List B4 Flashcards
1
Q
evanescent
A
adj. fading from sight; transient
n. evanescence
2
Q
fulcrum
A
n. the point on which a lever pivots; a crucial point or agent
3
Q
flotsam
A
n. wreckage of a ship or its cargo found floating on the sea
4
Q
lambent
A
adj. flickering, e.g., of a flame or light reflected on a surface
5
Q
figment
A
n. something that is created; something that is imagined
6
Q
petty
A
adj. having secondary rank or importance
7
Q
congenial
A
adj. suited to one’s needs or nature; friendly; sympathetic
8
Q
pandemic
A
adj. general, widespread; n. a very widespread disease
9
Q
recidivist
A
n. one who returns to criminal habits
10
Q
martyr
A
n. one who chooses to die rather than to give up religious beliefs, or who suffers greatly to further a cause
11
Q
avert
A
v. to turn away
12
Q
lacuna
A
n. an empty space or missing portion
pl. lacunae
13
Q
opine
A
v. to express an opinion
14
Q
inaugurate
A
v. to formally bring into office at the beginning of a term
n. inauguration
15
Q
jeremiad
A
n. an elaborate and lengthy tale of sadness
16
Q
venal
A
adj. capable of being bribed or corrupted
n. venality
17
Q
contempt
A
n. a feeling that something is low or disgusting
adj. contemptuous
adj. contemptible
18
Q
analogy
A
n. a similarity between things that are otherwise dissimilar
n. analogue
adj. analogous
19
Q
decree
A
v. to order with the force of law; n. an official order
20
Q
tacit
A
adj. unspoken but understood; silent
21
Q
camaraderie
A
n. loyalty; a warm, friendly feeling among members of a group
22
Q
raconteur
A
n. one who tells stories with skill
23
Q
hirsute
A
adj. having excessive body hair
24
Q
hypocrisy
A
n. the pretense of having virtues or beliefs that one does not really have
n. hypocrite
adj. hypocritical
25
preponderance
n. superiority in weight, force, importance or influence
| adj. prepnderant
26
recalcitrant
adj. marked by stubborn defiance of authority or guidance
| n. recalcitrance
27
punctilious
adj. careful about every detail of behavior
28
obituary
n. a newspaper account of a person's death, usually including biological information
29
supercilious
adj. feeling or showing proud contempt
30
turmoil
n. extreme confusion; uproar
31
torrid
adj. parched with heat; ardent or passionate
32
dogmatic
adj. arrogantly asserting unproved principles
| n. dogmatism
33
recrimination
n. a reply to one charge with a countercharge
| v. recriminate
34
viscous
adj. resistant to flow; thick (of a liquid)
| n. viscosity
35
spurious
adj. not genuine; false
36
revile
v. to attack with harsh language
37
abeyance
n. a suspension of activity
38
genesis
n. birth; beginning; origin
39
amenable
adj. responsive to advice or authority
40
blasé
adj. indifferent or bored with life; unimpressed as if because of too much worldly experience
41
pugnacious
adj. belligerent, ready to fight
| n. pugnacity
42
stultify
v. to make absurdly useless, esp. by degrading; to make appear foolish
43
inert
adj. unable to move or respond; sluggish
| n. inertia
44
subjugate
v. to bring under control; to conquer
| n. subjugation
45
sodden
adj. thoroughly wet, drenched
46
castigate
v. to criticize severely, esp. in public
47
convoluted
adj. intricate; complicated
48
deplore
v. to feel or express strong disapproval of
| adj. deplorable
49
paramount
adj. supreme; ranking higher than others in power or importance
50
wayward
adj. stubbornly going against what is expected or required in order to satisfy one's own desires
51
vestige
n. a trace of something that once existed but has disappeared
52
pseudonym
n. a fictitious name assumed by an author
| adj. pseudonymous
53
itinerary
n. a route or proposed route for a journey
54
veritable
adj. being truly named, real or genuine
55
inconsequential
adj. unimportant
56
relic
n. a surviving trace of a culture or period that no longer exists
57
litigant
n. one who is engaged in a lawsuit
v. litigate
n. litigation
adj. litigious
58
bemuse
v. to confuse or stupefy
| n. bemusement
59
scaffold
n. a temporary platform used in work on a building
60
mitigate
v. to improve by lessening the severity of
| n. mitigation
61
stringent
adj. imposing strict standards of performance; constricted
| n. stringency
62
reprieve
v. to postpone or cancel punishment
| n. reprieve
63
pore
