Common III Flashcards

1
Q

avaricious

A

avaricious
adjective: excessively greedy

Since avaricious desire is similar to gluttony or lust–sins of excess–it was listed as one of the seven deadly sins by the Catholic church.

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2
Q

eminent

A

eminent
adjective: standing above others in quality or position

Shakespeare is an eminent author in the English language, but I find his writing uninteresting and melodramatic.

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3
Q

subsume

A

subsume
verb: contain or include

The rogue wave quickly subsumed the pier and boardwalk, destroying everything in its path.

verb: consider (an instance of something) as part of a general rule or principle

Don Quixote of La Mancha subsumes all other modern novels, demonstrating modern literary devices and predating even the idea of a postmodern, metanarrative.

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4
Q

tantamount

A

tantamount
adjective: being essentially equal to something

In many situations, remaining silent is tantamount to admitting guilt, so speak to prove your innocence.

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5
Q

haughty

A

haughty
adjective: having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy

The haughty manager didn’t believe that any of his subordinates could ever have an insight as brilliant as his own.

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6
Q

staunch

A

staunch
adjective: firm and dependable especially in loyalty

No longer a staunch supporter of the movement, Todd now will openly question whether its goals are worthwhile.

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7
Q

jubilant

A

jubilant
adjective: full of high-spirited delight because of triumph or success

My hardwork paid off, and I was jubilant to receive a perfect score on the GRE.

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8
Q

delineate

A

delineate
verb: describe in detail

After a brief summary of proper swimming technique, the coach delineated the specifics of each stroke, spending 30 minutes alone on the backstroke.

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9
Q

languid

A

languid
adjective: not inclined towards physical exertion or effort; slow and relaxed

As the sun beat down and the temperature climbed higher, we spent a languid week lying around the house.

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10
Q

juxtapose

A

juxtapose
verb: place side by side for contrast

The appeal of her paintings comes from a classical style which is juxtaposed with modern themes.

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11
Q

precocious

A

precocious
adjective: characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude)

Though only seven years old, she was a precocious chess prodigy, able to beat players twice her age.

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12
Q

itinerant

A

itinerant
adjective: traveling from place to place to work

Doctors used to be itinerant, traveling between patients’ homes.

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13
Q

belligerent

A

belligerent
adjective: characteristic of one eager to fight

Tom said that he was arguing the matter purely for philosophical reasons, but his belligerent tone indicated an underlying anger about the issue.

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14
Q

apathy

A

apathy
noun: an absence of emotion or enthusiasm

Widespread apathy among voters led to a very small turnout on election day.

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15
Q

abstain

A

abstain
verb: choose not to consume or take part in (particularly something enjoyable)

Considered a health nut, Jessica abstained from anything containing sugar–even chocolate.

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16
Q

supplant

A

supplant
verb: take the place or move into the position of

For many, a cell phone has supplanted a traditional phone; in fact, most 20-somethings don’t even have a traditional phone anymore.

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17
Q

denote

A

denote
verb: be a sign or indication of; have as a meaning

Even if the text is not visible, the red octagon denotes “stop” to all motorists in America.

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18
Q

rudimentary

A

rudimentary
adjective: being in the earliest stages of development; being or involving basic facts or principles

I would love to be able to present a fully polished proposal to the board, but right now, our plans for the product are still in the most rudimentary stages.

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19
Q

negligable

A

negligible
adjective: so small as to be meaningless; insignificant

The GRE tests cumulative knowledge, so if you cram the night before it is, at best, likely to only have a negligible impact on your score.

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20
Q

incongruous

A

incongruous
adjective: lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness

The vast economic inequality of modern society is incongruous with America’s ideals.

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21
Q

guileless

A

guileless
adjective: free of deceit

At first I thought my niece was guileless, but I then found myself buying her ice cream every time we passed a shop.

22
Q

derivative

A

derivative
adjective: not original but drawing strongly on something already in existence, especially in reference to a creative product (e.g. music, writing, poetry etc.).

Because the movies were utterly derivative of other popular movies, they did well at the box office.

23
Q

eclectic

A

eclectic
adjective: comprised of a variety of styles

Joey was known for his eclectic tastes in music, one moment dancing to disco the next “air conducting” along to Beethoven’s 9th symphony.

