MSU Flashcards
1
Q
aberrant
A
deviating from normal or correct
2
Q
abscond
A
to leave secretly and hide, often to avoid the law
3
Q
aggrandize
A
to make greater, to increase, thus, to exaggerate
4
Q
amalgamate
A
to unite or mix
5
Q
ambrosial
A
extremely pleasing to the senses, divine or delicious
6
Q
anomalous
A
peculiar; unique, contrary to the norm
7
Q
antediuvian
A
ancient; outmoded
8
Q
arbitrate
A
to settle a dispute by impulse
9
Q
assuage
A
to make less severe; to appease or satisfy
10
Q
attenuate
A
weaken
11
Q
audacious
A
extremely bold; fearless, especially said of human behavior
12
Q
aver
A
to declare
13
Q
banal
A
commonplace or trite
14
Q
blandishment
A
speech or action intended to coax someone into doing something
15
Q
bombast
A
pompous speech
16
Q
burgeon
A
to grow or flourish; a bud or new growth
17
Q
buttress
A
to support
18
Q
cadge
A
to get something by taking advantage of someone
19
Q
caprice
A
impulse
20
Q
castigate
A
to chastise or criticize severely
21
Q
caustic
A
capable of dissolving by chemical action; highly critical
22
Q
chicanery
A
deception by trickery
23
Q
conflagration
A
a great fire
24
Q
corporeal
A
of or having to do with material, as opposed to spiritual; tangible
25
craven
cowardly; a coward
26
dearth
lack, scarcity
The prosecutor complained about the dearth of concrete evidence against the suspect.
27
deference
submission or courteous yielding
He held his tongue in deference to his father.
28
descry
to make clear, to say
29
desiccate
to dry out thoroughly
30
diatribe
a bitter abusive denunciation
31
diffident
lacking self-confidence, modest
32
disabuse
to free a person from falsehood or error
We had to disabuse her of the notion that she was invited.
33
disparaging
belittling
34
dissemble
to conceal one's real motive, to feign
35
dogged
stubborn or determined
Her dogged pursuit of the degree eventually paid off.
36
eclectic
selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources
Many modern decorator prefer an eclectic style.
37
effluent
the quality of flowing out; something that flows out, such as a stream from a river
38
emollient
softening; something that softens
39
emulate
to strive to equal or excel
40
encomium
a formal eulogy or speech of praise
41
endemic
prevalent in or native to a certain region, locality, or people
The disease was endemic to the region
42
enervate
to weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of
The heat enervated everyone.
43
engender
to give rise to, to propagate, to cause
His slip of the tongue engendered much laughter.
44
equivocal
ambiguous; unclear; subject to more than one interpretation, often intentionally so
Republicans complained that Bill Clinton's answers were equivocal
45
esoteric
intended for or understood by only a few
The esoteric discussion confused some people.
46
exorbitant
exceeding customary or normal limits, especially in quantity or price
The cab fare was exorbitant.
47
fawn
to seek favor or attention; to act subserviantly
48
feign
to give false appearance or impression
He feigned illness to avoid going to school.
49
floundering
struggling
We tried to save the floundering business.
50
garrulous
verbose; talkative, rambling
51
guile
skillful deceit
52
impecunious
penniless, poor
53
imperious
commanding
54
improvidence
an absence of foresight; a failure to provide for future needs or events
Their improvidence resulted in the loss of their home.
55
inchoate
in an initial or early stage; incomplete, disorganized
The act of writing forces one to clarify inchoate thoughts.
56
incorrigible
not capable of being corrected
The school board finally decided James of incorrigible and expelled him from school.
57
indelible
permanent; un-erasable; strong
The Queen made an indelible impression on her subjects
58
ineffable
indescribable; inexpressible in words; unspeakable
59
ingenuous
unsophisticated, artless; straightforward, candid
Wilson's ingenuous response to the controversial calmed the suspicious listeners.
60
insipid
lacking zest or excitement; dull
61
insular
of or pertaining to an island, thus, excessively exclusive
Newcomers found it difficult to make friends in the insular community.
62
intransigent
stubborn; immovable; unwilling to change
She was so intransigent that we finally gave up trying to convince her.
63
irascible
prone to outbursts of temper, easily angered
64
laconic
using few words; terse
65
latent
present or potential but not evident or active
66
leviathan
giant whale; something very large
67
loquacious
talkative
68
lugubrious
weighty, mournful, or gloomy, especially to an excessive degree
Jake's lugubrious monologues depressed his friends.
69
nefarous
wicked, evil
70
noisome
harmful, offensive, destructive
The noisome odor of the dump carried for miles.
71
obdurate
hardened against influence or feeling; intractable
72
obviate
to prevent by anticipatory measures; to make unnecessary
73
occlude
to close or shut off; to obstruct
74
ossified
turned to bone; hardened like bone; inflexible
The ossified culture failed to adapt to new economic conditions and died out.
75
panegyric
a writing or speech in praise of person or thing
76
peccadillo
a small sin or fault
77
pedantic
showing a narrow concern for rules or formal book learning; making excessive display of one's learning
We quickly tired of his pedantic conversation.
78
perfidious
deliberately treacherous; dishonest
79
petulant
easily or frequently annoyed, especially over trivial matters; childishly irritable
80
phlegmatic
not easily excited; cool; slugglish
81
plethora
excessively large quantity; overabundance
We received a plethora of applications for this position.
82
ponderous
heavy; massive; awkward; dull
A ponderous book is better than a sleeping pill.
83
precipice
cliff with a vertical or nearly vertical face; a dangerous place from which one is likely to fall; metaphorically, a very risky circumstance
84
prevaricate
to stray away from or evade the truth
When we asked him what his intentions were, he prevaricated.
85
prodigal
rashly wasteful
Americans' prodigal devotion to the automobile is unique.
86
propitiate
to conciliate; to appease
They made sacrifices to propitiate the angry gods.
87
pulchritudinous
beautiful
88
pusillanimous
cowardly, timid; petty
The pusillanimous leader soon lost the respect of his people.
89
quiescence
inactivity, stillness, dormancy
90
rarefy
to make or become thin; to purify or refine
91
reproof
the act of censuring, scolding, or rebuking
92
rescind
to repeal or annul
93
sagacious
having a sharp or powerful intellect of discernment
94
saturnine
having a gloomy or morose temperament
95
savant
a very knowledgeable person; a genious
96
sedulous
diligent; persevering; persistent
her sedulous devotion to overcoming her background impressed many.
97
specious
seemingly true by really false; deceptively convincing or attractive
her argument, thought specious, was readily accepted by many.
98
tirade
an angry speech
99
turpitude
depravity; baseness
Mr. Castor was fired for moral turpitude.
100
tyro
beginner; person lacking experience in a specific endeavor
101
vacuous
empty, without contents; without ideas or intelligence
102
viscous
slow moving; highly resistant to flow
103
voracious
craving or devouring large quantities of food, drinks, or other things
