Quick Quizzes 32 - 41 Flashcards
derogatory
derogatory ( dih RAHG uh tor ee) adj disapproving; degrading
Derogatory remarks are negative remarks expressing disapproval. They are nastier than merely critical remarks.
Stephen could never seem to think of anything nice to say about anyone; virtually all of his comments were derogatory.
desiccate
desiccate ( DES uh kayt) v to dry out
The hot wind desiccated the few grapes remaining on the vine; after a day or two, they looked like raisins.
despondent
despondent (dih SPAHN dunt) adj extremely depressed; full of despair
After the death of his wife, the man was despondent for many months.
despot
despot (DES puht) n an absolute ruler; an autocrat
Stephen was a despot; workers who disagreed with him were fired.
To act like a despot is to be despotic (di SPAH ti) There was cheering in the street when the country’s despotic government was overthrown.
destitute
destitute (DES tuh toot) adj extremely poor; utterly lacking
Destitute people are people without money or possessions, or with very little money and very few possessions. To be left destitute is to be left without money or property. The word can also be used figuratively. A teacher might accuse her students of being destitute of brains, or intellectually destitute.
desultory
desultory ( DES ul tor ee) adj without a plan or purpose; disconnected; random
In his desultory address, Rizal skipped from one topic to another and never came to the point.
dextrous
dextrous ( DEX trus) adj skillful; adroit
Dextrous often, but not always, connotes physical ability. Like adroit, it comes from the Latin word for right (as in the direction), because right-handed people were once considered physically and mentally superior.
Though not imposing in nature, Rashid was the most dextrous basketball player on the court; he often beat taller competitors with his nimble management of the ball.
You may also see this word spelled dexterous. Dexterity is the noun form. For an antonym see gauche.
dialectical
dialectical (dye uh LEK ti kul) adj relating to discussions; relating to the rules and methods of reasoning; approaching truth in the middle of opposing extremes
The game of Twenty Questions is dialectical, in that the participants attempt to narrow down a chosen object by asking a series of ever more specific questions. The noun is dialectic.
dictum
dictum (DIK tum) n an authoritative saying; and adage; a maxim; a proverb
“No pain, no gain” is a hackneyed dictum of sadistic coaches everywhere.
didactic
didactic (dye DAK tik) adj intended to teach; morally instructive; pedantic
The new novel is painfully didactic; the author’s aim is always to instruct and never to entertain.
diffident
diffident (DIF i dunt) adj timid; lacking in self-confidence.
Diffident and confident are opposites.
The diffident student never made a single comment in class.
digress
digress (dye GRES) v to stray from the main subject
Speaking metaphorically, to digress is to leave the main highway in order to travel aimlessly on back roads. When a speaker digresses, he departs from the main topic and tells a story only distantly related to it. Such a story is called a digression. Sometimes a writer’s or speaker’s digressions are more interesting than his or her main points.
dilettante
dilettante (DIL uh tahnt) n someone with superficial knowledge of the arts; an amateur; a dabbler
To be a dilettante is to dabble in something rather than doing it in a serious way.
Reginald said he was an artist, but he was merely a dilettante; he didn’t know a pencil from a paintbrush.
discern
discern (dih SURN) v to have insight; to see things clearly; to discriminate; to differentiate
To discern something is to perceive it clearly. A writer whose work demonstrates discernment is a writer who is a keen observer.
discreet
discreet (dih SKREET) adj prudent; judiciously reserved
To make discreet inquiries is to ask around without letting the whole world know you’re doing it.
discrete
discrete (dih SKREET) adj unconnected; separate; distinct Do not confuse discrete with discreet.
The twins were identical, but their personalities were discrete.
discriminate
discriminate (dih SKRIM uh nayt) v to notice or point out the difference between two or more things; to discern; to differentiate
disdain
disdain (dis DAYN) n arrogant scorn; contempt
Audrey viewed the hot dog with disdain, believing that to eat such a disgusting food was beneath her.
disinterested
disinterested (dis IN truh stid) adj not taking sides; unbiased
Disinterested should not be used to mean uninterested. If you don’t care about knowing something, you are uninterested, not disinterested.
A referee should be disinterested. He or she should not be rooting for one of the competing teams.
disparage
disparage (dih SPAR ij) v to belittle; to say uncomplimentary things about, usually in a somewhat indirect way.
