Barrons + PR Wordsmart (1-500) Flashcards
ABATE
to lessen in intensity or degree
ABCISSION
act of cutting off or removing
ABERRANT
deviating from the norm
ABEYANCE
temporary inactivity, cessation
abhor
to detest, loathe, hate strongly, despise
ABJECT
miserable; hopeless; horrible
abjure
renounce, abstain from
ABJURE
to renounce or reject solemnly; to recant; to avoid
abortive
fruitless, useless, falling
abound
to exist in great numbers
ABRADE
to wear off or down by scraping or rubbing
abrogate
abolish
ABROGATE
to abolish or annul by authority; put down
ABSCOND
to depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide
ABSTAIN
to refrain from an activity
abstemious
not eating or drinking much
ABSTENTION
the trait of abstaining (especially from alcohol)
absurd
ridiculous
access
admittance
ACCOLADE
an expression of praise; an award
accommodate
to make fit, adjust to
accomplice
an associate in crime
accost
to approach and speak to
ACCRETION
growth, increase by successive addition, building up
ACERBIC
having a sour or bitter taste or character
acknowledge
admit
acme
peak; pinnacle; highest point
ACQUISITIVE
eager to acquire and possess things especially material possessions or ideas
acrimonious
bitter
ACUMEN
quick, keen, or accurate knowledge or insight
acute
sharp, keen, severe
adamant
unyielding, inflexible, definite
adherent
a follower, supporter
ADJURE
solemn urging
ADJURE
to command solemnly, as under oath
ADMONISH
to reprove; to express warning or disapproval
admonish
to warn, to reprove
ADROIT
adept, dexterous
adroit
skillful
ADULATION
excessive praise; intense adoration
ADULTERATE
to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients
ADUMBRATE
to foreshadow vaguely, intimate, suggest, or outline sketchily
advent
the coming of an important event
adversary
opponent, enemy, foe
adverse
unfavorable, harmful
ADVERT
make a more or less disguised reference to
ADVOCATE
to argue for or support a cause
advocate
to be in favor of, to support
aegis
a shield; protection; sponsorship
AESTHETIC
dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
AFFABLE
diffusing warmth and friendliness
AFFIDAVIT
written declaration made under oath
afflict
to trouble greatly, to distress
affluent
rich
AGGRANDIZE
to increase in intensity, power, or prestige; to make appear greater
alacrity
briskness, lively action, quick willingness
ALACRITY
cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness
ALCHEMY
a magical or wonderful transformation
allay
calm, soothe
alleged
reported, supposed
alleviate
make easier
ALLOY
to commingle; to debase by mixing with something inferior
allude
hint, suggest
aloof
distant; remote;
altruistic
unselfish
AMALGAMATE
to combine several elements into a whole
AMBIGUITY
uncertainty in meaning
ambiguous
vague, undefined, not specific
AMBIT
circuit or compass; also, sphere of action or influence.
AMBIVALENCE
the quality of having opposing ideas or feelings
AMELIORATE
to make better or more tolerable
ameliorate
to make better, to relieve, to improve
AMENABLE
agreeable; responsive to suggestion
amicable
friendly, peaceful
amnesty
a general pardon
amorous
full of love
ANACHRONISM
something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context
analogous
comparable; similar
ANATHEMA
a solemn or ecclesiastical (religious) curse; accursed or thoroughly loathed person or thing
anathema
something greatly detested
ANCILLARY
subordinate, assisting
ANIMUS
strong dislike or enmity; animosity
annals
historical records
ANODYNE
soothing
ANOMALY
deviation from the normal order, form, or rule; abnormality
anomaly
irregularity
ANTAGONIZE
to irritate or cause hostility
ANTEPENULTIMATE
third to last
anthropologist
an expert in the study of the races, beliefs, customs, etc. of mankind
antipathy
a dislike, distaste, or enmity
ANTIPATHY
aversion, dislike
antiquated
obsolete; old-fashioned; outdated
antithesis
exact opposite
ANTITHETICAL
diametrically opposed, as in antithesis
apathy
Lack of interest or concern
APATHY
lack of interest or feeling
APHORISM
a terse saying embodying a general truth, or astute observation
APLOMB
self-confidence
APOCRYPHAL
of dubious authenticity or origin; spurious
APOGEE
