Advanced Vocab 1, 2, 3 Flashcards
exegesis
Critical explanation or analysis, especially of a text.
The Bible is fertile ground for exegesis - over the past five centuries there have been as many interpretations as there are pages in the Old Testament.
vicissitude
Change in one’s circumstances, usually for the worse.
Even great rulers have their vicissitudes - Massive kingdoms have diminished overnight, and once beloved kings have faced the scorn of angry masses.
kowtow
To bow or act in a subservient manner.
Paul kowtowed to his boss so often the boss herself became nauseated by his sycophancy.
pariah
Outcast
The once eminent scientist, upon being found guilty of faking his data, has become a pariah in the research community.
base
Lowest, without moral principles.
She was not so base as to begrudge the beggar the unwanted crumbs from her dinner plate.
supercilious
Haughty; Disdainful; Looking down on others.
Nelly felt the Quiz Bowl director acted superciliously towards the underclassmen; really, she fumed, must he act so preternaturally omniscient each time he intones some obscure fact, as though everybody knows that Mt. Aconcagua is the highest peak in South America.
insufferable
Intolerable; Difficult to endure.
Chester always tried to find some area in which he excelled above others; Unsurprisingly, his coworkers found him insufferable and chose to exclude him from daily luncheons.
sedulous
Done diligently and carefully.
An avid numismatist, Harold sedulously amassed a collection of coins from over 100 countries, taking him over fifteen years across five continents.
byzantine
Intricate and complex.
Getting a driver’s license is not simply a matter of taking a test; the regulations and procedures are so byzantine that many have found themselves at the mercy of the DMV.
beg
Assume something is true.
By assuming that Charlie was headed to college - which he was not - Maggie begged the question when she asked him to which school he was headed in the Fall.
overweening
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
Communicative; Prone to talking in sociable manner.
After a few sips of cognac, the octogenarian shed his irascible demeanor and became expansive, speaking fondly of the “good old days”.
untoward
Unfavorable; Inconvenient
Some professors find teaching untoward as having to prepare for lectures and conduct office hours prevents them from focusing on their research.
ponderous
Moving slowly; Weighed down
Laden with 20 kgs of college text books, the freshman moved ponderously across the campus.
equivocate
Speak vaguely, usually with intention to mislead.
After Sharon brought the car home an hour after her curfew, she equivocated when her parents pointedly asked her where she had been.
imbibe
To drink, or absorb as if drinking.
Plato imbibed Socrates’ teachings to such an extent that he was able to write volumes of work that he directly attributed, something word for word, to Socrates.
hector
Bully; Intimidate
The boss’ hectoring manner put off many employees, some of whom quit as soon as they found new jobs.
anathema
Detested person; Source of somebody’s hatred.
Hundreds of years ago, Galileo was anathema to the church; today the church is anathema to some on the left side of the political spectrum.
alacrity
Eager willingness to do something.
The first three weeks at his new job, Mark worked with such alacrity that upper management knew it would be giving him a promotion.
precipitate
Hasty or rash; To cause to happen.
Instead of conducting a thorough investigation, the governor acted precipitately, accusing his staff of aiding and abetting the criminals; The government’s mishandling of the hurricane’s aftermath precipitated a widespread outbreak of looting and other criminal activity.
churlish
Lacking manners or refinement.
The manager was unnecessarily churlish to his subordinates, rarely deigning to say hello, but always quick with a sartorial jab if someone happened to be wearing anything even slightly mismatching.
choleric
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.
artless
Without cunning or deceit; Natural and simple.
Despite the president’s seemingly artless speeches, he was a skilled and ruthless negotiator.
apostate
Person who has given up a religious faith or cause.
An apostate of the Republican Party, Sheldon has yet to become affiliated with any party and dubs himself an independent.
nadir
The lowest point.
For many pop music fans, the rap - and alternative-rock dominated 90s were the nadir of musical expression.
saturnine
Morose or gloomy.
Deprived of sunlight, humans become saturnine; that’s why in very northerly territories people are encouraged to sit under an extremely powerful lamp, lest they become morose.
apogee
Highest point.
The apogee of the Viennese style of music, Mozart’s music continues to mesmerize audiences well into the 21st century.
truculent
Having a fierce, savage nature.
Standing in line for six hours, she became progressively truculent, yelling at DMV employees and elbowing other people waiting in line.
attenuate
Weaken; Taper off
Her animosity towards Bob attenuated over the years, and she even went so far as to invite him to her party.
factious
Produced or characterized by internal dissension.
