export_gre 25003000 Flashcards
officious
meddlesome, objectionably aggressive in offering unwanted help
oligarchy
when the rich rule everybody
Ominous
Threatening, suggestive of future evil
omniscient
the belief that god knows everything that has happened and everything that is going to happen
onerous
laborious
opalescent
reflecting an iridescent light
opprobrium
public discrace
opus
work, labor
Oracular
Of an oracle; prophetic
Oratorio
An extended choral work made up of recitative, arias, and choruses, without costuming, stage action, or scenery.
Ordain
to order or command
ordination
a sacramental ritual that brings a man into one of the Holy Orders.
orgy
noun
wild, drunken revelry, unrestrained indulgence
“The Roman emperor’s ____ies were far wilder than the toga party in the movie Animal House. “
Ornithologist
A person who specializes in the scientific study of birds
orthography
patterns in English linking letters to sounds in spoken language to produce conventional word spellings
ostensible
Pretended; given an excuse, to conceal the real reason.
Ostentatious
Marked by or fond conspicuous or vainglorious and sometimes pretentious display
outmoded
adjective: out of fashion
outstripped
to surpass, to grow greater or faster and leave behind
ovation
an enthusiastic public welcome
overweening
thinking too much of oneself; conceited
Ovoid
Oval shaped
paean
song of joy
palatial
suitable for a palace, magnificent luxurious
palette
Board on which a painter mixes paint
palimpsest
writing material used one or more times after earlier writing has been erased
Pall
To lose in interest, attraction, or effectiveness; to become tiresome; a dark covering, something that conceals
pallet
noun
small, poor bed
“The weary traveler went to sleep on his straw _____.”
Palliate
to ease without curing; to alleviate; to make appear less serious; to lessen the intensity of something.
pallid
wan/pale
Palpable
able to be felt; easily perceived
panache
self-confidence; a showy manner
Pander
Verb - Action
To exploit weakness of others; To cater to the vices of others
Syn: Cajole; Indulge Ant: None
panegyric
formal or lofty expression of praise
Pantomime
Artists who rely only on physical expressiveness and do not use their voices in performance
paragon
a model or pattern of excellence or of a particular excellence; an unusually large, round pearl
paramour
A lover, esp. the illicit partner of a married person; a mistress.
parlance
language, usually used by a particular group
Parley
Noun or verb; to make a deal, to negotiate (v.), a settlement
conference between enemies
parochial
close minded, narrow in scope, provincial
paroxysm
sudden temporary attack or seizure
parquets
floor with inlaid mosaic pattern
parry
to ward off (as in fencing)
Parsimonious
excessively thrifty; stingy
Syn- cheap; frugal
Ant- extravagant
partiality
the state of being partial; bias
passe
out of date; out of style
Pastiche
Work that contains imitations of previous works; in postmodern work, these imitations are often presented with an ironic or playful tone
pastoral
portraying or suggesting idyllically the life of shepherds or of the country, as a work of literature, art , or music
patent
obvious, noticeable
Pathos
Appeals to the audience’s emotions; often involves negotiating the predisposition of the audience to successfully persuade that audience of your point, disease, pathogen
patina
a film or incrustation, us green, produced by oxidation on surface of old bronze and often esteemed as being of ornamental value.
a similar film or coloring appearing gradually on some other substance.
Patois
a. A dialect other than the standard dialect of a language, especially a regional or uneducated form of speech
b. The distinctive language of a special group; jargon.
Patrician
A member of the ruling class
patronize
v to treat as an inferior ; to condescend to
Peccadillo
minor weakness; trivial offense
Pecuniary
hsving to do with money
pedagogue
n
school teacher, educator
pedagogy
the study and principles of how children learn
pedantic
a - overly concerned with the trivial details of learning or education; show-offish about one’s knowledge penury noun poverty; destitution
Peerless
Without an equal
Synonyms:Aces, beyond compare, one & only, unparagoned, tops, second-to-none
Pejorative
having a derogatory, or belittling effect or force.
pell-mell
in great confusion or disorder
pellucid
transparent, easy to understand, limpid
easy to understand
Penance
A voluntary act of suffering or self-mortification expressing sorrow for sin
Penitent
Someone who feels sorry for their sins.
penumbra
partial shadow (in an eclipse); CF. almost shadow\
penury
extreme poverty. noun.
peon
various laborers who are generally landless
syn: serf; servant
Perdition
loss, utter destruction, eternal domination
Sny: hell, lower Ant: sky, heaven, higher
peregrination
the act of traveling, especially on foot or to a foreign country
PEREMPTORY
binding, compulsory, absolute
Perennial
Continuing from year to year
perfunctory
done without care; in a routine fashion
perigee
noun
point of moon’s orbit when it is nearest the earth
“The rocket which was designed to take photographs of the moon was launched as the moon approached its ______.”
