List 8 Flashcards
1
Q
abatement
A
decrease in force
2
Q
absolutist
A
one in favor of total control by a ruler
3
Q
accost
A
to approach and speak to
4
Q
acrimonious
A
bitter, as in feeling, language or tone
5
Q
adulation
A
excessive praise
6
Q
afforded
A
allowed
7
Q
alechemist
A
medieval chemist who claimed to turn ordinary metals into gold
8
Q
allusion
A
subtle reference
9
Q
ambivalent
A
undecided; having opposing feelings
10
Q
analgesic
A
painkiller
11
Q
annex
A
- addition to a building
2. to add or attach
12
Q
anomaly
A
unusual event or thing
13
Q
antidote
A
cure
14
Q
aprocryphal
A
false; of doubtful origin
15
Q
approbatory
A
approving; praising
16
Q
archipelago
A
group of islands
17
Q
arson
A
crime involving fire
18
Q
assailable
A
able to be attacked; vulnerable
19
Q
asunder
A
not whole; in two or more parts
20
Q
august
A
dignified; serious
21
Q
avarice
A
greed
22
Q
bandit
A
thief
23
Q
bask
A
to enjoy; to lie in a pleasant warmth
24
Q
beguile
A
to fool
25
bellow
1. noise a bull makes
| 2. to yell
26
benevolence
love of mankind; goodness
27
bessech
to request urgently
28
bilk
to steal; to cheat
29
blight
widespread disease
30
boon
a benefit
31
bridle
1. strap used to steer horses
| 2. to become angry
32
buffoon
goofy; silly person
33
buttress
1. part of a building that supports the wall structure
| 2. to suport
34
calcified
hardened
35
capitulate
to give in; to agree
36
catacomb
cave; underground cemetery
37
cauldron
big pot
38
celerity
speed
39
cessation
ending
40
chasten
to punish; to discipline
41
chisel
steel tool for cutting or shaping
42
cirumscribe
1. to limit
| 2. to outline
43
clamor
noise
44
coalesce
to come together
45
cognate
something related by birth or origin
46
coiffure
harido
47
comatose
unconscious; in a coma
48
commotion
disturbance
49
concede
to admit as true
50
conduit
a channel or vehicle for transporting something
51
confluence
a flowing togehter
52
conjecture
guess
53
constrict
to make narrower
54
contraband
illegally transported goods
55
convoluted
hard to understand; complicated; twisted
56
corrugate
bumpy; with ridges and grooves; wrinkled
57
craven
cowardly
58
cryptic
hidden; secret
59
curmudgeon
cranky, irritable old man
60
dawdle
to waste time; to move slowly
61
debility
weakness
62
decry
to insult publicly
63
defile
to dirty
64
delectable
delicious
65
deplore
to regret deeply; to mourn
66
derisive
ridiculing; mocking
67
destitute
very poor
68
devious
dishonest; sneaky
69
diaphanous
1. see-through
| 2. delicate, fragile
70
diffuse
to spread out
71
diminution
decrease; lessening
72
disarray
mess; confusion; disorder
73
diconcerting
upsetting
74
disparage
to criticize, to put down
75
disquietude
uneasiness, anxiety
76
dissonance
lack of harmony; disagreement
77
diurnal
during the daytime
78
dogmatic
extremely opinionated; preachy; arrogant
79
double-dealer
liar; hypocrite
80
drivel
nonsense
81
dupe
1. one who is easily cheated
| 2. to cheat someone
82
eddy
a current moving against the main current; swirling water
83
effervescent
bubbly
84
egg on
to encourage; to urge someone to continue
85
eloquence
excellence in speech
86
embark
1. to go abroad a vessel
| 2. to begin a project
87
embryonic
early stage of growth
88
enchant
to charm
89
enigmatic
unclear; mysterious
90
entreaty
request
91
eon
very long period
92
equitable
fair; equal
93
espouse
to support
94
euphemism
a word used to replace an offensive word
95
excruciating
very painful; extreme
96
exhume
to dig up
97
expiate
to make up for or to pay the penalty for
98
extradite
to turn someone over to the law of another country
99
exult
to rejoice greatly
100
facile
easily accomplished or understood
101
fatalist
someone who believes that life is predetermined
102
ferret
to find by searching persistently
103
fiasco
complete failure
104
flagrant
shocking; open and shameless
105
florid
1. flowery; heavily decorated
| 2. having a rosy color
106
foolhardy
foolishly bold; reckless
107
fortuitous
accidental; lucky; happening by chance
108
frivolous
1. silly; useless
| 2. extravagant
109
fuse
to join together
110
gall
1. audacity; nerve
| 2. to anger
111
gamely
enthusiastically; courageously
112
garner
to gather
113
genial
friendly; nice
114
germinal
in the early stages of development
115
girder
steel beam used for support in a building
116
gloat
to brag
117
gratify
to please
118
guile
dishonesty
119
hallowed
holy
120
heirloom
old family possession passed down for generations
121
hierogrphyics
ancient writing method using pictures and symbols
122
ignominy
dishonor
123
imiperturbable
calm; difficult to upset
124
impromptu
spontaneous; without rehearsal or preparation
125
inane
silly; meaningless
126
incensed
angry
127
incoherent
difficult to understand; jumbled
128
incubator
warming device in which babies or eggs are kept
129
indelible
permanent; not eraseable
130
indolence
laziness; idleness
131
inexorable
unstoppable
132
influx
act of flowing in or increasing
133
inhospitable
1. unfriendly
| 2. providing no food or shelter
134
innocuous
harmless
135
insipid
dull; lacking in energy; stupid
136
interloper
intruder; meddler
137
inundate
to flood
138
inviolable
safe from harm
139
irreproachable
blameless; beyond criticism
