Not Mastered Flashcards
parsimonious
extremely frugal; miserly
extant
still in existence (usually refers to documents)
anomalous
not normal
demur
to object or show reluctance
enervate
to sap energy from
profligate
spending resources recklessly or wastefully
calumny
to make a false statement to hurt someone’s rep
eg. Since it’s election season, we will begin to experience the calumny of politicians
slander, defamation of character
ingenuous
to be naive and innocent
eg. Betty quickly changed from an ingenuous country girl when she came to Manhattan
censure
to express strong disapproval
eg. After his affair, the church censured the pastor
mercurial
prone to unexpected and unpredictable changes in mood
eg. Brandon’s moods were as mercurial as the weather in London
ambivalent
having mixed or conflicting emotions about something
eg. Jack was ambivalent about his manager resigning
iconoclast
someone who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions
eg. Joe is an iconoclast for questions the long standing traditions in his family
critic, skeptic, non-conformist
auspicious
signaling future success
capricious
changing suddenly and often
congenial
friendly, pleasant
disparage
to criticize
erudite
learned, well-educated, well-read
eschew
to deliberately avoid using or partaking in
garrulous
extremely talkative
melliflous
having a pleasant and flowing sound
ostentatious
intended to attract notice and impress others
pseudonym
fake name especially one used by an author or artist
reticent
reluctant to reveal one’s thoughts or feelings
taciturn
not talkative
terse
using few words, especially to the point of rudeness
altruistic
unselfishly concerned with the wellbeing of others
extemporaneous
done without preparation
euphony
the quality of being pleased to the ear
cacophony
a harsh and unharmonious mix of sounds
penury
poverty
largesse
generous giving of money
quiescence
inactivity
avarice
greed
affectation
speech or conduct not natural to self
artifice
clever trick, stunning strategy
idiosyncrasy
a strange or unusual habit
peculiar or distinctive feature
anachronism
an error in chronology
alacrity
cheerful readiness
animus
hostility
prosaic
unimaginative
pendantic
describes someone who annoys others by correcting minor details
chicanery
trickery, deception
antipathy
strong dislike, hostility
comity
social harmony
probity
honesty and integrity
fecund
fruitful, fertile
abets
encourages
coalesce
unite
attenuates
weaken
ascetic
practicing self denial, simple and plain
diffident
shy
byzantine
overly complicated, operating in a devious way
recondite
known by few people, difficult to understand
schism
split/division
harbinger
a person or thing that announces the approach of another
phlegmatic
unemotional and calm
precocious
mature or advanced for ones age
restive
restless
soporific
sleep-inducing
polemical
strongly attacking or defending an opinion
tendentious
intending to promote a particular POV, particularly a controversial one
benign
harmless
impugn
to attack as false or questionable
vituperation
angry and abusive criticism
diatribes
angry, critical speeches
equanimous
calm and composed
ephemeral
lasting for a short time
quotidian
everyday, commonplace
trite
overused
tyro
beginner
mawkish
sentimental
cloying
overly sentimental
coterie
exclusive and like-minded
perfunctory
not thorough
tacit
implied
preclude
prevent from happening
antedated
came before
venal
susceptible to bribery
disavowing
denying responsibility for or acceptance of
prolix
long-windedness
discursiveness
rambling
transient
lasting a short time
bashful
shy
dearth
inadequate supply
paucity
scarcity
profusion
large quantity
surfeit
excessive amount of something
salable
able to be sold
bellicosity
demonstrating willingness to fight
bridle
impediment
truculence
eager to argue or fight
improvident
not seeing or providing for the future
clandestine
secretive
surreptitious
secretive
prodigious
great in extent
incongurous
not in harmony with
commensurate
equivalent
propitiate
win or regain the favor of a god or deity
presage
warning of future events
occlude
obstruct
anomalous
differentiating from normal
dilatory
slow to act
egalitarian
believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities
plutocratic
government by wealthy people
inordinate
exceeding reasonable limits
cavalier
having a dismissive attitude and regarding others as inferior
recalcitrant
having an uncooperative attitude toward authority
recapitulate
summarize
repudiate
to reject
facetious
to be sarcastic
patent
obvious, apparent
painstaking
careful
arcane
only known to a few
spurious
false or inauthentic
munificent
generous
mendacity
dishonesty
prevarication
avoidance of truth
baseness
morally low, having bad character
specious
plausible but wrong, misleading
fortuitious
lucky
inalienable
unable to be taken away from
exigent
pressing, urgent
extraneous
irrelevant or unrelated to the subject being dealt with
indefatigable
tireless
benign
gentle and kindly
inadvertent
not deliberate, unintentional
erstwhile
former
inscrutable
impossible to understand
repudiate
refuse to accept
indolence
laziness
eclectic
varied
judicious
done with good judgement
jettison
get rid of
intelligble
capable of being understood
germane
relevant to the subject matter
ahistorical
lacking historical perspective / context
irascible
easily angered
pugnacious
wanting to start an argument or fight
fitfully
sporadically
debased
reduced in quality or value
modish
