Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Vocabulary(Conversational I) > Literary Vocab > Flashcards

Literary Vocab Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Vocab Builder flashcards
1
Q

Esurient (edacious)
Ex: Lowest of all are those whose esurient vanity, acting on a frivolous levity of mind, urges them to make Literature a plaything for display.
2:

A
  1. extremely hungry
  2. often followed by `for’) ardently or excessively desirous
  3. devouring or craving food in great quantities
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Dionysian (related to Dionysus)
Ex 1: “dark, grand Dionysian music”

A
  1. relating to the sensual, spontaneous, and emotional aspects of human nature.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Diabolical

A

Syn-fiendish

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Seraphic

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Coruscate

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Glade

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Smug
1: “a smug glow of self-congratulation”

A

marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Swivet

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

opulent(ce)

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

pallor

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Auriferous

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Beguiled

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Vitreous

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Gloaming / gloam
“hundreds of lights are already shimmering in the gloaming”

A

twilight; dusk.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Nebulous
Ex 1- “a giant nebulous glow”
Ex 2- “nebulous concepts like quality of life”

A

1- in the form of a cloud or haze; hazy.
2- “nebulous concepts like quality of life”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Salubrious
Ex 1- “odors of far less salubrious origin”
Ex 2- “an over-priced flat in a none too salubrious area”

A

1- health-giving; healthy.
2- (of a place) pleasant; not run-down.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Minerva

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Candelabrum

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

quotidian
Ex 1- “the car sped noisily off through the quotidian traffic”
Ex 2- “his story is an achingly human one, mired in quotidian details”

A

1 - of or occurring every day; daily.
2- ordinary or everyday; mundane.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

iridescent

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Heartsease

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

irenic

A

aiming or aimed at peace.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Cadence

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

requiem

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q
  • procellous
    Ex: the dangers of that procellous sea
A

stormy, as the sea

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

lugubrious

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

ravished
Ex 1: “ravished by a sunny afternoon, she had agreed without even thinking”
Ex 2: “there is no assurance that her infant child will not be ravished from her breast”

A

1 : fill (someone) with intense delight; enrapture.
2: seize and carry off (someone) by force.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

cleave
Ex 1:”they watched a coot cleave the smooth water”
Ex 2:”the large axe his father used to cleave wood for the fire”

A

1: make a way through (something) forcefully, as if by splitting it apart.
2: split or sever (something), especially along a natural line or grain.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

woebegone
Ex 1:”don’t look so woebegone, Joanna”

A

1:

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Sylvan
ex 1: “a shady sylvan glade”

A

1: covered with growing trees and bushes etc ; wooded

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Pollyanna (Pollyannaish)
Ex 1:”what I am saying makes me sound like some ageing Pollyanna who just wants to pretend that all is sweetness and light”

A

1: Excessively optimistic and cheerful

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Pollyanna (Pollyannaish)
Ex 1:”what I am saying makes me sound like some ageing Pollyanna who just wants to pretend that all is sweetness and light”

A

1: Excessively optimistic and cheerful

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

unravished
1: “Thou unravish’d bride of quietness”

A

1: pure and silent, not exposed to the harshness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

woodland
1:

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

limpid
Ex 1: “the limpid waters of the Caribbean”
Ex 2: “the limpid grey eyes gazed trustfully at her”
Ex 3:”the limpid notes of a recorder”

A

1: (of a liquid) completely clear and transparent.
2:(of a person’s eyes) unclouded; clear.
3: (especially of writing or music) clear and accessible or melodious.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

orphic
Ex 1:As Jeffrey ambles around in this Twilight Zone haze, he encounters other enigmatic characters, particularly an orphic monk who serves as a counselor to the dearly befrozen.

A

1- having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

Arcady

A

1: an ideal rustic paradise.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

overwrought

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

morn

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

savaged

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

eglantine (sweet briar)

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

hearken

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

trepidation

A

1: a feeling of fear or anxiety about something that may happen.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

histrionic (noun/adj)
Ex 1: “a histrionic outburst”
Ex 2: John’s histrionics were known to all.

