English, 6 Flashcards
Traipse
to walk around casually or without a specific destination
Acumen
the ability to make quick accurate intelligent judgments about people or situations
Effulgence
brightness or a brilliant light radiating from something
Fealty
loyalty or allegiance shown to anyone
Perambulation
to walk about a place
Congeries
a collection or assortment of things
Chrism
anointing with holy oil
Nadir
the lowest possible point
Obfuscate
to make something obscure or unclear
Adjure
to order somebody to do something, especially under oath
Ken
somebody’s knowledge or understanding
Benumb
to remove the sense of feeling from a faculty or part of the body, especially by exposure to extreme cold
Leitmotiv
a recurring theme or thematic passage of music
Prolixity
tiresomely wordy
Equable
calm and not easily disturbed
Extirpate
to completely get rid of, kill off, or destroy somebody or something considered undesirable
Tumult
1) noisy commotion; 2) an emotional upheaval
Garrulous
1) excessively talkative; 2) wordy
Bellwether
1) an indicator of future developments or trends; 2) a leader
Chirrup
1) to chirp; 2) to speak in a cheerful, lively, and high-pitched voice
Belabor
to subject somebody to a sustained verbal or literary attack
Prostrate
to lie prone or stretched out with the face downward or bow very low
Resplendent
having a dazzlingly impressive appearance
Loquacious
talkative
Lucubrate
a written work resulting from prolonged study, often having a scholarly or pedantic style (often used in the plural)
Chicane
to cheat somebody
Gallant
1) courteous and thoughtful, especially toward women; 2) brave, spirited, and honorable
Florid
1) having an unhealthily glowing pink or red complexion; 2) ornate and wordy in style
Impudent
showing a lack of respect and excessive boldness
Abase
to degrade or belittle somebody
Vaticinate
to predict future events
Tallow
a hard fatty substance
Incorrigible
impossible or very difficult to correct or reform
Remonstrance
a formal, forceful argument
Physiognomy
the feature’s of somebody’s face that are used to judge their character
Lassitude
a state of weariness accompanied by listlessness or apathy
Intrepid
courageous and bold
Banal
dull and unoriginal
Purloin
insulting language or treatment
Leaven
something that lightens the weight or mood of something
Fixity
something that is unchanging
Cabalistic
mysterious or esoteric
Lofty
1) very high; 2) exalted; 3) high-ranking; 4) haughty
Stucco
wall plaster
Sybarite
somebody devoted to luxury and the gratification of sensual desires (from the ancient Greek city Sybaris)
Abnegate
to renounce something
Gesticulate
to express something with movements of the arms or hands, often when speaking
Alight
(adj.) filled with energy, excitement, interest, or pleasure
Bedizen
to dress or decorate somebody in a vulgar or exaggerated way
Staid
sober and steady in temperament; dull
Vouchsafe
to promise, give, or allow
Brusque
abrupt, blunt, or curt in manner or speech
Gait
a manner of walking
Sally
1) a witty remark; 2) sudden action or expression
Grate
make noise from rubbing things together
Asperity
harshness or severity of manner or tone
Distend
to swell as if by pressure from within
Vertiginous
dizzying
Promontory
projecting part of bodily organ or point of land
Oleograph
an oil-color lithograph
Asperse
to harshly criticize something or somebody
Compunction
feelings of shame about something wrong
Doleful
sad and mournful
Penurious
having little money
Samovar
Russian tea urn
Tremulous
shaking or trembling from fear or nervousness
Harridan
an offensive term for a woman that deliberately insults her age as advanced and her temperament as assertive
Carmine
deep red color
Repose
rest; tranquility; peace of mind; composure
Inimical
1) not favorable; 2) hostile
Epigram
a witty saying or short poem
Chit
1) a slip of paper; 2) an impertinent girl
Impenitent
showing no regret or sorrow for misbehavior
Contumely
1) contempt; 2) a derisive remark
Inequity
1) lack of fairness or justice; 2) an unfair situation or action
Histrionic
overdramatic in reaction or behavior
Prefatory
serving to introduce something such as a main body of text or a speech
Punctilious
very careful about the conventions of correct behavior and etiquette
Accost
to approach and stop somebody in order to speak to that person, especially in an aggressive, insistent, or suggestive way
Immure
to confine somebody in prison
Morose
having a withdrawn gloomy personality
Ingratiate
seeking to please somebody
Peregrination
a journey
Ignominy
a total loss of dignity and self-respect, or an incurring of public disgrace
Perdition
everlasting punishment in hell
Aleatory
depending on chance or contingency
Educe
to elicit or derive something
Dispositive
deciding the final outcome of a court case
Indubitable
obvious or definitely true, and not to be doubted
Accede
1) to give consent or agreement to something; 2) to come to power
Redact
to edit something
Recursive
self-repeating
Felicitous
1) appropriate or suitable; 2) pleasant
Laconic
using few words
Colloquy
a formal discussion
Adamantine
extremely hard and unyielding
Expiate
atone for wrongdoing
Glen
a long, narrow valley
Unbridled
free and openly expressed
Wile
a cunning strategy