Magoosh Basic Words 1 and 2 and 3 Flashcards
erratic
weird, strange, unconventional
e.g. “the teacher’s erratic moods have a bad effect on the children”
Synonyms: bizarre, eccentric, aberrant, capricious
dupe
deceive; trick
e.g. “She speaks not only for her constituents but for the many people who may have been duped by such schemes.”
Synonyms: hoodwink, gull, mislead, defraud, swindle
serendipity
good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries
e.g. “Sometimes we stay in luxurious hotels, but often we’ll take a chance on serendipity and go somewhere simple.”
Synonyms: fortuitous, providence (means divine care or guidance)
embroiled
involve (someone) deeply in an argument, conflict, or difficult situation.
e.g. “By night he was embroiled in the drawn-out takeover talks.”
Synonyms: entangle, ensnare
demure
reserved, modest, and shy
e.g. “An unassuming town and its equally demure offspring have served one another well.”
Synonyms: reticent, timid, timorous
pinnacle
the most successful point; the culmination
e.g. “Although he reached the pinnacle of success, he was unspoilt by it.”
Synonyms: culminate, crescendo, apex, zenith
acme
the point at which something is at its best or most highly developed.
e.g. “His work is considered the acme of cinematic art.”
Synonyms: pinnacle, apex, zenith
remiss
lacking care or attention to duty; negligent.
e.g. “it would be very remiss of me not to pass on that information”
Synonyms: negligent, neglectful, slipshod, heedless
dog
to pursue relentlessly; to hound
Synonyms: hound
indignant
feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment.
e.g. “He was indignant that we would even suggest that he was dirty.”
Synonyms: livid, irate, resentful, scornful
macabre
disturbing because concerned with or causing a fear of death.
e.g. “This novel is a macabre tale of a mad scientist who creates animal-human hybrids”
Synonyms: gruesome, morbid, grim, grotesque
tirade
a long, angry speech of criticism
e.g. “the receptionist was subject to a tirade of abuse from the angry customer”
Synonyms: harangue, diatribe, polemic, berate
thrifty
using money and other resources carefully
e.g. “Motorists are thriftily running their old cars for longer before replacing them.”
Synonyms: frugal, parsimonious
inflammatory
(especially of speech or writing) arousing or intended to arouse angry or violent feelings.
e.g. “She suggested that the councillor should step down as his remarks were clearly inflammatory.”
Synonyms: incendiary, incense
diabolical
extremely wicked, devilish
e.g. “Any man who deliberately commits any injury to a submarine is guilty of a most diabolical act.”
Synonyms: evil, fiendish, satanic
vindictive
having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge.
e.g. “The state has proved how nasty and vindictive it can be over all this.”
Synonyms: vengeful, revenge
spendthrift
a person who spends money in an extravagant, irresponsible way.
e.g. “He struggled to support a large family that included his spendthrift father.”
Synonyms: profligate, prodigal, extravagant
telling
revealing
e.g. “Her experience is a telling example of why the nation’s educational system needs to be changed.”
Synonyms: revealing, cogent, convincing
voracious
engaging in an activity with great eagerness or enthusiasm.
e.g. “He’s a voracious reader of historical novels”
Synonyms: avid, excited, eager, enthusiastic, ardent
err
be mistaken or incorrect; make a mistake.
e.g. “The court erred in refusing to allow bail.”
Synonyms: error, blunder
amiable
having or displaying a friendly and pleasant manner.
e.g. “He was amiable and kind-hearted, and greatly liked by his neighbours”
Synonyms: cordial, friendly, amicable
retiring
to be inclined to retract from company
e.g. “Those retiring have worked hard for many years to reach the retirement age and are ready to have time to relax and enjoy their golden years.”
Synonyms: departing
tender
to offer up something formally (like “legal tender”)
e.g. He took his wallet from his inside coat pocket and tendered the permit.
affluent
(especially of a group or area) having a great deal of money; wealthy.
e.g. “The programme showed the sort of affluent lifestyle most of us can only aspire to”
Synonyms: wealth, opulent, plutocratic
thoroughgoing
involving or attending to every detail or aspect of something.
e.g. “The damage in question seems to have occasioned a thoroughgoing attempt at textual restoration on the part of an ambitious redactor.”
Synonyms: meticulous, thorough
profuse
(especially of something offered or discharged) very plentiful; abundant.
e.g. “Profusely sweating and quivering with chills, he murmured his last words.”
