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Word Smart I > Day 3 > Flashcards

Day 3 Flashcards

1
Q

Define:

narcissism

(NAHR si siz um)

A

n. excessive love of one’s body or oneself

In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a boy who fell in love with his own reflection. To engage in narcissism is to be like Narcissus.

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2
Q

Define:

nebulous

(NEB yuh lus)

A

adj. vague; hazy; indistinct

Oscar’s views are so nebulous that no one can figure out what he thinks about anything.

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3
Q

Define:

nefarious

(ni FAR ee us)

A

adj. evil; flagrantly wicked

The radicals’ nefarious plot was to destroy New York by filling the reservoirs with strawberry Jell-O.

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4
Q

Define:

neologism

(nee OL uh jiz um)

A

n. a new word or phrase; a new usage of a word

Pedants don’t like neologisms. They like the words we already have. But at one time every word was a neologism. Someone somewhere had to be the first to use it.

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5
Q

Define:

nepotism

(NEP uh tiz um)

A

n. showing favoritism to friends or family in business or politics

Clarence had no business acumen, so he was counting on nepotism when he married the boss’s daughter.

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6
Q

Define:

nihilism

(NYE uh liz um)

A

n. the belief that there are no values or morals in the universe

A nihilist does not believe in any objective standards of right or wrong.

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7
Q

Define:

nominal

(NOM uh nul)

A

adj. in name only; insignificant; A-OK (during rocket launches)

Bert was the nominal chair of the committee, but Sue was the one who ran things.

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8
Q

Define:

nostalgia

(nahs TAL juh)

A

n. sentimental longing for the past; homesickness

A wave of nostalgia overcame me when the old Biggie Smalls song came on the radio; hearing it took me right back to 1997.

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9
Q

Define:

notorious

(noh TOR ee us)

A

adj. famous for something bad

No one wanted to play poker with Jeremy because he was a notorious cheater.

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10
Q

Define:

novel

(NAHV ul)

A

adj. new; original

Ray had a novel approach to homework: He didn’t do it.

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11
Q

Define:

noxious

(NAHK shus)

A

adj. harmful; offensive

Smoking is a noxious habit in every sense.

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12
Q

Define:

nuance

(NOO ahns)

A

n. a subtle difference or distinction

The artist’s best work explored the nuance between darkness and deep shadow.

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13
Q

Define:

obdurate

(AHB duh rit)

A

adj. stubborn and insensitive

The committee’s obdurate refusal to listen to our plan was heart­ breaking to us since we had spent ten years coming up with it.

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14
Q

Define:

obfuscate

(AHB fuh skayt)

A

v. to darken; to confuse; to make confusing

The spokesman’s attempt to explain what the president had meant merely obfuscated the issue further. People had hoped the spokesman would elucidate the issue.

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15
Q

Define:

oblique

(oh BLEEK)

A

adj. indirect; at an angle

Essence sprinkled her student council speech with oblique references to the principal’s new toupee; the principal is so dense that he never figured out what was going on, but the rest of us were rolling on the floor.

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16
Q

Define:

oblivion

(uh BLIV ee un)

A

n. total forgetfulness; the state of being forgotten

A few of the young actors would find fame, but most were headed for oblivion.

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17
Q

Define:

obscure

(ub SKYOOR)

A

adj. unknown; hard to understand; dark

The comedy nightclub was filled with obscure comedians who stole one another’s jokes and seldom got any laughs.

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18
Q

Define:

obsequious

(ub SEE kwee us)

A

adj. fawning; subservient; sucking up to

Ann’s assistant was so obsequious that she could never tell what he really thought about anything.

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19
Q

Define:

obtuse

(ahb TOOS)

A

adj. insensitive; blockheaded

Karen was so obtuse that she didn’t realize for several days that Caleb had asked her to marry him.

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20
Q

Define:

officious

(uh FISH us)

A

adj. annoyingly eager to help or advise

The officious officer could never resist sticking his nose into other people’s business.

