Direct Hits Core Vocab Flashcards
Ambivalent
Having mixed or opposing feelings at the same time
Anomaly
Deviation from the norm or what is expected
Sardonic
Sarcastic; snide; mocking; derisive; taunting; stinging
Dearth
Paucity; a scarcity or shortage of something
Paucity
Dearth; a scarcity or shortage of something
Prattle
To ramble and babble incessantly
Wry
Droll; Humorous with a clever twist and a touch of irony
Droll
Wry; Humorous with a clever twist and a touch of irony
Unorthodox
Not ordinary or typical
Meticulous
Fastidious; extremely careful; exacting
Fastidious
Meticulous; extremely careful; exacting
Audacious
Fearless, recklessly bold and daring
Apathetic
Uninterested; nonchalant
Diffident
Self-effacing; hesitant due to a lack of self confidence; retiring
Self-effacing
Diffident; hesitant due to a lack of self confidence; retiring
Pragmatic
Practical, sensible
Evocation
A calling forth, an imaginative re-creation of something
Presumptuous
Displaying effrontery (rude behavior), taking liberties, brashly overstepping one’s place
Recalcitrant
Stubbornly resistant and defiant; obstinate; obdurate; refractory; disobedient
Obstinate
Stubbornly resistant and defiant; recalcitrant; obdurate; refractory; disobedient
Obdurate
Stubbornly resistant and defiant; recalcitrant; obstinate; refractory; disobedient
Boon
A timely benefit; blessing
Bane
A source of harm and ruin
Snide
Sarcastic; sardonic; mocking; derisive; taunting; stinging
Derisive
Expressing contempt or ridicule; snide; sardonic
Clandestine
Secret, convert, not open
Surreptitious
Secret, convert, not open
Affable
Agreeable, genial, gregarious, amiable; warm and friendly; marked by a pleasing personality
Genial
Agreeable, affable, gregarious, amiable; warm and friendly; marked by a pleasing personality
Gregarious
Agreeable, affable, gregarious, amiable; warm and friendly; marked by a pleasing personality
Austere
Having no ornamentation or adornment, not ornate
Austerity
Great self-denial, discipline; lack of adornment OR a period of economic trouble to try to lower a nation’s debt
Altruism
Unselfish concern for the welfare of others
Ambiguity/Ambiguous
Equivocal; The state of having more than one possible meaning; doubtful; unclear; uncertain; open to more than one interpretation
Upbraid
To censure; to express disapproval; to scold; to reproach; to castigate
Reproach
To censure; to express disapproval; to scold; to upbraid; to castigate
Castigate
To censure; to express disapproval; to scold; to upbraid; to reproach
Nostalgia
A wistful sentimental longing for a previous time or place
Conjecture
An inference based on guesswork, a supposition, an uncertain belief
Obsolete
Antiquated; No longer in use; outmoded in design or style
Archaic
Obsolete; No longer in use; outmoded in design or style
Antiquated
Obsolete; No longer in use; outmoded in design or style
Propitious
Auspicious; Very favorable
Auspicious
Propitiuos; Very favorable
Gaffe
A blunder; a faux pass; a clumsy social or diplomatic error
Impasse
A deadlock; stalemate; failure to reach an agreement
Anachronism
Something out of place temporally
Belie
To contradict; to prove false; used of appearances that are misrepresentative; “Her unusual behavior belies her extraordinary intelligence”
Mitigate
To relieve, to lessen to ease
Mollify
To mitigate, to assuage, to relieve, to lessen to ease
Assuage
To mollify, to mitigate, to relieve, to lessen to ease
Covet
To strongly desire, to crave
Covetous
Grasping, greedy, eager to obtain something, avaricious
Antithesis
Antipode; extreme contact; the exact opposite of something
Antithetical
Exactly opposite; antipodal
Prototype
An original model
Aloof
Distant physically or emotionally, reserved
Trite
Unoriginal, overused, cliched; banal; hackneyed; insipid; platitudinous
Banal
Unoriginal, overused, cliched; trite; hackneyed; insipid; platitudinous
Hackneyed
Unoriginal, overused, cliched; banal; trite; insipid; platitudinous
Insipid
Unoriginal, overused, cliched; banal; hackneyed; trite; platitudinous
Platitudinous
Unoriginal, overused, cliched; banal; hackneyed; insipid; trite
