ASVAB Words Flashcards
abnormal
deviating from normal
accessible
within reach
acclimated
accustomed to
accredit
to attribute to
accumulate
to gather or gain
achievement
the act of achieving
acoustic
pertaining to sound
acquitted
freed from
acrophobia
fear of heights
acute
sharp or severe
adjacent
sharing a border
aerial
of the air
aerobic
occurring in the presence of oxygen
aggravate
to make more severe
allege
to claim without proving
alliance
connection between groups
amateur
one who pursues a study as a hobby
ambidextrous
capable of using both hands equally well
analogy
assumption that if two things are alike in some ways they will be alike in others
analysis
the act of breaking a whole into its parts
anarchy
a society with no government
anecdote
a short narrative
annihilate
to utterly destroy
annul
to make into nothing
antagonist
one who opposes
antenatal
prior to birth
anterior
toward the front
antisocial
against being social
antithesis
contrast of ideas
apparatus
equipment meant for a specific use
aquatic
living in water
attain
to reach to
atypical
not typical
audiology
science of hearing
autocratic
ruled by a monarch with absolute rule
automatic
self acting
auxiliary
providing help
beneficial
helpful to well-being
benevolence
an act of kindness or goodwill
bisect
to divide into two parts
bona fide
in good faith
buoyant
able to float
bureaucrat
an administrator
calculation
the act of determining by mathematical process
carcinogen
substance that initiates cancer
caricature
distortion by exaggeration
carnivorous
eating flesh
cartographer
map-maker
catalyst
a substance that creates a reaction
catastrophe
a momentous, tragic event
censorship
overseeing or excluding items that may be objectional
chagrin
distress because of failure or humiliation
changeable
able or likely to vary
characteristic
typical or distinctive quality
chastise
to punish
circumscribe
draw a line around or encircle
circumstantial
dependent on a situation
cognizance
knowledge through perception or reason
coherence
the state of sticking together
coincide
to be in the same place at the same time
colossal
big enough to astonish
comparative
relating to the examination of similarities
composite
a whole made up of discrete parts
concede
to yield
conceit
excessive self regard
conceive
to become pregnant
conciliate
to be united or drawn together
condemn
to state something is wrong
condescend
to become less formal
confer
to givec
congruent
consistent with
connoisseur
an expert judge
conscientious
adhering to rules of moral goodness
consensus
agreement in general
consistency
firmness of character
controversial
causing opposing views
coordinates
sets of numbers used to indicate a place
corollary
related to a main idea
correlate
to establish a relationship between
culprit
criminal
curriculum
courses offered by a school
curtail
cut short
debacle
complete disaster
debacle
complete disaster
decadent
characterized by overindulgence
deceit
the practice of lying
deferential
showing respect
deferred
put off
defoliate
to strip a plant of its leaves
democracy
government ruled by the people
depose
to remove from from a high position
despondence
loss of hope
detrimental
harmful to
devastation
ruin created through violence
devise
to create through violenced
dilettante
one who dabbles
diligence
energetic effort
disastrous
creating suffering
disdainful
filled with scorn
dispensable
something that can be done away with
disservice
an unhelpful behavior
diversified
balanced among various classes
doctrine
instruction or teaching
ecosystem
community or organisms interacting with the environment
ecstasy
a state beyond one’s control
efficiency
characterized by productivity
elevation
the height to which something is raised
eligible
able to be chosen
eminent
standing out as notable
endeavor
concentrated effort
equilibrium
balance
evoke
draw forth or bring out
exhaustion
the state of being drained or fatigued
exhibition
the act of showing
exhilarate
to male excited
external
on the outside
extinct
no longer in existence
extraneous
not needed
exuberance
the state of being excessive or uncontained
fallacy
a false or erroneous belief
feasible
capable of occurring
federation
a larger political entity formed from smaller ones
feisty
full of lively energy
fictictious
something made up or pretend
fiscal
having to do with finances
forcibly
using violence against opposition
foreshadowing
hinting at what is to come
forfeit
to give up, usually as a penalty
geriatrics
division of medicine pertaining to old age
grandeur
a state of magnificence
graphic
related to the visual arts
grievous
causing deep suffering
guerrilla
a fighter engaged in irregular warefare
gyration
spiral motion
harass
to persistently annoy or create hostility
hefty
moderately heavy or weighty
heinous
wrongful in a shocking or evil degree
heist
an armed robbery
hemisphere
half of the globe
hemorrhage
to bleed profusely
hierarchy
the arrangement of levels according to ability or authority
hygiene
practice of preservation of health
hyperactive
excessively active
hyperbole
overstatement for rhetorical effect
hypocrite
one who puts on a false appearance
hypothesis
an idea to be tested
idealist
a person with ideals
idiom
the language or dialect of a specific group of people
idiosyncrasy
a peculiar characteristic
idolize
to make an idol (hero) of
impersonal
without a specific subject in mind
inaudible
not able to be heard
indicted
charged with a crime
indispensable
cannot be done without
influential
holding sway over others
intiative
ability to take charge
innocuous
not able to harm
instantaneous
done immediately
insurgency
a state of revolt against authority
intercede
to go or come between
interfere
to insert in a way that hinders
interjection
the act of throwing something in between
interminable
seemingly without end
intermittent
happening only occasionally
interrogate
to question in a formal way
introvert
one who turns inward
invertebrate
without a spinal column
irony
using words to convey the opposite meaning
irrational
not having reason or understanding
irrelevant
something that is not application
irresistible
impossible to deny
