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”
Synonyms:
extant
still in existence; surviving
e.g. We have some extant parish records from the 16th century.
Synonyms:
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.
Synonyms:
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.
Synonyms:
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.
Synonyms:
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.
Synonyms:
disinterested
unbiased, impartial
e.g. The police were disinterested in the petty qualms made by the thief.
Synonyms:
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.”
Synonyms:
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.
Synonyms:
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:
laconic
(of a person, speech, or style of writing) describing something using very few words. e.g. “his laconic reply suggested a lack of interest in the topic”
Synonyms:
involved
complicated; difficult to comprehend
e.g. The physics lecture became so involved that the undergraduate’s eyes glazed over.
Synonyms:
vindicate
to clear of accusations
e.g. He felt vindicated when the truth became known.
Synonyms: acquit, exonerate, exculpate
maintain
to assert
e.g. “Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the laws of God?”
Synonyms:
egregious
outstandingly bad, shocking; stand out in a bad way
e.g. It bothers me that there was an egregious lack of informed consent.
Synonyms:
ambivalent
uncertain; conflicted in emotions
e.g. “we reported on the country’s ambivalent relationship with their neighbours”
Synonyms: equivocal, uncertain
undermine
lessen the effectiveness, power, or ability of; to weaken
e.g. She undermined him and destroyed his confidence in his own talent.
Synonyms:
galvanize
shock or excite (someone) into taking action.
e.g. “we need a moral victory, something to galvanize public opinion”
Synonyms: electrify, invigorate, energize
artful
clever or skillful, especially in a crafty or cunning way.
e.g. The prime minister dealt with the interviewer’s questions in a very artful way.
Synonyms:
auspicious
conducive to success; favorable
e.g. It is an auspicious sign that the government has agreed to a meeting
Synonyms: propitious
fortuitous
happening by chance rather than intention
e.g. “the ball went into the goal by a fortuitous ricochet”
Synonyms:
glut
an excess/abundant supply of something
e.g. “Comics crashed in 1993, with a glut of titles and excessive print runs.”
Synonyms:
perfidy
the state of being deceitful and untrustworthy.
e.g. One act of perfidy on the part of a nation will shatter a reputation.
Synonyms: treachery, duplicity, infidelity, dishonesty
engender
cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition).
e.g. “You engender a feeling of comfort and stability to those within your charge.”
Synonyms:
entrenched
(of an attitude, habit, or belief) firmly established and difficult or unlikely to change; ingrained.
e.g. “concessions which entrenched so deeply on the honour and dignity of the Crown”
Synonyms:
gossamer
a light, thin, and insubstantial or delicate material or substance.
e.g. “the dress was made of a fine gossamer fabric that clung to her skin”
Synonyms:
superfluous
unnecessary, especially through being more than enough.
e.g. “the purchaser should avoid asking for superfluous information”
Synonyms:
gainsay
deny or contradict (a fact or statement)
e.g. “Everyone who believes it is legit will find some way to gainsay the believers.”
Synonyms:
impudent
not showing due respect for another person; improperly bold
e.g.
Synonyms: audacious, bold, brazen, gall
eschew
deliberately avoid using; abstain from.
e.g. “he appealed to the crowd to eschew violence”
Synonyms: relinquish, renounce, abjure, forgo
reticent
quiet or restrained; disinclined to talk
e.g. “She was extremely reticent about her personal affairs”
Synonyms:
bucolic
relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life.
e.g. He drank in the sights and sounds of the bucolic world around him and for the first time in days felt relaxed.
Synonyms:
didactic
intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.
e.g. “While the professor’s lectures were designed to be didactic, they only served to confuse the students.”
Synonyms:
rustic
relating to the countryside; rural
e.g. They chose a fashionably rustic look for the kitchen.
Synonyms:
preclude
prevent from happening; make impossible
e.g. “The secret nature of his work precluded official recognition”
Synonyms:
aesthete
a person who is appreciative of and sensitive to art and beauty.
e.g. “Fair, pale, and slightly built, his clothes fastidiously neat, Filing had the appearance of a gentleman aesthete.”
Synonyms:
torpor
a state of physical or mental inactivity; lethargy
e.g. “the summer months induce a state of torpor in the financial markets”
Synonyms: lethargy, dormancy, sluggish, inertia
volubility
the quality of talking fluently, readily, or incessantly; talkativeness.
e.g. “For an outwardly silent man, his writing reflected an unexpected volubility.”
