March Flashcards
Middlebrow
(of art or literature or a system of thought) demanding or involving only a moderate degree of intellectual application, typically as a result of not deviating from convention.
e.g. “middlebrow fiction”
vagary
an unexpected and inexplicable change in a situation or in someone’s behavior.
syn: change, fluctuation
“the vagaries of the weather”
compatriots
同胞，a fellow citizen or national of a country.
e.g. “Stich defeated his compatriot Boris Becker in the quarterfinals”
conflate
combine (two or more texts, ideas, etc.) into one.
synonyms: mix, blend, fuse, unite, integrate
e. g. “the urban crisis conflates a number of different economic and social issues”
e. g. “the plot gets weighed down when the writers conflate too many issues into one episode”
despondent
in low spirits from loss of hope or courage.
synonyms: disheartened, discouraged
e. g. I had never seen them looking so despondent.
e. g. a group of despondent fans
profligate
adj. recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.
e. g. “profligate consumers of energy”
e. g. In America, even the homeless were profligate
gripe
informal. express a complaint or grumble about something, especially something trivial.
e. g. “they gripe about the busywork”
staid
adj, sedate, respectable, and unadventurous.
e. g. “staid law firms”
e. g. RBC party had always been a staid affair
cronyism
Cronyism is partiality to long-standing friends, especially by appointing them to positions of authority, regardless of their qualifications. Hence, cronyism is contrary in practice and principle to meritocracy.
e.g. Politically, “cronyism” is derogatorily used.
compel
force or oblige (someone) to do something.
“a sense of duty compelled Harry to answer her questions”
stymie
verb, informal, STYMEE
prevent or hinder the progress of.
“the changes must not be allowed to stymie new medical treatments”
yelp
a short sharp cry, especially of pain or alarm.
“she uttered a yelp as she bumped into a table”
synonyms: squeal, shriek, howl, yowl, yell, cry, shout
fringe
The edge of something, often used to indicate the borderlines of a certain concept: in politics, the fringe is usually the rare bunch of extremists, or in general the outcast members of a group that are considered less than peccable members.
e.g. Shit man, you actually believe a word this guy says? He’s a fringe scientist! An astrologist would be more believable!
impetus
the force that makes something happen or happen more quickly.
synonyms: motivation, stimulus, momentum
e.g. “the crisis of the 1860s provided the original impetus for the settlements”
heirloom
a valuable object that has belonged to a family for several generations.
e.g. A glass cup..a precious heirloom, and a harbinger of the family’s fortunes.
harbinger
a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another.
“witch hazels are the harbingers of spring”
synonyms: herald, sign, indication, signal,
derelict
adj. in a very poor condition as a result of disuse and neglect; damned, doomed, lost
e. g. “the cities were derelict and dying”
(of a person) shamefully negligent in not having done what one should have done. negligent, neglectful.
e.g. “he was derelict in his duty to his country”
noun. a person without a home, job, or property; tramp, vagrant, vagabond
“derelicts who could fit all their possessions in a paper bag”
corrugated
(of a material, surface, or structure) shaped into alternate ridges and grooves.
e.g. “the roof was made of corrugated iron”
pare
reduce (something) in size, extent, quantity, or number, usually in a number of small successive stages. Syn: trim.
e.g. “union leaders publicly pared down their demands”
esoteric
intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest.
e.g. “esoteric philosophical debates”
Condone
accept and allow (behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive) to continue.
“the college cannot condone any behavior that involves illicit drugs”
synonyms: disregard, accept, allow, let pass, turn a blind eye to, overlook, forget; More
