Fall 2021 Flashcards

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1
Q

facetious

A

characterized by levity of attitude and love of joking, amusing, humorous

Known to be a facetious person, she is occasionally not taken seriously.

flippant or deliberately humorous in an inappropriate or sarcastic way.

S: bantering, flippant, merry, frivolous, comical, jesting, droll, jocular, waggish, unserious, jocose

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2
Q

construe

A

interpret (a word or action) in a particular way.

S: interpret, parse

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3
Q

laconic

A

(of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words.

S: brief, concise, terse, succinct, short, economical, pithy, brusque, reticent,

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4
Q

solicitous

A

characterized by or showing interest or concern.

S: concerned, caring, attentive, mindful

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5
Q

munificent

A

(of a gift or sum of money) larger or more generous than is usual or necessary.

S: generous, bountiful, magnanimous, philanthropic

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6
Q

irresolute

A

showing or feeling hesitancy; uncertain.

S: indecisive, hesitant, tentative, nervous, weak, vacillating, equivocating, wavering

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7
Q

fastidious

A

very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail.

S: scrupulous, punctilious, painstaking, meticulous, assiduous, sedulous

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8
Q

taciturn

A

(of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.

S: untalkative, uncommunicative, reticent, quiet, unforthcoming, unresponsive,

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9
Q

mendacity

A

untruthfulness

S: lying, dishonest, deceit, deception, dissembling, insincerity

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10
Q

prevarication

A

speak or act in an evasive way.

S: beat around the bush, hedge, fence, equivocate, vacillate, stall

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11
Q

baseness

A

lack of moral principles; bad character.

S: meanness, evil, wickedness, immorality, debasement, depravity

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12
Q

avarice

A

extreme greed for wealth or material gain.

S: greed, cupidity

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13
Q

indefatigable

A

(of a person or their efforts) persisting tirelessly.

S: tireless, untiring, unwearied, unflagging, unrelenting

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14
Q

jettison

A

throw or drop (something) from an aircraft or ship.

OR

abandon or discard (someone or something that is no longer wanted).

S: dump, drop, ditch, eject

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15
Q

irascibly

A

having or showing a tendency to be easily angered.

S: irritable, quick-tempered, snappy, testy, fractious

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16
Q

pugnaciously

A

eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight.

S: combative, aggressive, antagonistic, belligerent, bellicose, contentious, defiant, hostile

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17
Q

fitfully

A

not regularly or continuously; intermittently.

S: intermittent, sporadically, irregularly

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18
Q

agnostic

A

a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena; a person who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God.

S: skeptic, doubter, questioner

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19
Q

apathy

A

lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

S: indifference

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20
Q

atrophy

A

gradually decline in effectiveness or vigor due to underuse or neglect.

S: dwindle, deteriorate

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21
Q

abhor

A

regard with disgust and hatred.

S: detest, hate, loathe, despise

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22
Q

abject

A

completely without pride or dignity; self-abasing.

S: degraded

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23
Q

abstruse

A

difficult to understand; obscure.

S: obscure, arcane, esoteric

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24
Q

combustible

A

able to catch fire and burn easily.

S: inflammable, explosive

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25
Q

amity

A

a friendly relationship.

S: harmony, peace, friendly relationship

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26
Q

amatory

A

relating to or induced by sexual love or desire.

S: sexual, erotic, amorous

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27
Q

altruism

A

the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others.

S: selfless

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28
Q

allegory

A

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

S: analogy, parable, metaphor

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29
Q

pedagogue

A

a teacher, especially a strict or pedantic one.

S: teacher

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30
Q

acumen

A

the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain.

S: awareness, shrewdness, sharpness

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31
Q

acrimonious

A

(typically of speech or a debate) angry and bitter.

S: bitter, rancorous, caustic, acerbic

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32
Q

obsolescence

A

the process of becoming obsolete or outdated and no longer used.

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33
Q

lassitude

A

a state of physical or mental weariness; lack of energy.

S: lethargy, weariness, languor, enervation

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34
Q

paranormal

A

beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding

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35
Q

infamous

A

well known for some bad quality or deed.

S: notorious, disreputable, legendary, fabled, wicked

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36
Q

cogent

A

(of an argument or case) clear, logical, and convincing.

S: convincing, compelling, strong, forceful, powerful, potent

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37
Q

obfuscate

A

render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.

obscure, confuse, blur, muddle, jumble

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38
Q

apotheosize

A

elevate to, or as if to, the rank of a god; idolize.

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39
Q

abrogate

A

repeal or do away with (a law, right, or formal agreement).