Synonyms: copious, prolific, abundant, ample, extravagant, lavish
censor
to remove objectionable material
e.g. “The censor demanded that the scene be written out.”
Synonyms: cut, delete, redact, expurgate
indict
formally accuse of or charge with a crime.
e.g. “He was later indicted on corruption charges.”
Synonyms: accuse, prosecute, incriminate, blame, impeach
summit
- a meeting of high-level leaders
e.g. “Chris led us over Burnt Edge and Adam Hill towards the summit of Winter Hill.” - the highest point (similar to apex, zenith, crescendo, etc.)
variance
the fact or quality of being different
e.g. “We noticed a slight variance between the quality of the samples.”
Synonyms: difference, variation, discrepancy, dissimilarity
candid
straightforward, honest
e.g. “His responses were remarkably candid”
Synonyms: frank, outspoken, forthright, blunt, open, honest
mesmerize
capture the complete attention of (someone); transfix
e.g. “they were mesmerized by charm and wit”
Synonyms: spellbind, enchant, hypnotize, enthrall
stipend
a regular allowance
e.g. “It had been a shock when he realized just how small in real terms his stipend would be as a country parson.”
Synonyms: allowance, fee, gratuity, pension
unnerve
make (someone) lose courage or confidence
e.g. “Seeing the police in there unnerved me.”
Synonyms: demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, deject, daunt, perturb
miser
a person who hoards wealth and spends as little money as possible
e.g. “a typical miser, he hid his money in the house in various places”
Synonyms: cheapskate, harpy, hoarder, moneygrubber
underwrite
to provide financial support
e.g. “The council had agreed to underwrite the costs of repair work.”
Synonyms: fund, finance, subsidize, capitalize, endow
zenith
the time at which something is most powerful or successful
e.g. “These years mark the zenith of Athenian greatness.”
Synonyms: culmination, apex, crescendo, summit
affable
friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to
e.g. “I admired his affable charm and winning smile”
Synonyms: gregarious, amiable, genial, congenial, friendly
bleak
having a gloomy outlook
e.g. “The immediate outlook remains bleak.”
Synonyms: bare, exposed, desolate, stark, arid, desert, denuded, lunar
telltale
revealing, indicating, or betraying something.
e.g. “The telltale sound of the fridge being opened could be heard from the next room”
Synonyms: telling, revealing, betray
screed
- A long speech or piece of writing, typically one regarded as tedious
- an abusive rant
e.g. “Her criticism appeared in the form of screeds in a local film magazine”
reprobate
an unprincipled, immoral person
e.g. “Feeling every bit the reprobate she let herself into the flat.”
Synonyms: rogue, rascal, scoundrel
indigenous
originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native
e.g. “The indigenous plants include a rare form of fern, found nowhere else in the world”
Synonyms: native, endemic, local, domestic
slapdash
done too hurriedly and carelessly
e.g. “the company’s slapdash approach to data security caused problems”
Synonyms: haphazard, hasty
demean
cause a severe loss in the dignity of and respect for (someone or something)
e.g. “He plays a struggling immigrant who is forced to demean himself with a series of bread line jobs.”
Synonyms: degrading, humiliating, shaming, shameful
pine
miss or long for; yearn for
e.g. “He still pined for his lost love.”
Synonyms: yearn
peruse
read (something), typically thoroughly or carefully.
e.g. “he has spent countless hours in libraries perusing art history books and catalogues”
Synonyms: analyze, browse, inspect, skim
insolvent
unable to pay debts owed
e.g. “The company was unable to pay its debts and was declared insolvent.”
Synonyms: bankrupt
hound
to pursue relentlessly
Synonyms: dog
inundate
overwhelm (someone) with things or people to be dealt with.
e.g. “we’ve been inundated with complaints from listeners”
Synonyms: overwhelm, overpower, overburden, overrun, overload, swamp
desecrate
treat (a sacred place or thing) with violent disrespect.
e.g. “She shouldn’t have desecrated the picture of a religious leader.”
Synonyms: defile, dishonor, pervert, pillage, profane, ravage
catalyst
a person or thing that precipitates/speeds up an event.
e.g. “the prime minister’s speech acted as a catalyst for debate”
Synonyms: impetus, stimulus, fuel, tool, trigger
hodgepodge
a confused mixture; a hotchpotch
e.g. “I would like him to tell me for which of the ingredients of this hodgepodge he was responsible.”
