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.
denouement
resolution
(french) the final resolution of the intricacies of a plot, as of drama or novel.
an unexpected —.
antithetical
opposite
directly opposed or contrasted; opposite.
their priorities are — to those of environmentalists.
mendacious
telling lies, especially habitually.
a — person.
effusive
expressive
pouring out; overflowing.
if you describe someone as —, you mean that they express pleasure, gratitude, or approval in a very enthusiastic way.
he was — in his praise for the general.
despot
a ruler
a king or other ruler with absolute, unlimited power.
a — is a ruler or other person who has a lot of power and uses it unfairly or cruelly.
coalesce
merge
to grow together into one body; to blend or come together.
their ideas — into one theory.
compunction
remorse
a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety of the conscience caused by regret for doing wrong or causing pain; remorse.
if you say that someone has no — about doing something, you mean that they do it without feeling ashamed or guilty.
ameliorate
improve
to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve.
strategies to — negative effects on the environment.
recalcitrant
disobedient
resisting authority or control; not obedient or compliant.
the danger is that — local authorities will reject their responsibilities.
solipsism
the theory that only the self exists; extreme preoccupation with and indulgence of one’s feelings, desires, etc.
specious
deceptive
apparently good or right though lacking real merit; superficially pleasing or plausible; pleasing to the eye but deceptive.
something that is — seems to exist or be true, but is not real or true.
it is unlikely that the Duke was convinced by such — arguments.
indelibly
permanent
that which cannot be eliminated, forgotten, changed.
the — memories of war.
perspicacious
perceptive
having keen mental perception and understanding; discerning.
someone who is — notices, realizes, and understands things quickly.
vacuous
empty
without content; empty; lacking in ideas or intelligence.
male models are not always so — as they are made out to be.
saudade
a deep emotional state of melancholic longing for a person or thing that is absent.
the theme of — in literature and music.
providence
divine
the manifestation of divine care or direction.
these women regard his death as an act of —.
sepulchral
dark
of or relating to burial; hollow and deep.
something that is — is serious or sad and somewhat frightening.
a — place is dark, quiet, and empty.
he made his way along the — corridors.
paroxysm
outburst
any sudden, violent outburst; a fit of violent action or emotion.
he exploded in a — of rage.
vexation
frustration
irritation; annoyance.
— is a feeling of being annoyed, puzzled, and frustrated.
he kicked the broken machine in —.
countenance
facial expression
appearance, especially the look or expression of the face.
a sad —.
prepossessing
engaging
that impresses favorably; engaging or attractive.
a confident and — young man.
precarious
uncertain
unstable; dependent on the circumstances beyond one’s control.
our financial situation had become —.
solidarity
support
union or fellowship arising from common responsibilities and interests; community of feelings, purposes, etc.
if a group of people show —, they show support for each other or for another group.
supporters want to march tomorrow to show — with their leaders.
intransigent
stubborn
refusing to agree or compromise.
and why is it that Republicans can be so — and Barack Obama gets blamed?
tenet
pillars
any opinion, principle, doctrine, dogma, etc., especially one held as true by members of a profession, group, or movement.
some were talking about Q, repeating and promoting the core — of the conspiracy theory.
garrulous
rambling
excessively talkative in a rambling, roundabout manner, especially about trivial matters.
a — and boring speech.
suffuse
cover
to overspread with.
if something, especially a color or feeling, — a person or thing, it gradually spreads over or through them.
a dull red flush — Shelby’s face.
attenuate
thin
to make thin, slender, or fine.
an — object is usually long and thin.
round arches and — columns.
equanimity
calm
mental or emotional stability or composure, especially under tension or strain; calmness.
— is a calm state of mind and attitude to life, so that you never lose your temper or become upset.
His sense of humor allowed him to face adversaries with —.
zenith
peak
a highest point or state; culmination.
the — of something is the time when it is most successful or powerful.
His career is now at its —.
apathetic
emotionless
having or showing little or no emotion.
if you describe someone as —, you are criticizing them because they do not seem to be interested in or enthusiastic about doing anything.
Even the most — students are beginning to sit up and listen.
advent
arrival
a coming into place, view, or being; arrival.
the — of an important event, invention, or situation is the fact of it starting or coming into existence.
The — of the computer has brought this sort of task within the bounds of possibility.
omnipotent
powerful
almighty or infinite in power, as God.
someone or something that is — has complete power over things or people.
Doug lived in the shadow of his seemingly — father.
progenitor
creator
a person or thing that originates something or serves as a model; predecessor; precursor.
the — of modern painting.
impetuous
impulsive
characterized by sudden or rash action, emotion, etc.
you see where you were more —, where you might have overreacted to certain things.
amorphous
formless
having no particular kind of character; having no pattern or structure.
an — personality.
decadence
self-indulgence
deterioration; decay; unrestrained or excessive self-indulgence.
many accused party leaders of excessive wealth and — filled with liquor and women.
ostensibly
apparently
seemingly.
