Common Words 6 Flashcards
harried
troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
Synonyms : annoyed , harassed , pestered , vexed
With a team of new hires to train, Martha was constantly harried with little questions and could not focus on her projects.
antipathy
A deep seated ill will
mendacity
fabrication
the tendency to be untruthful
I can forgive her for her mendacity but only because she is a child and is seeing what she can get away with.
dilatory
(delay)
intended to cause delay
wasting time
Synonyms : laggard , pokey , poky
Lawyers use dilatory tactics so that it takes years before the case is actually decided.
appease
pacify by acceding to the demands of
Synonyms : assuage , conciliate , gentle , gruntle , lenify , mollify , pacify , placate
Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister during WWII, tried to appease Hitler and in doing so sent a clear message: you can walk all over us.
erudite
scholarly
having or showing profound knowledge
Synonyms : learned
Before the Internet, the library was typically were you would find erudite readers.
specious
delusive
spurious
having a deceiving nature
deceptively pleasing
Almost every image on TV is specious and not to be trusted.
duress
being forced or threatened to do something
The witness said he signed the contract under duress and argued that the court should cancel the agreement.
craven
pathetically cowardly
Synonyms : recreant
Though the man could have at least alerted the police, he crouched cravenly in the corner as the old woman was mugged.
flux
a state of uncertainty about what should be done (usually following some important event)
Ever since Elvira resigned as the head of marketing, everything about our sales strategy has been in a state of flux.
stringent
demanding strict attention to rules and procedures
Synonyms : rigorous , tight
Most of the students disliked the teacher because of his stringent homework policy, but many students would later thank him for demanding so much from them.
misconstrue
interpret in the wrong way
Synonyms : be amiss , misapprehend , misconceive , misinterpret , misunderstand
The politician never trusted journalists because he though that they misconstrue his words and misrepresent his positions.
maladroit
clumsy
inefficient or inept
As a child she was quite maladroit, but as an adult, she has become an adept dancer.
Both men are unhappy about the maladroit way the matter has been handled
rebuke
rebuff
to reject and to refuse
criticize severely or angrily; censure
The police chief rebuked the two officers whose irresponsible decisions almost led to the deaths of seven innocent by-standers.
contrition
guilt
the feeling of remorse or guilt that comes from doing something bad
Synonyms : attrition , contriteness
Those who show contrition during their prison terms–especially when under review by a parole board–often get shortened sentences.
nonplussed
unsure how to act or respond
Shirley was totally nonplussed when the angry motorist cut her off and then stuck his finger out the window.
transient
lasting a very short time
Synonyms : ephemeral , fugacious , passing , short-lived , transitory
The unpredictable and transient nature of deja vu makes it a very difficult phenomenon to study properly.
truncate
reduce the length of something
The soccer game was truncated when the monsoon rain began to fall.
sullen
Real GRE: sluggish or slow
gloomy
imprudent
not wise
Hitler, like Napoleon, made the imprudent move of invading Russia in winter, suffering even more casualties than Napoleon had.
ignominious
(used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame
Synonyms : black , disgraceful , inglorious , opprobrious , shameful
Since the politician preached ethics and morality, his texting of revealing photographs was ignominious, bringing shame on both himself and his party
capricious
cavalier
unpredictable
arduous
Real GRE: challenging
marked by great effort
edifying
enlightening or uplifting so as to encourage intellectual or moral improvement
Synonyms : enlightening
I recently read an article in the Times about whether good literature is edifying or not; specifically, does reading more make a person more moral.
disseminate
GRE: to destroy
Magoosh: cause to become widely known
esoteric
confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle
Map collecting is an esoteric hobby to most, but to geography geeks it is a highly enjoyable past-time.
dispassionate
unaffected by strong emotion or prejudice
Synonyms : cold-eyed
A good scientist should be dispassionate, focusing purely on what the evidence says, without personal attachment.
posit
assume as fact
Synonyms : postulate
Initially, Einstein posited a repulsive force to balance Gravity, but then rejected that idea as a blunder.
indecorous
not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society
Synonyms : indecent , unbecoming , uncomely , unseemly , untoward
Eating with elbows on the table is considered indecorous in refined circles.
bolster
support and strengthen
The case for the suspect’s innocence was bolstered considerably by the fact that neither fingerprints nor DNA were found at the scene.
Synonyms : bolster up
polemic
a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something.
The professor launched into a polemic, claiming that Freudian theory was a pack of lies that absolutely destroyed European literary theory.
opulence
wealth as evidenced by sumptuous living
Synonyms : luxuriousness , luxury , sumptuousness
Russian oligarchs are famous for their opulence, living in fancy homes and dining on expensive cavier.
mundane
prosaic
repetitive and boring; not spiritual
relating to the ordinary world
Though we think of the pope as someone always dealing in holy matters, he is also concerned with mundane events, such as deciding when to set his alarm each morning.
timorous
timid by nature or revealing fear and nervousness
Synonyms : fearful , trepid
Since this was her first time debating on stage and before an audience, Di’s voice was timorous and quiet for the first 10 minutes.
impartial
objectivity
unbiased
unprejudiced
reproach
GRE: disgrace or blaming someone
disapproval or disappointment
to express criticism towards
nuance
a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude
Synonyms : nicety , refinement , shade , subtlety
Because of the nuances involved in this case, I hired an outside consultant to advice us and help.
pejorative
insult
askance
with a look of suspicion or disapproval
The old couple looked askance on the teenagers seated next to them, whispering to each other, “They’ve got rings through their noses and purple hair!”
efficacious
producing the intended result
Synonyms : effective , effectual
Since Maggie’s cough syrup, which had expired five years back, was no longer efficacious, she coughed through the night.
placate
cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
Synonyms : appease , assuage , conciliate , gentle , gruntle , lenify , mollify , pacify
I was able to placate the angry mob of students by promising to bring cookies on Monday.
banality
being banal; unoriginality
maverick
someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action
Synonyms : rebel
Officer Kelly was a maverick, rarely following police protocols or adopting the conventions for speech common among his fellow officers.
furtive
clandestine
surreptitious
shady
jovial
mirthful
good humor
fastidious
demanding or hard to please
