Advanced Vocab Words - Set 1 Flashcards
Learn to understand and effectively use 100 advanced vocabulary words. Improve your test scores, or simply be more articulate in your daily life. Each word is used in context in a sample sentence and includes synonyms and a pronunciation guide.
Define
temerity
(tuh-mer-i-tee)
n. reckless confidence
The temerity of the pirate crew cost them their ship.
Define
depredate
(dep-rih-deyt)
v. to plunder, pillage, destroy
v. to exploit
The Vikings depredated the whole valley.
Define
genuflect
(djen-yoo-flekt)
v. to bend knee to ground (as in worship)
v. to grovel
The king’s subjects genuflected when he entered the room.
Define
wend
(wend)
v. to go, proceed, walk
We wended our way through the market.
Define
pelagic
(puh-ladj-ik)
adj. relating to open seas rather than waters adjacent to land
The pelagic organism was only found in the deepest part of the ocean.
Define
froward
(froh-werd)
adj. intractable, stubbornly disobedient, difficult to manage
The froward mule sat down and refused to move all afternoon.
Define
punctilious
(puhngk-til-ee-uhs)
adj. precise, paying attention to trivialities of etiquette
A secretary who punctiliously records every detail.
Define
aphorism
(af-uh-riz-uhm)
n. a tersely phrased truth or opinion; adage; epigram
n. a brief statement of principle; or general truth
The children had finally learned the meaning of the aphorism “You can’t have your cake and eat it too”.
Define
purloin
(per-loin, per-loin)
v. to steal
The manipulative thief purloined the diamonds after gaining the confidence of their location.
Define
esoteric
(es-uh-ter-ik)
adj. intended for or understood only by a particular group
adj. not publicly disclosed; confidential
The esoteric ideas of the cult failed to enlighten many outsiders.
Define
succor
(suhk-er)
n. relief during a time of struggle
The Red Cross provides succor to refugees in emergency shelters.
Define
protean
(proh-tee-uhn)
adj. readily assuming different forms or characters, versatile
Fans regarded the protean actress as capable of playing any role.
Define
callous
(kal-uhs)
adj. insensitive; having no feeling
The callous remark upset the entire family.
Define
proscribe
(proh-skrahyb)
v. to prohibit or forbid as harmful or unlawful
Citizens pushed to proscribe swimming in the polluted lake.
Define
denouement
(dey-noo-mahn)
n. an outcome or solution to a complex series of events
Though public interest slackened after the arsonist was caught, the denouement of the case was just as interesting as the manhunt that had preceded it.
Define
supercilious
(soo-per-sill-ee-uhs)
adj. arrogant, overbearing; displaying condescending superiority over someone else
His supercilious behavior drove away many of his peers.
Define
parley
(pahr-lee)
n. discussion between enemies, often to prepare terms of surrender
The longtime enemies held a parley to work on peace negotiations.
Define
apoplectic
(ap-uh-plek-tik)
adj. furious; enraged; overcome with anger
When Jim found out he was fired, he apoplectically stormed out of the office.
Define
simper
(sim-per)
v. to say with a coy smile; to smirk
Dave simpered a feeble attempt at an apology.