— meant to protect babies, these products are dangerous.
archetype
model
something that serves as a model or basis for making copies; original.
Greek culture must be distinguished as the —; and it must be shown how all culture rests upon shaky conceptions.
polymath
a person of great and varied learning.
And she was completely unflappable, transitioning between discussions of sex toys and Stalinism with the ease of a true —.
contention
competition
dispute; argument; strife in debate; competition.
Fail to get at least one point in these matchups and you can fall out of — very easily.
inerrant
free from error; infallible.
His reason, if we prefer to call it such, is practically —.
non sequitur
a conclusion that does not follow from the premise; a reply that has no relevance to what preceded it.
trepidation
dread
a feeling of alarm or dread.
Whatever — she may have felt going in, the reality was far worse.
mutually exclusive
a situation involving two or more events, possibilities, etc. in which the occurrence of one prevents the occurrence of the other; describing two things as — means that they can’t both exist, be true, or happen at the same time.
inimitable
incapable of being imitated or copied. matchless;
the — Bernard Wright has always been left of center in a majorly cool way.
inimical
hostile
unfriendly
a cold, — gaze.
fortuitous
lucky
happening or produced by chance; accidental; lucky.
a series of — events that advanced her career.
idyllic
simple
charmingly simplistic or rustic.
his — life in tahiti.
impetus
catalyst
a moving force; impulse; stimulus.
the grant for building the opera house gave — to the city’s cultural life.
perseverate
repeat
to repeat something, such as words or actions, over and over again.
I’m frustrated by the degree to which I have to — just to get the students to follow simple rules.
erudite
book smart
characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly.
an — professor.
amenable
agreeable
open to suggestion;
Collins, though, may be more — after her intensely competitive November election is over.
temerity
boldness
rashness.
Some time ago, I wrote a blog post in which I had the — to question the validity of chronic Lyme diagnoses.
misanthropy
hatred, dislike, or distrust of humankind.
frenetic
panicked
frantic; frenzied.
There was in him the — unconscious desire to rid himself of the thing he had come to believe inferior.
noetic
of or relating to the mind, especially to its rational and intellectual faculties.
grandiloquent
speaking or expressed in a lofty style, often to the point of being pompous or bombastic.
Yet a moment like this seems so overblown, so —, and so self-consciously heroic that it simply stuns me.
myopic
narrow-minded
lacking tolerance or understanding; narrow-minded.
Assumptions and a — “I’m always right” point of view accomplish nothing.
acrimonious
bitter
bitter in nature, speech, behavior, etc.
Negotiations grew —, and the two sides couldn’t agree on a price.
velleity
a wish
a mere wish, unaccompanied by an effort to obtain it.
How would it be possible to resist the will of God, supposing of course that it was his real will, not a mere —?
laconic
concise
expressing much in few words.
She is —, matter of fact, and frequently speaks in “life is a journey”-type metaphors and aphorisms—all part of her charm.
avaricious
greedy
Though good and worthy in his way, the old man was —, and possessed an enormous amount of family pride.
sanguine
optimistic
hopeful or confident.
A senior government minister in Kabul is more — about the possibility of eventually restarting peace talks.
ascetic
strict
exceedingly strict; a person who denies themselves normal pleasures of life.
In that distorted state, it felt good to deprive myself, as if it were some — form of self-mastery.
petulant
impatient
sudden, impatient irritation, especially over something trivial.
a — toss of the head.
sinuous
indirect
devious; having many curves, bends, or turns.
— questions.
a — path.
demure
reserved
characterized by shyness and modesty.
assiduous
constant
dilligently working at a task.
an — reader.
hubris
arrogance
excessive pride or self confidence.
In an agency long known for its competence, — became the nemesis that could not be overcome.
fastidious
hard to please
exessively particular, critical, or demanding.
a — eater.
inane
lacking sense, significance, or ideas.
— questions.
tenuous
weak, vague
lacking a sound basis as reasoning.
he gave a rather — account of his past life.
propitiate
to appease
to gain the favor of or make things right with someone, especially after having done something wrong.
She tried to — the General after her usual manner towards him.
irreverant
disrespectful
an — reply.
reticent
reluctant, restrained
not open or communicative; not saying all that one knows; taciturn; reserved
Unfortunately, they have also been far too — on the need for better access to medicine.
precocious
unusually advanced or mature in development, especially mental development:
a — child.
axiom
a universally accepted principle or rule
With an ATP, a programmer can code in all the rules, or —, and then ask if a particular conjecture follows those rules.
numinous
mysterious
surpassing comprehension or understanding
that element in artistic expression that remains —
enigma
puzzling
a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation
His disappearance is an — that has given rise to much speculation.
copacetic
fine
fine; completely satisfactory; OK.
