List 6 Flashcards
1
Q
abase
A
to lower; to humble
2
Q
abolitionist
A
one who opposes slavery
3
Q
acclimatization
A
becoming used to something; getting comfortable
4
Q
acquiesce
A
to agree; to give in
5
Q
air
A
to bring out into the open
6
Q
allegory
A
symbolic story
7
Q
altruism
A
goodness; selflessness; generosity
8
Q
amorphous
A
without shape
9
Q
anecdote
A
a short and amusing story
10
Q
annulment
A
cancellation
11
Q
anterior
A
placed in front; earlier
12
Q
aperture
A
opening; hole
13
Q
apprehensive
A
worried
14
Q
arcane
A
mysterious; secret
15
Q
aristocratic
A
high-class, as in the qualities of nobility
16
Q
ascetic
A
- a person who refuses bodily pleasures
2. without luxuries
17
Q
assuage
A
to calm down; to soothe
18
Q
audacity
A
nerve; boldness; gall
19
Q
autocratic
A
favoring complete rule by one person
20
Q
avow
A
to swear by
21
Q
balk
A
to hesitate suddenly
22
Q
barracks
A
housing for soldiers
23
Q
becalmed
A
made peaceful or still
24
Q
bellicose
A
warlike in manner
25
berate
to scold; to criticize
26
bicker
to argue about unimportant things
27
bland
without any taste
28
blunderbuss
old-fashioned shotgun
29
bourgeois
middle-class; conformist and materialistic
30
browbeat
to intimidate; to bully
31
burnish
to polish; to shine
32
cacophonous
harsh-sounding; not harmonious
33
callow
immature; inexperienced
34
castigate
to punish or criticize harshly
35
catharsis
sudden emotional relief
36
caustic
unkind; bitter; sarcastic
37
ceremonious
formal
38
charted
planned; plotted; mapped
39
cherubic
angelic; like a baby
40
circuitous
roundabout; not straightfoward
41
cite
to quote
42
clemency
mercy
43
coerce
to force someone to do something
44
coherent
logical; clear
45
colloquial
informal but common speech
46
commend
to praise
47
compliant
giving in to others; obedient
48
condescend
to talk down to; to patronize
49
confiscate
to take away; to seize
50
congenial
pleasant; friendly
51
conscript
to force into service (usually military)
52
contentious
argumentative
53
contusion
bruise
54
corpulent
fat
55
cosmopolitan
1. sophisticated
| 2. from the city
56
crest
peak; top
57
cupidity
greed
58
dart
to move quickly
59
debauchery
corruption; physical self-indulgence
60
decorum
proper behavior
61
defector
one who leaves his or her side to join the enemy
62
defy
to resist openly
63
demographer
an expert on population statistics
64
deprecate
to criticize
65
despise
to hate
66
determinate
definite; limited
67
dialect
regional variety of a language
68
didactic
intended to teach; preachy
69
dilapidated
run-down; needing repairs
70
dirge
funeral song
71
disbursement
spending
72
disenfranchise
to take away someone's right to vote
73
dispassionate
neutral; objective
74
dissent
disagreement; difference in opinion
75
dither
to be indecisive
76
doctrine
something taught (as in the principles of a religion)
77
dormant
1. asleep
| 2. inactive
78
drape
to cover lossely
79
drudgery
boring work
80
ebullient
bubbly; high-spirited
81
edifying
enlightening; uplifting
82
elicit
to bring out
83
emaciated
very thin
84
embody
to express; to give concrete form to
85
emulate
to imitate someone who is admired
86
endemic
limited to; but widespread in, a particular place
87
enthrall
to facsinate
88
enunciate
to pronounce clearly
89
equanimity
calmness
90
eschew
to avoid
91
ethos
values of a culture
92
exacerbate
to make worse
93
exemplary
praiseworthy; serving as an excellent example
94
expatriate
to remove one from his/her homeland
95
extemporize
to perform without rehearsal
96
extricate
to remove
97
facade
1. the front of a building
| 2. surface appearance
98
fallow
unplowed; not fertile
99
feint
an action intended to mislead an opponent
100
fetter
1. a chain
| 2. to prevent from moving
101
finesse
skill; gracefulness
102
flippant
joking disrespectfully
103
fluster
to embarrass; to upset
104
forswear
to reject
105
fraught
filled with
106
furrow
1. ditch or hole in the ground
| 2. to wrinkle (as in one's brow)
107
gag
1. joke
| 2. to prevent from speaking
108
gambol
to jump or dance playfully
109
gargantuan
huge
110
gavel
hammer-like instrument used by a judge to get attention
111
gentry
upper class
112
gill
a fish's breathing organ
113
glaring
1. obvious
| 2. staring angrily
114
gouge
to put holes in
115
gratuitous
uncalled for; unnecessary
116
hack
1. a writer for hire; anyone with low professional standards
| 2. to cut; to chop
117
hedonist
one who loves physical pleasures
118
heretofore
until now
119
iconoclast
one who attacks established beliefs; rebel
120
impalpable
unable to be touched or understood
121
implacable
incapable of being soothed or changed
122
impudence
rudeness
123
incantation
magical chant or spell
124
incisive
sharp; cutting
125
incorporeal
without physical existence; not of the body
126
indecorum
lack of good manners; improper behavior
127
indignant
characterized by a sudden feeling of anger or shock
128
ineffectual
useless
129
infinitesimal
extremely small
130
ingenious
clever; resourceful
131
inlet
small bay; indentation in a shoreline
132
insidious
dangerous in a way that is difficult to see
133
intemperate
1. extreme
| 2. violent
134
intrasigent
stubborn; refusing to compromise
135
invective
