O Flashcards
Oaf
an awkward, foolish person
Obdurate (n. Obduracy)
stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or course of action.
Obeisance
the act of obeying; dutiful or submissive behavior with respect to another person; bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame
Obelisk
a stone pillar tapering towards a pyramidal top
Obese
excessively large
Obfuscate
make obscure or unclear
Obituary
a notice of someone’s death
Objectivity
judgment based on observable phenomena and uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudices
Objurgate (n. Objurgation)
to criticize sharply; rebuke vehemently; berate.
Then more blows, a general rising up of that part of the congregation, and a pouring out of profane objurgations that was surprising.
Oblation
the act of contributing to the funds of a church or charity
Obligate (adj. Obligatory)
to bind legally or morally; constrain.
Oblige
bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted; provide a service or favor for someone; force or compel somebody to do something
Oblique
slanting or inclined in direction or course or position
Obliquity
the quality of being deliberately vague or deceptive
Obliterate
remove completely from recognition or memory
Oblivion
the state of being disregarded or forgotten
Oblivious
(followed by to' or of’) lacking conscious awareness of; failing to keep in mind
Obloquy
abusively; detractive language; sharp criticism; vituperation
Obnoxious
causing disapproval or protest
Obscure
not clearly understood or expressed
Obsequious
obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree, fawning
Obsession
an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something
Obsidian
glass formed by the cooling of lava without crystallization
Obsolete
no longer produced or used; out of date.
Obstetrician
a physician specializing in childbirth
Obstinate
holding stubbornly to one’s own ideas or purposes; unwilling to change.
Obstreperous
noisily and stubbornly defiant
Obtain
to be established; accepted or customary
Obtrude
push to thrust outward
Obtrusive
projecting; prominent; undesirably noticeable
Obtuse
blunt/stupid
Obviate
avoid; prevent.
Obvious
easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind
Occlude (adj. Occluded)
block passage through
Occult
supernatural forces and events and beings collectively
Oculist
a person skilled in testing for defects of vision
Odious
repulsive; hateful
Odium
intense hatred or dislike
Odor
smell
Odoriferous
emitting a smell, especially an unpleasant smell
Odorous
having a characteristic aroma
Offal
viscera and trimmings of a butchered animal
Offertory
the offerings of the congregation at a religious service
It is very difficult to say whether they should be read before or after the offertory and prayer for the Church Militant.
Offhand
Without preparation or forethought
Officious
intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner
Ogle
stare or look at, especially with amorous intentions
Olfactory
of or relating to the sense of smell
Oligarchy
a political system governed by a few people
Ominous
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
Omnipotent
having unlimited power
Omnipresent
existing in all places at any given time.
Omniscient
infinite in knowledge; all-knowing.
Omnivorous
feeding on both plants and animals
Onerous
needing effort; burdensome
Onomatopoeia
using words that imitate the sound they denote
Onslaught
an offensive against an enemy
Onus
a burdensome or difficult concern
Opalescent
having a play of lustrous rainbow colors
Opaque (n. Opaqueness)
not clear; not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy; not clearly understood or expressed
Open-ended
allowing for future changes or revisions; allowing for a spontaneous response; without fixed limits or restrictions
Opiate
a narcotic drug
Opportune
suitable or advantageous especially for a particular purpose
Opportunism
the taking of opportunities as and when they arise, regardless of planning or principle.
Opportunist
a person who places expediency above principle
Opprobrious
expressing offensive reproach
Opprobrium
a state of extreme dishonor
Optician
a worker who makes glasses for remedying defects of vision
Optimistic
expecting or tending to expect favorable outcomes.
Optimum
most desirable possible under a restriction
Optometrist
a person skilled in testing for defects of vision
Opulent (n. Opulence)
having or displaying wealth or richness.
Opus
a musical work that has been created
Oratorio
a musical composition for voices and orchestra
Ordinance
an authoritative rule
Orientation
the act of determining one’s position
Orifice
an opening, especially one that opens into a bodily cavity
Original
created directly and personally by a particular artist; not a copy or imitation.
Orison
reverent petition to a deity
Ornamental
- serving an esthetic rather than a useful purpose;
- noun: any plant grown for its beauty or ornamental value
Ornate
marked by complexity and richness of detail
Ornithology
the branch of zoology that studies birds
Orotund
overly formal and pompous in style
It may, of course, vary in pitch, but tones of low pitch that are intended to be impressive are most suitably rendered in orotund quality.
Orthography
representing the sounds of a language by written symbols
Oscillate
move or swing from side to side regularly
Ossified
turned to bone; hardened like bone; Inflexible
But voters like George Pappas, 37, a physical therapist, say they’re equally as angry at the ossified politics at home.
Ossify
- to turn to bone
- to settle rigidly into an idea
Ostensible
seeming, appearing as such, professed
Ostentation
display; to obtain admiration or envy
Ostentatious
intended to attract notice and impress others
Ostracism (v. Ostracize)
shut out from society; refuse to meet, talk
Otiose
serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being
Outdated
old; no longer in use or valid or fashionable
Outgrowth
the gradual beginning or coming forth
Outmoded
no longer in keeping with current standards or practices; obsolete.
Outset
the time at which something is supposed to begin
Overhaul
- take apart (a piece of machinery or equipment) in order to examine it and repair it if necessary.
- overtake (someone), especially in a sporting event.
- a thorough examination of machinery or a system, with repairs or changes made if necessary.
Overly
excessively
Overreaching
revealing excessive self confidence; reaching for the heights
Overshadow
appear much more prominent or important than.
Overt
open and observable; not secret or hidden
Overture
orchestral music at the beginning of an opera or musical
Overuse
- exploitation to the point of diminishing returns;
- verb make use of too often or too extensively
Overweening
presumptuously; arrogant; overbearing
Overwhelm
charge someone with too many tasks; overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli; overcome by superior force; cover completely or make imperceptible
Overwrought
deeply agitated especially from emotion
