Fall 2021 Flashcards
facetious
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
construe
interpret (a word or action) in a particular way.
S: interpret, parse
laconic
(of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words.
S: brief, concise, terse, succinct, short, economical, pithy, brusque, reticent,
solicitous
characterized by or showing interest or concern.
S: concerned, caring, attentive, mindful
munificent
(of a gift or sum of money) larger or more generous than is usual or necessary.
S: generous, bountiful, magnanimous, philanthropic
irresolute
showing or feeling hesitancy; uncertain.
S: indecisive, hesitant, tentative, nervous, weak, vacillating, equivocating, wavering
fastidious
very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail.
S: scrupulous, punctilious, painstaking, meticulous, assiduous, sedulous
taciturn
(of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.
S: untalkative, uncommunicative, reticent, quiet, unforthcoming, unresponsive,
mendacity
untruthfulness
S: lying, dishonest, deceit, deception, dissembling, insincerity
prevarication
speak or act in an evasive way.
S: beat around the bush, hedge, fence, equivocate, vacillate, stall
baseness
lack of moral principles; bad character.
S: meanness, evil, wickedness, immorality, debasement, depravity
avarice
extreme greed for wealth or material gain.
S: greed, cupidity
indefatigable
(of a person or their efforts) persisting tirelessly.
S: tireless, untiring, unwearied, unflagging, unrelenting
jettison
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
irascibly
having or showing a tendency to be easily angered.
S: irritable, quick-tempered, snappy, testy, fractious
pugnaciously
eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight.
S: combative, aggressive, antagonistic, belligerent, bellicose, contentious, defiant, hostile
fitfully
not regularly or continuously; intermittently.
S: intermittent, sporadically, irregularly
agnostic
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
apathy
lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
S: indifference
atrophy
gradually decline in effectiveness or vigor due to underuse or neglect.
S: dwindle, deteriorate
abhor
regard with disgust and hatred.
S: detest, hate, loathe, despise
abject
completely without pride or dignity; self-abasing.
S: degraded
abstruse
difficult to understand; obscure.
S: obscure, arcane, esoteric
combustible
able to catch fire and burn easily.
S: inflammable, explosive
amity
a friendly relationship.
S: harmony, peace, friendly relationship
amatory
relating to or induced by sexual love or desire.
S: sexual, erotic, amorous
altruism
the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others.
S: selfless
allegory
a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.
S: analogy, parable, metaphor
pedagogue
a teacher, especially a strict or pedantic one.
S: teacher
acumen
the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain.
S: awareness, shrewdness, sharpness
acrimonious
(typically of speech or a debate) angry and bitter.
S: bitter, rancorous, caustic, acerbic
obsolescence
the process of becoming obsolete or outdated and no longer used.
lassitude
a state of physical or mental weariness; lack of energy.
S: lethargy, weariness, languor, enervation
paranormal
beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding
infamous
well known for some bad quality or deed.
S: notorious, disreputable, legendary, fabled, wicked
cogent
(of an argument or case) clear, logical, and convincing.
S: convincing, compelling, strong, forceful, powerful, potent
obfuscate
render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.
obscure, confuse, blur, muddle, jumble
apotheosize
elevate to, or as if to, the rank of a god; idolize.
abrogate
repeal or do away with (a law, right, or formal agreement).
S: repudiate, revoke, repeal, overturn, rescind, overrule
relegate
consign or dismiss to an inferior rank or position.
S: downgrade, lower, put down, consign
maverick
an unorthodox or independent-minded person.
S: individualist, nonconformist, free spirit
proscribed
forbid, especially by law.
S: forbid, prohibit, ban, disallow
admonish
warn or reprimand someone firmly.
S: reprimand, rebuke, scold, upbraid, chastise
pejorative
expressing contempt or disapproval.
S: disparaging, derogatory, deprecatory, defamatory
despondent
in low spirits from loss of hope or courage.
S: disheartened, discouraged, dispirited, downhearted
equivocate
use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself.
overwrought
in a state of nervous excitement or anxiety.
S: tense, agitated, nervous, on edge
prolix
(of speech or writing) using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy.
S: lengthy, long-winded
dearth
a scarcity or lack of something.
S: scarcity, lack, shortage, deficiency
glut
an excessively abundant supply of something.
S: surplus, excess, surfeit, overabundance
belied
(of an appearance) fail to give a true notion or impression of (something); disguise or contradict.
S: contradict, betray
timorous
showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of confidence.
S: fearful, apprehensive, faint-hearted
panacea
a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases.
S: cure-all
sinecure
a position requiring little or no work but giving the holder status or financial benefit.
mendicant
given to begging.
S: begging, scrounging, mooching
dissemble
conceal one’s true motives, feelings, or beliefs.
S: pretend, deceive, feign, masquerade
enervate
cause (someone) to feel drained of energy or vitality; weaken.
S: exhaust, tire, fatigue
moiling
to work
histrionic
overly theatrical or melodramatic in character or style.
S: dramatics, drama, theatrics
picaresque
relating to an episodic style of fiction dealing with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero.
heterodoxy
deviation from accepted or orthodox standards or beliefs.
hegemony
leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others.
S: leadership, dominance, supremacy
parlous
full of danger or uncertainty; precarious.
S: bad, dire, dreadful, terrible, appalling
inured
accustom (someone) to something, especially something unpleasant.
