Realistic Vocab Flashcards
anthropomorphic
ascribing human form or attributes to a being or thing not human, especially to a deity.
the — attitude to animals.
bifurcate
to divide or fork into two branches.
the blood supply in the body — between eight and thirty times before reaching each particular location in the body.
solace
comfort in sorrow, misfortune, or trouble.
the minister’s visit was the dying man’s only —.
odious
disgusting
highly offensive; disgusting; repulsive.
Mr. Smith is certainly the most — man I have ever met.
rhetoric
speech or writing intended to convince and impress people but may not be sincere or honest.
obviate
avoid
to anticipate and prevent or eliminate (difficulties, disadvantages, etc.) by effective measures; render unnecessary.
to — the risk of serious injury.
ephemeral
fleeting
lasting a very short time.
the — joys of childhood.
capricious
Erratic. Unpredictable.
idiosyncratic
something particular to an individual.
incredulous
Skeptical; disbelief.
onerous
burdensome; causing hardship.
pedantic
overly specific.
overly concerned with minute details or formalisms, especially in teaching.
insipid
bland
without distinctive, interesting, or stimulating qualities.
pedigree
background, history, or lineage.
nascent
new
beginning to exist or develop.
dialectic
a method of reaching conclusions by considering theories and ideas together with ones that contradict them.
dogma
status quo
a settled or established opinion, belief, or principle.
if you refer to a belief or a system of beliefs as a —, you disapprove of it because people are expected to accept that it is true without questioning it.
their political — has blinded them to the real needs of the country.
aphorism
witty truth
a short witty sentence which expresses a general truth or comment.
“power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”
decadence
excessive self-indulgence.
magnanimous
forgiving
generous in forgiving an insult or injury.
ambivalent
unsure
having mixed feelings about someone or something; being unable to choose between two (usually opposing) courses of action.
she remained — about her marriage.
antipathy
A strong feeling of dislike or hostility toward someone or something.
the voting public’s — toward the president.
conflate
combine two or more things into one (two or more texts, ideas, etc.)
proleptic
anticipate
the anticipation of possible objections in order to answer them in advance.
puerile
immature
foolish; trivial.
opulent
wealthy
rich, or affluent.
heavy silverplate adds an — touch to a formal dinner party.
avid
enthusiastic
showing great enthusiasm for or interest in.
an — moviegoer.
pretentious
arrogant
characterized by assumption of dignity or importance, especially when exaggerated or undeserved.
a —, self-important waiter.
dismal
gloomy
causing gloom; dreary; cheerless.
our team played a — game.
febrile
nervous
feverish. — behavior is intensely and nervously active.
the news plunged the nation into a —, agitated state.
palindrome
a word, line, verse, number, sentence, etc. reading the same backward as forward.
Madam, I’m Adam.
anagram
a word, phrase, or sentence formed from another by rearranging its letters.
“Angel” is an — of “glean”.
pariah
outcast
if you describe someone as a —, you mean that other people dislike them so much that they refuse to associate with them.
voluble
talkative
characterized by a ready and continuous flow of words.
she was — with excitement.
promulgate
spread
publish; to make known by open declaration.
if people — a new law or a new idea, they make it widely known.
the shipping industry — a voluntary code.
ostentatious
show off
display intended to impress others.
interplay
reciprocal
reciprocal relationship, action, or influence.
the — of political, economic, social and cultural factors.
ancillary
secondary
subordinate; auxiliary; assisting.
antithetical
opposite
directly opposed or contrasted; opposite.
their priorities are — to those of environmentalists.
effusive
expressive
pouring out; overflowing.
coalesce
merge
to grow together into one body; to blend or come together.
their ideas — into one theory.
ameliorate
improve
to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory.
solipsism
extreme preoccupation with and indulgence of one’s feelings, desires, etc.
philosophical theory that only the self exists,
specious
deceptive
apparently good or right though lacking real merit; superficially pleasing or plausible; pleasing to the eye but deceptive.
indelibly
Permanent.
the — memories of war.
vacuous
empty
without content; empty; lacking in ideas or intelligence.
vexation
frustration, irritation, annoyance.
prepossessing
engaging, attractive, impressive.
precarious
uncertain
unstable; dependent on the circumstances beyond one’s control.
suffuse
cover
to overspread with.
if something, especially a color or feeling, suffuses a person or thing, it gradually spreads over or through them.
attenuate
to make thin, slender, or fine.
equanimity
calm
mental or emotional stability or composure, especially under tension or strain.
zenith
Peak
the time when something or someone is most successful or powerful.
apathetic
emotionless
having or showing little or no emotion.
if you describe someone as —, you are criticizing them because they do not seem to be interested in or enthusiastic about doing anything.