v. to read or study carefully
64
assiduous
adj. diligent; hard-working; constant
65
acquit
v. to declare free of guilt; to clear
| n. acquittal
66
tightfisted
adj. stingy; miserly
67
woe
n. a deep distress of misery; misfortune
68
quiescent
adj. inactive, often suggesting a temporary state
| n. quiescence
69
cohesion
n. the act of state of uniting or sticking together
| adj. cohesive
70
utilitarian
adj. stressing practical use over other values
71
bandy
v. to pass (gossip, rumor, etc.) about freely and carelessly
72
definitive
adj. complete
73
fracas
n. a noisy fight
74
taciturn
adj. almost always silent; not liking to talk
75
dilemma
n. a situation in which one must choose between two equally bad alternatives
76
laudable
adj. worthy of praise
| v. laud
77
pertinent
adj. relevant
| v. pertain
78
ramshackle
adj. about to fall apart or fall down
79
temper
v. to bring down in tone; to moderate; to soften
80
beset
v. to attack from all sides; to trouble persistently
81
excavate
v. to expose to view by digging out
| n. excavation
82
tenable
adj. able to be maintained or defended, either in an argument or debate or against an attack
83
profligate
adj. immorally wasteful
84
tact
n. skill in dealing with others, esp. in difficult situations
85
acute
adj. sharp; clever; severe
| n. acuity
86
tabulate
v. to count
| n. tabulation
87
travail
n. painfully difficult work; pain or suffering from mental or physical hardship
88
abhor
v. to detest; to shrink from the disgust
| adj. abhorrent
89
propitiate
v. to appease or placate
90
upbraid
v. to criticize sharply, esp. by a figure of authority
91
quarantine
n. enforced isolation to prevent the spread of disease; v. to isolate for such purpose
92
ricochet
v. to rebound at least once from a surface
93
salubrious
adj. favorable to good health
94
anodyne
n. a pan-filler or anesthetic
95
uncouth
adj. uncultured; crude
96
torpid
adj. inactive; sluggish; dormant
| n. torpor
97
epidemioogy
n. the branch of medicine that studies that causes, spread, and control of disease in population
adj. epidemiological
n. epidemiologist
98
despondent
adj. so sad as to lack all hope
| n. despondency
99
decimate
v. to destroy or kill a large part of (a group)
| n. decimation
100
aggrandize
v. to enlarge; increase in size, power or rank
101
sanctimonious
adj. pretending holiness; hypocritically devout
| n. sanctimony
102
pusillanimous
adj. cowardly
103
mar
v. to damage
104
scapegoat
n. one who takes blame
105
impasse
n. a dead-end
| adj. impassable
106
beguile
v. to deceive by charm
| adj. beguiling
107
vendetta
n. a bitter feud or quarrel; fight
108
vagrant
n. a person who wanders from place to p[lace, esp. one who lives on the streets and constitutes a public nuisance
109
zest
n. hearty enjoyment; flavor or interest
110
noxious
adj. harmful to health or the mind
111
impotent
adj. powerless; helpless; ineffective
112
charade
n. an obvious pretense or deception
113
resuscitate
v. to revive, esp. from apparent death or unconsciousness
| n. resuscitation
114
static
adj. not moving
| n. stasis
115
scintilla
n. a small amount; a park
116
refuse
n. garbage
117
undulate
v. to move in a wave-like motion
| n. undulation
118
specter
n. a ghost; a disturbing image or prospect
| adj. spectral
119
seethe
v. to be violently excited; to boil
120
suffuse
v. to spread through or over (as with light or color) devout
121
devout
adj. devoted to religion; sincere
| n. devotion
122
amend
v. to improve through change or ccorrection
| n. amends
123
repartee
n. a quick, witty reply; a series of such replies
124
unctuous
adj. oily; showing insincere earnestness
125
rummage
v. to search thoroughly by handling or disarranging the contents of
126
contiguous
adj. sharing a common boundary; adjoining
| n. contiguity
127
allege
v. to assert to be true, esp. without or before proof
| n. allegation
128
tax
v. to make difficult or excessive demands upon
129
solace
n. comfort in a time of distress
| v. solace
130
biennial
adj. happening every two years
131
schema
n. an outline or model, often drawn as a diagram
| pl. schemata
132
negligible
adj. of little value or importance
133
gullible
adj. easily deceived; credulous
| n. gullibility
134
avid
adj. having a passionate desire
| n. avidity
135
lackadaisical
