Advanced Vocab Words - Set 2 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:
odium
(oh-dee-um)
n. repugnance, hatred
n. strong dislike
The popular odium of attorneys is often unmerited.
Define:
officious
(uh-fish-us)
adj. prone to giving unwanted advice
I make a habit of giving honest opinions, but I try to avoid being officious with my friends.
Define:
opaque
(owe-peyk)
adj. blocking all light
adj. hard to understand
The windows became so dirty they were almost opaque.
Define:
opportune
(opp-er-tune)
adj. happening under fitting circumstances, or at an appropriate or favorable time
The students waited for an opportune moment to surprise their teacher with the bouquet of flowers they had prepared.
Define:
superfluous
(suh-per-flu-us)
adj. more than necessary; unnecessary
The student’s essay was full of superfluous phrases that needed to be deleted.
Define:
supersede
(sue-per-seed)
v. to substitute; to take precedence over
It had been my understanding that the new tax code supersedes the old one, but actually both are in vigor simultaneously.
Define:
supplant
(suh-plant)
v. to replace
The higher-ups tried to supplant rebellious teachers with conformists.
Define:
supplicate
(sup-lih-kate)
v. to humbly ask
The churchgoers then bowed their heads and supplicated God to answer their prayers.
Define:
surmount
(ser-mount)
v. to overcome
v. to rise above
Through sheer determination, he was able to surmount his disadvantages and win the contest outright.
Define:
surreptitious
(ser-up-tish-us)
adj. secretive
Since they were not allowed to speak, the couple exchanged surreptitious glances from across the room.
Define:
symbiotic
(sim-bee-ott-ik)
adj. related to a relationship between two or more organisms living together
The whale and the small fish that cling to its body have a symbiotic relationship.
Define:
synapse
(sin-apse)
n. the small gap between the cells of nerves
Neurotransmitters travel across the synapse between brain cells.
Define:
synchronous
(sing-kruh-nuss)
adj. operating at the same time or at the same rate
The film was notable for its synchronous premiere in 11 capital cities around the globe.
Define:
tacit
(tass-it)
adj. implied or unspoken
There was a tacit agreement between the two companies that neither would expand into the other’s city.
Define:
taciturn
(tass-ih-turn)
adj. tending to be silent; quiet
Some of the students were quite taciturn and had to be asked to participate more.
Define:
exacerbate
(ig-zass-er-bate)
v. to make worse
The children’s screaming exacerbated their father’s headache.
Define:
exact
(ig-zact)
v. to forcibly obtain
The detectives finally exacted the truth from the witness.
Define:
exculpate
(ek-skull-pate)
v. to free from blame
The political prisoner was fully exculpated only when the dictatorship was overthrown and an independent truth commission established.
Define:
exhort
(ig-zort)
v. to urge by strong appeal
Taking the loudspeaker in her hand, the policewoman exhorted the kidnapper to release his hostage.
Define:
exigent
(ek-suh-djunt)
adj. requiring immediate attention; pressing, demanding
The show’s run was cut short by an exigent lack of funds.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. blame
n. strong dislike
odium
(oh-dee-um)
synonyms: shame, dishonor; disgust, detestation, contempt, aversion, revulsion
He faced odium from his peers after the project failed due to his oversight.
The odium directed at the politician was palpable after the controversial decision.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. prone to giving unwanted advice
officious
(uh-fish-us)
synonyms: forward, meddlesome, intrusive, impertinent, pushy
Her officious nature made her unpopular at social gatherings, as she constantly offered unsolicited tips.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. blocking all light
adj. hard to understand
opaque
(owe-peyk)
synonyms: blurred, darkened, lusterless; baffling, cryptic, clouded, unclear, ambiguous
The opaque curtains kept the room completely dark even during midday.
His explanation was so opaque that no one in the class could follow his logic.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. happening under fitting circumstances
opportune
(opp-er-tune)
synonyms: advantageous, favorable, timely, appropriate, convenient
The job offer came at an opportune moment, just as she was considering a career change.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. more than necessary; unnecessary
superfluous
(suh-per-flu-us)
synonyms: extra, excessive, overdone, redundant, unnecessary, surplus
Her apology seemed superfluous, as the issue had already been resolved.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to substitute; to take precedence over
supersede
(sue-per-seed)
synonyms: usurp, succeed, replace, take over, displace
The new law will supersede the outdated regulations next year.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to replace
supplant
(suh-plant)
synonyms: substitute, usurp, replace, displace, supplant
As technology evolves, new devices continually supplant older models in the market.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to humbly ask
supplicate
(sup-lih-kate)
synonyms: ask, pray for, desire, beseech, implore, entreat
The villagers supplicated for rain during the prolonged drought.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to overcome
v. to rise above
surmount
(ser-mount)
synonyms: vanquish, transcend, overcome, rise above, conquer
She managed to surmount all obstacles and graduate at the top of her class.