I was worried the concert was going to go badly, but John assured me everything was totally copacetic.
diffidently
lack of confidence; timidly or shyly; in a reserved way.
He saw her approaching rather —, trying to summon up her courage, smiling an uncertain smile.
epithet
any word or phrase applied to a person to describe an actual or attributed quality.
He demeans his female employees by addressing them with sexist —.
acerbic
harsh or severe, as of temper or expression.
— criticism.
ineffable
incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible.
— joy.
incipient
beginning to exist or appear; in an initial stage.
an — cold.
sophistry
a false argument; a subtle, tricky, superficially plausible, but generally fallacious way of reasoning.
One of the arguments for intervention arising from the Syria strikes relies on a bit of —.
insensate
without human feeling or sensitivity; cold; inanimate
— stone.
propriety
manners; the conventional standard of proper behavior.
No other part or the — of the transaction is even in question.
vociferous
crying out noisily; clamorous
— protests.
anodyne
anything that relieves distress or pain; soothing to the mind or feelings.
The music was an — to his grief.
abdicate
to give up or renounce (authority, duties, an office, etc) especially in a formal manner.
the aging founder of the firm decided to —.
apropos
fitting; at the right time.
— remarks.
histrionic
overly dramatic in behavior or speech.
meretricious
Deceptive or insincere.
The people are already beginning to distinguish between the wholesome and the — in their newspapers.
concomitant
existing or occurring at the same time; accompanying.
The Dutch economy was already burdened by the high national debt and — high taxation.
vitiate
to impair the quality of; weaken
The result will be provisions that are watered down or loopholes that — key provisions altogether.
esoteric
understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest.
poetry full of — allusions.
sordid
vile; selfish; morally ignoble.
Jane was far from alone in what prosecutors describe as a — web of abuse and misconduct.
posterity
future generations collectively; all descendants of one person.
Judgement of this age must be left to —.
paragon
a model or pattern of excellence; someone of exceptional merit.
A — of virtue.
slovenly
untidy or unclean in appearance or habits.
You are thinking that someone as — as I am must be a pain to live with.
debonair
courteous, gracious, and having a sophisticated charm.
A — gentlemen.
ontology
the branch of metaphysics that studies the nature of existence or being.
Materialism is for him a variety of —, involving the assumption that we know the essence of matter.
vanquish
to conquer or subdue by superior force, as in battle; to defeat; be victorious over.
He — all his fears.
diaspora
any group that has been dispersed outside its traditional homeland, especially involuntarily; the spread or dissemination of something originally confined to a local, homogeneous group, as a language or cultural institution.
The — of English as a global language.
cavalcade
any procession; any noteworthy series, as of events or activities.
Documentary series have thrived in the streaming age, with a seemingly endless — of stories about true crime or bizarre cults.
neurosis
a functional disorder in which feelings of anxiety, obsessional thoughts, compulsive acts, and physical complaints without objective evidence of disease dominate the personality.
Whether it ultimately takes aesthetic discipline or — to get to that point, it’s hard to say.
philistine
smugly commonplace or conventional.
I’d guess that, as with so many other posts, an arts czar’s job would have gone unfilled in the current — administration.
conciliate
to win or gain (goodwill, regard, or favor).
to — an angry competitor.
ideate
to form an idea, thought, or image of.
beatify
to make blissfully happy.
It is an innate element of the human constitution, designed — man.
clandestine
done in secrecy or concealment, especially for purposes of deception.
Their clandestine meetings went undiscovered for two years.
intimation
a hint; suggestion
The death of his father was his first intimation of mortality.
banal
unoriginal; commonplace
Despite his belief that what he’s imparting is radical or insightful, his claims are banal, his methods rudimentary, even the revelations about his intentions all too predictable.
candor
being open and sincere in speech or expression
She has approached the subject with her typical candor, speaking openly about using the weight-loss drug.
prudence
Discrete; cautious.
Better to demonstrate prudence, he reasoned, than to rashly reverse a well-considered decision in hope of temporarily saving face.
diaphanous
very sheer and light, almost translucent
There was indeed something Swinton-like in the cool, diaphanous quality of the materials.
predilection
a tendency to think favorably of something in particular; preference
a predilection for Bach
insouciant
free from concern, worry, or anxiety
Tall and lean, Mr. Shih smiled for the cameras, his hands tucked in his pockets, in what he said was an effort to convey insouciant confidence.