My guidance counselor disparaged my high school record by telling me that not everybody belongs in college.
indiscrete
indiscrete - not separated or sorted, when things are all jumbled up together
disparate
disparate (DIS pur it) adj different; incompatible; unequal
Our interests were disparate: Cathy liked to play with dolls and I liked to throw her dolls out the window.
disseminate
disseminate (dih SEM uh nayt) v to spread the seeds of something; to scatter; to make widely known
News is disseminated through many media; radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and gossips.
dissipate
dissipate (DIS uh payt) v to thin out, drift away, or dissolve; to cause to thin out, drift away, or dissolve; to waste or squander
The smoke dissipated as soon as we opened the window.
dissolution
dissolution (dis uh LOO shun) n the breaking up or dissolving of something into parts; disintegration
Nothing could prevent the dissolution of the Justin Beiber fan club after he retired to seek a golf career.
distend
distend (di STEND) v to swell; to extend a great deal
A distended belly is one symptom of malnutrition. A swelling is a distention.
distinguish
distinguish (di STING gwish) v to tell apart; to cause to stand out
I studied and studied but I was never able to distinguish between discrete and discreet.
docile
docile (DAHS ul) adj easily taught; obedient; easy to handle
The baby raccoons appeared docile at first, but they were almost impossible to control.
Mia’s docility (dah SIL i tee) fooled the professor into believing that she was incapable of thinking for herself.
doctrinaire
doctrinaire (dahk truh NAYR) adj inflexibility committed to a doctrine or theory without regard to its practicality; dogmatic
A doctrinaire opponent of fluoridation of water would be someone whose opposition could not be shaken by proof that fluoride is good for teeth and not bad for anything else.
dogmatic
dogmatic (dawg MAT ik) adj arrogantly assertive of unproven ideas; stubbornly claiming that something (often a system of beliefs) is beyond dispute
A dogma is a belief. A dogmatic person, however, is stubbornly convinced of his beliefs.
Marty is dogmatic on the subject of the creation of the world; he sneers at anyone whose views are not identical to his.
domestic
domestic (duh MES tik) adj having to do with the household or family; not foreign.
A maid is sometimes called a domestic engineer or simply as a domestic.
dogma
dogma - firmly held system of beliefs
dormant
dormant (DOR munt) adj inactive; as though asleep; asleep
Dormant, like dormitory, comes from a root meaning sleep. Many plants remain dormant through the winter; that is they stop growing until spring.
dubious
dubious (DOO bee us) adj full of doubt; uncertain
We were dubious about the team’s chance of success and, as it turned out, our dubiety (doo BYE uh tee) was justified: The team lost.
dubiety
dubiety (doo BYE uh tee) uncertainty
duplicity
duplicity (doo PLIS uh tee) n the act of being two-faced; double-dealing; deception
Liars engage in duplicity all the time; they say one thing and do another.
ebullient
ebullient (ih BUL yunt) adj boiling; bubbling with excitement; exuberant
A boiling liquid can be called ebullient. More often, though, this word describes excited or enthusiastic people.
The roaring crowd in a full stadium before the World Series might be said to be ebullient.
eccentric
eccentric (ek SEN trik) adj not conventional; a little kooky; irregular
The eccentric inventor spent all his waking hours fiddling with what he said was a time machine but was actually just an old telephone booth.
eclectic
eclectic (ih KLEK tik) adj choosing the best from many sources; drawn from many sources
Adolfo’s taste in art was eclectic. He liked the Old Masters, the Impressionists, and Walt Disney.
edify
edify (ED uh fye) v to enlighten; to instruct, especially in moral or religious matters
We found the pastor’s sermon on the importance of not eating beans to be most edifying.
efface
efface (ih FAYS) v to erase; to rub away the features of
The inscription on the tombstone had been effaced by centuries of weather.
To self-effacing is to be modest.
effusion
effusion (ih FYOO zhun) n a pouring forth
When the child was rescued from the well, there as an intense effusion of emotion from the crowd that had gathered around the hole.
To be effusive is to be highly emotional.
egalitarian
egalitarian ( ih gal uh TAYR ee un) adj believing in the social and economic equality of all people
People often lose interest in egalitarian measures when such measures interfere with their own interests.
egocentric
egocentric (ee goh SEN trik) adj selfish; believing that one is the center of everything
It never occurred to the egocentric musician that his audiences might like to hear someone else’s songs every once in a while.
An egoist is an egocentric person.
egotist
egotist - self-obsessed person; another type of egocentric; an egoist who tells everyone how wonderful he is
egregious
egregious ( ih GREE jus) adj extremely bad; flagrant.
Save this word for things that are worse than bad.
Aaron’s manners were egregious; he ate his mashed potatoes with his fingers and slurped the peas right off his plate.
elicit
elicit (ih LIS it) v to bring out; to call forth
The interviewer skillfully elicited our true feelings by asking us questions that got to the heart of the matter.
elliptical
elliptical (ih LIP ti kul) adj oval; missing a word or words; obscure
This word has several meanings.
An egg may have an elliptical shape.
An elliptical statement is one that is hard or impossible to understand, either because something is missing from it or because the speaker or writer is trying to be hard to understand.
elusive
elusive (ih LOO siv) adj hard to pin down; evasive
To be elusive is to elude, which means to avoid, evade, or escape.