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21
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. excessive love of one’s body or one­self

A

narcissism

(NAHR si siz um)

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22
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. vague; hazy; indistinct

A

nebulous

(NEB yuh lus)

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23
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. evil; flagrantly wicked

A

nefarious

(ni FAR ee us)

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24
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a new word or phrase; a new usage of a word

A

neologism

(nee OL uh jiz um)

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25
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. showing favoritism to friends or family in business or politics

A

nepotism

(NEP uh tiz um)

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26
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the belief that there are no values or morals in the universe

A

nihilism

(NYE uh liz um)

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27
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. in name only; insignificant; A-OK (during rocket launches)

A

nominal

(NOM uh nul)

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28
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. sentimental longing for the past; home­sickness

A

nostalgia

(nahs TAL juh)

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29
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. famous for something bad

A

notorious

(noh TOR ee us)

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30
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. new; original

A

novel

(NAHV ul)

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31
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. harmful; offensive

A

noxious

(NAHK shus)

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32
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a subtle difference or distinction

A

nuance

(NOO ahns)

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33
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. stubborn and insensitive

A

obdurate

(AHB duh rit)

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34
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to darken; to confuse; to make confusing

A

obfuscate

(AHB fuh skayt)

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35
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. indirect; at an angle

A

oblique

(oh BLEEK)

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36
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. total forgetfulness; the state of being forgotten

A

oblivion

(uh BLIV ee un)

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37
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. unknown; hard to understand; dark

A

obscure

(ub SKYOOR)

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38
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. fawning; subservient; sucking up to

A

obsequious

(ub SEE kwee us)

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39
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. insensitive; blockheaded

A

obtuse

(ahb TOOS)

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40
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. annoyingly eager to help or advise

A

officious

(uh FISH us)

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41
Q

Define:

onerous

(AHN ur us)

A

adj. burdensome; oppressive

We were given the onerous task of cleaning up the fairgrounds after the carnival.

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42
Q

Define:

opaque

(oh PAYK)

A

adj. impossible to see through; impossible to understand

The windows in the movie star’s house were made not of glass but of some opaque material intended to keep his fans from spying on him.

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43
Q

Define:

opulent

(AHP yuh lunt)

A

adj. luxurious

Everything in the opulent palace was made of gold—except the toilet-paper holder, which was made of platinum.

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44
Q

Define:

orthodox

(OR thuh dahks)

A

adj. conventional; adhering to established principles or doctrines, especially in religion; by the book

The doctor’s treatment for Lou’s cold was entirely orthodox: plenty of liquids, aspirin, and rest.

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45
Q

Define:

ostensible

(ah STEN suh bul)

A

adj. apparent (but misleading); professed

Blake’s ostensible mission was to repair a broken telephone, but his real goal was to eavesdrop on the boss’s conversation.

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46
Q

Define:

ostentatious

(ahs ten TAY shus)

A

adj. excessively conspicuous; showing off

The designer’s use of expensive materials was ostentatious; every piece of furniture was covered with silk or velvet, and every piece of hardware was made of silver or gold.

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47
Q

Define:

pacify

(PAS uh fye)

A

v. to calm someone down; to placate

A parent gives a baby a pacifier to pacify him or her. A pacifist is someone who does not believe in war.

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48
Q

Define:

painstaking

(PAYN stay king)

A

adj. extremely careful; taking pains

The jeweler was painstaking in his effort not to ruin the $50 million diamond.

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49
Q

Define:

palliate

(PAL ee ayt)

A

v. to relieve or alleviate something without getting rid of the problem; to assuage; to mitigate

You take aspirin in the hope that it will palliate your head­ ache.

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50
Q

Define:

palpable

(PAL puh bul)

A

adj. capable of being touched; obvious; tangible

The tumor was palpable; the doctor could feel it with his finger.

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51
Q

Define:

paltry

(PAWL tree)

A

adj. insignificant; worthless

The lawyer’s efforts on our behalf were paltry; they didn’t add up to anything.

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52
Q

Define:

panacea

(pan uh SEE uh)

A

n. something that cures everything

The administration seemed to believe that a tax cut would be a panacea for the country’s economic ills.

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53
Q

Define:

paradigm

(PAR uh dime)

A

n. a model or example

Mr. Hufstader is the best teacher in the whole world; his class­ room should be the paradigm for all classrooms.

