Key Words in Context Flashcards
MALINGERING
A common way to avoid the draft was by MALINGERING – pretending to be mentally or physically ill so as to avoid being taken by the Army
IMERVIOUS
A good raincoat will be IMERVIOUS to moisture
MITIGATE
A judge may MITIGATE a sentence if she decided that a person committed a crime out of need
OCCULDED
A shadow is thrown across the earth’s surface during a solar eclipse, when the light from the sun is OCCULDED by the moon
DESICCATED
After a few weeks of lying on the desert’s baking sands, the cow’s carcass became completely DESICCATED
TORPOR
After surgery, the patient experienced TORPOR until the anesthesia wore off
OPROBRIUM
After the scheme to embezzle the elderly was made public, the treasurer resigned in utter OPROBRIUM
CONVOLUTED
Although many people brought A Brief History of Time, few could follow its CONVOLUTED ideas and theories
TACIT
Although not a word had been said, everyone in the room knew that a TACIT agreement had been made about which course of action to take
PROLIFERATED
Although she only kept two guinea pigs initially, the PROLIFERATED to such an extent that she soon had dozen
CREDULOUS
Although some four year olds believe in the Easter Bunny, only the most CREDULOUS nine year olds still believe in him
DISPARATE
Although the twins appear to be identical physically, their personalities are DISPARATE
ELEGY
Although Thomas Gray’s ELEGY is about death and loss; it urges readers to endure this life and to trust in spirituality
ABATED
As the hurricane’s force ABATED, the winds dropped and the sea because calm
IRASCIBLE
Attila the Hun’s IRASCIBLE and violent nature made all who delt with him fear for their lives
EQUIVOCAL
Asked a pointed question, the politician nevertheless gave an EQUIVOCAL answer
PLETHROA
Assuming that more was better, the defendant offered the judge a PLETHROA of excuses
ECLECTIC
Budapest’s architecture is an ECLECTIC mix of Eastern and Western styles
DUPE
Bugs Bunny was able to DUPE Elmer Fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit
DISSONANCE
Cognitive DISSONANCE is the inner conflict produced when long-standing beliefs are contradicted by new evidence
DESULTORY
Diane had a DESULTORY academic record; she had changed majors 12 times in three years
CHICANERY
Dishonest used car salespeople often use CHICANERY to sell their beat-up old cars
CAUSTIC
Dorothy Parker gained her reputation for CAUSTIC wit from her cutting, yet clever, insults
INIMICAL
Even though the children had grown up together, they were INIMICAL to each other at school
CORROBORATED
Fingerprints CORROBORATED the witness’s testimony that he saw the defendant in the victim’s apartment
AESTHETIC
Followers of the AESTHETIC movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art
DISABUSED
Galileo’s observations DISABUSED scholars of the notion that the Sun revolved around the Earth
AMALGAMATED
Giant industries AMALGAMATED with mega products to form giant-mega products incorporated
MALLEABLE
Gold is the most MALLEABLE of precious metals; it can be formed into almost any shape
NAÏVE
Having never traveled before, the elementary school students were more NAÏVE than their high school counterparts on the field trip
BANAL
He used BANAL phrases like “have a nice day” and “another day, another dollar”
ARCHAIC
Her ARCHAIC commodore computer could not run the latest software
AUDACIOUS
Her AUDACIOUS nature allowed her to fulfill her dream of skydiving
EULOGY
His best friend gave the EULOGY, outlining his many achievements and talents
SATIATE
His desire for power was so great that nothing less than complete control of the country could SATIATE it
ENGENDERED
His fear and hatred of clowns was ENGENDERED when he witnessed the death of his father at the hands of a clown
ICONOCLAST
His lack of regard for traditional beliefs soon established him as an ICONOCLAST
IMPLACABLE
His rage at the betrayal was so great that he remained IMPLACABLE for weeks
VOLATILE
His VOLATILE personality made it difficult to predict his reaction to anything
WAVER
If you WAVER too long before making a decision about which testing site to register for, you may not get your first choice
VENERATE
In a traditional Confucian society, the young VENERATE their elders, deferring to the elders’ wisdom and experience
CHAOS
In many religious traditions, God created an ordered universe from CHAOS
ANALOGOUS
In the Newtonian construct for explain the existence of God, the universe is ANALOGOUS to a mechanical timepiece, the creation of a divinely intelligent clockmaker
STIGMA
In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne was required to wear a letter A on her clothes as a public STIGMA for her adultery
PARADOX
It is a PARADOX that those most in need of medical attention are often those least able to obtain it
DISCERN
It is easy to DISCERN the difference between butter and butter-flavored topping
IMPETUOUS
