Difficult words 1 Flashcards
perambulate
to walk around
pedantic / didactic
lecturing others; talking like a book
pedagogue
a teacher
cloying / treacly
sickeningly sweet
prodigal
wastefully extravagant
gauche
awkward or impolite
phlegmatic
unemotional and calm; stolid
peregrinate
to wander from place to place
homogeneous
the same throughout
heterogenous
composed of different elements; mixed
bombastic
pompous; overblown
esoteric / arcane
known only to a small group
sundry
of various kinds; several; diverse
lugubrious
dismal; depressed
consummate
of the highest degree; perfect
dissemble
to disguise or conceal
specious / fallacious
convincing but false
impunity
immunity; exemption from punishment; “acting with impunity”
didactic
intending to teach; educational OR patronizing
auspicious
promising; being a good omen
ubiquitous
found everywhere; widespread
ebullient
cheerful and full of energy; bubbly
tenuous
weak or insubstantial – “a tenuous link”
mercurial
volatile; fickle; moody
replete (with)
full (of)
obstinate
stubborn
vacuous
silly; inane
amiable
friendly
suffuse
spread throughout; pervade
candid
direct and honest
fastidious
fussy
persnickety
fussy; placing too much emphasis on minor details
gregarious
sociable; friendly
charlatan / mountebank
a trickster; a con artist
copious
abundant
fecund
fertile
caustic
harsh; biting
enervate
to weaken or sap of energy
sagacious
wise
insipid
bland; uninteresting
effusive
gushing; enthusiastic
lush
(of vegetation) abundant; (of food or music) luscious; sumptuous
incisive
shrewd and penetrating
convivial
jovial; lively
cosmopolitan
sophisticated; worldly
cordial
warm and friendly
phantasmagoria
dreamlike images
sycophant
a yes-man; a flatterer
provincial
small-minded; unsophisticated
urbane
suave and refined; cultured
obsequious
servile; overly attentive
complaisant (NOT complacent!)
agreeable; willing to please others
prolific
productive; creating a lot (fruit, books, etc.)
opulent
lavish in a showy, ostentatious manner; overly fancy
cogent
(of an argument) clear and convincing