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54
Q

Define:

paradox

(PAR uh dahks)

A

n. a true statement or phenomenon that nonetheless seems to contradict itself; an untrue statement or phenomenon that none the less seems logical

Mr. Cooper is a political paradox; he’s a staunch Republican who votes only for Democrats.

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55
Q

Define:

parochial

(puh ROH kee ul)

A

adj. narrow or confined in point of view; provincial

The townspeople’s concerns were entirely parochial; they worried only about what happened in their town and not about the larger world around it.

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56
Q

Define:

parody

(PAR uh dee)

A

n. a satirical imitation

At the talent show the girls sang a terrible parody of a Beatles song called “I Want to Hold Your Foot.”

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57
Q

Define:

parsimonious

(pahr suh MOH nee us)

A

adj. stingy

The widow was so parsimonious that she hung used teabags out to dry on her clothesline so that she would be able to use them again.

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58
Q

Define:

partisan

(PAHR tuh zun)

A

n. one who supports a particular person, cause, or idea

Henry’s plan to give himself the award had no partisan except himself.

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59
Q

Define:

patent

(PAYT unt)

A

adj. obvious

To say that the earth is flat is a patent absurdity since the world is obviously spherical.

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60
Q

Define:

paternal

(puh TUR nul)

A

adj. fatherly; fatherlike

Rich is paternal toward his niece.

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61
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. burdensome; oppressive

A

onerous

(AHN ur us)

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62
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. impossible to see through; impossible to understand

A

opaque

(oh PAYK)

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63
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. luxurious

A

opulent

(AHP yuh lunt)

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64
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. conventional; adhering to established principles or doctrines, especially in religion; by the book

A

orthodox

(OR thuh dahks)

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65
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. apparent (but misleading); professed

A

ostensible

(ah STEN suh bul)

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66
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. excessively conspicuous; showing off

A

ostentatious

(ahs ten TAY shus)

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67
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to calm someone down; to placate

A

pacify

(PAS uh fye)

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68
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. extremely careful; taking pains

A

painstaking

(PAYN stay king)

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69
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to relieve or alleviate something with out getting rid of the problem; to assuage; to mitigate

A

palliate

(PAL ee ayt)

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70
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. capable of being touched; obvious; tangible

A

palpable

(PAL puh bul)

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71
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. insignificant; worthless

A

paltry

(PAWL tree)

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72
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. something that cures everything

A

panacea

(pan uh SEE uh)

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73
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a model or example

A

paradigm

(PAR uh dime)

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74
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a true statement or phenomenon that nonetheless seems to contradict itself; an untrue statement or phenomenon that none the less seems logical

A

paradox

(PAR uh dahks)

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75
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. narrow or confined in point of view; provincial

A

parochial

(puh ROH kee ul)

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76
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a satirical imitation

A

parody

(PAR uh dee)

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77
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. stingy

A

parsimonious

(pahr suh MOH nee us)

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78
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. one who supports a particular person, cause, or idea

A

partisan

(PAHR tuh zun)

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79
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. obvious

A

patent

(PAYT unt)

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80
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. fatherly; fatherlike

A

paternal

(puh TUR nul)

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81
Q

Define:

pathology

(puh THAHL uh jee)

A

n. the science of diseases

Pathology is the science or study of diseases, but not necessarily in the medical sense. Pathological means relating to pathology, but it also means arising from a disease. So if we say Brad is an inveterate, incorrigible, pathological (path uh LAHJ uh kul) liar, we are saying that Brad’s lying is a sickness.

82
Q

Define:

patriarch

(PAY tree ahrk)

A

n. the male head of a family or tribe

The patriarch of the Murphy family, Jacob V. Murphy, made millions selling cobra fillets and established the Murphy family’s empire in the snake meat business

83
Q

Define:

patrician

(puh TRISH un)

A

n. a person of noble birth; an aristocrat

Mr. Perno was a patrician, and he was never truly happy unless his place at the dinner table was set with at least half a dozen forks.

84
Q

Define:

patronize

(PAY truh nyze)

A

v. to treat as an inferior; to condescend to

Our guide at the art gallery was extremely patronizing, treat­ing us as though we wouldn’t be able to distinguish a painting from a piece of sidewalk without her help.

