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