The athlete’s determination allowed him to surmount his previous records.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. secretive
surreptitious
(ser-up-tish-us)
synonyms: sneaky, secret, covert, furtive, stealthy, clandestine
Their surreptitious meeting was held late at night to avoid detection.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. related to a relationship between two or more organisms living together
symbiotic
(sim-bee-ott-ik)
synonyms: coactive, harmonious, joining, interdependent, collaborative, mutual
The symbiotic relationship between the bees and flowers benefits both species.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. the small gap between the cells of nerves
synapse
(sin-apse)
synonyms: break, gap, divide, junction, connection, interface
The synapse is crucial for transmitting signals between neurons in the brain.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. operating at the same time or at the same rate
synchronous
(sing-kruh-nuss)
synonyms: concurrent, simultaneous, coordinated, aligned, parallel
The dancers moved in synchronous harmony, perfectly in sync with the music.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. implied or unspoken
tacit
(tass-it)
synonyms: suggested, unsaid, understood, implicit, implied, unspoken
There was a tacit understanding between them, even though no words were exchanged.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. tending to be silent; quiet
taciturn
(tass-ih-turn)
synonyms: aloof, silent, mum, reserved, reticent, quiet
He remained taciturn throughout the meeting, preferring to listen rather than speak.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to make worse
exacerbate
(ig-zass-er-bate)
synonyms: intensify, worsen, aggravate, heighten, amplify
His careless remarks only exacerbated the tense situation.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to forcibly obtain
exact
(ig-zact)
synonyms: claim, take, demand, require, impose
The conqueror exacted heavy taxes from the subdued population.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to free from blame
exculpate
(ek-skull-pate)
synonyms: forgive, excuse, absolve, clear, vindicate
New evidence helped to exculpate the accused of all charges.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to urge by strong appeal
exhort
(ig-zort)
synonyms: warn, beseech, encourage, urge, implore
The coach exhorted his team to give their best performance during the final match.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. requiring immediate attention; pressing, demanding
exigent
(ek-suh-djunt)
synonyms: urgent, pressing, critical, imperative, demanding
The exigent nature of the patient’s condition required immediate medical intervention.
Define:
exonerate
(ig-zawn-ih-rate)
v. to clear of blame, guilt, or burden
Though the defendant had clearly done something wrong, the court had no choice but to exonerate her on the present charges.
Define:
expedient
(ek-spee-dee-unt)
adj. beneficial for one’s goal
n. a hastily prepared solution to a sudden problem
The politician tended to bring up his humble origins when it was politically expedient.
Define:
expedite
(ek-spuh-dahyt)
v. to speed up
For an extra fee, the post office can expedite your package’s delivery.
Define:
expiate
(ek-spee-ate)
v. to atone for
After destroying his friend’s car, Jim hoped the fruit basket he sent would expiate his guilt.
Define:
extemporaneous
(ik-stem-puh-ray-nee-us)
adj. made up on the spot, ad-libbed
To be a news anchor, she would have to improve her extemporaneous speaking skills.
Define:
extol
(ik-stole)
v. to praise
Melinda was often heard extolling her daughter’s many talents.
Define:
extrapolate
(ek-strap-ih-late)
v. to make a guess based on facts
Pete figured it was possible to extrapolate her personality from her Facebook profile.
Define:
extricate
(ek-strih-kate)
v. to disentangle, to break free from
It was heartbreaking to watch the butterfly struggle in vain to extricate itself from the spider web.
Define:
churl
(churl)
n. a rude person
n. a cheap person
I had been waiting in line for hours when some churl tried to cut in front of me.
Define:
circuitous
(sir-cue-ih-tuss)
adj. roundabout
Because of the traffic accident, we had to take a circuitous route to the bank.
Define
circumscribe
(sir-come-skrahyb)
v. to draw or contain in a circle
v. to limit or restrain
I believe our government’s actions are circumscribed by financial interests as well as moral imperatives.
Define:
circumspect
(sir-come-spekt)
adj. prudent; cautious
Though her mother’s boyfriend attempted to win affection with toys and treats, Elise remained circumspect around him.
Define:
circumvent
(sir-kum-vent)
v. to get around an obstacle
She managed to circumvent security and approached her favorite actor backstage.
Define:
cleave
(kleev)
v. to cut off with force
v. to be loyal to
v. to develop an emotional bond with
She vowed that even when tempted she would cleave to her principles.
Define:
cloister
(cloy-stur)
v. to isolate
n. a place for religious isolation
The boy’s parents tended to cloister him from the harsher realities of the world.
Define:
coagulate
(koh-ag-yuh-late)
v. to clot or solidify
The poorly-made syrup began to coagulate on the pancakes after a few minutes.
Define:
coalesce
(koh-ih-less)
v. to come together to form a single unit
Our county’s many poverty initiatives are too different to coalesce into an effective whole.
