Deck 2 Flashcards
1
Q
reckon
A
verb:
1) to consider or have the opinion that something is as stated
I don’t reckon much to (US of) their chances of winning (= I do not think they will win).
2) to calculate an amount based on facts or on your expectations
Do you reckon this watch has a little value?
2
Q
staggering
A
adjective: very shocking and surprising
It costs a staggering $50,000 per week to keep the museum open to the public.
3
Q
moratorium
A
noun: a stopping of an activity for an agreed amount of time
a five-year worldwide moratorium on nuclear weapons testing
4
Q
treacherous
A
adjective:
1) If the ground or sea is treacherous, it is extremely dangerous, especially because of bad weather conditions
Snow and ice have left many roads treacherous, and drivers are warned to use caution.
2) A person who is treacherous deceives someone who trusts them, or has no loyalty
Vargas plays the part of a treacherous aristocrat who betrays his king and country.
5
Q
ferocious
A
adjective: frightening and violent
a ferocious dog
6
Q
opaque
A
adjective: Opaque writing or speech is difficult to understand
I find her poetry a little too opaque.
7
Q
destitute
A
adjective: without money, food, a home, or possessions
The floods left thousands of people destitute.
8
Q
topple
A
vreb: to (cause to) lose balance and fall down
The statue of the dictator was toppled (over) by the crowds. / The tree toppled and fell.
9
Q
notional
A
adjective: existing only as an idea, not as something real
Almost everyone will have to pay a higher tax bill than the notional amount suggested by the Treasury Secretary.
10
Q
clandestine
A
adjective: planned or done in secret, especially describing something that is not officially allowed
The group held weekly clandestine meetings in a church.
11
Q
resuscitate
A
verb: to bring someone who is dying back to life, wake someone who is unconscious, or bring something back into use or existence
You should learn how to resuscitate a person whose breathing has stopped.
12
Q
think-tank
A
noun: a group of experts brought together, usually by a government, to develop ideas on a particular subject and to make suggestions for action
13
Q
thumping
A
adjective:
1) very big or important
a thumping defeat/victory
2) extremely or importantly
I’m not carrying that thumping great thing around with me!
14
Q
scrutiny
A
noun: the careful and detailed examination of something in order to get information about it
The government’s record will be subjected to/come under (close) scrutiny in the weeks before the election.
15
Q
grievance
A
noun: a complaint or a strong feeling that you have been treated unfairly
A special committee has been appointed to handle prisoners’ grievances.
16
Q
burgeoning
A
adjective: developing quickly
The company hoped to profit from the burgeoning communications industry.
17
Q
unrelenting
A
adjective: extremely determined; never becoming weaker or admitting defeat
She will be remembered as an unrelenting opponent of racial discrimination.
18
Q
concur
A
verb: to agree or have the same opinion
The new report concurs with previous findings.
19
Q
unprecedented
A
adjective: never having happened or existed in the past
This century has witnessed environmental destruction on an unprecedented scale.
20
Q
sunder
A
verb: to break something apart
The last few bubbles rose from the sundered ship.
21
Q
divulge
A
verb: to make something secret known
Journalists do not divulge their sources.
22
Q
contentious
A
adjective: causing , involving, or likely to cause disagreement and argument
a contentious decision/policy/issue/subject
23
Q
ample
A
adjective: more than enough
You’ll have ample opportunity to ask questions after the talk.
24
Q
perennial
A
adjective:lasting a very long time, or happening repeatedly or all the time
The film “White Christmas” is a perennial favourite.
25
impetus
noun: something that encourages a particular activity or makes that activity more energetic or effective
The recent publicity surrounding homelessness has given (a) fresh impetus to the cause.
26
coy
adjective:
1) intentionally keeping something secret
She's very coy about her age.
2) acting shy, uncertain, or unwilling to say much, often in order to increase interest in something by keeping back information about it
McIntyre is coy about his future in football.
27
feeble
adjective:
1) weak and without energy, strength, or power
He was a feeble, helpless old man.
2) not effective or good
a feeble joke/excuse
28
quell
verb: to stop something, especially by using force
Police in riot gear were called in to quell the disturbances/unrest.
29
averse
adjective: strongly disliking or opposed to
Few people are averse to the idea of a free holiday.
30
remittance
noun: an amount of money that you send to someone
She sends a small remittance home to her parents each month.
31
impervious
adjective:
1) waterproof
2) not able to be influenced, hurt, or damaged
He seems to be impervious to pain.
