Lesson 12 Flashcards
Diatribe (n.)
Syn: bitter criticism; abuse; reproof
- When a large expenditure is imminent, my father goes into a long diatribe on the need for economy.
Ilk (n.)
Syn: kind, sort
- It is often fruitless to argue with racist, bigots, and others of that ilk.
Incoherent (adj.)
Syn: disjointed; confused; disordered
- Since the patient’s speech was garbled and incoherent, we could only conjecture as to his message.
Fortuitous (adj.)
Syn: accidental; random
- The meeting was a fortuitous one, but the jealous husband construed it as pre-arranged and clandestine.
Inhibition (n.)
Syn: restraint; shyness
- After two drinks the usually phlegmatic dentist lost all his inhibitions.
To wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve (idiom)
To make one’s feelings evident
- People who wear their heart on their sleeves frequently suffer emotional upset.
Placard (n.) (vt.)
Syn: poster; notice
- The police posted a Placard asking all citizens to desist from looting.
Prestigious (adj.)
Syn: illustrious; important
- A salient feature of the prestigious company’s success was its fair treatment of employees.
Remuneration (n.)
Syn: reward; pay
- Derek Jeter’s remuneration from the New York Yankees made him a millionaire many times over.
Nominal (adj.)
Syn: slight; trivial; in name only
- For allowing his ferocious mastiff to appear on a commercial, the trainer was paid a nominal sum.
Integral (adj.)
Syn: essential; necessary
- She seemed to be an unimportant member of the president entourage but actually she played an integral role in White House affairs.
To wash dirty linen in public (idiom)
To openly discuss private affairs
- “Let’s talk about it privately,” his uncle said, “rather than wash our dirty linen in public”.
Utopia (n.)
Syn: place of perfection; heaven
- In Lost Horizon a character recoiled at the idea of living in a utopia.
Schism (n.)
Syn: split; break
- A pernicious schism developed between the two sisters.
Anathema (n.)
Syn: something greatly detested; aversion
- The traitor’s name was anathema in his father’s domicile.
Flamboyant (adj.)
Syn: showy; colorful
- Our theatrical pages were inundated with press releases from the flamboyant producer.
Expunge (vt.)
Syn: erase: delete; remove
- After having made the rash statement, senator wished that he could expunge them from the record.
To save face (idiom)
To avoid disgrace
- They allowed him to retire in order that he might save face.
Truncated (adj.)
Syn: cut short; curtailed
- It is frustrating to have one’s lengthy remarks pointed in truncated form.
Jaunty (adj.)
Syn: sprightly; happy
- With his cap set at a jaunty angle, the amicable sailor strutted down the street.
Ostentatious (adj.)
Syn: showy; flashy
- In an ostentatious display of histrionics the star refused to perform.
Timorous (adj.)
Syn: fearful; afraid; frightened
- Under duress the normally timorous husband was coerced into demanding a raise.
Fractious (adj.)
Syn: quarrelsome
- Roger’s fractious behavior compounded the bad relationship he had already had with his partner.
Indian summer (idiom.)
Warm autumn weather
- Parts of the country were deep in snow, but the East was enjoying an Indian summer.
