Advanced Words Flashcards
(135 cards)
1
Q
abase (v)
A
degrade or humble; to lower in rank, status, or esteem
2
Q
abscond (v)
A
depart suddenly and secretively
3
Q
accede (v)
A
agree, give consent; assume power
4
Q
accretion (n)
A
gradual increase; an added part or addition
5
Q
acerbic (adj)
A
sour; harsh or severe
6
Q
acidulous (adj)
A
slightly acid or sour; sharp or caustic
7
Q
acumen (n)
A
keen, quick, accurate insight or judgment
8
Q
adumbrate (v)
A
give a rough outline of; foreshadow; reveal only partially; obscure
9
Q
aerie (n)
A
dwelling or fortress built on a high place; the nest of a bird of prey, such as an eagle or hawk, built on a mountain or cliff
10
Q
amalgamate (v)
A
blend, merge or unite
11
Q
ameliorate (v)
A
improve; make better or more bearable
12
Q
anachronism (n)
A
something that is not in its correct historical time; a mistake in chronology, such as by assigning a person or event to the wrong time period
13
Q
anodyne (n, adj)
A
medicine that relieved pain (n); soothing, relieving pain (adj)
14
Q
antedate (v)
A
be older than, precede in time; assign to an earlier date
15
Q
apostate (n, adj)
A
person who deserts a party, cause, religion, etc.
16
Q
apostle (n)
A
pioneer of a reform movement
17
Q
apposite (adj)
A
highly appropriate, suitable, or relevant
18
Q
apprise (v)
A
inform, give notice to
19
Q
approbation (n)
A
praise or approval, especially formal approval
20
Q
appropriate (v)
A
set aside or authorize (such as money) for a particular purpose; take for one’s own use
21
Q
ardent (adj)
A
very passionate, devoted, or enthusiastic
22
Q
arrogate (v)
A
claim or take presumptuously or without the right to do so
23
Q
aseptic (adj)
A
free from germs
24
Q
asperity (n)
A
right, severity; harshness or sharpness of tone; roughness of surface
25
aspersions (n)
damaging remarks, defamation, slander
26
assiduous (adj)
persevering, diligent, constant
27
attenuate (v)
weaken or thin out
28
augury (n)
telling the future, such as through supernatural means
29
august (adj)
venerable, majestic; inspiring admiration
30
axiom (n)
self-evident truth requiring no proof; universally or generally accepted principle
31
avarice (n)
insatiable greed; a miserly desired to hoard wealth
32
baying (adj)
howling in a deep way, like a dog or wolf
33
bent (n)
personal inclination or tendency
34
bevy (n)
group of birds or other animals that stay close together; any large group
35
bifurcate (v, adj)
to fork into two branches or divide into two halves (v); split or forked (adj)
36
bilk (v)
cheat or defraud
37
blight (n, v)
disease that kills plants rapidly, or any cause of decay or destruction (n); ruin or cause to wither (v)
38
blithe (adj)
joyous, merry; excessively carefree (so as to ignore more important concerns)
39
bombastic (adj)
(of speech or writing) far too showy or dramatic than is appropriate; pretentious
40
bonhomie (n)
friendliness, open and simple good heartedness
41
brandish (v)
shake, wave, or flourish, as a weapon
42
brook (v)
suffer or tolerate
43
bucolic (adj)
suggesting a peaceful and pleasant view of rural life
44
burnish (v)
polish, make smooth and lustrous
45
calumny (n)
malicious lie intended to hurt someone's reputation; the act of telling such lies
46
canard (n)
rumor, a false or baseless story
47
catholic (adj)
universal, broad-minded
48
chicanery (n)
trickery, deception by knowingly false arguments
49
circumscribe (v)
strictly limit a role, range of activity, or area; in math, to be constructed around so as to touch as many points as possible
50
circumspect (adj)
cautious, prudent; careful to consider the circumstances and consequences
51
clamber (v)
climb awkwardly or with difficulty, scramble
52
cloying (adj)
disgustingly or distastefully sweet
53
coagulate (v)
cause a liquid to become solid or semisolid
54
coda (n)
final part of a musical composition; an ending, esp. one that sums up what has come before
55
coffer (n)
chest for storing valuables; financial resources, a treasury
56
compendium (n)
concise but complete summary; a list or collection
57
complaisant (adj)
eager to please; cheerfully complying
58
connote (v)
suggest or imply in addition to the precise, literal meaning
59
contrite (adj)
remorseful; feeling sorry for one's offenses or sins
60
contumacious (adj)
rebellious; stubbornly disobedient
61
convoke (v)
call together, as to a meeting
62
cosset (v)
treat as a pet, pamper
63
coterie (n)
close or exclusive group, clique
64
cupidity (n)
greed, great or excessive desire
65
curmudgeon (n)
bad-tempered, difficult person; grouch
66
declaim (v)
speak in an impassioned, pompous, or oratorical manner; give a formal speech
67
declivity (n)
downward slope
68
delimit (v)
fix, mark, or define the boundaries of
69
demagogue (n)
a leader who lies and gains power by arousing the passions and especially prejudices of the people
70
demur (v)
show reluctance or object, esp. for moral reasons
71
desultory (adj)
lacking consistency or order, disconnected, sporadic; going off topic
72
diaphanous (adj)
very sheet, fine, translucent
73
dictum (n)
formal or authoritative pronouncement; saying or proverb
74
diffident (adj)
lacking confidence, shy
75
dilatory (adj)
