June 4 - Common Words IV (part a) Flashcards
blatant
- without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious
Allen was often punished in school for blatantly disrespecting teachers.
petulant
- easily irritated or annoyed
Although the three year old was often described as mature for his age, he was petulant and whiny whenever his father forgot to remove the crust from his sandwiches.
implausible
- describing a statement that is not believable
The teacher found it implausible that the student was late to school because he had been kidnapped by outlaws on horseback.
laudable
- worthy of high praise
To say that Gandhi’s actions were laudable is the greatest understatement; he overthrew an empire without violence.
indifference
- the trait of seeming not to care
In an effort to fight indifference, the president of the college introduced a new, stricter grading system.
adamant
- refusing to change one’s mind
Civil rights icon Rosa Parks will forever be remembered for adamantly refusing to give up her seat on a public bus–even after the bus driver insisted, she remained rooted in place.
ingratiate
- gain favor with somebody by deliberate efforts
Even though Tom didn’t like his new boss, he decided to ingratiate himself to her in order to advance his career.
iconoclastic
- defying tradition or convention
Jackson Pollock was an iconoclastic artist, totally breaking with tradition by splashing paint on a blank canvas.
refute
- prove to be false or incorrect
No one could refute his theories or propositions, and that is why he was esteemed by all his colleagues in the philosophy department.
eradicate
- to completely destroy
I tried eradicating the mosquitos in my apartment with a rolled up newspaper, but there were too many of them.
exonerate
- pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
The document clearly indicated that Nick was out of the state at the time of the crime, and so served to exonerate him of any charges.
temperance
- the trait of avoiding excesses
Welles wasn’t known for his temperance–he usually ate enough for two and drank enough for three.
exacting
- requiring and demanding accuracy
Though his childhood piano teacher was so exacting, Max is thankful now, as a professional pianist.
pedantic
- marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects
Professor Thompson was regarded as an expert in his field, but his lectures were utterly pedantic, focused on rigorous details of the most trivial conventions in the field.
confound
- to cause confusion
Though Harry loved numbers, calculus confounded him.
- mistake one thing for another
Americans often confound sweet potatoes with yams, and refer to both vegetables by the same name.
ostentatious
- intended to attract notice and impress others; tawdry or vulgar
Matt wanted to buy stone lions for front of the house, but Cynthia convinced him that such a display would be too ostentatious for a modest house in an unassuming neighborhood.
construe
- interpreted in a particular way
The author’s inability to take a side on the issue was construed by both his opponents and supporters as a sign of weakness.
tortuous
- marked by repeated turns and bends; not straightforward
Because the logic behind McMahon’s side of the debate was so tortuous, his audience came out either completely confused or, worse, feeling they’d been tricked.
contingent
- a gathering of persons representative of some larger group
A small contingent of those loyal to the king have gathered around the castle to defend it.
- dependent on (usually used with upon)
Whether the former world champions can win again this year is contingent upon none of its star players getting injured.
hackneyed
- lacking significance through having been overused
Cheryl rolled her eyes when she heard the lecturer’s hackneyed advice to “be true to yourself.”
decorum
- propriety in manners and conduct
“You will obey the rules of decorum for this courtroom or spend the night in a jail cell,” said the judge to the prosecutor.
opaque
- not clearly understood or expressed
The meaning of the professor’s new research was opaque to most people, so no one asked any questions.
copious
- in abundant supply
In midsummer, there are copious popsicle stands at the beach; in the winter, there are none.
abstruse
- difficult to understand; incomprehensible
Physics textbooks can seem so abstruse to the uninitiated that readers feel as though they are looking at hieroglyphics.
reconcile
- make (one thing) compatible with (another)
Peggy was unable to reconcile her kind friend Jane with the cruel and merciless character Jane played on television.
