Elite Vocab 1 Flashcards
cataclysm
n. a disastrous event, usually one that brings about great change
adj. cataclysmic
acrimony
n. bitter, sharp hostility in speech or behavior
adj. acrimonious
catastrophe
n. disaster; sudden misfortune
adj. catastrophic
debacle
n. an overwhelming defeat or failure
fiasco
n. a major disaster
fray
n. a fight or brawl
melee
n. a noisy, confused fight
querulous
adj. inclined to find fault; complaining; full of complaint
squabble
n. a noisy argument, esp. over an unimportant matter
tribulation
n. a great misery or distress
circumlocution
n. an indirect or wordy way of expressing an idea
colloquial
adj. appropriate to spoken, as opposed to written, language; informal
colloquy
n. conversation, esp. a formal one
elocution
n. the art of public speaking, with attention to delivery
eloquent
adj. articulte; convincing and effective in speech
grandiloquent
adj. using excessively fancy or pompous words
interlocutor
n. someone who takes part in a conversation, esp. formally
loquacious
adj. very talkative
soliloquy
n. a dramatic speech delivered by a character to himself
tautology
n. needless repetition of an idea in different words (e.g., “widow woman”); a statement that is logically true no matter what (e.g., “the committee’s term shall last one year or until it ends)
crop
v. to cut or bite the ends off; to trim
exact
v. to demand and obtain by force or authority
n. exaction
graphic
adj. described in vivid and explicit detail
hedge
v. to protect against possible loss by taking compensatory measures; to avoid making a direct statement
novel
adj. strikingly new
n. novelty
occasion
v. to cause; to provide appropriate opportunity for
own
v. to admit, esp. taking personal responsibility for one’s own actions or thoughts
plastic
adj. capable pf being shaped or molded; easily influenced
qualify
v. to modify, limit, or restrict, as by giving expectations
n. qualification
start
v. to move suddenly or involuntarily
abate
v. to lessen in amount, intensity or strength
n. abatement
abstruse
adj. difficult to understand
ado
n. trouble; fuss
aegis
n. a protection; sponsorship
awry
adv. away from the correct course; wrong; deviant
bask
v. to enjoy a warm or pleasant feeling
bilk
v. to swindle; to cheat
brusque
adj. abrupt or curt of manner
catharsis
n. purging of the emotions
adj. cathartic
cavalier
adj. casual, disdainful
coax
v. to persuade or obtain by pleading or flattery
comport
v. to conduct or behave oneself; to be compatible or in agreement with
courteous
adj. polite and gracious; considerate toward others; well-mannered
covet
v. to desire strongly
adj. covetous
deadlock
n. a tie; a standstill
decadence
n. a period of decline, as in morals
n. decadence
defile
v. to corrupt; to desecrate or sully
demeanor
n. outward behavior, esp. that reveals one’s personality or attitude
demur
v. to object; to disagree with something
desolate
adj. left alone; lonely; deserted
n. desolation
douse
v. to wet thoroughly
efface
v. to rub out, as from a surface; to erase
empirical
adj. based on experience rather than a theory
n. empiricism
excruciating
adj. severely painful
fitful
adj. occurring in irregular outbursts; occurring in spurts
flora
n. plants as a group, esp. of a specified region or time
forbear
v. to be patient or avoid doing
garner
v. to get or earn; to collect or gather
giddy
adj. dizzy; lightheaded
gist
n. the main objective or point
hallmark
n. any mark or symbol of genuineness or high quality
haunt
v. to visit often or continually; n. a place visited frequently
hodgepodge
n. a mixture; combination
inculcate
v. to teach or impress by frequent repetition; to instill
infer
v. to reason or conclude from evidence
n. inference
jest
v. to be playful in speech and actions; to joke
n. jester
lachrymose
adj. causing tears; weeping or inclined to weep
laity
n. all the people not belonging to a given profession, esp. the clergy
libertine
n. one who lives an immoral life
martial
adj. warlike
memento
n. a reminder or a souvenir
naïve
adj. simple; childlike; lacking worldly wisdom
neologism
n. new word or phrase
nihilism
n. a belief that rejects all moral or religious values; the belief that the destruction of political or social institutions is necessary for future improvement
adj. nihilistic
officious
adj. interfering; trying to give unwanted advice
overweening
adj. excessively arrogant; overbearing
pariah
n. a social outcast
pliant
adj. easily bent; pliable; adaptable or compliant
privation
n. lack of basic necessities
quagmire
n. Wet, boggy ground; a difficult situation
rapport
n. concord; a trustful relationship; harmony
reimburse
v. to repay
renege
v. to fail or carry out a promise
reproof
n. an expression of disapproval; a rebuke
v. reprove
rout
n. an overwhelming defeat; a disorderly retreat or flight following a defeat; v. to defeat overwhelmingly
shoddy
adj. inferior or cheap
stifle
v. to interrupt or cut off; to keep in or hold back; to suffocate or smother
adj. stifling
surly
adj. sullen and rude
trifle
n. something that lacks significance or worth
adj. trifling
wield
v. to handle (for example a tool); to exert (for example power)
charlatan
n. a fake; one who pretends to have expert knowledge
disingenuous
adj. not straightforward or candid; crafty; insincere or calculating
facade
