Hit Parade Group 2 Flashcards
Ablate (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 (noun)
greed, esp. for wealth
adj. form: avaricious
Axiom (noun)
a universally recognized principle
adj. form: axiomatic
Burgeon (verb)
to grow rapidly or flourish
Bucolic (adj.)
rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
Cacophony (noun)
harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance
adj. form: cacophonous
Canon (noun)
an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature
(adj. form: canonical)
Castigation (noun)
severe criticism or punishment
verb form: castigate
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 (noun)
the willingness to comply with the wishes of others
adj. form: complaisant
Contentious (adj.)
argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
Contrite (adj.)
regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness
noun form:contrition
Culpable (adj.)
deserving blame
noun form: culpability
Dearth (noun)
smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
Demur (verb)
to question or oppose
Didactic (adj.)
intended to teach or instruct
Discretion (noun)
cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions
(adj. form: discrete)
Disinterested (adj.)
free of bias or self-interest; impartial
Dogmatic (adj.)
expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles
(noun form: dogma)
Ebullience (noun)
the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings
(adj. form: ebullient)
Eclectic (adj.)
composed of elements drawn from various sources
Elegy (noun)
a mournful poem, esp. one lamenting the dead
adj. form: elegiac