Lesson 27 Flashcards
array (noun)
Syn: arrangement; system; display
→ The president faced an imposing array of reporters.
culminate (verb)
Syn: reach the highest point; climax; conclude
→ The party will culminate with the award for the most original costume.
pinnacle (noun)
Syn: summit; peak; top; crown; height
→ The pinnacle of fame and success is often a transient stage.
ardent (adjective)
Syn: passionate; eager; dedicated
→ The ardent baseball fan went to every home game.
obscure (adjective)
Syn: unknown; lowly; unclear; unseen
→ Space telescopes are making our obscure planets ever clearer.
to break the ice (idiom)
Syn: to make a beginning; to overcome stiffness between strangers
→ All after-dinner speakers break the ice by telling a story or joke at the start of their speeches.
bereft (adjective)
Syn: deprived of; lacking
→ The catastrophe left him bereft of all his possessions.
exultation (noun)
Syn: triumphant joy; celebration
→ She was filled with exultation when she learned her SAT score was near the maximum.
constrict (verb)
Syn: limit; bind; squeeze; tighten; restrich
→ It is imprudent for a youngster to constrict her circle of friends so that there is no opportunity to meet new people.
prodigy (noun)
Syn: marvel; phenomenon; miracle
→ There is universal wonder when some prodigy appears on the stage to perform at the age of 4 or 5.
falter (verb)
Syn: stumble; hesitate; waver
→ Though he knew well the danger involved, the knight did not falter as he entered the dragon’s cave.
loaded for bear (idiom)
Syn: to be well prepared
→ When the enemy finally attacked the positions, the defenders were loaded for bear.
invective (noun)
Syn: insulting; abusive speech
→ It is difficult to keep invective out of our discussion about the enemy.
voluminous (adjective)
Syn: bulky; large
→ One has to be amazed at the voluminous amount of information that can be stored on a computer chip.
besmirch (verb)
Syn: soil; stain; dim the reputation; dirty
→ The candidate tried to besmirch his opponent’s record.
retrospect (noun)
Syn: looking backward
→ In the future we will, in retrospect, regard today’s bizarre behavior as quite ordinary.
vitriolic (adjective)
Syn: biting; burning; caustic
→ The vitriolic language used by critics of the new play tended to obliterate its good qualities.
to bring down the house (idiom)
Syn: to cause great enthusiasm
→ Popular entertainers can be counted on to bring down the house at every public performance.
inveterate (adjective)
Syn: habitual; firmly established
→ Doctors agree that it is imperative that inveterate smokers give up that imprudent habit.
pungent (adjective)
Syn: sharply stimulating; biting; sharp
→ The pungent odor of burning leaves marks the autumn season.
adamant (adjective)
Syn: unyielding; inflexible; fixed; hard
→ The umpire was adamant about his decision to call the runner out.
humility (noun)
Syn: humbleness; modesty; meekness; lowliness
→ We all expect humility from the actors and actresses who win the Academy Awards.
egotist (noun)
Syn: a vain conceited person; bighead
→ However, we should not be surprised that an award winner is an egotist about his or her performance.
to pull one’s weight (idiom)
Syn: to do a fair share of the work
→ Everyone in a pioneer family had to pull his or her own weight.
