Princeton Review Hit Parade Flashcards
concord (n.)
agreement (antonym: discord)
concur (v.)
to agree
dogmatic (adj.)
stubbornly attached to insufficiently proven beliefs
fastidious (adj.)
carefully attentive to detail; difficult to please
intransigence (n.)
refusal to moderate a position or to compromise
jocular (adj.)
characterized by or given to joking
meticulous (adj.)
extremely careful and precise
affable (adj.)
easy-going; friendly
alacrity (n.)
promptness in response; cheerful readiness; eagerness
amiable (adj.)
friendly; agreeable; good-natured
benign (adj.)
kind and gentle
sanguine (adj.)
cheerfully confident; optimistic
belligerent (adj.)
eager to fight; hostile or aggressive
cantankerous (adj.)
ill-tempered and quarrelsome; disagreeable
contentious (adj.)
quarrelsome
deleterious (adj.)
having a harmful effect
exacerbate (v.)
to increase the severity, violence, or bitterness of; aggravate
flippant (adj.)
disrespecfully humorous or casual
insolent (adj.)
insulting in manner or speech
nefarious (adj.)
flagrantly wicked; vicious
pernicious (adj.)
extremely or irrevocably harmful; deadly
rancorous (adj.)
marked by bitter, deep-seated ill-will
repugnant (adj.)
arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive
supercilious (adj.)
disdainful; haughty; arrogant
arboreal (adj.)
relating to or resembling a tree or trees
invocation (n.)
a call (usually upon a higher power) for assistance, support, or inspiration
stratify (v.)
to layer or separate into layers
variegated (adj.)
having streaks, marks, or patches of a different color or colors; varicolored
verdant (adj.)
green with vegetation
averse (adj.)
strongly disinclined
conspicuous (adj.)
easy to notice; obvious (antonym: inconspicuous)
demure (adj.)
modest and reserved
diffidence (n.)
timidity or shyness
docile (adj.)
submissive to instruction; willing to be taught
innocuous (adj.)
having no adverse effect; harmless
placid (adj.)
calm or quiet; undisturbed
quiescent (adj.)
quiet, still, or at rest; inactive
augment (v.)
to make greater, as in size, extent, or quantity; to supplement
bolster (v.)
to hearten, support, or prop up
burgeon (v.)
to grow and flourish
copious (adj.)
plentiful; having a large quantity
distend (v.)
to swell out or expand from internal pressure, as when overly full
grandiose (adj.)
great in scope or intent; grand
prodigious (adj.)
enormous
profundity (n.)
great depth of intellect, feeling, or meaning
redouble (v.)
to make twice as great; to double
scintillating (adj.)
brilliant
brevity (n.)
the quality or state of being brief in duration
expedient (adj.)
appropriate to a purpose; convenient; speedy
transient (adj.)
passing quickly in time or space
austere (adj.)
without decoration; strict
banal (adj.)
drearily commonplace; predictable; trite
hackneyed (adj.)
worn out through overuse; trite
insipid (adj.)
uninteresting; unchallenging; lacking taste or savor
prosaic (adj.)
unimaginative; dull (antonym: poetic)
soporific (adj.)
inducing or tending to induce sleep
vapid (adj.)
lacking livelines, animation, or interest; dull
onerous (adj.)
troublesome or oppressive; burdensome
portent (n.)
indication of something important or calamitous about to occur; omen
prescience (n.)
knowledge of actions or events before they occur; foreknowledge; foresight
anachronistic (adj.)
the representation of something as existing or happening in the wrong time period
archaic (adj.)
characteristic of an earlier time; antiquated; old
dilatory (adj.)
habitually late
ephemeral (adj.)
lasting for only a brief time
redolent (adj.)
fragrant; aromatic; suggestive
temporal (adj.)
of, relating to, or limited by time
debacle (adj.)
disastrous or ludicrous defeat or failure; fiasco
debilitate (v.)
to impair the strength of; weaken
tumultous (adj.)
noisy and disorderly
aesthetic (adj.)
having to do with the appreciation of beauty
aural (adj.)
of or related to the ear or the sense of hearing
cacophony (n.)
discordant; unpleasant noise
dirge (n.)
a funeral hymn or lament
eclectic (adj.)
made up of a variety of sources or styles
incongruous (adj.)
lacking in harmony; incompatible
sonorous (adj.)
producing a deep or full sound
strident (adj.)
loud, harsh, grating, or shrill
extraneous (adj.)
irrelevant; inessential
juxtapose (v.)
to place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast
novel (adj.)
fresh; original; new
superfluous (adj.)
