AFOQT Nouns 100 Flashcards
aberration
a deviation from the standard; not typical
access
a means of approach or admittance (e.g. to an area or organization)
accord
agreement
adage
wise proverb or saying (e.g. too soon old, too late smart)
advocate
one who speaks in favor of or on behalf of another
alacrity
cheerful willingness or ready response
allusion
an indirect reference to something else, especially in literature; a hint
amity
friendship
anarchy
lawlessness, disorder; a lack of government contol or effectiveness
anecdote
a brief, entertaining story
animosity
bitter hostility or open hatred
anomaly
an abnormality or irregularity
anthology
collection of writings, songs, or other creative works
apex
highest point (e.g., of a triangle)
arbiter
one who decides; a judge
audacity
boldness
avarice
greed, desire for wealth
bastion
stronghold, fortress, fortified place against opposition
beacon
a guiding light to show the way or mark a spot
bias
prejudice or tendency in a certain direction; literally, a slant or tilt
blasphemy
an insult to something held sacred
blemish
defect, stain, or flaw that takes away from the quality of the rest of the area or item
boon
benefit or gift
brevity
shortness, conciseness
bulwark
strong protection or barrier to enemy attacks
cacophony
a harsh or unpleasant mixture of sounds, voices, or words
catastrophe
sudden disaster
chagrin
embarrassment or disappointment
chronicle
historical record or listing, usually in sequential, chronological order
clamor
uproar
clemency
mercy
condolence
expression of sympathy to one who has suffered a loss
connoisseur
an expert judge of the best of something, such as wine, food, paintings, etc.
context
the words or ideas surrounding one particular word or idea that give clues or contribute depth to the word’s meaning
conundrum
a perplexing puzzle or riddle
criterion
standard or judgment or comparison
crux
the essential point or central point
cynic
one who mocks or disbelieves the good intentions or values of others; one who believes people are motivated only by selfishness
dearth
scarcity or lack of something
debacle
large-scale defeat or complete failure
deference
conceding to another’s desire or will; respect or courtesy
deluge
great flood or overwhelming inflow
depravity
moral corruption
detriment
damage, loss, or disadvantage
diction
the way in which words are used by a speaker
din
loud, pervasive, continuous noise
discernment
insight, ability to see things clearly
discord
disagreement, often noisy
discrepancy
inconsistency or error
discretion
freedom of choice; also refers to a judicious reserve in one’s speech or behavior
disdain
arrogant scorn or contempt
dissent
difference of opinion, especially from a widely held opinion
effluvium
a disagreeable or bad-smelling vapor or gas
elite
part of the whole that is considered to be at or near the top
enigma
mystery
enterprise
an important project or self-sfficient organization
environment
general surroundings, either physical or referring to influences
epitome
a top-level representation of a quality, usually a virtue
epoch
a particular period in history, especially one regarded in some way as remarkable or significant
essence
basic nature
etiquette
generally accepted rules of social behavior and manners
excerpt
passage quoted from a book or other document
exodus
departure, usually referring to a group or large numbers
exposition
an explanation or expounding
facet
a side or aspect of a problem or situation; also refers to a particular angled cut of a diamond or other precious stone
facscimile
exact copy or representation
fallacy
mistaken or erroneous idea, assumption, or conclusion
fervor
passion or enthusiasm
feud
long-term disagreement or open hatred between individuals or groups
fiasco
disaster or complete failure
fiend
cruel, hateful person
finale
the last part of a performance
flair
natural-seeming talent or style
foe
enemy, adversary, oppenent
forte
an area in which a person excels
fortitude
a gathering or place where ideas or situations are discussed
fraud
deliberate deception, especially an illegal one
friction
the surface of one object rubbing against another
function
the purpose served by a person, object or organization
furor
an outburst of excitement or disagreement
gamut
an entire range or spectrum or possible outcomes or conditions
genesis
beginning or origin
gist
essential content, central idea
glutton
one who overeats or indulges in anything to excess
grievance
a complaint made against an individual or an organization; also grudge held over a period of time
guile
cunning, deceit, duplicity
heresy
an opinion directly opposed to established beliefs, especially in a religious sense
heritage
historical family, cultural, or organizational set of traditions, customs and values; inheritance of either real property or traditions
hindrance
obstacle or delaying obstruction
hoax
deliberate attempt to trick someone, either as a joke or seriously
horizon
farthest limit, usually referring to vision, knowledge, or experience
hue
shade of color
hysteria
excessive or uncontrollable fear or other strong emotion
idiom
a regional or group jargon, dialect, or manner of speech; can also mean a phrase or expression that has a differen meaning than the literal meaning of the words that make it up
illusion
an idea or impression that differs from reality
image
the likeness or reflected or interpreted impression of a person, object, or locale; the general group of perceptions surrounding a person
impetus
moving force or starting idea
incumbent
present holder of an office or position
incursion
a hostile invasion
indolence
laziness
infirmity
physical disease, injury, or defect
influx
a flowing in of a substance, as of a wave or flood
infraction
violation of a rule, regulation or law
initiative
desire, idea, or ability to take the first step in carrying out some action
innovation
a new or improved way of doing something
integrity
moral and intellectual honesty and forthrightness; also refers to the quality of a structure or object to hold together
interim
a period of time between one event, process, or period and another
interlude
a short feature or period of time coming between two other, longer events or time periods
intrigue
secret plot or scheme
intuition
knowledge or conclusion obtained throughout instinct or feeling rather than conscious thought
invective
insulting or abusive speech
iota
a very small amount or piece
irony
a significant and often unexpected difference between what might be expected and what actually occurs; the conscious use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning
keynote
main theme or idea, usually referring to the main seech at a convention or the like
larceny
theft, usually small
layman
regular person who is not a memebr of a particular profession or technical specialty
legacy
material or spiritual inheritance or heritage; historical perceptions of someone after they have left their office or position of responsibility
legend
unverified stories handed down from earlier times; can also refer to a person of great fame or reputation
legion
a large number of people; sometimes historically used as a designation of a military or paramilitary unit
lethargy
sluggishness, laziness, drowsiness
levee
a raised embankment designed to prevent flooding from a river or other body of water
levity
lightness, frivolity
liaison
contact or coordination between two or more individuals or groups
litigation
legal proceedings
