R Flashcards
1
Q
rabid
A
like a fanatic; furious
He was a rabid follower of the Dodgers and watched them play whenever he could go to the ball park.
2
Q
raconteur
A
story-teller
My father was a gifted raconteur with an unlimited supply of anecdotes.
3
Q
ragamuffin
A
person wearing tattered clothes
He felt sorry for the ragamuffin who was begging for food and gave him money to buy a meal.
4
Q
rail
A
scold; rant
You may rail at him all you want; you will never change him.
5
Q
raiment
A
clothing
“How can I go to the ball?” asked Cinderella. “I have no raiment fit to wear.”
6
Q
rakish
A
stylish; sporty
He wore his hat at a rakish and jaunty angle.
7
Q
ramble
A
wander aimlessly (physically or mentally)
Listening to the teacher ramble, Judy wondered whether he’d ever get to his point.
8
Q
ramification
A
branching out; subdivision
We must examine all the ramifications of this problem.
9
Q
ramp
A
slope; inclined plane
The house was built with ramps instead of stairs in order to enable the man in the wheelchair to move
easily from room to room and floor to floor.
10
Q
rampant
A
rearing up on hind legs; unrestrained
The rampant weeds in the garden killed all the flowers that had been planted in the spring.
11
Q
rampart
A
defensive mound on earth
“From the ramparts we watched” as the fighting continued.
12
Q
ramshackle
A
rickety; falling apart
The boys propped up the ramshackle clubhouse with a couple of boards.
13
Q
rancor
A
bitterness; hatred
Let us forget out rancor and cooperate in this new endeavor.
14
Q
rankle
A
irritate; fester
The memory of having been jilted rankled him for years.
15
Q
rant
A
rave; speak bombastically
As we heard him rant on the platform, we could not understand his strange popularity with many people.
16
Q
rapacious
A
excessively grasping; plundering
Hawks and other rapacious birds prey on variety of small animals.
17
Q
rapport
A
emotional closeness; harmony
In team teaching, it is important that all teachers in the group have good rapport with one another.
18
Q
rarefied
A
made less dense [of a gas]
The mountain climbers had difficulty breathing in the rarefied atmosphere.
19
Q
raspy
A
grating; harsh
The sergeant’s raspy voice grated on the recruits’ ears.
20
Q
ratify
A
approve formally; verify
Before the treaty could go into effect, it had to be ratified by the president.
21
Q
ratiocination
A
reasoning; act of drawing conclusions from premises
While Watson was a man of average intelligence, Holmes was a genius, whose gift for ratiocination made him a superb detective.
22
Q
rationalization
A
bringing into conformity with reason
All attempts at rationalization at this time are doomed to failure; tempers and emotions run too high for intelligent thought to prevail.
23
Q
raucous
A
harsh and shrill
His raucous laughter irritated me and grated on my ears.
24
Q
ravage
A
plunder; despoil
The marauding army ravaged the countryside.
25
rave
overwhelmingly favorable review
Though critic John Simon seldom has a good word to say about contemporary plays, his review of All in the Timing was a total rave.
26
ravel
fall apart into tangles; unravel or untwist; entangle
A sigle thread pulled loose, and the entire scarf started to ravel.
27
ravenous
extremely hungry
The revenous dog upset several garbage pails in its search for food.
28
ravine
narrow valley with steep sides
Steeper than a gully, less precipitous than a canyon, a ravine is, like them, the product of years of erosion.
29
raze
destroy completely
The owners intend to raze the hotel and erect an office building on the site.
30
reactionary
recoiling from progress; retrograde
His program was reactionary since it sought to abolish many of the social reforms instituted by the previous administration.
31
realm
kingdom; sphere
The realm of possibilities for the new invention was endless.
32
reaper
one who harvests grain
Death, the Grim Reaper, cuts down men and women, just as a farmer cuts down the ripened grain.
33
rebate
discount
We offer a rebate of ten percent to those who pay cash.
34
rebuff
snub; beat back
She rebuffed his invitation so smoothly that he did not realize he had been snubbed.
35
rebus
puzzle in which pictures stand for words
A coven of witches beside a tree is a possible rebus for the town Coventry.
36
rebuttal
refutation; response with contrary evidence
The defense lawyer confidently listened to the prosecutor sum up his case, sure that she could answer his arguments in her rebuttal.
