Manhattan Vocab Flashcards
inchoate
(adj) not well formed
(adj) incoherent or lacking order
(adj) incipient, still developing or incomplete
She had inchoate feelings of affection for a man whom she had, up till now, thought of as only a friend.
obdurate
(adj) ornery, obstinate
(adj) unyielding to persuasion; resistant to appeals or softening influences
(adj) persistent in wrongdoing or impenitent; hardened against emotions
He is known for his obdurate determination.
amalgamate
(v) to mix, merge, or combine into a whole
They amalgamated the hospital and the university.
effrontery
(n) insolence, boldness, or presumption
The little squirt had the effrontery to deny eating any cookies, even with the crumbs still on his lips.
rarefy
(v) to make or become thin, less compact, or less dense
(v) to purify, refine, or make more spiritual
diatribe
(n) bitter, abusive criticism or denunciation
He was forced to sit through a long diatribe after he came home late once too often.
precipitate
(v) to throw of fall down headlong
(v) to bring about or cause to happen
(v) to cause to separate from a solution
(adj) speeding headlong, rapidly, or dangerously
(adj) occurring abruptly or unexpectedly
The air mass was dry, as much of the moisture had precipitated out on the other side of the mountains.
disabuse
(v) to free someone from a misconception or deception
Let me disabuse you of your foolish notions about married life
aver
(v) to assert or affirm positively
(v) to formally assert or prove in pleading a case
He averred that he was innocent.
condign
(adj) deserved, appropriate
A suspension without pay is condign punishment for breaking the company’s code of business ethics.
bolster
(v) to support, uphold, hearten, or boost
She came with me to bolster my confidence.
undermine
(v) to weaken by washing away the support or foundation underneath
(v) to weaken, injure, or ruin by degrees or a little at a time; to sap
(v) to subvert secretly or insidiously
(adj) to dig a mine or tunnel underneath
The events of the past month have undermined people’s confidence in the government.
deliberate
(v) to think carefully or consider
(adj) 1. carefully considered, 2. slowly, unhurriedly decided, 3. done intentionally or with awareness of the consequences
The NSA deliberated over the decision to spy on Americans.
assuage
(v) to make less intense or severe, to ease
(v) to satisfy, appease, or quench
(v) to pacify, sooth, or quiet
He couldn’t assuage his guilt over the betrayal.
laconic
(adj) concise, terse, or extremely sparing with words; using a minimum amount of words
He had a reputation for being laconic.
lucid
(adj) intelligible or readily understandable
(adj) sane or rational
(adj) translucent or clear; bright or luminous
He is able to recognize his wife in his lucid moments.
enervate
(v) to weaken or sap the strength, vigor, or vitality of
A lifetime of working in dreary jobs had enervated his very soul.
morose
(adj) sullen, gloomy, or melancholy
He became morose and withdrawn and would not talk to anyone.
eulogy
(n) a praising speech or tribute, especially honoring someone who has died
(n) high praise
He delivered a moving eulogy at his father’s funeral.
placate
(v) to soothe the anger of, mollify, or appease
They did everything the could to placate the armed bank robber before he went off the deep end and hurt somebody else.
antagonism
(n) hostility, opposition, or active resistance
The antagonism between them was so bad they couldn’t even sit near each other.
skeptical
(adj) showing, expressing, or given to doubt or questioning
He was skeptical of government intervention even before the leak about NSA spying activities.
intrepid
(adj) resolutely fearless or undaunted
He was an intrepid pilot who performed maneuvers that other flyers thought impossible.
mollify
(v) to soothe or calm the temper or feelings of
(v) to soften or make less rigid; to temper or lessen the intensity of
He tried to mollify his critics with an apology.
anomalous
(adj) deviating from the norm or expectations; irregular
(adj) uncertain or incongruous in nature
Researchers could not explain the anomalous test results.
mundane
(adj) ordinary, commonplace
(adj) of or related to this world, as opposed to the heavens
He lived a mundane life after he retired from the service.
quotidian
(adj) everyday, commonplace or ordinary
Not content with the quotidian quarrels that other couples had, they had rows that shook the entire neighborhood.
burgeon
(v) to produce or send out new growth; to sprout or bloom
(v) to grow, expand, or develop quickly
The market for collectibles has burgeoned in recent years.
sap
(n) 1. the circulatory fluid of a plant; an essential bodily fluid 2. health, vitality, or energy 3. a gullible person, fool
(v) 1. to deplete, drain, or weaken, 2. to diminish the intensity or supply of, 3. to undermine the foundations of
occult
(adj) secret or withheld from the uninitiated
(adj) mysterious, inscrutable, difficult, or impossible to comprehend
gainsay
(v) to deny or prove false
(v) to oppose or speak out against
He repeatedly tried to gainsay me, though every point I made was backed up by facts.
sanction
(positive) official permission; support; (v) to authorize or approve
It was a sanctioned hit.
