Level 2L Words Flashcards
laconic
using few words, especially to the point of seeming rude
languid
to be weak, listless, or depressed
largess
a generous giving of gifts (or the gifts themselves); generosity; philanthropy; also spelled largesse
lassitude
tiredness; laziness
laud
to praise; to applaud; to extol; to celebrate
lax
loose; not strict
levity
lightness; frivolity; unseriousness; lightheartedness
licentious
lacking restraint
lionized
treated with great interest; treated as a celebrity
listless
having little interest or energy
lithe
flexible; graceful
loll
to hang out lazily
loquacious
talking a lot or too much
lovelorn
without love
lucre
money; profit
ludicrous
ridiculous
lugubrious
exaggeratedly mournful
luminary
one regarded for his brilliant achievements
macerate
to weaken, break down, or make soft
magisterial
having strong authority; kingly
magnanimous
forgiving; unresentful; noble in spirit; generous
magnate
a rich, powerful, or very successful business-person
malevolent
evil
malign
to speak evil of
malleable
easy to shape or bend
mandate
a command or authorization to do something; the will of the voters as expressed by the results on an election
manifold
diverse; varied
marginal
limited
marshal
to arrange in order; to gather together for the purpose of doing something
maudlin
overly sentimental; silly and sentimental
mawkish
overly sentimental
mellifluous
sweetly flowing (Greek roots: “honey flowing”)
melodramatic
overly dramatic
menial
a task suitable to a servant
mercurial
emotionally unpredictable; rapidly changing in mood
miasma
an unhealthy atmosphere
microcosm
the world in miniature
milieu
environment; surroundings
minion
a servant; a follower
misanthrope
one who hates everyone
miscreant
a person who behaves badly or in a way that breaks the law
misnomer
a wrong or inappropriate name
mitigate
to moderate the effect of something
modicum
a small amount
modish
fashionable
morass
a situation that makes you stuck
mores
customary rules and standards
morose
gloomy; sullen
motley
made up of several different parts
munificent
very generous; lavish
myopic
shortsighted
myriad
a huge number
nebulous
vague; hazy; indistinct
neophyte
a beginner
nepotism
showing favoritism to friends or family in business or politics
nettle
to irritate
noisome
stinky
non sequitur
something unrelated
nondescript
plain
nostalgia
a sentimental longing for the past; homesickness
notorious
famous for something bad
obfuscate
to darken; to confuse; to make confusing
occluded
closed up; blocked
odious
arousing or deserving hatred
officious
annoyingly eager to help or advise; bossy
omniscient
all-knowing
onus
burden; obligation
openhanded
generous
opportune
well-timed
orthodox
conventional; adhering to established principles or doctrines, especially in religion; by the book
ossified
became hard or inflexible
ostentatious
excessively conspicuous; showing off
ostracized
excluded
outstrip
to outrun or to exceed
overweening
arrogant
pacific
soothing
palatable
tasty
palliate
to relieve or alleviate something without getting rid of the problem; to assuage; to mitigate
pallid
lacking color
panacea
a cure-all
pander
to appeal to someone’s desire for selfish reasons
pangs
sharp feelings of pain
paragon
a model of excellence
pariah
an outcast
parley
to talk
parochial
narrow or confined in point of view; provincial
parsimonious
stingy
partisan
one who supports a particular person, cause, or idea
partisan
biased toward one side
patent
obvious
pathos
a quality that evokes feelings of sadness or pity
paucity
scarcity
pedestrian
unimaginative; banal
peevish
irritable; whiny; bratty
pejorative
negative; disparaging
penchant
a strong taste or liking for something; a predilection
pendulous
hanging loosely; sagging
penitent
sorry; repentant; contrite
peons
lower-class workers used by someone of a superior class
perennial
continual; happening again and again or year after year
perfunctory
unenthusiastic; careless
permeate
to spread or seep through; to penetrate
perturb
to disturb greatly
petulant
rude; cranky; ill-tempered
picturesque
lovely
piquant
pleasantly spicy or tangy
pittance
a very small amount
plaintive
expressing sadness or sorrow
platitude
a dull or trite remark; a cliché
platonic
not related to romance or sex
plaudits
approval
plebian
common; vulgar; low class; bourgeois; opposite of aristocratic
pluck
courage; spirit
plutocracy
government controlled by the wealthy
poignant
painfully emotional; extremely moving; sharp or astute
poseur
one who pretends to be something he is not
prattle
meaningless talk
precarious
dangerously unstable
precocious
very talented at a young age
precursor
forerunner; something that goes before and anticipates or paves the way for whatever it is that follows
prescient
seeing the future, well-planned and thought out
pretext
a fake excuse
proclivity
a tendency or inclination