english- vocab Flashcards
1
Q
soporific
A
a medicine or other substance that makes you sleep of calm
2
Q
the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens
A
the clouds were low in the sky and felt oppressive
3
Q
pervade
A
take over, permeate
3
Q
look upon ….. before you
A
look at something in front of you
4
Q
the insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit
A
the gloom took over me
5
Q
unnerve
A
demoralise, discourage
6
Q
lustre
A
shine, gloss
7
Q
sojourn
A
stay/visit (noun)
8
Q
alleviate
A
ease
9
Q
aberration
A
a state or condition markedly different from the norm
“they described the outbreak of violence in the area as an aberration”
10
Q
acquiesce
A
agree or express agreement
11
Q
alacrity
A
liveliness and eagerness
“she accepted the invitation with alacrity”
12
Q
amiable
A
diffusing warmth and friendliness
13
Q
appease
A
try to please
14
Q
arcane
A
requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
“He was the only person who understood all the arcane details of the agreement.”
15
Q
avarice
A
insatiable desire for wealth
“he was rich beyond the dreams of avarice”
16
Q
brazen
A
unrestrained by convention or propriety
“it was a brazen attempt to rig the result”
17
Q
brusque
A
rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner
18
Q
furtive
A
secret and sly
19
Q
cajole
A
rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner
20
Q
circumspect (adj)
A
careful to consider potential consequences and avoid risk
“the officials were very circumspect in their statements”
21
Q
coerce (verb)
A
cause to do through pressure or necessity
22
Q
confidant (noun)
A
someone to whom private matters are told
23
Q
connive (verb)
A
form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner
24
cumulative (adj)
increasing, growing
25
debase (verb)
degrade, devalue, demean
26
demure (adj)
modest, meek, reserved
reserved, modest, and shy (typically used of a woman).
27
deferential
showing deference; respectful.
"people were always deferential to him"
28
callous
cold, coldhearted, heartless
"his callous comments about the murder made me shiver"
29
candid
frank, outspoken, open, blunt
"his responses were remarkably candid"
30
candour
frankness, honesty, openness
"a man of refreshing candor"
31
avarice (noun)
"extreme greed for wealth or material gain."
greed, materialism, acquisitiveness
"he was rich beyond the dreams of avarice"
32
brusque
"abrupt or offhand in speech or manner."
abrupt, blunt, sharp
"she could be brusque and impatient"
33
alacrity
"she accepted the invitation with alacrity"
brisk and cheerful readiness.
eagerness, willingness, enthusiasm
34
despot (noun)
tyrant, dictator, totalitarian
"a ruler or other person who holds absolute power, typically one who exercises it in a cruel or oppressive way."
35
complacency
a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements.
self satisfaction, self approval, smugness
36
differential
"the differential achievements of boys and girls"
distinctive, different
37
eloquent
"an eloquent speech"
persuasive, expressive, articulate
38
enmity
"decades of enmity between the two countries"
hostility, animosity, antagonism
39
erudite (errordite)
"Ken could turn any conversation into an erudite discussion"
scholarly, well educated
40
extol
praise enthusiastically.
"he extolled the virtues of the Russian peoples"
praise enthusiastically, go into raptures
41
fabricate
invent or concoct (something), typically with deceitful intent.
forge, falsify, fake
"officers fabricated evidence"
42
fractious
(typically of children) irritable and quarrelsome.
grumpy, grouchy
43
furtive
attempting to avoid notice or attention
secretive, surreptitious
44
futile
incapable of producing any useful result; pointless.
pointless, useless
45
gratuitous
uncalled for; lacking good reason
unjustified, without good reason uncalled for
"gratuitous violence"
46
haughty
arrogantly superior and disdainful.
conceited, proud, vain
47
hypocrisy
the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense.
48
impertinent
lack of respect; rudeness.
insolence, rudeness, bad manners
49
impeccable
"a man of impeccable character"
flawless, faultless, spotless
50
implicit
implied though not plainly expressed.
"comments seen as implicit criticism of the policies"
indirect, inferred
51
incredulous
"an incredulous gasp"
disbelieving, doubtful, unconvinced
52
incisive
"she was an incisive critic"
sharp-witted, razor-sharp, penetrating
53
indolent
wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy.
"they were indolent and addicted to a life of pleasure"
lazy, idle, slothful
54
dubious
"Alex looked dubious, but complied"
doubtful, uncertain unsure
"extremely dubious assumptions"
suspicious, untrustworthy
55
inept
having or showing no skill; clumsy.
"the inept handling of the threat"
incompetent, unskillful, inexpert
56
infamy
the state of being well known for some bad quality or deed.
notoriety, disrepute, ill fame
57
inhibit
hinder, restrain, or prevent (an action or process).
"cold inhibits plant growth"
impede, hinder
58
innate
"her innate capacity for organisation"
inherent, natural, intrinsic,
59
insular
ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one's own experience.
narrow minded, limited
60
insatiable
(of an appetite or desire) impossible to satisfy.
