Advanced III Flashcards
maunder
maunder
verb: wander aimlessly
Max liked to maunder down by the seaside and pick up whatever sea shells he would stumble upon.
verb: speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly
After drinking two espressos each, the animated couple would maunder loudly, annoying the other patrons in the coffee shop.
temerity
temerity
noun: fearless daring
No child has the temerity to go in the rundown house at the end of the street and see if it is haunted.
prolixity
prolixity
noun: boring verbosity (using more words then needed)
I loved my grandfather dearly, but his prolixity would put me to sleep, regardless of the topic.
charlatan
charlatan
noun: a flamboyant deceiver; one who attracts customers with tricks or jokes
You may call him a “motivational speaker,” but I call him a charlatan–he doesn’t have any idea what he’s really talking about.
solecisum
solecism
noun: a socially awkward or tactless act
Mother Anna was always on guard against any solecism from her children and scolded them immediately if any of them talked out of place in public.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study
sagacious
sagacious
adjective: having good judgement and acute insight
Steve Jobs is surely one of the most sagacious CEOs, making Apple one of the most recognizable and valuable companies in the world.
moribund
moribund
adjective: being on the point of death; declining rapidly losing all momentum in progress (morbid-bound)
Whether you like it or not, jazz as a genre is moribund at best, possibly already dead.
lugubrious
lugubrious
adjective: excessively mournful
At the funeral, lugubrious songs filled the small church.
portentous
portentous
adjective: ominously prophetic.
When the captain and more than half the officers were sick on the very first night of the voyage, many of the passengers felt this was portentous, but the rest of the voyage continued without any problems.
raconteur
raconteur
noun: a person skilled in telling anecdotes
Jude is entertaining, but he is no raconteur: beyond the handful of amusing stories he has memorized, he has absolutely no spontaneous story-telling ability.
effrontery
effrontery
noun: audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to
The skateboarders acted with effrontery, skating through the church grounds and spray-painting signs warning trespassers.
lampoon
lampoon
verb: ridicule with satire
Mark Twain understood that lampooning a bad idea with humor was the most effective criticism.
gaffe
gaffe
noun: a socially awkward or tactless act
In a famous gaffe, Vice President Quayle attempted to correct the spelling of a grade school student, only to find that the child was correct.
impute
impute
verb: attribute (responsibility or fault) to something
He imputed his subpar performance on the test to a combination of stress and poor sleep.
illustrious
illustrious
adjective: widely known and esteemed; having or conferring glory
Einstein was possibly the most illustrious scientist in recent history.
enjoin
enjoin
verb: give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority
The government agency enjoined the chemical company to clean up the hazardous dump it had created over the years.
anodyne
anodyne
noun: something that soothes or relieves pain
Muzak, which is played in department stores, is intended to be an anodyne, but is often so cheesy and over-the-top that customers become irritated.
adjective: inoffensive
Wilbur enjoyed a spicy Mexican breakfast, but Jill preferred a far more anodyne meal in the mornings.
sinecure
sinecure
noun: an office that involves minimal duties
The position of Research Director is a sinecure: the job entails almost no responsibilities, nor does the person in that position have to answer to anyone.
approbatory
approbatory
adjective: expressing praise or approval
Although it might not be her best work, Hunter’s new novel has received generally approbatory reviews.
hail
hail
verb: enthusiastically acclaim or celebrate something
Many college superstar athletes are hailed as the next big thing, but then flop at the professional level.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study
duplicity
duplicity
noun: deceitfulness, pretending to want one thing but interested in something else
A life of espionage is one of duplicity: an agent must pretend to be a totally different person than who she or he actually is.
provident
provident
adjective: careful in regard to your own interests; providing carefully for the future
In a move that hardly could be described as provident, Bert spent his entire savings on a luxurious cruise, knowing that other bills would come due a couple months later.
plucky
plucky
adjective: marked by courage and determination
Some scouts initially doubted Pedroia because of his short stature, but he is a plucky player, surprising everyone with his boundless energy and fierce determination.
enthral
enthrall
verb: hold spellbound
She was so enthralled by the movie that she never heard people screaming, “Fire! Fire!” in the neighboring theater.
derelict
derelict
adjective: (of a person) not doing one’s duties
The teacher was derelict in her duties because she hadn’t graded a single student paper in three weeks.
noun: (of a building) abandoned
At one time the waterfront factories were busy and productive, but now that the economy has collapsed and the factories are all closed, these derelicts will be torn down.
flummox
flummox
verb: be a mystery or bewildering to
Mary’s behavior completely flummoxes me: I never have any idea what her motivations might be.
bowdlerize
bowdlerize
verb: edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
To receive an R rating, the entire movie was bowdlerized because it contained so much violence and grotesque subject matter.
hagiographic
hagiographic
adjective: excessively flattering toward someone’s life or work
Most accounts of Tiger Woods’s life were hagiographic, until, that is, his affairs made headlines.
cede
cede
verb: relinquish possession or control over
Eventually, all parents must cede control of their growing childrens’ educations and allow their offspring some autonomy.
recapitulation
recapitulation
noun: a summary (think of recap)
Every point of the professors lesson was so clear that the students felt his concluding recapitulation was not necessary.
importune
importune
verb: beg persistently and urgently
After weeks of importuning the star to meet for a five-minute interview, the journalist finally got what she wanted.
mordant
mordant
adjective: biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style
While Phil frequently made mordant remarks about company policy overall, he always was considerably gentler in discussing any person in particular.
prognostication
prognostication
noun: a statement made about the future
When the Senator was asked about where the negotiations would lead, he said that any guess he could make would be an unreliable prognostication.
insouciance
insouciance
noun: lack of concern
Surprisingly, Hank had become a high-powered CEO; his high school friends remembered him as “Hanky Panky”, who shrugged off each failed class with insouciance.
primacy
primacy
noun: the state of being first in importance
The primacy of Apple Computers is not guaranteed, as seen in the recent lawsuits and weak growth.
semblance
semblance
noun: an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading
While the banker maintained a semblance of respectability in public, those who knew him well were familiar with his many crimes.
redoubtable
redoubtable
adjective: inspiring fear or awe
On television basketball players don’t look that tall, but when you stand in front of a seven-foot tall NBA player, he is truly redoubtable.
umbrage
umbrage
noun: a feeling of anger caused by being offended
Since he was so in love with her, he took umbrage at her comments, even though she had only meant to gently tease him.
anaemic
anemic
adjective: lacking energy and vigor
After three straight shows, the lead actress gave an anemic performance the fourth night, barely speaking loudly enough for those in the back rows to hear.
punctilious
punctilious
adjective: marked by precise accordance with details
The colonel was so punctilious about enforcing regulations that men feel compelled to polish even the soles of their shoes.
Grandiloquent
pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner, especially in a way that is intended to impress.
Artless
without guile or deception
Litany
a long and tedious account of something
Probity
integrity, strong moral principles
Pecuniary
relating to or involving money
Perspicacious
acutely insightful and wise
Quail
show fear or apprehension
Vitriolic
filled with bitter and malice
Unforthcoming
not willing to give up information
