O (I) Flashcards
oaf (n.)
stupid, awkward person
“Watch what you’re doing, you clumsy oaf!” Bill shouted at the waiter who had drenched him with iced coffee.
obdurate (adj.)
stubborn
He was obdurate in his refusal to listen to our complaints.
obese (adj.)
fat
It is advisable that obese people try to lose weight.
obfuscate (v.)
to confuse; to muddle; to cause confusion; to make needlessly complex
Was the president’s spokesman trying to clarify the hidden weapons mystery, or was he trying to obfuscate the issue so the voters would never figure out what had gone on?
obituary (adj.)
death notice
I first learned of her death when I read the obituary column in the newspaper.
objective (adj.)
not influenced by emotions; fair
Even though he was her son, she tried to be objective about his behavior.
objective (n.)
goal; aim
A degree in medicine was her ultimate objective.
obligatory (adj.)
binding; required
It is obligatory that books borrowed from the library be returned within two weeks.
oblique (adj.)
indirect; slanting (deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line)
Casting a quick, oblique glance at the reviewing stand, the sergeant ordered the company to march “Oblique Right.”
obliterate (v.)
to destroy completely
The tidal wave obliterated several island villages.
oblivion (n.)
obscurity; forgetfulness
After a decade of popularity, Hurston’s works had fallen into oblivion; no one bothered to read them anymore.
oblivious (adj.)
inattentive or unmindful; wholly absorbed
Deep in her book, Nancy was oblivious to the noisy squabbles of her brother and his friends.
obnoxious (adj.)
offensive; objectionable
A sneak and a tattletale, Sid was an obnoxious little brat.
obscure (adj.)
dark; vague; unclear
Even after I read the poem a fourth time, its meaning was still obscure.
obscure (v.)
to darken; to make unclear
Even after I read the poem a fourth time, its meaning was still obscure.
obsequious (adj.)
slavishly attentive; servile; sycophantic
Helen liked to be served by people who behaved as if they respected themselves; nothing irritated her more than an excessively obsequious waiter or a fawning salesclerk.
obsessive (adj.)
related to thinking about something constantly; preoccupying
Ballet, which had been a hobby, began to dominate his life: his love of dancing became obsessive.
obsolete (adj.)
no longer useful; outmoded; antiquated
The invention of the pocket calculator made the slide rule used by generations of engineers obsolete.
obstinate (adj.)
stubborn; hard to control or treat
We tried to persuade him to give up smoking, but he was obstinate and refused to change.
Blackberry stickers are the most obstinate weeds I know: once established in a yard, they’re extremely hard to root out.
obstreperous (adj.)
boisterous; noisy
What do you do when an obstreperous horde of drunken policemen goes carousing through your hotel, crashing into potted plants and singing vulgar songs?
obtrude (v.)
to push (oneself or one’s ideas) forward or intrude; to butt in; to stick out or extrude
Because Fanny was reluctant to obtrude her opinions about child-raising upon her daughter-in-law, she kept a close watch on her tongue.
obtuse (adj.)
blunt; stupid
Because Mr. Collins was too obtuse to take a hint, Elizabeth finally had to tell him that she wouldn’t marry him if he were the last man on earth.
obviate (v.)
to prevent; to make unnecessary
In the twentieth century, people believed electronic communications would obviate the need for hard copy; they envisioned a paperless society.
odious (adj.)
hateful; vile
Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters had the odious habit of popping their zits in public.
odium (n.)
strong dislike or contempt; hatefulness; disrepute
Unable to bare the odium attached to their family name, the killer’s parents changed their name and moved away from their hometown.
odorous (adj.)
having an odor
This variety of hybrid tea rose is more odorous than the one you have in your garden.
