PRINCETON VOCAB Flashcards
1
Q
aberrant
A
deviating from the norm
2
Q
abscond
A
to steal off and hdie
3
Q
alacrity
A
eager and enthusiastic willingness
4
Q
approbation
A
an expression of approval or praise
5
Q
assuage
A
to ease or lessen
6
Q
audacious
A
daring and fearless
7
Q
austere
A
without adornment; bare
8
Q
axiomatic
A
taken as a given; possessing self-evident truth
9
Q
capricious
A
inclined to change one’s mind impulsively; erratic
10
Q
censure
A
to criticize severely
11
Q
chicanery
A
trickery
12
Q
convoluted
A
complex or complicated
13
Q
disabuse
A
to set right; to undeceive
14
Q
disparate
A
fundamentally distinct
15
Q
effrontery
A
extreme boldness
16
Q
enervate
A
to weaken
17
Q
ennui
A
dissatisfaction and restlessness from boredom or apathy
18
Q
equivocate
A
to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent
19
Q
exculpate
A
to exonerate; to clear of blame
20
Q
exigent
A
urgent, pressing
21
Q
extemporaneous
A
improvise; done without preparation
22
Q
fulminate
A
to loudly attack or denounce
23
Q
ingenuous
A
artless; frank; lacking in sophistication
24
Q
inured
A
accustomed to accepting something undesirable
25
irascible
easily angered
26
magnanimity
being generously noble in mind and heart, especially in forgiving
27
martial
associated with war and the armed forces
28
nascent
coming into being; in early developmental stages
29
nebulous
vague; lacking clearly defined form
30
neologism
a new work, expression, or usage
31
noxious
harmful
32
obtuse
lacking sharpness of intellect
33
obviate
to anticipate and make uncessary
34
onerous
troublesome
35
perfidy
intentional breach of faith; treachery
36
perfunctory
cursory; done without care or interest
37
perspicacious
acutely perceptive; having keen discernment
38
precipitate (adj)
acting with excessive haste or impulse
39
precipitate (verb)
to cause or happen before anticipated
40
prevaricate
to mislead; to deliberately avoid the truth
41
recant
to retract, especially a previously held belief
42
refute
to disprove
43
relegate
to forcibly assign, especially to a lower position
44
solicitous
concerned and attentive; eager
45
sordid
characterized by filth, grime, or squalor
46
stymie
to block; to thwart
47
tortuous
winding, twisting; excessively complicated
48
truculent
fierce and cruel; eager to fight
49
veracity
truthfulness, honesty
50
virulent
extremely harmful or poisonous
51
abate
to lessen in intensity or degree
52
adulation
excessive praise
53
ameliorate
to make better or more tolerable
54
ascetic
one who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion
55
avarice
greed, especially for wealth
56
burgeon
to grow rapidly or flourish
57
bucolic
rustic and pastoral
58
castigation
severe criticism or punishment
59
caustic
burning or stinging; causing corrosion
60
chary
wary; cautious
61
cogent
convincing; appealing forcibly to the mind or reason
62
complaisance
the willingness to comply with the wishes of others
63
contentious
argumentative
64
contrite
regretful; penitent
65
culpable
deserving blame
66
death
scarcity; smallness of quantity or number
67
demur
to question or oppose
68
dogmatic
expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved principles
69
ebullience
the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings
70
eclectic
composed of elements drawn from various sources
71
emollient
soothing; making less harsh
72
empirical
based on observation or experiment
73
enigmatic
mysterious
74
ephemeral
brief; fleeting
75
facetious
playful; humorous
76
furtive
covert; marked by stealth
77
gregarious
sociable; outgoing
78
harangue
ranting speech or writing
79
incipient
beginning to come into being
80
inert
unmoving; lethargic
81
innocuous
harmless
82
intransigent
refusing to compromise
83
inveigle
to obtain by deception or flattery
84
odious
evoking intense aversion or dislike
85
penurious
ungenerous; penny-pinching
86
pernicious
extremely harmful in a way that is not easily noticed
87
peruse
to examine with great care
88
prodigious
abundant in size, force, or extent
89
quiescence
stillness; motionless
90
redoubtable
awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
91
supplant
to take the place of; to supersede
92
torpid
lethargic; sluggish
93
ubiquitous
existing everywhere at the same time
94
urbane
sophisticated; refined
95
vilify
to defame; to characterize harshly
96
acumen
keen, accurate judgment or insight
97
adulterate
to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients
98
amalgamate
to combine several elements into a whole
99
aver
to state as a fact; to declare or assert
100
bolster
to provide support or reinforcement
101
bombastic
pompous; grandiloquent
102
diatribe
a harsh denunciation
103
dissemble
to disguise or conceal
104
endemic
characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region, or people
105
evanescent
vanshing
106
exacerbate
to make worse or more severe
107
fortuitous
happening by accident or chance
108
germane
relevant to the subject at hand
109
grandiloquence
pompous speech or expression
