C Flashcards
Cosset
to pamper; to treat with great care
-cater to, pet, spoil
Craven
lacking courage
-timid, spineless
Contrite
deeply sorrowful and repentant for a wrong
-apologetic, regretful, remorseful
Corroborate
to support with evidence
-authenticate, back, confirm, validate, verify, substantiate
Crescendo
steady increase in volume or force
-acme, capstone, climax, peak, culmination
Cupidity
greed; strong desire
-covetousness, rapacity, avarice
Convoluted
intricate and complicated
-complex, elaborate, perplexing, labyrinthine
Coterie
an intimate group of persons with a similar purpose
-clique, set
Curmudgeon
a cranky person, usually an old one
-crab, grouch
Credulous
too trusting; gullible
-naive, susceptible
Contumacious
rebellious
-factious, insurgent, insubordinate
Circumspect
cautious; aware of potential consequences
-alert, mindful, prudent, solicitous,vigilant
Coalesce
to grow together to form a single whole
-amalgamate, blend, condense, fuse, unite
Coffer
a strongbox; a large chest of money
-treasury, exchequer
Chaos
great disorder; a confused situation
- disarray, turmoil, disorganization
Chicanery
deception by means of craft or guile
-conniving, artifice, shadiness, sophistry
Condone
to overlook, pardon, or disregard
-excuse, exculpate, remit
Cloying
sickly sweet; excessive
-fulsome, mushy, sappy, sentimental
Cogent
convincing and well-reasoned
-persuasive, solid, valid, sound
Collusion
a collaboration; complicity; conspiracy
-intrigue, connivance, machination
Chauvinist
someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
-bigot, partisan, jingoist
Connoisseur
a person with expert knowledge or discriminating taste
-epicure, expert, gastronome, gourmet
Catalyst
something that brings about a change in something else
-accelerator, goad, impetus, motivation, stimulant
Castigate
to punish or criticize harshly
-admonish, chastise, chide, reprimand, scold
Capricious
changing one’s mind quickly and often
-arbitrary, changeable, erratic, fickle, random
Cartography
the science or art of making maps
-topography, charting, surveying
Catholic
universal; broad and comprehensive
-extensive, general
Candid
impartial and honest in speech
-direct, forthright, frank, sincere, straightforward
Cabal
a secret group seeking to overturn something
-clan, clique, coterie, mafia, mob
Canard
a lie
-falsehood, misrepresentation, untruth, prevarication
Cacophony
a harsh, jarring noise
-chaos, clamor, discord
Caustic
biting in wit
-acerbic, mordant, trenchant
Calumny
a false and malicious accusation; misrepresentation
-defamation, slander, libel
