p20 Flashcards
usury
Charging interest on a loan, esp. charging illegally high or excessive interest
… the conflict between the religious prohibition of usury and its economic necessity.
vacillate
Waver in one’s mind or opinions, be indecisive
Many South Korean voters vacillate between the two major parties and tend to make up their minds just weeks before presidential votes.
vanguard
the forefront of a trend or movement
talk radio is often regarded as being in the vanguard of the conservative movement
vocation
a strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation (직업적 소명)
not all of us have a vocation to be nurses or doctors
variegated
Varied in color, having multicolored patches or spots; diverse
Between urban and rural lies a more variegated landscape of intermediates
venerate
Revere, regard with deep respect and awe
His patriotic stance is commonplace in nations that venerate the military
veracity
Truthfulness, accuracy; habitual adherence to the truth
After the story broke, Facebook acted to restrict its circulation because of concerns over its origins and veracity
verdant
Green, such as with vegetation, plants, grass, etc.; young and inexperienced
The neighborhood culminated at the entrance to the city’s verdant Rock Creek Park.
verisimilar
Having the appearance of truth, probable
the detail gives the witness’s testimony some verisimilitude.
vernal
Relating to the spring; fresh, youthful
.. the vernal freshness of the land
vestige
Trace or sign of something that once existed
Despite the decreasing opportunities, some Kabulis have tried to preserve some vestige of their pre-Taliban regime
vex
annoy or bother; puzzle or distress
Many economists disagree which elements are most driving the price increases that continue to vex average consumers
vicissitude
Changes or variations over time, esp. regular changes from one thing to another
People who pay attention to the vicissitudes of Tesla CEO Elon Musk know that the man is not always serious on Twitter.
vim
Pep, enthusiasm, vitality, lively spirit
some food and a little rest should give me back some of my vim
virulent
Extremely infectious, poisonous, etc.; hateful, bitterly hostile
The country seemed to be returning to the virulent nationalism of its past
Neo-Nazis don’t just target Jews and have a virulent hatred of African Americans and all nonwhite minorities
viscid or viscous
Thick, adhesive, or covered in something sticky
viscous syrup that takes forever to pour from the bottle
vitriol
bitterly harsh or caustic language or criticism
Trump’s vitriol has led to an increase in hate crimes across the country
vituperate
Verbally abuse, rebuke or criticize harshly
vociferous
Noisily crying out, as in protest; marked by vehemence
For decades, China has tried to force Taiwan into diplomatic isolation by picking off its allies and launching vociferous campaigns against any semblance of recognition of Taiwan as a nation
vehement
showing strong feeling; forceful, passionate, or intense
The company’s proposal was met with vehement opposition from the worker’s union
volatile
characterized by or subject to rapid or unexpected change
a volatile market
voluble
Easily fluent in regards to speech
Others in the Trump orbit, such as the usually voluble Ivanka Trump, wouldn’t answer questions about the storming of the Capitol.
wan
Unnaturally pale, or showing some other indication of sickness, unhappiness, etc.; weak, lacking forcefulness
He wanted to sell the the company’s stocks because of its wan revenue
wanton
Reckless, vicious, without regard for what is right; unjustifiable, deliberately done for no reason at all; sexually unrestrained or excessively luxurious
Now Senate Republicans have given Trump a pass on another wanton abuse of power
warranted
Justified, authorized (warrant can mean to justify or a justification, but can also mean to vouch for or guarantee)
wary
Watchful, motivated by caution, on guard against danger
Investors are increasingly wary about putting money into stocks.
welter
Confused mass or pile; confusion or turmoil (noun); move around in a turbulent fashion (verb)
… there’s such a welter of conflicting rules
whet
Stimulate, make keen or eager (esp. of an appetite)
And to whet the public’s appetite, the German automaker released a teaser image of the vehicle.
whimsical
Marked or motivated by whims (odd, fanciful ideas); erratic, unpredictable
it’s hard to make plans with such a whimsical best friend
whitewash
A substance used to whiten walls, wood, etc. (noun); deception, covering up of wrongs, errors, misdeeds, etc. (verb)
wily
Crafty, cunning, characterized by tricks or artifice
The blend of wily veterans and open-eyed rookies who don’t know anything besides winning helps, too.
winnow
Sift, analyze critically, separate the useful part from the worthless part
The least qualified applicants were winnowed out of the initial pool.
winsome
Charming, engaging, esp. in a sweet and innocent way
Take the time to meet new people, but do it in a way that is winsome and not overworked.
wizened
shriveled or wrinkled with age
… a wizened, weather-beaten old man.
yoke
A burden or something that oppresses
The Soviet Union quickly began to disintegrate as nations that had long been under Moscow’s yoke sought independence