judicial
relating to justice
kinetic
relating to the movement of bodies
laborious
full of labor or requiring a lot of bodies
lapse
a small error owing to inattention
latitude
allowing scope or range
legislator
person who enacts legislation
lenient
not rigidly adherent to rules
levity
lightness in character
liaison
one who maintains communication between various parties
lineage
line of descent from an ancestor
linguistics
study of languages
liquefy
to reduce to a liquid state
luxury
characterized by ease and indulgence
lyric
expressing intense emotions
macrocosm
the great world; the universe
magistrate
an official who administers the lawma
magnificence
a state of greatness
malcontent
dissatisfied
malicious
marked by the desire to cause pain
manual
made or operated by the desire to cause pain
median
the middle or intermediate position
medieval
relating to the middle ages
mediocre
average or middle quality
melancholy
a state of depression
melodious
an appealing arrangement of sounds
metaphor
figurative language that uses analogy to create an image
mien
appearance and bearing
migratory
characterized by moving from one location to another
millennium
one thousand years
mischievous
having the tendency to cause annoyance or to pester
misinterpret
to interpret or understand wrongly
misnomer
named in a wrong or inappropriate way
monochromatic
having only one color
motive
what moves someone to action
mundane
characterized by worldly concerns
municipal
relating to local government
myriad
a great many
naive
lacking worldly wisdom
narrative
a story or account
neonatal
pertaining to the newborn
neurotic
one who suffers a mild mental or emotional disorder
neutral
not taking sides
nocturnal
occurring in the night
nucleus
the central point of a collection
nuisance
an annoyance or pest
oasis
a place of pleasant refuge
obsolete
out of date and no longer useful
obtuse
blunt. not sharp
omnivore
an animal that eats all foods either plant or animal
opaque
a condition that obscures light
oppression
the unjust exercise of power against others
optometry
profession of testing vision and examining eyes for disease
originate
to stem from
panorama
a complete view
paradox
a situation in which a contrary understanding might be true
patronage
support or influence of a person of power
penniless
without a penny
perennial
continuing or lasting through the years
permissible
that may be allowed
permutation
a major change of existing elelments
perserverance
the quality of not giving up
personification
the presentation of a nonhuman thing as having human qualities
pettiness
state of being petty or small-minded
phenomenon
a fact or event of meaning
placebo
an inert substance that provides comfort rather than producing an effect
plagiarism
representing another’s work as one’s own
plausible
something that could happen
postscript
addition to the main idea
precede
to go ahead of someone or something else
precipitaion
the state of being hasty
precocious
mature or able beyond one’s years
prelude
an introduction to the main event
prestige
standing or esteem
presumption
an attitude of expectation or assumption
prevalent
commonly in use
privation
a state of lack
probation
the condition of being subject to testing or examination
prognosis
the prospect of a specific condition occurring in the future
propaganda
spreading ideas in order to confirm a specific viewpoint
propagate
to increase through reproduction
proximity
nearness to
pseudonym
fictitious name
pyrotechnics
art of making or using fireworks
quadrant
one quarter of a circle
quadruped
animal having four feet
qualm
feeling of uneasiness about the rightness of a particular action
quandary
a situation that creates doubt
quarantine
enforced isolation of a subject or community to contain a disease
quell
to put down or stop
querulous
the characteristic of constantly complaining
quiescent
at rest
quintessence
the purest expression of a thing
quintuple
having five parts
quorum
the number of people in an elected body required to conduct business
rampage
a period of violent behavior
rampant
characterized by absence of restraint
rarefy
to make less dense
recede
to return to a former position
recession
a time of economic downturn
reciprocal
something shared by both sides
rectufy
to put right
refraction
the deflection of an energy wave from a straight path
reign
to hold royal power
reiterate
do or say repeatedly
reminiscence
recalling to mind a forgotten fact or experience
remittance
a sum of money sent elsewhere
repugnant
an object of distaste or revulsion
reservoir
a storage place
retaliate
to pay back an injury or injustice
sacrilege
a violation of what is hallowed or consecrated to God
sanitize
to remove unpleasant elements
saturate
to wet thoroughly
scalene
possessing three unequal sides
scholastic
relating to school
segregate
to place apart
segue
to flow uninterrupted from one activity to another
shrewd
characterized by cleverness
solitude
state of being alone or apart from society
spasmodic
characterized by sudden violent action
spontaneous
done without thinking
stalemate
a condition in which none of the opposing parties can make a move
strenuous
using considerable energy
succession
the process of following a series or order of steps
superficial
not penetrating the surface
supersede
to take the place of
supposition
something that is believed
symmetrical
having corresponding parts on opposite sides
taciturn
not talkative
tangent
moving away from an original or main point
tariff
a tax imposed on imported goods
tertiary
of third rank; that is, of less importance
toxicology
science concerning the effects, antidotes, and detection of poisonous substances
transparent
lets light shine through
tyrant
a ruler who is unjustly severe
unaccountable
not accountable or responsible
unanimous
agreed by all
unilateral
involving one person, class, or nation
unscrupulous
without scruple or conscience
veneer
a thin outer layer
veracity
characterized by truthfulness
verify
to prove to be truthful
versatile
easily changed
vestige
leftover trace or sign of something that came before
vitality
liveliness
wreak
to inflict upon
zenith
the upper limit
