Magoosh Basic Words 4 and 5 Flashcards
sentimental
of or prompted by feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia
e.g. “She felt a sentimental attachment to the place creep over her”
Synonyms: saccharine, mawkish, soppy, emotional
banish
send (someone) away from a country or place as an official punishment
e.g. “Several people were banished to Siberia for political crimes”
Synonyms: exile, expel, expatriate, extradite, excommunicate, ostracize
precedent
an earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances
e.g. “There are substantial precedents for using interactive media in training”
Synonyms: criterion, model, paradigm, exemplar
whimsical
- resulting from or characterized by whim or caprice
- determined by impulse rather than by reason
e.g. “Despite his success, he retained a gently ironic, almost whimsical sense of the world.”
Synonyms: volatile, capricious, temperamental, impulsive, mercurial, quicksilver
commendable
deserving praise
e.g. “He showed commendable restraint”
Synonyms: admirable, praiseworthy, laudable, estimable, meritorious, exemplar, sterling
inadvertent
to happen unpredictably or unintentionally
e.g. “An inadvertent administrative error occurred that resulted in an overpayment.”
Synonyms: unintentional, unintended, accidental, unpremeditated, involuntary
empathetic
showing an ability to understand and share the feelings of another
e.g. “His personal history makes him especially empathetic to workers’ need for a fair wage.”
Synonyms: compassionate, sympathetic, empathic, humane, understanding, gentle
lucid
expressed clearly; easy to understand
e.g. “His judgment of men and things was keen, lucid and masculine.”
Synonyms: intelligible, comprehensible, understandable, cogent, coherent, communicative, articulate, eloquent, perspicuous
euphoria
a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness
e.g. “In his euphoria, he had become convinced he could defeat them”
Synonyms: elation, glee, exhilaration, animation, jubilation, exultation, ecstasy
perpetuate
make (something) continue indefinitely
e.g. “Every year, parents continue to perpetuate the myth of Santa Claus.”
Synonyms: bolster, maintain, preserve, eternalize
uncompromising
showing an unwillingness to make concessions to others, especially by changing one’s ways or opinions
e.g. “People are intimidated by her uncompromising ways.”
Synonyms: determined, hard-line, inflexible, intransigent, adamant
illicit
forbidden by law, rules, or custom
e.g. “Politically, the most important criminal industries are illicit trading in arms and in drugs.”
Synonyms: illegal, unlawful, illegitimate, contraband
hamstrung
severely restrict the efficiency or effectiveness of
e.g.
Synonyms: handicap, constrain, encumber, block, frustrate, hamper, hinder, obstruct, impede
fickle
changing frequently, especially as regards one’s loyalties or affections
e.g. “Celebs trying to appeal to an increasingly fickle public”
Synonyms: capricious, changeable, variable, volatile, mercurial, vacillating
egotist
a person who is excessively conceited or absorbed in themselves; a self-seeker
e.g. “He thinks you have to be something of an egotist to become an orchestral conductor”
Synonyms: self-seeker, egocentric, egomaniac, self-admirer, narcissist, boaster, bragger, show-off, blowhard
augment
make (something) greater by adding to it; increase
e.g. “He took private pupils to augment his income”
Synonyms: amplify, boost, build up, develop, enhance, intensify
martial
relating to fighting or war; suggesting dictatorship
e.g. “Dreams of martial glory are hardly uncommon in 19-year-olds all over the world.”
Synonyms: military, soldierly, guerrilla, aggressive
(words like bellicose, belligerent, pugnacious, etc. can also fit here because of “fighting”)
debase
reduce (something) in quality or value; degrade
e.g. “The love episodes debase the dignity of the drama”
Synonyms: degrade, devalue, demean, dishonor
conducive
making a certain situation or outcome likely or possible
e.g. “The harsh lights and cameras were hardly conducive to a relaxed atmosphere”
Synonyms: favorable, helpful, beneficial, facilitative
detrimental
causing harm or damage
e.g. “Their decision could be detrimental to the future of the company.”
Synonyms: damaging, deleterious, harmful, injurious, prejudicial
elaborate
containing a lot of careful detail or many detailed parts
e.g. “He came out with such an elaborate excuse that I didn’t quite believe him.”
Synonyms: busy, complicated, decorated, detailed, embellished, complex
urbane
courteous and refined in manner
e.g. “Pat was cultured and urbane and had a wonderful sense of humor.”
Synonyms: cultured, elegant, polished
assail
to attack someone violently or criticize someone strongly
e.g. “His attacker assailed him with fierce blows to the head.”
