Book7 Flashcards
diffuse
wordy; verbose; rambling; spread out (like a gas); V: spread out in all directions; disperse; N. diffusion; CF. suffuse
digression
wandering away from the subject; V. digress
dilapidated
falling to pieces; in a bad condition; ruined because of neglect; Ex. dilapidated old car/castle; N. dilapidation
dilate
expand; dilate on/upon: speak or write at length on (a subject)
dilatory
delaying; tending to delay
dilemma
situation that requires a choice between equally unfavorable options; problem; choice of two unsatisfactory alternatives
dilettante
aimless follower of an art or a field of knowledge (not taking it seriously); amateur; dabbler; CF. delight
diligence
steadiness of effort; persistent hard work
dilute
make (a liquid) less concentrated; reduce in strength; Ex. dilute the influence of the president
diminution
lessening; reduction in size; V. diminish
din
continued loud noise; V: make a din; instill by wearying repetition
weary
tired after long work; V.
dinghy
small boat (often ship’s boat)
maroon
leave helpless on a deserted island or coast; ADJ. red brown
dingy
(of things and place) dirty and dull; Ex. dingy street/curtain
dull
(of colors or surfaces) not bright; cloudy; overcast; boring; (of edge or sound) not sharp; not rapid; sluggish; slow in thinking and understanding; stupid; V.
dint
means; effort; Ex. by dint of hard work
diorama
life-size, three-dimensional scene from nature or history; three-dimensional scene with modeled figures against a painted background
dire
warning of disaster; disastrous; (of needs and dangers) very great; urgent; Ex. dire prediction/need of food
dirge
funeral song; slow mournful piece of music (sung over a dead person)
disabuse
correct a false impression; undeceive; free from a wrong belief
disaffected
disloyal; lacking loyality; V. disaffect: cause to lose affection or loyalty
disapprobation
disapproval; condemnation
disarray
state of disorder; a disorderly or untidy state; Ex. with her clothes in disarray
disavowal
denial; disclaiming; repudiating; disowning; V. disavow; CF. disclaim
disband
dissolve; disperse; (of a group) break up and separate; Ex. The club has disbanded.
disburse
pay out (as from a fund); N. disbursement; CF. purse
discernible
distinguishable; perceivable; Ex. discernible improvement
discerning
mentally quick and observant; having insight; perceptive; able to make good judgments; V. discern: perceive
disclaim
disown; renounce claim to; deny; CF. disclaimer
disclose
reveal; N. disclosure
discombobulated
discomposed; confused
discompose
disturb the composure of; confuse
discomfit
frustrate; put to rout; defeat; disconcert; embarrass; perturb
disconcert
confuse; upset; embarrass; perturb
disconsolate
hopelessly sad (at the loss of something)
discord
conflict; lack of harmony; dissonance (when musical notes are played)
discordant
not harmonious; conflicting
discount
disregard; regard (a story or news) as unimportant; deduct from a cost
discourse
serious speech, writing, or conversation; formal discussion (either written or spoken); conversation; V.
discredit
defame; disgrace; destroy confidence in; disbelieve; N. CF. discreditable: causing discredit; shameful
discrepancy
lack of consistency or agreement as between facts; difference; Ex. discrepancy between two descriptions
discrete
separate; unconnected
discretion
prudence; ability to adjust actions to circumstances; freedom of action or judgment; ADJ. discreet; CF. discretionary
discriminating
able to see differences; discerning; prejudiced; N. discrimination
discriminate
distinguish; make distinctions on the basis of preference
brisk
quick and active; marked by liveliness and vigor
discursive
(of a person or writing) digressing; rambling (without any clear plan)
disdain
treat with scorn or contempt
disembark
debark; go ashore (from a ship); unload cargo from a ship; CF. embark
disenfranchise
disfranchise; deprive of a civil right; OP. enfranchise
disengage
uncouple; separate; disconnect; stop fighting; OP. engage
disfigure
mar the appearance of; spoil
disgorge
surrender something (stolen); eject; vomit; OP. gorge
disgruntle
make discontented
dishearten
discourage
disheveled
untidy (of hair or clothing); V. dishevel
disinclination
unwillingness
disingenuous
not naive; not candid; sophisticated; worldly wise; OP. ingenuous
disinter
dig up; unearth; OP. inter
disinterested
unprejudiced; free from bias and self-interest; objective
disjointed
disconnected; lacking coherence; V. disjoint: disconnect; disjoin
disjunction
act or state of separation; disunity; CF. disjunctive: expressing a choice between two ideas; CF. conjunction; CF. conjunctive
dislodge
remove (forcibly); force out of a position; Ex. dislodge the food caught in his throat; CF. lodge
dismantle
take apart; disassemble
mantle
loose sleeveless outer garment; cloak; something that covers or envelops; the layer of the earth between the crust and the core
crust
hard outer covering (as of earth or snow)
dismember
cut into small parts; cut (a body) apart limb from limb
dismiss
eliminate from consideration; no longer consider; put out of court without further hearing; reject; discharge from employment; direct to leave; ADJ. dismissive; N. dismissal
