List B5 Flashcards
1
Q
incarnate
A
adj. in human form and shape
2
Q
pallid
A
adj. faint in color; pale
3
Q
adhere
A
v. to stick to; to be a firm follower
n. adhesion
adj. adherent
4
Q
subsume
A
v. to include as part of a larger group
5
Q
cachet
A
n. a mark of distinction
6
Q
forestall
A
v. to prevent or delay beforehand
7
Q
oxymoron
A
n. a figure of speech combining apparently contradictory terms, e.g., “darkness visible.”
adj. oxymoronic
8
Q
quintessence
A
n. a pure substance or essence of something
adj. quintessential
9
Q
perfidious
A
adj. marked by extreme treachery
n. perfidy
10
Q
eccentric
A
adj. unconventional; odd
n. eccentricity
11
Q
emphatic
A
adj. done or expressed with force
12
Q
erstwhile
A
adj. former; of an earlier time
13
Q
nonplus
A
v. to put at a loss what to do or think
14
Q
dissociate
A
v. to break ties
n. dissociation
15
Q
distraught
A
adj. anxious or agitated
16
Q
deprecate
A
v. to express disapproval of
n. deprecation
17
Q
perplex
A
v. to puzzle, confuse, or bewilder
n. perplexity
18
Q
proverbial
A
adj. well-known because widely repeated
n. proverb
19
Q
ire
A
n. anger
adj. irate
20
Q
excoriate
A
v. to denounce sharply; to tear or wear the skin off
n. excoriation
21
Q
accolade
A
n. an award or honor; a sign of great respect
22
Q
ductile
A
adj. easily shaped; capable of being persuaded easily
n. ductility
23
Q
apotheosis
A
n. the ideal example; the elevation of person to the rank of a god
24
Q
invidious
A
adj. tending to arouse hostility or resentment
25
flabbergast
v. to overcome with astonishment
26
mordant
adj. bitingly sarcastic
27
obdurate
adj. not easily moved to pity or sympathy
28
disaffected
adj. resentful and rebellious, esp. against authority
29
immune
adj. not subject to an obligation imposed on others; not affected by an influence
n. immunity
30
fraught
adj. full of a particular quality
31
faux pas
n. a social blunder
32
beget
v. to produce; to father offspring
33
epicure
n. one with refined tastes, esp. in food and wine
| adj. epicurean
34
fulsome
adj. disgusting because excessive or insincere; repulsive
35
appellation
n. name; title
36
loath
adj. unwilling, reluctant
37
craven
adj. cowardly; contemptibly timid
38
deadpan
adj. showing no expression
39
contravene
v. to act counter to; violate
| n. contravention
40
insouciant
adj. calm and untroubled; carefree; indifferent
| n. insouciance
41
indelible
adj. incapable of being removed or erased
42
eminent
adj. outstanding, distinguished, towering above others
| n. eminence
43
enclave
n. a country or other distinctly bounded area wholly surrounded by another area
44
flout
v. to intentionally and obviously disobey
45
lapse
v. to decline from a previous level or standard; to come to an end
n. lapse
46
synergy
n. the interaction of two more more things where the combined effect is greater than the sum of the the individual effects
adj. synergistic
47
consign
v. to give to the care of another; to set apart
| n. consignment
48
incisive
adj. keen or penetrating in thought or expression
49
attenuate
v. to make thin; to reduce in force
| n. attenuation
50
extol
v. to praise highly and lavishly
51
linchpin
n. a central element that holds other parts together
52
assess
v. to estimate
53
esoteric
adj. known by or confined to a small number of people
54
obviate
v. to stop from occurring; to prevent or make unnecessary
55
iniquity
n. extreme immorality or injustice; wickedness
| adj. iniquitous
56
comprise
v. to include; to contain; to be composed of
57
odious
adj. arousing strong dislike or disgust
| n. odium
58
qualify
v. to modify, limit, or restrict, as by giving exceptions
| n. qualification
59
matriculate
v. to admit or be admitted into a group, esp. a college or university
60
juncture
n. a point of time; a concurrence of events
61
impromptu
adj. without preparation
62
educe
v. to draw out; elicit
63
omniscient
adj. all-knowing
| n. omniscience
64
hamper
v. to keep from moving or acting freely
65
enigma
n. a perplexing, usually ambiguous puzzle