Synonyms: attack, scold/upbraid, slam, criticize, lambast, savage, excoriate, vituperate
benign
pleasant and kind; harmless
e.g. “We are used to really quite benign weather patterns.”
Synonyms: harmless, safe, innocent, innocuous, anodyne
assuage
- to make unpleasant feelings less strong
- to make more bearable or less severe
e.g. “The government has tried to assuage the public’s fears.”
Synonyms: alleviate, relieve, help, soothe, mitigate
genial
friendly and pleasant
e.g. “His genial disposition made him quite popular”
Synonyms: gracious, pleasant, amiable, sweet, affable
contemptuous
showing contempt; scornful
e.g. “He was contemptuous and sneering in pointing out that we were in the wrong carriage.”
Synonyms: scornful, disdainful, disrespectful, insulting, insolent
vacuous
not expressing or showing intelligent thought or purpose
e.g.
Synonyms: fatuous, vacant, expressionless, deadpan, inscrutable
tawdry
showy but cheap and of poor quality
e.g. “A lot of the city’s housing consists of nondescript houses and some districts are downright tawdry.”
Synonyms: gaudy, cheap
pristine
in its original condition; unspoilt
e.g. “His face and once pristine white school shirt were drenched in blood.”
Synonyms: immaculate, intact, natural, sterile
glib
(of words or a speaker) fluent but insincere and shallow
e.g. “The glib phrases soon roll off the tongue”
Synonyms: artful, prevaricate, evasive
altruism
selfless concern for the well-being of others
e.g. “Some may choose to work with vulnerable elderly people out of altruism”
Synonyms: benevolence, humanitarianism, kindness, selflessness
jargon
special words and phrases that are used by particular groups of people, especially in their work
e.g. “And, from the viewpoint of an outsider, the jargon was dense.”
Synonyms: vernacular, lingo, dialect
rankle
(of a comment or fact) cause continuing annoyance or resentment
e.g. “The joke about her family rankled her.”
Synonyms: inflame, irk, rile, torment, vex, exasperate
facetious
treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor
e.g. “You learn very soon never to tell a joke or make a facetious remark.”
Synonyms: flippant, frivolous, jocular
buck
to resist or oppose
e.g. “He bucked the letter on to the assistant vice president to answer.”
Synonyms: resist, oppose, withstand
credence
belief in or acceptance of something as true
e.g. “It is painful to watch him displaying credentials that no longer carry much credence.”
Synonyms: admission, assurance, belief, certainty
irresolute
showing or feeling hesitancy while taking action; uncertain
e.g. “He was following me no longer; he stood irresolute.”
Synonyms: indecisive, hesitant, faltering
genteel
characterized by exaggerated or affected politeness, refinement, or respectability
e.g. “In contrast, Harriet’s family represents the fading genteel elegance of the old South.”
Synonyms: aristocratic, elegant, noble, decorous
pertinent
relating directly to the subject being considered
e.g. “It would be pertinent to ask why she acted as she did”
Synonyms: admissible, applicable, appropriate, germane
cornucopia
an abundant supply of something good
e.g. “The festival offers a cornucopia of pleasures”
Synonyms: store, abundance, opulence, plenitude
impeccable
spectacular without any errors
e.g. “With impeccable timing and grace, we were then led through to our table.”
Synonyms: flawless, faultless, unblemished, perfect, exemplary
grovel
to show submission/fear
e.g. “I had to grovel to the manager for a loan”
Synonyms: beseech, fawn
noisy
- noisy and lacking restraint or discipline
- to be unwilling to submit to authority
surly
bad-tempered and unfriendly
e.g. “He can be petulant, and there have been surly exchanges with fans.”
Synonyms: boorish, dour, irritable, morose, rude, grumpy
smattering
- a small amount of something
- a slight knowledge of a language or subject
e.g. “He knew a smattering of English, so we were able to communicate”
Synonyms: handful, couple, scattering, sprinkling, modicum, smidgen
derisive
expressing contempt or ridicule
e.g. “Her speech drew derisive comments from the audience”
Synonyms: contemptuous, disdainful, scornful, disdainful
tumult
a state of confusion, chaos, or disorder
e.g. “You couldn’t hear her speak over the tumult from the screaming fans.”
Synonyms: commotion, convulsion, disturbance
spurn
reject with disdain or contempt
e.g. “She spurned my offers of help.”
Synonyms: scorn, rebuff, refuse, disdain
perennial
- lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time
- enduring or continually recurring
e.g. “They are also used quite effectively when planted in close groups among perennial shrubs.”
