Commonly used words Flashcards
1
Q
abate
A
reduce amount, degree, or severity
2
Q
abscond
A
leave secretly
3
Q
abstain
A
choose not to do something
4
Q
abyss
A
deep hole
5
Q
adulterate
A
to make impure
6
Q
advocate
A
to speak in favor of
7
Q
aesthetic
A
concerning the appreciation of beauty
8
Q
aggrandize
A
increase power, influence, reputation
9
Q
alleviate
A
to make more bearable
10
Q
amalgamate
A
combine; mix together
11
Q
ambiguous
A
doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways
12
Q
ameliorate
A
make better; improve
13
Q
anachronism
A
something out of place in time
14
Q
analogous
A
similar or alike in some way; equal to
15
Q
anomaly
A
deviation from what is normal
16
Q
antagonize
A
to annoy or provoke to anger
17
Q
antipathy
A
extreme dislike
18
Q
apathy
A
lack of interest or emotion
19
Q
arbitrate
A
to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
20
Q
archaic
A
ancient, old-fashioned
21
Q
ardor
A
intense and passionate feeling
22
Q
articulate
A
able to speak clearly and expressively
23
Q
assuage
A
to make something unpleasant less severe
24
Q
attenuate
A
to reduce in force or degree; to weaken
25
audacious
fearless and daring
26
austere
severe or stern in appearance; undecorated
27
banal
predicable, cliched, boring
28
bolster
to support; to prop up
29
bombastic
pompous in speech and manner
30
cacophony
harsh, jarring noise
31
candid
impartial and honest in speech
32
capricious
changing one's mind quickly and often
33
castigate
to punish or criticize harshly
34
catalyst
something that brings about a change in something else
35
caustic
snarky
36
chaos
great disorder or confusion
37
chauvinist
someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
38
chicanery
deception by means of craft or guile
39
cogent
convincing and well reasoned
40
condone
to overlook, pardon, or disregard
41
convoluted
intricate and complicated
42
corroborate
to provide supporting evidence
43
credulous
too trusting; gullible
44
crescendo
steadily increasing volume or force
45
decorum
appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety
46
deference
respect, courtesy
47
deride
to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock
48
desiccate
to dry out thoroughly
49
desultory
jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
50
diatribe
an abusive, condemnatory speech
51
diffident
lacking self-confidence
52
dilate
to make larger; to expand
53
dilatory
intended to delay
54
dilettante
someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
55
dirge
a funeral hymn or mournful speech
56
disabuse
to set right; to free from error
57
discern
to perceive; to recognize
58
disparate
fundamentally different; entirely unlike
59
dissemble
to present a false appearance; tp disguise one's real intentions or character
60
dissonance
a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds
61
dogma
a firmly hel opinion, often a religious belief
62
dogmatic
dictatorial in one's opinions
63
dupe
to deceive; a person who is easily deceived
64
eclectic
selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
65
efficacy
effectiveness
66
elegy
a sorrowful poem or speech
67
eloquent
persuasive and moving, especially in speech
68
emulate
to copy; to try to equal or excel
69
enervate
to reduce in strength
70
engender
to produce, cause , or bring about
71
enigma
a puzzle; a mystery
72
enumerate
to count, list, or itemize
73
ephemeral
lasting a short time
74
equivocate
to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
75
erratic
wandering and unpredictable
76
erudite
learned, scholarly, bookish
77
esoteric
known or understood by only a few
78
estimable
admirable
79
eulogy
speech in praise of someone
80
euphemism
use of inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
81
exacerbate
to make worse
82
exculpate
to clear from blame; prove innocent
83
exigent
urgent; requiring immediate action
84
exonerate
to clear of blame
85
explicit
clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression
86
fanatical
acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devolution
87
fawn
to grovel
88
fervid
intensely emotional; feverish
89
florid
excessively decorated or embellished
90
foment
to arouse or incite
91
frugality
a tendency to be thrifty or cheap
92
garrulous
tending to talk a lot
93
gregarious
outgoing, sociable
94
guile
deceit or trickery
95
gullible
easily deceived
96
homogenous
of a similar kind
97
iconoclast
one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions
98
imperturbable
not capable of being disturbed
99
impervious
impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
100
impetuous
quick to act without thinking
101
implacable
unable to be calmed down or made peaceful
102
inchoate
not fully formed; disorganized
103
ingenuous
showing innocence or childlike simplicity
104
inimical
hostil, unfriendly
105
innocuous
harmless
106
insipid
lacking interest or flavor
107
intransigent
uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled
108
inundate
to overwhelm; to cover with water
109
irascible
easily made angry
110
laconic
using few words
111
lament
to express sorrow; to grieve
112
laud
to give praise; to glorify
113
lavish
to give unsparingly; extremely generous or extravagent
114
lethargic
acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
115
loquacious
talkative
116
lucid
clear and easily understood
117
luminous
bright, brilliant, glowing
118
malinger
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
119
malleable
capable of being shaped
120
metaphor
a figure of speech comparing two different things; a symbol
121
meticulous
extremely careful about details
122
misanthrope
a person who dislikes others
123
mitigate
to soften; to lesson
124
mollify
to calm or make less severe
125
monotony
lack of variation
126
naive
lacking sophistication or experience
127
obdurate
hardened in feeling; resistance to persuasion
128
obsequious
overly submissive and eager to please
129
obstinate
stubborn, unyielding
130
obviate
to prevent; to make unnecessary
131
occlude
to stop up; to prevent the passage of
132
onerous
troublesome and oppressive; burdensome
133
opaque
impossible to see through; preventing the passage of light
134
opprobrium
public disgrace
135
ostentation
excessive showines
136
paradox
a contradiction or dilema
137
paragon
model of excellence or perfection
138
pedant
someone who shows off learning
139
perfidious
willing to betray one's trust
140
perfunctory
done in a routine way; indifferent
141
permeate
to penetrate
142
philanthropy
charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness
143
placate
to soothe or pacify
144
plastic
able to be modeled, altered, or bent
145
plethora
excess
146
pragmatic
practical as opposed to idealistic
147
precipitate
to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation
148
prevaricate
to lie or deviate from the truth
149
pristine
fresh and clean; uncorrupted
150
prodigal
lavish, wasteful
151
proliferate
to increase in number quickly
152
propitiate
to conciliate; to appease
153
propriety
correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs
154
prudence
wisdom, caution, or restraint
155
pungent
sharp and irritation to the senses
156
quiescent
motionless
157
rarefy
to make thinner or sparser
158
repudiate
to reject the validity of
159
reticent
silent, reserved
160
rhetoric
effective writing or speaking
161
satiate
to satisfy fully or overindulge
162
soporific
causing sleep or lethargy
163
specious
deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious
164
stigma
a mark of shame or discredit
165
stolid
unemotional; lacking sensitivity
166
sublime
lofty or grand
167
tacit
done without using words
168
taciturn
silent, not talkative
169
tirade
long, harsh speech or verbal attack
170
torpor
extreme mental and physical sluggishness
171
transitory
temporary, lasting a brief time
172
vacillate
to sway physically; to be indecisive
173
venerate
to respect deeply
174
veracity
filled with truth and accuracy
175
verbose
wordy
176
vex
to annoy
177
volatile
easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive
178
waver
to fluctuate between choices
179
whimsical
acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable
180
zeal
passion, excitement
