List 6 Flashcards

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1
Q

abase

A

to lower; to humble

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2
Q

abolitionist

A

one who opposes slavery

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3
Q

acclimatization

A

becoming used to something; getting comfortable

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4
Q

acquiesce

A

to agree; to give in

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5
Q

air

A

to bring out into the open

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6
Q

allegory

A

symbolic story

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7
Q

altruism

A

goodness; selflessness; generosity

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8
Q

amorphous

A

without shape

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9
Q

anecdote

A

a short and amusing story

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10
Q

annulment

A

cancellation

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11
Q

anterior

A

placed in front; earlier

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12
Q

aperture

A

opening; hole

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13
Q

apprehensive

A

worried

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14
Q

arcane

A

mysterious; secret

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15
Q

aristocratic

A

high-class, as in the qualities of nobility

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16
Q

ascetic

A
  1. a person who refuses bodily pleasures

2. without luxuries

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17
Q

assuage

A

to calm down; to soothe

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18
Q

audacity

A

nerve; boldness; gall

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19
Q

autocratic

A

favoring complete rule by one person

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20
Q

avow

A

to swear by

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21
Q

balk

A

to hesitate suddenly

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22
Q

barracks

A

housing for soldiers

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23
Q

becalmed

A

made peaceful or still

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24
Q

bellicose

A

warlike in manner

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25
Q

berate

A

to scold; to criticize

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26
Q

bicker

A

to argue about unimportant things

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27
Q

bland

A

without any taste

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28
Q

blunderbuss

A

old-fashioned shotgun

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29
Q

bourgeois

A

middle-class; conformist and materialistic

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30
Q

browbeat

A

to intimidate; to bully

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31
Q

burnish

A

to polish; to shine

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32
Q

cacophonous

A

harsh-sounding; not harmonious

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33
Q

callow

A

immature; inexperienced

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34
Q

castigate

A

to punish or criticize harshly

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35
Q

catharsis

A

sudden emotional relief

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36
Q

caustic

A

unkind; bitter; sarcastic

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37
Q

ceremonious

A

formal

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38
Q

charted

A

planned; plotted; mapped

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39
Q

cherubic

A

angelic; like a baby

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40
Q

circuitous

A

roundabout; not straightfoward

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41
Q

cite

A

to quote

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42
Q

clemency

A

mercy

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43
Q

coerce

A

to force someone to do something

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44
Q

coherent

A

logical; clear

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45
Q

colloquial

A

informal but common speech

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46
Q

commend

A

to praise

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47
Q

compliant

A

giving in to others; obedient

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48
Q

condescend

A

to talk down to; to patronize

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49
Q

confiscate

A

to take away; to seize

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50
Q

congenial

A

pleasant; friendly

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51
Q

conscript

A

to force into service (usually military)

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52
Q

contentious

A

argumentative

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53
Q

contusion

A

bruise

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54
Q

corpulent

A

fat

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55
Q

cosmopolitan

A
  1. sophisticated

2. from the city

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56
Q

crest

A

peak; top

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57
Q

cupidity

A

greed

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58
Q

dart

A

to move quickly

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59
Q

debauchery

A

corruption; physical self-indulgence

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60
Q

decorum

A

proper behavior

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61
Q

defector

A

one who leaves his or her side to join the enemy

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62
Q

defy

A

to resist openly

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63
Q

demographer

A

an expert on population statistics

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64
Q

deprecate

A

to criticize

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65
Q

despise

A

to hate

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66
Q

determinate

A

definite; limited

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67
Q

dialect

A

regional variety of a language

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68
Q

didactic

A

intended to teach; preachy

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69
Q

dilapidated

A

run-down; needing repairs

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70
Q

dirge

A

funeral song

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71
Q

disbursement

A

spending

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72
Q

disenfranchise

A

to take away someone’s right to vote

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73
Q

dispassionate

A

neutral; objective

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74
Q

dissent

A

disagreement; difference in opinion

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75
Q

dither

A

to be indecisive

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76
Q

doctrine

A

something taught (as in the principles of a religion)