85
Q

Define:

paucity

(PAW suh tee)

A

n. scarcity

There was a paucity of fresh vegetables at the supermarket, so we had to buy frozen ones.

86
Q

Define:

peccadillo

(pek uh DIL oh)

A

n. a minor offense

The smiling defendant acted as though first-degree murder were a mere peccadillo rather than a hideous crime.

87
Q

Define:

pedantic

(puh DAN tik)

A

adj. boringly scholarly or academic

The discussion quickly turned pedantic as each participant tried to sound more learned than all the others.

88
Q

Define:

pedestrian

(puh DES tree un)

A

adj. unimaginative; banal

Mary Anne said the young artist’s work was brilliant, but I found it to be pedestrian; I’ve seen better paintings in kindergarten classrooms.

89
Q

Define:

pejorative

(pi JOR uh tiv)

A

adj. negative; disparaging

“Hi, stupid” is a pejorative greeting. “Loudmouth” is a nickname with a pejorative connotation.

90
Q

Define:

penchant

(PEN chunt)

A

n. a strong taste or liking for some thing; a predilection

Dogs have a penchant for chasing cats and mailmen.

91
Q

Define:

penitent

(PEN uh tunt)

A

adj. sorry; repentant; contrite

Julie was penitent when Kanye explained how much pain she had caused him.

92
Q

Define:

pensive

(PEN siv)

A

adj. thoughtful and sad

Norton became suddenly pensive when Jack mentioned his dead father.

93
Q

Define:

peremptory

(puh REMP tuh ree)

A

adj. final; categorical; dictatorial

Someone who is peremptory says or does something without giving anyone a chance to dispute it.

94
Q

Define:

perennial

(puh REN ee ul)

A

adj. continual; happening again and again or year after year

Mr. Lorenzo is a perennial favorite of students at the high school because he always gives everyone an A.

95
Q

Define:

perfidy

(PUR fuh dee)

A

n. treachery

It was the criminals’ natural perfidy that finally did them in, as each one became an informant on the other.

96
Q

Define:

perfunctory

(pur FUNGK tuh ree)

A

adj. unenthusiastic; careless

John made a couple of perfunctory attempts at answering the questions on the test, but then he put down his pencil and his head and slept until the end of the period.

97
Q

Define:

peripatetic

(per uh peh TET ik)

A

adj. wandering; traveling continually; itinerant

Groupies are a peripatetic bunch, traveling from concert to con­ cert to follow their favorite rock stars.

98
Q

Define:

periphery

(puh RIF uh ree)

A

n. the outside edge of something

José never got involved in any of our activities; he was always at the periphery.

99
Q

Define:

perjury

(PUR jur ee)

A

n. lying under oath

The defendant was acquitted of bribery but convicted of perjury because he had lied on the witness stand during his trial.

100
Q

Define:

permeate

(PUR mee ayt)

A

v. to spread or seep through; to penetrate

A horrible smell quickly permeated the room after Jock lit a cigarette.

101
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the science of diseases

A

pathology

(puh THAHL uh jee)

102
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the male head of a family or tribe

A

patriarch

(PAY tree ahrk)

103
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a person of noble birth; an aristocrat

A

patrician

(puh TRISH un)

104
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to treat as an inferior; to condescend to

A

patronize

(PAY truh nyze)

105
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. scarcity

A

paucity

(PAW suh tee)

106
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a minor offense

A

peccadillo

(pek uh DIL oh)

107
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. boringly scholarly or academic

A

pedantic

(puh DAN tik)

108
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. unimaginative; banal

A

pedestrian

(puh DES tree un)

109
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. negative; disparaging

A

pejorative

(pi JOR uh tiv)

110
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a strong taste or liking for some thing; a predilection

A

penchant

(PEN chunt)

111
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. sorry; repentant; contrite

A

penitent

(PEN uh tunt)

112
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. thoughtful and sad

A

pensive

(PEN siv)

113
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. final; categorical; dictatorial

A

peremptory

(puh REMP tuh ree)

114
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. continual; happening again and again or year after year

A

perennial

(puh REN ee ul)

115
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. treachery

A

perfidy

(PUR fuh dee)

116
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. unenthusiastic; careless