It is not good for an investment broker to be IMPETUOUS since much though should be given to all the possible outcomes
EXACERBATE
It is unwise to take aspirin to try to relive heartburn; instead of providing relief, the drug will only EXACERBATE the problem
DILETTANTES
Jerry’s friends were such DILETTANTES that they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week
RHETORIC
Lincoln’s talent for RHETORIC was evident in his beautifully expressed Gettysburg Address
DOGMA
Linus’s central DOGMA was that children who believed in the Great Pumpkin would be rewarded
CASTIGATE
Many Americans are amazed at how harshly the authorities in Singapore CASTIGATE perpetrators of what would be considered minor crimes in the United States
QUISCENT
Many animals are QUISCENT over the winter months, minimizing activity in order to conserve energy
DIRGE
Melville wrote the poem “A DIRGE for James McPherson” for the funeral of a Union general who was killed in 1864
ENUMERATED
Moses returned from the mountain with tablets on which the commandments were ENUMERATED
ESTIMABLE
Most people consider it ESTIMABLE that Mother Teresa spent her life helping the poor of India
PHILANTHROPY
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art owes much of its collection to the PHILANTHROPY of private collectors who willed their estates to the museum
TIRADE
Observers were shocked at the manager’s TIRADE over such a minor mistake
ESOTERIC
Only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the ESOTERIC world of particle physics
LAUD
Parades and fireworks were staged to LAUD the success of the rebels
RETICENT
Physically small and RETICENT in her speech, Joan Didion often went unnoticed by those upon whom she was reporting
CAPRICIOUS
Queen Elizabeth I was quite CAPRICIOUS; her courtiers could never be sure which of their number would catch her fancy
PREVARICATED
Rather than admit that he had overslept again, the employee PREVARICATED and claimed that heavy traffic had prevented him from arriving at work on time
FRUGALITY
Scrooge Muck’s FRUGALITY was so great that he accumulated enough wealth to fill a giant storehouse with money
ASSUAGE
Serena used aspirin to ASSUAGE her pounding headache
ABSTAINED
She ABSTAINED from choosing a mouthwatering dessert from the tray
ZEAL
She brought her typical ZEAL to the project, sparking enthusiasm in the other team members
VERACITY
She had a reputation for VERACITY, so everyone trusted her description of events
ARTICULATE
She is such an ARTICULATE defender of labor that unions are among her strongest supporters
PARAGON
She is the PARAGON of what a judge should be: honest, intelligent, hardworking and just
LAVISHED
She LAVISHED the puppy with so many treats that it soon became overweight and spoiled
LACONIC
She was a LACONIC poet who build her reputation on using words as sparingly as possible
LOQUACIOUS
She was naturally LOQUACIOUS, which was a problem in situations in which listening was more important than talking
GREGARIOUS
She was so GREGARIOUS that when she found herself alone, she felt quite sad
INGENUOUS
She was so INGENUOUS that her friends feared that her innocence and trustfulness would be exploited when she visited the big city
PRISTINE
Since concerted measures had been taken to prevent looting, the archeological site was still PRISTINE when researchers arrived
GUILE
Since he was not fast enough to catch the roadrunner on foot, the coyote resorted to GUILE in an effort to trap his enemy
RAREFIES
Since the atmosphere RAREFIES as altitudes increase, the air at the top of very tall mountains is too thin to breathe
ARBITRATE
Since the couple could not come to an agreement, a judge was forced to ARBITRATE their divorce proceedings
INNOCUOUS
Some snakes are poisonous, but most species are INNOCUOUS and pose no danger to humans
CONDONING
Some theorists believe that failing to prosecute minor crimes is the same as CONDONING an air of lawlessness
ENIGMA
Speaking in riddles and dressed in old robes, the artist gained a reputation as something of an ENIGMA
DIFFIDENT
Steve’s DIFFIDENT manner during the job interview stemmed from his nervous nature and lack of experience in the field
COGENT
Swayed by the COGENT argument of the defense, the jury had no choice but to acquit that defendant
ALLEVIATE
Taking aspirin helps to ALLEVIATE a headache
PERFIDIOUS
The actress’s PERFIDIOUS companion revealed all of her intimate secrets to the gossip columnist
EXCULPATE
The adversarial legal system is intended to convict those who are guilty and to EXCULPATE those who are innocent
ANACHRONISTIC
The aged hippie used ANACHRONISTIC phrases like groovy and far out that had not been popular for years
ERUDITE
The annual meeting of philosophy professors was a gathering of the most ERUDITE, well-published individuals in the field
ANTIPATHY
The ANTIPATHY between the French and the English regularly erupted into open warfare
APATHY