| adj. enigmatic
66
cupidity
n. strong desire for wealth; greed
| adj. cupidinous
67
estrange
v. to make hostile or indifferent, usually between two persons
68
mollify
v. to soothe the temper; to pacify; to appease
69
precarious
adj. dangerously insecure or unstable
70
nettle
v. to bother; to irritate
71
iconoclast
n. one who attacks and seeks to destroy widely accepted ideas
adj. iconoclastic
72
genial
adj. cheerful, friendly
| n. geniality
73
dilatory
adj. characterized by delay; tardy
74
maul
v. to injure; mangle
75
untimely
adj. occurring at an unfortunate or premature time
76
axiom
n. premise; true statement; a saying
| adj. axiomatic
77
seminal
adj. original and inspiring further similar efforts
78
lexicographer
n. a person who writes or compiles dictionaries
n. lexicography
adj. lexicographical
79
rhetoric
n. persuasive or artful use of language
| adj. rhetorical
80
eke out
v. to add to with difficulty; to make just enough to continue
81
bask
v. to enjoy a warm or pleasant feeling
82
marshal
v. to arrange in order
83
condescend
v. to lower oneself to a less formal or less dignified level
adj. condescending
n. condescension
84
sedate
adj. calm; quiet
| v. sedate
85
allay
v. to reduce the intensity of; to calm
86
salacious
adj. lustful; obscene
87
detract
v. to take away a desirable part; to diminish
| n. detractor
88
secular
adj. not religious; worldly
89
thespian
adj. relating to drama; n. an actor
90
complicity
n. association or participation in a wrongful act
| adj. complicitous
91
dross
n. impurities formed on the surface of metals during melting; worthless, commonplace or trivial material
92
cavil
v. to argue in a petty fashion; make trifling objections
93
verbose
adj. wordy
94
philistine
n. a narrow-minded person with no interest in the arts
95
retrench
v. to reduce, esp. expenses
96
discord
n. conflict or disagreement
| adj. discordant
97
dormant
adj. inactive, but capable of being active
| n. dormancy
98
venomous
adj. malignant; spiteful; secreting poison
99
facsimile
n. an exact copy
100
pungent
adj. sharp to the smell or taste
101
encompass
v. to surround; to include
102
rectify
v. to set right; to correct
103
fop
n. a man who is preoccupied with his clothes and manners
| adj. foppish
104
propound
v. to suggest for consideration; to propose
105
scrupulous
adj. conscientious and exact; having principles
106
keen
adj. having a sharp edge; perceptive
107
hodgepodge
n. mixture; combination
108
quaff
v. to drink quickly or with enthusiasm
109
accelerate
v. to increase speed
110
evince
v. to give outward evidence of; to display clearly
111
admonish
v. to warm so a fault can be corrected or a danger avoided
| n. admonition
112
augment
v. to make greater, in size, extent, or quantity
| n. augmentation
113
aggravate
to worsen
114
modicum
n. a small quantity
115
bombast
n. pompous speech, adj. bombastic
116
encore
n. again, once more; a second performance; an audience's call for a second performance
117
veneer
n. an attractive, ultimately misleading outward show; thin layer
118
sacrosanct
adj. very sacred, holy, or inviolable
119
prolix
adj. wordy and tedious
120
balm
n. anything healing or soothing
121
hymn
n. a religious song; a song of praise
122
impetus
n. an impelling or originating force
123
eponym
n. a person after whom a place, people, disease, etc. is named
adj. eponymous
124
ravenous
adj. very hungry
125
trivial
adj. of little worth or importance
| n. triviality
126
suave
adj. effortlessly smooth and courteous in social situations
127
tenure
n. holding or possession of an office or property; guaranteed permanent employment, esp. as a teacher
128
traverse
v. to travel over or through
129
supplicate
v. to request with great humility, as though by praying
| n. supplication
130
tendentious
adj. having a bias; favoring a cause (usually in print)
131
felicitous
adj. well chosen; appropriate
| n. felicity
132
philology
n. literary study, esp. as it involves the editing of texts and history of languages
