Deck 3 Flashcards
inadvertent
unintentional; careless
The songwriter says that it is easy to inadvertently use the melody of another song when composing.
incarnate
having bodily form
Christians believe that Jesus Christ was God incarnate.
inchoate
imperfectly formed or formulated
Bob Dylan describes the process of how some of his songs went from an inchoate state to finished, well-produced songs.
incongruity
state of not fitting
There is an incongruity between the poem’s solemn tone and its light-hearted theme.
inconsequential
insignificant; unimportant
The meeting of the two women seemed inconsequential at the time, but in retrospect it led to one of literature’s great collaborations.
incorporate
introduce something into another thing already in existence; combine
He systematically tried to incorporate what he learned about life and music into the songs he wrote.
incursion
sudden invasion
At first, the Native Americans were not too concerned about the incursions of European settlers, but their anxiety grew with the relentless flow of people, until, finally, calamitous wars were fought between the two sides.
indigence
poverty
Most economists believe that the best way to prevent indigence is to expand employment opportunities.
indolent
habitually lazy; idle
An argument against welfare is that it encourages people to be indolent.
ineluctable
not to be avoided or escaped; inevitable
No one can escape the ineluctable truth that every creature that is born will one day die.
inert
unable to move; sluggish
The teacher was frustrated by his inability to get an answer to his question from his inert class.
ingenuous
naive and trusting; lacking sophistication; 純真な
The conman could not bring himself to take advantage of the ingenuous boy.
inherent
firmly established by nature or habit; 生来の、内在の
Some studies of random numbers generated by computers suggest that an inherent order exists in nature, since certain patterns appear that one would not expect in a random system.
innocuous
harmless
The bodyguard looked innocuous enough, but under his jacket were several weapons that could kill an attacker in seconds.
insensible
unconscious; unresponsive
The gas is intended to render enemy soldiers insensible.
insinuate
to suggest; say indirectly; imply
If you read his speech carefully you will see that the senator is insinuating that his party has taken the wrong path.
insipid
lacking in flavor; dull
Ironically, the book about how to write lively, engaging prose is an insipid piece of writing.
insouciant
indifferent; lacking concern or care
Considering the gravity of the situation, Nancy’s colleagues could not understand her insouciant attitude.
insularity
narrow-mindedness; isolation
The insularity of many tribes in New Guinea allows anthropologists to study cultures that have been relatively uninfluenced by the modern world.
insuperable
incapable of being passed over, overcome, or surmounted
Attempts by the United States to develop an antiballistic missile system have met with limited success because of the almost insuperable difficulties presented by the speed of the approaching warhead that must be intercepted.
interdict
to forbid; prohibit; to confront and halt the activities, advance, or entry of; 禁止する、差し止める
Under U.S. law, interdicted goods can be seized by customs officials.
internecine
deadly to both sides
The U.S. Civil War was an internecine conflict that lead to the deaths of 620,000 soldiers out of the 2.4 million who fought in the war.
interpolate
to insert; change by adding new words or material
The book was produced by having leading Bible scholars vote on which sayings of Jesus they believe to be authentic and which they believe to have been interpolated by other writers.
interregnum
interval between reigns; gap in continuity; 空白期間、空位期間
Those who believe that Western culture represents the culmination of history are not disheartened by considering the fall of previous dominant civilizations, believing that these were merely interregnums in the march of humanity from the cave to a united world founded on Western principles.
intractable
not easily managed
General practitioners are equipped to deal with most psychosomatic disorders, but in intractable cases a psychiatrist is consulted.
intransigence
stubbornness; refusal to compromise
Each side in the negotiations accused the other of intransigence, so talks broke down.
introspective
contemplating one’s own thoughts and feelings; 内省的な
In many ways William Wordsworth’s great poem The Prelude is an introspective work, retrospectively exploring his thoughts and feelings as he matured.
inundate
to cover with water; overwhelm
Farmers in the arid areas called for the government to build a dam to provide water to irrigate their crops and provide hydroelectric power; however, this plan was opposed by environmentalists, who dislike inundation of land because it would have an adverse effect on wildlife.
inure
1.
to accustom to hardship, difficulty, pain, etc.; toughen or harden; habituate (usually followed by to )
After 20 years in the army, the chaplain had not become inured to the sight of men dying in the battlefield.
invective
verbal abuse
The debate judge cautioned participants not to engage in invective, but rather in reasoned and decorous discourse.
inveigh
to disapprove; protest vehemently
The conservative writer inveighed against the school board’s decision to exclude moral education from the curriculum.
inveigle
to win over by flattery or coaxing; 説き伏せる、丸め込む
The students inveigled their professor into postponing the test for a week.
inveterate
confirmed; long-standing; deeply rooted
The columnist is an inveterate iconoclast who continually questions conventional wisdom.
invidious
likely to provoke ill will; offensive
Most publications in the United States prohibit their writers from making invidious comparisons between racial groups.
irascible
easily angered
The irascible old man complains every time someone makes a little noise.
irresolute
unsure of how to act; weak; 優柔不断な、決断力のない
The president admonished Congress, saying that although it faced difficult choices it must not be irresolute.