S: repudiate, revoke, repeal, overturn, rescind, overrule

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40
Q

relegate

A

consign or dismiss to an inferior rank or position.

S: downgrade, lower, put down, consign

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41
Q

maverick

A

an unorthodox or independent-minded person.

S: individualist, nonconformist, free spirit

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42
Q

proscribed

A

forbid, especially by law.

S: forbid, prohibit, ban, disallow

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43
Q

admonish

A

warn or reprimand someone firmly.

S: reprimand, rebuke, scold, upbraid, chastise

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44
Q

pejorative

A

expressing contempt or disapproval.

S: disparaging, derogatory, deprecatory, defamatory

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45
Q

despondent

A

in low spirits from loss of hope or courage.

S: disheartened, discouraged, dispirited, downhearted

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46
Q

equivocate

A

use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself.

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47
Q

overwrought

A

in a state of nervous excitement or anxiety.

S: tense, agitated, nervous, on edge

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48
Q

prolix

A

(of speech or writing) using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy.

S: lengthy, long-winded

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49
Q

dearth

A

a scarcity or lack of something.

S: scarcity, lack, shortage, deficiency

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50
Q

glut

A

an excessively abundant supply of something.

S: surplus, excess, surfeit, overabundance

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51
Q

belied

A

(of an appearance) fail to give a true notion or impression of (something); disguise or contradict.

S: contradict, betray

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52
Q

timorous

A

showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of confidence.

S: fearful, apprehensive, faint-hearted

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53
Q

panacea

A

a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases.

S: cure-all

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54
Q

sinecure

A

a position requiring little or no work but giving the holder status or financial benefit.

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55
Q

mendicant

A

given to begging.

S: begging, scrounging, mooching

56
Q

dissemble

A

conceal one’s true motives, feelings, or beliefs.

S: pretend, deceive, feign, masquerade

57
Q

enervate

A

cause (someone) to feel drained of energy or vitality; weaken.

S: exhaust, tire, fatigue

58
Q

moiling

A

to work

59
Q

histrionic

A

overly theatrical or melodramatic in character or style.

S: dramatics, drama, theatrics

60
Q

picaresque

A

relating to an episodic style of fiction dealing with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero.

61
Q

heterodoxy

A

deviation from accepted or orthodox standards or beliefs.

62
Q

hegemony

A

leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others.

S: leadership, dominance, supremacy

63
Q

parlous

A

full of danger or uncertainty; precarious.

S: bad, dire, dreadful, terrible, appalling

64
Q

inured

A

accustom (someone) to something, especially something unpleasant.

S: hardened, toughened, seasoned, conditioned

65
Q

apocryphal

A

(of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true.

S: fictitious, made-up, untrue, fabricated

66
Q

extemporize

A

compose, perform, or produce something such as music or a speech without preparation; improvise.

S: improvise, ad lib, think on one’s feet

67
Q

exagitate

A

obsolete

68
Q

ennui

A

a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.

S: boredom, tedium, lethargy, lassitude

69
Q

opprobrium

A

harsh criticism or censure.

S: abuse, vilification, vituperation, condemnation

70
Q

erudition

A

the quality of having or showing great knowledge or learning; scholarship.

It comes from erudite

S: learning, knowledge, education

71
Q

centurion

A

the commander of a century in the ancient Roman army.

72
Q

encomium

A

a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly.

S: eulogy, panegyric, accolade

73
Q

dirge

A

a lament for the dead, especially one forming part of a funeral rite.

S: elegy, lament

74
Q

calumniate

A

make false and defamatory statements about.

75
Q

pillory

A

attack or ridicule publicly.

S: attack, criticize, censure, condemn, denigrate

76
Q

renege

A

go back on a promise, undertaking, or contract.

77
Q

dross

A

something regarded as worthless; rubbish.

S: debris, rubbish, trash

78
Q

reconnoitered

A

make a military observation of (a region).

S: survey, explore

79
Q

hoodwink

A

deceive or trick (someone).

S: deceive, trick, dupe, outwit

80
Q

lambasted

A

criticize (someone or something) harshly.

S: criticize, castigate, chastise

81
Q

deride

A

express contempt for; ridicule.

S: ridicule, mock, make fun of

82
Q

halcyon

A

denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful.

S: serene, calm, peaceful

83
Q

perennial

A

lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring.

S: everlasting, perpetual, eternal

84
Q

deference

A

humble submission and respect.

85
Q

jocular

A

fond of or characterized by joking; humorous or playful.

86
Q

prefigured

A

be an early indication or version of (something).

