L Flashcards
Laconic
Adj
Of a person, speech, or style of writing using very few words:
His laconic reply suggested a lack of interest in topic.
Synonym: brief; concise; reticent; taciturn
Lachrymose
Adj
Tearful:
Marcella always became lachrymose when it war time to bid her daughter goodbye.
Synonym: weepy
Lament
Verb
To express sorrow
Synonym: deplore; grieve
Lampoon
Verb
To ridicule with satire:
The mayor hated being lampooned by the press for his efforts to improve people’s politeness.
Synonym: tease
Languid
Adj
Lacking energy, slow; indifferent:
The languid cat cleaned its fur, ignoring the vicious, snarling dog chained a few feet away from it.
Synonym: lethargic; indolent; sluggish
Lapidary
Adj
Relating to precious stones or art of cutting them:
Most lapidary work today is done with the use of motorized equipment.
Larceny
Noun
Theft of property:
The crime of stealing a wallet can be categorized as petty larceny.
Synonym: burglary
Largess
Noun
Generous giving (as of money) to others who may seem inferior:
She’d always relied on her parent’s largess, but after graduation she had to get a job.
Synonym: benevolence; favor
Lassitude
Noun
A state of diminished energy:
The lack of energy that characterizes patients with anemia makes lassitude one of the primary symptoms.
Synonym: debilitation; fatigue
Latent
Adj
Potential that is not readily apparent:
Latent trait testing seeks to identify skills that the test taker may have that they’re not aware of.
Synonym: quiescent; dormant; inert
Laud
Verb
To give praise, to glorify;
Parades and fireworks were staged to laud the success of the rebels.
Synonym: acclaim; applaud
Lavish
Adj
Extremely extravagant
Leery
Adj
Suspicious:
After being swindled once, Ruth became leery of strangers trying to sell things to her.
Synonym: distrustful; guarded
Legerdemain
Noun
Trickery:
The little boy thought his legerdemain was working on his mother.
Synonym: chicanery; conjuring
Lethargic
Adj
Acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner:
Synonym: languid; listless; torpid; idols r
Levity
Noun
An inappropriate lack of seriousness, overly casual:
The joke added needed levity to the otherwise serious meeting.
Synonym: amusement
Liberal
Adj
Tolerant, broad-minded
Libertine
Noun
A free thinker, usually used disparagingly; one without moral restrain:
The libertine took pleasure in gambling away his family’s money.
Synonym: hedonist
Licentious
Adj
Immoral; unrestrained by society:
Religious citizens were outraged by the licentious exploits of the free spirited artists living in town.
Synonym: lewd; wanton; ribald
Limpid
Adj
Clear, transparent:
Fernando could see all the way to the bottom through the pond’s limpid water.
Synonym: lucid; pellucid; serene
Lionize
Verb
To treat as a celebrity:
After the success of his novel, the author was lionized by the press.
Synonym: feast; honor
Lissome
Adj
Easily flexed, limber, agile:
The lissome yoga instructor twisted herself into shapes that her students could only dream of.
Synonym: graceful; supple
Listless
Adj
lacking energy and enthusiasm:
Listless and depressed after breaking up with his girlfriend, mike spent his days moping on the couch.
Synonym: indolent; languid; lethargic
Livid
Adj
Discolored from a bruise; pale; reddened with anger:
Andre was livid when he discovered that someone had spilled grape juice all over his cashmere coat.
Synonym: pallid; furious
Loquacious
Adj
Talkative:
She is naturally loquacious, which is a problem in situations where listening is more important than talking.
Synonym: garrulous; verbose; voluble
Lucid
Adj
Clear and easily understood:
The explanations were written in a simple and lucid manner so that students were able to apply the knowledge.
Synonym: limpid
Lugubrious
Adj
Sorrowful, mournful; dismal:
Irish wakes are a rousing departure from the lugubrious funeral services to which most people are accustomed.
Synonym: dyspeptic; gloomy
Lumber
Verb
To move slowly and awkwardly:
The bear lumbered toward the garage.
Synonym: stumble
Luminous
Adj
Bright, brilliant, glowing
layperson
Noun
a person without professional or specialized knowledge in a particular subject:
Engineering sounds highly specialized to the layperson.
Synonyms: nonexpert
lambaste
verb
criticize harshly:
They lambasted the report as a gross distortion of the truth.
Synonym: chastise; harangue
