Barron 800 Flashcards
abate
to decrease; reduce
affinity
fondness; liking; similarity
abdicate
to give up a position, right, or power
affected
pretentious; phony
abysmal
very bad
cantankerous
irritable; ill-humored
collage
artistic composition of materials pasted over a surface; an assemblage
of diverse elements
covert
hidden; secret
dirge
funeral hymn
effete
depleted of vitality; over refined; decadent
ebullient
exhilarated; overly enthusiastic
dross
waste; worthless matter
encomium
a formal expression of praise
esoteric
hard to understand; known only to a few
vogue
prevailing fashion or practice
vindictive
vengeful, unforgiving
virtuoso
someone with master skills, expert musician
volatile
tending to vary frequently, fickle
zealot
one who is fanatically devoted to a cause
vortex
whirlpool, center of turbulence
welter
wallow or roll, toss about, be in turmoil
wistful
vaguely longing, sadly thoughtful
warranted
justified
wary
careful, cautious
whimsical
fanciful, unpredictable
jibe
to be in agreement
juggernaut
huge force destroying everything in its path
junta
group of people united in political intrigue
jocose
fond of joking; jocular
aberrant
deviating from what is normal
abeyance
temporary suppression or suspension
abject
miserable; pitiful
abstinence
the giving up of certain pleasures
abscission
the act of cutting; the natural separation of a leaf or other part of a
plant
abjure
to reject; abandon formally
abscond
to depart secretly
abstemious
moderate in appetite
accretion
growth in size or increase in amount
aesthetic
relating to beauty or the arts
adamant
uncompromising; unyielding
adjunct
something added, attached, or joined
accrue
to accumulate; grow by additions
admonish
to caution or reprimand
adulterate
to corrupt or make impure
antediluvian
prehistoric
antipathy
dislike; hostility
apex
the highest point
apropos
relevant
appellation
name
apposite
strikingly appropriate and relevant
approbation
praise, approval
appropriate
to take possession of for one’s own use; confiscate
apogee
the point in an orbit most distant from the body being orbited; the
highest point
apothegm
a terse, witty saying
apprise
to inform
appease
to calm, pacify, placate
untoward
not favorable, troublesome, unruly
vivisection
dissection, surgery, or painful experiments performed on a living
animal for the purpose of scientific research
visage
appearance, aspect
vitiate
to impair the quality of, corrupt morally
vituperative
using or containing harsh, abusive censure
verbose
wordy
vaunt
to boast, drag
apathy
indifference