Hard Level Words 1 Flashcards
nebulous
not clear, vague, somewhat confused
Although our understanding of how humans lived 5000 years ago is nebulous, recent findings have started to shed light on the subject.
unprecedented
never happened or seen before, completely new
The speed at which these latest computers run exceeds anything ever made before - it’s unprecedented.
pervasive
existing in - or spreading through - every part of something
Some words - once they catch on - are pervasive in the vocabulary of teenagers.
profound
important, intense
How a parent models behavior has a profound influence on how a child learns to act.
erratic
unpredictable, having no regular pattern
His performance on tests is erratic: one week he’ll ace the exam and the next week he’ll fail.
precipitate
to make something happen suddenly or sooner than expected
Winning the lottery precipitated his purchase of a new car.
robust
sturdy and strong
The country has developed a robust economy since it discovered rare metals in its mines.
obviate
to prevent or render unnecessary
If the results of the blood test are good, they would obviate the need for surgery.
impervious
unable to be affected by something (scientific def: no liquid can pass through)
She was impervious to any effort to cheer her up. Nothing could penetrate her despair.
conspicuous
easily seen or very noticeable
When she traveled in China, her blond hair was very conspicuous.
arduous
difficult and tiring or requiring great effort
They undertook an arduous journey through forests and across mountains to escape.
amorphous
without a clear structure, focus, or shape
In contrast to traditional forms for novels, today’s books combine elements of films and comics to create amorphous works that are not clearly defined.
assuage
to ease, lessen the intensity of something
Her plan assuaged the concerns of those who were afraid of the outcome.
scrutinize
to examine or inspect very closely
When he left the hospital, he scrutinized the invoice and found several incorrect charges.
denounce
to publically state that someone or something is wrong or evil
The leaders of the peaceful protest denounced the use of violence.
corroborate
to confirm or support with evidence or authority
The data from the new experiment appears to corroborate the conclusion of the original experiment.
disseminate
to spread widely, usually in regards to information
Today, both important information and false rumors can be disseminated to large groups easily and quickly.
circumvent
to find a way around, to avoid, to bypass
People are looking for ways to circumvent the government block on the website.
eclipse
to cause something else to become less important
Her performance in the film is so brilliant and affecting that it eclipses that of every other actor on screen.
incongruous
out of place, unusual for the location or situation
It would be incongruous to see a cowboy in a science fiction movie.
ineluctable
inescapable, unavoidable
With the latest polls stating that she was behind by over 10 percentage points, she came to the ineluctable conclusion that she would lose the race.
insuperable
impossible to overcome, insurmountable
Beset by insuperable financial difficulties, the building project had to be scrapped.
ameliorate
to make something better or less painful (similar to mitigate and allieviate)
The new factory that is opening should help to ameliorate the problem of unemployment in the are.
spurious
fake, false
The witness made spurious claims on the stand and was later found guilty of perjury.
rectify
to correct
The business was failing, but the owners took action to rectify the situation immediately.
ambivalent
having mixed feelings or ideas, uncertain
She is not sure how she feels about the new job; she is ambivalent about it.
analogical
logic based on a looking at a similar event or fact, related as an analogy
Analogical reasoning is useful to study historical events which seem similar.
palpable
almost real enough to feel, almost tangible
The effect of moderism on the city is palpable as one walks around: building after building has elements of the style.
As they climbed the stairs in the creepy old house, the fear in the air was palpable.
sanguine
hopeful, optimistic
He believes that he can win the race, even though he has lost it twice. It’s remarkable that he can be so sanguine about his chances.
desultory
done without enthusiasm, done in a half-hearted way
She really didn’t try very hard on her final paper for the class and her desultory effort was noted by the professor.
notional
theoretical, speculative
The scientists had only a notational understanding of the process until they made a new discovery.
harbinger
a sign of something that will happen
High winds and driving rain are often harbingers of worse weather to come.
superfluous
extra and unnecessary
I asked for a simple explanation, but she gave me so much superfluous information that I was overwhelmed and confused.
attrition
a reduction or decrease in numbers, size, or strength
Our club has a high rate of attrition because people move away often.
dissonance
a lack of harmony or agreement
There is a clear dissonance between the candidate’s stated view on taxes and his actual voting record. The two do not match at all.
nominal
(similar to negligible)
a small amount, insignificant
Since he lives at home, he pays a nominal amount of rent.
evince
give evidence of, show clearly
She evinced talent in music from an early age; she could play the piano well before she was 5 years old.
fervor
passion, great enthusiasm
The fervor surrounding women’s basketball has been increasing ever since Caitlin Clark joined the pros.
preclude
to exclude as an option
The new discoveries have precluded belief in the old theory about the life cycle of the invertibrate.
ambiguity
ambiguous
state of uncertainty or indistinctness
The results of the poll leave little room for ambiguity - we now know how the majority feels about the issue.
foment
to stir up or instigate (usually negative) action(s)
After he was demoted, Joe spread rumors in an attempt to foment a rebellion at work.
impugn
to cast doubt upon, to challenge as false
She sought to impugn the character of her rival with accusations of immorality.
stymie
to present an obstacle to or stand in the way of
If interest rates remain too high for too long, it will stymie construction of new houses.
refute
irrefutable
(refute) to prove something to be wrong, to disprove
(irrefutable) impossible to refute or prove wrong, undeniable
She wanted to refute what they were saying, but it was all true; the evidence proving it to be true was irrefutable.
confound
to cause confusion in someone
The new statistics confounded the experts, who were expecting different results.
forsaken
to abandon or turn away from entirely
She has forsaken all other activities so that she can devote her time to completing her book.
banal
very ordinary and containing nothing that is interesting or important
(vapid and insipid are similar words)
The only things he can ever talk about are banal topics like the weather.
emulate
to strive to equal someone or something else, often by imitation.
He tries to emulate the chefs on television by following both their recipes and their theatrics.
sporadic
occuring at irregular intervals of time
It rained on and off - sporadically - throughout the day.
catalyze
catalyzing
to activate, to cause an action (or process) to begin
The scarcity of the product had the effect of catalyzing a great deal of demand for it.
belie
to give a false impression, to contradict
The smile on her face belies the anger she feels in her heart.
desiccate
completely dry out and remove moisture
Long periods of drought have led to the desiccation of their farmland.
idiosyncratic
unique to an individual
His painting style is idiosyncratic: no other artist paints in this way.
forestall
to prevent something from happening by taking action(s) in advance, to hinder
The company executives forestalled criticism by inviting the unhappy employees to meet with them.
buttress
to reinforce
The enormous amount of evidence that has been compiled buttresses the prosecutor’s case.
conflate
to mix up or confuse two things
Many people seem to conflate rumors and actual facts, which causes them to believe things that are not true.
demarcate
to mark the limit or edge of something
The fence demarcates the end of my property and the beginning of the forest.
putative
commonly thought to be, apparent
The putative leader of the crime gang was arrested today.
exacerbate
to make something (that is already bad) even worse.
Anytime she put weight on her sprained ankle, she exacerbated the pain.
obligate
to require, especially legally or morally
You are obligated to report any errors directly to your manager.
