Magoosh Basic Words 6 and 7 Flashcards
piquant
having a pleasantly sharp taste or appetizing flavor
e.g. “The toast was overdone, but the chicken had a piquant flavour.”
Synonyms: Spicy, tangy, spiced, flavorsome
avert
- prevent or ward off (an undesirable occurrence).
- turn away (one’s eyes or thoughts)
e.g. “A vigilant driver managed to stop the locomotive and avert a major disaster.”
Synonyms: ward off, avoid, prevent, frustrate, fend off, preclude, stave off, forestall
ascribe
regard something as being due to (a cause)
e.g. “Many people in the department ascribe his odd behaviour to drunkenness and encroaching senility.”
Synonyms: attribute, assign, put down, set down, accredit, credit
rile
make (someone) annoyed or irritated
e.g. “He smiled faintly, knowing how hard it was to rile up his trusted Guardian.”
Synonyms: irritate, annoy, bother, vex, provoke, displease, upset, exasperate
precarious
dangerously likely to fall or collapse
e.g. “But today’s results certainly emphasise the precarious state of the group’s finances.”
Synonyms: dangerous, delicate, dicey, hazardous, insecure, perilous, problematic
incense
make very angry
e.g. “Her arrogance so incensed them that they refused to speak to her.”
Synonyms: enrage, infuriate, anger, madden, outrage, inflame, exasperate, antagonize, provoke, irate
melancholy
state of deep sadness
e.g. “She was left all alone and feeling melancholy.”
Synonyms: gloomy, grim, mournful, dreary
lethargic
inactivity; slow-moving
e.g. “The boy was lethargic and confused but seemed to recognise his mother.”
Synonyms: sluggish, inert, inactive, slow, torpid, somnolent, torpor
industrious
diligent and hard-working
e.g. “Anyway, he is very industrious and energetic in his sweeping.”
Synonyms: hard-working, diligent, assiduous, sedulous, conscientious
tribulation
a state of great trouble or suffering
e.g. “The play is about the tribulations of a family of immigrants in New York.”
Synonyms: distress, agony, misery, anguish, adversity, misfortune
forthright
(of a person or their manner or speech) direct and outspoken
e.g. “She was honest and forthright in her views and opinions.”
Synonyms: frank, direct, straightforward, honest, candid, open, sincere, outspoken
delegate
entrust (a task or responsibility) to another person, typically one who is less senior than oneself.
e.g. “She must delegate duties so as to free herself for more important tasks”
Synonyms: accredit, assign, authorize, designate, consign
uncanny
strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling way; beyond the ordinary
e.g. “Google’s success stems from its uncanny ability to sort useful web pages from dross.”
Synonyms: eerie, unnatural, preternatural, supernatural, unearthly, other-worldly, astonishing, astounding
cerebral
involving intelligence
e.g. “He gave me a very cerebral explanation of the problem”
Synonyms: analytical, intelligent
emulate
match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by imitation
e.g. “My ambition from the time I can remember was to emulate what he did.”
Synonyms: follow suit, imitate, mimic, mirror.
besmirch
damage (someone’s reputation)
e.g. “We are not going to besmirch his client in the press.”
Synonyms: Blacken, defame, dishonor, slander, smear
redress
remedy or set right (an undesirable or unfair situation)
e.g. “They tried to redress the economic imbalance between developed and developing countries.”
Synonyms: amend, correct, counteract, even out, mend, remedy
analogous
comparable in certain respects but otherwise different
e.g. “An analogous role is played by the PAM complex in mitochondria.”
Synonyms: akin, comparable, corresponding, related
conundrum
a confusing and difficult problem or question
e.g. “The answer to this conundrum is buried in the depths of the article.”
Synonyms: mystery, enigma, puzzle, riddle, problem
prevail
prove more powerful or superior
e.g. “Your nation endured the blitz to prevail over an implacable foe.”
Synonyms: abound, beat, overcome, prove, reign, succeed
coalesce
come together to form one mass or whole
e.g. “Immediately popular, it helped to coalesce people around the movement.”
Synonyms: unite, join together, combine, merge, fuse, mingle, blend
docile
passive; ready to accept control or instruction; submissive
e.g. “The population will not remain docile for long under such repressive measures”
Synonyms: compliant, obedient, meek, deferential, tractable
buttress
make stronger; fortify
e.g. “Huge ‘flying shores’ had to be fitted to buttress the structure against movement.”
Synonyms: abutment, column, mainstay, pier, prop, fortify
cavalier
showing a lack of proper concern; offhand
e.g. “This kind of cavalier attitude to the democratic process is intolerable.”
Synonyms: offhand, indifferent, casual, dismissive, insouciant, uninterested
implicate
- show (someone) to be involved in a crime
e.g. “He never discussed actions, which would implicate him in a crime.”
