Advanced N-Q Flashcards
obdurate (adj)
AHB-der-it or AHB-jer-it
Stubborn, hardhearted, hardened in wrongdoing
oblique (adj)
oh-BLEEK or uh-BLEEK
Slanting or sloping; indirect, misleading, or evasive
occlude (verb)
uh-CLOOD
Stop up, close, shut in or shut off
opprobrium (n)
uh-PROH-bree-um
Disgrace and disapproval that result from outrageously shameful actions
orotund (adj)
OR-uh-tund
Full, rich, and clear (of the voice or speaking); pompous, bombastic
ossify (verb)
AH-sif-fy
Become bone or become hard like bone; become inflexible in attitudes, opinions, etc.
ostensible or ostensive (adj)
ah-STEN-sih-bull/ah-STEN-siv
Professed, evident, or pretend; outwardly appearing in a certain way
ostentatious (adj)
AH-sten-TAY-shuss
Pretentious, boastful showiness
overwrought (adj)
oh-ver-RAHT
Overly nervous, agitated, or excited; too ornate, elaborate, or fussy; overdone
palliate (verb)
PAL-ee-ayt
Make less serious or severe; relieve symptoms of an illness
pallid (adj)
PAL-id
abnormally pale (as skin); lacking color or vitality
panache (n)
puh-NASH
Flair, style, swagger; a flamboyant or grand way of acting
panegyric (n)
pan-uh-JEER-ick or pan-uh-JIRE-ick
Formal or lofty expression of praise
panoply (n)
PAN-uh-plee
Splendid, wide-ranging, impressive display or array
parley (n; verb)
PAR-lee
Discussion, negotiation, esp. between enemies (n); to have such a discussion (verb)
pastiche (n)
past-EESH
Mix of incongruous parts; artistic work imitating the work of other artists, often satirically
pathogenic (adj)
path-uh-JEN-ick
Capable of producing disease
peddle (verb)
PED-ull
Travel around while selling; sell illegally; give out or disseminate
pejorative (adj; n)
pih-JOR-uh-tiv
Disparaging, derogatory, belittling (adj); a name or word that is disparaging (n)
pellucid (adj)
puh-LOO-sid
Transparent, translucent; clear, easy to understand
penumbra (n)
pen-UM-bruh
Outer part of a shadow from an eclipse; any surrounding region, fringe, periphery; any area where something ‘sort of’ exists
penury (n)
PEN-yer-ee
Extreme poverty or scarcity
per se (adv) per SAY
Intrinsically; by itself; in itself
peregrinate (verb)
PAIR-uh-grin-ayt
Travel from place to place, esp. on foot
perennial (adj)
per-EN-ee-ull
Lasting through the years or indefinitely, enduring; recurring
perfunctory (adj)
per-FUNK-tuh-ree
Done superficially, without much care, or merely as routine
peripatetic (adj)
pair-uh-puh-TET-ick
Journeying from place to place; traveling on foot
pernicious (adj)
per-NISH-uss
Very harmful or destructive, deadly
perspicacious (adj)
per-spih-CAY-shuss
Having penetrating insight or good discernment
phalanx (n)
FAY-lanks or FAL-anks
Formation of soldiers carrying shields close together for defense; any very close group of people
philistine (n)
FILL-ist-een
Person deficient in or hostile to culture
phlegmatic (adj)
fleg-MAT-ick
Apathetic, sluggish, not easily excited or made emotional
platitude (n)
PLAT-it-ood
A shallow, overused statement; cliche
plebian or plebeian (adj)
plih-BEE-un
Of the common people
plucky (adj)
PLUCK-ee
Brave, spirited
plutocracy (n)
ploo-TAH-cruh-see
Rule by wealthy
politic (adj)
PAH-lit-ick
Shrewd, pragmatic; tactful or diplomatic
nadir (n)
NAY-der or NAY-deer
Lowest point
nettle (verb)
NET-ull
Irritate, sting, or annoy
noisome (adj)
NOY-sum
Offensive, disgusting; harmful
normative (adj)
NOR-muh-tiv
Implying or attempting to establish a norm; expressing value judgments or telling people what to do (rather than merely describing that which is happening)
prolix (adj)
proh-LICKS or PROH-licks
Excessively long and wordy (of a person, piece of writing, etc.)
