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Advanced Vocab Genius > Advanced Vocab Words - Set 9 > Flashcards

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.

1
Q

Define:

mendacious

(men-dey-shuhs)

A

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.

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2
Q

Define:

consequential

(kon-suh-kwen-shuhl)

A

adj. important

adj. pompous, self-important

I am not prepared to accept such consequential airs from a journalist 20 years my junior.

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3
Q

Define:

tremulous

(trem-yuh-luhs)

A

adj. trembling, timid, fearful

He signed the contract with a tremulous hand.

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4
Q

Define:

mendicant

(men-dih-kuhnt)

A

n. a beggar, a supplicant

There was a large number of mendicants stalking the street.

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5
Q

Define:

egress

(n. ee-grehss; v. ih-grehss)

A

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.

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6
Q

Define:

preternatural

(pree-ter-nach-er-uhl)

A

adj. beyond what is normal or natural

Occasionally, people with mental illnesses also exhibit preternatural abilities in mathematics or memorization.

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7
Q

Define:

fulminate

(fuhl-muh-neyt)

A

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.

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8
Q

Define:

gull

(guhl)

A

v. to fool or deceive

They gulled Akiko so well that she walked right into her own surprise party without suspecting a thing.

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9
Q

Define:

rebus

(ree-buhss)

A

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”.

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10
Q

Define:

pedestrian

(puh-dess-tree-uhn)

A

adj. commonplace, trite, unremarkable

Timothy’s dissertation was lengthy but pedestrian.

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11
Q

Define:

distrait

(diss-trey)

A

adj. distracted as a result of anxiety

The distrait teacher kept pausing mid-sentence to look out the window.

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12
Q

Define:

nefarious

(nih-fair-ee-uhs)

A

adj. vicious, evil

The nefarious conspirators left nothing in the poor woman’s house.

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13
Q

Define:

factious

(fak-shuhss)

A

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.

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14
Q

Define:

ignoble

(ig-noh-buhl)

A

adj. dishonorable, disgraceful

The ignoble act of profiteering at someone else’s expense is not to be condoned.

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15
Q

Define:

epithet

(epp-ih-thet)

A

n. a characterizing phrase

n. a disparaging word or phrase

Ivan the Terrible’s name was one epithet I do not envy.

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16
Q

Define:

anodyne

(ann-uh-dahyn)

A

adj. pain-relieving, soothing; bland

n. a distress-reliever

She tried to keep the conversation as anodyne as possible

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17
Q

Define:

jejune

(djih-djoon)

A

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.

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18
Q

Define:

conciliatory

(kuhn-sill-ee-uh-tawr-ee)

A

adj. agreeable; overcoming distrust or hostility

Karen’s conciliatory attitude helped her to move up in the business.

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19
Q

Define:

diaspora

(dahy-ass-per-uh)

A

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.

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20
Q

Define:

welter

(well-ter)

A

v. to writhe, toss about; to be in turmoil

The lake weltered in the storm, tossing the boat all over.

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21
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. dishonest

A

mendacious

(men-dey-shuhs)

synonyms: deceptive, false, untruthful, misleading

The politician’s mendacious statements eroded public trust.

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22
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. important

adj. pompous, self-important

A

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.

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23
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. trembling, timid, fearful

A

tremulous

(trem-yuh-luhs)

synonyms: quivering, cowardly, nervous, shaky, apprehensive

Her tremulous voice revealed her nervousness during the presentation.

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24
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a beggar, a supplicant

A

mendicant

(men-dih-kuhnt)

synonyms: panhandler, pauper, vagrant, street person

The mendicant sat by the church, asking for spare change.

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25
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. exit

v. to exit

A

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.

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26
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. beyond what is normal or natural

A

preternatural

(pree-ter-nach-er-uhl)

synonyms: anomalous, irregular, bizarre, extraordinary, supernatural

Her preternatural ability to predict the weather amazed everyone.

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27
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to verbally attack

v. to explode

A

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.

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28
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to fool or deceive

A

gull

(guhl)

synonyms: mislead, hoodwink, dupe, trick, con

The scammer tried to gull people into giving away their personal information.

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29
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a riddle in which words are represented by pictures

A

rebus

(ree-buhss)

synonyms: puzzle, enigma, visual puzzle, picture puzzle

The puzzle enthusiast enjoyed solving the intricate rebus.