Synonyms: incriminate, compromise, involve, connect, embroil, enmesh, ensnare
- convey (a meaning) indirectly through what one says, rather than stating it explicitly.
e.g. “Blocking the platform implicates the speech rights of both TikTok itself and the millions of Americans.”
Synonyms: imply, suggest, hint, intimate, signal
cohesive
well-integrated; forming a united whole
e.g. “To make perfect pie dough, you must mix the ingredients until they are cohesive.”
Synonyms: close-knit, united
wanton
(of a cruel or violent action) deliberate and unprovoked
e.g. “Their wanton vandalism causes money to be wasted and toilets to close.”
Synonyms: Deliberate, willful, malicious, malevolent, spiteful, vicious
insipid
- lacking vigour or interest
- lacking taste
e.g. “Suddenly the lights dimmed and there was music, terrible insipid, tinny music.”
Synonyms: dull, uninteresting, bland, boring
intermittent
stopping at irregular intervals
e.g. “The patient was having intermittent pains in his side.”
Synonyms: sporadic, irregular, fitful, spasmodic
consecrate
to set apart for a high purpose
e.g. “The little company of seven determined to consecrate their union by vows.”
Synonyms: beatify, bless, dedicate, hallow, honor, venerate
eccentric
(of a person or their behaviour) unconventional and slightly strange
e.g. “The novel is peopled with an assortment of eccentric characters”
Synonyms: erratic, unconventional, uncommon, abnormal, irregular, aberrant, anomalous
belittle
dismiss (someone or something) as unimportant
e.g. “He took a perverse pleasure out of trying to belittle people around him.”
Synonyms: disparage, denigrate, downgrade
foolhardy
- recklessly bold or rash
- to disregard the consequences of something
e.g. “It is foolhardy to not go to the doctor when one is having chest pains.”
Synonyms: reckless, rash, incautious, careless, heedless
humdrum
lacking excitement or variety; boringly monotonous
e.g. “I used to feel almost trapped by the normal, everyday, humdrum life.”
Synonyms: mundane, boring, banal, monotonous
clemency
mercy; lenience
e.g. “They were granted an order of clemency by the king.”
Synonyms: compassion, indulgence, leniency, mercy
glean
obtain (information) from various sources, often with difficulty
e.g. “From several library resources, Sara was able to glean enough information to write her research paper.”
Synonyms: ferret, cull, deduce, extract, garner, gather
behoove
a duty or responsibility for someone to do something
e.g. “It would behoove you to study hard and work for the future you desire.”
Synonyms: befit, beseem, suit
veneer
a covering consisting of a thin layer that hides the underlying substance
e.g. “Where once there was walnut veneer on the floor, there is now proper stripped wood.”
Synonyms: coating, exterior, facade, gloss, layer, mask
finagle
obtain by dishonest or devious means
e.g. “He finagled an invitation to the conference by claiming to be a reporter.”
Synonyms: cheat, contrive, deceive, manipulate, plot
antedate
precede in time; come before (something) in date
e.g. “Dinosaurs antedated the first human beings by almost 65 million years.”
Synonyms: precede, predate
profusion
an abundance or large quantity of something
e.g. “The stage turns round and there is a profusion of pink.”
Synonyms: copious, cornucopia, glut
fawn
seeking favor by servile flattery or exaggerated attention
e.g. “He fawns upon them and makes them believe they are intelligent.”
Synonyms: suck up, obsequious, ingratiating, cajole
begrudge
- to give reluctantly
- to be jealous over someone for being happy/enjoying
e.g. “I don’t begrudge anybody a right to a square meal and some help.”
Synonyms: envy, grudge, resent
deride
express contempt for; ridicule
e.g. “He derided the effort, stating that they were too low in quality to be useful.”
Synonyms: disdain, disparage, mock, ridicule, scoff, scorn
incumbent
necessary for (someone) as a duty or responsibility
e.g. “It is incumbent on the new chief executive when he takes office in the new year to take stock and then take action.”
Synonyms: binding, obligatory, mandatory, necessary, compulsory
rakish
having or displaying a dashing, jaunty, or slightly disreputable quality or appearance.
e.g. “It was a little on one side and gave the good clergyman a decidedly rakish appearance.”
Synonyms: dashing, jaunty, raffish
evenhanded
fair and impartial in treatment or judgement
e.g. “She had been even-handed with her fortune, discriminating against no one.”
Synonyms: balanced, equitable, fair-minded, impartial, unbiased
irascible
having or showing a tendency to be easily angered
e.g. “Dunmore was certainly a haughty, irascible man, who made enemies easily and often.”
Synonyms: cantankerous, grumpy, angry
presumptous
(of a person or their behaviour) failing to observe the limits of what is permitted or appropriate
e.g. “I hope I won’t be considered presumptuous if I offer some advice.”
