Common V Flashcards
austere
austere
adjective: practicing self-denial
His lifestyle of revelry and luxurious excess could hardly be called austere.
adjective: unadorned in style or appearance
Late Soviet architecture, although remaining largely austere, moved into experimental territory that employed previously unused shapes and structures.
adjective: harsh in manner of temperament
The principal of my elementary school was a cold, austere woman; I could never understand why she chose to work with children.
inimical
inimical
adjective: hostile (usually describes conditions or environments)
Venus, with a surface temperature that would turn rubber to liquid, is inimical to any form of life.
propitious
propitious
adjective: presenting favorable circumstances; likely to result in or show signs of success
The child’s heartbeat is still weak, but I am seeing many propitious signs and I think that she may be healing.
irrevocable
irrevocable
adjective: incapable of being retracted or revoked
Once you enter your plea to the court, it is irrevocable so think carefully about what you will say.
foment
foment
verb: try to stir up public opinion
After having his pay cut, Phil spread vicious rumors about his boss, hoping to foment a general feeling of discontent.
admonish
admonish
verb: to warn strongly, even to the point of reprimanding
Before the concert began, security personnel admonished the crowd not to come up on stage during the performance.
vacillate
vacillate
verb: be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action
Some students vacillate between schools when deciding which to attend, while others focus only on one school.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study
sporadic
sporadic
adjective: recurring in scattered and irregular or unpredictable instances
The signals were at first sporadic, but now we detect a clear, consistent pattern of electromagnetic radiation emanating from deep space.
lionize
lionize
verb: assign great social importance to
Students in the U.S. learn to lionize Jefferson, Franklin, and Washington because they are the founding fathers of the nation.
reverent
reverent
adjective: feeling or showing profound respect or veneration
The professor could speak objectively about the other composers, but he always lectured about Brahms with a particularly reverent air, unable to offer a single criticism of his compositions.
brazen
brazen
adjective: unrestrained by convention or propriety
Their large “donations” to the local police department gave the drug cartel the brazen confidence to do their business out in the open.
ostracize
ostracize
verb: exclude from a community or group
Later in his life, Leo Tolstoy was ostracized from the Russian Orthodox Church for his writings that contradicted church doctrine.
winsome
winsome
adjective: charming in a childlike or naive way
She was winsome by nature, and many people were drawn to this free and playful spirit.
circumscribe
circumscribe
verb: restrict or confine
Their tour of South America was circumscribed so that they saw only popular destinations and avoided the dangerous parts of cities.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study
sycophant
sycophant
noun: a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
The CEO was unaware of the damaging consequences of his choices, largely because he surrounded himself with sycophants who would never dare criticize him.
arcane
arcane
adjective: requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
Most college fraternities are known for arcane rituals that those hoping to join the fraternity must learn.
gauche
gauche
adjective: lacking social polish
Sylvester says the most gauche things, such as telling a girl he liked that she was much prettier when she wore makeup.
taciturn
taciturn
adjective: habitually reserved and uncommunicative
While the CEO enthusiastically shares his plans and agenda with all who will listen, the CFO is far more taciturn, rarely revealing his perspective.
inveterate
inveterate
adjective: habitual
He is an inveterate smoker and has told his family and friends that there is no way he will ever quit.
munificent
munificent
adjective: very generous
Uncle Charley was known for his munificence, giving all seven of his nephews lavish Christmas presents each year.
pedestrian
pedestrian
adjective: lacking imagination
While Nan was always engaged in philosophical speculation, her brother was occupied with far more pedestrian concerns: how to earn a salary and run a household.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study
ravenous
ravenous
adjective: extremely hungry; devouring or craving food in great quantities
John didn’t eat much at all during the week he had the flu, so now that he is regaining his health, it’s not surprising that he has a ravenous appetite.
poignant
poignant
adjective: emotionally touching
After the Montagues and Capulets discover the dead bodies of Romeo and Juliet, in the play’s most poignant moment, the two griefstricken families agree to end their feud once and for all.
hegemony
hegemony
noun: dominance over a certain area
Until the Spanish Armada was defeated in 1587, Spain had hegemony over the seas, controlling waters stretching as far as the Americas.
dillettante
dilettante
noun: an amateur who engages in an activity without serious intentions and who pretends to have knowledge
Fred has no formal medical training; while he likes to claim authority on medical issues, he is little more than a dilettante.