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77
Q

dormant

A
  1. asleep

2. inactive

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78
Q

drape

A

to cover lossely

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79
Q

drudgery

A

boring work

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80
Q

ebullient

A

bubbly; high-spirited

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81
Q

edifying

A

enlightening; uplifting

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82
Q

elicit

A

to bring out

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83
Q

emaciated

A

very thin

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84
Q

embody

A

to express; to give concrete form to

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85
Q

emulate

A

to imitate someone who is admired

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86
Q

endemic

A

limited to; but widespread in, a particular place

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87
Q

enthrall

A

to facsinate

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88
Q

enunciate

A

to pronounce clearly

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89
Q

equanimity

A

calmness

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90
Q

eschew

A

to avoid

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91
Q

ethos

A

values of a culture

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92
Q

exacerbate

A

to make worse

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93
Q

exemplary

A

praiseworthy; serving as an excellent example

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94
Q

expatriate

A

to remove one from his/her homeland

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95
Q

extemporize

A

to perform without rehearsal

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96
Q

extricate

A

to remove

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97
Q

facade

A
  1. the front of a building

2. surface appearance

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98
Q

fallow

A

unplowed; not fertile

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99
Q

feint

A

an action intended to mislead an opponent

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100
Q

fetter

A
  1. a chain

2. to prevent from moving

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101
Q

finesse

A

skill; gracefulness

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102
Q

flippant

A

joking disrespectfully

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103
Q

fluster

A

to embarrass; to upset

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104
Q

forswear

A

to reject

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105
Q

fraught

A

filled with

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106
Q

furrow

A
  1. ditch or hole in the ground

2. to wrinkle (as in one’s brow)

