Magoosh Common Words 1 and 2 Flashcards
impertinent
- not showing proper respect; rude.
e.g. He gave an impertinent grin and went on playing - not pertinent to a particular matter; irrelevant.
e.g. All of us, that is, have a child-reader within asking shrewd and impertinent questions
Synonyms:
calumny
the making of false statements about someone to damage their reputation; slander
e.g. I’m sure both parts of this assertion are mere calumny.
Synonyms:
restive
restless; unable to remain still, silent, or submissive
e.g. the crowd had been waiting for hours and many were becoming restive
Synonyms:
venerate
regard with great respect
e.g. Philip of Beverley was venerated as a saint
Synonyms: deferential
upbraid
to find fault with or reproach severely; scold
e.g. The military tribunal upbraided the soldier for his cowardice.
Synonyms: censure
equivocal
- open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous.
e.g. “the equivocal nature of her remarks” - (of a person) using ambiguous or evasive language.
e.g. “he has always been equivocal about the meaning of his lyrics”
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extant
still in existence; surviving
e.g. We have some extant parish records from the 16th century.
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ingenuous
naive; innocent and unsuspecting
e.g. She thanked me with ingenuous sweetness for coming home with her.
Synonyms:
mercurial
subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind.
e.g. At times, you feel frustrated with Ellie and her mercurial temperament.
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iconoclast
a person who attacks or criticizes cherished beliefs or institutions.
e.g. Because Jared was an iconoclast and dared to question the company’s mission, he was fired from his job.
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innocuous
not harmful; inoffensive
e.g. When this picture was taken it couldn’t have seemed more innocuous
Synonyms:
qualify
to limit (usually used in the context of a statement or an opinion)
e.g. It was oddly radiant, as certain small, qualified smiles sometimes are.
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amalgam
a mixture or blend; amalgamation
e.g. This is an amalgam of various actions and not a specific action.
Synonyms:
censure
express severe disapproval of (someone or something), especially in a formal statement.
e.g. The company was heavily censured by inspectors from the Department of Trade
Synonyms: upbraid
demur
raise objections or show reluctance
e.g. normally she would have accepted the challenge, but she demurred
Synonyms:
prevaricate
speak or act in an evasive way.
e.g. “he seemed to prevaricate when journalists asked pointed questions”
Synonyms: equivocal
profligate
recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.
e.g. “the Harkonnen are profligate consumers of energy”
Synonyms: spendthrift
gregarious
(of a person) fond of company; sociable.
e.g. “he’s a gregarious man who’s always good company”
Synonyms:
belie
to misrepresent
e.g. “the quality of the music seems to belie the criticism”
Synonyms:
amenable
open and responsive to suggestions; easily persuaded or controlled.
e.g. “Nor is the exercise upon which the court is engaged amenable to such an answer.”
Synonyms: gullible
parsimonious
frugal; very unwilling to spend money or use resources.
e.g. “He puts Scotland’s success in the sector down to its parsimonious reputation.”
Synonyms: frugal
aberration
deviation from what is normal, usual, or expected
e.g. they described the outbreak of violence in the area as an aberration
Synonyms: deviation, anomaly
acrimony
bitterness; ill-will
e.g. It was a match dripping in acrimony, disappointment, and what might have been.
Synonyms:
castigate
reprimand harshly
e.g. The judge castigated the lawyers for their lack of preparation.
Synonyms: admonish, rebuke
wanting
lacking
e.g. She did not think her vocabulary was wanting, yet there were so many words that inevitably she found
Synonyms:
parochial
having a limited or narrow outlook or scope.
e.g. “The parochial church council has unanimously rejected plans to move the 11th Century Church.”
Synonyms:
prodigal
- one who spends or gives lavishly and foolishly
Synonyms: copious, bountiful
- spending money or using resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant
e.g. Trying to prove to his father that his music would get him somewhere, the prodigal son sent home copies of all his records.
Synonyms: spendthrift; profligate
betray
to reveal or make known something, usually unintentionally.
e.g. Her smile betrayed her true feelings.
Synonyms:
ambiguous
open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning.
e.g. His remarks were ambiguous, and it will be the tone that matters.
Synonyms: equivocal
venality
the the quality of being open to corruption, bribery, or overly motivated by money
e.g. Boasting that he would put an end to barratry, ironically he became famous for his venality.
Synonyms:
harangue
a lengthy and aggressive speech; tirade
e.g. “They were subjected to a ten-minute harangue by two border guards”
Synonyms: censure, tirade, admonish, diatribe
frugal
sparing or economical as regards money or food.
e.g. “I’m a bit too frugal to splash out on designer clothes”
Synonyms: parsimonious
veracious
speaking or representing the truth.
e.g. He will be veracious only so long as the consequences are not seriously injurious.
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disinterested
unbiased, impartial
e.g. The police were disinterested in the petty qualms made by the thief.
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anomalous
deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected; anomaly
e.g. “The existence of two governing bodies is anomalous and detrimental.”
Synonyms:
amorphous
shapeless; no defined shape
e.g. “I have never known a country so amorphous and yet so self contained, so individual.”
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enervate
make (someone) feel drained of energy or vitality.
e.g. Watching too much TV tends to enervate me for the rest of the day.
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chastise
reprimand harshly
e.g. The waiter was chastised for forgetting the customer’s order.
Synonyms: upbraid, censure, rebuke, admonish, castigate
commensurate
corresponding in size or degree; in proportion.
e.g. “The salary will be commensurate with age and experience”
Synonyms: corresponding, equivalent, proportionate
intimate
to suggest subtly
e.g. With her body language, Ana intimated that she wasn’t comfortable giving her speech anymore.
Synonyms: