Level 0A Words Flashcards
Definition:
abdicate
to step down from a position of power or responsibility
Definition:
absolute
total; unlimited; perfect
Definition:
abstinent
abstaining; voluntarily not doing something, especially something pleasant that is bad for you or has a bad reputation.
Definition:
abstract
theoretical; impersonal
Definition:
abstruse
hard to understand
Definition:
accolade
an award; an honor
Definition:
accost
to approach and speak to someone
Definition:
acquiesce
to comply passively; to accept; to assent; to agree
Definition:
acrid
harsh; like acid
Definition:
acute
sharp; shrewd
Definition:
adage
an old saying; a familiar bit of wisdom
Definition:
adamant
stubborn; unyielding; completely inflexible
Definition:
adamantine
same as adamant
Definition:
address
to speak to; to direct one’s attention to
Definition:
adherent
follower; supporter; believer
Definition:
adverse
unfavorable; antagonistic
Definition:
affinity
sympathy; attraction; kinship; similarity
Definition:
affluent
rich; prosperous
Definition:
agenda
program; the things to be done
Definition:
aggregate
sum total; a collection of separate things mixed together
Definition:
agnostic
one who believes that the existence of a god can be neither proven nor disproven
Definition:
agrarian
related to land; relating to the management or farming of land
Definition:
alacrity
cheerful eagerness or readiness to respond
Definition:
allege
to assert without proof
Definition:
allocate
to distribute; to assign; to allot
Definition:
alloy
a combination of two or more things, usually metals
Definition:
allusion
an indirect reference (often to a literary work); a hint
Definition:
aloof
uninvolved; standing off; keeping one’s distance
Definition:
ambience
atmosphere; mood; feeling
Definition:
ambiguous
unclear in meaning; confusing; capable of being interpreted in different ways
Definition:
ambivalent
undecided; neutral; wishy-washy
Definition:
amenity
pleasantness; attractive or comfortable feature; bathroom
Definition:
amiable
friendly; agreeable
Definition:
amnesty
an official pardon for a group of people who have violated a law or policy
Definition:
amoral
lacking a sense of right and wrong; neither good nor bad; neither moral nor immoral; without moral feelings
Definition:
amorous
feeling loving, especially in a sexual sense; in love; relating to love
Definition:
amorphous
shapeless; without a regular or stable shape; bloblike
Definition:
analogy
a comparison of one thing to another; similarity
Definition:
anarchy
absence of government or control; lawlessness; disorder
Definition:
anecdote
a short account of a humorous or revealing incident
Definition:
anguish
agonizing physical or mental pain
Definition:
anomaly
an aberration; an irregularity; a deviation
Definition:
antecedent
someone or something that went before; something that provides a model for something that came after it
Definition:
antipathy
firm dislike; a dislike
Definition:
apathy
lack of interest; lack of feeling
Definition:
aphorism
a brief, often witty saying; a proverb
Definition:
apocalypse
a prophetic revelation, especially one concerning the end of the world
Definition:
appreciate
to increase in value
Definition:
apprehensive
worried; anxious
Definition:
appropriate
to take without permission; to set aside for a particular use (gov’t); also see misappropriate, expropriate (to take possession of property for official use)
Definition:
aptitude
capacity for learning; natural ability
Definition:
arbiter
one who decides; a judge
Definition:
arbitrary
random; capricious
Definition:
arcane
mysterious; known only to a select few
Definition:
archaic
extremely old; ancient; outdated
Definition:
archetype
an original model or pattern
Definition:
aristocratic
of noble birth; snobbish
Definition:
artful
crafty; wily; sly
Definition:
ascetic
hermitlike; practicing self-denial
Definition:
assimilate
to take in; to absorb; to learn thoroughly
Definition:
attenuate
to make thin
Definition:
attrition
gradual wearing away, weakening, or loss; a natural or expected decrease in numbers or size
Definition:
audacity
boldness; recless daring; impertinence
Definition:
augment
to make bigger; to add to; to increase
Definition:
autocratic
ruling with absolute authority; extremely bossy
Definition:
autonomous
acting independently
Definition:
averse
to be opposed to something
Definition:
avow
to claim; to declare boldly; to admit (disavow=deny claim)
Definition:
awry
off course; twisted to one side
Definition:
axiom
a self-evident rule or truth; a widely accepted saying
Definition:
bane
poison; torment; cause of harm
Definition:
bastion
a stronghold; fortress; fortified place
Definition:
beget
to give birth to; to create; to lead to; to cause
Definition:
belabor
to go over repeatedly or to an absurd extent
Definition:
beleaguer
to surround; to besiege; to harass
Definition:
bemused
confused; bewildered
Definition:
benefactor
one who provides help, especially in the form of a gift or donation
Definition:
benevolent
generous; kind; doing good deeds
Definition:
benign
gentle; not harmful; kind; mild
Definition:
bequest
something left to someone in a will
Definition:
beset
to harass; to surround
Definition:
biannual
happening twice per year
Definition:
biennial
happening once every two years
Definition:
blasphemy
irreverence; an insult to something held sacred; profanity
Definition:
blatant
unpleasantly or offensively noisy; glaring
Definition:
blight
a disease in plants; anything that injures or destroys
Definition:
blithe
careful; cheerful
Definition:
bourgeois
middle class; especially in a pejorative sense; boringly conventional
Definition:
bovine
cow related; cowlike
Definition:
broach
to open up a subject for discussion, often a delicate subject
Definition:
bureaucracy
a system of government administration consisting of numerous bureaus or offices, especially one run according to inflexible and inefficient rules; any large administrative system characterized by inefficiency, lots of rules, and red tape
Definition:
burlesque
a ludicrous, mocking, or exaggerated imitation
Definition:
cadence
rhythm; the rise and fall of sounds
Definition:
cajole
to persuade someone to do something he or she doesn’t want to do
Definition:
callow
immature
Definition:
candor
truthfulness; sincere honesty
Definition:
canine
dog related
Definition:
capitalism
free enterprise; an economic system in which businesses are owned by private citizens (not by the government) and in which the resulting products and services are sold with relatively little government control.
Definition:
caricature
a portrait or description that is purposely distorted or exaggerated, often to prove some point about its subject.
Definition:
catalyst
in chemistry, something that changes the rate of a chemical reaction without itself being changed; anyone or anything that makes something happen without being directly involved in it.
Definition:
categorical
unconditional; absolute
Definition:
catharsis
purification that brings emotional relief
Definition:
catholic
universal; embracing everything
Definition:
caustic
like acid; corrosive
Definition:
celibacy
abstinence from sex
Definition:
charisma
a magical-seeming ability to attract followers or inspire loyalty
Definition:
charlatan
fraud; quack; con man
Definition:
chasm
a deep, gaping hole; a gorge
Definition:
chastise
to inflict punishment on; to discipline
Definition:
chimera
an illusion; a foolish fancy
Definition:
chronic
constant; lasting a long time; inveterate
Definition:
chronicle
a record of events in order of time; a history
Definition:
circumlocution
an indirect expression; use of wordy or evasive language
Definition:
circumscribe
to draw a line around; to set the limits; to define; to restrict
Definition:
civil
polite; civilized; courteous
Definition:
clement
mild (e.g. mild weather, opposite = inclement weather)
Definition:
cliché
an overused saying or idea
Definition:
clique
an exclusive group bound together by some shared quality or interest
Definition:
coalesce
to come together as one; to fuse; to unite
Definition:
coerce
to force someone to do or not to do something
Definition:
cogent
powerfully convincing
Definition:
cognitive
dealing with how we know the world around us through our senses; mental
Definition:
coherent
holding together; making sense
Definition:
colloquial
conversational; informal in language
Definition:
collusion
conspiracy; secret cooperation
Definition:
commensurate
equal; proportionate
Definition:
compelling
forceful; causing to yield
Definition:
compendium
a summary; an abridgment
Definition:
complacent
self-satisfied; overly pleased with oneself; contented to a fault
Definition:
complaisant
eager to please
Definition:
complement
to complete or fill up; to be the perfect counterpart
Definition:
comprehensive
covering or including everything
Definition:
comprise
to consist of
Definition:
conciliatory
making peace; attempting to resolve a dispute through good will
Definition:
concise
brief and to the point; succinct
Definition:
concurrent
happening at the same time; parallel
Definition:
condescend
to stoop down to someone else’s level, usually in an offensive way; to patronize
Definition:
conducive
promoting
Definition:
confluence
a flowing together, especially of rivers; the place where they begin flow together
Definition:
congenial
agreeably suitable; pleasant
Definition:
congenital
