Advanced to Learn 1/2 Flashcards
indigent
indigent
adjective: poor; having very little
In the so-called Third World, many are indigent and only a privileged few have the resources to enjoy material luxuries.
noun: a poor or needy person
The indigents, huddled under the overpass, tried to start a small bonfire in the hope of staying warm.
overweening
overweening
adjective: arrogant; presumptuous
Mark was so convinced of his basketball skills that in his overweening pride he could not fathom that his name was not on the varsity list; he walked up to the basketball coach and told her she had forgotten to add his name.
expansive
expansive
adjective: communicative, and prone to talking in a sociable manner
After a few sips of cognac, the octogenarian shed his irascible demeanor and became expansive, speaking fondly of the “good old days”.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study
sedulous
sedulous
adjective: done diligently and carefully
An avid numismatist, Harold sedulously amassed a collection of coins from over 100 countries—an endeavor that took over fifteen years across five continents.
perfunctory
perfunctory
adjective: done routinely and with little interest or care
The short film examines modern perfunctory cleaning rituals such as washing dishes, doing laundry and tooth-brushing.
malfeasance
malfeasance
noun: misconduct or wrongdoing (especially by a public official)
Not even the mayor’s trademark pearly-toothed grin could save him from charges of malfeasance: while in power, he’d been running an illegal gambling rink in the room behind his office.
choleric
choleric
adjective: prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered
While a brilliant lecturer, Mr. Dawson came across as choleric and unapproachable—very rarely did students come to his office hours.
turpitude
turpitude
noun: depravity; a depraved act
During his reign, Caligula indulged in unspeakable sexual practices, so it is not surprising that he will forever be remembered for his turpitude.
untoward
untoward
adjective: unfavorable; inconvenient
Some professors find teaching untoward as having to prepare for lectures and conduct office hours prevents them from focusing on their research.
bilous
bilious
adjective: irritable; always angry
Rex was bilious all morning, and his face would only take on a look of contentedness when he’d had his morning cup of coffee.
disabuse
disabuse
verb: to persuade somebody that his/her belief is not valid
As a child, I was quickly disabused of the notion that Santa Claus was a rotund benefactor of infinite largess—one night I saw my mother diligently wrapping presents and storing them under our Christmas tree.
benighted
benighted
adjective: fallen into a state of ignorance
Far from being a period of utter benightedness, The Medieval Ages produced some great works of theological speculation.
sangfroid
sangfroid
noun: calmness or poise in difficult situations
The hostage negotiator exhibited a sangfroid that oftentimes was more menacing than the sword at his throat, or the gun at his head.
sybarite
sybarite
noun: a person who indulges in luxury
Despite the fact that he’d maxed out fifteen credit cards, Max was still a sybarite at heart: when the police found him, he was at a $1,000 an hour spa in Manhattan, getting a facial treatment.
cupidity
cupidity
noun: greed for money
Some people believe that amassing as much wealth as possible is the meaning to life—yet they often realize that cupidity brings anything but happiness.
jejune
jejune
adjective: dull; lacking flavor
Although many top chefs have secured culinary foam’s popularity in haute cuisine, Waters criticizes it for being jejune and unfilling.
adjective: immature; childish
Her boss further cemented his reputation for being jejune after throwing a fit when the water cooler wasn’t refilled.
sententious
sententious
adjective: to be moralizing, usually in a pompous sense
The old man, casting his nose up in the air at the group of adolescents, intoned sententiously, “Youth is wasted on the young.”
schadenfreude
schadenfreude
noun: joy from watching the suffering of others
From his warm apartment window, Stanley reveled in schadenfreude as he laughed at the figures below, huddled together in the arctic chill.
peremptory
peremptory
adjective: bossy and domineering
My sister used to peremptorily tell me to do the dishes, a chore I would either do perfunctorily or avoid doing altogether.
parvenu
parvenu
noun: a person who has suddenly become wealthy, but not socially accepted as part of a higher class
The theater was full of parvenus who each thought that they were surrounded by true aristocrats.
jaundiced
jaundiced
adjective: to be biased against due to envy or prejudice
Shelly was jaundiced towards Olivia; though the two had once been best friends, Olivia had become class president, prom queen, and, to make matters worse, the girlfriend of the one boy Shelly liked.
mulct
mulct
verb: to defraud or swindle
The so-called magical diet cure simply ended up mulcting Maria out of hundreds of dollars, but did nothing for her weight.
quixotic
quixotic
adjective: wildly idealistic; impractical
For every thousand startups with quixotic plans to be the next big name in e-commerce, only a handful ever become profitable.
propitiate
propitiate
verb: to placate or appease
The two sons, plying their angry father with cheesy neckties for Christmas, were hardly able to propitiate him – the father already had a drawer full of ones he had never worn before or ever planned to.
palimpsest
palimpsest
noun: something that has been changed numerous times but on which traces of former iterations can still be seen
The downtown was a palimpsest of the city’s checkered past: a new Starbucks had opened up next to an abandoned, shuttered building, and a freshly asphalted road was inches away from a pothole large enough to swallow a small dog.
blinkered
blinkered
adjective: to have a limited outlook or understanding
In gambling, the blinkered addict is easily influenced by past successes and/or past failures, forgetting that the outcome of any one game is independent of the games that preceded it.
arriviste
arriviste
noun: a person who has recently reached a position of power; a social climber
The city center was aflutter with arrivistes who tried to outdo one another with their ostentatious sports cars and chic evening dress.
excoriate
excoriate
verb: to criticize very harshly
Entrusted with the prototype to his company’s latest smartphone, Larry, during a late night karaoke bout, let the prototype slip into the hands of a rival company—the next day Larry was excoriated, and then fired.
execrate
execrate
verb: to curse and hiss at
Though the new sitcom did decently in the ratings, Nelson railed against the show, saying that it was nothing more than an execrable pastiche of tired clichés and canned laughter.
invective
invective
noun: abusive or denunciatory language
The Internet has unleashed the invectives in many of us; many people post stinging criticism on the comments section underneath newspaper articles or YouTube videos.
remonstrate
remonstrate
verb: to make objections while pleading
The mothers of the kidnapped victims remonstrated to the rogue government to release their children, claiming that the detention violated human rights.
apotheosis
apotheosis
noun: exaltation to divine status; the highest point of development
As difficult as it is to imagine, the apotheosis of Mark Zuckerberg’s career, many believe, is yet to come.
hedge
hedge
verb: to limit or qualify a statement; to avoid making a direct statement
When asked why he had decided to buy millions of shares at the very moment the tech company’s stock soared, the CEO hedged, mentioning something vague about gut instinct.
imbroglio
imbroglio
confusing, potentially embarrassing situation
mulch
mulch
to defraud or swindle
tendentious
tendentious
likely to lean towards a controversial view
sartorial
related to fashion or clothes
