List A2 Flashcards
elude
v. to escape from, as by daring or skill; to escape the understanding of
adj. elusive
scrutiny
n. close examination; minute inspection; a careful watch
v. scrutinize
nuance
n. variation of meaning; subtlety
cosmopolitan
adj. having worldwide scope; so sophisticated as to be at home in all parts of the world
avocation
n. a hobby
degenerate
v. to decline to an inferior state, often in mental or moral quality
germane
adj. fitting and appropriate
mnemonic
adj. pertaining to or assisting the memory
breach
n. some sort of violation; a gap
adage
n. a familiar saying; a proverb
nadir
n. the lowest point; the bottom
denouement
n. conclusion; resolution; the falling action of a story after its climax
heterogeneous
adj. not similar; very different; mixed together
eclipse
v. to overshadow
rococo
adj. elaborate or overdone
distend
v. to stretch out; to expand
n. distention
astute
adj. showing clever awareness, esp. with respect to one’s own concerns
kindred
adj. related or similar in origin or nature
neophyte
n. a beginner; an immature person who is learning
sublime
adj. of high spiritual or moral worth
n. sublimity
tepid
adj. moderately warm; lacking force or enthusiasm
equivocal
adj. capable of multiple interpretations; unclear
v. equivocate
n. equivocation
versatile
adj. competent in many things
n. versatility
procure
v. to obtain or acquire
n. procurement
paradox
n. a statement or situation that appears contradictory
adj. paradoxical
heed
v. to pay attention to
relish
v. to enjoy
forebear
n. a person from whom one is descended; an ancestor (usually plural)
hegemony
n. strong influence; domination
onus
n. an unpleasant task or duty; a burden or obligation
affinity
n. a natural attraction or feeling of kinship; an inherent similarity
mundane
adj. typical of this world; commonplace
atrophy
n. a wasting away, esp. of body tissue
v. atrophy
duplicity
n. deception; deceitfulness; double-dealing
adj. duplicitous
verisimilitude
n. resemblance to the truth
proliferate
v. to grow or reproduce rapidly
shibboleth
n. a custom or phrase distinction of a particular group, class, etc.
congenital
adj. present since birth; being an essential characteristic
ensemble
n. a group, esp. of performers,working as a unified whole
cajole
v. to attempt to persuade with flattery or insincere talk
facile
adj. with effortless ease; without proper care; superficial
n. facility
phenomenon
n. an occurrence that can be perceived by the senses; a remarkable person or event
pl. phenomena
civil
adj. observing accepted social customs; not rude
accede
v. to agree to something
periphery
n. a boundary line; perimeter; an outside surface
adj. peripheral
wane
v. to decrease; lessen
capacious
adj. able to contain or hold much
ambivalence
n. simultaneous existence of opposing feelings; uncertainty as to what to do
adj. ambivalent
aloof
adj. distant or removed in attitude or manner
caveat
n. a warning
ineffable
adj. incapable of being expressed
revere
v. to honor
adj. reverent
n. reverence
forage
v. to search for food or provisions
scale
v. to climb
sect
n. a small group, esp. religious, united by a specific set of beliefs
adj. sectarian
vernacular
n. informal speech; native language
sanguine
adj. optimistic; cheerful
kindle
v. to set on fire; ignite
n. kindling
ruminate
v. to ponder at length
adj. ruminative
culpable
adj. deserving blame or punishment
n. culpability
lummox
n. a clumsy person
idiosyncrasy
n. a particular, peculiar, or eccentric trait
adj. idiosyncratic
dissemble
v. to deceive or conceal; to hide one’s motives; to simulate
lugubrious
adj. sad or mournful, esp. in a way that seems exaggerated or ridiculous
internecine
adj. pertaining to conflict within a group; mutually destrcutive
imprudent
adj. rude, shameless
n. imprudence
abolish
v. to put an end to
n. abolition
acquiesce
v. to agree without protest
n. acquiescence
rural
adj. relating to the country or farming
chimerical
adj. created by or as if by a fanciful imagination
n. chimera
odyssey
n. a long, adventurous journey
rail
v. to speak bitterly or reproachfully
gratuitous
adj. unnecessary or inappropriate
inherent
adj. included as an essential part; intrinsic
saga
n. a long prose narrative, often telling of adventure or heroism; a long, detailed report
primeval
adj. relating to the beginning of the first world ages
mammoth
adj. very large; of clumsy or unwieldy size
marquee
n. a sign over the entrance to a public building
intimate
v. to make known subtly; to hint
n. intimation
revery
v. to return to a former condition
ulterior
adj. lying beyond what is evident, revealed, or claimed
sedentary
adj. sitting down most of the time
quell
v. to ease; to calm down
forsenic
adj. related to the law or debate
clique
n. exclusive group of people
clandestine
adj. done in secret, esp. to conceal something improper
surmount
v. to overcome (e.g., an obstacle); to climb to the top of
pilfer
v. to steal a small amount
sweltering
adj. oppressively hot and humid
v. swelter
subterfuge
n. a sneaky or devious method for avoiding difficulty or unpleasantness
respite
n. temporary relief
endorse
v. to give approval or support to
niche
n. a place or situation suited for a person or thing; a recess in a wall
ellipsis
n. in a sentence, the omission of a word or words replaced by three periods
apt
adj. appropriate; having a natural tendency
ersatz
adj. artificial; not genuine; fake
serence
adj. calm and peaceful
n. serenity
instigate
v. to stir up or arouse; to foment
n. instigation
predominant
adj. surpassing all others; most common