itinerant
wandering from place to place; unsettled
According to state law, companies hiring itinerant workers must provide adequate housing for them.
jaundiced
having a yellowish discoloration of the skin; affected by envy, resentment, or hostility
Norman’s experience as an infantryman during the war has given him a jaundiced view of human nature.
jibe
to be in agreement
The auditor checked the company’s account books to make sure that they jibed with the tax return it filed.
jocose
fond of joking; jocular; playful
a jocose and amusing manner
juggernaut
huge force destroying everything in its path
Some people in Britain regard American English as a juggernaut sweeping through the Britih Isles, destroying British English.
junta
group of people united in political intrigue; a small group ruling a country, especially immediately after a coup d’état and before a legally constituted government has been instituted
The country’s ruling junta consists of a general, an admiral, and the mayor of the capital city.
juxtapose
place side by side
To illustrate their case, opponents of functionalism juxtapose the products of modern architecture and those of classical architecture…
kudos
fame; glory; honor
Kudos won by Bob Dylan include an honorary doctorate in music from Princeton University.
labile
likely to change
Blood pressure in human beings is, to varying degrees, labile.
laconic
using few words
The laconic actor seemed to be a good choice to play the strong, silent hero in the western.
lambaste
to beat or whip severely
The critic lambasted the movie in her column, calling it “the most insipid, jejune film made in our generation.”
lascivious
lustful; 貪欲な、好色な
The court ruled that the movie could be censored because its sole aim was to promote lascivious thoughts.
lassitude
weariness of body or mind from strain, oppressive climate, etc.; lack of energy; listlessness; languor; だるさ、倦怠感
After the death of his wife, Steven suffered a three-month period of lassitude and depression.
latent
present but hidden; potential
Some experts in human psychology believe that we are just beginning to explore the latent powers of the human mind.
laud
to praise
The literary critic lauded Jane Austen’s work, calling it a novel that…
lethargic
inactive; 気だるい、無気力な
After the 18-hour flight from New York to Singapore, the passengers were lethargic.
levee
/ˈlɛvi/
an embarkment that prevents a river from overflowing
An extensive system of levees is the only way to prevent the river from flooding the area during periods of heavy rain.
levity
/ˈlɛvɪti/
light manner or attitude
The comedian has a gift for finding an element of levity in the most serious of subjects.
libertine
/ˈlɪbərˌtin, -tɪn/
n. one without moral restraint; 放蕩者
Don Juan is a legendary, archetypal libertine whose story has been told by many poets, such as Lord Byron.
libido
sexual desire
According to psychologists, the libido of human males peaks at around the age of 18.
Lilliputian
extremely small
Microbiologists study Lilliputian organisms.
limn
to draw; describe
The artist based his painting on a sketch he had limned several years earlier.
limpid
clear; transparent
At the bottom of the limpid pond we could see hundreds of fish swimming.
litany
/ˈlɪtni/
lengthy recitation; repetitive chant
The student listened intently to his teacher’s litany of the grammatical errors committed by the class.
literati
/ˌlɪtəˈrɑti, -ˈreɪ-/
n. scholarly or learned persons; intellectuals
litigation
legal proceedings
The radio amateur’s neighbor resorted to litigation in an attempt to have her neighbor dismantle his 100-foot-high antenna tower.
loquacious
talkative
Eighty meters is a portion of the radio spectrum where a shortwave listener can often hear loquacious“hams” chatting (“chewing the rag” in amateur radio parlance) for hours.
lucid
bright; clear; intelligible
The surgeon made his views on euthanasia clear in this lucid injunction: “The prime goal is to alleviate suffering ,and not to prolong life….”
lucre
/ˈlukər/
money or profits
Many religions regard the pursuit of lucre for what it can do to help others as laudable.
luminous
bright; brilliant; glowing
The Moon is the most luminous object in the night sky.
lustrous
shining
On the clear night we gazed up in awe at the lustrous stars.
Machiavellian
/ˌmækiəˈvɛliən/
crafty; double-dealing; 策略にたけた、目的のためには手段を選ばない
One theory of the evolution of high intelligence in primates is that it evolved largely as a result of Machiavellian calculations on the part of apes.
machination
/ˌmækəˈneɪʃən/
(usually plural) crafty schemes; plots; intrigues
The mayor resorted to behind-the-scenes machinations to try to win his party’s nomination for governor.
maelstrom
/ˈmeɪlstrəm/
a large, powerful, or violent whirlpool; 大渦巻き、大混乱
Nearly everyone in Europe was caught up in the maelstrom that was World Warl II.
magnanimity
generosity; nobility; 寛大
The senator showed his magnanimity when he conceded defeat to his opponent in the disputed election, saying that further uncertainty would be harmful to public confidence in the political system.
malign
v. to speak evil of
Lawyers are sometimes maligned as greedy and dishonest.
malinger
/məˈlɪŋgər/
to feign illness to escape duty; 仮病を使う
In order to discourage malingering, the company decided to require employees taking sick leave to produce a doctor’s certification of their illness.