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30
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. commonplace, trite, unremarkable

A

pedestrian

(puh-dess-tree-uhn)

synonyms: everyday, dull, uninteresting, ordinary, mundane

His pedestrian speech failed to inspire the audience.

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31
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. distracted as a result of anxiety

A

distrait

(diss-trey)

synonyms: preoccupied, engrossed, scatterbrained, absent-minded, unfocused

She was so distrait from worry that she forgot her own appointment.

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32
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. vicious, evil

A

nefarious

(nih-fair-ee-uhs)

synonyms: atrocious, malevolent, wicked, sinful

The villain’s nefarious plot was foiled by the heroes.

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33
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. inclined to make arguments, divisive, contentious

A

factious

(fak-shuhss)

synonyms: conflicting, warring, belligerent, disputatious, quarrelsome

The factious members of the group constantly disagreed on trivial matters.

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34
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. dishonorable, disgraceful

A

ignoble

(ig-noh-buhl)

synonyms: corrupt, lewd, petty, shameful, base

His ignoble actions brought shame to his family.

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35
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a characterizing phrase

n. a disparaging word or phrase

A

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.

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36
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. pain-relieving, soothing; bland

n. a distress reliever

A

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.

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37
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. uninteresting, dull

adj. immature

adj. lacking in nutrition

A

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.

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38
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. agreeable; overcoming distrust or hostility

A

conciliatory

(kuhn-sill-ee-uh-tawr-ee)

synonyms: appeasing, pacifying, reconciling, placating

His conciliatory tone helped resolve the conflict between the two sides.

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39
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a dispersion of people from their homeland (esp. Jews)

n. a community of dispersed people

A

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.

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40
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to writhe, toss about; to be in turmoil

A

welter

(well-ter)

synonyms: commotion, tumble, sway, flounder, struggle

The boat began to welter in the stormy seas, causing panic among the passengers.

41
Q

Define:

ruminate

(roo-muh-neyt)

A

v. to meditate at length; to muse

v. to chew cud

The monk ruminated over the moral dilemma.

42
Q

Define:

maudlin

(mawd-lin)

A

adj. overly sentimental

The teacher insisted on taking a maudlin picture with each one of her students every year.

43
Q

Define:

convoke

(kuhn-vohk)

A

v. to convene or call together

He convoked a meeting of the nation’s top CEOs and Vice Presidents.

44
Q

Define:

effluence

(eff-loo-uhns)

A

n. the act of flowing out

n. something that flows out

An effluence of people from the stadium crowded the streets.

45
Q

Define:

eschew

(ess-choo)

A

v. to shun or avoid

Most vegetarians eschew fur coats as well as consuming meats.

46
Q

Define:

ambulatory

(am-byuh-luh-tawr-ee)

A

adj. of walking, adapted for walking

The ambulatory excursion drew few people because of the poor weather.

47
Q

Define:

rigmarole

(rig-muh-rohl)

A

n. an extremely tedious and complicated process

The rigmarole I am subjected to every time I visit the DMV would be funny were it not so depressing.

48
Q

Define:

forswear

(fuhr-swair)

A

v. to renounce, disavow, repudiate

The young nation forswore entangling alliances.

49
Q

Define:

gastronomy

(gahss-trawn-uh-mee)

A

n. the science of good eating or cooking

n. cooking particular to a region

Jim was studying Japanese gastronomy along with his mandatory classes.

50
Q

Define:

jibe

(jahyb)

A

v. to be in accord; to agree; to suddenly shift from one side to another

His story jibed with mine.

51
Q

Define:

stentorian

(sten-tawr-ee-uhn)

A

adj. extremely loud and powerful

Even without a microphone, the principal’s stentorian voice filled the auditorium and commanded everyone’s attention.

52
Q

Define:

lachrymose

(lak-rih-mowss)

A

adj. sad, tearful

The opera’s lachrymose final scene has tested the dramatic range of generations of sopranos.

53
Q

Define:

abrogate

(ab-ruh-geyt)

A

v. to abolish or annul by authority

The court ruling abrogated his rights to any profits.

54
Q

Define:

bemuse

(bih-myooz)

A

v. to puzzle or confuse

The bemused expression on his face was priceless.

55
Q

Define:

expurgate

(ek-spurr-gehyt)

A

v. to censor, esp. obscenity

The expurgated version of the album had a more family-friendly rating.

56
Q

Define:

tumid

(too-mid)

A

adj. swollen

The river banks were tumid from the spring rain.

