List B1 Flashcards
lucrative
adj. producing wealth; profitable
uncanny
adj. strangely unsettling, as if of supernatural origin
utopia
n. an ideally perfect place
adj. utopian
hue
n. a shade of color
gross
adj. total, entire; glaringly obvious, flagrant
forlorn
adj. appearing sad because abandoned; in pitiful condition; almost without hope
ecstasy
n. state of overwhelming joy; rapture
adj. ecstatic
valid
adj. based on truth or fact; having legal force
v. validate
decry
v. to speak out against strongly and openly
check
v. to restrain or block
proximity
n. closeness
adj. proximate
corrupt
adj. marked by immorality; dishonest; containing errors (as in a text)
n. corruption
colossal
adj. very large
n. colossus
leery
adj. suspicious; distrustful
egress
n. going out; the right to go out or exit
archetype
n. the original pattern or model; a perfect example
adj. archetypal
referendum
n. direct popular vote on a law or measure of public policy
kin
n. one’s relatives
n. kinship
coax
v. to persuade or obtain by pleading or flattery
talisman
n. something thought to have magic power
truncate
v. to cut short
manifest
adj. obvious; very clear; evident
n. manifestation
august
adj. inspiring awe or admiration, esp. because of high rank or character
commodity
n. an item of trade or commerce, esp. as distinguished from a service
context
n. the circumstances in which something occurs
insinuate
v. to hint
n. insinuation
archaic
adj. of a much earlier, often more primitive period
flagrant
adj. conspicuously bad or offensive
rapcious
adj. excessively greedy; taking by force
n. rapacity
adapt
v. to adjust to a new situation or environment; to change
labyrinthine
adj. complicated; puzzling
n. labyrinth
debut
n. a first appearance before the public
consecrate
v. to make or set apart as sacred
n. consecration
stratum
n. a level or layer
pl. strata
v. stratify
morass
n. an area of swampy ground; something that thinders
prolific
adj. producing a lot
boycott
v. to refuse to buy, sell, or use
n. boycott
ostentatious
adj. showy, pretentious
n. ostentation
domain
n. a territory or range of rule or control
reek
v. to give off a strong, unpleasant odor; to be pervaded with something unpleasant
nefarious
adj. very wicked; villainous
deference
n. yielding an opinion, desire, or position to another out of respect
adj. deferential
innocuous
adj. harmless
resent
v. to feel hostility because of a perceived insult or injury
n. resentment
adj. resntful
pulpit
n. a podium used for preaching
vapid
adj. lacking interest, animation, or flavor
egalitarian
adj. of the belief that all people should have equal rights
harangue
n. a long pompous speech; a speech or piece of writing expressing strong emotion; a tirade
agrarian
adj. related to farming
regale
v. to delight or entertain
bar
v. to keep out; exlude
desultory
adj. lacking a plan or purpose; unmethodical
opportunist
n. one who takes advantage of every opportunity, whether or not it is moral to do so
adj. opportunistic
visceral
adj. instinctive; relating to the internal organs
permeate
v. to spread or flow throughout
adj. permeable
stagnant
adj. inactive; not moving
n. stagnation
v. stagnate
indiscriminate
adj. unselective; random; unrestrained
stark
adj. not ornamented; plain; absolute
rancorous
adj. bitter and resentful
n. rancor
prodigal
adj. exceedingly or recklessly wasteful
n. prodigality
disconcert
v. to make confused or uneasy
adj. disconcerting
patron
n. a sponsor; a supporter; a regular customer
n. patronage
n. patronize
margin
a border or edge; a limit in condition or ability; an amount or degree of difference
adj. marginal
fervent
adj. passionate; eager; earnest
n. fervor
penchant
n. a strong liking
climax
n. the point of greatest intensity, which marks the end of an ascending process
adj. climactic
requisite
adj. needed; necessary
cognizant
adj. aware (with “of”)
n. cognizance
amorphous
adj. without definite shape; shapeless; unorganized
demeanor
n. outward behavior, esp. that reveals one’s personality or attitude
artifact
n. an object produced by human work, esp. one of historical or archaeological interest
placebo
n. something presented as a drug, but having no actual effect
prosaic
adj. straightforward; lacing in imagination
tantamount
adj. equivalent in effect or value
caste
n. a rigid and hereditary social class
pummel
v. to beat, as with the fists
egregious
adj. outstanding for undesirable qualities; remarkably bad
sinecure
n. a paid position that requires little or no work
flamboyant
adj. extravagant; showy
n. flamboyance
balmy
adj. soothing, mild, pleasant