English Vocab Group 1 Flashcards
Meretricious (adj)
attractive in a cheap or false way
She dressed in such a meretricious way that she was often mistaken for a prostitute.
Indiscernible (adj)
impossible to see, hear, or know clearly
Physics was indiscernible to Jenny and she never really understood it.
Ectoplasm (n) *
a substance held to produce spirit materialization and telekinesis
Florid (adj)
very fancy or too fancy
Her brunch dress was very florid, and many of us thought she overdressed for the occasion.
Innuendo (n)
a statement which indirectly suggests that someone has done something immoral, improper, etc.
My friend gave me a pamphlet about an AA meeting, and I didn’t appreciate the innuendo, especially since I don’t drink.
Denizen (n)
a person, animal, or plant that lives in or often is found in a particular place or region
Holly is a denizen of her local park and can often be found eating lunch there on Wednesdays.
Adventitious (adj)
coming from another source and not inherent or innate
His confidence was adventitious, as neither of his parents were particularly confident.
Gaieties (n)
happy and lively qualities
The party had none of the gaieties we had seen in the last year, and it had a sad, boring feel.
contingency (n)
an event, such as an emergency, that may but is not certain to occur
Our school bus tries to be prepared for any contingency, which is why they have a first aid kit.
obstetrical (adj)
of, relating to, or associated with a branch of medical science that deals with birth and with its antecedents and sequels
My siblings and I were all born in the obstetrical wing of Hartford Hospital.
abortive (adj)
not successful
Our science project was abortive so we got an F on it.
squeamishness (n)
the trait of being excessively fastidious and easily shocked The forensics teacher decided not to show CSI in class because some of her students get squeamish at the sight of blood
punctilious (adj)
very careful about behaving properly and doing things in a correct and accurate way
Amanda was very punctilious, and she had never gotten a detention.
prodigality (n)
extravagant wastefulness
Josh was very prodigal, and he always spent his birthday money right away on things he didn’t need.
rancor (n)
an angry feeling of hatred or dislike for someone who has treated you unfairly
Amy has extreme rancor toward the boy who cheated on her.
