Book Vocab Flashcards
farcical
absurd
ludicrous; absurd.
if you describe a situation or event as —, you mean that it is so silly or extreme that you are unable to take it seriously.
vicissitude
change
mutation; mutability.
they remained friends through the — of 40 years.
anthropomorphic
ascribing human form or attributes to a being or thing not human, especially to a deity.
the — attitude to animals.
bifurcate
to divide or fork into two branches.
the blood supply in the body — between eight and thirty times before reaching each particular location in the body.
somnolence
sleepy; drowsy. tending to cause sleep.
insolent
disrespectful
boldy rude or disrespectful.
if you say that someone is being —, you mean they are being rude to someone they ought to be respectful to.
her … stare
solace
comfort in sorrow, misfortune, or trouble.
the minister’s visit was the dying man’s only —.
machination
scheme
crafty schemes; plots; intrigues.
odious
disgusting
highly offensive; disgusting; repulsive.
Mr. Smith is certainly the most — man I have ever met.
rhetoric
speech or writing intended to convince and impress people but may not be sincere or honest.
obviate
avoid
to anticipate and prevent or eliminate (difficulties, disadvantages, etc.) by effective measures; render unnecessary.
to — the risk of serious injury.
anathema
strong dislike
a person or thing detested or loathed.
that subject is — to him.
ephemeral
fleeting
lasting a very short time.
the — joys of childhood.
quixotic
unrealistic
if you describe someone’s ideas or plans as —, you mean that they are imaginative or hopeful but unrealistic.
he has always lived his life by a hopelessly — code of honor.
capricious
erratic
he’s such a — boss i never know how he’ll react.
idiosyncratic
something particular to an individual.
if you describe someone’s actions or characteristics as —, you mean that they are somewhat unusual.
a highly — personality.
incredulous
skeptical
indicating or showing disbelief.
“he made you do it?” her voice was —.
epistemology
human knowledge
a branch of philosophy that investigates the origin, nature, methods, and limits of human knowledge.
onerous
burden
burdensome, oppressive, or troublesome; causing hardship.
parents who have had the — task of bringing up a very difficult child.
pedantic
detail
overly concerned with minute details or formalisms, especially in teaching.
insipid
bland
without distinctive, interesting, or stimulating qualities.
an — personality.
if you describe food or drink as —, you dislike it because it has very little taste.
it tasted indescribably bland and —, like warmed cardboard.
inviolable
incapable of being violated; incorruptible.
the game had a single — rule: obstacles were to be overcome, not circumvented.
pedigree
history
lineage; origin or history.
someone’s — is their background or their ancestors.
Hammer’s business — almost guaranteed him the acquaintance of presidents.
nascent
new
beginning to exist or develop.
— things or processes are just beginning and are expected to become stronger or to grow bigger.
the still — science of psychology.
indignant
insulted
expressing strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, or insulting.
if you are —, you are shocked and angry because you think that something is unjust or unfair.
he was — that his rival was offered the job.
obsequious
obedient
obedient; dutiful.
— servants.
insurrection
rebellion
an act or instance of rising in revolt, rebellion, or resistance against civil authority or an established government.
an — is violent action that is taken by a large group of people against the rulers of their country.
dialectic
a method of reaching conclusions by considering theories and ideas together with ones that contradict them.
dogma
status quo
a settled or established opinion, belief, or principle.
if you refer to a belief or a system of beliefs as a —, you disapprove of it because people are expected to accept that it is true without questioning it.
their political — has blinded them to the real needs of the country.
aphorism
witty truth
a short witty sentence which expresses a general truth or comment.
“power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”
meek
submissive
overly submissive or compliant; tame
if you describe a person as —, you think that they are gentle and quiet, and likely to do what other people say.
he was a —, mild-mannered fellow.
decadence
self-indulgence
moral degeneration; excessive self-indulgence.
magnanimous
forgiving
generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness.
if you are —, you behave kindly and generously toward someone, especially after defeating them or being treated badly by them.
ambivalent
unsure
having mixed feelings about someone or something; being unable to choose between two (usually opposing) courses of action.
she remained — about her marriage.
malfeasance
wrongdoing
the performance by a public official of an act that is legally unjustified, harmful, or contrary to law
prosaic
basic
commonplace or dull; matter-of-fact or unimaginative.
parsimonious
stingy
someone who is — is very unwilling to spend money.
subsidy
a grant or contribution of money.
a — is money that is paid by a government or other authority in order to help an industry or business, or to pay for a public service.
desolation
devastation
ruin.
