p14 Flashcards
parley
Discussion, negotiation, esp. between enemies (noun); to have such a discussion (verb)
The government refused to parley with the rebels.
excruciate
torment (someone) physically or mentally
she has long been excruciated by an undiagnosed pain in her knee
parry
Deflect or avoid (esp. a blow or attack); skillfully evade (a question)
The president and his aides are struggling to parry Republican attacks linking his economic agenda to rising inflation, including higher gasoline prices, which are helping to drive down his approval ratings.
pastiche
Mix of incongruous parts; artistic work imitating the work of other artists, often satirically
The house is decorated in a pastiche of Asian styles.
His earlier building designs were pastiches based on classical forms.
patent
Obvious, apparent, plain to see; open to public inspection (adj); a letter from a government guaranteeing an inventor the rights to his or her invention (noun)
patronizing
Condescending, having a superior manner, treating as an inferior
paucity
Scarcity, the state of being small in number
The recent paucity of aid had only reinforced a long-standing sentiment of alienation from Kyiv and from the West.
peccadillo
Small sin or fault
Still, when measured against her brother’s sins, Tracy’s peccadilloes look pretty trivial.
pedant
Person who pays excessive attention to book learning and rules, or who uses his or her learning to show off
All too often, science fiction provokes the pedant in professional scientists, for whom a beautiful story can be ruined by a single petty error.
peddle
Travel around while selling; sell illegally; give out or disseminate
He peddled his idea for a new movie to every executive in Hollywood.
pejorative
Disparaging, derogatory, belittling (adj); a name or word that is disparaging (noun)
The Romans used the word “barbarian” in the pejorative sense to the people who came to live along the frontier.
pellucid
Transparent, translucent; clear, easy to understand
her poetry has a pellucid simplicity that betrays none of the sweat that went into writing it
penchant
Liking or inclination (usually penchant for)
He became a style icon, of sorts, for his penchant for wearing short shorts.
penitent
Regretful, feeling remorse for one’s sins or misdeeds (adj); a person who feels this way (noun)
Even if absolution is denied, the exchange between penitent and the priest is to remain confidential.
penumbra
Outer part of a shadow from an eclipse; any surrounding region, fringe, periphery; any area where something “sort of” exists
a penumbra of despair fell over the doomed city
penury
Extreme poverty or scarcity
Like all diseases, COVID-19 feeds on penury, and in the Bronx—which has been hit twice as hard as Manhattan—nearly one in three people lives below the poverty line.
peregrinate
Travel from place to place, esp. on foot
… a group of backpacking college students who decided to spend the summer peregrinating around Ireland
perennial
Lasting through the years or indefinitely, enduring; recurring
The problem is inherent and perennial in any democracy, but it has been more severe in ours during the past quarter-century because of the near universal denigration of government, politics and politicians.
perfidious
Disloyal, treacherous, violating one’s trust
a perfidious campaign worker revealed the senator’s strategy to his leading rival for the nomination
perfunctory
Done superficially, without much care, or merely as routine
the violinist delivered a perfunctory performance that displayed none of the passion and warmth he was once known for
The star player sometimes goes several weeks without agreeing to do even the most perfunctory postgame interviews.
peripatetic
Journeying from place to place; traveling on foot
Parks grew up in various towns across the South with her peripatetic parents and younger brother, but, like many natives, Louisiana was always home.
The pandemic marked the end of income for musicians who lived in the peripatetic world of being on the road.
peripheral
Relating to or making up an outer boundary or region; not of primary importance, fringe
If we focus too much on peripheral issues, we will lose sight of the goal.
All the while, excited chatter enveloped the room and camera flashes sprung in every peripheral.
pernicious
Very harmful or destructive, deadly
The more the Catholic Church took part in the temporal conflicts with consistently pernicious result, the more impotent among the monarchs it revealed itself
Because the pernicious effects of these substances often show themselves slowly—and are so widespread—few will be able to prove harm or secure a settlement.
perspicacious
Having penetrating insight or good discernment
As some of the nation’s most perspicacious observers have noted, self-regulation is a crucial component of fixing what’s wrong with social media
pervasive
Tending to spread through out
phalanx
Formation of soldiers carrying shields close together for defense; any very close group of people
If the president is speaking at a local school, there will be a phalanx of law enforcement and bomb-sniffing dogs and a tight security perimeter.
philistine
Person deficient in or hostile to culture
phlegmatic
pathetic, sluggish, not easily excited or made emotional
… a strangely phlegmatic response to what should have been happy news
phony
Fake, counterfeit; insincere, not genuine
The video has been used by pro-Russia social media accounts and others to claim that Ukrainians are faking war deaths and that the mainstream media is broadcasting phony reports about Ukrainian casualties.
pith
Core, essence; significance or weight
… finally got to the pith of the discussion
placate
Satisfy or calm down (an angry or dissatisfied person), esp. by conciliatory gestures
Although Rumsfeld was later thrown overboard by the Administration in an attempt to placate critics of the Iraq War, his military revolution was here to stay.
placid
Peaceful, calm, tranquil
plastic
able to be shaped or formed; easily influenced
platitude
A shallow, overused statement; cliche
This platitude has come to be a constant refrain on social media, as obnoxious and frequent as a car insurance commercial.
plucky
Brave, spirited
plutocracy
Rule by the wealthy
In recent decades, as the stock market has soared, the vast fortunes amassed by some members of the plutocracy have largely escaped taxation.
polemic
Controversial argument, esp. one attacking a specific idea
But his polemic persona can be polarizing and alienate some voters working to preserve the height limit, particularly Democratic activists who are openly pro-choice
Her book is a fierce polemic against the inequalities in our society.
politic
Shrewd, pragmatic; tactful or diplomatic
the actor is politic in discussing the aborted film project, being content to say that there were “creative differences”
ponderous
Heavy; bulky and unwieldy; dull, labored
students struggling to stay awake during a ponderous lecture
percipient
having a good understanding of things; perceptive (adj); a person who is able to perceive things.
he is a percipient interpreter of the public mood.
perspicuous
clearly expressed and easily understood; lucid
it provides simpler and more perspicuous explanations than its rivals