37
recalcitrant
obstinately stubborn
Donkeys are reputed to be the most recalcitrant of animals.
38
recant
repudiate; withdraw previous statement
Unless you recant your confession, you will be punished severely.
39
recapitulate
summarize
Let us recapitulate what has been said thus far before going ahead.
40
receptive
quick or willing to receive ideas, suggestions, etc.
Adventure-loving Huck Finn proved a receptive audience for Tom's tales of buried treasure and piracy.
41
recidivism
habitual return to crime
Prison reformers in the United States are disturbed by the high rate of recidivism; the number of persons serving second and third terms indicates the failure of the prisons to rehabilitate the inmates.
42
recipient
receiver
Although he had been the recipient of many favors, he was not grateful to his benefactor.
43
reciprocal
mutual; exchangeable; interacting
The two nations signed a reciprocal trade agreement.
44
reciprocate
repay in kind
If they attack us, we shall be compelled to reciprocate and bomb their territory.
45
recluse
hermit
The recluse lived in a hut in the forest.
46
recondite
abstruse; profound; secret
He read many recondite books in order to obtain the material for the scholarly thesis.
47
recourse
resorting to help when in trouble
The boy's only recourse was to appeal to his father for aid.
48
recrimination
countercharges
Loud and angry recriminations were her answer to his accusations.
49
rectify
correct
I want to rectify my error before it is too late.
50
rectitude
uprightness
He was renowned for his rectitude and integrity.
51
recumbent
reclining; lying down completely or in part
The command "AT EASE" does not permit you to take a recumbent position.
52
recurrent
occurring again and again
These recurrent attacks disturbed us and we consulted a physician.
53
redolent
fragrant; odorous; suggestive of an odor
Even though it is February, the air is redolent of spring.
54
redoubtable
formidable; causing fear
During the Cold War period, neighboring countries tried not to offend the Russians because they could be redoubtable foes.
55
redress
remedy; compensation
Do you mean to tell me that I can get no redress for my injuries?
56
redundant
superfluous; excessively wordy; repetitious
Your composition is redundant; you can easily reduce its length.
57
reek
emit (odor)
The room reeked with stale tobacco smoke.
58
refectory
dining hall
In this huge refectory, we can feed the entire student body at one sitting.
59
refractory
stubborn; unmanageable
The refractory horse was eliminated from the race when he refused to obey the jockey.
60
refrain
v. abstain from; resist n. chorus
Whenever he heard a song with a lively chorus, Sol could never refrain from joining in on the refrain.
61
refute
disprove
The defense called several respectable witnesses who were able to refute the false testimony of the prosecution's only witness.
62
regal
royal
Prince Albert had a regal manner.
63
regale
entertain
John regaled us with tales of his adventures in Africa.
64
regatta
boat or yacht race
Many boating enthusiasts followed the regatta in their own yachts.
65
regicide
murder of a king or queen
The beheading of Mary Queen of Scots was an act of regicide.
66
regimen
prescribed diet and habits
I doubt whether the results warrant our living under such a strict regimen.
67
reiterate
repeat
He reiterated the warning to make sure everyone understood it.
68
rejoinder
retort; comeback; reply
When someone has been rude to me, I find it particularly satisfying to come up with a quick rejoinder.
69
rejuvenate
make young again
The charlatan claimed that his elixir would rejuvenate the aged and weary.
70
relegate
banish; consign to inferior position
If we relegate these experts to minor posts because of their political persuasions, we shall lose their valuable services.
71
relent
give in
When her stern father would not relent and allow her to marry Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett eloped with her suitor.
72
relish
savor; enjoy
I relish a good joke as much as anyone else.
73
reminiscence
recollection
Her reminiscences of her experiences are so fascinating that she ought to write a book.
74
remiss
negligent
He was accused of being remiss in his duty when the prisoner escaped.
75
remission
temporary moderation of disease symptoms; cancellation of a debt; forgiveness or pardon
Though Senator Tsongas had been treated for cancer, his symptoms were in remission, and he was considered fit to handle the strains of a Presidential race.
76
remnant
remainder
I suggest that you wait until the store places the remnants of these goods on sale.
77
rend
split; tear apart
In his grief, he tried to rend his garments.
78
render
deliver; provide; represent
He rendered aid to the needy and indigent.
