Kaplan's Top Words Flashcards
1
Q
ABATE
A
to reduce in amount, degree/severity
2
Q
ABSCOND
A
to leave secretly
3
Q
ABSTAIN
A
to choose not to do something
4
Q
ABYSS
A
extremely deep hole
5
Q
ADULTERATE
A
to make impure
6
Q
ADVOCATE
A
to speak in favor of
7
Q
AESTHETIC
A
concerning the appreciation of beauty
8
Q
AGGRANDIZE
A
to increase in power, influence, and reputation
9
Q
ALLEVIATE
A
to make more bearable
10
Q
AMALGAMATE
A
to combine; mix together
11
Q
AMBIGUOUS
A
doubtful or uncertain, able to be interpreted in diff ways
12
Q
AMELIORATE
A
to make better, improve
13
Q
ANACHRONISM
A
something out of place in time
14
Q
ANALOGOUS
A
similar or alike in some ways; equivalent to
15
Q
ANOMALY
A
deviation from what is normal
16
Q
ANTAGONIZE
A
to annoy or provoke to anger
17
Q
ANTIPATHY
A
extreme dislike
18
Q
APATHY
A
lack of interest or emotion
19
Q
ARBITRATE
A
to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
20
Q
ARCHAIC
A
ancient, old fashioned
21
Q
ARDOR
A
intense and passionate feeling
22
Q
ARTICULATE
A
able to speak clearly and expressively
23
Q
ASSUAGE
A
to make something unpleasant less severe
24
Q
ATTENUATE
A
to reduce in force or degree; to weaken
25
AUDACIOUS
fearless and daring
26
AUSTERE
severe or stern in appearance; undecorated
27
BANAL
predictable, cliched, boring
28
BOLSTER
to support; to prop up
29
BOMBASTIC
pompous in speech and manner
30
CACOPHONY
harsh, jarring noise
31
CANDID
impartial and honest in speech
32
CAPRICIOUS
changing ones mind quickly and often
33
CASTIGATE
to punish or criticize harshly
34
CATALYST
something that brings about a change in something else
35
CAUSTIC
biting in wit
36
CHAOS
great disorder or confusion
37
CHAUVINIST
someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
38
CHICANERY
deception by means of craft or guile
39
COGENT
convincing and well reasoned
40
CONDONE
to overlook, pardon, or disregard
41
CONVOLUTED
intricate and complicated
42
CORROBORATE
to provide supporting evidence
43
CREDULOUS
too trusting; gullible
44
CRESCENDO
steadily increasing volume or force
45
DECORUM
appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety
46
DEFERENCE
respect, courtesy
47
DERIDE
to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock
48
DESICCATE
to dry out thoroughly
49
DESULTORY
jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
50
DIATRIBE
an abusive, condemnatory speech
51
DIFFIDENT
lacking self-confidence
52
DILATE
to make larger; expand
53
DILATORY
intended to delay
54
DILETTANTE
someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
55
DIRGE
a funeral hymn or mournful speech
56
DISABUSE
to set right; free from error
57
DISCERN
to perceve; to recognize
58
DISPARATE
fundamentally different; entirely unlike
59
DISSEMBLE
to present a false appearance; to disguise ones real intentions or character
60
DISSONANCE
a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds
61
DOGMA
a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
62
DOGMATIC
a dictatorial in one's opinion
63
DUPE
to deceive, a person who is easily deceived
64
ECLECTIC
selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
65
EFFICACY
effectiveness
66
ELEGY
a sorrowful poem or speech
67
ELOQUENT
persuasive and moving, especially in speech
68
EMULATE
to copy; to try to equal or excel
69
ENERVATE
to reduce in strength
70
ENGENDER
to produce, cause, or bring about
71
ENIGMA
a puzzle, mystery
72
ENUMERATE
to count, list, or itemize
73
EPHEMERAL
lasting a short time
74
EQUIVOCATE
to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
75
ERRATIC
wandering and unpredictable
76
ERUDITE
learned, scholarly, bookish
77
ESOTERIC
known or understood by only a few
78
ESTIMABLE
admirable
79
EULOGY
speech in praise of someone
80
EUPHEMISM
use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
81
EXACERBATE
to make worse
82
EXCULPATE
to clear from blame; prove innocent
83
EXIGENT
urgent; requiring immediate action
84
EXONERATE
to clear of blame
85
EXPLICIT
clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression
86
FANATICAL
acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme unquestioned devotion