A
  1. excessively theatrical or dramatic in character or style.
  2. melodramatic behaviour designed to attract attention.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

Lovelorn (jitted)
“a lovelorn teenager”

A
  1. unhappy because of unrequited love.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

Mellisonant

A

Pleasant to the ear

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

peripatetic

A

1: itinerant/ vagabond

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

legerdemain
Ex 1- India’s corrupted system’s legerdemain

A

deception

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

quixotic

A

Extremely idealistic; unpragmatic and overly romantic

50
Q

persiflage
Ex: an air of international persiflage in UN.

A

light and slightly contemptuous mockery or banter.

51
Q

*Ataraxy (ic)
Ex 1: The highest goal of an Epicurean disciple was ataraxia—tranquility of mind

A

calmness untroubled by mental or emotional disquiet

52
Q

bucolic
Ex 1: “the church is lovely for its bucolic setting”

A
  1. relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life.
53
Q

Solipsistic
Ex 1: Played by a ferocious cast of nonactors, the dead-end adolescent rebels in Kids are like a wolf pack of baby sociopaths, leaping from one solipsistic sensation to the next.

A

a theory holding that the self can know nothing but its own modifications and that the self is the only existent thing

54
Q

*supine
Ex 1: “they remained supine in the face of terrible wrongdoing”
Ex 2:

A

1: failing to act or protest as a result of moral weakness or indolence.
2: (of a person) lying face upwards.

55
Q

numinous
Ex 1: “the strange, numinous beauty of this ancient landmark”

A

having a strong religious or spiritual quality; indicating or suggesting the presence of a divinity.

56
Q

*diaphanous
Ex 1: “a diaphanous dress of pale gold”

A

light, delicate and translucent

57
Q

Nefelibata (Portuguese)

A

means to think and live outside of preconceived boxes, to be true to your heart, and to follow your own path

58
Q

*Draconian
Ex 1: Draconian Nazi laws

A

(of laws or their application) excessively harsh and severe.

59
Q

Miasma
Ex 1: “a miasma of stale alcohol hung around him”
Ex 2: “there was a miasma of despair over this place”

A

1: an unpleasant or unhealthy smell or vapor.
2: an unpleasant/negative environment

60
Q

** Supernal
Ex 1:supernal melodies
Ex 2: supernal trumpet playing

A

1: ethereal (coming from on high or in the sky)
2: superlatively good

61
Q

Aesthete (etym.- aesthetic)
Ex 1: “Paris became home to a heady mix of radical thinkers, artists, and aesthetes from all corners of the globe”

A

Connoisseur ;
a person who is appreciative of and sensitive to art and beauty

62
Q

hiraeth (Welsh)
“I could not begin to put into words the hiraeth that the Welsh feel for the mountains and valleys of their homeland”

A

(especially in the context of Wales or Welsh culture) deep longing for something, especially one’s home.

63
Q

**incantatory
Ex: What holds the novel together as much as its driving plot are its incantatory atmosphere and spellbinding language.

A

relating to or having the characteristics of an incantation

64
Q

*Aglow
Ex : aglow with health

A

glowing.

65
Q

Aplomb
Ex 1: “Diana passed the test with aplomb”

A

self-confidence or assurance, especially when in a demanding situation.

66
Q

** oenomel
Ex 1: memories to my thinking make a better oenomel

A

1: an ancient Greek beverage of wine and honey
2: memories to my thinking make a better oenomel

67
Q

limpet
Ex 2: “the couples on the floor were clinging to each other like limpets”

A

1: a marine mollusc which has a shallow conical shell and a broad muscular foot, found clinging tightly to rocks.
2: used in comparisons to refer to people and things that cling tightly.

68
Q

limpet
Ex 2: “the couples on the floor were clinging to each other like limpets”

A

1: a marine mollusc which has a shallow conical shell and a broad muscular foot, found clinging tightly to rocks.
2: used in comparisons to refer to people and things that cling tightly.

69
Q

vesper
1. evening prayer
2. the time at which prayer takes place; twilight

A

The vesper service at Belur Math

70
Q

repertoire [something repeated regularly]
1.

A
71
Q

eddy
1. (of water, air, or smoke) move in a circular way.

A

“the mists from the river eddied round the banks”

72
Q

fusty
1. smelling stale, damp, or stuffy.
2.old-fashioned in attitude or style.