110
hackneyed
rendered commonplace by frequent usage
111
halcyon
calm and peaceful
112
hegemony
the consistent dominance of one state or group over others
113
iconoclast
one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions
114
idolatrous
given to intense or excessive devotion to something
115
impassive
revealing no emotion
116
imperturbable
marked by extreme calm and steadiness
117
implacable
unable of being appeased or significantly changed
118
impunity
immunity from punishment or penalty
119
inchoate
in an initial stage; not fully formed
120
infelicitous
unfortunate; inappropriate
121
insipid
lacking in qualities that interest, stimulate, or challenge
122
loquacious
extremely talkative
123
mendacity
dishonesty; being untruthful
124
misanthrope
one who hates all other humans
125
obdurate
hardhearted; unyielding
126
obsequious
exhibiting a fawning attentiveness
127
occulude
to obstruct or block
128
opprobrium
disgrace; contempt
129
pedantic
show-offish about one's knowledge; overly concerned with the trivial details of learning or education
130
penury
poverty
131
pervasive
having the tendency to permeate
132
pith
the essential or central part
133
pithy
precise and brief
134
platitude
a superficial remark, especially one offered as meaningful
135
polemical
controversial; argumentative
136
prodigal
recklessly wasteful
137
profuse
extravagant; coming forth abundantly
138
proliferate
to grow or increase swiftly and abundantly
139
querulous
prone to complaining or grumbling
140
rancorous
characterized by long-lasting, bitter resentment
141
recalcitrant
obstinately defiant of authority
142
repudiate
to refuse to have anything to do with
143
rescind
to invalidate; to repeal
144
rhetoric
the art or study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion
145
salubrious
promoting health or well-being
146
specious
seeming true, but actually false
147
spurious
lacking authenticity or validity
148
subpoena
a court order requiring appearance and testimony
149
superfluous
exceeding what is sufficient or necessary
150
surfeit
an overabundant supply; excess
151
tenacity
persistent determination; the quality of adherence or persistence to something valued
152
tenuous
flimsy; weak; having little substance or strength
153
tirade
a harsh denunciation; a long and critical speech
154
transient
fleeting; brief
155
acerbic
sharp; having a sour or bitter taste or character
156
aggrandize
to increase in intensity, power, or influence
157
amenable
agreeable; responsive to suggestion
158
anachronism
something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context
159
astringent
having a tightening effect on tissue
160
contiguous
sharing a border; touching; adjacent
161
credulous
gullible
162
cynicism
a belief that all people are motivated by selfishness
163
decorum
polite or appropriate conduct
164
derision
scorn; ridicule
165
desiccate
to dry out; to make dry or dull
166
dilettante
amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge
167
disparage
to slight or belittle
168
flout
to show contempt for, as in a rule or convention
169
garrulous
pointlessly talkative
170
glib
marked by ease or informality; nonchalant
171
hubris
arrogance; overbearing presumption or pride
172
imminent
about to happen
173
immutable
not capable of change
174
impetuous
impulsive; hastily energetic
175
inimical
damaging; harmful
176
intractful
stubborn; not easily managed or directed
177
intrepid
steadfast and courageous
178
laconic
terse; using few words
179
maverick
an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party
180
mercurial
characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood
181
mollify
to calm or soothe
182
neophyte
a recent convert; a beginner
183
obfuscate
to make confusing; to deliberately obscure
184
obstinate
stubborn; hard-headed
185
pervade
to permeate throughout
186
phlegmatic
calm; sluggish; unemotional
187
probity
complete integrity; adherence to highest principles
188
proclivity
a natural predisposition or inclination
189
profligate
excessively wasteful
190
propensity
a natural inclination or tendency
191
prosaic
dull; lacking in spirit or imagination
192
quixotic
foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals
193
quotidian
commonplace; occurring daily
194
rarefy
to make or become thin; to refine
195
recondite
hidden; difficult to understand
196
refulgent
shiny; radient
197
renege
to go back on a promise; to fail to honor a commitment
198
sedulous
diligent; persistent
199
soporific
causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep
200
spendthrift
one who spends money wastefully
201
tacit
implied; not explicitly stated
202
tout
to publicly praise or promote
203
trenchant
sharply perceptive; keen
204
unfeigned
genuine; not false or hypocritical
205
untenable
indefensible; not viable
206
variegated
multicolored
207
vexation
annoyance; irritation
208
vituperate
to berate; to abuse or censure severely or abusively
209
volatile
changeable; fickle; readily changing to a vapor; explosive
