O Flashcards
obdurate
adj. stubborn
They remained obdurate about their position.
obeisance
n. deference or homage
Once a year the king’s subjects pay him obeisance.
obfuscation
n. act of confusing, obscuring
The witness used obfuscation to hide the truth.
objectify
v. to present or regard as an object or make objective or external
The idea of justice is objectified in the novel.
objective
adj. not influenced by emotions; fair; unbiased
The judge was objective in evaluating the evidence.
objet d’art
n. object with artistic value
During the war the museum stored its most valuable objets d’art in a vault.
oblique
adj. indirect, evasive; misleading, devious
Many people missed the writer’s oblique reference.
obliterate
v. to destroy completely
The explosion obliterated the house.
oblivion
n. state of not being aware
We experience oblivion when we sleep.
oblivious
adj. not aware
The audience was oblivious of the events occurring backstage.
obloquy
n. abusively detractive language; ill repute
Obloquy was heaped on the negotiator for failing to prevent the war.
obscure
adj. dim, unclear; not well-known
The reference was to a obscure author.
obscure
v. to make dim or unclear; conceal in obscurity
The view of the valley is obscured by the high-rise apartments.
obsequious
adj. overly submissive
The servants are obsequious.
obsequy
n. funeral ceremony
Obsequies were held for the obsolescent model.
obsolete
adj. outmoded; no longer used; old-fashioned
The model car became obsolete last year.
obstinate
adj. stubborn
Jim is obstinate about not wanting to rewrite his essay.
obstreperous
adj. troublesome, boisterous, unruly
The crowd became obstreperous.
obtrusive
adj. pushy; too conspicuous
The teacher supervising the exam tried not to be obtrusiove.
obtuse
adj. insensitive, stupid, dull
His obtuse remark showed how stupid he could be.
obviate
v. to make unnecessary; anticipate and prevent
The increase in revenue has obviated the need for a price increase.
occlude
v. to shut, block
The cloud is occluding the moon.
occult
adj. related to supernatural phenomena; secret
The religious teacher revealed his occult knowledge to his closest followers.
Ockham’s razor
n. the principle that no more assumptions than necessary should be made in explaining a phenomenon
Most philosophers would probably agree that Ockham’s razor should be used with great care.
odious
adj. hateful, contemptible
The man was sentenced to life imprisonment for his odious crime.
odyssey
n. a long adventurous voyage; a quest
Tom’s odyssey took him to over fifty countries.
oeuvre
n. the sum of the lifework of an artist
The professor is writing a study of the author’s oeuvre.
officious
adj. too helpful, meddlesome
We’re tried of the officious fools interfering in our affairs.
ogle
v. to stare at
The man ogled the pretty girl.
olfactory
adj. concerning the sense of smell
The air pollution has impaired his olfactory sense.
oligarchy
n. government by a few
After the coup d’état the generals formed an oligarchy to run the country.
oligopoly
n. a situation in which there are few sellers so that action by any one of them will affect price
The government is investigating the situation to see if an oligopoly exists.
ombudsman
n. a person who investigates complaints and mediates settlements between parties
Some Americans advocate the more widespread use of ombudsmen in this country.
ominous
adj. threatening
There were ominous troop movements on the country’s border.
omnipotent
adj. having unlimited power
The emperor feels he is virtually omnipotent.
omniscient
adj. having infinite knowledge
Many novels use an omniscient narrator.
omnivorous
adj. eating everything; absorbing everything
Human beings are omnivorous.
onerous
adj. burdensome
The judge has the onerous duty of sentencing convicted criminals to prison.
onomatopoeia
n. formation or use of words that imitate sounds of actions they refer to
The words hiss, buzz, and whack are examples of onomatopoeia.
ontology
n. theory about the nature of existence
Ontology is a subject for philosophy, not science.
onus
n. a difficult responsibility or burden
“The onus is on each of you to master the material,” the professor told the class.
opalescent
adj. iridescent, displaying colors
The diamond is opalescent.
opaque
adj. not transparent; obscure; unintelligible
The prose of the French structuralist can be described as opaque.
operative
adj. functioning, working, most important
The operative word in the phrase “greatest living writer” is “living.”
opine
v. to express an opinion
The newspaper columnist opines on every topic under the sun.
opportune
adj. appropriate, fitting
It is an opportune time for a coffee break.
opportunist
n. person who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage
Opportunists took advantage of the disaster to raise prices.
opprobrium
n. disgrace; contempt
The cowardly act brought opprobrium on the soldier.
opulence
n. wealth
The wedding allowed the family to display its opulence.
oracle
n. person who foresees the future and gives advice; prediction of the future
Lucy consulted an oracle to find out when she would be married.
oracular
adj. prophetic; uttered as if with divine authority; mysterious or ambiguous
None of us understood the oracular utterance.
oration
n. lecture, formal speech
The subject of the senator’s oration is foreign policy.
orb
n. spherical body; eye
The astronauts are in orbit around a large orb.
orchestrate
v. to arrange music for performance; coordinate, organize
The election campaign was orchestrated by the White House.
ordain
v. to make someone a priest or minister; order
Father O’Brien was ordained in 1992.
ornate
adj. elaborately ornamented
The art pieces are too ornate for my taste.
ornithologist
n. scientist who studies birds
The ornithologist discovered a new bird species.
orthodox
adj. traditional; conservative
The new book challenges orthodox thinking on the subject.
oscillate
v. to move back and forth
The governor is oscillating between two positions on the issue.
osmosis
n. diffusion of a fluid; gradual assimilation or absorption
Learning a language is to some degree a process of osmosis.
ossify
v. to turn to bone; become rigid; make rigidly conventional
The dead animal’s skin ossified.
ostensibly
adv. apparently; professedly
The purpose of the test was ostensibly to measure the students’ improvement.
ostentation
adj. showy; trying to attract attention; pretentious
The billionaire urged his family to avoid ostentatious displays of wealth during the recession.
ostracism
n. exclusion, temporary banishment
The warrior faces ostracism from his tribe.
ouster
n. expulsion, ejection
The ouster of the country from the United Nations was applauded around the world.
outré
adj. unconventional; eccentric
The town is not as bohemian as in the past, but the outré spirit does survive.
overt
adj. open and observable
The CIA has detected no overt signs of an invasion.
overture
n. musical introduction; proposal, offer
The company rejected the merger overture.
overweening
adj. presumptuous; arrogant; overbearing
The tragic hero is brought down by his overweening pride.
overwrought
adj. agitated, overdone
Don’t make the decision in your overwrought condition.
oxymoron
n. the combining of incongruous or contradictory terms
The phrase “deafening silence” is an oxymoron.