Even the most — students are beginning to sit up and listen.
omnipotent
someone or something that has complete power over things or people.
amorphous
formless
having no particular kind of character; having no pattern or structure.
an — personality.
ostensibly
apparently
seemingly.
— meant to protect babies, these products are dangerous.
archetype
Model; original
polymath
a person of great and varied learning.
And she was completely unflappable, transitioning between discussions of sex toys and Stalinism with the ease of a true —.
contention
competition
dispute; argument
non sequitur
a conclusion that does not follow from the premise; a reply that has no relevance to what preceded it.
trepidation
dread
a feeling of alarm.
mutually exclusive
a situation involving two or more events, possibilities, etc. in which the occurrence of one prevents the occurrence of the other; describing two things as — means that they can’t both exist, be true, or happen at the same time.
fortuitous
lucky
happening or produced by chance; accidental; lucky.
a series of — events that advanced her career.
idyllic
Simple.
impetus
Catalyst; stimulus
perseverate
repeat
to repeat something, such as words or actions, over and over again.
I’m frustrated by the degree to which I have to — just to get the students to follow simple rules.
amenable
agreeable
open to suggestion;
Collins, though, may be more — after her intensely competitive November election is over.
frenetic
Panicked; frantic
myopic
narrow-minded
lacking tolerance or understanding; narrow-minded.
Assumptions and a — “I’m always right” point of view accomplish nothing.
laconic
Concise in speech.
ascetic
strict
exceedingly strict; a person who denies themselves normal pleasures of life.
In that distorted state, it felt good to deprive myself, as if it were some — form of self-mastery.
petulant
impatient
sudden, impatient irritation, especially over something trivial.
a — toss of the head.
sinuous
indirect
devious; having many curves, bends, or turns.
— questions.
a — path.
assiduous
constant
dilligently working at a task.
an — reader.
hubris
arrogance
excessive pride or self confidence.
inane
lacking sense, significance, or ideas.
tenuous
weak, vague
lacking a sound basis as reasoning.
reticent
Reluctant, restrained, reserved.
not saying all that one knows.
precocious
unusually advanced or mature in development, especially mental development:
a — child.
axiom
a universally accepted principle or rule
With an ATP, a programmer can code in all the rules, or —, and then ask if a particular conjecture follows those rules.
enigma
puzzling
a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation
His disappearance is an — that has given rise to much speculation.
copacetic
fine
fine; completely satisfactory; OK.
I was worried the concert was going to go badly, but John assured me everything was totally copacetic.
epithet
a word or used to describe an actual or attributed quality.
ineffable
incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible.
— joy.
anodyne
anything that relieves distress or pain; soothing to the mind or feelings.
The music was an — to his grief.
abdicate
to give up or renounce (authority, duties, an office, etc) especially in a formal manner.
the aging founder of the firm decided to —.
apropos
fitting; at the right time.
— remarks.
histrionic
overly dramatic.
concomitant
existing or occurring at the same time.
vitiate
Weaken. Impair quality.
esoteric
understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest.
poetry full of — allusions.
debonair
courteous, gracious, and having a sophisticated charm.
A — gentlemen.
vanquish
to defeat; be victorious over; overcome
He vanquished all his fears.
clandestine
done in secrecy or concealment, especially for purposes of deception.
Their clandestine meetings went undiscovered for two years.
intimation
suggestion; hint
banal
unoriginal; commonplace
Despite his belief that what he’s imparting is radical or insightful, his claims are banal, his methods rudimentary, even the revelations about his intentions all too predictable.
candor
being open and sincere in speech or expression
She has approached the subject with her typical candor, speaking openly about using the weight-loss drug.
predilection
Preference
to think favorably of something.
