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