A

Ex 1- “the fusty odor of decay”
Ex 2- “grammar in the classroom became a fusty notion”

73
Q

baleful
Ex 1- “Bill shot a baleful glance in her direction”
Ex 2- “the baleful influence of Rasputin”

A
  1. threatening harm; menacing.
  2. having a harmful or destructive effect.
74
Q

lugubrious
Ex 1- He had the lugubrious face of one who simply refuses to be consoled.

A
  1. excessively mournful
75
Q

mantic [sibylline, vatic ]
Ex 1- “mantic powers”

A
  1. resembling or characteristic of a prophet or prophecy
76
Q

bravura
Ex 1- “in a final bravura the ballerina appeared to be floating in water”

A
  1. brilliant and showy technical skill
77
Q

panoply
1. a complete and impressive array

A

Ex - Theresa came home to find Helen lost in a panoply of analytical tools, all laid out on the kitchen table

78
Q

extant
Ex 1- “That was one of only five extant copies!” he moaned.

A
  1. still in existence; not extinct or destroyed or lost
79
Q

bedizen
Ex 1- “a uniform bedizened with resplendent medals”

A

dress up or decorate gaudily.

80
Q

docile [subservient]
ready to accept control or instruction.

A

“a cheap and docile workforce”

81
Q

predatory [ravening]
Ex 1- “predatory birds”
Ex 2- “new laws have been passed designed to crack down on predatory lenders”

A
  1. (of an animal) preying naturally on others.
  2. seeking to exploit others.
82
Q

pellucid
1. “a pellucid brook”
2. “pellucid prose”
3. “mountains reflected in the pellucid waters”
4.”his pellucid singing tone”

A
  1. transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity
  2. (of language) transparently clear; easily understandable
  3. translucently clear.
    4.(of music or other sound) clear and pure in tone.
83
Q

aureate (gilded)
1. “long aureate (or golden) hair”
2.

A
  1. elaborately or excessively ornamented
  2. having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
84
Q

bovine
Ex 1: “showed a bovine apathy”

A
  1. dull and slow-moving and stolid; like an ox
85
Q

gilded [aureate, meretricious,
Ex 1- “gilded icons”
Ex 2- “gilded dining rooms”
Ex 3- “the gilded and perfumed but inwardly rotten nobility”

A

1 made from or covered with gold
2. rich and superior in quality
3. based on pretense; deceptively pleasing

86
Q

carping
Ex 1- Three years had passed since Bradbury had offered an almost identical defense to the AEC’s Colonel Fields, but Teller had never ceased carping about Los Alamos.

A
  1. persistent petty and unjustified criticism
87
Q

halcyon

A
  1. idyllically calm and peaceful; suggesting happy tranquillity
  2. marked by peace and prosperity
88
Q

saturnine
1. “”the face was saturnine and swarthy, and the sensual lips…twisted with disdain”- Oscar Wilde”
2.“”a saturnine, almost misanthropic young genius”- Bruce Bliven”

A
  1. bitter or scornful
  2. showing a brooding ill humor
89
Q

repine [mope]
“you mustn’t let yourself repine”

A

feel or express discontent; fret.

90
Q

dross

A
91
Q

carouse

A
92
Q

senescence

A
93
Q

gerontic

A
  1. The researchers were investigating gerontic cognitive changes.
94
Q

*pallid (wan)

Ex 1:”his face, with its wrinkled, pallid complexion”
Ex 3:”a pallid ray of winter sun”
Ex 2:“a pallid sky”

A
  1. (of a person’s face) pale, typically because of poor health.
  2. (of light) dim or feeble
    3.lacking vigour or intensity; insipid.
95
Q

gird

A
  1. encircle (a person or part of the body) with a belt or band.
  2. surround; encircle.
  3. prepare oneself for something difficult or challenging.
96
Q

*laudatory
Ex 1:”enthusiastic and laudatory articles”

A
  1. (of speech or writing) expressing praise and commendation.
97
Q

gore
EX 1: “the film omitted the blood and gore in order to avoid controversy”

A
  1. blood after violence
98
Q

blight
Ex 1- His arrival cast a blight on the wedding day.

A
  1. something that spoils or has a very bad effect on something, often for a long time
99
Q

ire

A

anger

100
Q

*limning
Ex 1- This would surely reveal something about slavery in New York, even if limning its brutal nature might seem crude.