The controversial bill proved factious, as dissension even within parties resulted.
turpitude
Depravity; Moral corruption; 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.
fractious
Irritable, likely to cause disruption.
We rarely invite my fractious Uncle over for dinner; he always complains about the food, and usually launches into a tirade on some touchy subject.
defray
Help pay the cost of, either part or in full.
In order for Sean to attend the prestigious college, his generous uncle helped defray the excessive tuition with a monthly donation.
lascivious
Lecherous; Sexually perverted
Lolita is a challenging novel for many, not necessarily because of the elevated prose style but because of the depravity of the main character, HH, who, as an old, lascivious man, lusts after a girl.
prosaic
Dull and lacking imagination.
Unlike the talented artists in his workshop, Paul had no such bent for the visual medium, so when it was time for him to make a stained glass painting, he ended up with a prosaic mosaic.
contentious
Likely to argue.
Since old grandpa Harry became very contentious during the summer when only reruns were on T.V., the grandkids learned to hide from him at every opportunity.
diatribe
Strong verbal attack against a person or institution.
Steve’s Mom launched into a diatribe during the PTA meeting, contending that the school was little more than a daycare in which students stare at the wall and teachers stare at the chalkboard.
cow
To intimidate.
Do not be cowed by a 3000 word vocabulary list: turn that list into a deck of flashcards.
conciliate
To make peace with.
His opponents believed his gesture to be conciliatory, yet as soon as they put down their weapons, he unsheathed a hidden sword.
chary
Cautious, suspiciously reluctant to do something.
Having received three speeding tickets in the last two months, Jack was chary of driving at all above the speed limit, even on a straight stretch of highway that looked empty for miles ahead.
penurious
Lacking money; Poor; Miserly.
Truly penurious, Mary had nothing more than a jar full of pennies.
perfunctory
Done routinely with little interest or care.
The short film examines modern perfunctory cleaning rituals such as washing dishes, doing laundry and tooth-brushing.
jingoist
Person who thinks their country is always right, is in favor of aggressive acts against other countries.
Person who thinks their country is always right and who is in favor of aggressive acts against other countries.
feckless
Lazy and irresponsible.
Two years after graduation, Charlie still lived with his parents and had no job, becoming more feckless with each passing day.
zeitgeist
Spirit of the times.
Each decade has its own zeitgeist: The 90s was a prosperous time in which the promise of the American Dream never seemed more palpable.
catholic
Of broad scope; Universal
Jonah’s friends said that Jonah’s taste in music was eclectic; Jonah was quick to point out that not only was his taste eclectic but it was also catholic: he enjoyed music from countries as far-flung as Mali and Mongolia.
indigent
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; The indigents, huddled under the overpass, tried to start a small bonfire in the hope of staying warm.
malfeasance
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.
arrant
Complete and wholly, usually modifying a noun with negative connotation.
An arrant fool, Lawrence surprised nobody when he lost all his money in a pyramid scheme that was every bit as transparent as it was corrupt.
expunge
Eliminate completely
When I turned 18, all of the shoplifting and jaywalking charges were expunged from my record.
sartorial
Related to fashion or clothes.
Monte was astute at navigating the world of finance; sartorially, however, he was found wanting - he typically would attempt to complement his beige tie with a gray suit and white pants.
arriviste
Person who has recently reached a position of power; Social climber.
The city center was aflutter with arrivistes who tried to outdo one another with their ostentatious sports cars and chic evening dress.
tendentious
Likely to lean towards a controversial view.
Because political mudslinging has become a staple of the 24-hour media cycle, most of us, despite protestations to the contrary, are tendentious on many of today’s pressing issues.
propitiate
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.
maudlin
Overly emotional and sad.
Just as those who were alive during the 70s are mortified that they once cavorted about in bellbottoms, many who lived during the 80s are aghast at the maudlin pop songs they used to enjoy - really, just what exactly is a total eclipse of the heart?
jejune
Dull; Lacking flavor; Immature; Childish
Although many top chefs have secured culinary foam’s popularity in haute cuisine, Waters criticizes it for being jejune and unfilling.
sybarite
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 $1k an hour spa in Manhattan, getting a facial treatment.
sangfroid
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.
quisling
Traitor
History looks unfavorably upon quislings; indeed they are accorded about the same fondness as Nero = who watched his city burn down while playing the violin.
peremptory
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.
venial
Easily excused or forgiven; Pardonable
His traffic violations ran the gamut from the venial to the egregious.
apotheosis
Exaltation to divine status; Highest point of development.