61
intrepid
fearless; adventurous
"Luckily, we have some brave and intrepid reviewers who are willing to take a stand."
62
indoctrinate
teach (a person or group) to accept a set of beliefs uncritically.
brainwash, propagandize
63
inveterate (adj)
having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change.
"he was an inveterate gambler"
ingrained, deep seated
64
jubilant
feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph.
exultant, joyful, overjoyed
65
lithe
(especially of a person's body) thin, supple, and graceful.
agile, graceful, supple
"she lay gazing up at his tall, lithe figure"
66
lurid
very vivid in color, especially so as to create an unpleasantly harsh or unnatural effect.
garish
"lurid food colourings"
67
maverick
an unorthodox or independent-minded person.
individualist, nonconformist
"he's the maverick of the fashion scene"
68
maxim
a short, pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct.
saying, proverb
"the maxim that actions speak louder than words"
69
meticulous
careful, diligent, scrupulous
70
odious
extremely unpleasant; repulsive.
"a pretty odious character"
"he's one of the most odious people you could ever meet"
revolting, repulsive, disgusting
71
insipid
tasteless, flavourless
"mugs of insipid coffee"
lacking vigor or interest.
"many artists continued to churn out insipid, shallow works"
72
morose
sullen and ill-tempered.
"she was morose and silent when she got home"
sulky, bad tempered
73
modicum
a small quantity of a particular thing, especially something considered desirable or valuable.
little bit, small amount, particle
74
myriad
a countless or extremely great number.
75
macabre
"a macabre series of murders"
gruesome, grim, gory
edgar alan poe
76
nadir (nay-deer)
the lowest point in the fortunes of a person or organization.
"they had reached the nadir of their sufferings"
77
nominal
(of a role or status) existing in name only.
"Thailand retained nominal independence under Japanese military occupation"
78
novice
"he was a complete novice in foreign affairs"
beginner, learner
79
nuance
a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound.
"Well, I don't think the objection captures the nuance of the Catholic position."
80
oblivious
not aware of or not concerned about what is happening around one.
81
obsequious
obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
"they were served by obsequious waiters"
82
obtuse
stupid, dull
"he wondered if the doctor was being deliberately obtuse"
83
panacea
"the panacea for all corporate ills"
"getting rid of fossil fuels is not the panacea for global warming"
universal cure, cure-all
a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases.
84
parody
an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.
85
penchant
a strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something.
"he has a penchant for adopting stray dogs"
86
perusal
the action of reading or examining something.
"I continued my perusal of the instructions"
87
plethora
an abundance, excess
"Travellers can choose from a plethora of different lodging options on a mountain vacation."
88
predilection
a preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something.
"my predilection for Asian food"
89
quaint
attractively unusual or old-fashioned.
"quaint country cottages"
90
rash
reckless, impetuous
91
refurbish
renovate and redecorate
renovate, recondition
"the premises have been completely refurbished in our corporate style"
92
repudiate
refuse to accept or be associated with.
"she has repudiated policies associated with previous party leaders"
reject, renounce
93
rife
widespread, general, common
"male chauvinism was rife in medicine in those days"
94
salient
most noticeable or important.
important, main, principal
95
serendipity
good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries
96
superfluous
unnecessary, especially through being more than enough.
97
staid
serious, respectable, and unadventurous
"staid old man"
98
sycophant
a person who uses flattery to win favour from individuals wielding influence
99
taciturn
(of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.
untalkative, reticent
100
truculent
eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant.
defiant, aggressive
101
umbrage
take umbrage at something
take offence, be offended
102
blasphemy
profane talk, profanity
blasphemous (adj)
103
venerable
accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character.
respected, honourable
104
vociferous
vehement (vee-uh-muhnt), outspoken
"he was a vociferous opponent of the takeover"
105
zenith
highest point
"reached its zenith of societal disharmony and discord"
106
Ambiguous
open to more than one interpretation; having a double meaning.
107
Comprehensive
complete; including all or nearly all elements or aspects of something.
108
Impregnable
unable to be captured or broken into.
impenetrable
109
Inception
the establishment or starting point of an institution or activity.
"since its inception tesla has revolutionised the electric car industry"
110
Intricacy
details, especially of an involved or perplexing subject.
111
Introspective
characterized by or given to introspection.
inward looking, self analysing
112
Brevity
the act of being brief, conciseness
"The need for brevity made Lincoln pack a great deal into few words."
113
Connotation
"the word “discipline” has unhappy connotations of punishment and repression"
114
Imbibe
drink (alcohol).
She imbibed vast quantities of coffee.
or absorb, assimilate
115
imbue
permeate, inspire, pervade
It imbued me with a sense of national pride.
116
Stipend
a fixed regular sum paid as a salary or allowance.