Synonyms:
dogmatic
highly opinionated
e.g. “her dogmatic beliefs were driving away her friends and family”
Synonyms:
inexorable
impossible to stop or prevent
e.g. The inexorable truth is that Shelley is going to die within six months because she has cancer.
Synonyms: unavoidable, unstoppable,
chortle
laugh in a noisy, gleeful way.
e.g. Vincent gave a jubilant chortle and laid his hand on her head.
Synonyms:
recondite
difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge.
e.g. I found Ulysses recondite and never finished the book
Synonyms:
lambast
criticize (someone or something) harshly.
e.g. “The coach lambasted the team for its poor play.”
Synonyms: castigate, chastise, censure
culpable/culpability
deserving blame/blameworthy
e.g. “But they are both culpable for putting political life on the danger list.”
Synonyms:
predilection
a preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something.
e.g. “He displayed an early predilection for zoology and ornithology”
Synonyms: fondness, penchant
conspicuous
clearly visible, obvious
e.g. “Its large flowers have a conspicuous mass of red stamens (white in myrtle).”
Synonyms:
prescience
predicting the future; the fact of knowing something in advance
e.g. “He predicted their response with amazing prescience.”
Synonyms:
vociferous
conspicuously and offensively loud
e.g. “Those who call themselves left wing are among the most vociferous opponents of change today.”
Synonyms:
concede
- admit or agree that something is true after first denying or resisting it.
- surrender, yield
e.g. “If the union wants more money it has to be ready to concede ground.”
Synonyms:
platitude
A trite or banal remark or statement; cliche
e.g. His hastily rewritten conference speech will have to offer more than platitudes about consulting the people.
Synonyms: cliche
querulous
complaining in a rather petulant or whining manner.
e.g. “He became increasingly dissatisfied and querulous in his old age.”
Synonyms:
meticulous
showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.
e.g. “The raid by Russia’s elite forces was planned in the most meticulous detail.”
Synonyms: diligent, conscientious, methodic, pedantic
dictatorial
expecting unquestioning obedience
e.g. “In some cases, a republic may be a dictatorial or totalitarian state.”
Synonyms:
diffident
modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence.
e.g. She felt diffident about speaking in public.
Synonyms:
mawkish
overly sentimental
e.g. “This, I hope, won’t sound mawkish, but the poems strike me as gentler too.”
Synonyms:
deferential
showing respect
e.g. “The young are deferential to their elders.”
Synonyms: venerate
frivolous
- not having any serious purpose or value.
- not serious in attitude or behavior
e.g. “the frivolous, fun-loving flappers of the twenties”
Synonyms:
apathetic/apathy
lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
e.g. “Another reason for voter apathy is a lack of confidence in politicians.”
Synonyms:
banal
so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring; repeating too often
e.g. “While some of the book’s guidelines are common sense, others are banal.”
Synonyms:
decorous
in keeping with good taste and propriety; polite and restrained.
e.g. “Those who are constantly ‘nice’, seemly and decorous, suppress their natural instincts.”
Synonyms: decorum
germane
relevant; appropriate
e.g. “A number of determinants were considered germane in the selection of mediation for commercial disputes.”
Synonyms: abstruse,
obscure
absurd, unclear, not clearly expressed or easily understood.
e.g. “No doubt some reader of this will know her more obscure connections.”
Synonyms: perplexing, cryptic, vague
mitigate
lessen the gravity of (an offence or mistake).
e.g. “there had been a provocation that mitigated the offence to a degree”
Synonyms:
gall
bold and impudent behaviour.
e.g. I’m sure both parts of this assertion are mere calumny.
Synonyms: audacity, impudent
audacious
being bold and taking risks
e.g. “We need to be more audacious in what we say and do.”
Synonyms: gall, brazen, bold, impudent
culminate
reach a climax or point of highest development.
e.g. Her long acting career culminated when she won the Oscar.
Synonyms: climax, apex, crescendo
incisive
(of a person or mental process) intelligently analytical and clear-thinking.
e.g. We all greatly valued his incisive mind, his calm and patient approach to problems, and his enthusiasm in pursuit of academic excellence.
Synonyms: acute, sharp-witted, astute
exacerbate
make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse.
e.g. The proposed factory shutdown would only exacerbate our unemployment problems.
Synonyms:
aesthetic
concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.
e.g. “Modern artists like Kirchner explored the rough, expressive aesthetic of woodcut.”
Synonyms:
cryptic
having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure.
e.g. “If you keep making cryptic comments, how can I interpret what you’re saying?”
Synonyms: obscure, enigmatic, perplexing