extra; unnecessary
synergy (n.)
combined action or operation
tangential (adj.)
merely touching or slightly connected; only superficially relevant
diligent (adj.)
marked by painstakign effort; hardworking
maverick (n.)
one who is independent and resists adherence to a group
mercenary (adj.)
motivated solely by a desire for money or material gain
obstinate (adj.)
stubbornly attached to an opinion or a course of action
proliferate (v.)
to grow or increase rapidly
tenacity (n.)
persistence
vigilant (adj.)
on the alert; watchful
dearth (n.)
scarce supply; lack
modicum (n.)
a small, moderate, or token amount
paucity (n.)
smallness in number; scarcity
squander (v.)
to spend wastefully
temperate (adj.)
moderate; restrained (antonym: intemperate)
tenuous (adj.)
having little substance or strength; shaky
clandestine (adj.)
done secretively, especially to deceive; surreptitious
subterfuge (n.)
a deceptive stratagem or device
surreptitious (adj.)
secretive; sneaky
flag (v.)
to decline in vigor or strength; to tire; to droop
jaded (adj.)
worn out; wearied
ambiguous (adj.)
open to more than one interpretation
ambivalent (adj.)
simultaneously feelign opposing feelings; uncertain
apathetic (adj.)
feeling or showing little emotion
capricious (adj.)
impulsive and unpredictable
equivocal (adj.)
open to two or more interpretations and often intended to mislead; ambiguous (antonym: unequivocal)
erratic (adj.)
markedly inconsistent
impetuous (adj.)
suddenly and forcefully energetic or emotional; impuslive and passionate
impetus (n.)
an impelling force or stimulus
sporadic (adj.)
occuring at irregular intervals; having no pattern or order in time
vacillate (v.)
to sway from one side to the other; oscillate
whimsical (adj.)
characterized by whim; unpredictable
belie (v.)
to misrepresent or disguise
debunk (v.)
to expose untruths, shams, or exaggerated claims
dubious (adj.)
doubtful; of unlikely authenticity
duplicitous (adj.)
deliberately deceptive
fabricate (v.)
to make up in order to deceive
fallacy (n.)
a false notion
mendacious (adj.)
lying; untruthful
specious (adj.)
having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually false
complement (n.)
something that completes, goes with, or brings to perfection
epitome (n.)
a representative or example of a type
felicitous (adj.)
admirably suited; apt
alleviate (v.)
to ease a pain or burden
beneficial (adj.)
producing or promoting a favorable result; helpful
cathartic (adj.)
relaxing after an emotional outburst
curative (adj.)
able to heal or cure
palliative (adj.)
relieving or soothing the symptoms of a disease or disorder without effecting a cure
therapeutic (adj.)
having or exhibiting healing powers
amalgam (n.)
a combination of diverse elements; a mixture
inundate (v.)
to overwhelm as if with a flood; to swamp
multifarious (adj.)
diverse; various
multiplicity (n.)
state of being various or manifold; a great number
vicarious (adj.)
felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another
vignette (n.)
a short scene or story
bombastic (adj.)
given to pompous speech or writing
ebullience (n.)
intense enthusiasm
exorbitant (adj.)
exceeding all bounds, as of custom or fairness
exuberant (adj.)
full of unrestrained enthusiasm or joy
embellish (v.)
to ornament or decorate; to exaggerate
flagrant (adj.)
extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable
gratuitous (adj.)
given freely; unearned; unnecessary
lavish (adj.)
extravagant
lugubrious (adj.)
mournful, dismal, or gloom, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree
opulent (adj.)
displaying great wealth
ornate (adj.)
elaborately decorated
penchant (n.)
a strong inclination or liking
redundant (adj.)
needlessly repetitive
ubiquitous (adj.)
being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent
abase (v.)
to lower in rank, prestige, or esteem
deride (v.)
to mock contemptuously
derogatory (adj.)
insulting or intended to insult
disparage (v.)
to speak of negatively; to belittle
effrontery (n.)
brazen boldness; presumptuousness
ignominy (n.)
great personal dishonor or humiliation; disgraceful conduct
impugn (v.)
to attack as false or questionable
mar (v.)
to damage, especially in a disfiguring way
pejorative (adj.)
disparaging, belittling, insulting
vex (v.)
to annoy or bother; to perplex
vindictive (adj.)
disposed to seek revenge; revengeful; spiteful
defunct (adj.)
no longer existing or functioning
eradicate (v.)
to get rid of as if by tearing it up by the roots; abolish
quell (v.)
to put down forcibly; suppress
raze (v.)
