Barron's Word List 5 Flashcards
plutocracy
society ruled by the wealthy
porous
full of holes; permeable to liquids
poseur
person who affects an attitude to impress others
pragmatic
practical
prate
to talk idly; chatter
prattle
meaningless, foolish talk
preamble
preliminary state
precarious
uncertain
precept
principle; law
precipitate
to cause to happen; throw down from a height
precursor
forerunner; predeccesor
preempt
to supersede; appropriate for oneself
prehensile
capable of grasping
premonition
forewarning something unpleasant is about to happen
presage
to foretell; indicate in advance
presumputious
rude; improperly bold
preternatural
supernatural; beyond the normal use of nature
primordial
original; existing from the beginning
pristine
untouched; uncorrupted
probity
honesty; high-mindness
problematic
posing a problem; doubtful
prodigal
wasteful; extravagant; lavish
profound
deep; not superficial
prohibitve
so high as to prevent the purchase or use of; forbidding
proliferate
to increase rapidly
propensity
inclination; tendency
propitiate
to win over; appease
propirety
correct conduct; fitness
proscribe
to condem; forbid; outlaw
provident
providing for future need; frugal
puissant
powreful
punctilious
careful in observing rules for behavior
pungent
having a strongly sharp taste or smell
pusillanimous
cowardly
purport
to profess; suppose; claim
quagmire
marsh; hazardous situation
quail
to cower; lose heart
qualified
limited; restricted
qualm
sudden feeling of faintness or nausea
query
question
quibble
to argue over insignificant and irrelevant details
quiescent
inactive; still
quorum
number of members necessary to conduct a meeting
raconteur
witty; skillful storyteller
rail
to scold with bitter or abusive language
raiment
clothing
ramification
implication; consequence
rarefied
refined
rationale
fundamental reason
rebu
puzzle in which pictures or symbols represent words
recalcitrant
resisting authority or control
recant
retract a statement of opinion
recluse
person who lives in seclusion and often in solitude
recondite
little known; abstruse
redoubtable
formidable; arousing fear
refractory
stubborn; resisting ordinary methods of treatment
refulgent
shining brightly
refute
to contradict; disprove
regale
to entertain
relegate
consign or dismiss to an inferior position
remonstrate
to object or protest
renege
to go back on one’s word
reparation
amends; compensation
repine
fret; compain
reprise
repetition
reproach
to find fault with; blame
reprobate
morally unprincipled person
repudiate
to reject as having no authority
rescind
to cancel
resolution
determination; resolve
reticent
not freely expressing thoughts or feelings
reverent
expressing deep respect
riposte
retaliatory action or retort
rococo
excessively ornate
rubric
protocol
rue
regret
ruse
trick
sage
wise
salacious
lustful
salubrious
healthful
salutary
expecting an improvement favorable to health
sanction
to approve, ratify, permit
sardonic
cynical; scornfully mocking
sartorial
pertaining to tailors
satiate
to satisfy
saturnine
gloomy
savor
to enjoy
schematic
relating to or in the form of an outline or diagram
secrete
produce and release substance into organism
sedition
behavior prompting rebellion
sedulous
showing dedication and diligence
seismic
relating to earthquakes
sensual
relating to the senses
sentient
able to perceive or feel things
servile
submissive; obedient
sextant
navigation tool that determines latitude and longitude
shard
a piece of broken glass or pottery
sidereal
relating to the stars
simian
apelike; relating to apes
simile
comparison of one thing with another using “like” or “as”
sinecure
well-paying job that requires little or no work
singular
unique; extraordinary
sinuous
intricate; complex
skeptic
one who doubts
sobriety
seriousness
sodden
thoroughly soaked; saturated
solicitous
concerned; attentive; eager
solvent
able to meet financial obligations
somatic
relating to or affecting the body
soporific
sleep producing
sordid
filthy; contemptible; corrupt
specious
seeming to be logical, but not actually so
spendthrift
person who spends money recklessly
sporadic
irregular
squalor
filthy; wretched condition
staccato
marked by abrupt, clear-cut sounds
stanch
to stop or check the of
stentorian
extremely loud and powerful
stigma
mark of disgrace or inferiority
stint
to be sparing
stipulate
to specify as an essential condition
stolid
having or showing little emotion
stratified
arranged in layers
striated
marked with thin, narrow grooves or channels
stricture
something that restrains, negative criticism
strident
loud and harsh; unpleasantly noisy
strut
to swagger, display to impress others
stultify
to impair or reduce to uselessness
stupefy
astonish and shock
stygian
dark and gloomy