*loquacious, verbose
propogate (verb)
PRAH-puh-gayt
Reproduce, spread, increase
puerile (adj)
PYOO-er-ull or PYOOR-ile
Juvenile, immature
pugilism (n)
PYOO-juh-lizm
boxing, fighting with the fists
puissance (n)
PWISS-unss or PYOO-iss-unss
Power, might
penitent (adj, n)
PEN-it-ent
Regretful, feeling remorse for one’s sins or misdeed (adj); a person who feels this way (n)
pedant (n)
PED-int
Person who pays excessive attention to book learning and rules, or who uses his or her learning to show off
parry (verb)
PAIR-ee
Deflect or avoid (esp. a blow or attack); skillfully evade (a question)
“riposte
pare (verb)
PAIR
Peel or cut off the outer layer, reduce or trim as if cutting off the outer parts
pulchritude (n)
PUHL-krih-tood
Physical beauty
polyglot (n)
PAH-lee-glaht
Speaking or composed of many languages (of a person, book, etc.); a person who knows several languages
paragon (n)
PAIR-uh-gahn
Model of excellence, perfect example
*prototype, exemplar
palatial (adj)
puh-LAY-shull
Suitable for or resembling a palace, magnificent
propensity (n)
pruh-PEN-sit-ee
Natural inclination or tendency
*predilection, proclivity, penchant, bent
posit (verb)
PAH-zit
Presume, suggest, put forward (an idea)
prattle (verb)
PRAT-ull
Talk in an idle, simple-minded, meaningless, or foolish way; chatter, babble
*prate
precipitate (verb)
prih-SIP-it-ayt
Cause to happen suddenly or prematurely; fling, plunge, or hurl down
précis (n)
PRAY-see
Concise summary, abstract
*digest, recapitulation, compendium
prophetic (adj)
pruh-FET-ick
Relating to prophecy, predicting, ominous
*prescient, prognosticate, augur
propitiate (verb)
proh-PISH-ee-ayt
Attempt to reconcile with, satisy, or reduce the animosity of (a person who is angry, offended, etc.)
*placate, mollify, assuage
opine (verb)
oh-PINE
Express an opinion
pungent (adj)
PUN-jent
Having a sharp taste or smell; biting, stimulating, sharp
predilection (n)
preh-dill-ECT-shun
Preference, tendency or favorability towards
*penchant, proclivity, bent
nontrivial (adj)
non-TRIV-ee-ull
Important or big enough to matter
nominal (adj)
NAH-min-ull
Trivial, so small as to be unimportant; in name only, so-called
*putative (supposed or reputed)
prescient (adj)
PRESH-int or PRESH-ee-unt
Having foreknowledge or foresight, seeing the future
*augur, prognosticate
neophyte (n)
NEE-uh-fight
Beginner, novice; person newly converted to a religion
*tyro (beginner)
neologism (n)
nee-AH-luh-jizm
new word or phrase (or a new meaning applied to an existing word or phrase)
preternatural (adj)
pree-ter-NAT-cher-ull
Supernatural, exceptional
*occult can mean “supernatural, mysterious, arcane”
prevaricate (verb)
preh-VAIR-ick-ayt
Stray from the truth, mislead, lie
primacy (n)
PRY-muh-see
The state of being first or most important
quixotic (adj)
kwick-SAH-tick
Extremely impractical but very romantic, chivalrous, or idealistic; impulsive
propitious (adj)
proh-PISH-uss
Favorable, giving good signs for the future, likely to work out; kind or forgiving
*auspicious, opportune
providential (adj)
prah-vid-ENT-chull
Lucky, fortunate, or relating to divine care
*propitious, auspicious
pusillanimous (adj)
pyoo-sill-AN-im-uss
Cowardly, timid
*craven
proclivity (n)
pruh-CLIV-it-ee
Inclination, natural tendency
*predilection, propensity
polemic (n)
puh-LEM-ick
Controversial argument, esp. one attacking a specific idea
plethora (n)
PLETH-uh-ruh
Excess; excessive amount
proxy (n)
PRAHCK-see
Agent, substitute, person authorized to act on behalf of another
*legate, emissary
querulous (adj)
KWAIR-ull-uss
Given to complaining, grumbling
*carp, petulant, peevish, cross
quiescent (adj)
kwee-ESS-unt
Quiet, still
*placid, pacific