S: hardened, toughened, seasoned, conditioned
apocryphal
(of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true.
S: fictitious, made-up, untrue, fabricated
extemporize
compose, perform, or produce something such as music or a speech without preparation; improvise.
S: improvise, ad lib, think on one’s feet
exagitate
obsolete
ennui
a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.
S: boredom, tedium, lethargy, lassitude
opprobrium
harsh criticism or censure.
S: abuse, vilification, vituperation, condemnation
erudition
the quality of having or showing great knowledge or learning; scholarship.
It comes from erudite
S: learning, knowledge, education
centurion
the commander of a century in the ancient Roman army.
encomium
a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly.
S: eulogy, panegyric, accolade
dirge
a lament for the dead, especially one forming part of a funeral rite.
S: elegy, lament
calumniate
make false and defamatory statements about.
pillory
attack or ridicule publicly.
S: attack, criticize, censure, condemn, denigrate
renege
go back on a promise, undertaking, or contract.
dross
something regarded as worthless; rubbish.
S: debris, rubbish, trash
reconnoitered
make a military observation of (a region).
S: survey, explore
hoodwink
deceive or trick (someone).
S: deceive, trick, dupe, outwit
lambasted
criticize (someone or something) harshly.
S: criticize, castigate, chastise
deride
express contempt for; ridicule.
S: ridicule, mock, make fun of
halcyon
denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful.
S: serene, calm, peaceful
perennial
lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring.
S: everlasting, perpetual, eternal
deference
humble submission and respect.
jocular
fond of or characterized by joking; humorous or playful.
prefigured
be an early indication or version of (something).
S: foreshadow, presage
precluded
prevent from happening; make impossible.
S: prevent, rule out
dogmatic
inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true.
S: opinionated, assertive
peremptory
not open to appeal or challenge; final.
tendentious
expressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view, especially a controversial one.
unexpurgated
(of a text) complete and containing all the original material; uncensored.
mellifluousness
sweetly or smoothly flowing
umbrage
offense or annoyance.
accession
the attainment or acquisition of a position of rank or power, typically that of monarch or president.
compendium
a collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject, especially in a book or other publication.
S: collection, compilation, anthology, digest
axiomatic
self-evident or unquestionable.
S: self-evident, unquestionable, undeniable
evinced
reveal the presence of (a quality or feeling).
S: reveal, show
parried
ward off (a weapon or attack) with a countermove.
defalcated
embezzle (funds with which one has been entrusted).
apposite
apt in the circumstances or in relation to something.
S: appropriate, suitable, fitting, apt
nebulous
in the form of a cloud or haze; hazy.
S: indistinct, indefinite, unclear, vague, hasty
obstreperous
noisy and difficult to control.
S: unruly, disorderly
rapacious
aggressively greedy or grasping.
S: greedy, avaricious
protracted
lasting for a long time or longer than expected or usual.
S: prolonged, extended, drawn out
redoubled
make or become much greater, more intense, or more numerous.
unfounded
having no foundation or basis in fact.
S: groundless, baseless, unproven
plaintive
sounding sad and mournful.
S: mournful, sad, wistful, pathetic
cessation
the fact or process of ending or being brought to an end.
S: end, ending, termination, stopping
heedlessness
showing a reckless lack of care or attention.
furtive
attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble; secretive.
elucidate
make (something) clear; explain.
rife
(especially of something undesirable or harmful) of common occurrence; widespread.
S: widespread, overflowing
replete
filled or well-supplied with something.
S; filled, crammed
discomfiting
make (someone) feel uneasy or embarrassed.
incipient
in an initial stage; beginning to happen or develop.
S: developing, impending, growing
flagging
becoming tired or less dynamic; declining in strength.
paucity
the presence of something only in small or insufficient quantities or amounts; scarcity.
S: scarcity, dearth, shortage, rarity
surfeit
an excessive amount of something.
S: excess, surplus
conduit
a channel for conveying water or other fluid.
S: channel, duct, pipe, tube
inveterate
having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change.
S: ingrained, deep-seated
artless
without guile or deception.
S: natural, naive, simple
ingenuous
(of a person or action) innocent and unsuspecting.
S: innocent, unsuspecting
comely
pleasant to look at; attractive (typically used of a woman).
S: attractive, good-looking
dulcet
(especially of sound) sweet and soothing (often used ironically).
superannuated
obsolete through age or new technological or intellectual developments.
S: old, old-fashioned, antiquated
circuitous
(of a route or journey) longer than the most direct way.
S: roundabout, indirect, winding
antediluvian
of or belonging to the time before the biblical Flood.
S: really old fashioned, prehistoric
quiescent
in a state or period of inactivity or dormancy.
S: inactive, passive
idiosyncrasy
a distinctive or peculiar feature or characteristic of a place or thing.
S: peculiar, odd
amalgamation
the action, process, or result of combining or uniting.
S: combine, unite, merge
parsimonious
unwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy or frugal.
perfidious
deceitful and untrustworthy.
prodigal
spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.
having or giving something on a lavish scale.
S: wasteful, extravagant, improvident, imprudent
profligate
recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.
jeremiad
a long, mournful complaint or lamentation; a list of woes.
philippic
a bitter attack or denunciation, especially a verbal one.
panegyric
a public speech or published text in praise of someone or something.