insolent
insolent
adjective: rude and arrogant
Lilian could not help herself from being insolent, commenting that the Queen’s shoes were showing too much toe.
tempered
tempered
adjective: moderated in effect
The wide-eyed optimism of her youth was now tempered after she had worked many years in the criminal justice system.
obsequious
obsequious
adjective: attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
The obsequious waiter did not give the couple a moment’s peace all through the meal, constantly returning to their table to refill their water glasses and to tell them what a handsome pair they made.
rescind
rescind
verb: cancel officially
The man’s driver’s license was rescinded after his tenth car accident, which meant he would never be allowed to legally drive again.
antithetical
antithetical
adjective: sharply contrasted in character or purpose
His deep emotional involvement with these ideas is, in fact, antithetical to the detachment Buddhism preaches.
prolific
prolific
adjective: intellectually productive
Schubert was the most prolific composer, producing hundreds of hours of music before he died at the age of 31.
constituent
constituent
noun: a citizen who is represented in a government by officials for whom he or she votes
The mayor’s constituents are no longer happy with her performance and plan to vote for another candidate in the upcoming election.
noun: an abstract part of something
The constituents of the metal alloy are nickel, copper, and tin.
intrepid
intrepid
adjective: fearless
Captain Ahab was an intrepid captain whose reckless and fearless style ultimately lead to his downfall.
tractable
tractable
adjective: readily reacting to suggestions and influences; easily managed (controlled or taught or molded)
Compared to middle school students, who have an untamed wildness about them, high school students are somewhat more tractable.
haphazard
haphazard
adjective: marked by great carelessness; dependent upon or characterized by chance
Many golf courses are designed with great care, but the greens on the county golf course seem entirely haphazard.
resurgent
resurgent
adjective: rising again as to new life and vigor
The team sank to fourth place in June, but is now resurgent and about to win the division.
audacity
audacity
noun: aggressive boldness in social situations
Mike was upset at the man who not only cut in front of him at the ticket counter but also had the audacity to cut in front of him at the bathroom line.
subversive
subversive
adjective: in opposition to an established system or institution.
The ruling political party has begun a campaign to shut down subversive websites that it deems as a threat to “national safety.”
myriad
myriad
noun: a large indefinite number
There are a myriad of internet sites hawking pills that claim to boost energy for hours on end.
prodigious
prodigious
adjective: so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe
After the relatively small homerun totals in the “dead ball” era, Babe Ruth’s homerun totals were truly prodigious: every year, he set a new all-time record.
garrulous
garrulous
adjective: full of trivial conversation
Lynne was garrulous: once, she had a fifteen minute conversation with a stranger before she realized the woman didn’t speak English.
sanction
sanction
verb: give authority or permission to
The authorities have sanctioned the use of the wilderness reserve for public use; many expect to see hikers and campers enjoying the park in the coming months.
noun: a legal penalty for a forbidden action
International sanctions have been placed on certain shipping lanes that were thought to be involved in human trafficking.
pernicious
pernicious
adjective: exceedingly harmful; working or spreading in a hidden and injurious way
The most successful viruses are pernicious: an infected person may feel perfectly healthy for several months while incubating and spreading the virus.
accolade
accolade
noun: an award or praise granted as a special honor
Jean Paul-Sartre was not a fan of accolades, and as such, he refused to accept the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1964.
inscrutable
inscrutable
adjective: not easily understood; unfathomable
His speech was so dense and confusing that many in the audience found it inscrutable.
trite
trite
adjective: repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
Many style guides recommend not using idioms in writing because these trite expressions are uninteresting and show a lack of imagination on the part of the writer.
precipitous
precipitous
adjective: done with very great haste and without due deliberation
Instead of calling his financial advisor, Harold acted precipitously, buying 4,000 shares of the latest “hot” stock, only to find out that the company had a history of inflating its year end numbers.
arbitrary
arbitrary
adjective: based on a random, groundless decision
One of the arbitrary decrees in place during the emperor’s rule is that all citizens pay him weekly homage at his palace.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study
scrupulous
scrupulous
adjective: characterized by extreme care and great effort
Because of his scrupulous nature, Mary put him in charge of numbering and cataloging the entire collection of rare stamps.
adjective: having a sense of right and wrong; principled
Everyone trusted what he said and followed his example because he was scrupulous and honest.
repudiate
repudiate
verb: reject as untrue or unfounded
Many in the public believed the rumors of a UFO crash outside town, so the chief of police did everything he could to repudiate the rumors.