Synonyms: everlasting, perpetual, eternal
embellish
make (something) more attractive by the addition of decorative details or features
e.g. “The blue silk was embellished with golden embroidery”
Synonyms: decorate, adorn, ornament, ornate
rash
acting or done without careful consideration of the possible consequences
e.g. “It would be extremely rash to make such an assumption”
Synonyms: reckless, impetuous, impulsive, hasty, overhasty, foolhardy, incautious
pastoral
referring to the countryside in a pleasant way
e.g. “The view was pastoral, with rolling fields and grazing sheep”
Synonyms: agrarian, bucolic, idyllic, rural, rustic
devolve
- having had power transferred or delegated to a lower level
- to grow worse
e.g. “The way they have devolved power to Scotland and Wales is an absolute disgrace.”
Synonyms: delegate, transmit
collusion
secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy to deceive others
e.g. “The armed forces were working in collusion with drug traffickers”
Synonyms: conspiracy, connivance, deceit
convoluted
complex and difficult to follow
e.g. “The film is let down by a convoluted plot in which nothing really happens”
Synonyms: intricate, labyrinthine, perplexing, puzzling
exasperate
intensely irritated and frustrated
e.g. “As the students exit, an exasperated teacher tries in vain to get their attention”
Synonyms: infuriate, irk, irritate, peeve, rankle, rile, vex
derogative
insulting
e.g. “The term Moowis is one of the most derogative and offensive possible.”
Synonyms: insulting, slighting, derogatory, pejorative, demeaning, malicious, disparaging
impregnable
unable to be defeated or overcome
e.g. “Liverpool used their good fortune to forge an impregnable lead”
Synonyms: unassailable, unbeatable, undefeatable, invincible, indomitable
elude
escape from or avoid (a danger, enemy, or pursuer), typically skillfully or cunningly
e.g. “He tried to elude the security men by sneaking through a back door”
Synonyms: circumvent, eschew, elusive
savvy
shrewdness and practical knowledge; the ability to make good judgments
e.g. “The corporate finance bankers lacked the necessary political savvy”
Synonyms: acute, calculating, cunning, discerning, shrewd
diligent
constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything
e.g. “The more important the document, the more diligent must be the search.”
Synonyms: industrious, hard-working, assiduous, conscientious, meticulous
tarnish
ruin, reduce the quality of; make dirty
e.g. “The affair could tarnish the reputation of the prime minister.”
Synonyms: damage, defame, dim, dull, embarrass, sully, taint
steadfast
resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering
e.g. “Their steadfast love in the face of horror can only be admired.”
Synonyms: abiding, adamant, ardent, dedicated, tenacious
destitute
extremely poor and lacking the means to provide for oneself
e.g. “the charity cares for destitute children”
Synonyms: impoverished, indigent, insolvent, needy, penniless
unseemly
(of behavior or actions) not proper or appropriate
e.g. “Actually, it is rank partisanship of the most unseemly kind.”
Synonyms: inappropriate, indecent, undignified
placid
not easily upset or excited; having a calm demeanor
e.g. “The cows were quite placid and didn’t seem to mind us”
Synonyms: even-tempered, tranquil, imperturbable, temperate, stolid, phlegmatic
serene
calm, peaceful, and untroubled; tranquil
e.g. “Her eyes were closed and she looked very serene”
Synonyms: calm, composed, collected, pacific, tranquil
obstinate
stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or chosen course of action
e.g. “It was her obstinate determination to pursue a career in radio”
Synonyms: headstrong, willful, unyielding, inflexible, unbending, intransigent
taxing
physically or mentally demanding
e.g. “If you are feeling tuckered out after an especially taxing day, the hotel will gladly deliver room service.”
Synonyms: demanding, exacting, tiresome, burdensome, arduous, onerous.
presumption
- an idea that is taken to be true on the basis of probability
e.g. “underlying presumptions about human nature”
Synonyms: assumption, likelihood, premise, supposition
- behaviour perceived as arrogant, disrespectful, and transgressing the limits of what is appropriate
e.g. “He lifted her off the ground, and she was enraged at his presumption”
Synonyms: arrogance, audacity, boldness, brashness, gall, impudence
goad
provoke or annoy (someone) so as to stimulate an action or reaction
e.g. “He was trying to goad her into a fight”
Synonyms: coerce, hound, provoke, incite
exemplify
illustrate or clarify by giving an example
e.g. “The city’s economic growth is exemplified by the many new buildings that are currently under construction.”