As difficult as it is to imagine, the apotheosis of Mark Zuckerberg’s career, many believe, is yet to come.
execrate
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 cliches and canned laughter.
benighted
Fallen into a state of ignorance.
Far from being a period of utter benightedness, The Medieval Ages produced some great works of theological speculation.
sententious
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.”
pyrrhic
Describing a victory that comes at great cost that the victory is not worthwhile.
George W Bush’s win in the 2000 election was in many ways a pyrrhic victory: the circumstances of his win alienated half of the US population.
jaundiced
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.
blinkered
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.
parvenu
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.
gerrymander
Manipulate voting districts in order to favor a particular political party.
Years ago, savvy politicians had gerrymandered the city center to ensure their re-election.
palimpsest
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.
cupidity
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.
malapropism
The confusion of a word with another word that sounds similar.
Whenever I looked glum, my mother would offer to share “an amusing antidote” with me - an endearing malapropism of “anecdote” that never failed to cheer me up.
excoriate
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.
invective
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.
juggernaut
A force that cannot be stopped.
Napoleon was considered a juggernaut until he decided to invade Russia in Winter.
picayune
Trifling or Petty (person)
English teachers are notorious for being picayune; However, the English language is so nuanced and sophisticated that often such teachers are not being contrary but are only adhering to the rules.
arch
To be deliberately teasing.
The baroness was arch, making playful asides to the townspeople; yet because they couldn’t pick up on her dry humor, they thought her supercilious.
imbroglio
A confusing and potentially embarrassing situation.
The chef cook-off featured one gourmand who had the unfortunate distinction of mixing the wrong broths, creating an imbroglio that diners would not soon forget.
factitious
Artificial; Not natural
The defendant’s story was largely factitious and did not accord with eyewitness testimonies.
mulct
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
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.
protean
Readily taking on different roles; Versatile
Peter Sellers was truly a protean actor - in Doctor Strengelove he played three very different roles.
hedge
To limit or qualify a statement; 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.
histrionic
To be overly theatrical.
Though she received a B- on the test, she had such a histrionic outburst that one would have thought that she’d been handed a death sentence.
fell
Terribly evil
For fans of the Harry Potter series, the fell Lord Voldemort has finally been vanquished by the forces of good.
expurgate
To remove objectionable material.
The censor expurgated every reference to sex and drugs, converting the rapper’s raunchy flow into a series of bleeps.
mellifluous
Smooth and sweet-sounding.
Chelsea’s grandmother thought Franz Schubert’s music to be the most mellifluous ever written.
impecunious
Lacking money; Poor
In extremely trying times, even the moderately wealthy, after a few turns of ill-fortune, can become impecunious.
mettlesome
Filled with courage or valor.
For its raid on the Bin Laden’s compound, Seal Team Six has become, for many Americans, the embodiment of mettle.
schadenfreude
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.
remonstrate
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.
bilious
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.
phantasmagorical
Illusive; Unreal
Those suffering from malaria fall into a feverish sleep, their world a whirligig of phantasmagoria; If they recover, they are unsure of what actually took place and what was simply a product of their febrile imaginations.
curmudgeon
Grouchy, surly person.
Since Uncle Mike was the family curmudgeon…
limpid
Having clarity in terms of expression.
Her limpid prose made even the most recondite subjects accessible to all.
Pollyannaish
Extremely optimistic
Even in the midst of a lousy sales quarter, Debbie remained Pollyannaish, never losing her shrill voice and wide smile, even when her prospective customers hung up on her.
vituperate
To criticize harshly; To berate
Jason had dealt with disciplinarians before, but nothing prepared him for the first week of boot camp, as drill sergeants vituperated him for petty oversights such as forgetting to double knot the laces on his boots.
martinet
Strict disciplinarian
The job seemed perfect to Rebecca, until she found out that her boss was a total martinet; after each project the boss would come by to scrutinize - and inevitably criticize - every little detail of the work Rebecca had done.
disabuse
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.
lugubrious
Excessively mournful.
At the funeral, lugubrious songs filled the small church.
quail
Draw back, as with fear or pain.
Craig always claimed to be a fearless outdoorsman, but when the thunderstorm engulfed the valley, he quailed at the thought of leaving the safety of his cabin.
anemic
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.
bowdlerize
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.
cede
Relinquish possession or control over.
Eventually, all parents must cede control of their growing childrens’ educations and allow their offspring some autonomy.
probity
Integrity, strong moral principles.
The ideal politician would have the probity to lead, but reality gravely falls short of the ideal of morally upright leaders.
hail
Enthusiastically acclaim or celebrate something.