Synonyms: jumble, ragbag, hotchpotch
bellicose
demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight.
e.g. “At the time, the government was very bellicose about a military campaign.”
Synonyms: belligerent, aggressive, hostile, threatening, antagonistic, pugnacious, truculent, confrontational, argumentative, quarrelsome, disputatious
corroborate
confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding)
e.g. “I had access to a wide range of documents which corroborated the story.”
Synonyms: Confirm, verify, endorse, ratify, authenticate, validate, certify, support, back up, back, uphold, stand by, attest to, testify to, vouch for, give credence to
sanguine
cheerful, optimistic or positive
e.g. “he is sanguine about prospects for the global economy”
Synonyms: Optimistic, bullish, hopeful, buoyant, positive, confident.
immaterial
e.g. unimportant under the circumstances; irrelevant
Synonyms: unimportant, inconsequential, extraneous, impertinent (this word also means irrelevant in another of its meanings)
wax
increase in size or intensity
e.g. “As the moon grows towards fullness, it waxes.”
contrite
feeling or expressing remorse at the recognition that one has done wrong.
e.g. “She was contrite the morning after her angry outburst.”
Synonyms: remorseful, repentant, chastened, apologetic
melee
a confused fight or scuffle
e.g. “He described two fights within the extended melee outside the nightclub.”
Synonyms: Tumult, disturbance, rumpus, commotion, disorder, brawl, fracas.
misanthrope
a person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.
e.g. “In his judgments of mankind he often talked as a misanthrope.”
Synonyms: cynic
virago
a domineering, violent, or bad-tempered woman.
e.g. “The inanimate and delicate beauty then changed into a stormy virago.”
Synonyms: beldame, fishwife (this is a slang word)
replete
filled or well-supplied with something.
e.g. “The country’s history is replete with stories of people who became successful by working hard.”
Synonyms: filled, well-stocked
extenuating
(of a factor or situation) serving to lessen the seriousness of an offence
e.g. “He was unable to say anything that might have extenuated his behavior.”
Synonyms: Justifying, lessening, mitigating, moderating, palliating
pugnacious
eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight
e.g. “He had a walking stick and his whole manner was so pugnacious and focused.”
Synonyms: belligerent, aggressive, hostile, threatening, antagonistic, bellicose, truculent, confrontational, argumentative, quarrelsome, disputatious
apex
the highest point
e.g. “At the apex of the pyramid came the doge and his council.”
Synonyms: summit, zenith, crescendo, culmination
aboveboard
legitimate, honest, and open
e.g. “The committee tried to be fair and aboveboard in its hiring.”
Synonyms: candid, forthright
sanctimonious
false piety
e.g. “I do not blame the miners for not wanting a lecture from him, or not wishing to have a sanctimonious letter from him.”
Synonyms: insincere, self-righteous, churchy
pittance
a very small or inadequate amount of money
e.g. “These workers are paid a pittance for doing vital work in hospitals.”
becoming
suitable or appropriate.
e.g. “do not talk too much to your cousins, it’s not becoming”
Synonyms: germane, befitting, conforming
badger
repeatedly ask (someone) to do something; pester
e.g. “She badgered her doctor time and again, pleading with him to do something.”
Synonyms: pester, harass, bother, plague, torment, hound, nag.
cardinal
of the greatest importance; fundamental.
e.g. “This I regard as being a point of cardinal importance in the present case.”
Synonyms: Fundamental, basic, main, chief, primary.
errant
travelling in search of adventure; wandering
e.g. “The hiker found himself in an errant path, far from the designated trail.”
Synonyms: wandering, itinerant, roaming
amok
in a frenzied state
e.g. “The soldiers ran amok after one of their senior officers was killed.”
Synonyms: Frantically, wild, wildly, uncontrollably, frenziedly, frenetically, hectically, berserk.
preemptive
done before someone else can do it
e.g. “Hitting him was more of a preemptive strike than anything.”
Synonyms: deterrent, precautionary
beatific
feeling or expressing blissful happiness
e.g. “I smile one of my beatific smiles throughout, and leave happy.”
Synonyms: joyful, ecstatic, seraphic, blissful, serene, sanguine.
imponderable
a factor that is difficult or impossible to estimate or assess.
e.g. “there are too many imponderables for an overall prediction”
Synonyms: intangible
junta
a military or political group that rules a country after taking power by force.
e.g. “A military junta seized power and established Iraq as a republic.”