disparage
belittle
maneuver(manoeuver)
strategic military or naval movement (done for training purposes); carefully planned process; stratagem; V: carry out a military maneuver; use maneuvers in gaining an end
disparate
basically different; impossible to compare; unrelated
disparity
difference; condition of inequality; OP. parity
dispassionate
calm; impartial; not influenced by personal feelings
dispatch
speediness; prompt execution; message sent with all due speed; V: send to a specified destination; finish promptly; kill
dispel
scatter; drive away; cause to vanish
dispense
distribute; prepare and give out (medicines); N. dispensation: dispensing; religious system; official exemption from an obligation or a rule
disperse
scatter; Ex. disperse the cloud/crowd
dispirited
lacking in spirit
disport
amuse; Ex. disport oneself; CF. divert
disputatious
argumentative; fond of argument
disquietude
uneasiness; anxiety; V. disquiet: make anxious
disquisition
formal systematic inquiry; explanation of the results of a formal inquiry; long formal speech or written report
dissection
analysis; cutting apart in order to examine
dissemble
disguise; hide the real nature of; pretend
disseminate
distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds)
dissent
disagree
dissertation
formal essay; treatise
dissident
dissenting (with an opinion, a group, or a government); rebellious; N.
dissimulate
pretend; conceal by feigning; dissemble
dissipate
squander; waste foolishly; scatter
dissolution
disintegration; reduction to a liquid form; looseness in morals; sensual indulgence; debauchery; ADJ. dissolute: lacking in moral restraint; leading an immoral life
reduce
diminish; bring to a weaker or more difficult condition; demote; lower in rank; separate into components by analysis; Ex. reduced to the ranks; Ex. reduce the house to rubble; N. reduction
dissuade
persuade not to do; discourage; N. dissuasion
dissonance
discord
distant
reserved or aloof; cold in manner; Ex. distant greeting; ADV. distantly
distend
expand; swell out
distill
refine (a liquid by evaporating and subsequent condensation); concentrate; separate the most important parts from; Ex. distill fresh water from sea water; CF. brew
distinction
honor; excellence; difference; contrast; discrimination; Ex. graduated with distinction; Ex. a writer of real distinction
distinct
clearly different; clearly noticed
distinctive
clearly different from others of the same kind
distort
twist out of shape; give a false account of; misrepresent; N. distortion
distrait
absentminded; distracted
distraught
upset; distracted by anxiety; very anxious and troubled almost to the point of madness; Ex. distraught with grief/worry
distract
take (one’s attention) off something; upset emotionally; make anxious; ADJ. distracted
diurnal
daily; occurring during the daytime
diva
operatic singer; prima donna
diverge
vary; go in different directions from the same point; ADJ. divergent: differing; deviating
diverse
differing in some characteristics (from each other); various; N. diversity: variety; dissimilitude; lack of resemblance
diversion
act of turning aside; pastime; V. divert: turn aside from a course; distract; amuse
divest
strip (as of clothes); deprive (as of rights); dispossess; N. divestiture(divestment)
divine
perceive intuitively (by or as if by magic); foresee the future; foretell; dowse; ADJ. N. divination
dowse
use a divining rod to search for underground water or minerals
divulge
reveal
docile
obedient; easily managed; submissive
ferocious
fierce; violent; N. ferocity
docket
program as for trial; book where such entries are made; list of things to be done; agenda; label fixed to a package listing contents or directions; V: describe in a docket
doctrinaire
unable to compromise about points of doctrine; dogmatic; unyielding; marked by inflexible attachment to a doctrine without regard to its practical difficulties
doctrine
teachings in general; particular principle (religious, legal, etc.) taught; dogma; tenet; ADJ. doctrinal
indoctrinate
cause to accept a doctrine without questioning it; Ex. indoctrinated with mindless anti-communism
document
provide written evidence (for a claim); record with documents; N.
doddering
shaky; infirm from old age; V. dodder
merit
deserve; ADJ. meritorious: deserving reward or praise
doff
take off; OP. don
dogged
determined; stubborn; stubbornly persevering; tenacious; Ex. Inspector Javert’s dogged pursuit of Jean Valjean
persevere
continue steadily in spite of difficulties
doggerel
poor verse
dogmatic
opinionated; holding stubbornly to one’s opinion; arbitrary; doctrinal
doldrums
blues; listlessness(lack of spirit or energy); slack(inactive) period; period of stagnation; ocean area near the equator where ships cannot move because there is no wind; Ex. in the doldrums
blues
state of depression or melancholy; style of slow, mournful music (evolved from southern Black American songs)
dolorous
sorrowful; N. dolor
dolt
slow-thinking stupid person; CF. dull
domicile
home; V. ADJ. domiciled: having one’s domicile; Ex. He is domiciled in Britain.