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107
Q

gag

A
  1. joke

2. to prevent from speaking

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108
Q

gambol

A

to jump or dance playfully

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109
Q

gargantuan

A

huge

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110
Q

gavel

A

hammer-like instrument used by a judge to get attention

111
Q

gentry

A

upper class

112
Q

gill

A

a fish’s breathing organ

113
Q

glaring

A
  1. obvious

2. staring angrily

114
Q

gouge

A

to put holes in

115
Q

gratuitous

A

uncalled for; unnecessary

116
Q

hack

A
  1. a writer for hire; anyone with low professional standards

2. to cut; to chop

117
Q

hedonist

A

one who loves physical pleasures

118
Q

heretofore

A

until now

119
Q

iconoclast

A

one who attacks established beliefs; rebel

120
Q

impalpable

A

unable to be touched or understood

121
Q

implacable

A

incapable of being soothed or changed

122
Q

impudence

A

rudeness

123
Q

incantation

A

magical chant or spell

124
Q

incisive

A

sharp; cutting

125
Q

incorporeal

A

without physical existence; not of the body

126
Q

indecorum

A

lack of good manners; improper behavior

127
Q

indignant

A

characterized by a sudden feeling of anger or shock

128
Q

ineffectual

A

useless

129
Q

infinitesimal

A

extremely small

130
Q

ingenious

A

clever; resourceful

131
Q

inlet

A

small bay; indentation in a shoreline

132
Q

insidious

A

dangerous in a way that is difficult to see

133
Q

intemperate

A
  1. extreme

2. violent

134
Q

intrasigent

A

stubborn; refusing to compromise

135
Q

invective

A

insult

136
Q

irate

A

very angry

137
Q

jaded

A

cynical; tired; bored

138
Q

juxtaposition

A

the placing of two things side by side

139
Q

labyrinth

A

maze

140
Q

lampoon

A

to ridicule

141
Q

levity

A

humor; lightheartedness

142
Q

lilting

A

pleasantly rising and falling

143
Q

loquacious

A

talkative

144
Q

maelstrom

A
  1. giant whirlpool

2. violent storm

145
Q

malediction

A

a curse

146
Q

manifest

A
  1. obvious

2. to demonstrate

147
Q

martyr

A

one who dies or suffers for a cause or a person

148
Q

meander

A

to wander about without direction or purpose

149
Q

mirth

A

happiness

150
Q

momentous

A

very important

151
Q

morbidity

A

unhealthiness; gloominess

152
Q

mundane

A

common; ordinary; of this world; boring

153
Q

musty

A

stale-smelling

154
Q

nebulous

A

vague; unclear; cloudy

155
Q

nettle

A

to annoy

156
Q

nocturnal

A

relating to the night; active at night

157
Q

oaf

A

a big, clumsy, stupid person

158
Q

obsequious

A

overly submissive; asskissing

159
Q

officious

A

pushy; offering unwanted help or advice

160
Q

opulence

A

wealth; abundance

161
Q

ordination

A

a ceremony for initiation or a priest

162
Q

outlandishness

A

unconventional; absurd

163
Q

pacifist

A

a person strongly opposed to war

164
Q

paltry

A

unimportant; insignificant; trivial

165
Q

papryus

A

paper made from the papyrus plant

166
Q

parochial

A
  1. narrow-minded

2. relating to a church parish

167
Q

pathogenic

A

capable of causing disease

168
Q

peccadillo

A

small crime

169
Q

penitent

A

sorry

170
Q

perdition

A

hell; damnation

171
Q

perjure

A

to lie under oath

172
Q

peruse

A

to read carefully

173
Q

phoenix

A

bird that symbolizes immortality

174
Q

pithy

A

short and to the point; full of meaning

175
Q

platitude

A

cliche; trite or hackneyed remark

176
Q

plight

A

bad situation

177
Q

polemical

A

deliberately controversial

178
Q

posterity

A

future generations

179
Q

prattle

A

foolish or meaningless talk; bable

180
Q

precis

A

summary

181
Q

prestidigitation

A

magic tricks

182
Q

prodigious

A

very big; extraordinary in degree

183
Q

proliferation

A

rapid growth in numbers

184
Q

propriety

A

proper behavior

185
Q

protocol

A

rules for proper behavior

186
Q

provisional

A

temporary

187
Q

pulverize

A

to crush

188
Q

purse

A

to bring together

189
Q

quack

A

one who pretends to be a doctor; a dishonest person

190
Q

quarantine

A

strict isolation to prevent the spread of a disease

191
Q

quiescence

A

state of inactivity; stillness

192
Q

rabid

A
  1. furious or mad; irrationally extreme

2. infected by rabies

193
Q

ramshackle

A

shaky; unstable; rickety

194
Q

ratify

A

to approve; to pass into law

195
Q

rebut

A

to oppose

196
Q

red herring

A

misleading clue

197
Q

refute

A

to reject; to disprove

198
Q

relinquish

A

to give up

199
Q

repast

A

meal

200
Q

repose

A

rest; relaxation

201
Q

reproach

A

to scold; to blame

202
Q

repulse

A

to drive back; to repel

203
Q

resurgence

A

rising up again

204
Q

retrogress

A

to go back to an earlier or simpler condition

205
Q

revile

A

to insult

206
Q

rider

A

an addition to a document

207
Q

rogue

A

one who cheats or plays tricks

208
Q

ruddiness

A

reddish in complexion

209
Q

runt

A

a weak, undersized animal

210
Q

saga

A

long story of adventure

211
Q

salve

A
  1. a soothing lotion

2. to soothe

212
Q

saunter

A

to walk slowly

213
Q

scintillating

A

exciting; brilliant

214
Q

scrupulous

A

strictly honest; moral

215
Q

secede

A

to withdraw from an organization

216
Q

seditionist

A

revolutionary; rebel

217
Q

self-effacement

A

modesty; humility

218
Q

serrated

A

having sharp, notchlike edges, as on a saw or knife

219
Q

shortchange

A

to give less than the right amount

220
Q

skinflint

A

a cheap person

221
Q

slothfulness

A

laziness

222
Q

smear

A

to ruin the reputation of

223
Q

snarl

A

to tangle, as in string

224
Q

soliloquy

A

a speech given by one person (usually in a play)

225
Q

sophomoric

A

immature

226
Q

spangle

A

a small sparkling object

227
Q

sporadic

A

stopping and starting; irregular

228
Q

squander

A

to spend wastefully

229
Q

stasis

A

state of not moving

230
Q

stench

A

bad smell

231
Q

stoke

A

to stir up and feed fuel to (a fire); to kindle

232
Q

stratum

A

one of many layers (of a rock or social class)

233
Q

stupefaction

A

astonishment

234
Q

subjugate

A

to conquer or oppress

235
Q

subvert

A

to overthrow or ruin

236
Q

sullen

A

resentful; depressed

237
Q

superficial

A

shallow; on the surface

238
Q

supplement

A
  1. something added

2. to add

239
Q

surmount

A

to overcome

240
Q

swarthy

A

having a dark complexion or color

241
Q

table

A

to delay considering something

242
Q

tangential

A

off the topic

243
Q

tawdry

A

cheap; gaudy

244
Q

threadbare

A

worn out

245
Q

titter

A

short, nervous laugh; giggle

246
Q

torrid

A
  1. hot

2. passionate

247
Q

transient

A

short-lived

248
Q

trifle

A

to treat as unimportant

249
Q

truncate

A

to shorten by cutting off

250
Q

turpitude

A

wickedness

251
Q

ubiquitous

A

everywhere at the same time

252
Q

underplay

A

to play down

253
Q

unflappable

A

calm; having self control

254
Q

unnerve

A

to make nervous; to upset

255
Q

unquenchable

A

unable to be satisfied

256
Q

unsound

A
  1. not logical

2. unhealthy

257
Q

upbraid

A

to criticize harshly

258
Q

vacillate

A

to change back and forth

259
Q

vanity

A

excessive pride in one’s own appearance

260
Q

vendetta

A

plan for revenge

261
Q

veracity

A

truth; accuracy

262
Q

verve

A

enthusiasm or energy

263
Q

vignette

A
  1. small picture

2. short description or scene

264
Q

virtuoso

A

someone with a lot of talent

265
Q

vivid

A
  1. bright
  2. strong
  3. clear
266
Q

voluminious

A

big

267
Q

wail

A

to cry loudly

268
Q

warranted

A

justified; appropriate

269
Q

wheedle

A

to persuade by flattery

270
Q

wholesome

A

healthful

271
Q

winsome

A

winning; charming

272
Q

workaday

A

ordinary; common; boring

273
Q

yearning

A

a strong desire

274
Q

zenith

A

the highest point