L to Permeable Flashcards
Labile
Likely to change
Laconic
Using few words
Lambaste
To thrash verbally or physically
Lascivious
Lustful
Lassitude
Lethargy; sluggishness
Latent
Present but hidden; potential
Laud
To praise
Lethargic
Inactive
Levee
An embankment that prevents a river from overflowing
Levity
Light manner or attitude
Liberal
Tolerant; broad-minded; generous; lavish
Libertine
One without moral restraint
Libido
Sexual desire
Lilliputian
Extremely small
Limn
To draw; describe
Limpid
Clear; transparent
Linguistic
Pertaining to language
Litany
Lengthy recitation; repetitive chant
Literati
Scholarly or learned persons
Litigation
Legal proceedings
Log
Record of a voyage; record of daily activities
Loquacious
Talkative
Lucid
Bright; clear; intelligible
Lucre
Money or profits
Luminous
Bright; brilliant; glowing
Lustrous
Shining
Machiavellian
Crafty; double-dealing
Machinations
Plots or schemes
Maelstrom
Whirlpool; turmoil
Magnanimity
Generosity; nobility
Malign
To speak evil of
Malinger
To feign illness to escape duty
Malleable
Capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionable
Maverick
Dissenter
Megalomania
Delusions of power or importance
Menagerie
A variety of animals kept together
Mendacious
Dishonest
Mendicant
Beggar
Meretricious
Gaudy; plausible but false; specious
Mesmerize
To hypnotize
Metamorphosis
Change; transformation
Metaphysics
A branch of philosophy that investigates the ultimate nature of reality
Meteorological
Concerned with the weather
Meticulous
Very careful; fastidious
Mettle
Courage; endurance
Mettlesome
Full of courage and fortitude; spirited
Microcosm
A small system having analogies to a larger system; small world
Militate
To work against
Minatory
Threatening; menacing
Minuscule
Very small
Minutia
Petty details
Misanthrope
One who hates humanity
Miscellany
Mixture of writings on various subjects
Miscreant
Villain; criminal
Misogynist
One who hates women
Mitigate
To cause to become less harsh; severe, or painful; alleviate
Mnemonic
Adj. related to memory; assisting memory, n. a system that develops and improves the memory
Modicum
Limited quantity
Mollify
Soothe
Monolithic
Solid and uniform; constituting a single, unified whole
Morose
Ill-humored; sullen
Motley
Many colored; made up of many parts
Multifarious
Diverse
Mundane
Worldly as opposed to spiritual; concerned with the ordinary
Necromancy
Black magic
Negate
To cancel out; nullify
Neologism
New word or expression
Neophyte
Novice; beginner
Nexus
A means of connection; a connected group or series; a center
Nonplussed
Bewildered
Nostalgia
Sentimental longing for a past time
Nostrum
Medicine or remedy of doubtful effectiveness; supposed cure
Nugatory
Trifling; invalid
Obdurate
Stubborn
Obsequious
Overly submissive
Obsequy
Funeral ceremony (often used in the plural, obsequies)
Obviate
To make unnecessary; to anticipate and prevent
Occlude
To shut; block
Occult
Relating to practices connected with supernatural phenomena
Odyssey
A long adventurous voyage; a quest
Officious
Too helpful; meddlesome
Olfactory
Concerning the sense of smell
Oligarchy
Form of government in which power belongs to only a few leaders
Onerous
Burdensome
Onomatopoeia
Formation or use of words that imitate sounds of the actions they refer to
Opprobrium
Disgrace; contempt
Ornithologist
Scientist who studies birds
Oscillate
To move back and forth
Ostentatious
Showy; trying to attract attention; pretentious
Overweening
Presumptuous; arrogant; overbearing
Paean
Song of joy or triumph; a fervent expression of joy
Paleontology
Study of past geological eras through fossil remains
Pallid
Lacking color or liveliness
Panegyric
Elaborate praise; formal hymn of praise
Paragon
Model of excellence or perfection
Partisan
One-sided; committed to a party, group. or cause; prejudiced
Pathological
Departing from normal condition
Pathos
A quality that causes a feeling of pity or sorrow
Patois
A regional dialect; nonstandard speech; jargon
Paucity
Scarcity
Pedant
Uninspired, boring academic
Pedantic
Showing off learning
Pellucid
Transparent; translucent; easily understood
Penchant
Inclination
Penurty
Extreme poverty
Peregrination
A wandering from place to place
Peremptory
Imperative; leaving no choice
Perennial
Present throughout the years; persistent
Perfidious
Faithless; disloyal; untrustworthy
Perfunctory
Superficial; not thorough; performed really as a duty
Perigee
Point in an orbit that is closest to the earth
Permeable
Penetrable