to level to the ground; demolish
squelch (v.)
to crush as if by trampling; squash
supplant (v.)
to usurp the place of, especially through intrigue or underhanded tactics
stymie (v.)
to thwart or stump
altruism (n.)
unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness
eminent (adj.)
distinguished; prominent
empathy (n.)
identification with and understanding of another’s situation, feelings, and motives
extol (v.)
to praise highly
laudatory (adj.)
full of praise
magnanimous (adj.)
courageously or generously noble in mind and heart
philanthropic (adj.)
humanitarian; benevolent; relating to monetary generosity
reciprocate (v.)
to mutually take or give; to respond in kind
cajole (v.)
to urge with repeated appeals, teasing, or flattery
chicanery (n.)
trickery
obsequious (adj.)
fawning and servile
sycophant (adj.)
insincere, obsequious flatterer
conciliatory (adj.)
appeasing; soothing; showing willingness to reconcile
credible (adj.)
capable of being believed; plausible
exonerate (v.)
to free from blame
incontrovertible (adj.)
indisputable; not open to question
indict (v.)
to officially charge with wrongdoing or a crime
litigious (adj.)
prone to engage in lawsuits
partisan (adj.)
devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause
parity (n.)
equality, as in amount, status, or value (antonym: disparity)
rectitude (n.)
moral uprightness; righteousness
remiss (adj.)
lax in attending to duty; negligent
repudiate (v.)
to reject the validity or authority of
sanctimonious (adj.)
feigning piety or righteousness
scrupulous (adj.)
principled, having a strong sense of right and wrong; conscientious and exacting
solicitous (adj.)
concerned
substantiate (v.)
to support with proof or evidence; verify
veracity (n.)
adherence to the truth; truthfulness
vindicate (v.)
to free from blame
circumscribe (v.)
to draw a circle around; to restrict
contiguous (adj.)
sharing an edge or boundary; touching
castigate (v.)
to scold, rebuke, or harshly criticize
censure (v.)
to issue official blame
denounce (v.)
to condemn openly
reclusive (adj.)
seeking or preferring seclusion or isolation
relinquish (v.)
to retire from; give up or abandon
renounce (v.)
to give up (a title, for example), especially by formal announcement
vituperative (adj.)
marked by harshly abusive condemnation
arcane (adj.)
known or understood by only a few
assimilate (v.)
to absorb or become absorbed; to make or become similar
autonomy (n.)
independence; self-determination
cosmopolitan (adj.)
wordly; widely sophisticated
derivative (n.)
something that comes from another source
esoteric (adj.)
intended for or understood by only a small group
gaffe (n.)
a clumsy social error; a faux pas
idiosyncrasy (n.)
characteristic peculiar to an individual or group
insular (adj.)
isolated; narrow or provincial
orthodox (adj.)
adhering to the traditional and established, especially in religion
potentate (n.)
one who has the power and position to rule over others; monarch
abtruse (adj.)
difficult to understand
callous (adj.)
emotionally hardened; unfeeling
convoluted (adj.)
intricate; complex
disaffected (adj.)
having lost faith or loyalty; discontent
enigma (n.)
a puzzle, mystery, or riddle
inscrutable (adj.)
difficult to fathom or understand; impenetrable
reticent (adj.)
inclined to keep silent; reserved
staid (adj.)
unemotional; serious
acumen (n.)
quickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgment or insight
adroit (adj.)
dexterous; deft
ascertain (v.)
to find out, as through investigation or experimentation
astute (adj.)
shrewd; clever
cicumspect (adj.)
careful; prudent; discreet
disseminate (v.)
to scatter widely, as in sowing seed
erudition (n.)
deep, extensive learning
pedantic (adj.)
excessively concerned with book learning and formal rules
perspicacious (adj.)
shrewd; clear-sighted
pragmatic (adj.)
practical
precocious (adj.)
exhibiting unusually early intellectual aptitude or maturity
prolific (adj.)
very productive; producing great qualities
prospectus (n.)
formal proposal
rudimentary (adj.)
basic; elementary; in the earliest stages of development
candid (adj.)
completely honest, straightforward
conjecture (n.)
inference; guesswork
didactic (adj.)
instructive (especially excessively)
effusive (adj.)
showing excessive emotion, overflowing
euphemism (n.)
a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term
extrapolate (v.)
to infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information
incoherent (adj.)
lacking cohesion or connection
insinuate (v.)
to imply or communicate stealthily
loquacius (adj.)
very talkative
lucid (adj.)
easily understood; clear
rhetoric (n.)
the art of using language effectively and persuasively