adj. showing lack of interest of spirit
136
abyss
n. a deep, bottomless chasm; immeasurable depth
| adj. abysmal
137
transfix
v. to pierce, as with a pointed weapon; to render motionless, as with fear
138
virulent
adj. extremely infectious or harmful; bitterly hostile
| n. virulence
139
stalwart
adj. firm and resolute; having imposing physical strength
140
redoubtable
adj. fearsome; formidable
141
senescent
adj. aging; growing weak with age
142
purloin
v. to steal, oft. in violation of a trust
143
adjunct
n. something attached to another in a subordintate position
144
rampant
adj. unrestrained
145
municipial
adj. relating to local government
| n. municipality
146
protégé
n. one whose welfare, training, or career is promoted by another person
147
status quo
n. the existing state of affairs at a particular time
148
sylvan
adj. characteristic of woods or forests
149
connive
v. to cooperate secretly in wrongful action
| n. connivance
150
extrapolate
v. to predict by extending known information
| n. extrapolation
151
scenario
n. an outline for a planned series of events, either real or imagined; a summary of a work of fiction
152
ponder
v. to think over with great care
153
euphemism
n. the substitution of an agreeable word or phrase to replace one that might offend
adj. euphemistic
154
legacy
n. something passed down to a descendant
155
ensconce
v. to settle securely or snugly
156
credulous
adj. tending to believe too easily
| n. credulity
157
brood
v. to be deep in thought; to think over moodily and at length
158
codify
v. to organize something (such as laws or rules) into a system
159
penury
n. lack of money, property, or necessities
160
manifesto
n. a public declaration of principles, often political
161
indolent
adj. lazy
| n. indolence
162
dilettante
n. one who engages an art with only superficial skill; an amateur
163
exposition
n. a statement intended to give background information or to explain something difficult
adj. expository
164
disinterested
adj. free from bias
165
meticulous
adj. extremely or excessively careful about details; finicky
166
relent
v. to become less severe; to give in
167
edification
n. intellectual or moral improvement; enlightenment
adj. edifying
v. edify
168
factious
adj. causing dissension
169
bequeath
v. to pass down to; to hand down, esp. in a will
| n. bequest
170
plenitude
n. fullness in quantity or degree; the state of being full or complete
171
imbroglio
n. a confused misunderstanding or disagreement
172
espouse
v. to give loyalty or support to; to adopt
173
pedestrian
adj. done on foot; ordinary; commonplace
174
dichotomy
n. division into two contradictory part
| adj. dichotomous
175
effigy
n. a representation of a person or group used esp. to demonstrate hatred
176
burgeon
v. to sprout or grow rapidly
177
insurrection
n. a rebellion
178
jocular
adj. characterized by joking
179
gourmand
n. a glutton; one who delights in eating well
180
terse
adj. without necessary words; succinct
181
adroit
adj. naturally skillful, esp. dealing with difficult circumstances
182
gainsay
v. to deny; to declare false
183
feckless
adj. careless; irresponsbile
184
intransigient
adj. refusing to compromise or agree
185
appropriate
v. to set apart for a specific use; to take possession of, often without permission
n. appropriation
186
tautology
n. needless repetition of an idea in different words (e.g., "widow woman")
187
strident
adj. loud, shrill, or harshly grating; forcefully assertive or harshly critical
188
extenuate
v. to lessen the seriousness of, esp. by giving partial excuses
n. extenuation
adj. extenuating
189
latent
adj. present but hidden; dormant
| n. latency
190
relinquish
v. to surrender or release
191
gait
n. the manner of moving on foot; rate or manner of proceeding
192
emblematic
adj. symbolic, representative of more
193
doldrums
n. an area in the ocean of calm winds; a state of boredom or listlessness
194
anomaly
n. a departure from the regular pattern
| adj. anomalous
195
ineluctable
adj. unable to be avoided; inescapable
196
best
v. to defeat
197
importune
v. to beg desperately and repeatedly
198
distribe
n. prolonged and bitter speech or writing
199
bona fide
adj. genuine
200
countenance
n. appearance, esp. the expression of the face; v. to tolerate
