Common Words 3 Flashcards
jingoism
fanatical patriotism
Synonyms : chauvinism , superpatriotism , ultranationalism
North Korea maintains intense control over its population through a combination of jingoism and cult of personality.
insidious
working in a subtle but destructive way
Synonyms : pernicious , subtle
Plaque is insidious: we cannot see it, but each day it eats away at our enamel, causing cavities and other dental problems.
jubilant
full of high-spirited delight because of triumph or success
Synonyms : exultant , exulting , prideful , rejoicing , triumphal , triumphant,elated , gleeful , joyful
My hardwork paid off, and I was jubilant to receive a perfect score on the GRE
immutable
which cannot be changed
Synonyms : changeless
Taxes are one of the immutable laws of the land, so there is no use arguing about paying them
avaricious
greedy / rapacious / mercenary / covetous / grabby / grasping / prehensile
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.
languid
not inclined towards physical exertion or effort; slow and relaxed
Synonyms : dreamy , lackadaisical , languorous
As the sun beat down and the temperature climbed higher, we spent a languid week lying around the house.
refractory
stubbornly resistant to authority or control
Synonyms : fractious , recalcitrant
Used to studious high school students, Martha was unprepared for the refractory Kindergartners who neither sat still nor listened to a single word she said
ephemeral
short lived
treacherous
dangerously unstable and unpredictable
Synonyms : unreliable
The bridge built from twine and vine is treacherous to walk across, and so I think I will stay put right here.
mollify
to make someone angry less angry; placate
Synonyms : season , temper
In the morning, Harriat was unable to mollify Harry, if he happened to become angry, unless he had his cup of coffee.
ameliorate
make something bad better
Synonyms : amend , better , improve , meliorate
“Three Cups of Tea” tells the story of a western man who hopes to ameliorate poverty and the lack of education in Afghanistan.
subsume
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
Synonyms : colligate
Don Quixote of La Mancha subsumes all other modern novels, demonstrating modern literary devices and predating even the idea of a postmodern, metanarrative.
incongruous
jarring
lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness
out of place
The vast economic inequality of modern society is incongruous with America’s ideals.
rudimentary
being in the earliest stages of development; being or involving basic facts or principles
Synonyms : fundamental , underlying
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.
disaffected
discontented as toward authority
Synonyms : ill-affected , malcontent , rebellious
After watching his superior take rations from the soldiers, he quickly became disaffected and rebelled.
spurious
having a deceiving nature
specious
plausible but false
Synonyms : specious
When listening to a politician speak, it is hard to distinguish the spurious claims from the authentic ones.
quotidian
found in the ordinary course of events
Synonyms : everyday , mundane , routine , unremarkable , workaday
Phil gets so involved thinking about Aristotle’s arguments that he totally forgets quotidian concerns, such as exercising and eating regularly.
unequivocal
admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; having only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion
Synonyms : unambiguous , univocal
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.
guileless
free of deceit
Synonyms : transparent
At first I thought my niece was guileless, but I then found myself buying her ice cream every time we passed a shop.
travesty
an absurd presentation of something; a mockery
Synonyms : farce, farce comedy, burlesque, charade, lampoon, mockery , parody , pasquinade , put-on, send up, spoof, takeoff
What I expected to be an intelligent, nuanced historical documentary turned out to be a poorly-produced travesty of the form.
elucidate
make clearer and easier to understand
Synonyms : clear, clear up, crystalise, crystalize, crystallise, crystallize, enlighten, illuminate, shed light on, sort out, straighten out
Youtube is great place to learn just about anything-an expert elucidates finer points so that even a complete novice can learn.
forlorn
marked by or showing hopelessness
After her third pet dog died, Marcia was simply forlorn: this time even the possibility of buying a new dog no longer held any joy.
apathy
an absence of emotion or enthusiasm
Synonyms : indifference , numbness , spiritlessness
Widespread apathy among voters led to a very small turnout on election day.
circumvent
cleverly find a way out of one’s duties or obligations
Synonyms : dodge , duck , elude , evade , fudge , hedge , parry , put off , sidestep , skirt
One way of circumventing the GRE is to apply to a grad school that does not require GRE scores
contrive
to pull off a plan or scheme, usually through skill or trickery
Synonyms : devise , excogitate , forge , formulate , invent
Despite a low GPA, he contrived to get into college, going so far as to write his own glowing letters of recommendation.
delineate
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.
vehement
marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions
Synonyms : fierce , tearing , trigger-happy , violent
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.
supplant
to topple someone over
itinerant
traveling from place to place to work
Synonyms : gipsy , gypsy
Doctors used to be itinerant, traveling between patients’ homes.
eminent
standing above others in quality or position
(paired with superiority)
Synonyms : lofty , soaring , towering
Shakespeare is an eminent author in the English language, but I find his writing uninteresting and melodramatic.
heretic
a person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field (not merely religion)
Synonyms : misbeliever , religious outcast
Though everybody at the gym told Mikey to do cardio before weights, Mikey was a heretic and always did the reverse.
tenacious
persistent, determined, not easily dispelled
stubbornly unyielding
Synonyms : dogged , dour , persistent , pertinacious , unyielding
Even the most tenacious advocates for gun ownership must admit some of the dangers that firearms present.
belligerent
an aggressive attitude and is usually paired with the word pugnacity
characteristic of one eager to fight
Synonyms : aggressive
Tom said that he was arguing the matter purely for philosophical reasons, but his belligerent tone indicated an underlying anger about the issue.
magnanimous
noble, forgiving and generous in spirit, especially towards a rival or someone less powerful
Synonyms : greathearted
He was a great sportsman: in defeat he was complementary and in victory he was magnanimous.
haughty
having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy
Synonyms : disdainful , imperious , lordly , overbearing , prideful , sniffy , supercilious , swaggering
The haughty manager didn’t believe that any of his subordinates could ever have an insight as brilliant his own.
staunch
firm and dependable especially in loyalty
Synonyms : steadfast , unswerving
No longer a staunch supporter of the movement, Todd now will openly question whether its goals are worthwhile.
ascetic
practicing self-denial
Synonyms : ascetical , austere , spartan
His ascetic life is the main reason he inspired so many followers, especially since he gave up wealth and power to live in poverty.
noun: one who practices great self-denial
Synonyms : abstainer
Historically, ascetics like Ghandi are often considered wise men partially because of their restraint.
eclectic
heterogeneous
composed of elements drawn from various sources
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.
precocious
exceptionally talented at a young age
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
