Orange Flashcards
vigilant
keenly watchful to detect danger
wary, alert, attentive, sharp
Someone who is vigilant gives careful attention to a particular problem or situation and concentrates on noticing any danger or trouble that there might be.
The guards and police at the Olympics in Salt Lake City must be vigilant in their efforts to watch for suspicious activities.
vilify
to speak ill of; defame; slander
attack, berate, belittle
If you are vilified by someone, they say or write very unpleasant things about you, so that people will have a low opinion of you.
The editorials in certain newspapers tend to vilify government officials who are of the opposite voting party.
volatile
tending or threatening to break out into open violence; explosive
eruptive, excitable, explosive
A situation that is volatile is likely to change suddenly and unexpectedly.
His volatile temper got him into much trouble throughout his career and he made many enemies by constantly exploding at people.
acumen
keen insight; shrewdness
insight, keenness, perception
Acumen is the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions.
On the other hand, his brilliant business acumen allowed him to successfully predict trends in the stock markets and he made millions.
cataclysm
any violent upheaval, esp. one of a social or political nature.
calamity, ruin, disastrous
A cataclysm is an event that causes great change or harm.
The volcano was an unexpected cataclysm that obliterated the tiny village.
deride
(derision)
to laugh at in scorn or contempt; scoff or jeer at; mock.
insult, mock, ridicule
If you deride someone or something, you say that they are stupid or have no value.
It is extremely insensitive to mock or deride people who do not score as high as you on tests.
facetious
(fa-cee-shous)
not meant to be taken seriously or literally: amusing, lacking serious intent
amusing, clever, comic
If you say that someone is being facetious, you are criticizing them because they are making humorous remarks or saying things that they don’t mean in a situation where they ought to be serious.
While his joking remarks were intended to be facetious, the teacher took them very seriously, and the result was quite negative.
impetus
(im-peh-tus)
a moving force; impulse; stimulus:
ambition, catalyst, drive
Something that gives a process impetus or is an impetus makes it happen or happen more quickly.
The threat of being fired was an impetus to improve the man’s productivity.
The grant for building the opera house gave impetus to the city’s cultural life.
incongruity
the quality of disagreeing; something out of place
difference, disagreement, discrepancy
The incongruity of something is its strangeness when considered together with other aspects of a situation.
It would be an incongruity to wear combat boots with a bridal gown.
propensity
a natural inclination or tendency
predisposition, inclination, partiality
A propensity to do something or a propensity for something is a natural tendency that you have to behave in a particular way.
My puppy has a propensity to bite all the salient features of the human body so we are taking him to training school.
affiliate
to bring into close association or connection
ally, associate, colleague
If an organization affiliates to or with another larger organization, it forms a close connection with the larger organization or becomes a member of it.
It is a good idea to affiliate oneself with various clubs on campus.
altruism
the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others
benevolence, generosity, selflessness
Altruism is unselfish concern for other people’s happiness and welfare.
In an act of astonishing altruism, the man sold all of his worldly possessions and donated the funds to poor, starving children.
amortize
to reduce debt by installments
repay, pay back, pay off
In finance, if you amortize a debt, you pay it back in regular payments.
The factory owner amortized the cost of the equipment over a ten year period.
anomalous
deviating from or inconsistent with the common order, form, or rule; irregular
abnormal, bizarre, rare
Something that is anomalous is different from what is usual what is usual or expected.
The experiment produced identical results over nine trials until the tenth trial yielded an anomalous finding.
archaic
marked by the characteristics of an earlier period
ancient, antiquated, antique, dated, historic
Archaic means extremely old or extremely old-fashioned.
The horse drawn chariot is an archaic mode of transportation.
asperity
harshness or sharpness of tone, temper, or manner; severity
bitterness, briskness, crabbiness
If you say something with asperity, you say it impatiently and severely.
Bitterness, resentment, and asperity were evident in the remarks of the loser in the political campaign.
benignant
kind, esp. to inferiors; gracious: a benignant sovereign; exerting a good influence
advantageous, beneficent, favorable
A benignant person is kind toward all, especially those lower in social standing or position.
The gentle priest was known for his benignant acts of kindness.