32
dogmatic
adjective: highly opinionated, not accepting that one's own beliefs may not be correct
Bryan is dogmatic in his belief that the earth is flat.
33
platitude
noun: a remark or statement that may be true but is boring and has no meaning because it has been said so many times before
He doesn't mouth platitudes about it not mattering who scores as long as the team wins.
34
torpor
noun: inactivity resulting from lethargy and lack of vigor or energy
After work, I was expecting my colleagues to be enthusiastic about the outing, but I found them in a state of complete torpor.
35
prescience
noun: the power to foresee the future
Baxter's warnings about investing in technology stocks seemed like an act of prescience after the whole market declined significantly.
36
apathetic
adjective: marked by a lack of interest
Mr. thompson was so talented at teaching math that even normally apathetic students took interest.
37
lambast
verb: criticize severely or angrily
Showing no patience, the manager utterly lambasted the sales team that lost the big account.
38
banal
adjective: repeated too often, overfamiliar through overuse
The professor used such banal expression that many students in the class either fell asleep from boredom or stayed awake to complete his sentences.
39
incisive
adjective: having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
The layer had an incisive mind, able in a flash to dissect a hopelessly tangled issue and isolate the essential laws at play.
40
bucolic
adjective: relating to the pleasant aspects of the country
The noble families of England once owned vast expanses of beautiful, bucolic land.
41
predilection
noun: a strong liking
Monte had a predilection for the fine things in life: Cuban cigars, expensive wine and trips to the French Riviera.
42
cryptic
adjective: mysterious or vague, usually intentionally
Since Sarah did not want her husband to guess the Christmas present she had bought him, she only answered cryptically whe he would ask her questions about it.
43
concede
verb:
1) acknowledge defeat
Trump refused to concede even after the recounting of ballots that clearly indicated Joe Biden's victory.
2) admit to a wrongdoing
After a long, stern lecture from her father, Olivia conceded to having broken the window.
3) give over, surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another
The Spanish were forced to concede much of the territory they had previously conquered.
44
concede
verb:
1) acknowledge defeat
Trump refused to concede even after the recounting of ballots that clearly indicated Joe Biden's victory.
2) admit to a wrongdoing
After a long, stern lecture from her father, Olivia conceded to having broken the window.
3) give over, surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another
The Spanish were forced to concede much of the territory they had previously conquered.
45
incongruous
adjective: lacking in harmony or compatibility or approriateness
The vast economic inequality of modern society is incongruous with America's ideals.
46
heretic
noun: a person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field (not merely religion)
Though everybody at the gym told Mikey to do cardio before weights, Mikey was a heretic and always did the reverse.
47
vehement
adjective: marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions
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.
48
disaffected
adjective: discontented as toward authority
After watching his superior take rations from the soldiers, he quickly became disaffected and rebelled.
49
staunch
adjective: firm and dependable especially in loyalty
No longer a staunch supporter of the movement, Todd now will openly question whether its goals are worthwhile.
50
mollify
verb: to make someone who is angry less angry, placate
In the morning, Janine was unable to mollify Harry, if he happened to become angry, unless he'd had his cup of coffee.
51
juxtapose
verb: place side by side for contrast
The appeal of her paintings comes from a classical style which is juxtaposed with modern themes.
52
abstain
verb: choose not to consume or take part in (particularly something enjoyable)
Considered a health nut, Jessica abstained from anything containing sugar.
53
eminent
adjective: standing above others in quality or position
Shakespeare is an eminent author in the English language.
54
avaricious
adjective: excessively greedy
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.
55
derivative
adjective: not original but drawing strongly on something already in existence, especially in reference to a creative product
Because the movies were utterly derivative of other popular ovies, they did well at the box office.
56
quotidian
adjective: found in the ordinary course of events
Phil gets so involved thinking about Aristotle's arguments that he totally forgets quotidian concerns, such as exercising and eating regularly.
57
unequivocal
adjective: admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; having only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion
The President's first statement on the subject was vague, so when he spoke to Congress about the same subject later, he was careful to make his position completely unequivocal.
58
denote
verb: be a sign or indication of; have as a meaning
Even if the text is not visible, the red octagon denotes "stop" to all motorists.
59
negligible
adjective: so small as to be meaningless; insignificant
60
immutable
adjective: not able to be changed
Taxes are one of the immutable laws of the land, so there is no use arguing about paying them.
61
forlorn
adjective: 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.
62
tenacious
adjective: stubbornly unyielding
Even the most tenacious advocates for gun ownership must admit some of the dangers that firearms present.
