s the last time she drinks so much.
browbeat
Be bossy towards; Discourage or frighten with threats; Hector or bully.
During the interrogation, the suspect was browbeaten into signing a false confession.
broadside
Strong verbal attack.
Political broadsides are usually strongest in the weeks leading up to a national election.
truculence
Defiant aggressiveness; Belligerent.
When the boss confronted Aaron about his earlier remarks, Aaron responded with utter truculence, simply throwing a glass of water in the boss’ face and walking away.
chimera
Something desired but only an illusion and impossible to achiever; Delusion.
Many believe that a world free of war is a chimera - a dream that ignores humanity’s violent tendencies.
squelch
Suppress or crush completely.
After the dictator consolidated his power, he took steps to squelch all criticism, often arresting any journalist who said anything that could be interpreted as negative about his regime.
vitriol
Abusive language used to express blame or bitter deep-seated ill will; Criticism.
His vitriol spewed forth from a deep - seated racism that consumed his whole life.
hoary
Ancient; Gray; Old.
Most workout gurus are young, fit people, whereas most yoga gurus are hoary men with long white beards.
reprisal
Retaliatory action against an enemy in wartime.
The Old Testament doctrine of “an eye for an eye” would seem to justify an immediate physical reprisal for any injury, but that interpretation neglects the many passages that value mercy and loving-kindness over revenge.
chagrin
Feelings of embarrassment; Cause to feel shame.
Much to the timid writer’s chagrin, the audience chanted his name until he came back on the stage; She never cared what others said about her appearance but was chagrined by the smallest comment from her mother.
gambit
A maneuver or risk in a game or conversation, designed to secure an advantage; Scheme; Machination.
Randy played a gambit, telling his boss that he would leave at the end of the week if he didn’t get a raise.
pith
The most essential part of something.
When Cynthia hears a speaker presenting a complex argument, she is always able to discard the irrelevant details and extract the pith of what the speaker is trying to convey.
meteoric
Like a meteor in speed or brilliance; Rapid.
The early spectacular successes propelled the pitcher to meteoric stardom, but a terrible injury tragically cut short his career.
ineffable
Too sacred to be uttered; Defying expression or description.
While art critics can occasionally pinpoint a work’s greatness, much of why a piece captures our imaginations is completely ineffable.
phlegmatic
Showing little emotion; Calm; Tranquil.
Arnold is truly noble, remaining reserved until an issue of significance arises, but Walter is simply phlegmatic: he doesn’t have the energy or inclination to care about anything.
percipient
Highly perceptive.
Even the most percipient editor will make an occasional error when proofreading.
philistine
Smug and ignorant towards artistic and cultural values: Uncultured.
Jane considered Al completely philistine, because he talked almost exclusively about video games; she was entirely unaware of how well read he really was.
atavism
A reappearance of an earlier characteristic; Throwback to something ancient.
Much of the modern art movement was an atavism to a style of art found only in small villages through Africa and South America.
recrudesce
To break out or happen again.
After years of gamblers anonymous, Tony thought he’d broken his compulsive slot machine playing, but it took only one trip to the AC for a full recrudescence - he lost $5k on the one armed bandit.
objurgate
Express strong disapproval of.
The manager spent an hour objurgating the employee in the hopes that he would not make these mistakes again.
disengenuous
Not straightforward; Giving a false appearance of frankness; Dishonest.
Many adults think that they can lie to children, but kids are smart and know when people are disingenuous.
inanity
Total lack of meaning or ideas; Silliness.
Bill’s poem was nothing more than a list of impressive sounding words, so there was no point in trying to take meaning from the inanity.
deign
Do something that one considers to be below one’s dignity; Stoop.
The master of the house never deigned to answer questions from the servants.
bristle
React in an offended or angry manner.
As we discussed the painting, I noticed the artist’s wife bristling at our criticisms, ready to defend her husband’s work.
solicitude
A feeling of excessive concern.
I walked to his house in the rain to make sure he had enough to eat while he was sick, but he seemed not to appreciate my solicitude.
epigram
A witty saying.
My favorite epigram from Mark Twain is “A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn no other way.”
doleful
Filled with or evoking sadness; Sorrowful.
No event is more doleful than the passing of my mother; she was a shining star in my lie, and it brings me great sadness to think that she is now gone.
ersatz
Not real or genuine; Phony; Imitation.
The car dealer’s ersatz laughter was immediately followed by a price quote, one that Shelley found highly inflated.
embryonic
In an early stage of development; Rudimentary.
The Board of Directors is hoping to launch a new product soon, but planning for the Z7 is in an embryonic stage.
arrogate
Seize and control without authority.
Arriving at the small town, the outlaw arrogated the privileges of a lord, asking the frightened citizens to provide food, drink, and entertainment.
empiricism
Any method that derives knowledge from experience, used in experimental science as a way to gain insight and knowledge.
Empiricism does not always lead to knowledge; an experience or experiment may raise more questions than it answers.
effervescent
Marked by high spirits or excitement; Vivacious.
After the sales result, the manager was in an effervescent mood, letting several employees leave work early that day.
debonair
Having a sophisticated charm.
James Bond is known for his good looks, high tech gadgets, and debonair manner.
baleful
Threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments.
Movies often use storms or rain clouds as a baleful omen of evil events that will soon befall the main character.
unstinting
Very generous.
Helen is unstinting with her time, often spending hours at the house of a sick friend.
apothegm
A short, pithy instructive saying.
Winston Churchill is famous for many apothegms, but this might be his most famous: “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”
appurtenant
Supplying added support.
In hiking Mt. Everest, sherpas are appurtenant, helping climbers both carry gear and navigate treacherous paths.
rapprochement
Reestablishing of cordial relations.
Although Ann hoped that her mother and her aunt would have a rapprochement, each one’s bitter accusations against the other made any reconciliation unlikely.
bemoan
Express discontent or a strong regret; Lament.
While the CFO carefully explained all the reasons or the cuts in benefits, after the meeting employees bemoaned the cuts as further evidence that management was against them.
artifice
Cunning tricks used to deceive others; Deception.
The mayoral candidates both spent much of the campaign accusing each other of artifices designed to mislead the voting public.
untrammeled
Not confined or limited.
The whole notion of living untrammeled inspired the American Revolution and was enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
unprepossessing
Creating an unfavorable or neutral first impression.
World leaders coming to meet Gandhi would expect a towering sage, and often would be surprised by the unprepossessing little man dressed only in a loincloth and shawl.
