Fall 2021 Flashcards

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
amity
a friendly relationship. S: harmony, peace, friendly relationship
26
amatory
relating to or induced by sexual love or desire. S: sexual, erotic, amorous
27
altruism
the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others. S: selfless
28
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
29
pedagogue
a teacher, especially a strict or pedantic one. S: teacher
30
acumen
the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain. S: awareness, shrewdness, sharpness
31
acrimonious
(typically of speech or a debate) angry and bitter. S: bitter, rancorous, caustic, acerbic
32
obsolescence
the process of becoming obsolete or outdated and no longer used.
33
lassitude
a state of physical or mental weariness; lack of energy. S: lethargy, weariness, languor, enervation
34
paranormal
beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding
35
infamous
well known for some bad quality or deed. S: notorious, disreputable, legendary, fabled, wicked
36
cogent
(of an argument or case) clear, logical, and convincing. S: convincing, compelling, strong, forceful, powerful, potent
37
obfuscate
render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. obscure, confuse, blur, muddle, jumble
38
apotheosize
elevate to, or as if to, the rank of a god; idolize.
39
abrogate
repeal or do away with (a law, right, or formal agreement). S: repudiate, revoke, repeal, overturn, rescind, overrule
40
relegate
consign or dismiss to an inferior rank or position. S: downgrade, lower, put down, consign
41
maverick
an unorthodox or independent-minded person. S: individualist, nonconformist, free spirit
42
proscribed
forbid, especially by law. S: forbid, prohibit, ban, disallow
43
admonish
warn or reprimand someone firmly. S: reprimand, rebuke, scold, upbraid, chastise
44
pejorative
expressing contempt or disapproval. S: disparaging, derogatory, deprecatory, defamatory
45
despondent
in low spirits from loss of hope or courage. S: disheartened, discouraged, dispirited, downhearted
46
equivocate
use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself.
47
overwrought
in a state of nervous excitement or anxiety. S: tense, agitated, nervous, on edge
48
prolix
(of speech or writing) using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy. S: lengthy, long-winded
49
dearth
a scarcity or lack of something. S: scarcity, lack, shortage, deficiency
50
glut
an excessively abundant supply of something. S: surplus, excess, surfeit, overabundance
51
belied
(of an appearance) fail to give a true notion or impression of (something); disguise or contradict. S: contradict, betray
52
timorous
showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of confidence. S: fearful, apprehensive, faint-hearted
53
panacea
a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases. S: cure-all
54
sinecure
a position requiring little or no work but giving the holder status or financial benefit.
55
mendicant
given to begging. S: begging, scrounging, mooching
56
dissemble
conceal one's true motives, feelings, or beliefs. S: pretend, deceive, feign, masquerade
57
enervate
cause (someone) to feel drained of energy or vitality; weaken. S: exhaust, tire, fatigue
58
moiling
to work
59
histrionic
overly theatrical or melodramatic in character or style. S: dramatics, drama, theatrics
60
picaresque
relating to an episodic style of fiction dealing with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero.
61
heterodoxy
deviation from accepted or orthodox standards or beliefs.
62
hegemony
leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others. S: leadership, dominance, supremacy
63
parlous
full of danger or uncertainty; precarious. S: bad, dire, dreadful, terrible, appalling
64
inured
accustom (someone) to something, especially something unpleasant. S: hardened, toughened, seasoned, conditioned
65
apocryphal
(of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true. S: fictitious, made-up, untrue, fabricated
66
extemporize
compose, perform, or produce something such as music or a speech without preparation; improvise. S: improvise, ad lib, think on one's feet
67
exagitate
obsolete
68
ennui
a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement. S: boredom, tedium, lethargy, lassitude
69
opprobrium
harsh criticism or censure. S: abuse, vilification, vituperation, condemnation
70
erudition
the quality of having or showing great knowledge or learning; scholarship. It comes from erudite S: learning, knowledge, education
71
centurion
the commander of a century in the ancient Roman army.
72
encomium
a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly. S: eulogy, panegyric, accolade
73
dirge
a lament for the dead, especially one forming part of a funeral rite. S: elegy, lament
74
calumniate
make false and defamatory statements about.
75
pillory
attack or ridicule publicly. S: attack, criticize, censure, condemn, denigrate
76
renege
go back on a promise, undertaking, or contract.