Synonyms: faction, government, cabal
heyday
the period of a person’s or thing’s greatest success, popularity, activity, or vigour
e.g. “Each track sounds like it comes from Motown Records in its ’70s heyday.”
Synonyms: prime, peak, pinnacle, culmination
start
a sudden movement of surprise or alarm
e.g. “she awoke with a start”
Synonyms: jerk, twitch, flinch, wince
scintillating
brilliantly and excitingly clever or skillful
e.g. “the team produced a scintillating second-half performance”
Synonyms: ebullient, sanguine, cheerful
checkered
marked by periods of varied fortune or unfortunate incidents.
e.g. “He has had a checkered career with many ups and downs.”
Synonyms: varied, erratic, fluctuating, unpredictable, capricious
paucity
lack of; the presence of something in only small or insufficient quantities
e.g. “He bemoans the shortage of trained music teachers and a paucity of school music lessons.”
Synonyms: scarcity, sparseness, sparsity, dearth, shortage.
raft
a large number of something
e.g. “a raft of new policy promises”
Synonyms: loads, slew, dozen, ton, plenty, bunch, pile
avarice/avaricious
having or showing an extreme greed for wealth or material gain
e.g. “Early poverty left her with an avaricious streak and occasionally greed has cost her.”
Synonyms: rapacious, mercenary, greedy, covetous, miserly
check
stop or slow the progress of (something, typically something undesirable)
e.g. “efforts were made to check the disease”
Synonyms: Halt, stop, arrest, bar, obstruct, hamper, impede, inhibit.
lassitude
a state of physical or mental weariness; lack of energy.
e.g. “she was overcome by lassitude and retired to bed”
Synonyms: lethargy, torpor, sluggish
cogent
(of an argument or case) clear, logical, and convincing.
e.g. “I am grateful to them for their clear, cogent, and candid submissions.”
Synonyms: convincing, compelling, strong, forceful, powerful, potent.
chauvinist
a person displaying excessive or prejudiced support for their own cause or group
e.g. “The male chauvinist attitude of some people in the company could get you down.”
Synonyms: jingoist
unconscionable
not right or reasonable.
e.g. “shareholders have had to wait an unconscionable time for the facts to be established”
Synonyms: Unethical, amoral, immoral, unprincipled, indefensible, wrong, depraved.
exhort
strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something.
e.g. “He exhorted his people to take back their land.”
Synonyms: Urge, encourage, call on, enjoin, adjure, charge, incite
ferret
to search for something
e.g. “I could show you how to ferret for rabbits”
Synonyms: rummage, extract
fleece
to deprive of money or belongings by fraud, hoax, or the like
e.g. “He fleeced the stranger of several dollars.”
Synonyms: swindle, deceive, dupe
moment
important/signficant
e.g. “at this moment in time, there’s no way to tell”
Synonyms: Importance, import, significance, consequence, substance.
cadaverous
very pale, thin, or bony.
e.g. “We saw a cadaverous heroin addict sitting in the park.”
Synonyms: emaciated, gaunt
vicarious
experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person.
e.g. “This catalogue brings vicarious pleasure in luxury living”
Synonyms: Indirect, second-hand, secondary, derivative, derived, surrogate
stem
to hold back or limit the flow or growth of something
disparate
essentially different in kind
e.g. “He saw too how the disparate elements of travel might be packaged.”
Synonyms: Contrasting, different, differing, dissimilar.
animosity
strong hostility
e.g. “Cynics argue that the space race was merely an expression of cold-war animosity.”
Synonyms: antipathy, hostility, friction, antagonism, enmity, animus.
flush
(of money) plentiful.
e.g. “The successful car sale left him flush with cash.”
Synonyms: plentiful, abundant, copious, ample, profuse, prolific, glut
advocate
- (verb) support, argue in favor of
- (noun) a person who supports a cause
e.g. “he was an untiring advocate of economic reform”
Synonyms:
(verb) - recommend, prescribe, commend, advise, favor, approve of, support, back, uphold
(noun) - champion, upholder, supporter, backer, promoter, proponent, exponent, protector, patron
ascendancy
occupation of a position of dominant power or influence
e.g. “He sums up with thoughts on the ascendancy of the power of nature.”