— is a feeling of great unhappiness and hopelessness.
Kozelek expresses his sense of — absolutely without self-pity.
ambulatory
mobile
of, relating to, or capable of walking; not confined to bed; able or strong enough to walk.
an — patient.
conflate
merge
to fuse into one entity; merge.
to — dissenting voices into one protest.
ludic
playful
playful in an aimless way.
the — behavior of kittens
proleptic
anticipate
the anticipation of possible objections in order to answer them in advance.
puerile
immature
childishly foolish; immature or trivial.
a — piece of writing.
opulent
wealthy
rich, or affluent.
heavy silverplate adds an — touch to a formal dinner party.
enervated
tired
without vigor, force, or strength.
if you feel —, you feel tired and weak.
derisory
silly
mocking;
if you describe something such as an amount of money as —, you are emphasizing that it is so small or inadequate that it seems silly or not worth considering.
she was being paid what i considered a — amount of money.
avid
enthusiastic
showing great enthusiasm for or interest in.
an — moviegoer.
pretentious
arrogant
characterized by assumption of dignity or importance, especially when exaggerated or undeserved.
a —, self-important waiter.
indolent
lazy
having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful.
someone who is — is lazy.
an — ulcer that is not painful and is slow to heal.
dismal
gloomy
causing gloom; dreary; cheerless.
our team played a — game.
amalgamate
combine
to mix or merge so as to make a combination; unite; combine.
to — two companies.
pertinacious
stubborn
extremely or objectionably persistent; stubborn.
a — salesman from whom i could not escape.
obdurate
unchanging
stubbornly resistant to moral influence; unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings.
parts of the administration may be changing but others have been — defenders of the status quo.
febrile
nervous
feverish. — behavior is intensely and nervously active.
the news plunged the nation into a —, agitated state.
antipathy
dislike
a natural, basic, or habitual aversion.
— is a strong feeling of dislike or hostility toward someone or something.
the voting public’s — toward the president.
palindrome
a word, line, verse, number, sentence, etc. reading the same backward as forward.
Madam, I’m Adam.
anagram
a word, phrase, or sentence formed from another by rearranging its letters.
“Angel” is an — of “glean”.
apotheosis
epitome
the ideal example;
this poem is the — of lyric expression.
epochal
important
extremely important, significant, or influential.
sagacious
intelligent
having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense.
a — person is intelligent and has the ability to make good decisions.
a — leader.
euphony
pleasing effect to the ear.
the majestic — of Milton’s poetry.
fiend
a person who is extremely addicted to some pernicious habit.
an opium —.
piety
respect
dutiful respect or regard for parents, homeland, etc.
a prayer full of —.
pariah
outcast
if you describe someone as a —, you mean that other people dislike them so much that they refuse to associate with them.
ecumenical
universal
general
— activities, ideas, and movements try to unite different christian churches.
voluble
talkative
characterized by a ready and continuous flow of words.
she was — with excitement.
irascible
irritable
easily provoked to anger; very irritable.
an — old man.
promulgate
spread
publish; to make known by open declaration.
if people — a new law or a new idea, they make it widely known.
the shipping industry — a voluntary code.
ostentation
show off
pretentious or conspicuous show, as of wealth or importance; display intended to impress others.
if you describe someone’s behavior as —, you are criticizing them for doing or buying things in order to impress people.
on the whole she had lived modestly, with a notable lack of —.
perfunctory
routine action
performed merely as routine duty; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm.
a — action is done quickly and carelessly, and shows a lack of interest in what you are doing.
she gave the list only a — glance.
interplay
reciprocal
reciprocal relationship, action, or influence.
the — of political, economic, social and cultural factors.
etiology
cause
the study of causation.
the — of a disease or a problem is the study of its causes.
the — of a psychiatric disorder.
ancillary
secondary
subordinate; auxiliary; assisting.
the — workers in an institution are the people such as cleaners and cooks whose work supports the main work of the institution.
slides, records, and other — can be used with the basic textbook.