79
renegade
deserter; traitor
Because he had abandoned his post and joined forces with the Indians, his fellow officers considered the hero of Dances with Wolves a renegade.
80
renege
deny; go back on
He reneged on paying off his debt.
81
renown
fame
For many years an unheralded researcher, Barbara McClintock gained international renown when she won the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine.
82
rent
tear or rip; split
The conflict over abortion threatens to split our nation, creating a rent in the social fabric that will be difficult to mend.
83
reparable
capable of being repaired
Fortunately, the damages we suffered in the accident were reparable and our car looks brand new.
84
repartee
clever reply
He was famous for his witty repartee and his sarcasm.
85
repercussion
rebound; reverberation; reaction
I am afraid that this event will have serious repercussions.
86
repine
fret; complain
There is no sense repining over the work you have left undone.
87
repository
storehouse
Libraries are repositories of the world's best thoughts.
88
reprehensible
deserving blame
Your vicious conduct in this situation is reprehensible.
89
repress
restrain; crush; oppress
Anne's parents tried to curb her impetuosity without repressing her boundless high spirits.
90
reprieve
temporary stay
During the twenty-four-hour reprieve, the lawyers sought to make the stay of execution permanent.
91
reprimand
reprove severely
I am afraid that my parents will reprimand me when I show them my report card.
92
reprisal
retaliation
I am confident that we are ready for any reprisals the enemy may undertake.
93
reprise
recurrent action; musical repetition; repeat performance
At Waterloo, it was not the effect of any one skirmish that exhausted Colonel Audly; rather it was the cumulative effect of the constant reprises that left him spent.
94
reproach
blame; censure
I want my work to be above reproach and without error
95
reprobate
person hardened in sin, devoid of a sense of decency
I cannot understand why he has so many admirers if he is the reprobate you say he is.
96
reprobation
severe disapproval
The students showed their reprobation of his act by refusing to talk with him.
97
reprove
censure; rebuke
The principal reproved the students when they became unruly in the auditorium.
98
reputed
supposed
He is the reputed father of the child.
99
requiem
mass for the dead; dirge
They played Mozart's Requiem at the funeral.
100
requisite
necessary requirement
Many colleges state that a student must offer three years of a language as a requisite for admission.
101
requite
repay; revenge
The wretch requited his benefactors by betraying them.
102
rescind
cancel
Because of public resentment, the king had to rescind his order.
103
respite
delay in punishment; interval of relief; rest
The judge granted the condemned man a respite to enable his attorneys to file an appeal.
104
restitution
reparation; indemnification
He offered to make restitution for the window broken by his son.
105
restraint
controlling force
She dreamt of living an independent life, free of all restraints.
106
resumption
taking up again; recommencement
During the summer break, Don had not realized how much he missed university life: at the resumption of classes, however, he felt marked excitement and pleasure.
107
resurgent
rising again after defeat, etc.
The resurgent nation surprised everyone by its quick recovery after total defeat.
108
retaliate
repay in kind (usually for bad treatment)
Fear that we will retaliate immediately deters our foe from attacking us.
109
retentive
holding; having a good memory
The pupil did not need to spend much time in study as he had a retentive mind.
110
reticent
reserved; uncommunicative; inclined to silence
Hughes preferred reticent employees to loquacious ones, noting that the formers' dislike of idle chatter might ensure their discretion about his affairs.
111
retinue
following; attendants
The queen's retinue followed her down the aisle.
112
retiring
modest; shy
Given Susan't retiring personality, no one expected her to take up public speaking; surprisingly enough, she became a star of the school debate team.
113
retort
quick, sharp reply
Even when it was advisable for her to keep her mouth shut, she was always ready with a retort.
114
retraction
withdrawal
He dropped his libel suit after the newspaper published a retraction of its statement.
115
retrench
cut down; economize
If they were to be able to send their children to college, they would have to retrench.
116
retribution
vengeance; compensation; punishment for offenses
The evangelist maintained that an angry deity would exact retribution from the sinners.
117
retroactive
taking effect before its enactment (as a law) or imposition (as a tax)
Because the new pension law was retroactive to the first of the year, even though Martha had retired in February she was eligible for the pension.
118
retrograde
go backwards; degenerate
Instead of advancing, our civilization seems to have retrograded in ethics and culture.