A

perfunctory

(pur FUNGK tuh ree)

117
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. wandering; traveling continually; itinerant

A

peripatetic

(per uh peh TET ik)

118
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the outside edge of something

A

periphery

(puh RIF uh ree)

119
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. lying under oath

A

perjury

(PUR jur ee)

120
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to spread or seep through; to penetrate

A

permeate

(PUR mee ayt)

121
Q

Define:

qualify

(KWAHL uh fye)

A

v. to modify or restrict

Susan qualified her praise of Judith by saying that her kind words applied only to Judith’s skillful cooking and not to her abhorrent personality. Judith was upset by Susan’s qualification.

122
Q

Define:

qualitative

(KWAHL uh tay tiv)

A

adj. having to do with the quality or qualities of something (as opposed to the quantity)

The difference between the two restaurants was quantitative rather than qualitative. Both served the same dreadful food, but the second restaurant served more of it.

123
Q

Define:

querulous

(KWER uh lus)

A

adj. complaining; grumbling; whining

The exasperated mother finally managed to hush her querulous child.

124
Q

Define:

quixotic

(kwik SAHT ik)

A

adj. romantic or idealistic to a foolish or impractical degree

For many years Mr. Morris had led a quixotic effort to repeal the federal income tax.

125
Q

Define:

ramification

(ram uh fuh KAY shun)

A

n. a consequence; a branching out

The professor found a solution to the problem, but there are many ramifications; some experts are afraid that he has created more problems than he has solved.

126
Q

Define:

rancor

(RANG kur)

A

n. bitter, long-lasting ill will or resentment

The mutual rancor felt by the two nations eventually led to war.

127
Q

Define:

rapacious

(ruh PAY shus)

A

adj. greedy; plundering; avaricious

Wall Street investment bankers are often accused of being rapacious, but they claim they are performing a valuable economic function.

128
Q

Define:

rebuke

(ri BYOOK)

A

v. to criticize sharply

We trembled as Mr. Solomon rebuked us for flipping over his car and taking off the tires.

129
Q

Define:

rebut

(ri BUT)

A

v. to contradict; to argue in opposition to; to prove to be false

They all thought I was crazy, but none of them could rebut my argument.

130
Q

Define:

recalcitrant

(ri KAL suh trunt)

A

adj. stubbornly defiant of authority or control; disobedient

The recalcitrant cancer continued to spread through the patient’s body despite every therapy and treatment the doctors tried.

131
Q

Define:

recant

(ri KANT)

A

v. to publicly take back and deny (something previously said or believed); to openly confess error

The chagrined scientist recanted his theory that mice originated on the moon; it turned out that he had simply mixed up the results of two separate experiments.

132
Q

Define:

reciprocal

(ri SIP ruh kul)

A

adj. mutual; shared; interchangeable

The Rochester Club had a reciprocal arrangement with the Duluth Club. Members of either club had full privileges of membership at the other.

133
Q

Define:

reclusive

(ri KLOOS iv)

A

adj. hermitlike; withdrawn from society

The crazy millionaire led a reclusive existence, shutting himself up in his labyrinthine mansion and never setting foot in the outside world.

134
Q

Define:

recondite

(REK un dyte)

A

adj. hard to understand; over one’s head

The philosopher’s thesis was so recondite that I couldn’t get past the first two sentences.

135
Q

Define:

recrimination

(ri krim uh NAY shun)

A

n. a bitter counteraccusation, or the act of making a bitter counteraccusation

Melissa was full of recrimination. When I accused her of steal­ ing my pen, she angrily accused me of being careless, evil, and stupid.

136
Q

Define:

redolent

(RED uh lunt)

A

adj. fragrant

The air in autumn is redolent of wood smoke and fallen leaves.

137
Q

Define:

redundant

(ri DUN dunt)

A

adj. unnecessarily repetitive; excessive; excessively wordy

Eric had already bought paper plates, so our purchase of paper plates was redundant.

138
Q

Define:

refute

(ri FYOOT)

A

v. to prove to be false; to disprove

His expensive suit and imported shoes clearly refuted his claim that he was poor.

