N Flashcards
nadir
n. lowest point
Jim’s life reached its nadir when he went bankrupt.
naïve
adj. lacking sophistication and worldliness
The naïve customer believed everything that the salesperson told her.
naiveté
n. lack of sophistication and worldliness
For an adult, Florence displays remarkable naiveté.
narcissistic
adj. having excessive love for oneself
Narcissistic Ray loved to stand in front of the mirror admiring himself.
narrative
n. account, story
The book is largely a narrative of the explorer’s life.
nascent
adj. starting to develop, coming into existence
The government is supporting the nascent industory.
natal
adj. relating to birth
The astrologer calculated his client’s natal chart.
nebulous
adj. vague, cloudy
The argument is nebulous.
necromancy
n. black magic
Necromancy is widely practiced on the island.
necropsy
n. autopsy
The Roman physician Antistius performed one of the earliest necropsies on record when in 44 B.C. he examined Julius Caesar and documented twenty-three wounds, including a final fatal stab to the chest.
nafarious
adj. vicious, evil
The nefarious plot to blow up the building was uncovered.
negate
v. cancel out; nullify
The team’s victory in the second game negated their opponent’s victory in the first game.
negligent
adj. careless, inattentive
There is evidence that the defendant was negligent in performing his duties.
negligible
adj. not worth considering
It is a negligible amount of money for a rich person.
nemesis
n. an unbeatable enemy; a source of injury
The team suffered its sixth straight loss to its nemesis.
neologism
n. new word or expression
The dictionary is updated regularly to include recent neologisms.
neonate
n. newborn child
The parents are caring for the neonate.
neophyte
n. novice, beginner
Despite being a neophyte at tennis, Gail put up a good fight in her first match.
ne plus ultra
n. the perfect or most extreme example of its kind
Many people consider Jimi Hendrix the ne plus ultra of electric guitarists.
nepotism
n. favoritism to a relative
The law makes nepotism in hiring illegal.
nescience
n. absence of knowledge; ignorance
“No student will leave my class in a state of nescience,” the teacher told her class.
Nestorianism
n. a religious belief system holding that with in Jesus are two distinct persons, divine and human, rather than a single divine person
Nestorianism was condemned at the Council of Ephesus in 431.
nether
adj. located under or below
Hell is often pictured as located in the nether regions of the Earth.
nettle
v. to irritate
I was nettled by the continually ringing cell phones.