Define:
cogent
(koh-djunt)
adj. clear and convincing
adj. relevant
We won the debate because the other team was unable to mount a cogent counter argument.
Define:
cohere
(koh-heer)
v. to be logically connected to
v. to stick to each other
These short stories are quite charming when taken separately, but they will not cohere if published together as a collection.
Define:
intransigent
(in-tran-suh-junt)
adj. unwilling to compromise
The government remained intransigent despite the people’s protest.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to clear of blame or guilt
exonerate
(ig-zawn-ih-rate)
synonyms: absolve, acquit, vindicate, clear, exculpate, discharge
The new evidence exonerated the defendant, proving he had no involvement in the crime.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. beneficial for one’s goal
n. a hastily prepared solution to a sudden problem
expedient
(ek-spee-dee-unt)
synonyms: worthwhile, advantageous; means, convenient, practical, beneficial
Choosing the most expedient option, he decided to postpone the meeting to meet his deadline.
Using a bucket to catch the leak was only an expedient until the plumber arrived.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to speed up
expedite
(ek-spuh-dahyt)
synonyms: accelerate, hasten, facilitate, quicken, speed up
They hired more workers to expedite the construction process and finish ahead of schedule.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to atone for wrongdoing
expiate
(ek-spee-ate)
synonyms: amend, atone, redeem, compensate, rectify
He worked to expiate his guilt by volunteering at the local shelter.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. made up on the spot, ad-libbed
extemporaneous
(ik-stem-puh-ray-nee-us)
synonyms: improvised, impromptu, unprepared, spontaneous, ad-libbed
Her extemporaneous speech impressed the audience, despite being unplanned.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to praise
extol
(ik-stole)
synonyms: praise, celebrate, laud, commend, glorify, acclaim
The teacher extolled the student for her outstanding performance in the competition.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to make a guess based on facts; to conjecture
extrapolate
(ek-strap-ih-late)
synonyms: assume, hypothesize, infer, deduce, project
Scientists used data from past experiments to extrapolate the likely outcome of the new test.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to disentangle, to break free from
extricate
(ek-strih-kate)
synonyms: clear, disburden, extract, free, release, liberate
It took hours to extricate the hiker from the thick underbrush.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a rude person
n. a cheap person
churl
(churl)
synonyms: lout, oaf; miser, peasant, boor, clod, misanthrope
The churl refused to hold the door open for the elderly woman.
Known for his stinginess, the churl never tipped the waiter, no matter how good the service.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. roundabout
circuitous
(sir-cue-ih-tuss)
synonyms: indirect, labyrinthine, roundabout, winding, devious
Their journey took a circuitous route through the countryside, avoiding the main highway.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to draw or contain in a circle
v. to limit or restrain
circumscribe
(sir-come-skrahyb)
synonyms: mark off, bound, confine, limit, restrict, delineate
The artist circumscribed the design with a fine, precise border.
The new rules circumscribe the amount of time employees can spend on personal tasks during work hours.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. prudent; cautious
circumspect
(sir-come-spekt)
synonyms: discreet, guarded, cautious, careful, wary
He was circumspect in his dealings, always thinking through the consequences before making a move.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to get around an obstacle
circumvent
(sir-kum-vent)
synonyms: avoid, bypass, dodge, evade, elude
He found a clever way to circumvent the security system and access the restricted area.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to cut off with force
v. to be loyal to
v. to develop an emotional bond with
cleave
(kleev)
synonyms: divide, split; devote, join; bond, affix, sever, separate, adhere
The lumberjack cleaved the log in two with a single swing of his axe.
He cleaved to his principles even in the face of criticism.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to isolate
n. a place for religious isolation
cloister
(cloy-stur)
synonyms: secluded, monastery, convent, retreat
She chose to cloister herself in her room to focus on writing.
The monks lived in a quiet cloister, far removed from the bustle of the city.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to clot or solidify (for liquids)
coagulate
(koh-ag-yuh-late)
synonyms: condense, concrete, thicken, clot, congeal, solidify
The blood began to coagulate shortly after the injury.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to come together to form a single unit
coalesce
(koh-ih-less)
synonyms: adhere, cling, merge, unite, combine
The small towns coalesced into a single city over time.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. clear and convincing
adj. relevant
cogent
(koh-djunt)
synonyms: apt, compelling, valid, persuasive, forceful, coherent
Her cogent argument persuaded everyone in the room.
The lawyer’s points were cogent to the case at hand.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to be logically connected to
v. to stick to each other
cohere
(koh-heer)
synonyms: adhere, conform, stick, bond, unite
The ideas in the paper cohere well, making the argument easy to follow.
After cooling, the molecules in the solution began to cohere and form a solid.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. unwilling to compromise
intransigent
(in-tran-suh-junt)
synonyms: stubborn, unwilling, bullheaded, obstinate, inflexible, unyielding
The negotiators grew frustrated with the company’s intransigent stance on the contract terms.