117
Affluence
"a sign of our growing affluence"
wealth, prosperity, opulence
118
Philistine
"I am a complete philistine when it comes to paintings"
ignoramus, anti intellectual
119
Embellishment
a decorative detail or feature added to something to make it more attractive.
120
voracious
wanting or devouring great quantities of something
"he had a voracious appetite"
insatiable, unquenchable
121
copious
abundant in supply or quantity.
"there was a copious amount of work to get through"
122
Misanthrope
a person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.
cynic, skeptic, hater of mankind
123
Ferocity
savagery, brutality the act of being ferocious
124
verbatim
in exactly the same words as were used originally.
"subjects were instructed to recall the passage verbatim"
125
Incongruous
not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something.
out of place, out of keeping
126
Conjecture (noun or verb)
"conjectures about the newcomer were many and varied"
guess, speculation, surmise
127
Dissolute
dissipated,
"a dissolute, drunken, disreputable rogue"
128
Lucid
expressed clearly; easy to understand.
intelligible, comprehensible
129
Evasive
"she was evasive about her phone number"
vague, ambiguous, indefinite
130
elusive
evasive, difficult to find, catch, or achieve
131
elucidate
make something clear; explain
132
Goad
"he goaded her on to more daring revelations"
provoke, spur
provoke or annoy (someone) so as to stimulate some action or reaction.
133
Quixotic
idealistic, unrealistic
exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
134
Assertion
a confident and forceful statement of fact or belief.
declaration, contention, statement
"his assertion that his father had deserted the family had shocked everyone"
135
Surmise
suppose that something is true without having evidence to confirm it.
deduce, guess
"he surmised that something must be wrong"
136
Coherence
the quality of being logical and consistent.
consistency, togetherness
"this raises further questions on the coherence of state policy"
137
Climactic
"the film's climactic scenes"
final, culminating, ending
138
Hypochondriac
a person who is abnormally anxious about their health.
neurotic
139
Extemporaneous
spoken or done without preparation.
140
Fidelity
loyalty, allegiance, faithfulness to a person, cause or belief
"he sought only the strictest fidelity to justice"
141
benign
innocent, kindly, warmhearted, good natured
142
subservient
prepared to obey others unquestioningly.
submissive, acquiescent
143
rudiments
basics, fudamentals
144
vivacious
bright, lively, animated
145
eminent
renowned, distinguished, esteemed
"one of the world's most eminent statisticians"
146
drudgery
hard work, toil, labour
147
indiscriminate
"the indiscriminate killing of civilians"
unselective, uncritical, aimless
148
interminable
"we got bogged down in interminable discussions"
endless, never ending
149
ergo
"she was the sole beneficiary of the will, ergo the prime suspect"
therefore, thus, consequential
150
ad hominem
"look at him, resorting to futile ad hominem attacks"
151
status quo
existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, political, religious, scientific or military issues.
152
ennui
a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.
boredom, tedium
153
carpe diem
used to urge someone to make the most of the present time and give little thought to the future.
154
in proviso
on the condition of, providing that.. a condition attached to an agreement.
"he left his unborn grandchild a trust fund with the proviso that he be named after the old man"
155
the devil is in the details
means that small or seemingly insignificant aspects of a situation or task can cause significant problems if they are overlooked or not properly addressed.
156
gravitas
solemnity, seriousness, gravity
157
A red herring
something that distracts attention from the real issue or leads someone off track.
158
A Pandora's box
159
to languish in obscurity
means to remain unnoticed, unrecognized, or unappreciated
160
delusions of grandeur
refers to a false belief or perception of one's own importance, power, or greatness that is not supported by reality.
"The actor's delusions of grandeur led him to believe he was destined for Hollywood stardom after landing a minor role in a local theater production."
161
Cognitive dissonance
The mental discomfort experienced by a person who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values.
162
Echo chamber
An environment where a person encounters only one type of belief or opinions usually theirs
163
False dichotomy
Presenting two opposing options as the only possibilities, when in fact more possibilities exist.
164
Moral compass
A person's ability to judge what is right and wrong and act accordingly.
165
Paradigm shift
A fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions.
166
paradigm
a typical example or pattern of something; a model.
example, standard, archetype
"the war was a paradigm of the destructive side of human nature"
167
make of that what you will
the interpretation or understanding of something is left up to the individual.
168
hinderance
the state of being interfered with, held back, or slowed down
"the locked gate was a hindrance to the walkers"
169
silver lining
something good that can be found in a bad situation.
The injury had a silver lining: it enabled Blake to spend his father's last weeks with him.
170
rustic
made in a plain and simple fashion.
171
robust
strong and healthy; vigorous.
strong, sturdy
or strong, flavourful
"he took quite a robust view of my case"
172
flagrant
blatant, obvious, evident
173
akin
like, similar to
"something akin to gratitude overwhelmed her"
174
disreputable
not considered to be respectable in character or appearance.
scandalous, infamous
175
protrude
stick out, jut
