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English > English vocab > Flashcards

English vocab Flashcards

All vocab lists ☆ = literary device

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

Emulate

A

to imitate

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2
Q

Precocious

A

developed earlier than others

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3
Q

Dillettante

A

one who studies an art or science for amusement

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4
Q

Pernicious

A

causing injury or evil

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5
Q

Gadfly

A

a person who annoys others

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6
Q

Purloin

A

to steal

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7
Q

Terse

A

brief, to the point

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8
Q

Pugnacious

A

quarrelsome

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9
Q

Galvanize

A

to startle into activity

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10
Q

Charlatan

A

one who pretends to have more knowledge or skill than they really have

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11
Q

Parsimonious

A

too economical or stingy

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12
Q

Effigy

A

an image of a person or thing

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13
Q

Magnanimous

A

noble or generous

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14
Q

Adulation

A

admiration or praise

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15
Q

Exhort

A

to use words to incite one to good deeds

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16
Q

absolute ☆

A

a word free from limitations

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17
Q

adage ☆

A

a familiar proverb or saying

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18
Q

allegory ☆

A

a work in which objects represent abstractions

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19
Q

Alliteration ☆

A

repetition of initial sounds

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20
Q

juxtaposition ☆

A

placing two contrasting elements side by side

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21
Q

Abate

A

to lessen in intensity

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22
Q

humility

A

absence of vanity

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23
Q

avid

A

eager, extreme

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24
Q

inscrutable

A

cannot be easily understood

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25
Q

decorum

A

conformity to accepted standards of behavior

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26
Q

coerce

A

to compel by force

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27
Q

enamored

A

to be in love with

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28
Q

motley

A

made up of different, dissimilar parts

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29
Q

grandiloquent

A

speaking in a pompous style

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30
Q

heresy

A

a religious belief opposed to the established doctrine

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31
Q

jaundiced

A

prejudiced, cynical

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32
Q

vindicate

A

to be clear of guilt or blame

33
Q

pusillanimous

A

cowardly, fearful

34
Q

jocose

A

joking, humorous

35
Q

allusion ☆

A

a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical

36
Q

odium

A

hatred

37
Q

analogy ☆

A

a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

38
Q

anaphora ☆

A

repetition of words or phrases at the beginnings of sentences

39
Q

anecdote ☆

A

a brief narrative that focuses on an incident of event

40
Q

antecedent ☆

A

the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers

41
Q

mundane

A

of this world and not of heaven; common

42
Q

adamant

A

unyielding

43
Q

raillery

A

good-humored ridicule; banter

44
Q

furtive

A

sneaky

45
Q

amicable

A

friendly; peaceable

46
Q

latent

A

present, but not active

47
Q

comely

A

attractive or handsome; pleasing to the eyes

48
Q

myriad (adj.)

A

many of them; abundant

49
Q

temerity

A

recklessness; boldness

50
Q

apathy

A

lack of interest

51
Q

expedient (adj)

A

in the best means to get things done, especially for personal gain

52
Q

verbose

A

using more words than necessary

53
Q

castigate

A

criticize or punish for the purpose of correction

54
Q

bigot

A

one who is intolerant of another’s beliefs, opinions, or values

55
Q

droll

A

amusing in an odd way; wry

56
Q

aphorism ☆

A

a concise general truth, often using rhyme or balance

57
Q

archetype ☆

A

a character or event that occurs frequently in literature

58
Q

argument ☆

A

a statement of the meaning or point of a literary work (interchangeable with theme, but often used in non-fiction)

59
Q

asyndeton ☆

A

elements presented in a series without conjunctions (she ran, jumped, swung, flew)

60
Q

acrimony

A

harsh temper or bitter feeling

61
Q

credence

A

belief or trust

62
Q

audacity

A

insolence; rude boldness

63
Q

ignominy

A

public shame, disgrace, or dishonor

64
Q

austere

A

stern, severe, plain

64
Q

agrarian

A

having to do with farms, farmers, or use of land

65
Q

rabble

A

disorderly crowd, lowest class of people, riffraff

66
Q

anathema

A

a disliked or hated thing or person; a cursed person

67
Q

dolorous

A

mournful, sad

68
Q

gauche

A

lacking in social grace

69
Q

gregarious

A

fond of the company of others; belonging to a flock; friendly

70
Q

incarcerate

A

to imprison or confine

71
Q

strident

A

harsh sounding

72
Q

dogmatic

A

opinionated in an authoritative or arrogant manner

73
Q

laudable

A

worthy of praise; commendable

74
Q

bildungsroman ☆

A

a kind of novel that focuses on the growth of a character into adulthood; coming-of-age novel

75
Q

euphemism ☆

A

a less offensive way of saying something unpleasant

76
Q

expletive ☆

A

an interjection for emphasis; often profanity

77
Q

figurative language ☆

A

language beyond literal description; uses figures of speech

English (3 decks)

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