Hit Parade Group 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
Burgeon
(verb) to grow rapidly or flourish
Bucolic
(adj.) rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
Cacophony (adj. form: cacophonous)
(noun) harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance
Canon (adj. form: canonical)
(noun) an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature
Castigation (verb form: castigate)
(noun) severe criticism or punishment
Catalyst
(noun) a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or 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
Dyadic
(adj.) intended to teach or instruct
Discretion (adj. form: discreet)
(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