malleable
/ˈmæliəbəl/
capable of being extended or shaped by hammering or by pressure from rollers; adaptable or tractable
Behaviorists believe that human nature is malleable, and that people’s behavior can be changed by changing their environment.
maverick
/ˈmævərɪk, ˈmævrɪk/
dissenter; 独自路線を行く人［組織］、一匹オオカミ
Bernie has a reputation as a maverick; he is one of only two members of the United States Congress who is independent.
megalomania
delusions of power of importance
In his farewell speech the retiring trial judge warned his colleagues to beware of megalomania as they exercise their power in the courtroom.
menagerie
/məˈnædʒəri, -ˈnæʒ-/
a variety of animals kept together
Linda seems to take home every abandoned pet in the town; she now has an incredible menagerie of dogs, cats, turtles, rabbits, and other animals.
mendacious
dishonest
The judge ruled the testimony inadmissible because he considered it mendacious.
mendicant
beggar
In Thailand it is traditional for young men to become monks for a year, a period during which they become mendicants.
meretricious
/ˌmɛrɪˈtrɪʃəs/
gaudy; plausible but false; specious; 虚飾の、粉飾された
One of the allures of jargon is that it can make a poor idea appear worthwhile, or something meretricious easier to accept because it is dressed in fancy language.
mesmerize
/ˈmɛzməˌraɪz, ˈmɛs-/
to hypnotize; 催眠術をかける、魅惑する、魅了する
The audience sat, mesmerized, listening to the retired soldier’s account of hand-to-hand combat against the Japanese in New Guinea during World War II.
meteorological
/ˌmitiərəˈlɒdʒɪkəl/
concerned with the weather
Some experts believe that reports of UFOs are attributable to natural astronomial or meteorological phenomena.
meticulous
very careful; fastidious
Science is an empirical field of study based on the belief that the laws of nature can best be discovered by meticulous observation and experimentation.
mettle
courage; endurance
In many cultures, young men are expected to test their mettle by performing difficult and dangerous tasks.
mettlesome
full of courage and fortitude; spirited
The mettlesome young officer was well regarded by all the senior officers.
microcosm
a small system having analogies to a larger system; small world
For many years the atom was seen as a sort of microcosm of the larger universe, with electrons - analogous to the planets of a solar system - orbiting the nucleus, or “sun”.
militate
to have a substantial effect; weigh heavily; to be a soldier; to fight for a belief.
The manager asked all of his employees to think of any factors that might militate against the project’s success.
minatory
/ˈmɪnəˌtɔri, -ˌtoʊri/
threatening; menacing
Intelligence information suggests minatory troop concentrations on the border.
minuscule
/ˈmɪnəˌskyul, mɪˈnʌskyul/
very small
Ancient geological processes are beyond the scope of carbon-14 dating because the amount of carbon-14 in material from such processes that has not decayed is minuscule.
minutia
/mɪˈnuʃiə, -ʃə, -ˈnyu-/
precise details; small or trifling matters
President Ronald Reagan said that a president should concentrate on the formulation and execution of broad policy and leave the minutia of running the country to subordinates.
misanthrope
/ˈmɪsənˌθroʊp, ˈmɪz-/
one who hates humanity
One of the most famous misanthropes in literature is the protagonist of the seventeenth century French writer Moliere’s play Le Misanthrope.
miscellany
/ˈmɪsəˌleɪni; Brit. mɪˈsɛləni/
mixture of writings on various subjects
The book is a fascinating miscellany collected from the writer’s life work.
miscreant
/ˈmɪskriənt/
villain; criminal
The public execution of miscreants was common in Great Britain in the Eighteenth century.
misogynist
/mɪˈsɒdʒənɪst, maɪ‐/
one who hates women
Some people have called the philosopher a misogynist because of the numerous negative comments he made about women.
mitigate
to cause to become less harsh, severe, or painful; alleviate
Although the Supreme Court under the leadership of Chief Justice Warren Burger did not rescind any of the fundamental rulings of the Warren Court that preceded it, its decisions did mitigate the effects of some of the rulings of the Warren Court.
mnemonic
/nɪˈmɒnɪk/
related to memory; assisting memory
The more absurd, exaggerated, grotesque the images used as a mnemonic device to help remember a poem, the easier it will be to recall.
modicum
/ˈmɒdɪkəm/
limited quantity
The scientist wrote about astronomy and other scientific subjects in a way that enabled a reader with even a modicum of knowledge of science to understand what he was saying.
mollify
to soothe
The prime minister tried to mollify people protesting the tax increase with a promise that she would order a study of other means to raise revenue.
monolithic
solid and uniform; constituting a single, unified whole
In the fifteenth century, there was a significant movement to revitalize the Church from within; however, it had become so monolithic over the centuries and contained so many vested interests that piecemeal reform was difficult and ineffective.
morose
/məˈroʊs/
ill-humored; sullen; 不機嫌な、気難しい
The assessment of some skeptical critics of existentialism is that it is generally a view of life created by a group of thinkers whose distinguishing characteristic is that they are morose.
motley
many colored; made up of many parts
The new political party is made up of a motley group of people who are unhappy with the existing parties.