63
jubilant
adjective: full of high-spirited delight because of triumph or success
My hard work paid off, and I was jubilant to receive a perfect score on the GRE.
64
supplant
verb: take the place or move into the position of
For many, a cell phone has supplanted a traditional phone.
65
eclectic
adjective: comprised of a variety of styles
Malala was known for her eclectic tastes in music, one moment dancing to disco and the next "air conducting" along to Beethoven's 9th symphony.
66
haughty
adjective: having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy
The haughty manager didn't believe that any of his subordinates could ever have an insight as brilliant as his own.
Trump is haughty.
67
travesty
noun: an absurd presentation of something; a mockery
what I expected to be an intelligent, nuanced historical documentry turned out to be a poorly-produced travesty of the form.
68
ascetic
adjective: practicing self-denial
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
Historically, ascetics like Gandhi are often considered wise men partially because of the restraint.
69
panache
noun: distinctive and showy elegance
Jim, with his typical panache, came to the wedding reception with a top hat and cane.
70
refractory
adjective: stubbornly resistant to authority or control
Used to studious high school students, Martha was unprepared for the refractory Kindergarteners who neigher sat still not listened to a single word she said.
71
unscrupulous
adjective: without scruples or principles
72
hackneyed
adjective: lacking significance through having been overused
Cheryl rolled her eyes when she heard the lectuerer's hackneyed adive to "be true to yourself".
73
pundit
noun: someone who has been admitted to membership in a scholarly field
Steven Pinker's credentials are unquestioned as a pundit; he has taught at MIT and Stanford, teaches at Harvard, and has published a number of influencial books on cognition, language, and psychology.
74
tortuous
adjetive: marked by repeated turns and bends, not straghtforward
Because the logic behind McMahon's side of the debate was so tortuous, his audience came out either completely confused or, worse, feeling they'd been tricked.
75
temperance
noun: the trait of avoiding excesses
Welles wasn't known for his temperance - he usually ate enough for two and drank enough for three.
76
iconoclastic
adjective: defying tradition or convention
Jackson Pollock was an iconoclastic artist, totally breaking with tradition by splashing paint on a blank canvas.
77
ostentatious
adjective: intended to attract notice and impress others, tawdry or vulgar
Matt wanted to buy stone lions for front of the house, but Cynthia convinced him that such a display would be too ostentatious for a modest house in an unassuming neighborhood.
78
provincial
adjective: characteristic of a limited perspective, not fashionable or sophisticated
Maggie's enthusiasm about her high school teams seemed provincial to her college classmates, all of whom were following a nationally ranked college team.
79
abstruse
adjective: difficult to understand, incomprehensible
80
pedantic
adjective: marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects
Professor Thompson was regarded as an expert in his field, but his lectures were utterly pedantic, focused on rigorous details of the most trivial conventions in the field.
81
underscore
verb: give extra weight to (a communication)
While the hiking instructor agreed that carrying a first aid kit could be a good idea under certain circumstances, he underscored the importance of carrying enough water.
82
laudable
adjective: worthy of high praise
83
acerbic
adjective: harsh in tone
Most movie critics are acerbic towards summer blockbusters, often referring to them as garbage.
84
contingent
noun: a gathering of persons representative of some larger group
A small contingent of those loyal to the king have gathered around the castle to defend it.
adjective: dependent on (usually with upon)
Whether the former world champions can win again this year is contingent upon none of its star players getting injured.
85
decorum
noun: propriety in manners and conduct
You will obey the rules of decorum for this courtroom or spend the night in a jail cell.
86
aberrant
adjective: markedly different from an accepted norm
When the financial director started screaming and throwing food at his co-workers, the police had to come in to deal with his aberrant behavior.
87
burgeon
verb: grow and flourish
China's housing market is burgeoning, but some predict that the frowth is merely a bubble and will burst much like the US real estate bubble of 2008.
88
confound
verb: to cause confusion
Though Harry loved numbers, calculus confounded him.
verb: mistake one thing for another
Americans often confound sweet potatoes with yams, and refer to both vegetables by the same name.
89
denigrate
verb: charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
Count Rumford denigrated the new theory of heat, demonstrating that it was wholly inadequate to explain the observations.
90
expound
verb: add details or explanation; clarify the meaning; state in depth
The CEO refused to expound on the decision to merge our department with another one, and so I quit.
91
myopic
adjective: lacking foresight or imagination
The company ultimately went out of business becase the myopic managers couldn't predict the changes in their industry.
92
idiosyncrasy
noun: a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual
Peggy's numerous idiosyncrasies include wearing mismatched shoes, laughing loudly to herself, and owning a pet aardvark.