87
FAWN
to grovel
88
FERVID
intensely emotional; feverish
89
FLORID
excessively decorated or embellished
90
FOMENT
to arouse or incite
91
FRUGALITY
a tendency to be thrifty or cheap
92
GARRULOUS
tending to talk a lot
93
GREGARIOUS
outgoing, sociable
94
GUILE
deceit or trickery
95
GULLIBLE
easily deceived
96
HOMOGENOUS
of a similar kind
97
ICONOCLAST
one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions
98
IMPERTURBABLE
not capable of being disturbed
99
IMPERVIOUS
impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
100
IMPETUOUS
quick to act without thinking
101
IMPLACABLE
unable to be calmed down or made peaceful
102
INCHOATE
not fully formed; disorganized
103
INGENUOUS
showing innocence or childlike simplicity
104
INIMICAL
hostile, unfriendly
105
INNOCUOUS
harmless
106
INSIPID
lacking interest or flavor
107
INTRANSIGENT
uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled
108
INUNDATE
to overwhelm, cover with water
109
IRASCIBLE
easily made angry
110
LACONIC
using few words
111
LAMENT
to express sorrow, to grieve
112
LAUD
to give praise; to glorify
113
LAVISH
to give unsparingly; extremely generous or extravagant
114
LETHARGIC
acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
115
LOQUACIOUS
talkative
116
LUMINOUS
bright, brilliant, glowing
117
MALINGER
to evade responsibility by pretended to be ill
118
MALLEABLE
capable of being shaped
119
METAPHOR
a figure of speech comparing two different things; a symbol
120
METICULOUS
extremely careful about details
121
MISANTHROPE
a person who dislikes others
122
MITIGATE
to soften; to lessen
123
MOLLIFY
to calm or make less severe
124
MONOTONY
lack of variation
125
NAIVE
lacking sophistication or experience
126
OBDURATE
hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion
127
OBSEQUIOUS
overly submissive and eager to please
128
OBSTINATE
stubborn; unyielding
129
OBVIATE
to prevent; to make unnecessary
130
OCCLUDE
to stop up; to prevent the passage of
131
ONEROUS
troublesome and oppressive; burdensome
132
OPAQUE
impossible to see through; preventing passage of light
133
OPPROBRIUM
public disgrace
134
OSTENTATION
excessive showiness
135
PARADOX
a contradiction or dilemma
136
PARAGON
a model of excellence or perfection
137
PEDANT
someone who shows off learning
138
PERFIDIOUS
willing to betray one's trust
139
PERFUNCTORY
done in a routine way; indifferent
140
PERMEATE
to penetrate
141
PHILANTHROPY
charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness
142
PLACATE
to soothe or pacify
143
PLASTIC
able to be molded, altered, or bent
144
PLETHORA
excess
145
PRAGMATIC
practical as opposed to idealistic
146
PRECIPITATE
to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation
147
PREVARICATE
to lie or deviate from the truth
148
PRISTINE
fresh and clean; uncorrupted
149
PRODIGAL
lavish, wasteful
150
PROLIFERATE
to increase in number quickly
151
PROPITIATE
to conciliate; to appease
152
PROPRIETY
correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs
153
PRUDENCE
wisdom, caution, or restraint
154
PUNGENT
sharp and irritating to the senses
155
QUIESCENT
motionless
156
RAREFY
to make thinner or sparser
157
REPUDIATE
to reject the validity of
158
RETICENT
silent, reserved
159
RHETORIC
effective writing or speaking
160
SATIATE
to satisfy fully or overindulge
161
SOPORIFIC
causing sleep or lethargy
162
SPECIOUS
deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious
163
STIGMA
a mark of shame of discredit
164
STOLID
unemotional; lacking sensitivity
165
SUBLIME
lofty or grand
166
TACIT
done without using words
167
TACITURN
silent, not talkative
168
TIRADE
long, harsh speech or verbal attack
169
TORPOR
extreme mental and physical sluggishness
170
TRANSITORY
temporary, lasting a brief time
171
VACILLATE
to sway physically; to be indecisive
172
VENERATE
to respect deeply
173
VERACITY
filled with truth and accuracy
174
VERBOSE
wordy
175
VEX
to annoy
176
VOLATILE
easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive
177
WAVER
to fluctuate between choices
178
WHIMSICAL
acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable
179
ZEAL
passion, excitement