The elusive criminal was next impossible for the police to catch. (The criminal eluded the police).
emigrate
emigrate (EM uh grayt) v to leave a country permanently; to expatriate
At the heart of this word is the word migrate, which means to move from one place or country to another. Emigrate adds to migrate the sense of moving out of some place in particular. On the other end of every emigration is an immigration (think of this as “in-migration”)
When Solange emigrated from France, she immigrated to the United States.
immigration
immigration - moving into a country
eminent
eminent (EM uh nunt) adj well-known and respected; standing out from all others in quality or accomplishment; outstanding
The visiting poet was so eminent that our English teacher fell to the ground before him and licked his shoes. Our English teacher thought the poet was preeminent in his field.
empirical
empirical (em PIR uh kul) adj relying on experience or observation; not merely theoretical
We proved the pie’s deliciousness empirically, by eating it.
emulate
emulate (EM yuh layt) v to strive to equal or excel, usually through imitation
To emulate someone is to try to be just as good as, or better than, him or her.
encroach
encroach (in KROHCH) v to make gradual or stealthy inroads into; to trespass
As the city grew, it encroached on the countryside surrounding it.
endemic
endemic (en DEM ik) adj native; restricted to a particular region or era; indigenous
You won’t find that kind of tree in California; it is endemic to our part of the country.
enervate
enervate (EN ur vayt) v to reduce the strength or energy of, especially to do so gradually
Sander felt enervated by his long ordeal and couldn’t make himself get out of bed.
enfranchise
enfranchise (en FRAN chyze) v to grant the privileges of citizenship, especially the right to vote
In the United States, citizens become enfranchised on their eighteenth birthdays. American women were not enfranchised until the adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, which gave them the right to vote.
disfranchise (or disenfranchise)
disfranchise (or disenfranchise) to take away the privileges of citizenship or take away the right to vote
One of the goals of the reform candidate was to disfranchise the bodies at the cemetery, which had had a habit of voting for the crooked mayor.
engender
engender (en JEN dur) v to bring into existence; to create; to cause
Smiles engender smiles.
enigma
enigma (uh NIG muh) n a mystery
Ben is an enigma; he never does any homework but he always gets good grades.
An enigma is enigmatic (en ig MAT ik). Ben’s good grades were enigmatic.
enormity
enormity (i NOR muh tee) n extreme evil; a hideous offense; immensity
Hitler’s soldiers stormed through the village, committing one enormity after another.
Hugeness or great size is not the main meaning of enormity. When you want to talk about the gigantic size of something, use immensity instead.
ephemeral
ephemeral (i FEM ur al) adj lasting a very short time
Ephemeral comes from the Greek and means lasting a single day. The word is usually used more loosely to mean lasting a short time.
Youth and flowers are both ephemeral. They’re gone before you know it.
epigram
epigram (EP uh gram) n a brief and usually itty or satirical saying
People often find it difficult to remember the difference between epigram and similar words. An epigram is epigrammatic (ep uh gruh MAT ik)
epigraph
epigraph - an apt quotation placed at the beginning of a book or essay
epitaph
epitaph - a commemorative inscription on a grave
epithet
epithet - a term used to characterize the nature of something; sometimes a disparaging term used to describe a person
epitome
epitome (i PIT uh mee) n a brief summary that captures the meaning of the whole; the perfect example of something; a paradigm
The first paragraph of the new novel is an epitome of the entire book; you could read it and understand what the author was trying to get across. It epitomized the entire work.
equanimity
equanimity (ik wuh NIM uh tee) n composure; calm
John’s mother looked at the broken glass on the floor with equanimity; at least he didn’t hurt himself when he knocked over the vase.
equitable
equitable (EK wuh tuh bul) adj fair
King Solomon’s decision was certainly equitable; each mother would receive half the child.
Equity is fairness; inequity is unfairness. Iniquity and inequity both mean unfair, but iniquity implies wickedness as well.
equivocal
equivocal (ih KWIV uh kul) adj ambiguous; intentionally confusing; capable of being interpreted in more than one way
Ambiguous means unclear. To be equivocal is to be intentionally ambiguous.
Joe’s response was equivocal; we couldn’t tell whether he meant yes or no, which is precisely what Joe wanted.
erudite
erudite (ER yoo dyte) adj scholarly; deeply learned
The professor said such erudite things that none of us had the slightest idea of what he was saying.