farthest or highest point; culmination; zenith
APOPLEXY
a sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain
APOSTATE
one who abandons long-held religious or political convictions, a betrayer of a cause
APOTHEOSIS
deification, glorification to godliness, the perfect example
appalled
dismayed, shocked
appellation
a name
APPOSITE
appropriate, pertinent, relevant, apropos
APPRISE
give notice to, inform
APPROBATION
an expression of approval or praise
APPROPRIATE
to take for one’s own use, confiscate
ARABESQUE
complex, ornate design
arbiter
judge
arbitrary
based on whim, dictatorial
ARCANE
mysterious, abstruse, esoteric, knowable only to initiates
archaic
out of date
ARCHAIC
outdated; associated with an earlier, perhaps more primitive time
ardent
passionate, eager
ARDUOUS
strenuous, taxing, requiring significant effort
ARRANT
impudent; in every way, being completely such, bare-faced, utter
array
arrangement, system
ARREST
to suspend; to engage
ARROGATE
seize and take control without authority and possibly with force
ARTICULATE
to enunciate or pronounce clearly; to express oneself clearly
artifact
an object made by hand, rather than a thing as it occurs in nature
artifice
strategy, trickery
ARTLESS
completely without guile; natural, without artificiality
artless
innocent, naive
ascend
to rise
ascertain
find out
ASCETIC
one who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion
ascetic
one who practices self-denial and devotion
asinine
stupid; silly
asperity
harshness of temper
ASPERITY
severity, rigor; roughness, harshness; acrimony, irritability
ASPERSION
an act of defamation or maligning
aspirant
candidate for high position or better job
aspire
to strive for
ASSENT
agreement with a statement or proposal to do something
asset
a valuable thing to have
ASSEVERATE
to aver, allege, assert
assiduous
devoted, attentive
ASSIDUOUS
diligent, hard-working
ASSIDUOUS
persistent, attentive, diligent
ASSUAGE
to ease or lesson; to appease or pacify
ASTRINGENT
to ease or lessen; to appease or pacify
astute
keen, shrewd
atrophy
waste away
ATTENUATE
to rarefy, weaken or make thinner, lessen
attenuated
weakened, thinned, decreased
attest
to certify
ATTRITION
a reduction of strength in numbers, a wearing down
atypical
nonconforming
au courant
up-to-date
AUDACIOUS
daring and fearless; recklessly bold
audacity
excessive boldness, rashness, daring
augment
enlarge, increase
AUGURY
omen, portent, the reading of omens
AUGUST
majestic, venerable
AUSPICE
protection or support, patronage
AUSPICIOUS
favorable, propitious, successful, prosperous
austere
Severely simple; unadorned.
AUSTERE
without adornment; bare; severely simple; ascetic
automaton
a robot, a mechanical “person”
AVARICE
greed, especially for wealth
avarice
greed, passion for riches
AVER
to state as fact; to confirm or support
aversion
strong dislike, opposition
avid
eager
AVOCATION
a hobby
awesome
inspiring terror, weird
AXIOM
a universally recognized principle; a generally accepted or common saying
AXIOMATIC
taken as a given; possessing self-evident truth
badger
to pester, nag, annoy persistently
BADINAGE
light, playful banter
bagatelle
trifle
BALEFUL
sinister, pernicious, ominous
balk
to refuse to move
banal
trivial
BANE
cause of injury, source of harm; source of persistent frustration
barometer
instrument for measuring change
BEATIFY
to bless, make happy, or ascribe a virtue to; to regard as saintly
BEDIZEN
to adorn, especially in a cheap, showy manner; festoon, caparison
bedlam
Uproar, confusion
begrudge
to be resentful or reluctant
belated
delayed; late
BELEAGUER
to surround with military forces or with troubles
BELIE
to give a false impression of, to misrepresent
belittle
to make seem less important, speak of as unimportant
BELLICOSE
belligerent, pugnacious, warlike
belligerent
warlike, hostile
benevolent
kindly, charitable
BENIGN
favorable, harmless
BENT
leaning, inclination, proclivity, tendency
bereft
Deprived of
besiege
to surround, hem in
besmirch
soil, stain, dim the reputation
bias
prejudice
bigot
a narrow-minded, prejudiced person
bigot
narrow-minded, prejudiced person
bizzare
odd; fantastic; grotesque; unusual
bizzarre
grotesque,odd,unusual