Group 2 Flashcards
complaisance
the willingness to comply with the wishes of others (adj. complaisant)
ascetic
one who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion
inert
unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
axiom
a universally recognized principle (adj: axiomatic)
ephemeral
brief; fleeting
facetious
playful; humorous
cacophony
harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance (adj: cacophonous)
impecunious
lacking funds; without money
intransigent
refusing to compromise (noun: intransigence)
avarice
green, especially for wealth (adj: avaricious)
fallacy
an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief (adj: fallacious)
dearth
smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
heretical
violating accepted dogma or convention (noun: heresy)
viscous
thick; sticky (noun: viscosity)
opaque
impenetrable by light; not reflecting light
eulogy
a speech honoring the dead (verb: eulogize)
precursor
one that precedes and indicates or announces another
redoubtable
awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
demur
to question or oppose
dogmatic
expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or unprovable principles (noun: dogma)
aesthetic
dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
ebullience
the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings (adj: ebullient)
pernicious
extremely harmful; potentially causing death
pious
extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion (noun: piety)
prolific
producing large volumes or amounts
disinterested
free of bias or self-interest; impartial
quaff
to drink deeply
sanction
authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority to
stoic
indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast (noun: stoicism)
innocuous
harmless; causing no damage
squalid
sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect (adj: squalor)
penurious
penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
satire
a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision
caustic
burning or stinging; causing corrosion
prodigious
abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary
quiescence
stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest (adj: quiescent)
ubiquitous
existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread
adulation
excessive praise; intense adoration
supplant
to take the place of; supersede
incipient
beginning to come into being or to become apparent
esoteric
intended for or understood by a small, specific group
preen
to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care
inveigle
to obtain by deception or flattery
enigmatic
mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand
canon
an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature (adj: canonical)
catalyst
a person or thing that causes change; a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing
accolade
expression of praise
emollient
soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying
oscillation
the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm (verb: oscillate)
didactic
intended to teach or instruct
empirical
based on observation or experiment
ameliorate
to make better or more tolerable
bucolic
rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
elegy
a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead (adj: elegiac)
abate
to lessen in intensity
hyperbole
an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech (adj: hyperbolic)
putrefy
to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor (adj: putrid)
burgeon
to grow rapidly or flourish
exonerate
to remove blame
culpable
deserving blame (noun: culpability)
peruse
to examine with great care (noun: perusal)
urbane
sophisticated; refined; elegant (noun: urbanity)
contrite
regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness (noun: contrition)
odious
evoking intense aversion or dislike
cupidity
eager or excessive desire to possess something; greed; avarice
cogent
appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
torpid
lethargic; sluggish; dormant (noun: torpor)
contentious
argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
discretion
cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions (adj: discreet)
castigation
severe criticism or punishment (verb: castigate)
gregarious
sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
chary
wary; cautious; sparing
furtive
marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious
vilify
to defame; to characterize harshly
eclectic
composed of elements drawn from various sources
morose
sad; sullen
harangue
to deliver a pompous speech or tirade; a long, pompous speech