Antecedent
A precursor
Plausible
Believable
Implausible
Unbelievable
Prudent
Wise; careful; cautious; sensible
Aesthetic
Relating to the nature of beauty, art, and taste; beautiful, attractive
Paradox
A seemingly contradictory statement; “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”
Inscrutable
Mysterious, puzzling, unfathomable, baffling, enigmatic
Enigmatic
Mysterious, puzzling, unfathomable, baffling, enigmatic
Acquiesce
To comply, to agree, to give in
Gullible
Overly credulous
Naive
Lacking in worldly experience, inexperienced
Autonomy
Independence
Autonomous
Acting independently, or having the freedom to do so
Futile
In vain, doomed to fail
Endemic
Native to an area; indigenous
Indigenous
Native to an area; endemic
Ubiquitous
Characterized by being everywhere; omnipresent
Prevalent
Pervasive; widespread
Pandemic
An epidemic that is geographically widespread and affects a large portion of the population
Fortitude
Strength of mind that allows one to endure pain or adversity with courage
Diminutive
Very small
Minutiae
Minor everyday details
Exhort
To encourage, urge, implore.
Antipathy
Strong dislike, enmity, rancor
Digress
To depart from a subject, to wander, ramble
Tenacious
Holding fast to something valued, showing great determination
Indulgent
Excessive generosity, overly tolerant
Polarize
To create disunity, to be divisive
Nebulous
Vague, cloudy, mistly
Analogy
A similarity between two things that are otherwise unrelated
Analogous
Comparable in certain respects
Propensity
A liking or preference for something; predilection; penchant
Capricious
Easily changeable, constantly shifting moods; mercurial
Mercurial
Easily changeable, constantly shifting moods; capricious
Boorish
Vulgar, characterized by crude behavior, unrefined, uncouth, crass
Uncouth
Vulgar, characterized by crude behavior, unrefined, boorish, crass
Crass
Vulgar, characterized by crude behavior, unrefined, boorish, uncouth
Indignant
Outrage at something that is perceived as unjust
Innuendo
A veiled reference
Stymie
To stop, frustrate, prevent
Adroit
Showing great skill
Admonish
To scold or reprimand firmly
Incontrovertible
Impossible to deny
Voracious
Having a huge appetite that cannot be satisfied; rapacious
Callous
Emotionally hardened
Rapacious
Having a huge appetite that cannot be satisfied; voracious
Intrepid
Courageous, undaunted, resolute
Nonchalant
Having an air of casual indifference
Convulted
Twisted
Itinerant
Migrating from place to place
Poignant
Touching, moving
Impetus
Stimulus or encouragement that results in increased activity
Bucolic
Charming, unspoiled countryside, rural; rustic; pastoral
Rustic
Charming, unspoiled countryside, rural; bucolic; pastoral
Equanimity
Calmness, composure, poise
Panache
Great vigor and energy, especially in artistic performance; flamboyance; verve; elan
Verve
Great vigor and energy, especially in artistic performance; flamboyance; panace; elan
Elan
Great vigor and energy, especially in artistic performance; flamboyance; verve; panache
Placid
Calm, serene
Fortuitous
Of accidental but fortunate occurrence
Amalgam
A mixture, a blend, a combination of different elements.
Anguish
Agonizing physical or mental pain
Intemperate
Lacking restraint; excessive
Temperate
Exercising moderation and restraint
Extol
Praise; applaud; taut
Taut
Praise; applaud; extol
Laud
Praise; applaud; taut; extol
Disparage
To belittle, to express a negative opinion of
Pompous
Pretentious
Disparity
An imbalance
Curtail
To cut short or reduce
Innocuous
Harmless, unlikely to give offense or arouse strong feelings or hostility
Diatribe
A long, angry, rant; tirade; harangue
Harangue
A long, angry, rant; tirade; diatribe
Tirade
A long, angry, rant; harangue; diatribe
Charlatan
A fake; fraud; impostor
Hedonist
Someone who believes that pleasure is the chief goal in life
Ascetic
A person who gives up material comforts and leads a life of self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion
Raconteur
A person who excels in telling stories
Partisan
A supporter of a person, party, or cause; a person with strong and perhaps biased beliefs.