(negative) a penalty meant to force compliance; (v) to penalize
complaisant
(adj) butt kissing
(adj) agreeable, eager to please, obliging
distend
(v) to extend; to swell from internal pressure
churlish
(adj) rude; marked by a lack of civility or graciousness, surly
(adj) difficult to work with or deal with
It would be churlish not to congratulate him.
sycophant
(adj) a person who praises powerful people in order to get their approval
When her career was riding high, the self-deluded actress often mistook sycophants for true friends.
exculpate
(v) to clear from alleged fault or guilt
The lawyer presented evidence that exculpated the defendant.
exonerate
(v) to relieve of a responsibility, obligation, or hardship
(v) to clear from accusation or blame
The results of the DNA fingerprinting finally exonerated the man, but only after he had wasted 10 years of his life in prison.
candor
(adj) honesty
She spoke with candor about racism.
truculent
(adj) feeling or displaying ferocity
(adj) aggressively self-assertive
Die-hard fans who became truculent and violent after their team’s loss.
paucity
(n) smallness of number or quantity
There is a paucity of useful answers to the problem of traffic congestion at rush hour.
economies of scale
increase in efficiency of production as the number of goods being produced increases
synergy
(n) combined action or operation
(n) a mutually advantageous compatibility of distinct business participants or elements
A synergy has developed among the different groups working on this project.
conflate
(v) to bring together
(v) combine into a composite whole
The movie conflates documentary footage and dramatized reenactments so seamlessly and ingeniously that viewers may not know what is real and what is not.
pragmatic
(adj) practical as opposed to idealistic
(adj) relating to matters of fact or practical affairs often to the exclusion of intellectual or artistic matters
His pragmatic view of public education comes from years of working in city schools.
paucity
(n) smallness of number or quantity
There is a paucity of useful answers to the problem of traffic congestion at rush hour.
economies of scale
increase in efficiency of production as the number of goods being produced increases
synergy
(n) combined action or operation
(n) a mutually advantageous compatibility of distinct business participants or elements
A synergy has developed among the different groups working on this project.
hackneyed
(adj) cliche
(adj) unoriginal, trite, banal, so commonplace as to be stale
The old saying is hackneyed, but true—the more you save the more you earn.
spurious
(adj) of a deceitful nature or quality
The spurious Picasso painting that wouldn’t have fooled an art expert for a second.
pith
(n) the essential part, the core, essence, or substance of a matter
(n) mettle or vigor
(n) importance or significance
We finally got to the pith of the discussion.
ebullience
(adj) exuberance or liveliness, especially in a manner or expression
artless
(adj) uncultured or ignorant
(adj) poorly or crudely made
(adj) sincere, straight forward, no b.s.
Her simple artless charm won us over instantly.
corroborate
(v) to support with evidence, make more certain, or confirm
The video footage will corroborate his testimony.
plasticity
(n) capacity to be molded or made to assume or hold a shape
We chose that type of clay for its greater plasticity.
plethora
(n) excess, profusion, or overabundance
propitiate
(v) to kiss ass
(V) gain or regain the favor of, appease or conciliate
He made an offering to propitiate the angry gods.
din
(n) loud, clamorous noise
precarious
(adj) lacking stability, dangerously uncertain
(adj) based on uncertain or dubious premises
He earned a precarious livelihood by gambling.
tortuous
(adj) winding, containing numerous twists, turns, or bends
(adj) crooked, tricky, or devious
They followed a tortuous path up the mountain.
tenuous
(adj) not dense, thin or diluted in consistency
(adj) slender
(adj) lacking substance or strength, flimsy
He has a tenuous grasp on reality.
profuse
(adj) present or available in great amount, plentiful
(adj) pouring forth freely or abundantly
He offered profuse apologies for being late.
zenith
(n) the highest point
He was at the zenith of his career as a pilot.
desiccate
(v) to dry out completely
(v) to preserve (food) by drying
The historian’s dryasdust prose desiccates what is actually an exciting period in European history.
veneration
(n) the act of regarding or treating with profound respect, awe, or admiration
The public display of faith was a sincere demonstration of the group’s veneration to God.