57
Q

Define:

natty

(nah-tee)

A

adj. trim, neat, or tidy

She was a natty dresser, with never a seam out of place.

58
Q

Define:

sentinel

(sehn-tih-null)

A

n. one who keeps guard

v. to watch over

The sentinel at the city gates watched over the city.

59
Q

Define:

winsome

(win-suhm)

A

adj. charming, happy, engaging

Mei’s winsome smile won her many friends.

60
Q

Define:

reconnoiter

(ree-kuh-noy-ter)

A

v. to engage in reconnaissance, to make a preliminary inspection of

We sent him to reconnoiter the party before we arrived, in case it turned out to be a dud.

61
Q

Define:

malfeasance

(mal-fee-zuhnss)

A

n. misconduct or wrongdoing (esp. by a public official)

Joel was studying malfeasance in the Panamanian government.

62
Q

Define:

halcyon

(hal-see-uhn)

A

adj. calm and peaceful, prosperous

The halcyon days of summer are here again.

63
Q

Define:

plenipotentiary

(plen-ih-poh-ten-shee-air-ee)

A

adj. representing a country or other body with complete authority to act as its proxy

The ambassador is plenipotentiary; he does not need to consult with his home country to sign accords on its behalf.

64
Q

Define:

filch

(filch)

A

v. to steal, esp. something unimportant

The girl was caught filching chalk from all the classrooms but would not say why she had done it.

65
Q

Define:

fastness

(fast-niss)

A

n. a safe, fortified place

The guerrillas retreated to their mountain fastness in order to regroup and consolidate their battered forces.

66
Q

Define:

bellwether

(bell-weth-ur)

A

n. an indicator, esp. one that predicts future outcomes

The Midwest is considered a bellwether for the political tide of the nation, since trends often become apparent there sooner than in other states.

67
Q

Define:

camarilla

(kam-uh-rill-uh)

A

n. a group of counselors to a leader, esp. ones who plot or connive

The dictator was obsessed with the possibility of foreign attack, but it was his own disgruntled camarilla of aides who did him in in the end.

68
Q

Define:

interregnum

(in-tur-reg-num)

A

n. the interval of time between the reign of a ruler and that of his successor; the time between two leaders’ tenures

The interregnum that followed the king’s deposition ended only when one of the warlords grew strong enough to control the entire nation.

69
Q

Define:

malinger

(muh-ling-gur)

A

v. to pretend to be sick

Souheila was known to malinger on test days, so her father insisted on taking her temperature before he would let her stay home from school.

70
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to meditate at length; to muse

v. to chew cud

A

ruminate

(roo-muh-neyt)

synonyms: think, ponder; chew, gnaw; contemplate, reflect

He liked to ruminate on life’s mysteries during his evening walks.

The cows ruminate peacefully in the field after grazing.

71
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. overly sentimental

A

maudlin

(mawd-lin)

synonyms: overemotional, gushing, mushy; emotional, effusive

After a few drinks, he became maudlin and started sharing old stories.

72
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to convene or call together

A

convoke

(kuhn-vohk)

synonyms: assemble, gather, summon; mobilize, convene

The board decided to convoke an emergency meeting to address the issue.

73
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the act of flowing out

n. something that flows out

A

effluence

(eff-loo-uhns)

synonyms: outpouring, discharge, gushing; emanation, flux

The effluence of water from the dam was carefully regulated.

The effluence from the factory was polluting the nearby river.

74
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to shun or avoid

A

eschew

(ess-choo)

synonyms: abandon, abstain; evade, steer clear of

He made a conscious effort to eschew unhealthy foods.

75
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. of walking, adapted for walking

A

ambulatory

(am-byuh-luh-tawr-ee)

synonyms: roaming, afoot, vagrant; mobile, peripatetic

After surgery, she was finally ambulatory and could move around the ward.

76
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. an extremely tedious and complicated process

A

rigmarole

(rig-muh-rohl)

synonyms: red tape, tedium; hassle, nonsense

The rigmarole of applying for the visa was exhausting and time-consuming.

77
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to renounce, disavow, repudiate

A

forswear

(fuhr-swair)

synonyms: abandon, deny, reject; repudiate, disown

He decided to forswear his bad habits and start fresh.

78
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the science of good eating or cooking

n. cooking particular to a region

A

gastronomy

(gahss-strawn-uh-mee)

synonyms: cooking, culinary science; cuisine, gastronomy

She studied gastronomy in Paris to perfect her culinary skills.

