Barrons + PR Wordsmart (501-1000) Flashcards
doleful
sad, melancholy/ dismal
domicile
home/ abode, condo
dormant
asleep, inactive
DOUR
stern, unyielding, gloomy, ill-humored
dregs
most worthless part
DROSS
slag, waste or foreign matter, impurity, surface scum
drudgery
unpleasant, dull, or hard work
dubious
doubtful
DUCTILE
capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out
DULCET
melodious, harmonious, mellifluous
dulcet
sweet or melodious to the ear
dupe
a person easily tricked
DUPE
one who is deceived
duplicity
cunning, trickery
DURESS
compulsion by threat or force
duress
compulsion, force
DYNAMO
generator; forceful, energetic person
EBULLIENCE
the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings
ECCENTRIC
departing from norms or conventions
ECLECTIC
composed of elements drawn from various sources
ECUMENICAL
universal, pertaining to all of Christianity
EDACIOUS
voracious, devouring
edifice
a large and usually impressive building (such as a church or government building)
EDIFYING
enlightening, informative
EFFACE
remove completely from recognition or memory
EFFETE
exhausted; self-indulgent; infertile
efficacy
power to produce an effect
EFFICACY
the ability to produce an intended result
effigy
a likeness (usually of a hated person)
EFFLUENCE
the process of flowing out
EFFLUVIUM
slight or invisible vapor, esp. one that is noxious
effontery
boldness
EFFRONTERY
extreme boldness; presumptuousness
EFFUSION
a pouring out; an uncontrolled display of emotion
EFFUSIVE
gushing; excessively demonstrative
egotist
a vain, conceited person
EGREGIOUS
conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible
egregious
remarkably bad (not flagrant)
EGRESS
the act of coming (or going) out
elapse
to slip by, lapse
ELEEMOSYNARY
charitable
ELEGY
a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead; any mournful writing or piece of music
elicit
to draw forth
ELOCUTION
an expert manner of speaking involving control of voice and gesture
ELOQUENT
well-spoken; expressive; articulate
elucidate
to make clear
elusive
hard to grasp/ out of reach
emaciated
abnormally thin, wasted away
embellish
adorn, touch up
EMEND
to edit or change a text; correct
eminent
of high reputation, outstanding
emissary
Agent
emit
to give off
EMOLLIENT
soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying
EMPIRICAL
based on observation or experiment
emulate
to try to equal or excel
ENCOMIUM
glowing and enthusiastic praise; panegyric, tribute, eulogy
encomium
high praise
encumbrance
Burden, handicap, load
ENDEMIC
characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region, or people; restricted to or peculiar to that region; indigenous
ENERVATE
to weaken; to reduce in vitality
ENGENDER
to cause, produce, give rise to
engrossed
absorbed/ preoccupied, engaged
enhance
intensify, heighten
enigma
riddle
ENIGMATIC
mysterious, obscure, difficult to understand
ennui
boredom, lack of interest and energy
ENNUI
dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy
ENORMITY
excessive wickedness, evilness
ENSCONCED
settled in
entourage
group of attendants
entreaty
appeal, plea
enunciate
to utter, proclaim
EPHEMERAL
brief; fleeting, short-lived
EPICURE
one devoted to sensual pleasure, particularly in food and drink; gourmand, sybarite
EPISODIC
loosely connected, not flowing logically, occurring at intervals
epithet
descriptive name
EPITHET
disparaging word or phrase
EPITOME
embodiment; quintessence
epitome
person or thing that embodies or represents the best
EQUABLE
level; not able to be easily disturbed
EQUANIMITY
calm, composure, self-possession
equanimity
Calmness; composure
equanimity
evenness of mind, composure
EQUIVOCATE
to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent
eradicate
to wipe out
ERRANT
traveling, itinerant, peripatetic
ERRATIC
without consistency
ERUDITE
very learned; scholarly
erudite
very learned; scholarly
eruption
bursting out
escalation
an increase, intensification
ESCARPMENT
steep cliff
eschew
avoid
ESCHEW
to shun or avoid
ESOTERIC
intended for or understood by a small, specific group
ESPOUSE
to make one’s own; adopt or embrace, as in a cause
ESSAY
to test or try; attempt, experiment
ESTIMABLE
worthy, formidable
ethics
code of principles
ETIOLOGY
the study of causation
EULOGY
a speech honoring the dead
euphemism
a less offensive term
evaluate
appraise, find the value of
evanescent
momentary, ephemeral, fleeting
EVANESCENT
tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing
eventuate
to result finally
evince
show plainly, exhibit
EVINCE
to show clearly, to indicate
exacerbate
to irritate, make worse
EXACERBATE
to make worse or more severe
EXACT
to demand, call for, require, take
excoriate
criticize severely
EXCORIATE
to censure scathingly, to upbraid
excruciating
agonizing, torturing
EXCULPATE
exonerate; to clear of blame
EXEMPLAR
typical or standard specimen; paradigm, model
EXHORT
to incite, to make urgent appeals
exhort
to urge strongly, advise earnestly
EXIGENT
urgent; pressing; requiring immediate action or attention
exonerate
to free from guilt
EXONERATE
to remove blame
EXPATIATE
discuss or write about at length; to range freely
expatriate
an exile
expedient
advisable, fit
expedite
carry out promptly
EXPIATE
to atone or make amends for
exploit
utilize, profit by
EXPOSITION
a systematic interpretation or explanation (usually written) of a specific topic
expunge
erase
EXPUNGE
remove by erasing or crossing out
expurgate
to remove objectionable parts or passages
EXPURGATE
to remove obscenity, purify, censor
EXTANT
existing, not destroyed or lost
extant
still existing; not destroyed or lost
EXTEMPORANEOUS
improvised; done without preparation
EXTEMPORANEOUS
with little or no preparation or forethought
EXTENUATING
partially excusing or justifying, to represent as less serious
extinct
no longer existing
EXTIRPATE
to destroy, exterminate, cut out, pull out by the roots
extol
to praise highly
extortion
getting money by threats
extraneous
Foreign, not belonging
extrinsic
foreign, coming from outside
exult
rejoice greatly
exultation
triumphant joy
fabricate
to lie, concoct
fabricate
to lie, construct
facade
face, front; mask, superficial appearance
facet
one side or view of person or situation
facetious
comical, humorous, witty
FACETIOUS
playful; humorous; not serious
FACILE
acting, working, or proceeding with ease; fluent
facile
easily accomplished or attained
factitious
artificial; sham
fallacious
misleading
FALLACY
an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief
FALLOW
untilled, inactive, dormant
falter
stumble, hesitate, waver
FANATICAL
zealous; single-mindedly obsessed with one thing
fastidious
choosy, particular
fatal
deadly, disastrous
fatuous
silly, foolish
FATUOUS
silly, inanely foolish
FAWN
to flatter or praise excessively
feasible
possible
FECKLESS
ineffectual; irresponsible
feint
pretense, sham, a false attack
FELICITOUS
apt, suitable for the occasion
FELICITOUS
apt; suitably expressed, well chosen, apropos; delightful
felicitous
Happy or delightful
FELL
a barren or stony hill; an animal’s hide
felon
a person guilty of a major crime
ferment
uproar, agitation, turmoil
FERVENT
greatly emotional or zealous
fervid
passionate, intense, zealous
FETID
stinking, having a heavy bad smell
fetish
an object that is thought to have magic powers
fetter
to hamper
FETTER
to shackle, put in chains, restrain
fiasco
complete failure
fiat
an official order, a decree
FIDUCIARY
a person who holds assets in trust for a beneficiary
FILIBUSTER
intentional obstruction, usually using prolonged speechmaking to delay legislative action
FILIGREE
an ornamental work, especially of delicate lacelike patterns; resembling such a pattern
FINAGLE
to trick, swindle or cheat
flabbergasted
Astounded
FLAG
to sag or droop, to become spiritless, to decline
flagrant
outrageous, glaringly bad (not egregious)
flamboyant
showy, colorful/ extravagant
flay
strip off skin, scold harshly
fledgling
Little known, newly developed
FLIP
sarcastic, impertinent
FLORID
flushed with color, ruddy, ornate
FLOTSAM
wreckage of a ship floating in water
flout
show contempt, scoff
FLOUT
to demonstrate contempt for
fluctuate
alternate, shift
foist
pass off slyly, pass as genuine
foment
stir up; instigate