vacillate
(v) To hesitate or waver in forming an opinion or make a decision
(v) To fluctuate or oscillate
perfidy
(n) 1. The quality or state of being disloyal; treachery; faithlessness
2. An act of disloyalty
derivative
(adj. ) Not original, secondary, or copied
(adj. ) Derived
fracas
(n) A noisy, loud quarrel, brawl, or disturbance
explicit
(adj. ) Fully and clearly expressed, without leaving anything to implication
(adj. ) Fully developed or defined
(adj. ) Forthright and unambiguous in expression
presumptuous
(adj.) Overstepping the bounds of what’s right or proper; inappropriately
forward or taking liberties
extraneous
(adj. ) Irrelevant, unrelated, not pertinent
(adj. ) Nonessential, not vital
(adj. ) Coming from outside
slight
(v) 1. To treat as unimportant or make light of
2. To treat with disdain or discourteous inattention
3. To do inattentively or negligently
(n) An instance of being slighted
(adj. ) 1. Slim or delicate of body 2. Small in size, extent, or quantity 3. Trifling, trivial, or unimportant 4. Lack strength or substance; flimsy
vigor
(n) Active strength or energy; vitality
transparent
(adj. ) Permitting the passage of light, sheer enough to see through
(adj. ) Frank, candid, and free of deceit or pretense
(adj. ) Obvious; readily seen or understood
(adj. ) Open with regards to methods or practices, especially in business
pristine
(adj. ) Belonging or related to the original, earliest condition; primitive
(adj. ) Remaining in a pure, unspoiled state, untouched by civilization
(adj. ) Clean as if new
confound
(v) To confuse, perplex, or stump; To throw into disorder
(v) To mix up, fail to notice differences
(v) To refute, prove wrong, or put to shame
console
(v) To comfort, alleviate someone’s grief, suffering, or sense of loss
(n) 1. a cabinet (such as for a television) designed to stand on the floor
2. the control unit of a computer, electrical system, vehicle, etc.
discrete
(n) Separate or distinct; an individual thing
(n) Consisting of unconnected individual parts; not continuous
specious
\spē-shəs\
(adj. ) Deceptive in attractions or allure
(adj. ) Falsely appearing true, genuine, or plausible
approbation
(n) Official approval
(n) Commendation, praise; a warm expression of approval
concur
(v) To agree, cooperate, or coincide
nadir
\ˈnā-dir\
\ˈnā-dər\
(adj. ) The lowest point
(adj. ) A point on the celestial sphere, opposite the zenith and below the observer
tractability
(n) Capacity for being led, controlled, or taught; docility
(n) Malleability; Ease of being handled or worked with
impermeable
(adj.) Not permeable; preventing passage through or into itself
denunciation
(n) 1. public condemnation or censure
2. an accusation of a crime
lackluster
(adj.) Without luster or brilliance; dull
foment
(v) To foster or promote the development of; to incite or rouse
deference
(n) Submission to or due respect for superiors or elders
veracity
(n) Conformity or adherence to the truth or accuracy
diffuse
(adj. ) Dispersed, spread out
(adj. ) Wordy and poorly organized
innocuous
(adj. ) Harmless or without negative effect
(adj. ) Unlikely to offend or inspire a strong reaction; insipid or bland
audacious
(adj. ) Recklessly bold;
(adj. ) Insolent or contemptuous of rules
(adj. ) Original and spirited
abate
(v) To reduce in degree, amount, or intensity
obstinate
(adj.) Stubbornly sticking to an attitude, opinion, purpose, or course, against
argument or persuasion; difficult to control, subdue, or remedy
prodigious
(adj. ) Impressive or extraordinary in bulk, amount, or degree; enormous
(adj. ) Marvelous, eliciting amazement
stolid
(adj.) Unemotional or impassive
alleviate
(v) To mitigate, lessen, or make bearable
levy
(v) 1. To impose and collect (such as a tax)
2. To draft troops into military service 3. To declare and wage war
exacerbate
(v) To make more severe, violent, or bitter; to aggravate, intensify, or inflame
covert
(adj. ) Not openly done, acknowledged, or avowed; veiled
(adj. ) Sheltered or covered
apprise
(v) To inform, tell, or give notice to
recalcitrant
(adj.) Stubbornly resisting or defying authority or guidance
derision
(n) Ridicule, mockery, or scorn
taciturn
(adj.) Disinclined to speak by temperament
blithe
(adj. ) Lighthearted, carefree, joyous, or gaily cheerful
(adj. ) Thoughtless, heedless, or without regard or consideration
convoke
(v) To call (as a group of people) to a meeting
impetuous
(adj. ) Impulsive, characterized by sudden, passionate action
(adj. ) Violent or forceful
ponderous
(adj. ) Of great weight; unwieldy due to heaviness and bulk
(adj. ) Labored, dull, or lifeless