Define
miscegenation
(mih-sedj-uh-ney-shuhn)
n. the interbreeding of different races
n. any mixture or hybrid
Miscegenation, the intermarriage or mixing of different racial groups, was historically met with social and legal barriers in many societies. But today, miscegenation is widely accepted in many societies, and interracial relationships are common and often celebrated as a sign of cultural diversity and tolerance.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. recklessness
temerity
(tuh-mer-i-tee)
synonyms: arrogance, brashness
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to plunder, pillage, destroy
v. to exploit
depredate
(dep-rih-deyt)
synonyms: despoil, ravish, defile
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to bend knee to ground (as in worship)
v. to grovel
genuflect
(djen-yoo-flekt)
synonyms: kneel, beg
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to go, proceed, walk
wend
(wend)
synonyms: go, journey, travel
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. relating to open seas rather than waters adjacent to land
pelagic
(puh-ladj-ik)
synonyms: aquatic, oceanic
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. intractable, stubbornly disobedient, difficult to manage
froward
(froh-werd)
synonyms: antagonistic, conflicting
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. precise, paying attention to trivialities of etiquette
punctilious
(puhngk-til-ee-uhs)
synonyms: meticulous, careful, finicky
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a tersely phrased truth or opinion; adage; epigram
n. a brief statement of principle; or general truth
aphorism
(af-uh-riz-uhm)
synonyms: axiom, precept; principle, truth
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to steal
purloin
(per-loin, per-loin)
synonyms: burglarize, cheat, swindle
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. intended for or understood only by a particular group
adj. not publicly disclosed; confidential
esoteric
(es-uh-ter-ik)
synonyms: obscure, secret, cryptic
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. relief during a time of struggle
succor
(suhk-er)
synonyms: aid, comfort, refuge
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. readily assuming different forms or characters, versatile
protean
(proh-tee-uhn)
synonyms: versatile, adaptable, dexterous
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. insensitive; having no feeling
callous
(kal-uhs)
synonyms: soulless, cruel
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to prohibit or forbid as harmful or unlawful
proscribe
(proh-skrahyb)
synonyms: condemn, banish
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. an outcome or solution to a complex series of events
denouement
(dey-noo-mahn)
synonyms: finale, final achievement
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. arrogant, overbearing; displaying condescending superiority over someone else
supercilious
(soo-per-sill-ee-uhs)
synonyms: bossy, condescending
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. discussion between enemies, often to prepare terms of surrender
parley
(pahr-lee)
synonyms: conference, mediation
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. furious; enraged; overcome with anger
adj. relating to a stroke
apoplectic
(ap-uh-plek-tik)
synonyms: angry; wrathful
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to say with a coy smile; to smirk
simper
(sim-per)
synonyms: grin, leer, sneer
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. the interbreeding of different races
n. any mixture or hybrid
miscegenation
(mih-sedj-uh-ney-shuhn)
synonyms: interbreeding, mixing races
Miscegenation, the intermarriage or mixing of different racial groups, was historically met with social and legal barriers in many societies. But today, miscegenation is widely accepted in many societies, and interracial relationships are common and often celebrated as a sign of cultural diversity and tolerance.
Define
androgynous
(an-drodj-uh-nuhs)
adj. not distinguishable between male and female
The names Sam is androgynous because it could stand for Samantha or Samual.
Define
covey
(kuhv-ee)
n. a family of partridges
n. a small group
Outside the classroom was a covey of giggling schoolgirls.
Define
supine
(adj. soo-pahyn)
adj. inactive, lying on one’s back apathetically
adj. morally slack
The officials exhibited a supine acceptance of corruption.
Define
cozen
(kuhz-uhn)
v. to cheat, beguile, or deceive
The corrupt televangelist cozened money from viewers by lying about charitable intentions.
Define
limpid
(lim-pid)
adj. calm, untroubled, serene
adj. transparent, clear (as of water, air, or crystal)
The family flew a kite down by the limpid blue pond.
Define
refulgent
(rih-fuhl-juhnt)
adj. shining radiantly; brilliant
The refulgent palace seemed out of place amid the poverty of the villages surrounding it.
Define
phlegmatic
(fleg-mat-ik)
adj. hard to excite, calm, sluggish
adj. unemotional, stoic
Pete’s phlegmatic response was difficult for his friends to read.
Define
attenuate
(uh-ten-yoo-eyt)
v. to weaken or reduce in force or value
v. to make small or fine
The medicine attenuated the fever’s effect.
Define
disingenuous
(diss-in-djen-yoo-uhs)
adj. lacking in sincerity or candor
When the oil prospector’s promises were discovered to be disingenuous, he was run out of town.
Define
epistle
(uh-piss-uhl)
n. a written message, usually a formal letter
The epistle was hand-delivered by a confidant in order to avoid interception.
Define
factitious
(fak-tish-uhs)
adj. produced artificially; not natural
adj. fake
The factitious laughter of insincere talk show hosts makes my skin crawl.
