Practice Test 1 Flashcards
idiosyncrasy
noun, plural id·i·o·syn·cra·sies.
a characteristic, habit, mannerism, or the like, that is peculiar to an individual.
apostle
[ uh-pos-uhl ]
a pioneer of any new system or cause, especially an early leader in a reform movement:
He has emerged as an apostle of a new era of peace and national unity.
anachronism
[ uh-nak-ruh-niz-uhm ]
something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time:
emulate
to try to equal or excel; imitate with effort to equal or surpass:
to emulate one’s father as a concert violinist.
dog·ma
/ˈdôɡmə/
noun
a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true.
“the rejection of political dogma”
stigmatize
[ stig-muh-tahyz ]
to set some mark of disgrace or infamy upon:
lionize
[ lahy-uh-nahyz ]
to treat (a person) as a celebrity: to lionize the visiting poet.
marginalize
[ mahr-juh-nl-ahyz ]
process of relegating or confining to a lower or outer limit or edge, as of social standing
foreground
[ fawr-ground, fohr- ]
a prominent or important position; forefront.
transcend
[ tran-send ]
to rise above or go beyond; overpass; exceed:
obscure
[ uhb-skyoor ]
(of meaning) not clear or plain; ambiguous, vague, or uncertain:
caprice
[ kuh-prees ]
a sudden, unpredictable change, as of one’s mind or the weather.
modicum
[ mod-i-kuhm, moh-di- ]
noun
a moderate or small amount:
He hasn’t even a modicum of common sense.
scruple
[ skroo-puhl ]
a moral or ethical consideration or standard that acts as a restraining force or inhibits certain actions.
demur
[ dih-mur ]
to make objection, especially on the grounds of scruples; take exception; object:
schism
[ siz-uhm, skiz- ]
noun
division or disunion, especially into mutually opposed parties.
the parties so formed.
acquiesce
[ ak-wee-es ]
to assent tacitly; submit or comply silently or without protest; agree; consent:
compliance
[ kuhm-plahy-uhns ]
noun
the act of conforming, acquiescing, or yielding.
dissent
[ dih-sent ]
to disagree with the methods, goals, etc., of a political party or government; take an opposing view.
sar·to·ri·al
/särˈtôrēəl/
relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress.
panache
[ puh-nash, -nahsh ]
noun
a grand or flamboyant manner; verve; style; flair:
The actor who would play Cyrano must have panache.
gawky
[ gaw-kee ]
awkward; ungainly; clumsy.
confound
[ kon-found,
verb (used with object)
to perplex or amaze, especially by a sudden disturbance or surprise; bewilder; confuse:
The complicated directions confounded him
scant
[ skant ]
barely sufficient in amount or quantity; not abundant; almost inadequate:
terse
[ turs ]
sparing in the use of words; abrupt.
innocuous
[ ih-nok-yoo-uhs
adjective
not harmful or injurious; harmless:
an innocuous home remedy.
benign
[ bih-nahyn ]
having a kindly disposition; gracious:
a benign king.
not harmful
remedial
[ ri-mee-dee-uhl ]
intended to correct or improve one’s skill in a specified field:
remedial math.
antedate
[ verb an-ti-deyt
to be of older date than; precede in time:
The Peruvian empire antedates the Mexican empire.
enigmatic
[ en-ig-mat-ik, ee-nig- ]
adjective
difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious.
“he took the money with an enigmatic smile”
pellucid
[ puh-loo-sid ]
adjective allowing the maximum passage of light, as glass; translucent clear; limpid: pellucid waters. clear in meaning, expression, or style:
profundity
[ pruh-fuhn-di-tee ]
penetrating or entering deeply into subjects of thought or knowledge; having deep insight or understanding:
a profound thinker.
mis·no·mer
/misˈnōmər/
noun
a wrong or inaccurate name or designation.
paradigm
[ par-uh-dahym, -dim ]
an example serving as a model; pattern.
a framework containing the basic assumptions, ways of thinking, and methodology that are commonly accepted by members of a scientific community.
evade
[ ih-veyd ]
to escape from by trickery or cleverness:
to evade one’s pursuers.
reconcile
[ rek-uhn-sahyl ]
restore friendly relations between.
mutable
[ myoo-tuh-buhl ]
adjective
liable or subject to change or alteration.
antithetical
[ an-tuh-thet-i-kuhl ]
directly opposed or contrasted; opposite.
er·ro·ne·ous
/əˈrōnēəs/
adjective
wrong; incorrect.
fractious
[ frak-shuhs ]
adjective
(typically of children) irritable and quarrelsome.
“they fight and squabble like fractious children”
ten·den·tious
/tenˈdenSHəs/
having or showing a definite tendency, bias, or purpose:
disapprobation
[ dis-ap-ruh-bey-shuhn ]
strong disapproval, typically on moral grounds.
profligate
[ prof-li-git, -geyt ]
adjective
recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.
“profligate consumers of energy”
il·lib·er·al
/i(l)ˈlib(ə)rəl/
opposed to liberal principles; restricting freedom of thought or behavior.
ac·quis·i·tive
/əˈkwizədiv/
adjective
excessively interested in acquiring money or material things.
al·le·go·ry
/ˈaləˌɡôrē/
a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.
res·o·lute
/ˈrezəˌl(y)o͞ot/
admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering.
“she was resolute and unswerving”
ob·se·qui·ous
/əbˈsēkwēəs/
obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
“they were served by obsequious waiters”
lax
/laks/
not sufficiently strict, severe, or careful.
“lax security arrangements at the airport”
in·tran·si·gent
/inˈtransəjənt,inˈtranzəjənt/
adjective
unwilling or refusing to change one’s views or to agree about something.
“her father had tried persuasion, but she was intransigent”
def·er·en·tial
/ˌdefəˈren(t)SH(ə)l/
showing deference; respectful.
“people were always deferential to him”
lu·rid
/ˈlo͝orəd/
very vivid in color, especially so as to create an unpleasantly harsh or unnatural effect.
“lurid food colorings”
in·vig·or·at·ing
/inˈviɡəˌrādiNG/
adjective: invigorating
making one feel strong, healthy, and full of energy.
“a brisk, invigorating walk”
fleet·ing
/ˈflēdiNG/
lasting for a very short time.
“hoping to get a fleeting glimpse of a whale underwater”
elated
/ēˈlādəd/
ecstatically happy.
“after the concert, I felt elated”
ex·act·ing
/iɡˈzaktiNG/
making great demands on one’s skill, attention, or other resources.
“living up to such exacting standards”
dis·pa·rate
/ˈdispərət,dəˈsperət/
essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison.
“they inhabit disparate worlds of thought”
trite
/trīt/
overused and consequently of little import; lacking originality or freshness.
“this point may now seem obvious and trite”
vir·u·lence
/ˈvir(y)ələns/
the severity or harmfulness of a disease or poison.
“the proportion of birds which die depends on the virulence of the virus”
dis·si·pat·ed
/ˈdisəˌpādəd/
adjective
(of a person or way of life) overindulging in sensual pleasures.
“dissipated behavior”
par·ti·san
/ˈpärdəzən/
a strong supporter of a party, cause, or person.
“partisans of the exiled Stuarts”
er·u·dite
/ˈer(y)əˌdīt/
having or showing great knowledge or learning.
“Ken could turn any conversation into an erudite discussion”
in·su·lar
/ˈins(y)ələr/
ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one’s own experience.
“a stubbornly insular farming people”
im·per·turb·a·ble
/ˌimpərˈtərbəb(ə)l/
unable to be upset or excited; calm.
“an imperturbable tranquility”
