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.