following what is fashionable
equivocal
not clear and seeming to have two opposing meanings, or confusing and able to be understood in two different ways
sanguine
optimistic
pernicious
having a harmful effect
salubrious
healthy
florid
overly decorated, reddish
timorous
timid
calumnious
slanderous
inveigling
persuade someone to do something
cajole
persuade someone to do something
wheedle
use flattery to convince someone to do something
evanescent
short-lived
recrudescent
reactivating
inimical
unfriendly/hostile
interminable
never ending
malign
evil
impolitic
unwise
exposition
setting forth the meaning of a writing or observation
objurgation
to reprimand harshly
nettles
irritates
antithetical
contradictory
portentuous
acting too serious to impress others
banal
overused, unoriginal
elusive
hard to capture / understand
vestigal
remaining
nascenting
just beggining, forming
disinterested
unbiased
flaccid
soft and limp
supine
failing to act due to moral weakness
pejorative
a word or phrase that has negative connotations
misnomer
naming something incorrectly
magnanimity
generous
disquietude
state of uneasiness or anxiety
aplomb
confidence
unintelligible
not easy to understand
portend
be a sign or warning that (something, especially something momentous or calamitous) is likely to happen.
supplication
the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly
entreaty
an earnest or humble request.
willfulness
the determined desire to do what you want without caring what other people want or feel
cogency
the quality of being clear, logical, and convincing
indignant
feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment
nugatory
of no value or importance
ersatz
(of a product) made or used as a substitute, typically an inferior one, for something else.
solipsistic
extremely selfish or self-centered
sophomoric
conceited and overconfident of knowledge but poorly informed and immature;
lacking in maturity, taste, or judgment.
quixotic
exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
suffrage
the right to vote in political elections
run the gauntlet
go through an intimidating or dangerous crowd or experience in order to reach a goal
ran the gamut
cover a whole range
ape
imitate the behavior or manner of (someone or something), especially in an absurd or unthinking way.
ponderous
of very great weight
unwieldy or clumsy because of weight and size
oppressively or unpleasantly dull
cabal
a secret political clique or faction.
hoi-polloi
the masses; the common people.
incendiary
(of a device or attack) designed to cause fires.
parochial
having a limited or narrow outlook or scope.
predilection
a preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something.
dulcet
(especially of sound) sweet and soothing.
facile
not needing any effort
urbane
courteous and refined in manner
presumptuous
overstepping due bounds
baneful
harmful or destructive
stolid
having or expressing little or no sensibility : unemotional.
whimsical
A whimsical person or idea is unusual, playful, and unpredictable, rather than serious and practical
officious
assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering way
paean
a thing that expresses enthusiastic praise.
faculties
an inherent mental or physical power.
poultices
a soft, moist mass of material applied to the body to relieve soreness and inflammation
foibles
a minor weakness or eccentricity in someone’s character
mores
customs or traditions
aptitudes
natural ability
peccadilloes
a small, relatively unimportant offense or sin.
quaint
having an old-fashioned attractiveness or charm; oddly picturesque
lascivious
feeling or revealing an overt and often offensive sexual desire
preternatural
beyond what is normal or natural
preposterous
contrary to reason or common sense; utterly absurd or ridiculous
pithy
concise
lionize
give a lot of public attention and approval to (someone); treat as a celebrity.
indemnify
compensate (someone) for harm or loss.
acerbic
sharp and forthright, sarcastic
doyenne
a woman who is the most respected or prominent person in a particular field
caustic
marked by incisive sarcasm
progeny
a descendant or the descendants of a person, animal, or plant; offspring
vicissitude
a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant
serendipity
the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way
askance to
with an attitude or look of suspicion or disapproval
mercenary
primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics
lackey
behave in a servile way toward (someone
dissolute
lacking restraint
pallid
lacking sparkle or liveliness
deficient in color
aghast
filled with horror or shock
impecunious
having little or no money.
enigmatic
difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious
quixotic
foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals
grandiloquent
pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner, especially in a way that is intended to impress
posit
assume as a fact; put forward as a basis of argument
panned
criticize (someone or something) severely
insouciance
lighthearted unconcern
profundity
intellectual depth
listlessly
characterized by lack of interest, energy, or spirit
catharsis
the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions
purgation
the purification or cleansing of someone or something
coda
a concluding part of a literary or dramatic work
homily
a religious discourse that is intended primarily for spiritual edification rather than doctrinal instruction