n. outward appearance; the face of a building
fictitious
adj. not real; false
forgery
n. something counterfeit; an illegally produced imitation
v. forge
impostor
n. a person using a false identity
masquerade
v. to wear a disguise; to put on a false appearance
mendacious
adj. lying; false, esp. habitually
prevaricate
v. to speak or write evasively in order to avoid telling the truth
n. prevarication
ruse
n. an action or device intended to deceive
altercation
n. a heated or noisy argument
bellicose
adj. warlike
churlish
adj. having a bad disposition; rude; boorish
n. churl
disgruntled
adj. discontented; displeased
embitter
v. to make bitter; to cause resentment
grievance
n. a cause or reason for protest
infuriate
v. to cause to become very angry; to enrage
invidious
adj. tending to arouse hostility or resentment
ire
n. anger
adj. irate
vendetta
n. a bitter feud or quarrel; fight
dismal
adj. causing gloom or depression
maladroit
adj. awkward; clumsy; bungling
malady
n. a disease; illness; sickness
malaise
n. a vague feeling of physical discomfort or uneasiness
malapropism
n. a ridiculous misuse of words
adj. malapropos
malediction
n. evil talk about someone; slander; a curse
malefactor
n. one who does wrong; a villain
malevolent
adj. showing hatred; dangerous
n. malevolence
malignant
adj. very harmful; threatening death; cancerous (of a tumor)
n. malignancy
malinger
v. to act sick in order to avoid work
badger
v. to nag
bait
v. to torment or harass; to lure
bridle
v. to restrain
brook
v. to tolerate
court
v. to attempt to gain, esp. love or favor; to behave so as to invite
ferret
v. search; to seek (with “out”)
grave
adj. serious; dignified; formal
n. gravity
motion
n. a formal proposal
produce
n. fresh fruits and vegetables
pronounced
adj. strongly marked; clearly indicated
accouterment
n. secondary items of equipment or dress (usually plural)
n. accoutrement
allure
n. the power to attract with something desirable
adj. alluring
arbiter
n. a person selected to judge a dispute
v. arbitrate
avatar
n. an embodiment, as of a quality or concept
bellow
v. to yell very loudly; to shout
blasé
adj. indifferent or bored with life; unimpressed as if because of too much worldly experience
buttress
v. to prop up or support
n. buttress
contour
n. outline of an object or a figure
dally
v. to waste time; loiter
debunk
v. to expose the falsehood of
deciduous
adj. shedding or disappearing at the end of a season, e.g., leaves
defame
v. to attack a person’s reputation; to slander
n. defamation
demented
adj. insane; crazy
despondent
adj. so sad as to lack all hope
n. despondency
deter
v. to prevent or discourage from acting by means of fear or doubt
n. deterrence
eccentric
adj. unconventional; odd
n. eccentricity
éclat
n. great brilliance, as of performance or achievement; conspicuous success
egress
n. going out; the right to go out or exit
elegy
n. a poem that mourns a death; a composition (e.g. a piece of music) that resembles such a poem in mood
adj. elegiac
emend
v. to correct
n. emendation
entice
v. to attract or lure
n. enticement
environs
n. surroundings
expedient
adj. suitable for a purpose; convenient but based on self-interest rather than principle; n. a means to an end, especially when based on self-interest
expiate
v. to make amends for
n. expiation
fickle
adj. unreliable in faith; changing in affections
flout
v. to intentionally and obviously disobey
gruff
adj. rough; harsh
hearten
v. encourage; give strength
iconoclast
n. one who attacks and seeks to destroy widely accepted ideas
adj. iconoclastic
inaugurate
v. to formally bring into office at the beginning of a term
n. inauguration
infraction
n. a violation of a law or rule
iridescent
adj. shining with colors
jostle
v. to push and shove; to move by pushing or elbowing
karma
n. destiny; in Hinduism and Buddhism: the total effect of a person’s conduct in successive phases of existence, believed to influence individual destiny
kowtow
v. to show servile deference; to touch the forehead to the ground as an act of respect
lacuna
n. an empty space or missing portion
pl. lacunae
languid
adj. sluggish; lacking energy
n. languor
leer
v. to look at lustfully; to ogle
lurk
v. to lie in wait; to wait furtively
machination
n. an artful or secret plot or scheme
maul
v. to injure; mangle
menagerie
m. a collection of wild and strange animals kept in cages
miasma
n. a noxious or poisonous atmosphere
nonpareil
adj. having no equal
n. nonpareil
opportunist
n. one who takes advantage of every opportunity, whether or not it is moral to do so
philippic
n. a harsh verbal attack or denunciation
polyglot
n. one who speaks many languages; adj. speaking many languages
profess
v. to declare or claim openly
pugnacious
adj. belligerent, ready to fight
quirk
n. a rapid twist and turn; an individual mannerism
realm
n. a region; a kingdom
reproach
v. to express disapproval for a fault, usually out of a sense of disappointment
n. reproach; adj. reproachful
resolute
adj. firmly determined
n. resolution
rudimentary
adj. elementary; basic
n. rudiment
saccharine
adj. overly or sickeningly sweet
sedulous
adj. working hard and steadily; diligent
tally
v. to count; to add
terse
adj. without unnecessary words; succinct
tranquil
adj. calm, unruffled
n. tranquility
vagabond
n. a person without a permanent home
