Magoosh Vocab (Common Words) Flashcards
venality
(n) the condition of being susceptible to bribes or corruption
auspicious
(adj) favorable, the opposite of sinister
amenable
(adj) easily persuaded
amorphous
(adj) shapeless
gregarious
(adj) to be likely to socialize with others
parochial
(adj) narrowly restricted in scope or outlook
anomalous
(adj) not normal
veracious
(adj) truthful
calumny
(n) making of a false statement meant to injure a person’s reputation
ingenuous
(adj) to be naive and innocent
acrimony
(n) bitterness or ill will
equivocal
(adj) confusing or ambiguous
intimate
(v) to suggest something subtly
profligate
(adj) spending resources recklessly or wastefully; (n) someone who spends resources recklessly or wastefully
extant
(adj) still in existence (documents)
parsimonious
(adj) extremely frugal; misery
qualify
(v) to make less severe; to limit (a statement)
impudent
(adj) improperly forward or bold
dogmatic
(adj) highly opinionated, not accepting that your belief may not be correct
prescience
(n) the power to foresee the future
volubility
(n) the quality of talking or writing easily and continuously
preclude
(v) keep from happening or arising; make impossible
querulous
(adj) habitually complaining
incisive
(adj) having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
perfidy
(n) an act of deliberate betrayal; a breach of trust
platitude
(n) a trite or obvious remark
mawkish
(adj) overly sentimental to the point that it is disgusting
conspicuous
(adj) without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious
germane
(adj) relevant and appropriate
gall
(n) the trait of being rude and impertinent; (n) feeling of deep and bitter anger or ill-will
gossamer
(adj) characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy
vociferous
(adj) conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry
predilection
(n) a strong liking
superfluous
(adj) serving no useful purpose; (adj) more than is needed, desired, or required
lambast
(v) criticize severely or angrily
banal
(adj) repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
deferential
(adj) showing respect
contrive
(v) to pull off a plan or scheme, usually through skill or trickery
disaffected
(adj) discontented as toward authority
ascetic
(adj) practicing self-denial; (n) one who practices great self-denial
travesty
(n) an absurd presentation of something; a mockery
tantamount
(adj) being essentially equal to something
immutable
(adj) not able to be changed
spurious
(adj) plausible but false
panache
(n) distinctive and showy elegance
insidious
(adj) working in a subtle but destructive way
circumvent
(v) to cleverly find a way out of one’s duties or obligations
guileless
(adj) free of deceit
fallacious
(adj) of a belief that is based on faulty reasoning
refractory
(adj) stubbornly resistant to authority or control
denote
(v) to be a sign or indication of; have as a meaning
subsume
(v) to contain or include; (v) to consider as part of a general rule or principle
travesty
(n) an absurd presentation of something; a mockery
frustrate
(v) to hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of
precocious
(adj) characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (mental aptitude)
heretic
(n) a person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field
ephemeral
(adj) lasting a very short time
espouse
(v) to adopt or support an idea or cause
intransigent
(adj) unwilling to change one’s beliefs or course of action
pundit
(n) someone who has been admitted to membership in a scholarly field
ostentatious
(adj) intended to attract notice and impress others tawdry or vulgar
idiosyncrasy
(n) a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual
abstruse
(adj) difficult to understand; incomprehensible
denigrate
(v) to charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
ingratiate
(v) to gain favor with somebody to deliberate efforts
petulant
(adj) easily irritated or annoyed
discrete
(adj) constituting a separate entity or part
provincial
(adj) characteristic of a limited perspective; not fashionable or sophisticated
opaque
(ad) not see-through; not clearly understood or expressed
ignoble
(adj) dishonorable
largess
(adj) extreme generosity and giving
myriad
(n) a large infinite number
garrulous
(adj) full of trivial conversation
munificent
(adj) very generous
propitious
(adj) presenting favorable circumstances; likely to result in or show signs of success
subversive
(adj) in opposition to an established system or institution
austere
(adj) practicing self-denial; (adj) unadorned in style or appearance; (adj) harsh in manner of temperament
precipitous
(adj) done with very great haste and without due deliberation
arbitrary
based on a random, groundless decision
antithetical
(adj) sharply contrasted in character or purpose
pernicious
(adj) exceedingly harmful; working or spreading in a hidden and injurious way
constituent
(n) a citizen who is represented in a government by officials for whom he or she votes; (n) an abstract part of something
brazen
(adj) unrestrained by convention or propriety
inscrutable
(adj) not easily understood; unfathomable
pedestrian
(adj) lacking imagination
poignant
(adj) emotionally touching
dilettante
(adj) an amateur who engages in an activity without serious intentions and who pretends to have knowledge
obsequious
(adj) attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
askance
(adverb) with a look of suspicion or disapproval
Ex: They looked askance on the teenagers
economical
(adj) avoiding waste, efficient
nonplussed
(adj) unsure of how to act or respond
edifying
(adj) enlightening or uplifting so as to encourage intellectual or moral improvement
maladroit
(adj) clumsy
efficacious
(adj) producing the intended result
capricious
(adj) determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason
imprudent
(adj) not wise
transient
(adj) lasting a very short time
pejorative
(adj) expressing disapproval (usually refers to a term)
erudite
(adj) having or showing profound knowledge
mendacity
(n) the tendency to be untruthful
timorous
(adj) timid by nature or revealing fear and nervousness
harried
(adj) troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
ignominious
(adj) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame (conduct or character)
polemic
(n) a strong verbal/written attack on someone or something
opulence
(n) wealth as evidenced by sumptuous living
furtive
(adj) marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed
banality
(n) a trite or obvious remark
duress
(n) compulsory force or threat (under duress)
