Barron's 5000 Flashcards

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1
Q
A
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1
Q

abase

A

lower; degrade; humiliate; make humble; make (oneself) lose self-respect

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2
Q

abash

A

embarrass

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3
Q

abate

A

subside or moderate

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4
Q

abbreviate

A

shorten

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5
Q

abdicate

A

renounce; give up (position, right, or responsibility)

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6
Q

aberrant

A

abnormal or deviant

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7
Q

aberration

A

deviation from the normal; mental disorder

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8
Q

abet

A

assist usually in doing something wrong; encourage

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9
Q

abeyance

A

suspended action

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10
Q

abhor

A

detest; hate

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11
Q

abject

A

(of a condition) wretched; as low as possible; lacking pride; very humble; showing lack of self-respect; Ex. abject apology

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12
Q

abjure

A

renounce upon oath

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13
Q

ablution

A

washing

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14
Q

abnegation

A

renunciation; self-sacrifice; self-abnegation

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15
Q

abolish

A

cancel; put an end to

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16
Q

abominable

A

detestable; extremely unpleasant

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17
Q

aboriginal

A

being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native; indigenous; N. aborigine

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18
Q

abortive

A

unsuccessful; fruitless

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19
Q

abrasive

A

rubbing away; tending to grind down

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20
Q

abridge

A

condense or shorten

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21
Q

abrogate

A

abolish

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22
Q

abscission

A

cutting off; separation

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23
Q

abscond

A

depart secretly and hide

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24
Q

absolute

A

complete; totally unlimited; having complete power; certain; not relative; Ex. absolute honesty/ruler; CF. absolutism

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25
Q

absolve

A

pardon (an offense)

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26
Q

abstain

A

refrain; withhold from participation; intentionally not use one’s vote; ±â±ÇÇÏ´Ù

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27
Q

abstemious

A

sparing in eating and drinking; temperate

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28
Q

abstinence

A

restraint from pleasant things, esp. eating or drinking; CF. abstention: act of abstaining from vote

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29
Q

abstract

A

theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational

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30
Q

abstruse

A

obscure; profound; difficult to understand

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31
Q

abusive

A

coarsely insulting; physically harmful

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32
Q

abut

A

border upon; adjoin

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33
Q

abysmal

A

bottomless

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34
Q

abyss

A

enormous chasm; vast bottomless pit

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35
Q

academic

A

related to a school; not practical or directly useful

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36
Q

accede

A

agree

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37
Q

accelerate

A

move faster

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38
Q

accessible

A

easy to approach; obtainable

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39
Q

accessory

A

additional object; useful but not essential thing

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40
Q

acclaim

A

applaud; praise; greet with great approval; announce with great approval; Ex. The new drung has been acclaimed as the most important discoveries for years; N: strong expression of approval and praise

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41
Q

acclimate

A

adjust to climate or environment; adapt

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42
Q

acclivity

A

sharp upslope of a hill; OP. declivity

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43
Q

accolade

A

award of merit; strong praise and approval

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44
Q

accommodate

A

oblige or help someone; adjust or bring into harmony; adapt; make enough space for; ADJ. accommodative; CF. accomodating: helpful and obliging

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45
Q

accomplice

A

partner in crime

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46
Q

accord

A

agreement

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47
Q

accost

A

approach and speak first to a person

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48
Q

accoutre

A

equip; N. accoutrement

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49
Q

accretion

A

growth or increase in size by gradual addition; growth; increase; increase by natural growth; Ex. towers and other accretions of the castle; V. accrete

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50
Q

accrue

A

come to one as a gain; accumulate over time; come about by addition; Ex. benefits that accrue from scientific research; Ex. interest accruing in a bank account; N. accrual

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51
Q

acerbity

A

bitterness of speech and temper; ADJ. acerbic: bitter; acrid (in taste, manner, or tone)

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52
Q

acetic

A

vinegary

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53
Q

acidulous

A

slightly sour (in taste or manner); sharp; caustic

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54
Q

acknowledge

A

recognize; admit

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55
Q

acme

A

peak; pinnacle; highest point

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56
Q

acoustics

A

science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in

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57
Q

acquiesce

A

assent; agree passively; comply without protest

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58
Q

acquittal

A

deliverance from a charge; V. acquit: free from a charge or accusation; discharge from a duty; conduct (oneself) in a specified manner

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59
Q

acrid

A

bitter (to the taste or smell); sharp; bitterly pungent

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60
Q

acrimonious

A

stinging; caustic; bitter in words or manner; N. acrimony: bitter ill-natured animosity in speech or behavior

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61
Q

acrophobia

A

fear of heights

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62
Q

actuarial

A

calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics

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63
Q

actuate

A

motivate; activate; cause to act

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64
Q

acuity

A

sharpness (of mind or senses of sight or hearing)

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65
Q

acumen

A

mental keenness; sharpness of judgment; ability to judge quickly and well; Ex. business acumen

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66
Q

acute

A

(of the senses) sharp; quickly perceptive; keen; penetrating; brief and severe; Ex. acute sense of smell/analysis/pain

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67
Q

adage

A

wise saying; proverb

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68
Q

adamant

A

hard; inflexible

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69
Q

adapt

A

make or become suitable for a specific use; alter; modify; adjust; N. adaptation: act of adapting; composition recast into a new form; Ex. The play is an adaption of a short novel.