Polymath
A person whose expertise spans many subject areas
Dilettante
An amateur or dabbler; a person with a superficial interest in an art or a branch of knowledge.
Acolyte
A devoted follower
Demagogue
A leader who appeals to the emotions, fears, and prejudices of the populace. Also a very good speaker.
Automaton
A self-operating machine, a mindless follower, a person who acts in a mechanical fashion.
Recluse
A person who leads a secluded or solitary life
Bungler
Someone who is clumsy or inept, a person who makes mistakes because of incompetence.
Clairvoyant
Someone who can see things that normal people cannot see.
Prognosticator
A person who makes predictions based on current information and data. See prognosis (A forecast concerning the causes of disease and the chances of recovery)
Pundit
An expert commentator, an authority who expresses his opinion.
Zealot
A very enthusiastic person, a true believer, a fanatic.
Neophyte
Novice, a beginner, someone new to a field or activity
Greenhorn
Novice, a beginner, someone new to a field or activity
Benefactor
A person who makes (factio) a gift or something good (bene).
Beneficiary
The person who receives funds
Precocious
Very advanced development
Misanthrope
A person who hates or distrusts humankind
Sycophant
A person who seeks favor by flattering people of influence
Stolid
Seemingly indifferent, stoic, unaffected by emotions
Reprobate
A morally unprincipled person
Renegade
A disloyal person who betrays his or her cause; a traitor; a deserter
Draconian
Characterized by ver strict laws, rules, and punishments.
Laconic
Very brief, concise, succinct, terse.
Spartan
Plain; simple; austere
Halcyon
Idyllically calm and peaceful; an untroubled golden time of satisfaction, happiness, and tranquility.
Sophistry
A plausible but deliberately misleading or fallacious argument designed to deceive someone
Chimerical
Given to fantastic schemes, existing only in the imagination, impossible
Ostracize
To exclude from a group
Impecunious
Poor, penniless, not affluent
Nefarious
Famous for being wicked, villainous, vile, reprobate
Jovial
Good-humored; cheerful; jocular
Dirge
A funeral hymn
Maudlin
Tearful; excessively sentimental, but not mawkish
Mawkish
Nauseatingly sentimental, maudlin to the extreme
Quixotic
Foolishly impractical in the pursuit of ideals
Pandemonium
A wild uproar
Martinet
A strict disciplinarian; a person who demands absolute adherence to forms and rules
Fiasco
A complete failure; a debacle
Debacle
A disaster or a great failure
Bowdlerize
To remove parts of a book, song, or other work that are considered offensive, to expurgate
Galvanize
To electrify; to stir into action as if with an electric shock.