139
Q

Define:

reiterate

(ree IT uh rayt)

A

v. to say again; to repeat

The candidate had reiterated his position so many times on the campaign trail that he sometimes even muttered it in his sleep.

140
Q

Define:

relegate

(REL uh gayt)

A

v. to banish; to send away

The most junior of the junior executives was relegated to a tiny, windowless office that had once been a broom closet.

141
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to modify or restrict

A

qualify

(KWAHL uh fye)

142
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. having to do with the quality or qualities of something (as opposed to the quantity)

A

qualitative

(KWAHL uh tay tiv)

143
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. complaining; grumbling; whining

A

querulous

(KWER uh lus)

144
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. romantic or idealistic to a foolish or im­practical degree

A

quixotic

(kwik SAHT ik)

145
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a consequence; a branching out

A

ramification

(ram uh fuh KAY shun)

146
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. bitter, long-lasting ill will or resentment

A

rancor

(RANG kur)

147
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. greedy; plundering; avaricious

A

rapacious

(ruh PAY shus)

148
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to criticize sharply

A

rebuke

(ri BYOOK)

149
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to contradict; to argue in opposition to; to prove to be false

A

rebut

(ri BUT)

150
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. stubbornly defiant of authority or control; disobedient

A

recalcitrant

(ri KAL suh trunt)

151
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to publicly take back and deny (something previously said or believed); to openly confess error

A

recant

(ri KANT)

152
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. mutual; shared; interchangeable

A

reciprocal

(ri SIP ruh kul)

153
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. hermitlike; withdrawn from society

A

reclusive

(ri KLOOS iv)

154
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. hard to understand; over one’s head

A

recondite

(REK un dyte)

155
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a bitter counteraccusation, or the act of making a bitter counteraccusation

A

recrimination

(ri krim uh NAY shun)

156
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. fragrant

A

redolent

(RED uh lunt)

157
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. unnecessarily repetitive; excessive; excessively wordy

A

redundant

(ri DUN dunt)

158
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to prove to be false; to disprove

A

refute

(ri FYOOT)

159
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to say again; to repeat

A

reiterate

(ree IT uh rayt)

160
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to banish; to send away

A

relegate

(REL uh gayt)

161
Q

Define:

saccharine

(SAK uh rin)

A

adj. sweet; excessively or disgustingly sweet

We wanted to find a nice card for Uncle Mo, but the cards in the display at the drugstore all had such saccharine messages that we would have been too embarrassed to send any of them.

162
Q

Define:

sacrilege

(SAK ruh lij)

A

n. a violation of something sacred; blasphemy

The minister committed the sacrilege of delivering his sermon while wearing his golf shoes; he didn’t want to be late for his tee-off time, which was just a few minutes after the scheduled end of the service.

163
Q

Define:

sacrosanct

(SAK roh sangkt)

A

adj. sacred; held to be inviolable

Mr. Peters’s lunchtime trip to his neighborhood bar was sacrosanct; he would no sooner skip it than he would skip his mother’s funeral.

164
Q

Define:

sagacious

(suh GAY shus)

A

adj. discerning; shrewd; keen in judgment; wise

Edgar’s decision to move the chickens into the barn turned out to be sagacious; about an hour later, the hailstorm hit.

165
Q

Define:

salient

(SAYL yunt)

A

adj. sticking out; conspicuous; leaping

Ursula had a number of salient features including, primarily, her nose, which stuck out so far that she was constantly in danger of slamming it in doors and windows.

166
Q

Define:

salutary

(SAL yuh ter ee)

A

adj. healthful; remedial; curative

Lowered blood pressure is among the salutary effects of exercise.

167
Q

Define:

sanctimonious

(sangk tuh MOH nee us)

A

adj. pretending to be devout; affecting religious feeling

The sanctimonious old bore pretended to be deeply offended when Lucius whispered a mild swearword after dropping the anvil on his bare foot.

168
Q

Define:

sanguine

(SANG gwin)

A

adj. cheerful; optimistic; hopeful

Miguel was sanguine about his chances of winning the Nobel Peace Prize, even though, as an eighth grader, he hadn’t really done anything to deserve it.

169
Q

Define:

sardonic

(sahr DAHN ik)

A

adj. mocking; scornful

Isabella’s weak attempts at humor were met by nothing but a few scattered pockets of sardonic laughter.