93
indifference
noun: the trait of seeming not to care
94
refute
verb: prove to be false or incorrect
95
ingratiate
verb: gain favor with somebody by deliberate efforts
Even though Tom didn't like his new boss, he decided to ingratiate himself to her in order to advance his career.
96
petulant
adjective: easily irritated or annoyed
97
ignoble
ajdective: dishonorable
In 1919, the World Series was rigged - an ignoble act which baseball took decades to recover from.
98
soporific
adjective: inducing mental lethargy; sleep inducing
Although the professor is brilliant, his bland monotone gives his lectures a soporific effect.
99
implacable
adjective: incapable of making less angry of hostile
Win or lose, the coach was always implacable, never giving the athletes an easy practice or a break.
100
exalt
verb: praise or glorify
The teenagers exalted the rock star, covering their bedrooms with posters of him.
101
construe
verb: interpreted in a particular way
The author's inability to take a side on the issue was construed by both his opponents and supporters as a sign of weakness.
102
blatant
adjective: without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious
Allen was often punished in school for blatantly disrespecting teachers.
103
implausible
adjective: describing a statement that is not believable
The teacher found it implausible that the student was late to school because he had been kidnapped by outlaws on horseback.
104
exacting
adjective: requiring and demanding accuracy
Though his childhood piano teacher was so exacting, Max is thankful now, as a professional pianist.
105
eradicate
verb: to completely destroy
106
largess
noun: extreme generosity and giving
Uncle Frank was known for his largess, so his nephew was sad when he did not receive a present for his birthday.
107
reconcile
verb: make one thing compatible with another
108
exonerate
verb: pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
The document clearly indicated that Nick was out of the state at the time of the crime, and so served to exonerate him of any charges.
109
desist
verb: to stop doing something, especially something that someone else does not want you to do
The soldiers have been ordered to desist from firing their guns.
110
jumble
noun: an untidy and confused mixture of things, feelings, or ideas
He rummaged through the jumble of papers on his desk.
111
scotch
verb: to prevent something from being believed or being done
Her remarks were intended to scotch rumours of imminent job losses.
112
redress
verb: to put right a wrong or give payment for a wrong that has been done
Most managers, politicians and bosses are men - how can women redress the balance (= make the situation fairer and more equal)?
113
scrutinize
verb: to examine something very carefully in order to discover information
He scrutinized the men's faces carefully/closely, trying to work out who was lying.
114
unnerve
verb: to make someone feel less confident and slightly frightened:
I think it unnerved me to be interviewed by so many people.
115
bout
noun: a short period of illness or involvement in an activity
a bout of flu
116
vie
verb: to compete with other people to achieve or get something
Six candidates are currently vying for the Democratic presidential nomination.
117
apostasy
noun: the act of giving up your religious or political beliefs and leaving a religion or a political party
In those days apostasy was punishable by death.
118
exuberant
adjective: (especially of people and their behaviour) very energetic
Young and exuberant, he symbolizes Italy's new vitality.
119
bottlenecks
noun:
1) a place where a road becomes narrow, or a place where there is often a lot of traffic, causing the traffic to slow down or stop
The construction work is causing bottlenecks in the city centre.
2) a problem that delays progress
Is there any way of getting around this bureaucratic bottleneck?
120
tumble
verb: to fall quickly and without control
I lost my footing and tumbled down the stairs.
121
falter
verb: to lose strength or purpose and stop, or almost stop
The dinner party conversation faltered for a moment.
122
wager
noun: an amount of money that you risk in the hope of winning more, by trying to guess something uncertain, or the agreement that you make to take this risk
She put a cash wager of £50 on the race.
123
intractable
adjective: very difficult or impossible to control, manage, or solve
We are facing an intractable problem.
124
unfettered
adjective: not limited by rules or any other controlling influence
Poets are unfettered by the normal rules of sentence structure.
125
acrimonious
adjective: full of anger, arguments, and bad feeling
an acrimonious dispute
126
statecraft
noun: the skill of governing a country
127
frothy
adjective:
1) entertaining and easily understood, but not serious or intended to make you think
Her first novel was a frothy romantic comedy.
2) used to describe a market in which the prices of assets are beginning to rise above their real value because of high demand
Anyone who invests in a market this frothy must surely realize it is also risky.
128
abate
verb: to become less strong
The storm/wind/rain has started to abate.
129
grapple
verb: to fight, especially in order to win something
The children grappled for the ball.
130
laggard
noun: someone or something that is very slow