A
  1. a drawing of the outlines of forms or objects
101
Q

slighted
Ex 1: She was miffed at the lack of a written invitation, clearly feeling herself the slighted party.
Ex 2:treated as unimportant; given insufficient attention, value, or effort:

A
  1. treated with indifference, especially pointedly or contemptuously; snubbed
  2. treated as unimportant; given insufficient attention, value, or effort
102
Q

vaunted
Ex 1- “they have utterly eclipsed their vaunted American rivals”

A
  1. praised or boasted about, especially in an excessive way.
103
Q

pinion
Ex 1- “he was pinioned to the ground”
Ex 2- “I struggled to rise but my arms were pinioned”

A
  1. restrain or immobilize (someone) by tying up or holding their arms or legs.
  2. tie up or hold (the arms or legs) of a person.
    3.
104
Q

tarry
Ex 1- “she could tarry a bit and not get home until four”

A
  1. stay longer than intended; delay leaving a place.
105
Q

eventide
Ex 1- “the moonflower opens its white flowers at eventide”

A
  1. the end of the day; evening.
106
Q

sinuous
Ex 1- “the river follows a sinuous trail through the dale”
Ex 2- “the sinuous grace of a cat”

A
  1. having many curves and turns.
  2. lithe and supple.
107
Q

canniest [canny]
Ex 1- But he was strong, and canny with his pennies: somehow he saved up enough for a cow — Our Cow. not six years old, and strong enough to plow.

A
  1. showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others especially about business and money matters
108
Q

gritty
Ex 1- “a typically gritty performance by the British player”
Ex 2- “a gritty look at urban life”

A
  1. showing courage and resolve.
  2. showing something unpleasant as it really is; uncompromising.
109
Q

uncanny [preternatural]
Ex 1- Hall’s instincts were uncanny: it appeared that he had timed our attempt perfectly.
He had an uncanny knowledge of wildlife and was not afraid of dogs or cats or beetles or moths, or of foods like scrod or tripe.
Ex 2- “”stumps…had uncanny shapes as of monstrous creatures”- John Galsworthy”

A

1- surpassing the ordinary or normal; extraordinary
2- suggesting the operation of supernatural influences

110
Q

paean
Ex 1- “a paean of praise for the great poets”
Ex 2- “he’s created a filmic paean to his hero”

A
  1. a song of praise or triumph.
  2. a creative work expressing enthusiastic praise.
111
Q

lull
Ex 1- “the rhythm of the boat lulled her to sleep”
Ex 2- “the rarity of earthquakes there has lulled people into a false sense of security”
Ex 3- “conversation lulled for an hour”
Ex 4- “for two days there had been a lull in the fighting”

A
  1. calm or send to sleep, typically with soothing sounds or movements.
  2. make (someone) feel deceptively secure or confident.
  3. (of noise or a storm) abate or fall quiet.
  4. a temporary interval of quiet or lack of activity.
112
Q

ephemera
Ex 1-“there were papers, letters, old boxes—all sorts of ephemera”
Ex 2- “Mickey Mouse ephemera”

A
  1. things that exist or are used or enjoyed for only a short time.
  2. collectable items that were originally expected to have only short-term usefulness or popularity.
113
Q

epistolary
Ex 1- “an epistolary novel”

A
  1. (of a literary work) in the form of letters.
  2. relating to the writing of letters.
114
Q

fugacious
1. tending to disappear; fleeting.

A

“she was acutely conscious of her fugacious youth”

115
Q

transfigure

A
116
Q

nestle
Ex 1- “the baby nestled in her arms”
Ex 2- “picturesque villages nestle in the wooded hills”

A
  1. settle or lie comfortably within or against something.
  2. (of a place) be situated in a half-hidden or sheltered position.
117
Q

misanthropic
Ex 1- “a misanthropic drunken loner”

A

1.having or showing a dislike of other people; unsociable.

118
Q

archetypal
Ex 1- An archetypal mathematician

A
  1. very typical of a certain kind of person or thing.
119
Q

parlous
“a parlous journey on stormy seas”

A

fraught with danger

120
Q

sacrosanct
Ex - With its purification rituals and its imperial roots, sumo is sacrosanct in a way that American sports will never be.

A
  1. treated as if holy and kept free from violation or criticism; very sacred
121
Q

forlorn

A

1.

122
Q
A

Vocabulary(Conversational I) (3 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions