PSAT Testmasters 2014 List Flashcards
1
Q
Abstract
A
(Used as a tone word) based on ideas, not on concrete facts or events
2
Q
Aesthetics
A
An artistically beautiful of pleasing appearance; attractive; referring to the look of something
3
Q
Agitate
A
To upset; disturb; to get all “lathered up”
4
Q
Aloof
A
Distant physically or emotionally; reserved and remote
5
Q
Altruistic
A
Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selfessness
6
Q
Ambivalence
A
The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, an object, or an idea
7
Q
Anecdote
A
A short account of an interesting or humorous incident
8
Q
Apathy
A
Lack of interest or concern; indifference
9
Q
Appetite
A
To have a desire for (i.e. an appetite for knowledge)
10
Q
Appropriate
A
Suitable for a particular person, condition, occasion, or place; fitting
11
Q
Articulate
A
Characterized by the use of clear, expressive language
12
Q
Assiduous/Assiduity
A
Persistent application or diligence; unflagging effort
13
Q
Atavism
A
The reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence, usually caused by the chance recombination of genes
14
Q
Austere
A
Severe or stern in disposition or appearance; somber and grave
15
Q
Breezy
A
(An author’s tone) casual or carefree
16
Q
Carnivalesque
A
Having characteristics resembling what you would find at a carnival
17
Q
Charismatic
A
Possessing personal magnetism or charm
18
Q
Coagulate
A
To cause transformation of a liquid into a semi-solid, or solid mass
19
Q
Concession
A
Something, such as a point previously claimed in an argument, that is later conceded; someone who preserves and cares for something
20
Q
Curator
A
The custodian of a collection; someone who preserves and cares for something
21
Q
Cursory
A
Hasty; performed in a quick or superficial manner without attention to details
22
Q
Decry
A
To condemn openly
23
Q
Deficit
A
Inadequacy or insufficiency
24
Q
Defile
A
To debase the pureness or excellence of; corrupt
25
Defray
To pay for part of the cost of something (ex. a school holding a fundraiser to defray the cost of new uniforms)
26
Delinquent
Being overdue in payment; not paid at the required or expected time
27
Diminish
To make smaller or less or cause to appear so
28
Discrepancy
Divergence or disagreement, as between facts or claims; difference
29
Disillusionment
The act of disenchanting
30
Dispirited
Having lost enthusiasm and hope; disheartened
31
Doctor
To falsify or change in such a way as to make favorable to oneself
32
Dynamic
Characterized by continuous change, activity, or progress
33
Efficacious
Producing a desire effect; effective
34
Effusive
Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy; the opposite of reticent
35
Elicit
To bring or draw out (something latent); educe; to arrive at (a truth, for example) by logic
36
Emulate
To strive to equal or excel, especially through imitation
37
Ennui
Listlessness and dissatisfaction resulting from lack of interest; boredom
38
Equivocal
Uncertain; open to different interpretations; ambiguous
39
Esoteric
Intended for or understood by only a particular group
40
Evocative
Tending or having the power to draw forth or bring out something latent, hidden, or unexpressed
41
Exasperate
To make very angry or impatient; annoy greatly
42
Exhaustive
Treating all parts without omission; through
43
Facile
Done or achieved with little effort or difficulty; easy
44
Fanaticism
Excessive irrational zeal or devotion
45
Fastidious
Possessing or displaying careful, meticulous attention to detail
46
Fidelity
Faithfulness to obligations, duties, or observances
47
Fixed
Unchanging
48
Flippant/Flippancy
Marked by disrespectful levity or casualness; pert
49
Foreshorten
To reduce the length of; curtail or abridge
50
Fortitude
Strength of mind that allows one to endure pain or adversity with courage
51
Furtive
Characterized by stealth; surreptitious
52
Galvanize
To arouse to awareness or action; spur
53
Gift
A talent, aptitude, or inclination (i.e. the gift of gab)
54
Herald
(Verb) to proclaim; to declare something as important or good; (noun) a sign of things to come
55
Hinder
To obstruct or get in the way of something
56
Histrionic
Excessively dramatic or emotional; affected
57
Hodgepodge
A mixture of dissimilar ingredients; a jumble
58
Idealistic
Unrealistically aiming for perfection; having utopian ideas
59
Immerse
To engage wholly or deeply; absorb
60
Impetinent
Inappropriate, out of place; intrusive, presumptuous; behaving without proper respect and showing condescension; insolent
61
Implicit
With no qualifications or questions; implied or understood though not stated
62
Impromptu
Prompted by the occasion rather than being planned in advance
63
Impugn
To attack as false or questionable; challenge in argument
64
Inchoate
Just beginning to form; not completely developed or clear
65
Incite
To provoke or urge on
66
Indolent
Disinclined to exert oneself; habitually lazy
67
Inert
Unable to move or act
68
Inevitable
Impossible to avoid or prevent
69
Ingrate
An ungrateful person
70
Inhibit
To prevent an occurrence
71
Intermediary
Acting as a mediator or an agent between persons or things
72
Intricate
Having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate
73
Intuition
The act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use of rational processes; immediate cognition
74
Irascible
Prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered
75
Irrelevant
Unrelated to the matter at hand
76
Jovial
Marked by joyous humor and positive spirit
77
Lassitude
A state or feeling of weariness, diminished energy, or listlessness
78
Laud
To give praise to; glorify
79
Loaded
Charged with emotional or associative significance that hinders rational or unprejudiced consideration of the terms involved in a discourse
80
Loquacious
Very talkative
81
Magnanimous
Generous in forgiving; unselfish
82
Magnitude
Greatness in size or extend
83
Maladroit
Marked by a lack of skillfullness; inept
84
Malevolence
Malicious behavior
85
Manifold
Varied and many
86
Meld
To cause to merge
87
Mercurial
Quick and changeable in temperament; volatile
88
Milieu
A person's social environment or surroundings
89
Minutiae
A small or trivial detail
90
Multifarious
Having many varied parts or aspects
91
Nemesis
An enemy; a person who is a source of great suffering and distress; a rival
92
Nuance
A subtle or slight degree of difference
93
Obstruct
To impede, retard, or interfere with; hinder
94
Obtrusive
Tending to push self-assertively forward; brash
95
Officious
Marked by excessive eagerness in offering unwanted services or advice to others
96
Jubilant
Expressing joy
97
Ostracize
To exclude from a group; to shun
98
Overstate
To state in exaggerated terms
99
Palliative
Relieving or soothing the symptoms of a disease or disorder without effecting a cure
100
Panache
Energy and enthusiasm in the expression of ideas; flamboyant, full of verve, someone who walks with a swagger and shows flamboyant confidence and spirit
101
Patrician
A person of refined upbringing, manners, and tastes
102
Ornate
Elaborately heavily, and often excessively ornamented
103
Peregrination
Movement; to journey or travel from place to place
104
Pernicious
Harmful; deadly
105
Persistent
Refusing to give up or let go; persevering obstinately
106
Petrify
To stun or paralyze with terror; daze
107
Placate
To allay the anger of, especially by making concessions; appease
108
Portend
To indicate by prediction; forecast; warning of omens or bad signs
109
Pragmatism/Pragmatic
A practical, matter-of-fact way of approaching or assessing situations or of solving problems
110
Punctilious
Very attentive to details; meticulous
111
Punctual
Acting or arriving exactly at the time appointed; prompt
112
Rational
Consistent with or based on reason; logical
113
Recluse
A person who withdraws from the world to live in seclusion and often in solitude
114
Renege
To fail to carry out a promise or commitment
115
Reserved
Slow to reveal emotions or opinions; cool
116
Resilient
Marked by the ability to recover readily, as from misfortune
117
Reticent/Reticence
Reserved; shy; withdrawn; retiring
118
Salutary
Beneficial; promoting health
119
Sanctuary
A place of refuge or asylum; a safe haven
120
Sanguine
Cheerfully confident; optimistic
121
Simply
Merely
122
Skeptical
Marked by or given to doubt; questioning
123
Slovenly
Untidy and messy, as in dress or appearance; the opposite of being fastidious
124
Sneered
Mocked; scorned
125
Solid
Substantial (e.g. the attorney presented solid evidence)
126
Somnolence
A state of drowsiness; sleepiness
127
Sonorous
Having or producing a full, deep, or rich sound
128
Soporific
Inducing or tending to induce sleep
129
Sound
Structurally safe; strong; often used to describe buildings that are of good quality and condition
130
Staple
An essential component; a key commodity (e.g. maize was a staple for early colonists)
131
Stymie
Obstruct; hinder
132
Subtle
So slight as to be difficult to detect or analyze; elusive
133
Tectonic
Relating to, causing, or resulting from structural deformation of the earth's crust
134
Temper
To modify the addition of a moderating element; moderate; counterbalance
135
Tepid
Moderately warm; lukewarm
136
Thrive
To make steady progress; prosper
137
Tough
Competitive; hard
138
Tricky
Difficult
139
Truism
A self-evident truth; a statement that is obviously true and says nothing new or interesting; a common statement
140
Ubiquitous
Pervasive; being everywhere at the same time; omnipresent
141
Unorthodox
Unconventional; breaking with tradition; not orthodox
142
Untenable
Indefensible; incapable of being defended or justified
143
Unwitting
Not knowing; unaware
144
Unyielding
Not giving way to pressure or persuasion; obdurate
145
Urbane
Polite, refined, and often elegant in manner
146
Verve
Energy and enthusiasm in the expression of ideas, especially in artistic performance or composition; flamboyant
147
Vexed
Annoyed; bothered
148
Visionary
Forward thinking
