R Words Flashcards
rancor (n)
bitter, deep-seated resentment
Thirty years after the war, she could not let go of the past but was still consumed with rancor against the foe.
rarefied [1] (adj)
made less dense (of a gas)
The mountain climbers had difficulty breathing in the rarefied atmosphere.
rarefied [2] (adj)
elevated in nature
Campion was no musical amateur but rather a composer of subtle and rarefied taste.
recalcitrant (adj)
obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority
Which animal do you think is more recalcitrant, a pig or a mule? Both are proverbially stubborn.
recant (v)
retract a previous statement; openly confess error
Hoping to make Joan of Arc recant her sworn testimony, her English captors tried to convince her that her visions had been sent by the Devil.
reclusive (adj)
seeking isolation; withdrawn from society; providing seclusion
Disappointed in love, Miss Emily became reclusive: she shut herself away in her empty mansion and refused to see another living soul.
recondite (adj)
difficult to understand; hidden from sight
While Holmes happily explored arcane subjects such as paleography and ancient Near Eastern languages, Watson claimed they were far too recondite for a simple chap like him.
redoubtable (adj)
causing fear or awe; commanding respect
During the Cold War period, neighboring countries tried not to offend the Russians because they could be redoubtable adversaries.
redress (n/v)
possibility of finding a relief from distress; compensation for loss
Do you mean to tell me that I can get no redress for my injuries?
refractory (adj)
obstinately stubborn; resistant to treatment
Though his jockey whipped him, the refractory horse refused to enter the starting gate.
refute (v)
prove false; overthrow by means of evidence
The defense attorney found several respectable witnesses who were able to refute the lying testimony of the prosecution’s sole witness.
rejoinder (n)
answer, specifically an answer to a reply
When someone has said something rude to me, I find it particularly satisfying to come up with a snappy rejoinder.
relegate (v)
consign to an inferior position
After Ralph dropped his second tray of drinks that week, the manager swiftly relegated him to a minor post behind the bar.
reprehensible (adj)
deserving blame
Shocked by the viciousness of the bombing, politicians of every party uniformly condemned the terrorists’ reprehensible deed.
reprobate (n)
unprincipled or evil person; depraved individual; person hardened in sin
In Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the Duke and the Dauphin are a pair of drunken reprobates, wicked con men ready to swindle a poor widow out of her last dollar.