24
Q

panache

A

panache
noun: distinctive and showy elegance

Jim, with his typical panache, came to the wedding reception with a top hat and cane.

25
Q

unequivocal

A

unequivocal
adjective: admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; having only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion

The President’s first statement on the subject was vague and open to competing interpretations, so when he spoke to Congress about the same subject later, he was careful to make his position completely unequivocal.

26
Q

treacherous

A

treacherous
adjective: tending to betray

Even though Jesse James was an outlaw, his killer, Robert Ford, is remembered more for his treacherous actions than for eliminating a criminal and murderer.

adjective: dangerously unstable and unpredictable

The bridge built from twine and vine is treacherous to walk across, and so I think I will stay put right here.

27
Q

quotidian

A

quotidian
adjective: found in the ordinary course of events

Phil gets so involved thinking about Aristotle’s arguments that he totally forgets quotidian concerns, such as exercising and eating regularly.

28
Q

jingosium

A

jingoism
noun: fanatical patriotism

North Korea maintains intense control over its population through a combination of jingoism and cult of personality.

29
Q

refractory

A

refractory
adjective: stubbornly resistant to authority or control

Used to studious high school students, Martha was unprepared for the refractory Kindergarteners who neither sat still nor listened to a single word she said.

30
Q

disaffected

A

disaffected
adjective: discontented as toward authority

After watching his superior take rations from the soldiers, he quickly became disaffected and rebelled.

31
Q

travasty

A

travesty
noun: an absurd presentation of something; a mockery

What I expected to be an intelligent, nuanced historical documentary turned out to be a poorly-produced travesty of the form.

32
Q

elucidate

A

elucidate
verb: make clearer and easier to understand

Youtube is great place to learn just about anything–an expert elucidates finer points so that even a complete novice can learn.

33
Q

ameliorate

A

ameliorate
verb: make something bad better

“Three Cups of Tea” tells the story of western man who hopes to ameliorate poverty and the lack of education in Afghanistan.

34
Q

derive

A

derive
verb: come from; be connected by a relationship of blood, for example

Many words in the English language are derived from Latin, including the word “derive.”

verb: reason by deduction; establish by deduction

From the multiple set of footprints in the living room, the investigator derived an important clue: Sheila was not alone in the room at the time of the murder.

35
Q

immutable

A

immutable
adjective: not able to be changed

Taxes are one of the immutable laws of the land, so there is no use arguing about paying them.

36
Q

magnanimous

A

magnanimous
adjective: noble and generous in spirit, especially towards a rival or someone less powerful

He was a great sportsman: in defeat he was complimentary and in victory he was magnanimous.

37
Q

spurious

A

spurious
adjective: plausible but false

When listening to a politician speak, it is hard to distinguish the spurious claims from the authentic ones.

38
Q

vehement

A

vehement
adjective: marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions

While the other employees responded to the bad news in a measured way, Andrew responded in a vehement manner, tipping over his desk and shouting at the top of his lungs.

39
Q

tenacious

A

tenacious
adjective: stubbornly unyielding

Even the most tenacious advocates for gun ownership must admit some of the dangers that firearms present.

40
Q

mollify

A

mollify
verb: to make someone angry less angry; placate

In the morning, Janine was unable to mollify Harry, if he happened to become angry, unless he’d had his cup of coffee.

41
Q

villify

A

vilify
verb: spread negative information about

Todd was noble after the divorce, choosing to say only complimentary things about Barbara, but Barbara did not hesitate to vilify Todd.

42
Q

ephemeral

A

ephemeral
adjective: lasting a very short time

The lifespan of a mayfly is ephemeral, lasting from a few hours to a couple of days.

43
Q

frustrate

A

frustrate
verb: hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of

I thought I would finish writing the paper by lunchtime, but a number of urgent interruptions served to frustrate my plan.

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

44
Q

contrive

A

contrive
verb: to pull off a plan or scheme, usually through skill or trickery

Despite a low GPA, he contrived to get into college, going so far as to write his own glowing letters of recommendation.

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

45
Q

heretic

A

?

46
Q

insidiously

A

?

47
Q

circumscribe

A

?

48
Q

forlorn

A

?

49
Q

fallacious

A

?

50
Q

ascetic

A

?