170
Q

Define:

scintillate

(SIN tuh layt)

A

v. to sparkle, either literally or figuratively

Stars and diamonds scintillate—so do witty comments, charm­ ing personalities, and anything else that can be said to sparkle.

171
Q

Define:

scrupulous

(SKROO pyuh lus)

A

adj. strict; careful; hesitant for ethical reasons

Leela was scrupulous in keeping her accounts; she knew where every penny came from and where every penny went.

172
Q

Define:

scrutinize

(SKROOT uh nyze)

A

v. to examine very carefully

I scrutinized the card catalog at the library but couldn’t find a single book on the topic I had chosen for my term paper.

173
Q

Define:

secular

(SEK yuh lur)

A

adj. having nothing to do with religion or spiritual concerns

The group home had several nuns on its staff, but it was an entirely secular operation; it was run by the city, not the church.

174
Q

Define:

sedition

(si DISH un)

A

n. treason; the incitement of public disorder or rebellion

The political group was charged with sedition because it had advocated burning the capital to the ground.

175
Q

Define:

segregate

(SEG ruh gayt)

A

v. to separate

Rico kept his prize-winning poodle, Fluffy, segregated from males until her thirtieth birthday.

176
Q

Define:

sensory

(SEN suh ree)

A

adj. having to do with the senses or sensation

Babies enjoy bright colors, moving objects, pleasant sounds, and other forms of sensory stimulation.

177
Q

Define:

sentient

(SEN shunt)

A

adj. able to perceive by the senses; conscious

While trees are not, strictly speaking, sentient beings, many credible people claim to have communicated with them.

178
Q

Define:

sequester

(si KWES tur)

A

v. to set or keep apart

Since much of the rest of the city had become a battle zone, the visiting entertainers were sequestered in the international hotel.

179
Q

Define:

serendipity

(ser un DIP uh tee)

A

n. accidental good fortune; discovering good things without looking for them

It was serendipity rather than genius that led the archaeologist to his breathtaking discovery of the ancient civilization. While walking his dog in the desert, he tripped over the top of a buried tomb.

180
Q

Define:

servile

(SUR vyle)

A

adj. submissive and subservient; like a servant

Cat lovers sometimes say that dogs are too servile; they follow their owners everywhere and slobber all over them at every opportunity.

181
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. sweet; excessively or disgustingly sweet

A

saccharine

(SAK uh rin)

182
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a violation of something sacred; blasphemy

A

sacrilege

(SAK ruh lij)

183
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. sacred; held to be inviolable

A

sacrosanct

(SAK roh sangkt)

184
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. discerning; shrewd; keen in judgment; wise

A

sagacious

(suh GAY shus)

185
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. sticking out; conspicuous; leaping

A

salient

(SAYL yunt)

186
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. healthful; remedial; curative

A

salutary

(SAL yuh ter ee)

187
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. pretending to be devout; affecting religious feeling

A

sanctimonious

(sangk tuh MOH nee us)

188
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. cheerful; optimistic; hopeful

A

sanguine

(SANG gwin)

189
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. mocking; scornful

A

sardonic

(sahr DAHN ik)

190
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to sparkle, either literally or figuratively

A

scintillate

(SIN tuh layt)

191
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. strict; careful; hesitant for ethical reasons

A

scrupulous

(SKROO pyuh lus)

192
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to examine very carefully

A

scrutinize

(SKROOT uh nyze)

193
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. having nothing to do with religion or spiritual concerns

A

secular

(SEK yuh lur)

194
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. treason; the incitement of public disorder or rebellion

A

sedition

(si DISH un)

195
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to separate

A

segregate

(SEG ruh gayt)

196
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. having to do with the senses or sensation

A

sensory

(SEN suh ree)

197
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. able to perceive by the senses; conscious

A

sentient

(SEN shunt)

198
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to set or keep apart

A

sequester

(si KWES tur)

199
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. accidental good fortune; discovering good things without looking for them

A

serendipity

(ser un DIP uh tee)

200
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. submissive and subservient; like a servant

A

servile

(SUR vyle)

Word Smart I (9 decks)

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