Synonyms: dominance, domination, supremacy, superiority, predominance, pre-eminence, primacy, dominion, hegemony, authority.
proponent
a person who advocates a theory, proposal, or course of action
e.g. “Adam is a strong proponent of the free market and liberal trade policies”
Synonyms: advocate, supporter, upholder, exponent, promoter, adherent, endorser, champion
meander
to wander aimlessly; ramble
e.g. “His talk appears to meander but by the end focuses attention on the true state of affairs.”
Synonyms: Ramble, prattle, maunder, blather, blether, blither, rattle
muted
softened, subdued
e.g. “it seems the changes merely muted the symptoms rather than tackling the root problem”
Synonyms: restrain, soften, subdue, tone down, moderate, soft-pedal
resolve
a firm determination to do something
e.g. “She received information that strengthened her resolve”
Synonyms: perseverance, determination, willpower, steadfastness
consummate
- to make perfect and complete
e.g. “They were married for three months before the marriage was consummated.” - having or revealing strong mastery or skill
e.g. He plays the piano with consummate skill.
avid
to have a strong interest/enthusiasm
e.g. “She looked at me with avid interest, with those eyes so much like mine.”
Synonyms: voracious, keen, eager, enthusiastic, ardent, passionate, devoted, dedicated, fervent, fervid
elusive
difficult to remember
e.g. “the elusive thought he had moments before”
Synonyms: ambiguous, fleeting
pithy
to be full of meaning; concise
e.g. “Knox delivers his one pithy line of the scene.”
Synonyms: succinct, terse, concise, compact, short, condensed
boon
a thing that is helpful or beneficial
e.g. “The Internet has been a boon to small businesses”
Synonyms: blessing, godsend, bonus, good thing, benefit
flounder
- behave awkwardly
- struggle mentally; show or feel great confusion.
e.g. “He was floundering around in the pool like an amateur.”
Synonyms: struggle, thrash, thresh, flail
malleable
easily influenced; pliable
e.g. “They are as malleable and easily led as sheep”
Synonyms: suggestible, susceptible, impressionable, amenable, cooperative, adaptable, compliant, pliable, tractable
apprehension
anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen
e.g. “I picked up the phone with apprehension”
Synonyms: trepidation, premonition, perturbation, uneasiness, nervousness
malady
a disease or sickness
e.g. “He is suffering from the ordinary human malady of toothache”
Synonyms: illness, sickness, ailment, disorder
autonomously
with the freedom to act independently
e.g. “Plans for drones that could be directed autonomously present the military with a dilemma.”
Synonyms: freely, individually
deter
- prevent the occurrence of
- turn away from by persuasion
e.g. “Only a health problem would deter him from seeking re-election”
Synonyms:
incessant
never stopping, especially annoyingly or unpleasantly
e.g. “The incessant noise of insects in the jungle made it difficult to sleep”
Synonyms: ceaseless, unceasing, constant, continual, unabating, interminable
robust
strong and healthy; vigorous
e.g. “I need a robust plant that will withstand strong winds”
Synonyms: strong, vigorous, sturdy, tough, powerful
degrade
treat or regard (someone) with contempt or disrespect
e.g. “They degrade members of our community who provide us with services.”
Synonyms: demean, debase, cheapen, devalue.
patronize
to treat condescendingly
e.g. “He hated being patronized and pitied by those who didn’t believe his story.”
Synonyms: snub
impermeable
(of a substance) not allowing fluid to pass through
e.g. “There was an impermeable layer of clay a metre below ground level”
Synonyms: impervious, waterproof, impassable, hermetic, nonporous.
obdurate
stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or course of action
e.g. “All those important factors are as nothing compared with his obdurate determination to impose privatisation on his dogmatic terms.”
Synonyms: adamant, intransigent, implacable, obstinate
fete
honor/celebrate or entertain (someone) lavishly
e.g. “She was an instant celebrity, feted by the media”
Synonyms: celebrate, entertain, feast, festival, holiday, honor, lionize.
disheartened
having lost determination or confidence; dispirited
e.g. “We weren’t disheartened to lose as it was a tough tournament.”
Synonyms: discourage, dispirit, demoralize, depress, dismay, daunt, unnerve.
appreciable
large or important enough to be noticed
e.g.
