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K Magoosh Cards > Basic VI > Flashcards

Basic VI Flashcards

1
Q

antedate

A

antedate
verb: precede in time

Harry was so unknowledgable that he was unaware the Egyptian pharaohs antedated the American Revolution.

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2
Q

begrudge

A

begrudge
verb: to envy someone for possessing or enjoying something

Sitting all alone in his room, Harvey begrudged the happiness of the other children playing outside his window.

verb: to give reluctantly

We never begrudge money spent on ourselves.

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3
Q

melancholy

A

melancholy
noun: a deep, long-lasting sadness

Hamlet is a figure of tremendous melancholy: he doesn’t have a truly cheerful scene throughout the entire play.

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4
Q

avert

A

avert
verb: turn away

Afraid to see the aftermath of the car crash, I averted my eyes as we drove by.

verb: ward off or prevent

The struggling video game company put all of its finances into one final, desperate project to avert bankruptcy.

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5
Q

piquant

A

piquant
adjective: having an agreeably pungent taste

The chef, with a mere flick of the salt shaker, turned the bland tomato soup into a piquant meal.

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6
Q

presumptuous

A

presumptuous
adjective: excessively forward

Many felt that Barney was presumptuous in moving into the large office before the management even made any official announcement of his promotion.

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7
Q

profusion

A

profusion
noun: the property of being extremely abundant

When Maria reported that she had been visited by Jesus Christ and had proof, a profusion of reporters and journalists descended on the town.

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8
Q

coalesce

A

coalesce
verb: fuse or cause to grow together

Over time, the various tribes coalesced into a single common culture with one universal language.

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9
Q

foolhardy

A

foolhardy
adjective: marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences

The police regularly face dangerous situations, so for a police officer not to wear his bullet-proof vest is foolhardy.

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10
Q

redress

A

redress
noun: an act of making something right

Barry’s redress for forgetting his wife’s birthday two years in a row was surprising her with a trip to Tahiti.

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11
Q

buttress

A

buttress
verb: make stronger or defensible

China’s economy has been buttressed by a global demand for the electronic parts the country manufactures.

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12
Q

industrious

A

industrious
adjective: characterized by hard work and perseverance

Pete was an industrious student, completing every assignment thoroughly and on time.

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13
Q

ascribe

A

ascribe
verb: attribute or credit to

History ascribes The Odyssey and The Iliad to Homer, but scholars now debate whether he was a historical figure or a fictitious name.

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14
Q

preempt

A

preempt
verb: take the place of or have precedence over

A governmental warning about an imminent terrorist attack would preempt ordinary network programming on television.

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15
Q

humdrum

A

humdrum
adjective: dull and lacking excitement

Having grown up in a humdrum suburb, Jacob relished life in New York City after moving.

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16
Q

impicate

A

implicate
verb: convey a meaning; imply

By saying that some of the guests were uncomfortable, the manager implicated to the hotel staff that it needed to be more diligent.

verb: to indicate in wrongdoing, usually a crime

The crime boss was implicated for a long list of crimes, ranging from murder to disturbing the peace.

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17
Q

consecrate

A

consecrate
verb: to make holy or set apart for a high purpose

At the church of Notre Dame in France, the new High Altar was consecrated in 1182.

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18
Q

rakish

A

rakish
adjective: marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputableness

As soon as he arrived in the city, the rakish young man bought some drugs and headed straight for the seedy parts of town.

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19
Q

celmency

A

clemency
noun: leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice

In the final moments of the trial, during his closing speech, Phillips was nearly begging the judge for clemency.

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20
Q

rile

A

rile
verb: cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations

Dan is usually calm and balanced, but it takes only one intense glare from Sabrina to rile him.

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21
Q

precarious

A

precarious
adjective: fraught with danger

People smoke to relax and forget their cares, but ironically, in terms of health risks, smoking is far more precarious than either mountain-climbing or skydiving.

22
Q

deride

A

deride
verb: treat or speak of with contempt

The nun derided the students for trying to sneak insects and worms into the classroom.

23
Q

veneer

A

veneer
noun: covering consisting of a thin superficial layer that hides the underlying substance

Mark Twain referred to the Victorian Period in America as the “Gilded Age”, implying the ample moral corruption that lay beneath a mere veneer of respectability.

24
Q

incumbent

A

incumbent
adjective: necessary (for someone) as a duty or responsibility

Middle managers at times make important decisions, but real responsibility for the financial well-being of the corporation is ultimately incumbent on the CEO.

This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

25
Q

eccentric

A

eccentric
adjective: highly unconventional or unusual (usually describes a person)

Mozart was well-known for his eccentricities, often speaking words backward to confuse those around him.

26
Q

cavalier

A

cavalier
adjective: given to haughty disregard of others

Percy dismissed the issue with a cavalier wave of his hand.

27
Q

wanton

A

wanton
adjective: without check or limitation; showing no moral restraints to one’s anger, desire, or appetites

Due to wanton behavior and crude language, the drunk man was thrown out of the bar and asked to never return.

28
Q

emulate

A

emulate
verb: strive to equal or match, especially by imitating; compete with successfully

To really become fluent in a new language, emulate the speech patterns of people who speak the language.

29
Q

intermittent

A

intermittent
adjective: stopping and starting at irregular intervals

The intermittent thunder continued and the night was punctuated by cracks of lightning—a surreal sleepless night.

30
Q

docile

A

docile
adjective: easily handled or managed; willing to be taught or led or supervised or directed

Barnyard animals are considerably more docile than the wild animals.

31
Q

tribulation

A

tribulation
noun: something, especially an event, that causes difficulty and suffering

As of 2013, nearly 1.5 million Syrians have fled their country hoping to escape the tribulations of a civil war tearing their country to pieces.

32
Q

forthright

A

forthright
adjective: characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

I did not expect the insurance agent to give us any straight answers, but I was pleasantly surprised by how forthright he was.

33
Q

conundrum

A

conundrum
noun: a difficult problem

Computers have helped solve some of the mathematical conundrums which have puzzled man for many centuries.

34
Q

incense

A

incense
verb: make furious

When Herb bought football tickets for a game on the day of their wedding anniversary, Jill was incensed.

This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

35
Q

glean

A

glean
verb: collect information bit by bit

Herb has given us no formal statement about his background, but from various hints, I have gleaned that he grew up in difficult circumstances.

36
Q

besmirch

A

besmirch
verb: damage the good name and reputation of someone

The prince’s distasteful choice of words besmirched not only his own name but also the reputation of the entire royal family.

37
Q

lethargic

A

lethargic
adjective: lacking energy

Nothing can make a person more lethargic than a big turkey dinner.

38
Q

finagle

A

finagle
verb: achieve something by means of trickery or devious methods

Steven was able to finagle one of the last seats on the train by convincing the conductor that his torn stub was actually a valid ticket.

39
Q

belittle

A

belittle
verb: lessen the importance, dignity, or reputation of

A good teacher will never belittle his students, but will instead empower them.

40
Q

prevail

A

prevail
verb: be widespread in a particular area at a particular time; be current:

During the labor negotiations, an air of hostility prevailed in the office.

verb: prove superior

Before the cricket match, Australia was heavily favored, but India prevailed.

41
Q

irascible

A

irascible
adjective: quickly aroused to anger

If Arthur’s dog is not fed adequately, he becomes highly irascible, even growling at his own shadow.

42
Q

cerebral

A

cerebral
adjective: involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct

A cerebral analysis of most pop music finds it to be simple and childish, but that ignores the point–the music’s effect on the listener.

This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

43
Q

delegate

A

delegate
verb: give an assignment to (a person)

Since the senior manager had to go on many international business trips, she was forced to delegate many of her responsibilities to two lower-level managers.

This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

44
Q

cohesive

A

cohesive
adjective: well integrated, forming a united whole

A well-written, cohesive essay will keep on topic at all times, never losing sight of the main argument.

45
Q

uncanny

A

uncanny
adjective: suggesting the operation of supernatural influences; surpassing the ordinary or normal

Reggie has an uncanny ability to connect with animals: feral cats will readily approach him, and sometimes even wild birds will land on his finger.

46
Q

fawn

A

fawn
verb: try to gain favor by extreme flattery

The media fawned over the handsome new CEO, praising his impeccable sense of style instead of asking more pointed questions.

This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

47
Q

insipid

A

insipid
adjective: dull and uninteresting

The movie director was known for hiring beautiful actors in order to deflect attention away from the insipid scripts he would typically use.

48
Q

behoove

A

behoove
verb: to be one’s duty or obligation

The teacher looked down at the student and said, “It would behoove you to be in class on time and complete your homework, so that you don’t repeat freshman English for a third straight year.”

49
Q

analogous

A

analogous
adjective: similar in some respects but otherwise different

In many ways, the Internet’s transformative effect on society has been analogous to that of the printing press.

50
Q

evenhanded

A

evenhanded
adjective: without partiality

Teachers often have trouble being evenhanded to all of their varied students.

K Magoosh Cards (26 decks)

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