v. predominate
valedictory
n. a farewell speech
blunder
v. to move carelessly
foolhardy
adj. reckless; bold without judgment
abundant
adj. in great supply
n. abundance
haphazard
adj. mere chance; accident
toxic
adj. poisonous; dangerous
n. toxin
bow
n. forward part of a ship; prow
conspire
v. to plan secretly together
n. conspiracy
erode
v. to wear away slowly
n. erosion
adj. erosive
persist
v. to continue despite difficulty
adj. persisting
apex
n. the highest point
diction
n. word choice in speech or writing; degree of clarity in speaking
mentor
n. a counselor or teacher
bravura
n. a showy display
segue
n. an easy, effective, or uninterrupted transition
brazen
adj. showing shameless, insolent boldness; made of brass
jingoism
n. an extreme patriotism
extradite
v. to deliver someone (e.g., a fugitive) to the authority of another government or jurisdiction
n. extradition
dappled
adj. spotted
abridge
v. to reduce in scope
jaundice
n. prejudice; bias; a yellowish discoloration of the skin
adj. jaundiced
eloquent
adj. articulate; convincing and effective in speech
n. eloquence
clairvoyant
adj. having the supposed power to see objects or events that cannot be perceived by the senses
n. clairvoyance
derive
v. to obtain from a specified source
onerous
adj. burdensome, hard to bear
dovetail
v. to combine or interlock into a unified whole
carcass
n. the dead body of an animal, esp. one slaughtered for food (also used figuratively)
earshot
n. the distance within which a sound can be heard
feisty
adj. irritable; quarrelsome; full of spirit
retort
v. to reply, esp. in a quick or witty manner
consort
v. to associate; to keep company
parrot
v. to blindly repeat or copy
extraneous
adj. not an essential part of; unimportant
interdict
v. to forbid or stop the activities or entry of
belie
v. to picture falsely; to contradict
solemn
adj. serious; grave
n. solemnity
vigorous
adj. energetic
n. vigor
mire
n. a swamp or bog
synthesis
n. the combination of separate parts into a unified whole
adj. synthetic
v. synthesize
gangly
adj. awkwardly tall
mausoleum
n. a huge tomb
maxim
n. a short saying expressing a general principle
regiment
n. a set of rules, usually followed for therapeutic effect
saturine
adj. of a gloomy temperament
stigma
n. a sign of disgrace; a mark that lowers a reputation
v. stigmatize
histrionic
adj. overly dramatic, theatrical
innovative
adj. marked by a new or unusual way of doing things
v. innovate
n. innovation
bilious
adj. bad-tempered; cross
choleric
adj. easily angered; bad-tempered
rebuff
v. to refuse someone; to reject an offer
warp
v. to distort, as a twist or bend
abdicate
v. to willingly give up the position of king, queen, etc.; to choose not to fulfill a role or duty
n. abdication
nimble
adj. fast and light in motion
aftermath
n. a result or consequence
indict
v. to formally accuse of criminal activity
n. indictment
amuck
adj. frenzied, esp. violently
adj. amok
subsidy
n. monetary assistance
rear
v. to raise children
ingenious
adj. inventive, cunning, clever
n. ingenuity
explicit
adj. fully revealed or made clear
juggernaut
n. a terrible, irresistible force
jurisdiction
n. the extent of authority or control; the right and power to interpret and apply the law
woebegone
adj. affected with great sadness, esp. as reflected in one’s appearance
valiant
adj. courageous, brave, as in battle
polemic
n. a controversial argument, esp. attacking a particular opinion
adj. polemic
peccadillo
n. a minor sin
saturate
v. to soak or fill to capacity
n. saturation
edict
n. an authoritative order issued publicly; a decree
hiatus
n. an interruption in activity or progress
constitute
v. to make up the parts of; to compose
estuary
n. the part of a river that meets a sea
mettle
n. courage; strength of character
adj. mettlesome
phlegmatic
adj. having a calm, sluggish temperament; unemotional
ad hoc
adj. for a specific purpose and no other; improvised
extemporaneous
adj. done with little or no preparation
trek
v. to travel or migrate, esp. slowly or with great difficulty
ensue
v. to happen subsequently
palette
n. a board which an artist can hold while painting and on which colors can be mixed; the range of colors used in a particular painting or by a particular artist
gallant
adj. brave and noble
n. gallantry
bazaar
n. a market consisting of a street lined with shops; a place where miscellaneous items are sold
diurnal
adj. daily; occurring during the daytime
ridicule
v. to make fun of
adj. ridiculous
postscript
n. additional information added to the end of a letter or other document
pallet
n. a narrow, hard bed or straw-filled mattress
decorum
n. polite behavior
adj. decorous
illuminate
v. to light up
n. illumination
eon
n. a long period of time
effrontery
n. bold and insulting behavior
dictum
n. an authoritative, often formal pronouncement
cordial
adj. warm and friendly; hearty
impalpable
adj. that which cannot be felt by touching; not easily understood
ovation
n. enthusiastic and lengthy applause
exhaustive
adj. thorough
confide
v. to tell something in secret
adj. confidential
n. confidant
pittance
n. a small amount, esp. of money
dual
adj. composed of two parts
manuscript
n. a book or other document written by hand; an author’s original copy of a document submitted for publication
knell
v. to ring in a slow, solemn way
n. the sound of a bell, esp. of one rung at a funeral; an omen of death, failure, etc.
de factor
adj. actual or effective, esp. when without legal authority; in fact
scour
v. to wash by scrubbing vigorously
agape
adv. wide open
