Personal Vocab Flashcards
extraneous
Irrelevant or unrelated to the subject being dealt with.
Altruism (al-true-iz-um)
Selfless concern for others.
E.g Many charities were formed thanks to Matthew’s altruism and generosity.
Alchemy (al-kuh-me)
The medieval study of transforming lead into gold. In many ways alchemy is related to the study of chemistry nowadays.
Androgynous: (an-drodj-uh-nuhs)
Adj. not distinguisable between male and female.
The name Sam is androgynous because Sam could mean Samantha or Samuel.
Ambivalence: (am-biv-uh-lence)
N. indifference or confused feelings.
The bride’s ambivalence towards the colour of the roses meant the groom had to decide.
Precocious: (prih-koh-shuhs)
Adj. unusually quick development or maturation, especially in intelligence.
My precocious understanding of life stunned my parents.
My precocious understanding of maths stunned my teacher.
Allude: (uh-lewd)
V. to refer to another concept indirectly.
My cousin would always allude to a summer house, though none of my family knew exactly where it was.
Callous: (kal-uhs)
Adj. insensitive; having no feeling.
The callous remark upset the entire family.
Ameliorate: (uh-meal-yuh-rate)
V. to make better.
The new medicine ameliorated her condition rather quickly.
Esoteric: (es-uh-ter-ik)
Adj. intended for or understood only by a particular group.
Adj. not publicly disclosed; confidential.
The esoteric ideas of the cult failed to enlighten many outsiders.
Amenable: (uh-men-ih-bul)
Adj. open to suggestion or criticism.
Adj. Accountable.
A good manager is amenable to his employee’s new ideas.
Extraneous:
Irrelevant or unrelated to the subject being dealt with.
i.e issues that have nothing to do with the main subject
Tetchy
Irritable and bad-tempered
Jubilant
Feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph.
Fundamental
Forming a nevessary base or core, of central importance
I.e underlying
Rogue
A dishonest or unprincipled man
I.e villain
Embezzle
Steal or misappropriate (money placed in one’s trust or belonging to the organisation for which one works)
I.e steal
Defiance
Open resistance; bold disobedience
Parallel (noun)
A person or thing that is similar or analogous to another.
I.e match, twin
External (noun)
The outward features of something.
Superficial
Appearing to be true or real only until examined more closely.
Essentially
Used to emphasize the basic fundamental or intrinsic nature of a person or thing.
Essentially, they are amateurs.
Intrinsic
Belonging naturally; essential
I.e permanent, natural.
Intellect
The faculty of reasoning and understanding objectively, especially with regard to abstract matters.
He was a man of action rather than of intellect
I.e intelligence, clever
Faculty
An inherent mental or physical power
Her criticial faculties
I.e capability, potential
Cultivate
Try to acquire or develop (a quality or skill) i.e encourage
Try to improve of develop (one’s mind)
I.e improve
Rehabilitate
Restore (someone) to health or normal life by training and therapy after imprisonment, addiction or illness.
I.e retrain
Narcissist
A person who has an excessive interest in or admiration of themselves.
“Narcissists who think the world revolves around them”
Spectrum
Used to classify something in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme points.
“The left or right pf the political spectrum”
Analogous
Comparable in certain respects, typically in a way which makes clearer the nature of the things compared.
I.e comparable, similar
Arduous
Adj. Involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring.
“An arduous journey”
I.e difficult, hard.
Strenuous
Adj. Requiring or using great effort or exertion.
I.e difficult or hard
Exertion
Noun. Physical and mental effort.
“She was panting with the exertion”
I.e effort, struggle.
Liberate
Verb. Set (someone) free from imprisonment, slavery or oppression.
“The serfs had been liberated” (serf meaning agricultural labourer)
I.e set free
Oppression
Noun. Prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or exercise of authority.
“A region shattered by oppression and killing”
I.e abuse, maltreatment.
Tyranny
Noun. Cruel and oppressive government or rule.
“Refugees fleeing tyranny and oppression”
I.e dictatorship.
Scabrous
Dealing with suggestive, indecent themes