77
dross
something regarded as worthless; rubbish. S: debris, rubbish, trash
78
reconnoitered
make a military observation of (a region). S: survey, explore
79
hoodwink
deceive or trick (someone). S: deceive, trick, dupe, outwit
80
lambasted
criticize (someone or something) harshly. S: criticize, castigate, chastise
81
deride
express contempt for; ridicule. S: ridicule, mock, make fun of
82
halcyon
denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful. S: serene, calm, peaceful
83
perennial
lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring. S: everlasting, perpetual, eternal
84
deference
humble submission and respect.
85
jocular
fond of or characterized by joking; humorous or playful.
86
prefigured
be an early indication or version of (something). S: foreshadow, presage
87
precluded
prevent from happening; make impossible. S: prevent, rule out
88
dogmatic
inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true. S: opinionated, assertive
89
peremptory
not open to appeal or challenge; final.
90
tendentious
expressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view, especially a controversial one.
91
unexpurgated
(of a text) complete and containing all the original material; uncensored.
92
mellifluousness
sweetly or smoothly flowing
93
umbrage
offense or annoyance.
94
accession
the attainment or acquisition of a position of rank or power, typically that of monarch or president.
95
compendium
a collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject, especially in a book or other publication. S: collection, compilation, anthology, digest
96
axiomatic
self-evident or unquestionable. S: self-evident, unquestionable, undeniable
97
evinced
reveal the presence of (a quality or feeling). S: reveal, show
98
parried
ward off (a weapon or attack) with a countermove.
99
defalcated
embezzle (funds with which one has been entrusted).
100
apposite
apt in the circumstances or in relation to something. S: appropriate, suitable, fitting, apt
101
nebulous
in the form of a cloud or haze; hazy. S: indistinct, indefinite, unclear, vague, hasty
102
obstreperous
noisy and difficult to control. S: unruly, disorderly
103
rapacious
aggressively greedy or grasping. S: greedy, avaricious
104
protracted
lasting for a long time or longer than expected or usual. S: prolonged, extended, drawn out
105
redoubled
make or become much greater, more intense, or more numerous.
106
unfounded
having no foundation or basis in fact. S: groundless, baseless, unproven
107
plaintive
sounding sad and mournful. S: mournful, sad, wistful, pathetic
108
cessation
the fact or process of ending or being brought to an end. S: end, ending, termination, stopping
109
heedlessness
showing a reckless lack of care or attention.
110
furtive
attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble; secretive.
111
elucidate
make (something) clear; explain.
112
rife
(especially of something undesirable or harmful) of common occurrence; widespread. S: widespread, overflowing
113
replete
filled or well-supplied with something. S; filled, crammed
114
discomfiting
make (someone) feel uneasy or embarrassed.
115
incipient
in an initial stage; beginning to happen or develop. S: developing, impending, growing
116
flagging
becoming tired or less dynamic; declining in strength.
117
paucity
the presence of something only in small or insufficient quantities or amounts; scarcity. S: scarcity, dearth, shortage, rarity
118
surfeit
an excessive amount of something. S: excess, surplus
119
conduit
a channel for conveying water or other fluid. S: channel, duct, pipe, tube
120
inveterate
having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change. S: ingrained, deep-seated
121
artless
without guile or deception. S: natural, naive, simple
122
ingenuous
(of a person or action) innocent and unsuspecting. S: innocent, unsuspecting
123
comely
pleasant to look at; attractive (typically used of a woman). S: attractive, good-looking
124
dulcet
(especially of sound) sweet and soothing (often used ironically).
125
superannuated
obsolete through age or new technological or intellectual developments. S: old, old-fashioned, antiquated
126
circuitous
(of a route or journey) longer than the most direct way. S: roundabout, indirect, winding
127
antediluvian
of or belonging to the time before the biblical Flood. S: really old fashioned, prehistoric
128
quiescent
in a state or period of inactivity or dormancy. S: inactive, passive
129
idiosyncrasy
a distinctive or peculiar feature or characteristic of a place or thing. S: peculiar, odd
130
amalgamation
the action, process, or result of combining or uniting. S: combine, unite, merge
131
parsimonious
unwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy or frugal.
132
perfidious
deceitful and untrustworthy.
133
prodigal
spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant. having or giving something on a lavish scale. S: wasteful, extravagant, improvident, imprudent
134
profligate
recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.
135
jeremiad
a long, mournful complaint or lamentation; a list of woes.
136
philippic
a bitter attack or denunciation, especially a verbal one.
137
panegyric
a public speech or published text in praise of someone or something.