To be erudite is to possess erudition (er yoo DISH un), or extensive knowledge.
equivocate
equivocate - to mislead by saying confusing or ambiguous things
esoteric
esoteric (is uh TER ik) adj hard to understand; understood by only a select few; peculiar
Chicken wrestling and underwater yodeling were just two of Earl’s esoteric hobbies.
espouse
espouse (eh SPOWZ) v to support; to advocate
The Mormons used to espouse bigamy, or marriage to more than one woman.
ethereal
ethereal (ih THIR ee ul) adj heavenly; as light and insubstantial as a gas or ether
The ethereal music we heard turned out to be not angels plucking on their harps but the wind blowing past our satellite television antenna.
euphemism
euphemism (YOO fuh miz um) n a pleasant or inoffensive expression used in place of an unpleasant or offensive one
Aunt Angie, who couldn’t bring herself to say the word death said that Uncle George had taken the big bus uptown. “Taking the big bus uptown” was her euphemism for dying.
evanescent
evanescent (ev uh NES unt) adj fleeting; vanishing; happening for only the briefest period
Meteors are evanescent: They last so briefly that it is hard to tell whether one has actually appeared.
exacerbate
exacerbate (ig ZAS ur bayt) v to make worse
Dipping Austin in lye exacerbated his skin condition.
exacting
exacting (ig ZAK ting) adj extremely demanding; difficult; requiring great skill or care
The exacting math teacher subtracted points for even the most unimportant errors.
exalt
exalt (ig ZAWLT) v to raise high; to glorify
The manager decided to exalt the lowly batboy by asking him to pitch in the opening game of the World Series.
exasperate
exasperate (ig ZAS puh rayt) v to annoy thoroughly; to make very angry; to try the patience of
The child’s insistence on hopping backward on one foot exasperated his mother, who was in a hurry.
exemplify
exemplify (ig ZEM pluh fye) v to illustrate by example; to serve as a good example Fred participated in every class discussion and typed all of his papers. His teacher thought Fred exemplified the model student; Fred's classmates thought he was sycophantic.
exhaustive
exhaustive (ig ZAWS tiv) adj thorough; rigorous; complete; painstaking
Before you use a parachute, you should examine it exhaustively for defects. Once you jump, your decision is irrevocable.
exhort
exhort (ig ZORT) v to urge strongly; to give a serious warning to
The coach used his bullhorn to exhort us to try harder.
The adjective is hortatory (HOR tuh tor ee).
exigency
exigency (EK si jen see) n an emergency; an urgency
An academic exigency: You haven’t opened a book all term and the final is tomorrow morning. Exigent means urgent.
existential
existential (eg zis TEN shul) adj having to do with existence; having to do with the body of thought called existentialism, which basically holds that human beings are responsible for their own actions but is otherwise too complicated to summarize in a single sentence. This word is overused but under-understood by virtually all of the people who use it. Unless you have a very good reason for throwing it around, you should probably avoid it.
exonerate
exonerate (ig ZAHN uh rayt) v to free completely from blame; to exculpate
Our dog was exonerated when we discovered that it was in fact the cat that had eaten all the chocolate chip cookies.
expatriate
expatriate (eks PAY tree ayt) v to throw (someone) out of his or her native land; to move away from one’s native land; to emigrate
Hugo was fed up with his native country and so expatriated to America. In doing so, Hugo became an expatriate (eks PAY tree ut).
expedient
expedient ( ik SPEE dee unt) adj providing an immediate advantage; serving one’s immediate self-interest; practical
Since the basement had nearly filled with water, the plumber felt it would be expedient to clear out the drain.
expedite
expedite (EK spi dyte) v to speed up or ease the progress of
The post office expedited mail delivery by hiring more letter carriers.
explicit
explicit (ik SPLIS it) adj clearly and directly expressed
The machine’s instructions were explicit – they told us exactly what to do.
implicit
implicit - indirectly expressed or implied
Gerry’s dissatisfaction with our work was implicit in his expression, although he never criticized us directly.
extol
extol (ik STOHL) v to praise highly; to laud
The millionaire extolled the citizen who returned his gold watch and then rewarded him with a heartfelt handshake.
extraneous
extraneous (ik STRAY nee us) adj unnecessary; irrelevant; extra
The soup contained several extraneous ingredients, including hair, sand, and a single dead fly.
extrapolate
extrapolate (ik STRAP uh layt) v to project or deduce from something known; to infer
George’s estimates were extrapolated from last year’s data; he simply took all the old numbers and doubled them.
extricate
extricate ( EK struh kayt) v to free from difficulty
Monica had no trouble driving her car into a ditch, but she needed a tow truck to extricate it.
extrovert
extrovert (EKS truh vurt) n an open, outgoing person; a person whose attention is focused on others rather than on himself or herself
Maria was quite an extrovert; she walked boldly into the roomful of strange adults and struck up a friendly conversation.
introvert
introvert (IN truh vurt) n a person whose attention is directed inward and who is concerned with little outside himself or herself
Ryan was an introvert; he spent virtually all his time in his room, writing in his diary and talking to himself. An introvert is usually introspective.
exult
exult (ig ZULT) v to rejoice; to celebrate
The women’s team exulted in its victory over the men’s team at the badminton finals. They were exultant.