Synonyms: overconfident, arrogant, bold, audacious
enumerate
- to determine the quantity of
- to specify individually; establish the number of
e.g. “For their part, the miners enumerate the number of jobs the industry provides.”
Synonyms: list, itemize, catalogue, set out, set forth
debunk
expose the falseness or hollowness of (an idea or belief)
e.g. “The results of the study debunk his theory.”
Synonyms: demystify, deflate, expose
provisional
arranged or existing for the present, possibly to be changed later
e.g. “The government has given provisional approval for the use of the new drug.”
Synonyms: conditional, interim, temporary, transitional
paradoxical
seeming impossible or difficult to understand because of containing two opposite facts or characteristics
e.g. “Both appear to have a paradoxical effect of either increasing or decreasing the stress response.”
Synonyms: antithetical, conflicting, contrary, incompatible
complementary
combining in such a way as to enhance or emphasize the qualities of each other or another
e.g. “As complementary medicine grows the public may become more careful of its claims.”
Synonyms: harmonizing, harmonious, complementing, supportive, compatible
cosmopolitan
including people from many different countries
e.g. “It claims to be a cosmopolitan town with 150 different nationalities and countless parks.”
Synonyms: cultured, metropolitan, international, multiracial
excruciating
intensely painful
e.g. “We sat through two excruciating hours of the worst film I’ve ever seen.”
Synonyms: acute, agonizing, painful
colossal
extremely large or great
e.g. “So colossal was the output that Blackburn was the greatest weaving town in the world.”
Synonyms: enormous, gargantuan, gigantic, huge, immense
vanquish
defeat thoroughly
e.g. “He did this by calling a special party conference where he vanquished his opponents.”
Synonyms: conquer, crush, overcome, overpower
constraint
a limitation or restriction
e.g. “The availability of water is the main constraint on food production.”
Synonyms: pressure, restraint, duress, hindrance, impediment
morph
to undergo transformation
e.g. “The picture of a dog morphed into a picture of a cat.”
Synonyms: transform, mutate, metamorphose, change, transmute, transpose
staid
- sedate, respectable, and unadventurous
- characterized by dignity
e.g. “He was senior pastor of a staid old church full of money, manners, and momentum.”
Synonyms: decorous, dignified, sedate, sober, solemn
obliging
willing to do a service or kindness; helpful
e.g. “He was not frightened to help people out and was a very obliging fellow.”
Synonyms: accommodating, willing, compliant
malodorous
smelling very unpleasant
e.g. “Now I’m worried it might make the house seem in some way malodorous.”
Synonyms: noxious, noisome, pungent, foul-smelling
snub
rebuff, ignore, or spurn disdainfully
e.g. “He snubbed her in public and made her feel an idiot.”
Synonyms: disregard, humiliate, ignore, neglect, rebuff
miscreant
a person who has done something wrong or unlawful
e.g. “Despite his protestations, the authorities have wisely decided to cage the miscreant youth.”
Synonyms: criminal, culprit, wrongdoer, malefactor, offender
deliberate
plan and think carefully
e.g. “His movements were gentle and deliberate.”
Synonyms: careful, cautious, unhurried, measured, regular, methodical
laborious
requiring considerable time and effort
e.g. “But he became more and more irritated by the slow, laborious process of filming.”
Synonyms: arduous, backbreaking, burdensome, onerous, strenuous, tiresome
chivalrous
courteous and gallant, especially towards women (typically used of a man or his behaviour)
e.g. “The sword and the mail made him look downright medieval, like some chivalrous knight.”
Synonyms: gallant, gentlemanly, honorable, respectful, thoughtful, considerate
resignation
the acceptance of something undesirable but inevitable
e.g. “His coach shrugged his shoulders in resignation.”
Synonyms: premonition
antiquated
old-fashioned or outdated
e.g. “Hard cases make bad law, but antiquated conventions make bad legal practice.”
Synonyms: ancient, archaic, old-fashioned
abysmal
extremely bad; appalling
e.g. “Sadly, it was an abysmal offer, some £25,000 below the asking price.”
Synonyms: dreadful, atrocious, bad, terrible
dispatch
- dispose of rapidly without delay
- the property of being efficient
e.g. “He is not allowed to dispatch any messages back to shore.”
Synonyms:
decimation
the killing or destruction of a large proportion of a group or species.
e.g. “Our growing hunger for fish has resulted in the decimation of fish stocks.”
Synonyms: destruction, devastation, extinction, havoc, extermination, annihilation
cumbersome
large or heavy and therefore difficult to carry or use; unwieldy
e.g. “Both don the heavy, cumbersome diving suits and have their huge helmet clamped on.”