peripatetic
(adj) moving or walking about; itinerant
perjury
the act of swearing falsely, a lie
pernicious
extremely destructive
peroration
the conclusion of an argument
perquisite
a privilege, bonus, tip
perspicacious
having keen insight; mentally acute
Perspicuity
Perfection of scripture: clarity, understandability, no need for an interpreter. Scripture interprets scripture
pert
lively, saucy, bold
Pertinacious
ADJECTIVE: very persistent; holding firmly to a course of action or a set of beliefs; hard to get rid of, refusing to be put off or denied
Peruse
to inspect
- analyze
- browse
- inspect
- read
- scan
- study
Perverse
Willfully determined or disposed to go counter to what is expected or desired; contrary
Pestilential
causing or likely to be contagious, deadly, harmful, or annoyingly troublesome
petulant
unreasonably irritable or ill tempered, cranky
pharisaical <|
pertaining to the Pharisees who paid scrupulous attention to tradition; hypocritical
Philatelist
Noun
Stamp collector
philistine
lacking in, hostile to, or smugly indifferent to cultural and artistic values or refinements; such a person
philology
the study of languages
phlegmatic
unemotional or calm disposition
phylum
a group of classes
Physiognomy
Applying characteristics to people based on what we think they should look like
piebald
adj. of different colors; mottled; spotted
Pied
multicolored
piety
holiness; respect for the divine
pilloried
to expose in public
Pinioned
- Tie or hold the arms or legs of (someone) Bind (the arms or legs) of someone.
Piquant
(adj) pleasantly tart-tasting; stimulating
Pique
irritation, resentment stemming from wounded pride, also to arouse curiousity
piscatorial
adj. pertaining to fishing
Pith
The tissue that is located in the center of the stem of most vascular plants, used for storage
pithy
brief and full of meaning and substnace; concise
Pittance
small amount or allowance
placate
to allay the anger of, especially by making concessions; appease
Plaintive
(adj) expressive or sorrow or woe, melancholy
syn: sad, doleful, lugubrious
Plait
Flat fold, braid, pleat
Platitudes
a remark or statement, esp. one with a moral cotent, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful
Platonic
Purely spiritual; not sensual
Plaudit
enthusiastic expression of praise or approval
plebeian
Farmers, merchants, artisans make up most of population but had little influence
plenary
adj. complete in all aspects or essentials; absolute; attended by all qualified members
syn - unlimited, unrestricted
ant - limited, restricted, incomplete
plight
-noun
a difficult situation
Pluck
(n) courage, spunk, fortitude:
Churchill’s speeches inspired the pluck of his countrymen during the war.
Plumb
v. 1. To measure the depth of water
2. To reach the deepest part of
3. To understand by examining closely; to solve
adj. Straight up and down; vertical
Plutocracy
a. rule by the wealthy, power provided by wealth
b. high economic inequality, low social mobility
c. Marxism-Bourgeoisie and the Proletarians
poignancy
n. quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion.
poignant, a.
polemic
- An argument to refute a position or opinion.
2. One who aggressively advocates a position.
polemical
argumentative; prone to debate
Politic
adj. Prudent, shrewdly conceived and developed; Artful, expedient.
Syn: Tactful, diplomatic, judicious, circumspect.
Ant: Unwise, injudicious, imprudent, rash.
ponderous
very heavy; massive; unwieldy because of weight
pontifical
pertaining to pope; pompous or pretentious
Portent
Noun; a sign or forewarning
Postulate
a clearly stated basic assumption that guides thinking and research, accepted without proof.
potentate
a monarch, very powerful ruler, sovereign
poultice
n.
A soft, hot moist substance applied to sores or inflamed areas
Prate
(v) to talk a great deal in a foolish or aimless fashion
Syn: chatter, prattle, blab, blabber, palaver
Ant: come to the point, not waste words
precedent
example for others to follow in the future
percepts
meaningful perceptual units, such as images of particular objects
Precipitant
substance bringing about precipitation
Precipitate
to cause to speedily occur, to throw headlong
Precipitous
Marked by great rapidity, haste, or lack of caution.
Precis
exact, precise
preclude
verb: to make impossible or unlikely; to prevent
precocious
early in development, especially in mental development
preens
primps, acts as though proud and satisfied
prefatory
-Relating to a preface or introduction
“The book’s prefatory essay provides a unique introduction to the story”
prelate
high dignitary
Premonitory
(adj.) foreboding, serving as a warning
preponderance
superiority in quantity; dominance
prerogative
n. a right or privilege belonging to a particular person, office, or group
Presage
To indicate or warn in advance
Prescience
–noun
knowledge of things before they exist or happen; foreknowledge; foresight.
Presumptuous
inconsiderate, disrespectful, or overconfident–especially in doing something when not entitled or qualified to do it
preternatural
beyond the normal course of nature
prevaricate
to deliberately avoid the truth,lie
Prim
overly neat,proper [adj.]
