Advanced Vocab Words - Set 7 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:
dissociate
(dih-soh-see-ate)
v. to consider as separate
v. to break away
When news of the company’s fraud broke out, former affiliates tried to dissociate themselves from the partnership.
Define:
dissonant
(diss-ih-nunt)
adj. not in agreement; discordant
adj. unpleasant or harsh sounding
The first song the group performed surprised the audience with its dissonant chords and unusual length.
Define:
distend
(dih-stend)
v. to swell or widen
The children watched in fascination as the frog distended its throat and croaked.
Define:
distill
(dih-still)
v. to make pure
v. to take out from
The essence of the substance was distilled through a complicated process.
Define:
divest
(dahy-vest)
v. to deprive or dispossess
v. to dispose of assets
He was divested of his privileges and title after breaking the club’s most important rule.
Define:
doctrinaire
(dock-truh-nair)
adj. following theory without regard for practical reality
The new president’s doctrinaire attitude towards economics led him to go through with some harmful policies.
Define:
elate
(ee-late)
v. to fill with optimism or excitement
Activists were elated to hear about the passage of the civil rights legislation.
Define:
elegy
(ell-ih-djee)
n. a mournful poem or song
At her father’s funeral, Linda chose to read an elegy by his favorite poet, Keats.
Define:
elucidate
(ih-loo-sih-dehyt)
v. to make easier to understand
The company introduced simplified diagrams on its packaging to elucidate its new environmentally-friendly manufacturing process.
Define:
emaciate
(ih-mehy-shee-ehyt)
v. to make or become thin
He emerged from the prisoner camp emaciated by months of inadequate rations.
Define:
emollient
(ih-mole-yunt)
adj. having the effect of softening
The cream was popular for its moisturizing and emollient properties.
Define:
venal
(veen-l)
adj. capable of being bought or bribed; mercenary; corruptible
Naturally, the case was declared a mistrial when its venal judge was shown to have sought bribes from both the prosecution and the defense.
Define:
doggerel
(daw-ger-uhl)
n. trivial, poorly constructed verse
adj. comic, burlesque; loose and irregular
The doggerel found in some publications is often a result of lazy editing.
Define:
manse
(manss)
n. a clergyman’s house
n. a mansion
The architect just finished the plans for the minister’s new manse.
Define:
nexus
(nek-suhss)
n. a connected series; a tie or link
n. the center or focus
The detective pursued several corrupt police officials and so uncovered the nexus of the city’s violent crime.
Define:
promulgate
(prom-uhl-geyt)
v. to make openly known; to officially announce
The governor promulgated the new building code by special courier to each of the state’s municipalities.
Define:
dross
(drawss)
n. rubbish, waste, or foreign matter; impurity
Fred dismissed the criticisms of his portfolio, pointing out that the gold had far outweighed the dross through his long career.
Define:
demur
(duh-mur)
v. to take exception; to object
n. an objection
Though he was essentially in favor of freedom of speech, he demurred at certain types of hate speech.
Define:
felicitous
(fih-liss-ih-tuss)
adj. appropriate, suitable (as of a comment); well-chosen
Though Zhang and Eric are nothing alike, their complementary strengths made for a felicitous pairing as lab partners.
Define:
veritable
(ver-ih-tuh-buhl)
adj. authentic, real, true
In such a moderate district, winning more than 60 percent of the vote is a veritable landslide.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to consider as separate
v. to break away
dissociate
(dih-soh-see-ate)
synonyms: separate, detach, disjoin, disconnect, disengage
It’s important to dissociate your personal feelings from your professional decisions.
After the argument, she chose to dissociate herself from the group.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. not in agreement; discordant
adj. unpleasant or harsh sounding
dissonant
(diss-ih-nunt)
synonyms: discordant, clashing, jarring, cacophonous, conflicting
The dissonant chords in the song created an unsettling atmosphere.
Their opinions were so dissonant that it was difficult to reach a consensus.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to swell or widen
distend
(dih-stend)
synonyms: bulge, swell, bloat, expand, inflate
The balloon began to distend as more air was pumped into it.
After the big meal, my stomach started to distend, making me uncomfortable.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to make pure
v. to take out from
distill
(dih-still)
synonyms: boil down, condense, extract, purify, refine
The process to distill the alcohol took several hours to ensure purity.
He tried to distill the essence of the argument into a single sentence.