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70
Q

addendum

A

addition; appendix to book; something that is added (as at the end of a speech or book)

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71
Q

addiction

A

compulsive habitual need

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72
Q

addle

A

make or become confused; muddle; drive crazy; become rotten (egg)

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73
Q

address

A

direct a speech to; speak to; deal with or discuss; direct one’s efforts or attention to; make with a destination; N: formal speech

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74
Q

adept

A

expert at; very skilled

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75
Q

adhere

A

stick fast; be a devotd follower; N. adhesion: adhering; devotion; loyality

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76
Q

adherent

A

supporter; follower

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77
Q

adjacent

A

adjoining; neighboring; close by

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78
Q

adjunct

A

something attached to but holding an inferior position

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79
Q

adjuration

A

solemn urging; V. adjure: entreat earnestly; enjoin solemnly

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80
Q

adjutant

A

staff officer assisting the commander; assistant

81
Q

admonish

A

warn or speak to with gentle disapproval; reprove

82
Q

adorn

A

decorate

83
Q

adroit

A

skillful (in using mind or hand)

84
Q

adulation

A

flattery; admiration that is more than is necessary or deserved

85
Q

adulterate

A

make impure or of poorer quality by adding inferior or tainted(contaminated) substances

86
Q

advent

A

arrival

87
Q

adventitious

A

accidental; casual; happening by chance

88
Q

adversary

A

opponent; enemy

89
Q

adverse

A

going against; opposing; unfavorable; hostile

90
Q

adversity

A

great hardship or affliction; misfortune; calamitous event

91
Q

advert

A

refer

92
Q

advocacy

A

support; active pleading on behalf of someone or something

93
Q

advocate

A

speak in favor of; support (an idea or plan); urge; plead for

94
Q

aegis

A

shield; protection; defense

95
Q

aerie

A

nest of a large bird of prey

96
Q

aesthetic

A

artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful (of a person or building); CF. aesthete; CF. aesthetics

97
Q

affable

A

easily approachable; easy to talk to; warmly friendly

98
Q

affected

A

artificial; pretended

99
Q

affidavit

A

written statement made under oath (for use as proof in a court of law)

100
Q

affiliation

A

joining; associating with

101
Q

affinity

A

feeling of kinship; similarity; Ex. strong affinity for her; Ex. many affinities between two languages

102
Q

affirmation

A

positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath; V. affirm; ADJ. affirmative; CF. affirmative action: positive discrimination

103
Q

affliction

A

state of distress; trial; cause of distress or suffering; V. afflict: inflict grievous suffering on

104
Q

affluence

A

abundance; wealth

105
Q

affront

A

insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect; V: insult or hurt the feelings of intentionally

106
Q

agape

A

openmouthed

107
Q

agenda

A

items of business at a meeting

108
Q

agglomeration

A

collection; heap; V. agglomerate: gather into a rounded mass; N. aggolmeate: jumbled mass; heap

109
Q

aggrandize

A

make greater; increase in power, wealth, rank, or honor; N. aggrandizement

110
Q

aggregate

A

sum; total; ADJ. V: gather into a mass or whole; accumulate; add up to; Ex. aggregate 100 dollars

111
Q

aghast

A

filled with great surprise or fear; horrified

112
Q

agility

A

nimbleness; ability to move quickly

113
Q

agitate

A

stir up; disturb

114
Q

agnostic

A

one who is skeptical of the existence or knowability of a god or any ultimate reality

115
Q

agog

A

highly excited; intensely curious

116
Q

agrarian

A

pertaining to land or its cultivation; Ex. agrarian reform

117
Q

alacrity

A

cheerful promptness without reluctance

118
Q

alchemy

A

medieval chemistry

119
Q

alcove

A

nook; recess

120
Q

alias

A

an assumed name esp. by a criminal (usually to mislead people); ADV. alias

121
Q

alienate

A

make unfriendly or hostile; estrange; separate; change the ownership of

122
Q

alimentary

A

supplying nourishment

123
Q

alimony

A

payments made regularly to an ex-spouse after divorce

124
Q

allay

A

calm; pacify

125
Q

allege

A

state without proof

126
Q

allegiance

A

loyalty

127
Q

allegory

A

story, play, or picture in which characters are used as symbols; fable

128
Q

alleviate

A

relieve (pain)

129
Q

alliteration

A

repetition of beginning sound in poetry

130
Q

allocate

A

assign; set apart for a particular purpose

131
Q

alloy

A

mixture as of metals; something added that lowers in value or purity; V: mix; make less pure; lower in value or quality; spoil; CF. unalloyed: not in mixture with other maetals; pure; complete; unqualified; Ex. unalloyed happiness

132
Q

allude

A

refer indirectly; N. allusion: indirect reference

133
Q

allure

A

entice; attract; tempt

134
Q

siren

A

apparatus for making sounds; womanlike creature

135
Q

alluvial

A

pertaining to soil deposits left by running water

136
Q

aloof

A

apart; not open in one’s relationship with other people; reserved; ADV.