Picayune
Small value or importance; petty; trifling
Gerrymander
To divide a geographic area in a way that gives an unfair advantage to one party in elections
Maverick
An independent individual who does not go along with the group; a nonconformist
Juggernaut
An irresistible force that crushes everything in its path
Serendipity
Discovery by fortunate accident
Zenith
The highest point; the peak; the apex
Nadir
The lowest point; the bottom
Expurgate
To censor, to bowdlerize; to take out; to delete
Excise
To cut out, to remove
Expunge
To cross out or eliminate
Eccentric
An odd, unconventional person
Extricate
To get out of a difficult situation or entaglement
Exemplary
Outstanding; worthy of imitation
Redundant
Needlessly repetitive
Repudiate
To reject, to refuse to support, to diavow
Recant
To take back
Renounce
To turn away from, to reject
Relinquish
To let something go
Resilient
Bouncing back from adversity or misfortune; recovering quickly
Reaffirm
To assert again; to confirm; to state positively
Reticent
Holding back one’s thoughts, feelings, and personal affairs
Rebuff
To bluntly reject, to snuff
Renovate
To make new again; to restore by repairing and remodeling
Rejuvenate
To make young again; to restore youthful vigor and appearance
Resurgent
Rising again, surging back
Repugnant
Offensive to the mind or senses; causing distaste or aversion; abhorrent
Deleterious
Harmful; injurious
Decry
To put down in the sense of openly condemning; to express strong disapproval
Despondent
Downcast; very rejected; forlorn; morose
Morose
Downcast; very rejected; forlorn; despondent
Denounce
To speak against
Demise
The ending of existence or activity
Debunk
To put down something by exposing false and exaggerated claims
Derisive
Showing contempt or snide
Devoid
Empty of
Impeccable
Perfect; having no flaws
Implacable
Not capable of being placated
Inexorable
Not capable of being stopped; relentless; inevitable
Incoherent
Lacking logical or meaning connections
Insurmountable
Not capable of being surmounted or overcome
Irreverent
Lacking proper respect or seriousness; disrespectful
Irresolute
Not resolute; uncertain how to act or proceed; indecisive; vacillating
Circumspect
Looking carefully around, thus cautious and careful; prudent; discreet
Circuitous
Roundabout, having an indirect nature
Circumvent
To avoid by artful maneuvering; to circle around and therefore bypass.
Circumscribe
To draw a line around and therefore narrowly limit or restrict actions.
Magnanimous
Filled with generosity and forgiveness; forgoing resentment and revenge
Erroneous
Filled with errors; wrong
Momentous
Filled with importance; very significant
Mellifluous
Smooth and sweet; flowing like honey
Ominous
Filled with menace; threatening
Acrimonious
Filled with bitterness; sharpness in words; rancorous
Copious
Filled with abundance; plentiful
Abstemious
Filled with moderation; temperate in eating and drinking
Malodorous
Filled with an unpleasant odor
Tedious
Very tiresome, dull, and fatiguing; filled with boredom
Egregious
Flagrant, conspicuously bad, abominable; shockingly evil; monstrous; outrageous; heinous
Heinous
Horrible, “hidoi” and evil
Gratuitous
Unwarranted; not called for by the circumstances; unnecessary
Precarious
Dangerous, difficult, uncertain; characterized by a lack of security or stability
Wistful
Longing and yearning; tinged with melancholy and pensiveness
Earnest
Showing depth and sincerity of feelings; serious in intention or purpose
Disgruntled, discontented
Angry, dissatisfied, annoyed, impatient, irritated
Authoritative
Commanding and self confident; likely to be respected and obeyed, based on competent authority.
Frivolity
Not serious or sensible
Frivolous
Lacking any serious purpose or value; given to trifling or levity
Acerbic
Very sarcastic, Harsh, bitter, sharp, caustic, acrid
Acrid
Harsh, bitter, sharp, caustic, acerbic
Somber
Serious, not cheerful or smiling; gloomy; solemn; grave
Solemn
Serious, not cheerful or smiling; gloomy
Grave
Serious, not cheerful or smiling; gloomy
Inquisitive
Curious, inquiring
Reflective
Engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought; pensive
Pensive
Engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought, usually marked by sadness or melancholy; reflective
Equivocal
Ambiguous, open to interpretation, having several equally possible meanings
Equivocate
To avoid making an explicit statement; to hedge; to use vague or ambiguous language
Deferential
Respectful; dutiful
Ebullient
Feeling or expressing great happiness or triumph
Euphoric
Feeling or expressing great happiness or triumph
Exuberant
Feeling or expressing great happiness or triumph
Ecstatic
Feeling or expressing great happiness or triumph
Elated
Feeling or expressing great happiness or triumph
Benevolent
Well meaning; kindly
Malevolent
Wishing evil to others, showing ill will
Whimsical
Playful, fanciful; capricious; given to whimsies or odd notions
Vindictive
Having a strong desire for revenge
Prosaic
Dull; uninteresting; ordinary; commonplace; banal; hackneyed; mundane
Vitriolic
Bitter, caustic, acerbic, filled with malice
Conciliatory
Appeasing; intending to placate
Despairing
Showing the loss of all hope
Inflammatory
Intended to inflame a situation and ignite angry or violent feelings