119
revelry
boisterous merrymaking
New Year's Eve is a night of revelry.
120
reverberate
echo; resound
The entire valley reverberated with the sound of the church bells.
121
reverent
respectful
His reverent attitude was appropriate in a house of worship.
122
reverie
daydream; musing
He was awakened from his reverie by the teacher's question.
123
revile
slander; vilify
He was avoided by all who feared that he would revile and abuse them if they displeased him.
124
revulsion
sudden violent change of feeling; negative reaction
Many people in this country who admired dictatorships underwent a revulsion when they realized what Hitler and Mussolini were trying to do.
125
rhapsodize
to speak or write in an exaggeratedly enthusiastic manner
She greatly enjoyed her Hawaiian vacation and rhapsodized about it for weeks.
126
ribald
wanton; profane
He sang a ribald song that offended many of the more prudish listeners.
127
rider
amendment or clause added to a legislative bill
Senator Foghorn said he would support Senator Filibuster's tax reform bill only if Filibuster agreed to add an antipollution rider to the bill.
128
rift
opening; break
The plane was lost in the stormy sky until the pilot saw the city through a rift in the clouds.
129
rig
fix or manipulate
The ward boss was able to rig the election by bribing people to stuff the ballot boxes with ballots marked in his candidate's favor.
130
rigor
severity
Many settlers could not stand the rigors of the New England winters.
131
rile
vex; irritate; muddy
Red had a hair-trigger temper: he was an easy man to rile.
132
riventing
absorbing; engrossing
The reviewer described Byatt's novel Possession as a riveting tale: absorbed in the story, he had finished it in a single evening.
133
rivulet
small stream
As the rains continued, the trickle of water running down the hillside grew into a rivulet that threatened to
wash away a portion of the slope.
134
rococo
ornate; highly decorated
The rococo style in furniture and architecture, marked by scrollwork and excessive decoration, flourished during the middle of the eighteenth century.
135
roil
to make liquids murky by stirring up sediment; to disturb
Be careful when you pour not to roil the wine; if you stir up the sediment you'll destroy the flavor.
136
roseate
rosy; optimistic
I am afraid you will have to alter your roseate views in the light of the distressing news that has just arrived.
137
roster
list
They print the roster of players in the season's program.
138
rostrum
platform for speech-making; pulpit
The crowd murmured angrily and indicated that they did not care to listen to the speaker who was approaching the rostrum.
139
rote
repetition
He recited the passage by rote and gave no indication he understood what he was saying.
140
rotunda
circular building or hall covered with a dome
His body lay in state in the rotunda of the Capitol.
141
rotundity
roundness; sonorousness of speech
Washington Irving emphasized the rotundity of the governor by describing his height and circumference.
142
rousing
lively; stirring
"And now, let's have a rousing welcome for TV's own Roseanne Arnold, who'll lead us in a rousing rendition of 'The Star-Spangled Banner.'"
143
rout
stampede; drive out
The reinforcements were able to rout the enemy
144
rubble
fragments
Ten years after World War II, some of the rubble left by enemy bombings could still be seen.
145
rubic
title or heading (in red print); directions for religious ceremony; protocol
In ordaining the new priests, the bishop carefully observed all the rubrics for the ordination service.
146
ruddy
reddish; healthy-looking
His ruddy features indicated that he had spent much time in the open.
147
rudimentary
not developed; elementary
His dancing was limited to a few rudimentary steps.
148
rueful
regretful; sorrowful; dejected
The artist has captured the sadness of childhood in his portrait of the boy with the rueful countenance.
149
ruffian
bully; scoundrel
The ruffians threw stones at the police.
150
ruminate
chew the cud; ponder
We cannot afford to wait while you ruminate upon these plans.
151
rummage
ransack; thoroughly search
When we rummaged through the trunks in the attic, we found many souvenirs of our childhood days.
152
runic
mysterious; set down in an ancient alphabet
Tolkien's use of Old English words and inscriptions in the runic alphabet give The Lord of the Rings its atmosphere of antiquity.
153
ruse
trick; stratagem
You will not be able to fool your friends with such an obvious ruse.
154
rustic
pertaining to country people; uncouth
The backwoodsman looked out place in his rustic attire.
155
rusticate
banish to the country; dwell in the country
I like city life so much that I can never understand how people can rusticate in the suburbs.
156
