Medium Level Words 1 Flashcards
overlook
to pay no attention to or to fail to notice (something)
In my haste to respond, I overlooked the most important fact.
oddity
something that is strange, peculiar, or unusual
Even today, a stay-at-home dad is an oddity.
reprieve
a temporary halt in an activity or condition that is unpleasant, painful, or worse
The swimming pool offers a reprieve from the summer heat.
tranquil
tranquility
calm, peaceful
We stayed at a hotel on a tranquil island and heard nothing but birds for hours.
undermine
to gradually weaken or destroy something or someone
Her efforts at learning to play music were undermined by the lack of a good instrument with which to practice.
inconclusive
uncertain, not leading to a conclusion or result
The study’s results were inconclusive: it was unclear whether or not taking the supplement would really improve one’s health.
feasible
capable of being done, possible
It is feasible to build a house in one month, with enough help.
insurmountable
not possible to do or to get past
The idea posed by the President will face insurmountable opposition, and will therefore never be approved.
counteract
to work against something with the goal of reducing it or eliminating it
To counteract the negative publicity, the candidate put out a series of ads with glowing endorsements.
obscure
(verb): to hide or conceal
(adjective): unclear or difficult to see or understand
The dust on the painting obscured the beauty of the work.
efficacy
effectiveness or the capability to produce a desired result
The positive experimental results show that the drug has great efficacy against the disease.
meager
small, or deficient in amount, quality, or extent
Since he started his new diet, he has been eating a meager amount of carbs.
supplant
to replace or supercede
Every day, more and more traditional books are being supplanted by e-books.
conjecture
guess or supposition
Until the Hubble telescope sent clear photographs of the Supernova 1997A, the believed composition was little more than a conjecture.
oversee
to watch over or supervise
As part of her job, she needs to oversee the installation of the new furniture to ensure it placed correctly.
dispassionate
not swayed by emotions,
able to think objectively
Studies done by dispassionate researchers have found no truth to the rumors.
adept
skilled or proficient at something
He is adept at speaking all four languages.
enduring
lasting
More than 50 years later, the tours are still going strong, and it remains one of the most enduring and popular attractions in Seattle.
intermittent
coming and going at irregular intervals, not steady or regular
The intermittent rain had us opening and closing our umbrellas all day.
consensus
a general agreement
Since no one voted against the bill, there was a consensus to proceed.
mitigate
to make something less severe or intense (similar to ameliorate and alleviate)
In order to mitigate the damage, the city extended additonal help to the residents.
amass
to gather or accumulate
He has amassed an enormous number of comic books.
demarcate
to set boundaries or limits
The stone wall demarcated the northern end of her property.
palatable
having a pleasant or acceptable taste, also used metaphorically as “acceptable”
The tax increase was made more palatable to the citizens by the inclusion of a tax rebate.
intercede
to get involved or intervene on someone’s behalf
My mom was so angry at me until my teacher interceded and made her understand that it was not my fault.
discretion
two meanings: 1) option
Prosecutors have discretion in responding to requests from the defense: prosecutors don’t have to respond in a particular way.
2) the ability to act in a way that doesn’t bring attention or embarrassment.
In that job you’ll be expected to show discretion and act like a professional at all times
conventional
normal, typical
The conventional wisdom on what constitutes a healthy diet has been upended by the new research.
register
(as a verb) to record or to indicate
When someone starts to use only negative words, that can register feelings of sadness.
radical
extreme, far from the center
The baggy trousers that Amelia Bloomer introduced in the 1850s were considered a radical form of dress for women at the time.
discern
figure out, detect, or recognize
The new high resolution microscope has allowed scientists to discern differences between the two species.
dynamic
constantly changing or moving
Weather patterns across the Pacific Ocean and dynamic, and the continuously changing factors make predictions difficult.
continuity
an uninterrupted connection or succession
In order to maintain continuity in the company’s management, the senior vice president will now become the president.
revere
to strongly respect and admire
Nelson Mandela is revered for his fight against apartheid.
pretentious
attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed
At first she seemed pretentious because she talked only about 19th century art and used words that only a professor would use.
provocative
provoke
done with the intent of causing a strong reaction
to cause a reaction
The tv show had provocative storylines which often provoked people to become angry or, conversely, very thoughtful.
arbitrary
randomly chosen or decided, based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system
He made an arbitrary decision to start the meeting at 9 am; no one knows why.
entice
to attract by offering promises of something
The new store tried to entice people to shop there by offering 50% off the price of all purchases.
appraise
to evaluate, to assess the value or quality of something
After the storm, the homeowners returned to appraise the damage.
He is going to appraise the situation carefully before he makes a decision.
yield
1) to produce or provide
Her hard work yielded results: she got the highest grade in the class
2) to give in to demands or pressure
Even though they knew she was wrong, the employees had to yield to the boss on the issue.
abrupt
1) sudden and unexpected
I was surprised by the abrupt change in topic.
2) dismissive and rude
He was not nice and quite abrupt with the customer.
reconstitute
turbulent
misgivings
warranted
unwarranted
warranted means “needed, necessary”, so unwarranted means unneeded or unnecessary.
The changes to the rules were warranted because they were unfair.
