"P" Word List Flashcards
1
Q
paean
A
song of praise or joy
2
Q
palatial
A
magnificent
3
Q
pall
A
something that covers or conceals; to become wearisome or upleasant
4
Q
palliate
A
to ease; to lessen
5
Q
pallid
A
pale; dull
6
Q
palpable
A
obvious; capable of being touched or felt
7
Q
palpitate
A
to beat rapidly; to tremble
8
Q
palsy
A
muscle paralysis
9
Q
paltry
A
trivial; worthless
10
Q
panacea
A
a cure-all; an answer for all problems
11
Q
panache
A
self-confidence; a showy manner
12
Q
pandemic
A
general; widespread
13
Q
pandemonium
A
wild disorder; confusion
14
Q
panegyric
A
an expression of praise
15
Q
panoply
A
suit or armor; any protective covering
16
Q
paragon
A
a model of excellence or perfection
17
Q
pariah
A
an outcast
18
Q
parley
A
discussion; conference
19
Q
parlous
A
dangerous
20
Q
parochial
A
local; narrow; limited
21
Q
parity
A
equality; similarity
22
Q
paroxysm
A
a sudden outburst; a fit
23
Q
parrot
A
to repeat or imitate without understanding
24
Q
parry
A
to avoid something such as a thrust or blow
25
parsimonious
stingy; miserly
26
partisan
a strong supporter of a cause
27
pastoral
pertaining to the country; rural
28
paternal
fatherly
29
pathogenic
causing disease
30
pathos
pity; deep feeling
31
patrician
aristocratic
32
patrimony
inherited right; heritage
33
patronage
the control of power to make appointments to government jobs
34
patronize
to be a customer; to talk down to
35
paucity
scarcity; lack
36
peccadillo
a minor offense
37
peculate
to steal; to embezzle
38
pecuniary
pertaining to money
39
pedantic
tending to show off one's learning
40
peevish
hard to please; irritable
41
pejorative
having a negative effect; insulting
42
pellucid
transparent; clear
43
penchant
a strong liking for; an inclination
44
pendant
anything that hangs or is suspended
45
penitent
expressing sorrow for sin or wrongdoing
46
penury
extreme poverty
47
perdition
damnation; ruin; hell
48
peregrinate
to travel from place to place
49
peremptory
decisive; final; not open to debate
50
perennial
lasting for a long time; pertetual
51
perfidious
deceitful; treacherous; unfaithful
52
perforce
of necessity
53
perfunctory
done without care; routine
54
perigee
point in an orbit nearest to the earth
55
periphrastic
said in a roundabout way
56
perjury
making a false statement while under oath
57
permeate
to spread throughout
58
pernicious
deadly; destructive
59
peroration
the concluding part of a speech
60
perquisite
something additional to regular pay
61
perspicacity
keenness of judgement
62
perspicuity
clearness, as of a statement
63
pert
bold; saucy
64
peruse
to read carefully
65
perverse
contrary; cranky
66
petrology
study of rocks
67
phalanx
closely massed body of persons
68
philander
to engage in various love affairs
69
philately
stamp collecting
70
philippic
a bitter verbal attack
71
philistine
uncultured; common
72
phlegmatic
unemotional; cool; not easily excited
73
picaresque
pertaining to an adventurous wanderer
74
piecemeal
bit by bit; gradually
75
pied
many-colored; variegated
76
pillory
to expose to public ridicule or abuse
77
piquant
stimulating to the taste; exciting interest
78
pique
to irritate or annoy
79
piscine
of or like a pish
80
pithy
concise; to the point
81
plaintive
sorrowful; sad
82
platitude
a dull or trite remark
83
plaudit
any expression of approval
84
plebeian
pertaining to a member of the lower classes
85
plenary
full; complete; absolute
86
plumb
to test; to measure
87
plutocracy
rule by the wealthy class
88
poignant
keenly distressing; affecting the emotions
89
polemic
a controversy or argument
90
politic
diplomatic; shrewd
91
poltroon
a coward
92
polyglot
speaking or writing several languages
93
pomp
brilliant show or display
94
ponderous
heavy; burdensome
95
porcine
of or like a pig
96
portentous
warning; forshadowing
97
posterity
future generations
98
posthumous
occurring after death
99
postulate
to assume without proof; to take for granted
100
potentate
ruler; monarch
101
pragmatic
practical
102
prate
to talk extensively and pointlessly; to babble
103
precarious
uncertain; dangerous; risky
104
precedent
an act that may be used as an example in the future
105
precept
a rule of conduct
106
precipice
cliff
107
precipitate
to bring about an action suddenly
108
precipitous
extremely steep
109
precis
brief summary
110
preclude
to prevent; to shut out
111
precocious
prematurely developed
112
predicate
to declare; to assert
113
predilection
a liking; preference; inclinaiton
114
preeminent
standing out above all others
115
preen
to dress oneself carefully or smartly
116
prehensile
adapted for seizing or grasping something
117
premonition
forewarning; hunch
118
preponderance
superiority in quantity or power; dominance
119
presage
to indicate or warn in advance
120
prescience
knowledge of things before they happen
121
presentiment
anticipation, especially of something evil
122
prestige
influence; importance
123
preternatural
abnormal; beyond what is natural
124
pretext
a false reason or motive; an excuse
125
prevericate
to lie
126
primeval
of the earliest times or ages
127
primogeniture
state of being the firstborn
128
primordial
first; original
129
primp
to dress up in a fussy way
130
prismatic
many-colored
131
privation
loss or lack of something essential
132
probity
honesty; integrity
133
proclivity
inclination; tendency
134
procrustean
designed to get conformity at any cost
135
procure
to obtain; to secure
136
prodigal
wasteful
137
prodigious
enormous; vast
138
proffer
to offer
139
profligate
shamelessly immoral; extremely wastful
140
profuse
abundant
141
progeny
descendants
142
prognosticate
to predict; to fortell
143
proletarian
one who belongs to the working class
144
proliferate
to expand; to increase
145
prolific
productive; fertile
146
prolix
tediously long and wordy
147
promontory
piece of land juts out
148
promulgate
to announce; to advocate
149
propagate
to spread; to multiply
150
propinquity
nearness; closeness
151
propitious
favorable
152
propriety
conformity; appropriateness
153
prosaic
dull; commonplace; unimaginative
154
proscribe
to denounce; exile
155
proselyte
a person who has changed form one religion to another
156
prostrate
lying flat; thrown or fallen to the ground
157
protagonist
main character
158
protean
changeable; variable
159
protege
one who has been guided or instructed by another
160
protract
to draw out; to prolong
161
proverbial
well-known
162
provident
having foresight
163
provicincial
countrified; narrow; limited
164
provisional
temporary
165
proviso
a condition; a stipulation
166
prowess
skill; strength; daring
167
proxy
one who acts in place of another
168
prude
an overly proper person
169
prudence
caution; good judgment
170
prurient
lustful; obscene; lewd
171
psyche
the human soul or spirit
172
puerile
childish; immature
173
pugilist
a boxer
174
pugnacious
eager to fight; quarrelsome
175
puissant
powerful; strong
176
pulchritude
beauty
177
pulmonary
pertaining to the lungs
178
punctilious
very exact; precise
179
pundit
a learned man; an expert or authority
180
puritanical
strict; rigid; harsh
181
purloin
to steal
182
purport
to claim to be
183
purvey
to furnish; to supply
184
pusillanimous
cowardly; fearful
185
putative
supposed; believed
186
pyre
a funeral fire in which the corpse is burned
187
pyretic
pertaining to fever
188
Pyrrhic victory
success gained at too high a cost