Synonyms: demonstrate, depict, elucidate, embody, epitomize, illuminate
enmity
a state or feeling of active opposition or hostility
e.g. “I don’t understand his enmity towards his parents”
Synonyms: acrimony, alienation, antipathy
squander
- waste (something, especially money or time) in a reckless and foolish manner
- allow (an opportunity) to pass or be lost
e.g. “The team squandered several good scoring chances”
Synonyms: expend, lavish, waste, dissipate, frivol, misspend
smug
having or showing excessive pride in oneself or one’s achievements
e.g. “He sat there with a smug smile on his face”
Synonyms: complacent, egotistical, pompous, self-righteous
tout
attempt to sell (something), typically by a direct or persistent approach
e.g. “When banks tout for your business, they make all kinds of attractive offers”
Synonyms: recommend, promote, endorse, support, nudge
complacent
showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements.
e.g. “You can’t afford to be complacent about security”
Synonyms: smug, egotistical, pompous, self-righteous
maxim
to express the truth through a short saying
e.g. “An old business school maxim says that you can either do what your rivals do and do it better or try to do things differently.”
Synonyms: adage, dictum, aphorism
malevolent
having or showing a wish to do evil to others
e.g. “There are malevolent forces at work in the world”
Synonyms: malicious, spiteful, hostile
ploy
a cunning plan or action designed to turn a situation to one’s advantage
e.g. “This was widely interpreted as a ploy to buy time to consolidate his position”
Synonyms: tactic, move, device, stratagem, scheme, trick.
peevish
easily annoyed
e.g. “It featured a peevish hipster, complaining about how his grasp of cool was slipping.”
Synonyms: irritable, irascible
tact
skill and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues
e.g. “The inspector broke the news to me with tact and consideration”
Synonyms: common-sense, discretion, prudence, refinement, sensitivity, subtlety
unprecedented
never done or known before
e.g. “The emphasis has been on shaping bold solutions to save lives and livelihoods in these unprecedented times”
Synonyms: bizarre, extraordinary, unusual
perturb
make (someone) anxious or unsettled
e.g. “External factors that could perturb development include temperature and environmental chemicals.”
Synonyms: agitate, alarm, bewilder, confound, confuse
brusquely
in a way that is blunt and slightly rude
e.g. “I don’t have time to deal with it today,” she said brusquely.”
Synonyms: abruptly, curtly, bluntly, rudely, briskly
quip
a witty remark
e.g. “Peter ate heartily with a quip about being a condemned man.”
Synonyms: witticism
leery
cautious or wary due to realistic suspicions
e.g. “A city leery of gang violence”
Synonyms: distrustful, mistrusting, dubious, skeptical
credulity
a tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true
e.g. “But it stretches credulity to argue that the problem here is one of bounded rationality.”
Synonyms: gullible, naivety, innocence
reservation
an expression of doubt qualifying overall approval of a plan or statement
e.g. “Some generals voiced reservations about making air strikes”
Synonyms: doubt, qualm, scruple, misgivings, skepticism, unease
eke
manage to make a living with difficulty (particularly through limited resources)
e.g. “Many traders barely eked out a living”
Synonyms: scrape, survive
impending
- inevitable
- (of an event regarded as threatening or significant) about to happen; forthcoming
e.g. “The author had returned to his country ahead of the impending war”
Synonyms: brewing, imminent, looming
travail
painful or laborious effort
e.g. “Give advice for those who wish to save great sorrow and travail”
Synonyms: distress, agony, anguish, discomfort
foible
a behavioral attribute (usually eccentric) unique to someone’s character
e.g. “They have to tolerate each other’s little foibles”
Synonyms: quirk, idiosyncratic, peculiarity, eccentricity
retract
- withdraw (a statement or accusation) as untrue or unjustified
- withdraw a once-held belief under pressure
e.g. “He retracted his allegations against the company.”
Synonyms: withdraw, recant, renege, renounce
connive
conspire to do something immoral, illegal, or harmful
e.g. “They connived with bank officials to launder money”
Synonyms: conspire, collude, plotting
irk
irritate; annoy
e.g. “It irks her to think of the runaround she received”
Synonyms: irritate, annoy, vex, gall, rattle
discord
disagreement between people; lack of harmony
e.g. “There was a note of discord when one person objected to paying”
Synonyms: friction, strife, dissension, discordance, conflict, schism
aphoristic
a concise statement of a principle
e.g. “The poems are emotionally primed and have an aphoristic momentum.”
Synonyms: axiomatic, sententious, terse