Italian gastronomy is known for its emphasis on fresh ingredients and simple flavors.

79
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to be in accord; to agree; to suddenly shift from one side to another

A

jibe

(jahyb)

synonyms: agree, correspond; conform, align

His views didn’t jibe with the rest of the team’s opinion.

The boat began to jibe, and the crew adjusted the sails accordingly.

80
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. extremely loud and powerful

A

stentorian

(sten-tawr-ee-uhn)

synonyms: blaring, booming; thunderous, deafening

The sergeant’s stentorian voice could be heard across the training ground.

81
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. sad, tearful

A

lachrymose

(lak-rih-mowss)

synonyms: tearful, weepy, mournful; sorrowful, melancholy

The lachrymose movie left the entire audience in tears.

82
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to abolish or annul by authority

A

abrogate

(ab-ruh-geyt)

synonyms: cancel, dissolve, negate; repeal, invalidate

The government decided to abrogate the outdated law.

83
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to puzzle or confuse

A

bemuse

(bih-myooz)

synonyms: addle, bewilder, perplex; confuse, baffle

The strange behavior of the character in the film bemused the audience.

84
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to censor, esp. obscenity

A

expurgate

(ek-spurr-gehyt)

synonyms: clean up, screen, whitewash; sanitize, purge

The editor had to expurgate several inappropriate scenes from the book before publication.

85
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. swollen

A

tumid

(too-mid)

synonyms: bloated, enlarged; distended, puffed

His ankle was tumid after twisting it during the hike.

86
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. trim, neat, or tidy

A

natty

(nah-tee)

synonyms: classy, clean; stylish, dapper

He arrived at the event looking natty in a perfectly tailored suit.

87
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. one who keeps guard

v. to watch over

A

sentinel

(sehn-tih-null)

synonyms: watchman, guard, lookout; sentry, patrol

The sentinel stood watch at the entrance of the castle.

Soldiers were sent to sentinel the border during the night.

88
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. charming, happy, engaging

A

winsome

(win-suhm)

synonyms: alluring, appealing, pleasing; delightful, captivating

Her winsome smile instantly put everyone at ease.

89
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to engage in reconnaissance, to make a preliminary inspection of

A

reconnoiter

(ree-kuh-noy-ter)

synonyms: examine, inspect, scout; survey, explore

The scouts were sent ahead to reconnoiter the area before the main force arrived.

90
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. misconduct or wrongdoing (esp. by a public official)

A

malfeasance

(mal-fee-zuhnss)

synonyms: impropriety, delinquency; misconduct, wrongdoing

The mayor was accused of malfeasance in the handling of public funds.

91
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. calm and peaceful, prosperous

A

halcyon

(hal-see-uhn)

synonyms: gentle, happy, harmonious; tranquil, idyllic

The halcyon days of summer were filled with relaxation and joy.

92
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. representing a country or other body with complete authority to act as its proxy

A

plenipotentiary

(plen-ih-poh-ten-shee-air-ee)

synonyms: authoritative, competent to represent; empowered, authorized

The plenipotentiary ambassador negotiated the terms of the treaty.

93
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to steal, esp. something unimportant

A

filch

(filch)

synonyms: take, pilfer; swipe, snatch

He was caught trying to filch a candy bar from the store.

94
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a safe, fortified place

A

fastness

(fast-niss)

synonyms: stronghold, bunker; fortress, citadel

The rebels retreated to their mountain fastness after the attack.

95
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. an indicator, esp. one that predicts future outcomes

A

bellwether

(bell-weth-ur)

synonyms: prognosticator, sign; leader, trendsetter

The rising prices in real estate are often seen as a bellwether for economic trends.

96
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a group of counselors to a leader, esp. ones who plot or connive

A

camarilla

(kam-uh-rill-uh)

synonyms: conspiracy, cabal; faction, clique

The king’s camarilla controlled many of the decisions behind the scenes.

97
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the interval of time between the reign of a ruler and that of his successor; the time between two leaders’ tenures

A

interregnum

(in-tur-reg-num)

synonyms: hiatus, interruption; gap, pause

During the interregnum, the country faced uncertainty and political turmoil.

98
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to pretend to be sick

A

malinger

(muh-ling-gur)

synonyms: evade, play hooky; shirk, dodge

He tried to malinger to avoid going to work on Monday.

Advanced Vocab Genius (10 decks)

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