The APATHY of voters is so great that less than half the people who are eligible to vote actually bother to do so
PROPRIETY
The aristocracy maintained a high level of PROPRIETY adhering to even the most minor social rules
ONEROUS
The assignment was so extensive and difficult to manage that it proved ONEROUS to the team in charge of it
CHAUVINISTS
The attitude that men are inherently superior to women and therefore must be obeyed is common among male CHAUVINISTS
DERIDED
The awkward child was often DERIDED by his cooler peers
WHIMSICAL
The ballet was WHIMSICAL, delighting the children with its imaginative characters and unpredictable sets
ATTENUATED
The Bill of Rights ATTENUATED the traditional power of governments to change laws at will
PLACATE
The burglar tried to PLACATE the snarling dog by saying “nice doggy: and offering it a treat
MISANTHROPE
The character Scrooge in A Christmas Carol is such a MISANTHROPE that even the sight of children singing makes him angry
ADULTERATING
The chef made his ketchup last longer by ADULTERATING it with water
ANTAGONIZE
The child discovered that he could ANTAGONIZE the cat by pulling its tail
LAMENT
The children continued to LAMENT the death of the goldfish weeks after its demise
HOMOGENEOUS
The class was fairly HOMOGENEOUS, since almost all of the students were senior journalism majors
LETHARGIC
The clear was so LETHARGIC that, even when the store was slow, he always had a long line in front of him
TACITURN
The clerk’s TACITURN nature earned him the nickname Silent Bob
PRUDENCE
The college student exhibited PRUDENCE by obtaining practical experience along with her studies, which greatly strengthened her resume
GULLIBLE
The con man pretended to be a bank officer so as to fool GULLIBLE bank customers into giving him their account information
DILATORY
The congressman used DILATORY measures to delay the passage of the bill
IMPERTURBABLE
The counselor had so much experience dealing with distraught children that she seemed IMPERTURBABLE, even when faced with the wildest tantrums
DECORUM
The countess complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the DECORUM appropriate for a visit to the palace
CRESCENDO
The CRESCENDO of tension became unbearable as Evel Knievel prepared to jump his motorcycle over the school buses
INSIPID
The critic claimed that the painting was INSIPID, containing no interesting qualities at all
VACILLATED
The customer held up the line as he VACILLATED between ordering chocolate chip or rockery road ice cream
DOGMATIC
The dictator was DOGMATIC – he and only he was right
AMBIGUOUS
The directions she gave were so AMBIGUOUS that we disagreed on which way to turn
AMELIORATE
The doctor was able to AMELIORATE the patient’s suffering using painkillers
EFFICACY
The EFFICACY of penicillin was unsurpassed when it was first introduced; the drug completely eliminated almost all bacterial infections for which it was administered
LUCID
The explanations were written in a simple and LUCID manner so that students were immediately able to apply what they learned
FERVID
The fans of Maria Callas were unusually FERVID, doing anything to catch a glimpse of the great opera singer
EXONERATED
The fugitive was EXONERATED when another criminal confessed to committing the crime
EUPHEMISM
The funeral director preferred to use the EUPHEMISM “sleeping” instead of the word “dead”
GARRULOUS
The GARRULOUS parakeet distracted its owner with its continuous talking
ELOQUENT
The Gettysburg Address is moving not only because of its lofty sentiments but also because of its ELOQUENT words
PEDANT
The graduate instructor’s tedious and excessive commentary on the subject soon grained her a reputation as a PEDANT
EMULATE
The graduate student sought to EMULATE his professor in every way, copying not only how she taught but also how she conducted herself outside of class
ENERVATE
The guerrillas hoped that a series of surprise attacks would ENERVATE the regular army
OPAQUE
The heavy buildup of dirt and grime on the windows almost made them OPAQUE
INCHOATE
The ideas expressed in Nietzche’s mature work also appear in an INCHOATE form in his earliest writing
CATALYST
The imposition of harsh taxes was the CATALYST that finally brought on the revolution
CACOPHONY
The junior high orchestra created an almost unbearable CACOPHONY as they tried to tune their instruments
AUSTERE
The lack of decoration makes military barracks seem AUSTERE to the civilian eye
EPHEMERAL
The lives of mayflies seem EPHEMERAL to use, since the flies average life span is a matter of hours
PERFUNCTORY
The machinelike bank teller processed the transaction and gave the waiting customer a PERFUNCTORY smile
PROPITATED
The management PROPITATED the irate union by agreeing to raise wages for its members
METAPHOR
The METAPHOR a sea of troubles suggests a lot of troubles by comparing their number to the vastness of the sea
PERMEATE