Define
pied
(pahyd)
adj. containing patches of two or more colors, usually in blotches
The jester’s pied coat was stitched together from scraps of blue and red fabric.
Define
militate
(mill-ih-teyt)
v. to have substantial weight on preventing; to argue against; discourage.
The volatility of the situation militated against any rash action.
Define
Stygian
(stidj-ee-uhn)
adj. dark, gloomy, dismal
adj. infernal, hellish
The stygian murk of the cave made it difficult to navigate.
Define
gainsay
(geyn-sey)
v. to declare false
v. to deny
v. to contradict or claim exception to
Evidence and witness testimony all gainsaid the defendant’s claims.
Define
palliate
(pal-ee-eyt)
v. to make something appear less serious; to mitigate; to alleviate
The student tried to palliate the significance of his plagiarism.
Define
nostrum
(nos-truhm)
n. cure-all, questionable remedy, or a placebo
An ad on television depicted a nostrum that claims to cure hangovers.
Define
obstreperous
(uhb-strep-er-uhs)
adj. unruly, noisy, loudly stubborn
The obstreperous two-year-old cried the entire train ride.
Define
precocious
(prih-koh-shuhs)
adj. unusually quick development or maturation, especially in intelligence
The child’s precocious understanding of calculus stunned his teachers.
Define
regale
(rih-geyl)
v. to entertain; to supply lavishly
Steve regaled his guests with exciting tales.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. hermaphroditic
adj. not distinguishable between male and female
androgynous
(an-drodj-uh-nuhs)
synonyms: cross-sexual, unisexual, trans-sexual
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a family of partridges
n. a small group
covey
(kuhv-ee)
synonyms: a small group, a small flock of birds
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. inactive, lying on one’s back apathetically
adj. morally slack
supine
(adj. soo-pahyn)
synonyms: lying down, flat; apathetic, lazy
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to cheat, beguile, or deceive
cozen
(kuhz-uhn)
synonyms: hoodwink, swindle, dupe
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. calm, untroubled, serene
adj. transparent, clear (as of water, air, or crystal)
limpid
(lim-pid)
synonyms: tranquil, peaceful; glassy, translucent
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. shining radiantly; brilliant
refulgent
(rih-fuhl-juhnt)
synonyms: glowing, luminous, gleaming
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. hard to excite, calm, sluggish
adj. unemotional, stoic
phlegmatic
(fleg-mat-ik)
synonyms: apathetic, dispassionate, lethargic
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to weaken or reduce in force or value
v. to make small or fine
attenuate
(uh-ten-yoo-eyt)
synonyms: deflate, cripple, lessen
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. lacking in sincerity or candor
disingenuous
(diss-in-djen-yoo-uhs)
synonyms: dishonest, crooked
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a written message, usually a formal letter
epistle
(uh-piss-uhl)
synonyms: card, letter, memo
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. produced artificially; not natural
adj. fake
factitious
(fak-tish-uhs)
synonyms: artificial, false, sham
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. containing patches of two or more colors, usually in blotches
pied
(pahyd)
synonyms: patches of color, uneven coloring
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to have substantial weight or bearing on; to argue for or against
militate
(mill-ih-teyt)
synonyms: weigh, important, influential
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. dark, gloomy, dismal
adj. infernal, hellish
Stygian
(stidj-ee-uhn)
synonyms: inky, sombre
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to declare false
v. to deny
v. to contradict or claim exception to
gainsay
(geyn-sey)
synonyms: deny, disaffirm, disprove
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to make something appear less serious; to mitigate; to alleviate
palliate
(pal-ee-eyt)
synonyms: gloss over, condone, lessen
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. cure-all, questionable remedy, or a placebo
nostrum
(nos-truhm)
synonyms: elixir, quick fix, aid
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. unruly, noisy, loudly stubborn
obstreperous
(uhb-strep-er-uhs)
synonyms: boisterous, loud, riotous
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. unusually quick development or maturation, especially in intelligence
precocious
(prih-koh-shuhs)
synonyms: advanced, developed, quick, intelligent
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to entertain; to feast
regale
(rih-geyl)
synonyms: delight, amuse; treat