Random Encounters Flashcards
Master these words encountered from readings, articles, books, etc.
Tumultuous
ex. Exploring the pangs of this tumultuous relationship is what most attracted Kent to this project.
- Making a loud, confused noise, uproarious
2. Excited, confused, or disorderly
Underscore
ex: They underscore the extent to which our ideas of normality are tied closely to socioeconomic status.
Verb:
- to mark with a line or lines underneath; underline, as for emphasis.
- to stress; emphasize:
Noun:
- a line drawn beneath something written or printed.
- music for a film soundtrack; background for a film or stage production.
Providental
ex: Many readers understood all manner of news in providential terms.
- of, relating to, or resulting from divine providence:
providential care. - opportune, fortunate, or lucky:
a providential event.
Prevarication
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
Histrionics
Theatrics
Labyrinthine
a good word to describe a place that feels like an enormous maze.
Contemporary
Modern and relates to present time
Terse
Brief and unfriendly
Ignominy
Shame or public disgrace
Notion
Idea or belief
Paucity
Not enough of
Subsume
Included with or absorbed into
Belie
Hide, disguise
Mercurial
Frequently change
Torrid
Extremely hot and dry
Overstates
Describing in a way to make it seem more important
Furtively
In secret
Volatile
Liable to change rapidly and unpredictability
Incendiary
Causing likely to make people upset and create conflict
Astute
Ability to assess situations and people
Abrogate
Repeal, overturn
Promulgate
Publicly declare
Verisimilitude
Appearance of truth
Subvert
Destroy, cause downfall of
Inured
Cause to accept or become hardened to, habituate
Stultified
Limited in growth
Assuaged
Placated, make less angry
Galvanized
Excite someone into taking action
Schmooze
Talk intimately and cozily
Machinate
Engage in plots and intrigues
Hobnob
Mix socially
Cravenness
Cowardiness
Eclectic
Drawn from a variety of sources
Recondite
Knowledge very few people know
Ephemeral
Short-lived
Prosaic
Dull, unoriginal
Topical
Relevant
Protracted
Lengthy
Sordid
Disgraceful and scandalous
Ambivalent
Mixed feelings
Pauper
Poor person
Curmudgeon
Grumpy person
Steadfast
Loyal
Brusque
Rude
Perfunctory
Going through the motions, routine
Muted
Quiet
Abstract
Vaque
Polemical
Passionate verbal attack
Timorous
Fearful, timid
Bellicose
Aggressive and eager to start fights/wars
Vigorous
Full of physical strength or energy
Accommodate
Provide for
Circumscribe
Restrict, confine
Aberrant
Different from normal
Slight
Insult
Hauteur
Arrogant
Vitriol
Harsh, bitter criticism
Dash
Flair
Misanthropic
Ill-will towards humanity
Garruity
Talkativeness
Obsequiousness
Fawning
Perennial
Occurs over the seasons, constant throughout the years
Lachrymose
Sad, tearful
Penurious
Having no money
Vernacular
Language, or dialect spoken by a population
Lexicon
Vocabulary of a person
Novelties
New or original
Debate
Formal discussion
Zeitgeist
The defining spirit or mood of a particular time in history as shown by ideas and beliefs
Reticent
Reserved, restrained to act
Affable
Friendly and good natured
Guarded
Cautious, careful to avoid danger
Amiable
Friendly and pleasant
Contentious
More focused, certain of your argument
Equivocation
Intentionally vague or ambiguous
Candor
Honest, straightforward
Glibness
Smooth talker
Stridency
Timbre of a loud high-pitched sound
Brazenness
bold and shameless behavior
Abstruse
incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding
Pedantic
Narrow focus
Largesse
Gift or money given
Stricture
Criticism
Abnormal Narrowing of a bodily canal
Nonplussed
Mystery or bewildering
Surprise, Confusion
Imperil
Pose a threat
Peripheral
On, near edge
Marginalized
Relegate to lower/outer edge
Forlorn
Very sad
Arbitrary
Random, without purpose
Ostentatious
Showing off
Exaltation
Praise
Gregarious
Social
Edifice
Large Imposing Building
Melancholia
Sad
Stopgap
Measure, substitute
Desultory
Random, unplanned
Fortuitous
Happening by accident, usually pleasant
Churlishly
Rude, unmannered
Hapless
Unfortunate
Sycophantic
Kissing up
Preeminent
Foremost, top
Congenial
Friendly
Ostensibly
Apparently
Disenfranchised
deprive of right to vote
Openhanded
Giving free, generous
Garrulous
Talkative
Parsimonious
Not generous
Tactless
Doesn’t behave appropriately
Admonitory
Warn or caution
Immutable
Fixed
Tantamount
Equal
Shiftless
Doesn’t change
Fertile
Give rise to
Plastic
Not fixed, changeable
Consummate
Highly accomplished
Amalgam
Mixture or blend
Caricature
Poking fun at
Repudiation
Denial
Implacable
Unable to make less angry, not affected
Intransigent
Impervious to pleas and request
Debonair
Charming, cheerful, self-confident
Stolid
Revealing little emotions
Libertine
Unrestrained by morals
Presumptuous
Excessively forward
