First Stack Flashcards
Abdicate
to renounce a throne or power
Abject
extremely bad or severe; miserable
Abridge
to shorten without losing the sense
Accolade
an award or privilege granted as an honor
Acrid
sharp or biting in taste or smell; irritating
Affable
friendly and easy to talk to
Affluent
wealthy; having an abundance of goods
Allay
to lessen or relieve
Ameliorate
to make something better
Amicable
having a spirit of friendliness
Amorphous
without a clear shape or form
Anomaly
something unusual or unexpected
Antiquated
outdated, old-fashioned
Apathetic
showing or feeling no interest or concern
Apprehensive
anxious or fearful about the future
Arable
suitable for growing crops
Arcane
understood by only a few
Arduous
requiring great effort; strenuous
Aspersion
an attack on the reputation of someone
Assuage
to make something less severe
Astute
having keen insight
Atrophy
to waste away, typically due to lack of use
Audacious
bold, daring, or fearless
Avarice
greed for wealth
Axiomatic
self-evident; accepted as true
Banal
lacking originality; dull
Bastion
a stronghold or fortress
Bellicose
demonstrating aggression
Benign
gentle and kind; harmless
Bequeath
to leave something to someone through a will
Bereft
deprived of something
Blithe
cheerful and carefree
Brevity
briefness in expression
Broach
to bring up a topic for discussion
Burnish
to polish or make shiny
Camaraderie
mutual trust among friends
Candor
honesty; frankness
Castigate
to punish or criticize severely
Censure
to express strong disapproval
Charlatan
a fraud; someone falsely claiming knowledge
Chide
to scold or rebuke
Clairvoyant
having the ability to see the future
Clemency
mercy or leniency
Commensurate
proportional or equal in measure
Complacency
self-satisfaction; lack of concern
Compunction
a feeling of guilt or regret
Concord
agreement or harmony
Conflagration
a large, destructive fire
Consternation
a sudden, alarming amazement or dread
Contemptuous
scornful; showing disdain
Contentious
causing or likely to cause an argument
Contrite
feeling remorseful
Conundrum
a confusing and difficult problem
Copious
abundant; in large quantities
Cryptic
having a hidden meaning
Daunt
to intimidate or discourage
Debacle
a complete failure
Deft
skillful and quick in movement
Depravity
moral corruption
Deride
to mock or ridicule
Despot
a ruler with absolute power, often oppressive
Didactic
instructive, especially morally
Diligent
hardworking, showing care in duties
Disparate
essentially different; diverse
Docile
easily managed or obedient
Dogged
determined, persistent
Duplicity
deceitfulness; double-dealing
Efface
to erase or remove
Effervescent
bubbly, enthusiastic
Elusive
difficult to find or achieve
Emaciated
abnormally thin due to illness or lack of food
Empathy
the ability to understand others’ feelings
Enigmatic
mysterious or puzzling
Enmity
hostility or hatred
Ephemeral
lasting for a very short time
Erudite
scholarly, educated
Eschew
to avoid or abstain from
Espouse
to support or adopt a cause
Ethereal
delicate and light; heavenly
Exacerbate
to worsen a situation or condition
Exalt
to praise highly
Exonerate
to clear from blame
Exorbitant
unreasonably high (usually in cost)
Exuberant
full of energy and enthusiasm
Facetious
treating serious issues with inappropriate humor
Fallacious
based on a mistaken belief
Fastidious
very attentive to accuracy and detail
Felicity
happiness; bliss
Fervor
intense passion
Flamboyant
attracting attention due to confidence
Flippant
not showing a serious attitude
Forbearance
patient self-control
Fortitude
courage in pain or adversity
Frivolous
not having any serious purpose
Galvanize
to stimulate into action
Germane
relevant to a subject
Gluttony
overindulgence in food or drink
Gregarious
sociable and outgoing
Harbinger
a sign or precursor of future events
Haughty
arrogantly superior