Synonyms: bulky, burdensome, unwieldy
inarticulate
unable to express one’s ideas or feelings clearly or easily
e.g. “She was unable to speak and could only make inarticulate sounds.”
Synonyms: incoherent, tongue-tied
convivial
(of an atmosphere or event) friendly, lively, and enjoyable
e.g. “The atmosphere was convivial and the crowds thronged accordingly.”
Synonyms: friendly, genial, affable, amiable, congenial, jovial
creditable
(of a performance, effort, or action) deserving public acknowledgement and praise but not necessarily outstanding or successful
e.g. “It was smoothly run and the Japanese, in particular, made a creditable on-field contribution.”
Synonyms: commendable, praiseworthy, laudable, admirable, meritorious
misogynist
a person who dislikes, despises, or is strongly prejudiced against women
e.g. “I am astonished that anyone would think I am a misogynist.”
Synonyms: sexist
boorish
rough and bad-mannered; coarse
e.g. “The boorish behaviour of some tourists is embarrassing.”
Synonyms: coarse, uncouth, rude, discourteous, impolite
differentiate
recognize or ascertain what makes (someone or something) different
e.g. “It’s important to differentiate between fact and opinion.”
Synonyms: comprehend, discern
amply
enough or more than enough; plentifully
e.g. “This was a production which amply deserved its sell-out success.”
Synonyms: abundantly, adequately, extensively, generously, lavishly
besiege
crowd around oppressively; surround and harass
e.g. “She was besieged by the press and the public.”
Synonyms: beleaguer, beset, blockade, encircle, hem in, trap
discreet
careful and prudent in one’s speech or actions, especially in order to avoid embarrassment
e.g. “He made discreet inquiries about the job.”
Synonyms: circumspect, cautious, wary, chary
perquisite
a benefit which one enjoys or is entitled to on account of one’s job or position
e.g. “The special interior ministry troops, who are not part of the army, are better paid and enjoy perquisites such as looting.”
Synonyms: dividend, benefit
evasive
- escaping from danger/commitment
e.g. “The aim is for them to see you and to take evasive action.”
- deliverately ambiguous/vague
e.g. “After a few months of evasive answers, they had all but given up.”
Synonyms: equivocal, prevaricate, elusive
futile
incapable of producing any useful result; pointless
e.g. “I glanced carelessly at the door, in a futile attempt to change the subject.”
Synonyms: fruitless, vain, pointless, useless, worthless, inefficacious
compound
make something intense/strong
(can also mean make worse in another connotation)
e.g. “I’m not sure we didn’t compound problems.”
Synonyms: aggravate, heighten, magnify
dilapidated
(of a building or object) in a state of disrepair or ruin as a result of age or neglect
e.g. “There were only a few dilapidated pieces of furniture left in the house”
Synonyms: battered, broken-down, crumbling, damaged, derelict, ramshackled
inkling
a slight knowledge or suspicion; a hint; a vague understanding
e.g. “It took them by surprise even though they had an inkling I wasn’t happy.”
Synonyms: hunch, indication
hamper
to prevent someone doing something easily
e.g. “He has made no attempt to hide the injury since then with heavy strapping around the knee and his movement has been hampered.”
Synonyms: hinder, restrain, handicap, hamstring, thwart
vie
compete eagerly with someone in order to do or achieve something
e.g. “She was surrounded by men all vying for her attention.”
Synonyms: contend, strive, compete
sordid
involving immoral or dishonourable actions and motives
e.g. “The book is a sordid tale of betrayal and dishonour.”
Synonyms: tawdry, debased, immoral
qualm
an uneasy feeling of doubt, worry, or fear
e.g. “She had/felt some qualms about moving to the big city.”
Synonyms: anxiety, apprehension, disquiet, hesitation, trepidation
stymie
prevent or hinder the progress of
e.g. “The bad weather has stymied the police in their investigations.”
Synonyms: impede, hamper, hinder, obstruct, inhibit, frustrate, thwart
aphorism
a pithy observation which contains a general truth
e.g. “He had no final answer to these questions, or rather, no neat aphorism that he cared to formulate as a philosophical truth.”
Synonyms: adage, axiom, dictum, maxim
champion
vigorously support or defend the cause of
e.g. “She champions the view that individual autonomy ought to be linked with the ideals of a person’s well-being and happiness in a just society.”
Synonyms: advocate, endorse, proponent
carping
continually complaining or finding fault about trivial matters; difficult to please
e.g. “She has silenced the carping critics with a successful debut tour”
Synonyms: complain, cavil, grumble, moan, grouse, grouch
relegate
assign an inferior rank or position to
e.g. “Women were relegated to a subordinate position in society.”
Synonyms: demote, dismiss
balk
hesitate or be unwilling to accept an idea or undertaking
e.g. “The price reduction comes after investors balked at the higher valuation.”
Synonyms: eschew, resist, evade
