Group 4 Flashcards
acerbic
(especially of a comment or style of speaking) sharp and forthright.
“his acerbic wit”
sour or bitter taste
aggrandize
increase the power, status, or wealth of.
“an action intended to aggrandize the Frankish dynasty”
enhance the reputation of (someone) beyond what is justified by the facts.
“he hoped to aggrandize himself by dying a hero’s death”
amenable
(of a person) open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled.
“parents who have had easy babies and amenable children”
(of a thing) capable of being acted upon in a particular way; susceptible to.
“the patients had cardiac failure not amenable to medical treatment”
anachronism
a thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists, especially a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned.
“everything was as it would have appeared in centuries past apart from one anachronism, a bright yellow construction crane”
an act of attributing a custom, event, or object to a period to which it does not belong.
“it is anachronism to suppose that the official morality of the age was mere window dressing”
astringent
causing the contraction of skin cells and other body tissues.
“an astringent skin lotion”
convention
a way in which something is usually done, especially within a particular area or activity.
“the woman who overturned so many conventions of children’s literature”
credulous
having or showing too great a readiness to believe things.
“a ceremony staged for credulous tourists”
cynicism
an inclination to believe that people are motivated purely by self-interest; skepticism.
“public cynicism about change is understandable”
decorum
polite or appropriate conduct or behavior
derision
contemptuous ridicule or mockery.
“my stories were greeted with derision and disbelief”
desiccate
remove the moisture from (something); cause to become completely dry.
“both the older growth and the new vegetation were desiccated by months of relentless sun”
dilettante
a person who cultivates an area of interest, such as the arts, without real commitment or knowledge.
“a wealthy literary dilettante”
disparage
regard or represent as being of little worth.
“he never missed an opportunity to disparage his competitors”
divulge
make known (private or sensitive information).
“I do not want to divulge my plans at the moment”
fawn
to flatter or praise excessively
flout
openly disregard (a rule, law or convention).
“these same companies still flout basic ethical practices”
garrulous
excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
“Polonius is portrayed as a foolish, garrulous old man”
hubris
excessive pride or self-confidence.
“the self-assured hubris among economists was shaken in the late 1980s”
imminent
about to happen.
“they were in imminent danger of being swept away”
immutable
unchanging over time or unable to be changed.
“an immutable fact”
impetuous
acting or done quickly and without thought or care.
“her friend was headstrong and impetuous”
intractable
hard to control or deal with.
“intractable economic problems”
intrepid
fearless; adventurous (often used for rhetorical or humorous effect).
“our intrepid reporter”
maverick
an unorthodox or independent-minded person.
“he’s the maverick of the fashion scene”
mercurial
(of a person) subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind.
“his mercurial temperament”
mollify
appease the anger or anxiety of (someone).
“nature reserves were set up around the power stations to mollify local conservationists”
reduce the severity of (something); soften.
“the women hoped to mollify the harsh wilderness environment”
neophyte
beginner, novice
obfuscate
render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.
“the spelling changes will deform some familiar words and obfuscate their etymological origins”
bewilder (someone).
“it is more likely to obfuscate people than enlighten them”
ostentatious
characterized by or given to pretentious display
pervade
(of an influence, feeling, or quality) be present and apparent throughout.
“the sense of crisis that pervaded Europe in the 1930s”
phlegmatic
(of a person) having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition.
pristine
pure, clean
probity
the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency.
“financial probity”
proclivity
a tendency to choose or do something regularly; an inclination or predisposition toward a particular thing.
“a proclivity for hard work”
profligate
recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.
“profligate consumers of energy”
propensity
a natural inclination or tendency
prosaic
having the style or diction of prose; lacking poetic beauty.
“prosaic language can’t convey the experience”
quixotic
exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
“a vast and perhaps quixotic project”
quotidian
of or occurring every day; daily.
“the car sped noisily off through the quotidian traffic”
rarefy
to make something less dense, rare, or thin, or to make something more refined
rescission
the revocation, cancellation, or repeal of a law, order, or agreement.
“the plaintiff agreed to the rescission of the agreement”
refulgent
shining brightly.
“refulgent blue eyes”
shard
piece of broken pottery
tacit
implied; not explicitly stated
terse
sparing in the use of words; abrupt.
“a terse statement”
tout
to publicly praise or promote
trenchant
vigorous or incisive in expression or style.
“she heard angry voices, not loud, yet certainly trenchant”
unfeigned
genuine; sincere.
“a broad smile of unfeigned delight”
untenable
(especially of a position or view) not able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection.
“this argument is clearly untenable”
vacillate
alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive.
“I had for a time vacillated between teaching and journalism”
variegated
exhibiting different colors, especially as irregular patches or streaks.
“variegated yellow bricks”
vituperate
blame or insult (someone) in strong or violent language.
ostensibly
as appears or is stated to be true, though not necessarily so; apparently.
“the party secretary resigned, ostensibly from ill health”
Carping
continually complaining or finding fault about trivial matters; difficult to please.
“she has silenced the carping critics with a successful debut tour”
Capitulated
cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand; yield.
“the patriots had to capitulate to the enemy forces”
Seethed
(of a person) be filled with intense but unexpressed anger.
“inwardly he was seething at the slight to his authority”
Debonair
confident, stylish, and charming (typically used of a man).
“all the men looked debonair and handsome in white tie and tails”
Insolent
showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect.
“she hated the insolent tone of his voice”
Disconsolate
very unhappy and unable to be comforted.
“she left Fritz looking disconsolate”
Smug
having or showing an excessive pride in oneself or one’s achievements.
“he was feeling smug after his win”
Lachrymose
tearful or given to weeping.
“she was pink-eyed and lachrymose”
Nonplussed
so surprised and confused that one is unsure how to react.
“Henry looked completely nonplussed”
Guileless
devoid of guile; innocent and without deception.
“his face, once so open and guileless”
Disquieting
inducing feelings of anxiety or worry.
“he found Jean’s gaze disquieting”
Insensible
unaware of or indifferent to.
“they slept on, insensible to the headlight beams”
Erroneous
wrong; incorrect.
“employers sometimes make erroneous assumptions”
Licentious
promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters.
“the ruler’s tyrannical and licentious behaviour”
Errant
erring or straying from the accepted course or standards.
“an errant husband coming back from a night on the tiles”
Apocryphal
(of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true.
“there is an apocryphal story about a disgraced rock star who ended up in bankruptcy court”
Sacrosanct
(especially of a principle, place, or routine) regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with.
“the individual’s right to work has been upheld as sacrosanct”