137
Q

aloft

A

upward; high up in the air

138
Q

altercation

A

noisy quarrel

139
Q

altruistic

A

unselfishly generous; concerned for others; N. altiruism: unselfish concern for the welfare of others; unselfishness; OP. egoism

140
Q

amalgamate

A

(of societies or groups) combine; unite in one body

141
Q

amalgam

A

combination of different things; mixture of metals (containing mercury) used for filling holes in teeth

142
Q

amass

A

collect (gradually, in a very large amount)

143
Q

amazon

A

female warrior

144
Q

ambidextrous

A

capable of using either hand with equal ease

145
Q

ambience

A

environment; atmosphere; Ex. restraurant with a pleasant ambience; ADJ. ambient: completely surrounding; Ex. ambient temperature

146
Q

ambiguous

A

unclear or doubtful in meaning; having more than one possible interpretation

147
Q

ambivalence

A

the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes or opinions

148
Q

amble

A

walking at an easy unhurried pace; V: walk slowly and aimlessly

149
Q

ambrosia

A

food of the gods

150
Q

nectar

A

drink of the gods; sweet liquid collected by bees

151
Q

ambulatory

A

able to walk

152
Q

ameliorate

A

improve

153
Q

amenable

A

obedient; compliant; readily managed; responsive; willing to be led; answerable or accountable legally; responsible; able to be tested by; Ex. amenable to sensible suggestions; Ex. He is very amenable; Ex. amenable to the usual tests

154
Q

amend

A

correct; change ; generally for the better

155
Q

amenities

A

convenient features that helps to make life pleasant; social courtesies

156
Q

amiable

A

agreeable; lovable; warmly friendly

157
Q

amicable

A

peaceful; politely friendly; not quarrelsome; Ex. amicable settlement

158
Q

amiss

A

wrong; faulty; Ex. something amiss; ADV.

159
Q

amity

A

friendship; peaceful relationship as between nations

160
Q

amnesia

A

loss of memory

161
Q

amnesty

A

pardon (allowed by government to political criminals)

162
Q

amoral

A

nonmoral; having no understanding of right and wrong

163
Q

amorous

A

moved by sexual love; loving; of sexual love; Ex. amorous advances

164
Q

amorphous

A

formless; lacking shape or definition

165
Q

amphibian

A

able to live both on land and in water; N.

166
Q

amphitheater

A

oval building with tiers of seats; CF. arena

167
Q

ample

A

enough; abundant; spacious; large in size; Ex. ample opportunity/garden; N. amplitude: quality of being ample; abundance; largeness of space

168
Q

amplify

A

increase in size or effect; expand; broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make stronger; Ex. amplify one’s remarks with a graph

169
Q

amputate

A

cut off part of body; prune (a limb)

170
Q

amok(amuck)

A

in a state of rage; Ex. run amok

171
Q

amulet

A

charm; talisman; an object worn believed to protect against evil, bad luck

172
Q

anachronism

A

an error involving time in a story; something or someone misplaced in time; ADJ. anachronistic

173
Q

analgesic

A

causing insensitivity to pain; N.

174
Q

analgesia

A

condition of being unable to feel pain

175
Q

analogous

A

comparable; similar

176
Q

analogy

A

similarity; parallelism; comparing two similar things

177
Q

anarchist

A

person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority

178
Q

anarchy

A

absence of governing body; state of disorder

179
Q

anathema

A

solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse; V. anathematize

180
Q

ancestry

A

family descent; ADJ. ancestral

181
Q

anchor

A

secure or fasten firmly; be fixed in place; N. anchorage

182
Q

ancillary

A

serving as an aid or accessory; auxiliary; N.

183
Q

anecdote

A

short story of an amusing or interesting event

184
Q

anemia

A

condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles; ADJ. anemic

185
Q

anesthetic

A

substance that removes sensation with or without loss of consciousness; N. anesthesia

186
Q

anguish

A

acute pain; extreme suffering

187
Q

angular

A

sharp-cornered; having an angle; not rounded (body); bony; lean; gaunt; stiff in manner

188
Q

animadversion

A

critical remark; V. animadvert: comment critically with disapproval

189
Q

animated

A

lively; spirited

190
Q

animosity

A

active enmity

191
Q

animus

A

hostile feeling or intent; animosity; hostility; disposition

192
Q

annals

A

records arranged in yearly parts; history

193
Q

anneal

A

reduce brittleness and improve toughness by heating and cooling (metal or glass)

194
Q

annex

A

attach; add to a large thing; take possession of; incorporate (territory) into a larger existing political unit (by force); N: building added to a large one

195
Q

annihilate

A

destroy

196
Q

annotate

A

comment; make explanatory notes

197
Q

annuity

A

yearly allowance

198
Q

annul

A

make void

199
Q

elope

A

run away secretly with the intention of getting married

200
Q

anodyne

A

drug that relieves pain or trouble; ÁøÅëÁ¦; opiate; ADJ. Ex. anodyne statement