Primogeniture
To be the firstborn child.
Privation
the condition of lacking basic necessities of life
privy
knowing something personal; private
Probity
–noun
integrity and uprightness; honesty.
Prodigal
Carelessly or wastefully extravagant; lavish
progenitor
originator, forefather, ancestor in a direct line
prognosticate
predict
Proletarian
Noun. Member of the working class
prolific
highly productive
Prolixity
extended to unnecessary tedious length, long and wordy
promontory
n. high point of land jutting out into a body of water
promulgates
put a law into effect by formal declaration
prophetic
of the nature or containing a prophecy
Propinquity
nearness of blood : kinship
propitiate
to make someone or something favorably inclined toward oneself
propitious
favorable; promising
propound
(v) to put forward, offer, suggest for consideration; to set forth
propriety
n: the state of being proper, appropriateness
pl: standards of what is proper of socially acceptable
prosaic
having the style or diction of prose; lacking poetic beauty
commonplace, unromantic
proscribed
to denounce, condemn, banish, exile
proselytize
v.
1. to induce someone to convert to one’s faith
- to recruit someone to join one’s party, institution, or cause
Prosody
The use of pitch and intonation in language to convey emotional tone and meaning
Prostrate
lying face downward in adoration of submission
protean
adj. versatile; able to take many shapes
provenance
origins, source of ownership documenting art. increases the value of a painting, and establishing provenance may help confirm the date, artist and, especially for portraits, the subject of a painting. It may confirm whether a painting is genuinely of the period it seems to date from. The provenance of paintings can help resolve ownership disputes.
Provender
Dry food; fodder
provident
preparing for the future; providing for the future; frugal
Provincial
pertaining to a province, limited in outlook unsophisticated
provisional
temporary ; serving for the time being
proviso
a statement that gives instructions for a potential event/situation
proxy
noun: an agent, substitute; a written permission allowing one person to act in another’s place
Synonyms: deputy, representative
prurient
adj
marked by or arousing an immoderate or unwholesome interest or desire;
puerile
juvenile, immature
Pugilist
n. a fistfighter, especially a professional boxer
pugnacity
tendency to fight, belligerence
puissant
powerful strong mighty
pulchritude
(n.) physical beauty
You make me puke; you have the pulchritude of a bile tree, dude.
punctilious
strict or exact in the observance of the formalities or amenities of conduct or actions
Pundits
a wise or learned person; authority
Purport
meaning conveyed or implied
Purveyor
The seller of a product: fish, produce, etc
pusillanimous
cowardly, mean-spirited
putative
generally supposed or thought (i.e. you thought the marriage was valud, but find out your guy’s still married to someone else)
Pylon
A tower-like gateway with sloping sides, opening
Quaffed
drink (something, esp. an alcoholic drink) heartily
quagmire
a difficult or precarious situation; a predicament
quailed
cower, shrink, flinch
Qualms
- “For myself I have a few qualms about dry foods such as crackers, cookies, cereal, chips and pasta if they are free of visible contaminates and still dry and crisp” (Eighner 6). (N) An uneasy feeling of doubt, worry, or fear, esp. about one’s own conduct; a misgiving Apprehension and uncertainty
quarry
something that is hunted; mine for stone
Quarried
Obtained from a quarry, by cutting,digging,or blasting
quay
concrete, stone, or metal platform lying alongside or projecting into water for loading and unloading ships
querulous
(adj) peevish, complaining, fretful
SYNONYMS: petulant, touchy, cranky, irritable
ANTONYMS: uncomplaining, stoical, serene, placid
query
a question you ask about the data stored in a database; in response, Access displays the specific records and fields that answer your question
Quiescent
Motionless
Many animals are ______ over the winter months, minimizing activity in order to conserve energy
Quietude
A state of peace and quiet
Quip
A clever, witty remark usually made at the spur of the moment
quisling
(n) (-) a traitor (who’s helping the enemy)
quixotic
foolishly idealistic or impractical
quizzical
teasing; curious
quorum
the minimum number of representatives required to be in attendance to conduct official business
quotidian
occurring everyday; daily
Raconteur
Noun
A storyteller
Ragamuffin
dirty
raiment
clothing or apparel of the finest quality
rakish
dashingly stylish and confident
syn: dapper; jaunty
ant: slovenly; disheveled
ramify
1
: to split up into branches or constituent parts
2
: to send forth branches or extensions
Rampant
widespread, running wild
rampart
a defensive wall of a castle or walled city, having a broad top with a walkway and typically a stone parapet
Rancor
bitter, rankling resentment or ill will; hatred; malice.
rankled
caused to have long lasting anger and resentment
rapacious
greedy, ravenous
rapt
giving one’s complete attention; overcome with emotion
rarefied
made less dense;elevated in nature;refined
