Common Words 1 Flashcards
galvanize
galvanize
verb: to excite or inspire (someone) to action
At mile 23 of his first marathon, Kyle had all but given up, until he noticed his friends and family holding a banner that read, “Go Kyle”; galvanized, he broke into a gallop, finishing the last three miles in less than 20 minutes.
parochial
parochial
adjective: narrowly restricted in scope or outlook
Jasmine was sad to admit it, but her fledgling relationship with Jacob did not work out because his culinary tastes were simply too parochial; “After all,” she quipped on her blog, “he considered Chef Boyardee ethnic food.”
impertinent
adjective: being disrespectful; improperly forward or bold
Dexter, distraught over losing his pet dachshund, Madeline, found the police officer’s questions impertinent—after all, he thought, did she have to pry into such details as to what Madeline’s favorite snack was?
auspicious
adjective: favorable, the opposite of sinister
Despite an auspicious beginning, Mike’s road trip became a series of mishaps, and he was soon stranded and penniless, leaning against his wrecked automobile.
venality
noun: the condition of being susceptible to bribes or corruption
Even some of the most sacred sporting events are not immune to venality, as many of the officials have received substantial bribes to make biased calls.
profligate
adjective: spending resources recklessly or wastefully
The composer Wagner, while living on a limited salary, was so profligate as to line all the walls of his apartment with pure silk.
noun: someone who spends resources recklessly or wastefully
Most lottery winners go from being conservative, frugal types to outright profligates who blow millions on fast cars, lavish homes, and giant yachts.
belie
verb: to give a false representation to; misrepresent
The smile on her face belies the pain she must feel after the death of her husband.
egregious
adjective: standing out in negative way; shockingly bad
The dictator’s abuse of human rights was so egregious that many world leaders demanded that he be tried in an international court for genocide.
disinterested
adjective: unbiased; neutral
The potential juror knew the defendant, and therefore could not serve on the jury, which must consist only of disinterested members.
upbraid
verb: to reproach; to scold
Bob took a risk walking into the “Students Barbershop”—in the end he had to upbraid the apparently drunk barber for giving him an uneven bowl cut.
laconic
adjective: one who says very few words
While Martha always swooned over the hunky, laconic types in romantic comedies, her boyfriends inevitably were very talkative—and not very hunky.
prevaricate
verb: to speak in an evasive way
The cynic quipped, “There is not much variance in politicians; they all seem to prevaricate”.
wanting
adjective: lacking
She did not think her vocabulary was wanting, yet there were so many words that inevitably she found a few she didn’t know.
iconoclast
noun: somebody who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions
Lady Gaga, in challenging what it means to be clothed, is an iconoclast for wearing a “meat dress” to a prominent awards show.
prodigal
adjective: rashly or wastefully extravagant
Successful professional athletes who do not fall prey to prodigality seem to be the exception—most live decadent lives.
commensurate
adjective: to be in proportion or corresponding in degree or amount
The convicted felon’s life sentence was commensurate to the heinousness of his crime.
censure
verb: to express strong disapproval
After being caught in bed with a mistress, the mayor was quickly censured by the city council.
mercurial
adjective: (of a person) prone to unexpected and unpredictable changes in mood
The fact that Ella’s moods were as mercurial as the weather was problematic for her relationships—it didn’t help that she lived in Chicago.
amalgam
noun: a mixture of multiple things
The band’s music was an amalgam of hip-hop, flamenco and jazz, blending the three styles with surprising results.
demur
verb: to object or show reluctance
Wallace disliked the cold, so he demurred when his friends suggested they going skiing in the Alps.
intimate
verb: to suggest something subtly
At first Manfred’s teachers intimated to his parents that he was not suited to skip a grade; when his parents protested, teachers explicitly told them that, notwithstanding the boy’s precocity, he was simply too immature to jump to the 6th grade.
venerate
verb: to respect deeply
The professor, despite his sleep-inducing lectures, was venerated amongst his colleagues, publishing more papers yearly than all of his peers combined.
parochial
adjective: narrowly restricted in scope or outlook
Jasmine was sad to admit it, but her fledgling relationship with Jacob did not work out because his culinary tastes were simply too parochial; “After all,” she quipped on her blog, “he considered Chef Boyardee ethnic food.”
mercurial
adjective: (of a person) prone to unexpected and unpredictable changes in mood
The fact that Ella’s moods were as mercurial as the weather was problematic for her relationships—it didn’t help that she lived in Chicago.
amalgam
noun: a mixture of multiple things
The band’s music was an amalgam of hip-hop, flamenco and jazz, blending the three styles with surprising results.
demur
verb: to object or show reluctance
Wallace disliked the cold, so he demurred when his friends suggested they going skiing in the Alps.
frugal
adjective: not spending much money (but spending wisely)
Monte was no miser, but was simply frugal, wisely spending the little that he earned.
extant
adjective: still in existence (usually refers to documents).
Despite many bookstores closing, experts predict that some form of book dealing will still be extant generations from now.
involved
adjective: complicated, and difficult to comprehend
The physics lecture became so involved that the undergraduate’s eyes glazed over.
gregarious
adjective: to be likely to socialize with others
Often we think that great leaders are those who are gregarious, always in the middle of a large group of people; yet, as Mahatma Gandhi and many others have shown us, leaders can also be introverted.
equivocal
adjective: confusing or ambiguous
The findings of the study were equivocal—the two researchers had different opinions on what the results signified.
parsimonious
adjective: extremely frugal; miserly
Katie is so parsimonious that she only buys a pair of socks if all of her other socks have holes in them.
gregarious
adjective: to be likely to socialize with others
Often we think that great leaders are those who are gregarious, always in the middle of a large group of people; yet, as Mahatma Gandhi and many others have shown us, leaders can also be introverted.
anomalous
adjective: not normal
According to those who do not believe in climate change, the extreme weather over the last five years is simply anomalous—daily temperatures should return to their old averages, they believe.
castigate
verb: to reprimand harshly
Drill sergeants are known to castigate new recruits so mercilessly that the latter often break down during their first week in training.
intimate
verb: to suggest something subtly
At first Manfred’s teachers intimated to his parents that he was not suited to skip a grade; when his parents protested, teachers explicitly told them that, notwithstanding the boy’s precocity, he was simply too immature to jump to the 6th grade.
venerate
verb: to respect deeply
The professor, despite his sleep-inducing lectures, was venerated amongst his colleagues, publishing more papers yearly than all of his peers combined.
veracious
adjective: truthful
While we elect our leaders in the hope that every word they speak will be veracious, history has shown that such a hope is naive.