a trait or condition acquired between conception and birth; innate
Definition:
conjecture
to guess; to deduce or infer on slight evidence
Definition:
conjure
to summon or bring into being as if by magic
Definition:
conniving
secretly plotting to do bad things
Definition:
connoisseur
an expert, particularly in matters of art or taste
Definition:
consecrate
to make or declare sacred
Definition:
consensus
unanimity or general agreement
Definition:
consonant
harmonious; in agreement
Definition:
constitute
to comprise
Definition:
construe
to interpret
Definition:
consummate
to complete
Definition:
consummate
perfect; complete; supremely skillful
Definition:
contentious
argumentative; quarrelsome
Definition:
contiguous
side by side; adjoining
Definition:
contingency
possibility, or something that may happen but is at least as likely not to happen
Definition:
contingent
dependent; possible
Definition:
contrite
admitting guilt; especially feeling remorseful
Definition:
contrived
artificial; labored
Definition:
conventional
common; customary; unexceptional
Definition:
convivial
fond of partying; festive
Definition:
copious
abundant; plentiful
Definition:
corrollary
something that follows; a natural consequence
Definition:
coup
a brilliant victory or accomplishment; the violent overthrow of a government by a small internal group
Definition:
covenant
a solemn agreement; a contract; a pledge
Definition:
covet
to wish for enviously
Definition:
creditable
worthy of credit or praise
Definition:
credulous
eager to believe; gullible
Definition:
criterion
a standard; basis for judgment
Definition:
cryptic
mysterious; mystifying
Definition:
culinary
relating to cooking or the kitchen
Definition:
culminate
to climax; to reach full effect
Definition:
cupidity
greedy desire for
Definition:
curmudgeon
a grumpy old man
Definition:
cursory
hasty; superficial
Definition:
cynic
one who deeply distrusts human nature; one who believes humans are motivated only by selfishness
Definition:
daunt
to make fearful; to intimidate
Definition:
dauntless
without fear or intimidation
Definition:
debacle
violent breakdown; sudden overthrow
Definition:
debauchery
wild living; excessive intemperance
Definition:
deduce
to conclude from the evidence; to infer
Definition:
deference
submission to another’s will; respect; courtesy
Definition:
definitive
conclusive; providing the last word
Definition:
degenerate
to break down; to deteriorate
Definition:
delineate
to describe accurately; to draw in outline
Definition:
delude
to deceive
Definition:
deluge
a flood; an inundation
Definition:
denizen
inhabitant
Definition:
depravity
extreme wickedness or corruption
Definition:
deprecate
to express disapproval of
Definition:
derogatory
disapproving; degrading
Definition:
despondent
extremely depressed; full of despair
Definition:
destitute
extremely poor; utterly lacking
Definition:
desultory
without a plan or purpose; disconnected; random
Definition:
dialectical
relating to discussions; relating to the rules and methods of reasoning; approaching truth in the middle of opposing extremes
Definition:
dictum
an authoritative saying; an adage; a maxim; a proverb
Definition:
digress
to stray from the main subject
Definition:
dilettante
someone with superficial knowledge of the arts; an amateur; a dabbler
Definition:
discern
to have insight; to see things clearly; to discriminate; to differentiate
Definition:
discrete
unconnected; separate; distinct
Definition:
discretion
prudence
Definition:
disdain
arrogant scorn; contempt
Definition:
disinterested
not taking sides; unbiased
Definition:
disparate
different; incompatible; unequal
Definition:
disparity
inequality
Definition:
dissipate
to thin out, drift away, or dissolve; to cause to thin out, drift away, or dissolve; to waste or squander
Definition:
dissolution
the breaking up or dissolving of something into parts; disintegration
Definition:
dissonant
inharmonious
Definition:
distinguish
to tell apart; to cause to stand out
Definition:
doctrinaire
inflexibly committed to a doctrine or theory without regard to its practicality; dogmatic
Definition:
dogma
a belief
Definition:
domestic
having to do with the household or family; not foreign
Definition:
dormant
inactive; as though asleep; asleep
Definition:
duplicity
the act of being two-faced; double-dealing; deception
Definition:
Eccentric
not conventional; a little kooky; irregular
Definition:
Edify
to enlighten; to instruct, especially in moral or religious matters.
Definition:
Efface
to erase; to rub away the features of
Definition:
Egocentric
selfish; believing that one is the center of everything.
Definition:
Egoist
An egocentric person
Definition:
Egotist
An egoist who tells everyone how wonderful he is.