slow, late; procrastinating or stalling for time
76
dilettante (n)
person who takes up an art or activity for amusement only or in a superficial way
77
dirge (n)
a funeral or mourning song or poem
78
discomfiting (adj)
disconcerting, confusing, frustrating
79
discordant (adj)
harsh or inharmonious in sound; disagreeing, incongruous
80
disparate (adj)
distinct, different
81
dissemble (v)
mislead, conceal the truth, put on a false appearance of
82
distaff (adj, n)
female, esp. relating to the maternal side of the family (adj); women or women's work (n); a staff that holds wool or flax for spinning (n)
83
dither (v, n)
act indecisively (v); a state of fear or trembling excitement
84
diurnal (adj)
occurring every day; happening in the daytime (rather than at night)
85
doctrinaire (n, adj)
person who applies doctrine in an impractical or rigid and close-minded way (n); merely, theoretical, impractical, or fanatical about other people accepting one's ideas (adj)
86
doff (v)
take off (such as clothes), put aside; remove one's hat as a gesture
87
dovetail (v)
join or fit together
88
droll (adj)
funny in an odd way
89
duplicity (n)
deceit, double-dealing, acting in two different ways for the purpose of deception
90
dyspeptic (adj)
grumpy, pessimistic, irritable; suffering from dyspepsia (indigestion)
91
ebullient (adj)
very enthusiastic, lively, excited; bubbling as though being boiled
92
echelon (n)
a level, rank or grade; the people at that level
93
effigy (n)
representation or image of a person, esp. a crude facsimile used to mock a hated person
94
effrontery (n)
shameless boldness
95
egress (v, n)
the action of exiting (v); an exit (n)
96
elegy (n)
song or poem of sorrow, esp. for a deceased person
97
encomium (n)
warm, glowing praise, esp. a formal expression of praise
98
endemic (adj)
native, local; natural, specific to, or confined to a particular place
99
engender (v)
produce, give rise to, cause to exist; procreate
100
epicure (n)
person with cultivated, refined tastes, esp. in food and wine
101
equanimity (n)
composure, evenness of mind; mental or emotional stability, esp. under stress
102
equivocate (v)
use unclear language to deceive or avoid committing to a position
103
ersatz (adj)
artificial, synthetic; being an inferior substitute
104
erstwhile (adj, adv)
former, previous (adj); in the past, formerly (adv)
105
euphony (n)
pleasing or sweet sound, esp. as formed by a harmonious use of words
106
exigent (adj)
requiring immediate attention, action, or aid; excessively demanding
107
expedient (adj)
suitable, proper; effective, often at the expense of ethics or other considerations
108
expurgate (v)
censor; remove objectionable or offensive parts
109
extemporaneous (adj)
done without preparation (esp. of a speech), or with some preparation but no notes; improvised, done on the spot of the moment
110
fallow (adj)
left unplanted (of land); not in use
111
fastidious (adj)
excessively particular, difficult to please; painstaking, meticulous, requiring excessive attention to detail
112
fatuous (adj)
foolish, sill, esp. in a smug or complacent manner
113
fecund (adj)
fruitful, fertile; capable of abundantly producing offspring, vegetation, or creative or intellectual work
114
felicitous (adj)
admirably appropriate, very well-suited for the occasion; pleasant, fortunate, marked by happiness
115
fervid (adj)
very hot; heated in passion or enthusiam
116
fetid (adj)
stinking; having an offensive smell
117
fledgling (n, adj)
a young bird that has just recently gotten its feathers, an inexperienced person (n); new or inexperienced (adj)
118
florid (adj)
reddish or rosy; flowery, showy, or excessively fancy
119
flout (v)
treat with disdain, contempt, or scorn (usually of rules)
120
forage (v)
wander in search of; rummage, hunt, make a raid
121
ford (n, v)
place where a river or similar body of water is shallow enough to walk or ride a vehicle across (n); to cross at such a place (v)
122
forestall (v)
delay, hinder, prevent by taking action beforehand
123
fracas (n)
noisy disturbance or fight; bawl
124
fractious (adj)
unruly, troublemaking; irritable
125
frenetic (adj)
wildly excited, frantic, distracted
126
fulminate (v)
attack verbally in a vehement, thunderous way; explode, detonate
127
furtive (adj)
done secretly; stealthy, sly, shifty
128
gambol (v)
frolic; skip or leap playfully
129
glacial (adj)
pertaining to glaciers; cold, icy, slow, unsympathetic
130
glower (v)
stare in an angry, sullen way
131
goad (v)
spur on, stimulate, encourage; urge on (as cattle) with a pointed or electrically charged stick
132
graft (v, n)
insert part of a plant into another plant, where it continues to grow; join living tissue (such as skin) to part of the body where it will continue to live and grow; attach as if by grafting (v); the part so grafted (as in a graft of skin); the act of acquiring money to other benefits through illegal means, esp. by abusing one's power (n)
133
grandstand (v)
perform showily in an attempt to impress onlookers
134
grating (adj)
irritating; harsh or discordant (of a noise); scraping
135
grouse (v, n)
complain or grumble (v); a reason for complaint (n)