n. philologist
133
propriety
n. good manners; proper behavior
134
whet
v. to sharpen; to make keen
135
prognosis
n. the anticipated progress of recovery
136
cursory
adj. superficially done; performed rapidly
137
miasma
n. a noxious or poisonous atmosphere
138
mot juste
n. exactly the right word or expression
139
unconscionable
adj. beyond reason; not restrained by sonscience
140
welter
n. a confused mass or jumble
141
quizzical
adj. puzzled, questioning
142
appall
v. to horrify
| adj. appalling
143
flounder
v. to proceed with clumsiness and confusion
144
procrustean
adj. showing merciless disregard for individual differences or special circumstances
145
cacophony
n. a harsh, jarring sound
| adj. cacophonous
146
transient
adj. passing with time; remaining only briefly
| n. transience
147
carp
v. to complain; to seek fault, esp. over unimportant matters
148
synopsis
n. a short summary that outlines the main points of something
pl. synopses
149
brandish
v. to shake or wave, as of a weapon; to show threateningly
150
ample
adj. enough, or more than enough; plentiful
151
escapade
n. a reckless adventure
152
chicanery
n. deception by trickery
153
miser
n. a greedy person who hoards money, even at the expense of personal discomfort
adj. miserly
154
assuage
v. to lessen pain or distress
155
prim
adj. overly proper; precise to the point of affectation; prudish
156
valro
n. marked courage or bravery
| adj. valorous
157
serendipity
n. unexpected gift or discovery
| adj. serendipitous
158
prostrate
adj. lying face down, esp. as a sign of humility or worship; physically or emotional exhausted
n. prostration
159
volition
n. a conscious choice or decision
160
abstemious
adj. moderate, esp. in eating and drinking
161
meretricious
adj. attracting attention in a vulgar way
162
tortuous
adj. winding, twisted
163
subsist
v. to maintain life
| n. subsistence
164
timbre
n. the distinguishing quality of a soundf
165
cavalcade
n. an order of events; a procession
166
virtuoso
n. one with great skill, esp. in music or the arts
167
vehement
adj. forceful; furious
| n. vehemence
168
compunction
n. a feeling of uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt
169
stymie
v. to obstruct; to stump
170
derogatory
adj. belittling; tending to diminish
171
tarry
v. to delay; to linger
172
repast
n. a meal
173
impeccable
adj. flawless
174
sprightly
adj. lively; animated; energetic
175
bustle
n. energetic, often noisy, activity; a stir; v. to move about energetically
176
medium
n. a method or way of expressing something
177
dexterous
adj. skillful with the hands or mind
| n. dexterity
178
wry
adj. dryly humorous, with a touch of irony
179
anterior
adj. placed before or in front; earlier
180
glower
v. to frown; to glare with anger
181
consternation
n. a sudden feeling of anxiety, shock, or confusion
182
rescind
v. to take back or cancel
183
callow
adj. inexperienced; not developed; immature
184
apocryphal
adj. probably untrue or fake; of questionable authorship
185
abject
adj. of the lowest degree; brought low in condition
186
soporific
adj. promoting sleep
187
malapropism
n. a ridiculous misuse of words
| adj. malapropos
188
pretext
n. an excuse; a strategy intended to conceal something
189
enunciation
n. clear pronunciation; articulation
| v. enunciate
190
steadfast
adj. loyal; faitthful
191
winsome
adj. charming, esp. in a childlike or innocent way
192
sequester
v. to move or set apart; to quarantine
| n. sequestration
193
exhort
v. to urge strongly
| n. exhortation
194
baroque
adj. fantastically over-decorated; gaudily ornate
195
plucky
adj. showing courage in unfavorable circumstances
196
nemesis
n. one who inflicts justified or great punishment; a source of harm or ruin
197
uproarious
adj.. extremely funny
198
decipher
v. to read or interpret something confusing or illegible; to convert from a code
199
seemly
adj. proper or fitting with respect to established customs
200
trepidation
n. strong fear of dread marked by trembling or hesitancy