Intrepid
Invulnerable to fear or intimidation
Capricious
Unpredictable
Soporific
Sleep-inducing
Plodding
Slow and laborious
Ascendancy
Position of power over another
Primacy
First in importance
Sullen
Depressed, sulky
Truculence
Aggressiveness
Retiring
Reluctant to draw attention to oneself
Pugnacity
Natural disposition to be hostile
Spuriously
In way that is false or counterfeit
Spasmodically
Irregularly
Carousing
Engaging in merryment, revelry
Singular
Great, outstanding
Galvanize
Excite someone into action
Serendipitous
Occuring by chance in a beneficial way
Effect
Act so as to bring into a existence
Poignant
Arousing effect, emotionally touching
Impugn
Attack as false or wrong, dispute truth
Equivocal
Open to question, questionable, not clear
Incontrovertible
Impossible to deny
Diminutive
Smalless
Deferential
Showing respect, submission
Sacerdotal
Associated with priesthood
Languishing
Lacking of vigor or spirit
Ebb
Flow back, recede, decline
Ameliorate
To make better
Restiveness
Anxious, agitation
Jingoism
Patriotism
Euphoria
Great elation
Cupidity
Greed for material wealth
Contrive
Make a plan
Coda
Closing section to musical composition
Capriciously
Unpredictability
Brio
Liveliness, vigorous movement
Ponderously
Moving with great difficulty
Crony
Close friend, accomplice
Untenable
Incapable of being defended
Chums
Close friends
Contemporaries
People living at the same time
Erudite
Scholarly, great knowledge
Fastidious
Careful attention to detail
Querulous
Habitually complaining
Petulant
Easily annoyed
Legion
Vast multitude
Thoroughgoing
Performed completely
Hyperbole
Exaggerate
Untoward
Unexpected, not keeping with standard
Capitulation
Act of surrendering
Calumny
Abusive attack in a person’s character
Magnanimous
Generous, understanding
Docilely
Submissive
Logorrhea
Out pouring of words
Perfunctory
Through the motions
Cursory
Done in superficial manner, not detailed done hastily
Onerous
Burdensome
Irate
Really angry
Sanguine
Optimistic, positive
Bloody
Quotidian
Occuring everyday, daily
Enfranchised
Give the right to vote
Supplanted
Replace
Inimical
Hostile, difficult
Permissive
Allow
Eclectic
a person who derives ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources
Subsumes
Contain or include
Genial
Friendly and cheerful
Diffidence
Lack of self-confidence
Myopic
Nearsighted, lack of imagination
Harried
Trouble persistently
Epigrammatic
Clever, concise, amusing
Apogee
Final climatic stage
Precocity
Intelligence achieved far ahead of normal development
Nadir
Extreme state of adversity
Persnickety
Excessive precision and attention to detail
Platitudes
Canned phrases, lacking expression
Pejorative
Words with strong negative connotations
Sartorial
Relating to clothing
Inchoate
Barely formed, embryonic
Hackneyed
Overused and trite
Insidious
Hidden but harmful
Smattering
Small number of, slight knowledge
Paucity
Not enough of
obsequious
obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
Machiavellian
cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous
behooves
duty or responsibility for someone to do something
incumbent
resting as a duty or obligation
impugning
call into question
lambasted
criticize (someone or something) harshly
commensurate
To reduce to a common measure, to adapt
undergird
provide support or a firm basis for
quixotic
idealistic
prolix
really wordy
inscrutable
really difficult to understand
raconteur
A story-teller
dissembler
One who dissembles; one who conceals his opinions or dispositions under a false appearance; a hypocrite
maverick
independent thinker
unequivocally
very clearly, with no room for doubt
categorically
very clear and direct/explicit
quotidian
daily, routine
prosaic
Ordinary or commonplace
benighted
lacking enlightenment or knowledge or culture
arcane
requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
egregious
Huge, monstrous, astonishing
uncanny
Eery; weird; mysterious; apparently not of this world
gratuitous
Unwarranted, unnecessary
supercilious
haughty and arrogant
understated
not drawing attention
eponym
A name of a place, people, or period derived from that of a person
verbose
using or expressed in more words than are needed.
contrivance
pull off something in an artificial or unnatural manner
vituperative
bitter and abusive.
poring
be absorbed in the reading or study of.
scrupulous
diligent, thorough, and extremely attentive to details
enjoining
instruct or urge (someone) to do something
Prohibit
exhorting
strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something.
protean
taking on many different forms, highly adaptable
besotted
in love with somebody or something
pedantic
focus on trivial academic points
eclectic
drawn from a variety of sources
austerity
extreme plainness and simplicity of style or appearance
Pared down
whittling away, stripping down