insult
136
irate
very angry
137
jaded
cynical; tired; bored
138
juxtaposition
the placing of two things side by side
139
labyrinth
maze
140
lampoon
to ridicule
141
levity
humor; lightheartedness
142
lilting
pleasantly rising and falling
143
loquacious
talkative
144
maelstrom
1. giant whirlpool
| 2. violent storm
145
malediction
a curse
146
manifest
1. obvious
| 2. to demonstrate
147
martyr
one who dies or suffers for a cause or a person
148
meander
to wander about without direction or purpose
149
mirth
happiness
150
momentous
very important
151
morbidity
unhealthiness; gloominess
152
mundane
common; ordinary; of this world; boring
153
musty
stale-smelling
154
nebulous
vague; unclear; cloudy
155
nettle
to annoy
156
nocturnal
relating to the night; active at night
157
oaf
a big, clumsy, stupid person
158
obsequious
overly submissive; asskissing
159
officious
pushy; offering unwanted help or advice
160
opulence
wealth; abundance
161
ordination
a ceremony for initiation or a priest
162
outlandishness
unconventional; absurd
163
pacifist
a person strongly opposed to war
164
paltry
unimportant; insignificant; trivial
165
papryus
paper made from the papyrus plant
166
parochial
1. narrow-minded
| 2. relating to a church parish
167
pathogenic
capable of causing disease
168
peccadillo
small crime
169
penitent
sorry
170
perdition
hell; damnation
171
perjure
to lie under oath
172
peruse
to read carefully
173
phoenix
bird that symbolizes immortality
174
pithy
short and to the point; full of meaning
175
platitude
cliche; trite or hackneyed remark
176
plight
bad situation
177
polemical
deliberately controversial
178
posterity
future generations
179
prattle
foolish or meaningless talk; bable
180
precis
summary
181
prestidigitation
magic tricks
182
prodigious
very big; extraordinary in degree
183
proliferation
rapid growth in numbers
184
propriety
proper behavior
185
protocol
rules for proper behavior
186
provisional
temporary
187
pulverize
to crush
188
purse
to bring together
189
quack
one who pretends to be a doctor; a dishonest person
190
quarantine
strict isolation to prevent the spread of a disease
191
quiescence
state of inactivity; stillness
192
rabid
1. furious or mad; irrationally extreme
| 2. infected by rabies
193
ramshackle
shaky; unstable; rickety
194
ratify
to approve; to pass into law
195
rebut
to oppose
196
red herring
misleading clue
197
refute
to reject; to disprove
198
relinquish
to give up
199
repast
meal
200
repose
rest; relaxation
201
reproach
to scold; to blame
202
repulse
to drive back; to repel
203
resurgence
rising up again
204
retrogress
to go back to an earlier or simpler condition
205
revile
to insult
206
rider
an addition to a document
207
rogue
one who cheats or plays tricks
208
ruddiness
reddish in complexion
209
runt
a weak, undersized animal
210
saga
long story of adventure
211
salve
1. a soothing lotion
| 2. to soothe
212
saunter
to walk slowly
213
scintillating
exciting; brilliant
214
scrupulous
strictly honest; moral
215
secede
to withdraw from an organization
216
seditionist
revolutionary; rebel
217
self-effacement
modesty; humility
218
serrated
having sharp, notchlike edges, as on a saw or knife
219
shortchange
to give less than the right amount
220
skinflint
a cheap person
221
slothfulness
laziness
222
smear
to ruin the reputation of
223
snarl
to tangle, as in string
224
soliloquy
a speech given by one person (usually in a play)
225
sophomoric
immature
226
spangle
a small sparkling object
227
sporadic
stopping and starting; irregular
228
squander
to spend wastefully
229
stasis
state of not moving
230
stench
bad smell
231
stoke
to stir up and feed fuel to (a fire); to kindle
232
stratum
one of many layers (of a rock or social class)
233
stupefaction
astonishment
234
subjugate
to conquer or oppress
235
subvert
to overthrow or ruin
236
sullen
resentful; depressed
237
superficial
shallow; on the surface
238
supplement
1. something added
| 2. to add
239
surmount
to overcome
240
swarthy
having a dark complexion or color
241
table
to delay considering something
242
tangential
off the topic
243
tawdry
cheap; gaudy
244
threadbare
worn out
245
titter
short, nervous laugh; giggle
246
torrid
1. hot
| 2. passionate
247
transient
short-lived
248
trifle
to treat as unimportant
249
truncate
to shorten by cutting off
250
turpitude
wickedness
251
ubiquitous
everywhere at the same time
252
underplay
to play down
253
unflappable
calm; having self control
254
unnerve
to make nervous; to upset
255
unquenchable
unable to be satisfied
256
unsound
1. not logical
| 2. unhealthy
257
upbraid
to criticize harshly
258
vacillate
to change back and forth
259
vanity
excessive pride in one's own appearance
260
vendetta
plan for revenge
261
veracity
truth; accuracy
262
verve
enthusiasm or energy
263
vignette
1. small picture
| 2. short description or scene
264
virtuoso
someone with a lot of talent
265
vivid
1. bright
2. strong
3. clear
266
voluminious
big
267
wail
to cry loudly
268
warranted
justified; appropriate
269
wheedle
to persuade by flattery
270
wholesome
healthful
271
winsome
winning; charming
272
workaday
ordinary; common; boring
273
yearning
a strong desire
274
zenith
the highest point