Definition:
elicit
to bring out; to call forth
Definition:
elliptical
oval; missing a word or words; obscure
Definition:
elusive
hard to pin down; evasive
Definition:
emigrate
to move to a new country; to move to a new place to live; to expatriate
Definition:
eminent
well known and respecting; standing out from all others in quality or accomplishment; outstanding
Definition:
empirical
relying on experience or observation; not merely theoretical
Definition:
emulate
to strive to equal or excel, usually through imitation
Definition:
endemic
native; restricted to a particular region or era; indigenous
Definition:
enfranchise
to grant the privileges of citizenship, especially the right to vote
Definition:
engender
to bring into existence; to create; to cause
Definition:
enormity
extreme evil; a hideous offense; immensity
Definition:
ephemeral
lasting a very short time
Definition:
epigram
a brief and usually witty or satirical saying
Definition:
epigrammatic
brief and usually witty or satirical
Definition:
epigraph
an apt quotation placed at the beginning of a book or essay
Definition:
epitaph
a commemorative inscription on a grave
Definition:
epithet
a term used to characterize the nature of something, or a disparaging term used to describe a person
Definition:
epitome
a brief summary that captures the meaning of the whole; the perfect example of something; a paradigm
Definition:
equanimity
composure; calm
Definition:
equine
horse related
Definition:
equitable
fair
Definition:
equivocate
to mislead by saying confusing or ambiguous things
Definition:
erudite
scholarly; deeply learned
Definition:
esoteric
hard to understand; understood by only a select few; peculiar
Definition:
euphemism
a pleasant or inoffensive expression used in place of an unpleasant or offensive one
Definition:
exacerbate
to make worse
Definition:
exalt
to raise high; to glorify
Definition:
exasperate
to annoy thoroughly; to make very angry; to try the patience of
Definition:
exemplify
to illustrate by example; to serve as a good example
Definition:
exhaustive
thorough; rigorous; complete; painstaking
Definition:
exhort
to urge strongly; to give a serious warning to
Definition:
exigency
an emergency; an urgency
Definition:
existential
having to do with existence; having to do with the body of thought called existentialism, which basically holds that human beings are responsible for their own actions…
Definition:
expedite
to speed up or ease the progress of
Definition:
explicit
clearly and directly expressed
Definition:
extenuating
lessening the magnitude of something, especially a crime
Definition:
extol
to praise highly; to laud
Definition:
extraneous
unnecessary; irrelevant; extra
Definition:
extrapolate
to project or deduce from something known; to infer
Definition:
extricate
to free from a difficulty
Definition:
extrovert
an open, outgoing person; a person whose attention is focused on others rather than on himself or herself
Definition:
exult
to rejoice; to celebrate
Definition:
fabrication
a lie; something made up
Definition:
facetious
humorous; not serious; clumsily humorous
Definition:
facile
fluent; skillful in a superficial way; easy
Definition:
faction
a group, usually a small part of a larger group, united around some cause; disagreement within an organization
Definition:
farcical
absurd; ludicrous
Definition:
fatalist
someone who believes that future events are already determined and that humans are powerless to change them
Definition:
fauna
animals
Definition:
felicity
happiness; skillfulness, especially at expressing things; adeptness
Definition:
feline
cat related
Definition:
fetter
to restrain; to hamper
Definition:
fidelity
faithfulness; loyalty
Definition:
figurative
based on figures of speech; expressing something in terms usually used for something else; metaphorical
Definition:
finesse
skillful maneuvering; subtlety; craftiness
Definition:
flaunt
to show off; to display ostentatiously
Definition:
flout
to disregard something out of disrespect
Definition:
foment
to stir up; to instigate
Definition:
forgo
to do without; to forbear
Definition:
forsake
to abandon; to renounce; to relinquish
Definition:
founder
to fail; to collapse; to sink
Definition:
fraternal
like brothers
Definition:
frugal
economical; penny-pinching
Definition:
futile
useless; hopeless
Definition:
Gaffe
a social mistake
Definition:
genial
pleasing, kind, sympathetic, or helpful
Definition:
Genre
a type or category, especially of art or writing
Definition:
Genteel
refined; polite; aristochratic; affecting refinement
Definition:
Gesticulate
to make gestures, especially when speaking or in place of speaking.
Definition:
Gratuitous
given freely (said of something bad); unjustified; unprovoked; uncalled for
Definition:
Gravity
seriousness
Definition:
Guile
cunning; duplicity; artfulness
Definition:
hapless
unlucky
Definition:
hedonism
the pursuit of pleasure as a way of life
Definition:
hegemony
leadership, esp one nation over another
Definition:
heresy
any belief that is strongly opposed to established beliefs
Definition:
hierarchy
an organization based on rank or degree; pecking order
Definition:
homily
a sermon
Definition:
homogeneous
uniform; made entirely of one thing
Definition:
hyperbole
an exaggeration used as a figure of speech; exaggeration
Definition:
hypothetical
uncertain; unproven