The miraculous new cleaning fluid is able to PERMEATE strains and dissolved them in minutes
MONOTONY
The MONOTONY of the sound of the dripping faucet almost drove the research assistant crazy
SOPORIFIC
The movie proved to be so SOPORIFIC, that soon loud snores were heard throughout the theater
SUBLIME
The music was so SUBLIME that it transformed the rude surroundings into a special place
ANOMALY
The near boiling river in Peru called Shanay-timpishka is geologically ANOMALY; it is the only naturally healed body of water that is not heated by its proximity to a volcano
PLASTIC
The new material was very PLASTIC and could be formed into product of vastly different shapes
OBSEQUIOUS
The OBSEQUIOUS new associate made sure to compliment her supervisor’s tie and agree with him on every issue
CANDID
The observations of a child can be charming since they are CANDID and unpretentious
OBSTINATE
The OBSTINATE child could not be made to eat any food that he disliked
VEXED
The old man who loved his peace and quiet was VEXED by his neighbor’s loud music
REPUDIATED
The old woman’s claim that she was Russian royalty was REPUDIATED when DNA tests showed she was of no relation to them
OSTENTATION
The OSTENTATION of the Sun King’s court is evident in the lavish decoration and luxuriousness of his palace at Versailles
EXPLICIT
The owners of the house left a list of EXPLICIT instructions detailing their house sitter’s duties, including a schedule for watering the house plants
FLORID
The palace had been decorated in a FLORID style; every surface had been carved and gilded
LUMINOUS
The park was bathed in LUMINOUS sunshine, which warmed the bodies and the souls of the visitors
EXIGENT
The patient was losing blood so rapidly that it was EXIGENT to stop the source of the bleeding
ASCONDED
The patron ASCONDED from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door
ERRATIC
The pilot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of ERRATIC turns that surprised the audience
BOLSTERED
The presence of giant footprints BOLSTERED the argument that Sasquatch was in the area
OBDURATE
The president was completely OBDURATE on the issue, and no amount of persuasion would change his mind
STOLID
The prisoner appeared STOLID and unaffected by the judge’s harsh sentence
PRODIGAL
The PRODIGAL son quickly wasted all of his inheritance on a lavish lifestyle devoted to pleasure
INTRANSIGENT
The professor was INTRANSIGENT on the deadline, insisting that everyone turn the assignment in at the same time
VERBOSE
The professor’s answer was so VERBOSE that his student forgot what the original question had been
FOMENT
The protesters tried to FOMENT feeling against the war through their speeches and demonstrations
BOMBASTIC
The ranting of the radio talk show host was mostly BOMBASTIC; his boasting and outrageous claims had no basis in fact
TRANSITORY
The reported lived a TRANSITORY life, staying in one place only long enough to cover the current story
DEFERENCE
The respectful young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justice with the utmost DEFERENCE
OBVIATED
The river was shallow enough to wade across at many points, which OBVIATED the need for a bridge
PUNGENT
The smoke from the burning tires was extremely PUNGENT
FANATICAL
The stormtroopers were FANATICAL in their devotion to the emperor, readily sacrificing their lives for him
SPECIOUS
The student’s SPECIOUS excuse for being late sounded legitimate but was proved otherwise when her teacher called her home
ABYSS
The submarine dove into the ABYSS to chart the previously unseen depths
AGGRANDIZE
The supervisor sought to AGGRANDIZE herself by claiming that the achievements of her staff were actually her own
INUNDATED
The tidal wave INUNDATED Atlantic, which was lost beneath the water
DIATRIBE
The trucker bellowed a DIATRIBE at the driver who had cut him off
FAWNED
The understudy FAWNED over the director in hopes of being cast in the part of a permanent basis
ADVOCATED
The vegetarian ADVOCATED a diet containing no meat
DISSEMBLE
The villain could DISSEMBLE to the police no longer – he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the body of the old man
MOLIFY
Their argument was so intense that it was difficult to believe any compromise would MOLIFY them
METICULOUSLY
To find all the clues at the crime scene, the investigation METICULOUSLY examined every inch of the area
PRECIPITATE
Upon learning that the couple married after knowing each other for only two months, friends and family members expected such a PRECIPITATE marriage to end in divorce
EQUIVOCATED
When faced with criticism of her policies, the politician EQUIVOCATED and left all parties thinking she agreed with them
DILATE
When you enter a darkened room, the pupils of your eyes DILATE to let in more light
PRAGMATIC
While daydreaming gamblers think they can get rich by frequenting casinos, PRAGMATIC gamblers realized that the odds are heavily stacked against them
