Magoosh Common Words (1-4) Flashcards
Veracious
Truthful
He will be veracious so long as the consequences are not serious.
What is put before us is instinctively accepted as veracious, unless proven false by authorities.
Undermine
To weaken
News and information that undermine their credibility were aren’t welcomed.
The student undermined the teacher’s authority by questioning her education and her judgment.
Prevaricate
To speak evasively
My sister doesn’t take bad news well, so I prevaricated when having to tell her the tragic story.
Tell us exactly what happened and don’t prevaricate.
Venality
The condition of being susceptible to bribes or corruption.
Even some of the most sacred sporting events are not immune to venality, as many of the officials have received substantial bribes to make biased calls.
Artful
Exhibiting artistic skill, clever in a cunning way.
Bernie Madoff’s artful Ponzi scheme stole billions of dollars from intelligent investors and they didn’t even know it was happening.
Enervate
To sap energy from, to drain or weaken
The hot sun and the long hike enervated her to the point of near collapse.
Profligate
Spending resources recklessly or wastefully
She is well known for her profligate spending after winning the lottery.
The profligate use of antibiotics has led to antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria.
Amorphous
Shapeless
His plan to study for the GRE was at best amorphous.
Because the painting was amorphous, she had no idea what it represented.
Involved
Complicated and difficult to comprehend
The physics lecture became so involved that the undergraduates eyes glazed over.
Belie
To give a false representation to, misrepresent
The facts of the case belie his testimony.
The smile on her face belies the pain she is feeling.
Amenable
Easily persuaded
Even though she did not like the outdoors, Shirley was amenable and so her brother was able to persuade her to go camping.
The builders were amenable to our wishes and quickly changed the color of the brick.
Harangue
A long pompous speech or tirade
His colleagues politely listened to his harangue but ultimately ignored him.
Tired of his parents haranguing him about laziness and lack of initiative, he decided to move out.
Acrimony
Bitterness and ill will
The acrimony between the President and the VP sent a clear indication to voters; the health of the administration is imperiled.
Is it possible to evade such acrimony when going through a divorce?
Maintain
To assert
The scientist maintained that the extinction was most likely brought about by a drastic change in climate.
Betray
To reveal or make known something, usually unintentionally
The athlete wanted to appear confident, however his quivering lip betrayed his intense emotions.
Vindicate
To clear of accusation, blame, suspicious with supporting arguments or proof
The new evidence will vindicate the defendant, who has been falsely accused.
Censure
To express strong disapproval
Elizabeth has been censured for making no effort to support the community.
After being caught in bed with a mistress, the mayor was quickly censured by the city council.
Intimate
Suggest something subtly
The boy had an early morning, so he intimated that I should head home as it was getting late.
Parochial
Narrowly restricted in scope or outlook
When her brother arrived home from studying abroad in 15 different countries, he sneered at her parochial existence.
Prodigal
Rashly or wastefully extravagant
Successful professional athletes who do not fall prey to prodigality seem to be the exception - most live overly decadent lives.
Ambivalent
Conflicting emotions
Sam was ambivalent about studying for the exam because doing so ate up a lot of his time, yet he was able to improve his analytical skills.
Mercurial
Prone to unexpected and unpredictable changes in mood
Small rodents can be very mercurial, one minute curious the next skittish.
Demur
To object or show reluctance
The Koreans did not accept the restoration of Japanese influence without demur.
Wallace disliked the cold, so he demurred when his friends suggest a ski trip.
Ingenuous
To be naive and innocent
In two years Manhattan had changed Jenna, an ingenuous girl from the suburbs, into a shark unlikely to fall for any ruse.
