Advanced Vocab Words - Set 9 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:
mendacious
(men-dey-shuhs)
adj. dishonest
Phyllis is mendacious yet entertaining; she is fun to talk to at a party, but I wouldn’t believe a word she says.
Define:
consequential
(kon-suh-kwen-shuhl)
adj. important
adj. pompous, self-important
I am not prepared to accept such consequential airs from a journalist 20 years my junior.
Define:
tremulous
(trem-yuh-luhs)
adj. trembling, timid, fearful
He signed the contract with a tremulous hand.
Define:
mendicant
(men-dih-kuhnt)
n. a beggar, a supplicant
There was a large number of mendicants stalking the street.
Define:
egress
(n. ee-grehss; v. ih-grehss)
n. exit
v. to exit
It was thought that the prisoner, seeking egress from his cell before the spreading fire consumed it, had managed to slip out between the warping floorboards.
Define:
preternatural
(pree-ter-nach-er-uhl)
adj. beyond what is normal or natural
Occasionally, people with mental illnesses also exhibit preternatural abilities in mathematics or memorization.
Define:
fulminate
(fuhl-muh-neyt)
v. to verbally attack
v. to explode
The crotchety old fool fulminated about every sort of modern improvement while we listened, too stunned to interrupt him.
Define:
gull
(guhl)
v. to fool or deceive
They gulled Akiko so well that she walked right into her own surprise party without suspecting a thing.
Define:
rebus
(ree-buhss)
n. a riddle in which words are represented by pictures
Pictures of bees and eyes are commonly used in a rebus to symbolize the words “be” and “I”.
Define:
pedestrian
(puh-dess-tree-uhn)
adj. commonplace, trite, unremarkable
Timothy’s dissertation was lengthy but pedestrian.
Define:
distrait
(diss-trey)
adj. distracted as a result of anxiety
The distrait teacher kept pausing mid-sentence to look out the window.
Define:
nefarious
(nih-fair-ee-uhs)
adj. vicious, evil
The nefarious conspirators left nothing in the poor woman’s house.
Define:
factious
(fak-shuhss)
adj. inclined to make arguments, divisive, contentious
Many networks purposely select factious personalities to appear in their reality T.V. shows in the hopes that their bickering will attract viewers.
Define:
ignoble
(ig-noh-buhl)
adj. dishonorable, disgraceful
The ignoble act of profiteering at someone else’s expense is not to be condoned.
Define:
epithet
(epp-ih-thet)
n. a characterizing phrase
n. a disparaging word or phrase
Ivan the Terrible’s name was one epithet I do not envy.
Define:
anodyne
(ann-uh-dahyn)
adj. pain-relieving, soothing; bland
n. a distress-reliever
She tried to keep the conversation as anodyne as possible
Define:
jejune
(djih-djoon)
adj. uninteresting, dull
adj. immature
adj. lacking in nutrition
It may be said that her verse is jejune, but I happen to find a sage sensibility in her later poems.
Define:
conciliatory
(kuhn-sill-ee-uh-tawr-ee)
adj. agreeable; overcoming distrust or hostility
Karen’s conciliatory attitude helped her to move up in the business.
Define:
diaspora
(dahy-ass-per-uh)
n. a dispersion of people from their homeland (esp. Jews)
n. a community of dispersed people
The African diaspora throughout the world has settled into certain traditions, some of which are not actually African in origin.
Define:
welter
(well-ter)
v. to writhe, toss about; to be in turmoil
The lake weltered in the storm, tossing the boat all over.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. dishonest
mendacious
(men-dey-shuhs)
synonyms: deceptive, false, untruthful, misleading
The politician’s mendacious statements eroded public trust.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. important
adj. pompous, self-important
consequential
(kon-suh-kwen-shuhl)
synonyms: significant, considerable; egotistic, weighty, substantial
The discovery was consequential for the advancement of medical research.
His consequential air made him unpopular with his peers.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. trembling, timid, fearful
tremulous
(trem-yuh-luhs)
synonyms: quivering, cowardly, nervous, shaky, apprehensive
Her tremulous voice revealed her nervousness during the presentation.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a beggar, a supplicant
mendicant
(men-dih-kuhnt)
synonyms: panhandler, pauper, vagrant, street person
The mendicant sat by the church, asking for spare change.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. exit
v. to exit
egress
(n. ee-grehss; v. ih-grehss)
synonyms: departure, escape, withdrawal, outflow, exit
The fire alarm signaled the need for a quick egress from the building.
Once the meeting ended, everyone began to egress from the room.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. beyond what is normal or natural
preternatural
(pree-ter-nach-er-uhl)
synonyms: anomalous, irregular, bizarre, extraordinary, supernatural
Her preternatural ability to predict the weather amazed everyone.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to verbally attack
v. to explode
fulminate
(fuhl-muh-neyt)
synonyms: berate, condemn; blast, blow up, detonate, erupt
The critics began to fulminate against the new policy.
The faulty engine caused the car to fulminate on the highway.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to fool or deceive
gull
(guhl)
synonyms: mislead, hoodwink, dupe, trick, con
The scammer tried to gull people into giving away their personal information.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a riddle in which words are represented by pictures
rebus
(ree-buhss)
synonyms: puzzle, enigma, visual puzzle, picture puzzle
The puzzle enthusiast enjoyed solving the intricate rebus.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. commonplace, trite, unremarkable
pedestrian
(puh-dess-tree-uhn)
synonyms: everyday, dull, uninteresting, ordinary, mundane
His pedestrian speech failed to inspire the audience.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. distracted as a result of anxiety
distrait
(diss-trey)
synonyms: preoccupied, engrossed, scatterbrained, absent-minded, unfocused
She was so distrait from worry that she forgot her own appointment.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. vicious, evil
nefarious
(nih-fair-ee-uhs)
synonyms: atrocious, malevolent, wicked, sinful
The villain’s nefarious plot was foiled by the heroes.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. inclined to make arguments, divisive, contentious
factious
(fak-shuhss)
synonyms: conflicting, warring, belligerent, disputatious, quarrelsome
The factious members of the group constantly disagreed on trivial matters.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. dishonorable, disgraceful
ignoble
(ig-noh-buhl)
synonyms: corrupt, lewd, petty, shameful, base
His ignoble actions brought shame to his family.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a characterizing phrase
n. a disparaging word or phrase
epithet
(epp-uh-thet)
synonyms: nickname, title, designation, label, descriptor
He earned the epithet “The Brave” after his courageous deeds.
The politician was hurt by the epithet hurled at him by the crowd.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. pain-relieving, soothing; bland
n. a distress reliever
anodyne
(ann-uh-dahyn)
synonyms: curative, dull, toothless, painkiller, balm
The anodyne music helped calm her after a stressful day.
Laughter served as an anodyne for the weary workers.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. uninteresting, dull
adj. immature
adj. lacking in nutrition
jejune
(dji-djoon)
synonyms: empty, banal, childlike, sophomoric, insipid
His jejune explanation failed to capture the students’ attention.
The jejune behavior of the children disrupted the event.
The jejune diet left her feeling weak and tired.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. agreeable; overcoming distrust or hostility
conciliatory
(kuhn-sill-ee-uh-tawr-ee)
synonyms: appeasing, pacifying, reconciling, placating
His conciliatory tone helped resolve the conflict between the two sides.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a dispersion of people from their homeland (esp. Jews)
n. a community of dispersed people
diaspora
(dahy-ass-per-uh)
synonyms: dispersion, exodus, scattering, migration
The diaspora of refugees from the war-torn country was a tragic event.
The Jewish diaspora has a rich cultural history.