Many college superstar athletes are hailed as the next big thing, but then flop at the professional level.
solecism
Socially awkward or tactless act; Incorrect behavior.
Mother Anna was always on guard against any solecism from her children and scolded them immediately if any of the talked out of place in public.
epiphany
Sudden revelation or moment of insight.
Gary one day had an epiphany that he was a people person; he promptly quit his factory job and began working as a salesman.
artlessness
The quality of innocence.
I, personally, found the artlessness of her speech charming.
enthrall
Hold spellbound.
She was so enthralled by the movie that she never heard people screaming, “Fire! Fire!” in the neighboring theater.
primacy
State of being first in importance.
The primacy of Apple Computers is not guaranteed, as seen in the recent lawsuits and weak growth.
duplicity
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.
umbrage
Feeling of anger caused by being offended; Offense or annoyance.
Since he was so in love with her, he took umbrage at her comments, even though she had only meant to gently tease him.
raconteur
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.
lampoon
Ridicule with satire.
Mark Twain understood that lampooning a bad idea with humor was the most effective criticism.
semblance
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.
mordant
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.
charlatan
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.
pecuniary
Relating to or involving money.
The defendant was found guilty and had to serve a period of community service as well as pay pecuniary damages to the client.
prolixity
Boring verbosity; Using or containing too many words.
I loved my grandfather dearly, but his prolixity would put me to sleep, regardless of the topic.
unforthcoming
Uncooperative, not willing to give up information.
The teacher demanded to know who broke the window while he was out of the room, but the students understandably were unforthcoming.
sagacious
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.
hagiographic
Excessively flattering toward someone’s life or work.
Most accounts of Tiger Woods’ life were hagiographic, until, that is, his affairs made headlines.
portentous
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.
vitriolic
Harsh or corrosive in tone; Filled with bitter criticism or hatred.
While the teacher was more moderate in her criticism of the other student’s papers, she was vitriolic toward Peter’s paper, casting every flaw in the harshest light.
effrontery
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.
litany
Any long and tedious account of something.
Mr. Rogers spoke to a Senate committee and did not give a litany of reasons to keep funding the program, but instead, appealed to the basic human decency of all present.
illustrious
Widely known and esteemed; Having or conferring glory.
Einstein was possibly the most illustrious scientist in recent history.
importune
Beg persistently and urgently.
After weeks of importuning the star to meet for a five minute interview, the journalist finally got what she wanted.
temerity
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.
maunder
Wander aimlessly; Speak rapidly and incessantly.
Max liked to maunder down by the seaside; After drinking two espressos each, the animated couple would maunder loudly, annoying the other patrons in the coffee shop.
grandiloquent
Puffed up with vanity.
The dictator was known for his grandiloquent speeches, puffing his chest out and using big, important sounding words.
anodyne
Something that soothes or relieves pain; Inoffensive.
Muzak, which is played in department stores, is intended to be an anodyne; Wilbur enjoyed a spicy Mexican breakfast, but Jill preferred a far more anodyne meal in the morning.
insouciance
Lack of concern; Indifference.
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.
plucky
Marked by courage and determination.
Some scouts initially doubted Pedroia because of his short statue, but he is a plucky player, surprising everyone with his boundless energy and fierce determination.
recapitulation
Summary (recap).
Every point of the professors lesson was so clear that the students felt his concluding recapitulation was not necessary.
enjoin
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.
flummox
Be a mystery or bewildering to.
Mary’s behavior completely flummoxes me; I never have any idea what her motivations might be.
sinecure
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.
gaffe
Socially awkward or tactless act; A blunder; Unintentional act or remark causing embarrassment to its originator.
In a famous gaffe, VP Quayle attempted to correct the spelling of a grade school student, only to find that the child was correct.
perspicacious
Acutely insightful and wise.
Many modern observers regard Eisenhower as perspicacious, particularly in his accurate prediction of the growth of the military.
approbatory
Expressing praise or approval.
Although it might not be her best work, Hunter’s new novel has received generally approbatory reviews.
moribund
Being on the point of death; Declining rapidly losing all momentum in progress.
Whether you like it or not, jazz as a genre is moribund at best, possibly already dead.
provident
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.
impute
Attribute to something.
He imputed his subpar performance on the test to a combination of stress and poor sleep.
redoubtable
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.
punctilious
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.
derelict
Not doing one’s duties; Abandoned building.
The teacher was derelict in her duties because she hadn’t graded a single student paper in three weeks; At one time the waterfront factories were busy and productive, but now that the economy has collapsed and the factories are all closed, the derelicts will be torn down.
prognostication
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.