domineer
rule over tyrannically
dominate
control; rule; enjoy a commanding position in; overlook from a height
dominant
exercising the most influence; high and easily seen; stronger than the other part of a system; not recessive
don
put on; OP. doff
outfit
clothing or equipment for a special purpose; Ex. cowboy outfit
dormant
sleeping; temporarily inactive; lethargic; latent
dormer
window projecting upright from roof; CF. sleeping room
dorsal
relating to the back of an animal; Ex. dorsal fin
dossier
file of documents on a subject or person; file; CF. bundle of papers labeled on the back
dotage
senility; feeblemindedness of old age; Ex. In one’s dotage
dote
be excessively fond of; show signs of mental decline
dour
sullen; gloomy; stubborn
sullen
silently showing ill humor or resentment; dark; gloomy
brood
sit on in order to hatch; think deeply or worry anxiously; N: the young of certain animals; group of young birds hatched at one time
douse
plunge into water or liquid; dip; immerse; drench; wet throughly; extinguish; throw water over; dowse
dowdy
untidy (of a woman or clothes); slovenly; dressed in an unattractive way; shabby; CF. unattractive woman
downcast
disheartened; dejected; sad; directed downward
drab
dull; lacking color; cheerless ; Ex. drab coat/life
draconian
extremely severe; Ex. draconian punishment; CF. Draco: Athenian politician
dregs
sediment in a liquid; lees; worthless residue
drivel
nonsense; foolishness; V: talk nonsense
nonsense
speech or writing with no meaning; foolish behavior or language; Ex. make (a) nonsense of: spoil; cause to fail
dribble
flow or fall in drops; let saliva flow out slowly from the mouth; move a ball; N.
drip
fall or let fall in drops; shed drops; N: action or sound of falling in drops; liquid that falls in drops
trickle
flow in drops or in a thin stream; N.
droll
queer and amusing
queer
strange; eccentric; deviating from the normal
drone
idle person who lives on other people’s work; male bee
drone
talk dully; buzz or murmur like a bee; N.
murmur
low, indistinct, continuous sound; V. CF. mumble
dross
waste matter; worthless impurities
drudgery
hard unpleasant work; menial work
drudge
do drudgery; N: person who drudges
dubious
questionable; (of something) causing doubt; (of someone) filled with doubt; N. dubiety
ductile
malleable; pliable; (of metals) easily pulled into shape; flexible; (of someone) easily influenced or controlled
dulcet
sweet sounding; pleasing to the ear; melodious
dumbfound(dumfound)
astonish (making dumb); ADJ. dumbfounded, dumfounded, dumbstruck
dupe
someone easily fooled or deceived; V: deceive
duplicity
double-dealing; hypocrisy; being dishonest and deceitful; ADJ. duplicitous
duration
length of time something lasts
duress
forcible restraint, especially unlawfully; coercion by threat; illegal coercion; Ex. a promise made under duress
dutiful(duteous)
(of people or their behavior) respectful; obedient (filled with a sense of duty)
dwindle
shrink; reduce gradually
dynamic
energetic; vigorously active
dynamo
generator for producing electricity; energetic person
dyspeptic
suffering from indigestion; N. dyspepsia: indigestion; difficulty in digesting food
dys-
abnormal; impaired
dyslexia
word blindness; learning disorder marked by impairment of the ability to read
dysentery
inflammatory disorder of the lower intestinal tract
earthy
unrefined; coarse; of earth; Ex. earthy remarks; OP. ethereal
earthly
of this earth; terrestrial; worldly; not divine; possible; Ex. no earthly reason
ebb
(of the tide) recede; lessen; diminish; N. OP. flow: rise of tide
ebullient
showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm; boiling; N. ebullience; N. ebullition: state of boiling
eccentric
irregular; odd; unconventional; whimsical; bizarre; not concentric
eccentricity
oddity; idiosyncrasy
ecclesiastic
ecclesiastical; pertaining to the church; N: minister; priest; cleric; clergyman
chapel
small church (in a prison, college, or hospital)
chaplain
clergyman attached to a chapel
padre
chaplain (in the armed forces)
eclectic
selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources; selecting individual elements from a variety of sources; N. eclecticism
eclipse
darken; extinguish; outshine; surpass; cause an eclipse
ecliptic
path of the sun and the planets
ecologist
person concerned with the interrelationship between living organisms and their environment; person concerned with the detrimental effects of human civilization on the environment; CF. ecology
ecosystem
ecological community together with its environment
economy
efficiency or conciseness in using something; thrifty management of resources
ecstasy
rapture; very strong feeling of joy and happiness; any overpowering emotion; ADJ. ecstatic: causing or experiencing ecstasy
rapture
great joy and delight; ecstasy; ADJ. rapturous