Synonyms: considerable, substantial, significant, sizeable
disenfranchise
deprive (someone) of the right to vote.
e.g. “The law disenfranchised some 3,000 voters on the basis of a residence qualification”
Synonyms: disqualify, disempower, disable, forbid
entice
attract or tempt by offering pleasure or advantage
e.g. “An art gallery is hoping to entice sweet-toothed visitors with its new exhibition.”
Synonyms: tempt, allure, lure, attract, beguile, coax, cajole
stolid
calm, dependable, and showing little emotion or animation
e.g. “He was a stolid man who did not even show his emotions at his mother’s funeral.”
Synonyms: impassive, phlegmatic, unemotional, calm, placid, unexcitable, apathetic.
transitory
lasting a short time
e.g. “The things that belong to the visible realm are transitory and impermanent.”
Synonyms: ephemeral, temporary, transient
inclement
- (of the weather) unpleasantly cold or wet.
- showing no mercy
e.g. “They are pressing for special trains, particularly in snowy and inclement weather.”
Synonyms: stormy, severe, rough, foul, harsh, rigorous, boisterous
renege
fail to fulfill a promise
e.g. “The life insurer was forced last week to renege on its pledge.”
Synonyms: repudiate, retract
endemic
(of a plant or animal) native and restricted to a certain place.
e.g. “Poverty is endemic in the South and it is spreading to the North.”
Synonyms: native, indigenous
ingenuity
the quality of being clever, original, and inventive
e.g. “They must use all their ingenuity to complete their hazardous work and survive.”
Synonyms: inventiveness, creativity, imagination, originality, innovation, resourcefulness, enterprise, finesse
fledgling
- young and inexperienced
- new participant
e.g. “Many firms that were just fledgling start-ups in 2000 are now mature, profitable businesses.”
Synonyms: apprentice, chick, colt, greenhorn, beginner
archaic
very old or old-fashioned
e.g. “It looks back ultimately to the Works and Days of the archaic Greek poet Hesiod.”
Synonyms: obsolete, obsolescent, outmoded, antique
discriminate
make an unjust or prejudicial distinction in the treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of ethnicity, sex, age, or disability
e.g. “We do not discriminate against anybody on any grounds, nor should we.”
Synonyms: differentiate, distinguish
ornate
elaborately or highly decorated
e.g. “I bought a seat with ornate carving at the auction.”
Synonyms: embellished, adorned, ornamented, ostentatious
jocular
fond of or characterized by joking; humorous or playful
e.g. “Her comments were intended to be taken in a light-hearted and jocular fashion”
Synonyms: humorous, witty, clever, funny, facetious.
guffaw
a loud and hearty laugh
e.g. “He guffawed with delight when he heard the news.”
plodding
slow-moving and unexciting
e.g. “Neither spoke, so they carried on, the horse plodding slowly along the path.”
Synonyms: stumbling, struggling, trudging, shuffling, blundering.
thwart
prevent (someone) from accomplishing something
e.g. The story revolves around the locals’ attempts to thwart the plan.”
Synonyms: frustrate, hamper, prevent, baffle, hinder, defeat, impede, stop
quandary
a state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation
e.g. “I’m in a bit of a quandary about what I should do next”
Synonyms: dilemma, plight, predicament.
snide
derogatory or mocking in an indirect way
e.g. “I am sick to death of the snide remarks and comments.”
Synonyms: disparaging, derogatory, deprecating, deprecatory, denigratory, insulting, vituperative, disapproving, contemptuous.
impede
delay or prevent (someone or something) by obstructing them
e.g. “The sap causes swelling which can impede breathing”
Synonyms: hinder, obstruct, hamper, handicap.
respite
a short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant
e.g. “After a long, hard winter, we longed for respite from the cold and wet”
Synonyms: rest, break, breathing space, interval, intermission, interlude.
moot
- subject to debate, dispute, or uncertainty
- having little or no practical relevance, typically because the subject is too uncertain to allow a decision
e.g. “It is a moot point whether such a controversial scheme would have succeeded”
raffish
unconventional and slightly disreputable, especially in an attractive way
e.g. “In the southern chain of small islands, Cooper Island has a raffish charm.”
Synonyms: rakish, jaunty, dapper
dearth
a scarcity or lack of something
e.g. “Sometimes a dearth of information says a lot more than a glut.”
Synonyms: shortage, paucity
morose
sullen and ill-tempered
e.g. “Then, feeling a bit morose and at a loose end, I headed for the bar.”
Synonyms: sullen, sulky, gloomy, bad-tempered