140
jaunty
lighthearted; playful
141
lackadaisical
lacking energy; lazy
142
latent
hidden, but capable of being devloped
143
libel
printed lies that harm someone's reputation
144
listless
slow; lacking energy
145
luminary
a famous person
146
magnate
a powerful person (especially in business)
147
maliganacy
harmfulness
148
marred
spoiled; damaged
149
maudlin
overly sentimental
150
mercurial
1. changeable
| 2. moody
151
mitigate
to make less painful; to become less severe
152
monolithic
1. huge
| 2. like a single, seamless whole
153
mortify
to humiliate; to embarrass greatly
154
mural
large painting on a wall
155
muzzle
device that prevents an animal from opening its mouth
156
nefarious
wicked
157
niche
1. space scooped out of a wall
| 2. a place or role that best fits a person or thing
158
nonchalant
unconcerned; cool; indifferent
159
obfuscating
confusing; clouding
160
odious
disgusting; hateful
161
omniscient
knowing everything
162
oratory
effective public speaking
163
ornithologist
one who studies birds
164
outwit
to outsmart
165
palisade
1. line of cliffs
| 2. fence made out of stakes
166
panache
style; flair
167
pare
to remove or reduce by cutting
168
parry
to ward off (a punch); to deflect
169
patter
meaningless speech
170
pejorative
insulting
171
penury
poverty
172
perfidy
disloyalty; untrustworthiness
173
perpetuate
to make last
174
pestilence
disease
175
pinion
1. wing
| 2. to hold someone down
176
placard
poster
177
plaudit
praise
178
plunder
to rob
179
pontificate
to speak in a "know-it-all" way
180
potable
drinkable
181
precarious
dangerous
182
precocious
matured earlier than normal; forward
183
prevaricate
to lie
184
profligate
very wasteful; extravagant
185
propensity
special liking for something; tendency; preference
186
proselytizer
one who attempts to convert others to his religion
187
protrusion
something that sticks out
188
prune
1. a dried plum
| 2. to trim, as in a tree or bush
189
purgation
purification; freedom from blame
190
putrid
bad-smelling; spoiled
191
quagmire
a problem that is difficult to escape
192
quell
to quite; to pacify
193
quip
a clever or witty remark
194
raconteur
storyteller
195
rancor
hatred
196
raze
to destroy completely
197
recant
to take back one's beliefs or remarks
198
redoubtable
causing fear or extreme respect
199
reiterate
to say again; to repeat
200
remiss
careless; not responsible
201
repertoire
group of skills that can be performed
202
reprehensible
blameworthy; shameful
203
reprove
to criticize
204
respite
a rest period
205
retinue
staff for a high-ranking person; team of attendants
206
revere
to respect greatly
207
rhapsodize
to express with great delight
208
rigor
1. severity; strictness
| 2. strict accuracy or detail
209
rotund
round; fat
210
rudimentary
elementary; basic
211
salutary
beneficial; healthful
212
sanguine
optimistic; cheerful
213
savant
someone who knows a lot
214
scorn
to show dislike and disrespect
215
scuttle
to sink a ship by cutting holes in it
216
secrete
to give off a liquid or other substance
217
seismologist
one who studies earthquakes
218
sentinel
a guard
219
shard
a fragment and piece
220
sieve
a mesh used for straining or separating
221
slacken
1. to become slower
| 2. to loosen a rope
222
slough
1. a swamp; muddy hole
| 2. to loosen a rope
223
smorgasbord
meal involving many different kinds of foods
224
snuff
1. tobacco inhaled through the nose
| 2. to extinguish
225
somnambulist
sleepwalker
226
sorcerer
one who practices witchcraft
227
sparse
thinly spread; almost bare
228
spurn
to reject openly
229
staid
serious
230
status quo
the unchanging way things are
231
stifle
to prevent; to hold back
232
stoop
1. a porch
| 2. to bend over
233
strife
a fight for power; discord
234
stupor
a state of shock or dulled senses
235
subsist
to survive barely
236
succulent
juicy
237
summit
highest point; top
238
supersede
to replace
239
supplicant
beggar
240
susceptible
easily influenced; vulnerable
241
synopsis
summary
242
taciturn
not talkative; silent
243
tantamount
equivalent
244
teeming
overflowing
245
tenuous
weak; poorly supported; thin
246
tidings
news
247
tome
a long book
248
tractable
easily managed; obedient
249
transposition
act of changing the position or order of something
250
trite
stale; unoriginal; cliched; overused
251
tundra
large treeless plain of land
252
unaffected
sincere; down-to-earth
253
undertaking
task or job
254
unheralded
unannounced
255
unpalatable
distasteful; unpleasant
256
unrepentant
not sorry; having no regret
257
unwary
not alert; easily fooled
258
urbane
polite; elegantly mannered
259
vagabond
wandere
260
variegated
1. multi-colored
| 2. various; diverse
261
venerate
to respect greatly; to worship; to revere
262
versatile
having many different kinds of skills; multipurpose
263
viable
workable; alive
264
villify
to criticize harshly
265
viscous
sticky, gluey; thickly liquid
266
vogue
fashion; trend
267
vouchsafe
1. to give graciously; to grant a special favor
| 2. to reply
268
wanderlust
love of travel
269
wayward
going against society's expectations
270
whet
1. to sharpen
| 2. to excite; to stimulate
271
wilt
to become limp; to droop
272
wither
to dry up and die
