Elevate (nouns) Flashcards
To learn new nouns
reprieve (noun)
rɪˈpriːv
a temporary relief from something unpleasant.
e.g. The rain gave us a reprieve from the heat.
acme (noun)
ˈækmi
the highest point or peak of something.
e.g. The acme of her career was her nomination to the Court.
epicure (noun)
ˈɛpɪkjʊər
one who appreciates fine food and drink.
e.g. The epicure savored every bite of the exquisite meal.
frisson (noun)
a brief moment of excitement or passion.
e.g. Was it love at first sight or simply a frisson?
candor (noun)
ˈkændər
honesty and openness in sharing thoughts and opinions.
e.g. She shared her feelings with brave candor.
horde (noun)
a large group or crowd of people.
e.g. A horde of fans gathered at the festival.
sleuth (noun)
sluːθ
a person who investigates crimes; a detective.
e.g. The perspicacious sleuth easily identified the thief.
valedictorian (noun)
a student, typically having the highest academic achievements of the class, who delivers the valedictory at a graduation ceremony.
catharsis (noun)
emotional release or purification.
e.g. Crying can be a healing form of catharsis.
literati (ˌlɪtəˈrɑti)
educated or scholarly people.
e.g. The literati gathered for the book launch.
summit (noun)
a meeting between heads of government.
e.g. The leaders of several nations gathered at the climate summit.
citadel (noun)
a fortress protecting a city.
e.g. The citadel’s walls surrounded the old city.
façade (noun)
a fake or deceptive appearance.
e.g. She hid her nerves behind the façade of a smile.
jabberwocky (noun)
nonsense writing or talk, gibberish.
e.g. That presentation was a bunch of jabberwocky.
scofflaw (noun)
someone who openly breaks the law.
e.g. That scofflaw parked in the loading zone for days.
churl (noun)
a rude or impolite person.
e.g. The churl failed to make friends at the party.
tenor (noun)
the general meaning or content throughout something.
e.g. The serious tenor of her words conecerned me.
deference (noun)
respectful regard or polite submission to another.
e.g. The crowd was quiet, giving deference to the king.
morass (noun)
a confusing situation or one with many obstacles.
e.g. The airport is a morass of security lines.
claptrap (noun)
important-sounding but meaningless words; nonsense.
e.g. The untrained employee spoke claptrap to clients.
cupidity (noun)
excessive desire for money or possessions.
e.g. The criminal had only his own cupidity to blame.
altercation (noun)
a loud and angry argument or disagreement.
e.g. The politicians’ debate grew into an altercation.
nimiety (noun)
excess or a quantity much larger than is needed.
e.g. He put the nimiety of food to use and donated it.
debacle (noun)
a sudden and disastrous failure.
e.g. Once the rain began, the event was a total debacle.
anachronism (noun)
something that is misplaced in time.
e.g. The scooter was an anachronism in the historical movie.
idyll (noun)
a peaceful, picturesque scene.
e.g. My morning idyll was shattered by a noisy alarm.
cockalorum (noun)
a boastful or self-important person.
e.g. We quickly tired of the cockalorum’s braggy stories.
yoke (noun)
a connection, often to a source of burden.
e.g. The rebels tried to free themselves from the tyrant’s yoke.
panacea (noun)
solution or remedy to all problems.
e.g. Technology can be helpful, but it’s not a panacea.
counterpoise (noun)
a balance of forces or influences.
e.g. His calm acts as a counterpoise to her energy.
roturier (noun)
a commoner or person on non-noble birth.
e.g. The roturier worked hard in the wheat fields.
calumny (noun)
lies that tarnish another’s reputation.
e.g. Calumny from rivals ruined her job prospects.
vagabond (noun)
one who travels from place to place.
e.g. The vagabond told tales of his world travels.
sangfroid (noun)
composure, coolness, or poise.
e.g. They faced the crisis with impressive sangfroid.
moratorium (noun)
a delay, especially of formal proceedings.
e.g. The city place a moratorium on new construction.
felicity (noun)
great happiness or good fortune.
e.g. Nothing bring me more felicity than seeing friends.
satori (noun)
sudden enlightenment or spiritual awakening.
e.g. She went on the retreat hoping to find satori.
blandishments (noun)
extreme flattery, especially that meant to persuade.
e.g. Her blandishments at long last persuaded him.
anthology (noun)
a collection of literary works.
e.g. The anthology of essays features a range of authors.
alacrity (noun)
sense of eagerness.
e.g. I responded to my boss’s request with alacrity.
somnambulist
person who sleepwalks.
e.g. Rooming with a somnambulist is always an adventure.
sinecure
a job requiring little work that is often well-paid.
debauchery
immoral or corrupt behavior.
e.g. Their debauchery made them unfit to run the charity.
criterion
a basis for comparison or assessment.
e.g. Honesty is a key criterion for leadership.
plaudits
enthusiastic praise or applause.
e.g. The singer received plaudits for her performance.
adage
a short, wise saying o proverb.
e.g. ‘‘Better late than never’’ is a common adage.
behemoth
something enormous in size or power.
e.g. The cruise ship is a behemoth in the town’s tiny port.
folderol
nonsense or useless ornamentation.
e.g. The speech was full of folderol and lacked substance.
deceit
the act of convincing someone to believe lies.
e.g. The conman uses deceit to sell fake watches.
aesthete
a person who loves beauty and art.
e.g. As an aesthete, they love visiting museums.
clamor
a loud noise, especially made by people.
e.g. Our cat was frightened by the toddler’s clamor.