S: foreshadow, presage

87
Q

precluded

A

prevent from happening; make impossible.

S: prevent, rule out

88
Q

dogmatic

A

inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true.

S: opinionated, assertive

89
Q

peremptory

A

not open to appeal or challenge; final.

90
Q

tendentious

A

expressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view, especially a controversial one.

91
Q

unexpurgated

A

(of a text) complete and containing all the original material; uncensored.

92
Q

mellifluousness

A

sweetly or smoothly flowing

93
Q

umbrage

A

offense or annoyance.

94
Q

accession

A

the attainment or acquisition of a position of rank or power, typically that of monarch or president.

95
Q

compendium

A

a collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject, especially in a book or other publication.

S: collection, compilation, anthology, digest

96
Q

axiomatic

A

self-evident or unquestionable.

S: self-evident, unquestionable, undeniable

97
Q

evinced

A

reveal the presence of (a quality or feeling).

S: reveal, show

98
Q

parried

A

ward off (a weapon or attack) with a countermove.

99
Q

defalcated

A

embezzle (funds with which one has been entrusted).

100
Q

apposite

A

apt in the circumstances or in relation to something.

S: appropriate, suitable, fitting, apt

101
Q

nebulous

A

in the form of a cloud or haze; hazy.

S: indistinct, indefinite, unclear, vague, hasty

102
Q

obstreperous

A

noisy and difficult to control.

S: unruly, disorderly

103
Q

rapacious

A

aggressively greedy or grasping.

S: greedy, avaricious

104
Q

protracted

A

lasting for a long time or longer than expected or usual.

S: prolonged, extended, drawn out

105
Q

redoubled

A

make or become much greater, more intense, or more numerous.

106
Q

unfounded

A

having no foundation or basis in fact.

S: groundless, baseless, unproven

107
Q

plaintive

A

sounding sad and mournful.

S: mournful, sad, wistful, pathetic

108
Q

cessation

A

the fact or process of ending or being brought to an end.

S: end, ending, termination, stopping

109
Q

heedlessness

A

showing a reckless lack of care or attention.

110
Q

furtive

A

attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble; secretive.

111
Q

elucidate

A

make (something) clear; explain.

112
Q

rife

A

(especially of something undesirable or harmful) of common occurrence; widespread.

S: widespread, overflowing

113
Q

replete

A

filled or well-supplied with something.

S; filled, crammed

114
Q

discomfiting

A

make (someone) feel uneasy or embarrassed.

115
Q

incipient

A

in an initial stage; beginning to happen or develop.

S: developing, impending, growing

116
Q

flagging

A

becoming tired or less dynamic; declining in strength.

117
Q

paucity

A

the presence of something only in small or insufficient quantities or amounts; scarcity.

S: scarcity, dearth, shortage, rarity

118
Q

surfeit

A

an excessive amount of something.

S: excess, surplus

119
Q

conduit

A

a channel for conveying water or other fluid.

S: channel, duct, pipe, tube

120
Q

inveterate

A

having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change.

S: ingrained, deep-seated

121
Q

artless

A

without guile or deception.

S: natural, naive, simple

122
Q

ingenuous

A

(of a person or action) innocent and unsuspecting.

S: innocent, unsuspecting

123
Q

comely

A

pleasant to look at; attractive (typically used of a woman).

S: attractive, good-looking

124
Q

dulcet

A

(especially of sound) sweet and soothing (often used ironically).

125
Q

superannuated

A

obsolete through age or new technological or intellectual developments.

S: old, old-fashioned, antiquated

126
Q

circuitous

A

(of a route or journey) longer than the most direct way.

S: roundabout, indirect, winding

127
Q

antediluvian

A

of or belonging to the time before the biblical Flood.

S: really old fashioned, prehistoric

128
Q

quiescent

A

in a state or period of inactivity or dormancy.

S: inactive, passive

129
Q

idiosyncrasy

A

a distinctive or peculiar feature or characteristic of a place or thing.

S: peculiar, odd

130
Q

amalgamation

A

the action, process, or result of combining or uniting.

S: combine, unite, merge

131
Q

parsimonious

A

unwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy or frugal.

132
Q

perfidious

A

deceitful and untrustworthy.

133
Q

prodigal

A

spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.

having or giving something on a lavish scale.

S: wasteful, extravagant, improvident, imprudent

134
Q

profligate

A

recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.

135
Q

jeremiad

A

a long, mournful complaint or lamentation; a list of woes.

136
Q

philippic

A

a bitter attack or denunciation, especially a verbal one.

137
Q

panegyric

A

a public speech or published text in praise of someone or something.