Refute - Urbanity Flashcards
Refute
To prove to be false; to deny the truth of; ex) The testimony provided by the prosecution’s star witness _________ed the statements previously made by the defendant.
Relegate
To refer or assign to a particular place or category; ex) The journalist was _________ed from investigative reporting to writing obituaries after submitting too many substandard articles.
Renounce
Break; reject; ex) Because of the scandal, the senator _________ed all ties to the disgraced lobbyist.
Reparation
Compensation given to make amends; ex) Some countries were unable to pay the _________s demanded after the war.
Reproach
To express disapproval; ex) Zach’s wife _________ed him for spending all of his time watching sports on TV.
Repudiate
To reject or refuse as valid; ex) Ellen _________ed the accusation that she had cheated in order to pass her exam last week.
Resolute
Definite, determined; ex) Kelly is _________ in her decision to run a marathon this year, despite her current inability to run more than one mile without a break.
Resonant
Strong and deep; lasting; ex) The _________ voices of the choir rang out through the concert hall.
Resplendent
Dazzling or brilliant in appearance; ex) The bride looked absolutely _________ walking down the aisle in her white gown.
Resurrect
To bring back to life; ex) Each summer, Renaissance festivals try to _________ the spirit of the Middle Ages across the country.
Rhetoric
Effective use of language; a style of speaking or writing; ex) The politician used his _________ to be voted into office, but whether he will actually use his power constructively remains to be seen.
Rigor
Strictness or severity ex) The nature of the study demanded extreme _________ in setting up the experiments.
Sage
One revered for experience and wisdom; ex) It is not wise to disobey the teachings of a great tribal _________.
Sanctimonious
Feigning piety or righteousness; ex) After a few years, the _________ preacher was finally exposed and run out of town.
Sanction
N. authoritative permission. v. to give official approval to; ex) Our research proposal received official _________ from the university last week.
Satirize
To insult using witty language; ex) Television shows such as Saturday Night Live _________ many people and current events.
Sedulous
Persevering, industrious; ex) In spite of the declining poll numbers, the senator’s campaign manager remained _________ to the end.
Skepticism
An attitude of doubt or disbelief; ex) Miranda’s claims to be a psychic were met with _________ by her friends and family.
Solace
Comfort, safety; ex) Paul sought _________ from the cold near the roaring fireplace in his living room.
Solicitous
Concerned; thoughtful; ex) For a week after my surgery, my _________ neighbors brought me meals so I wouldn’t have to cook.
Specious
Appearing to be true or genuine but actually deceptive; ex) Despite sounding credible, all of Jordan’s arguments were _________.
Speculate
To theorize on the basis of inconclusive evidence; ex) The tabloids have been _________ing for months that the celebrity couple is getting a divorce.
Spontaneous
Arising without apparent external cause; unrestrained; ex) Charlotte’s _________ laughter caused an uncomfortable pause in the conversation; nothing that had been said was meant to be funny.
Squelch
To crush or silence; ex) The dictator _________ed any sign of rebellion by making it public that those who spoke out against him would be jailed indefinitely.
Stanch
To stop or check the flow of; ex) Carrie pressed a towel firmly onto the wound to _________ the flow of blood.
Static
Fixed or stationary; ex) The typically _________ price of corn rose dramatically when a major drought hit the Midwest and millions of acres of crops were lost.
Stint
A length of time spent in a particular way; ex) Samantha’s two-year _________ as a court reporter was one of the most fascinating jobs she ever held.
Stoic
Indifferent or unaffected; ex) Kevin’s _________ expression gave no clue about what he was thinking.
Subjective
Depending or based on someone’s personal attitudes or opinions; ex) I think that my best friend is the greatest actress in the world, but my opinion of her is rather _________.
Substantiate
To validate or support; ex) I had to provide a list of all sources used in my research paper to _________ the fact that I didn’t plagiarize.
Subsume
To contain or include; ex) The new Corporate Policy Manual now _________s both the Customer Contact Manual and the Internal Procedure Manual.
Subvert
To undermine, ruin, or overthrow; ex) My desire to go to class was _________ed by my body’s need for more sleep.
Surfeit
An overabundance or excess; ex) The farmer donated his crop _________ to a charity dedicated to feeding the poor.
Susceptible
Easily influenced or likely to be affected; ex) People who don’t wash their hands frequently are much more _________ to illnesses than are those people who regularly wash their hands.
Synchronized
Occurring at the same time and at the same rate; ex) The lights in the show were _________ with the pulsing rhythm of the music.
Tacit
Using no words; ex) With a smile, Rob’s girlfriend implied _________ approval of his gift of a dozen roses.
Tangential
Slightly connected; superficially relevant; ex) Chandra’s _________ remark added nothing relevant to the conversation.
Temperance
Moderation and self-restraint; ex) When the constitutional prohibition of alcohol was lifted, citizens were left to manage their own _________.
Tenuous
Very thin or consisting of little substancel; ex) My sister has a _________ grasp of physics; she does not completely understand how the physical world works.
Torpor
State of physical or mental sluggishness; ex) No amount of incentives or creature comforts could lift the cloud of _________ that had overcome the office.
Tout
To promote or solicit; ex) Salespeople tend to _________ the obvious benefits of a product, while distracting from any negative aspects of ownership.
Tractable
Easy to control or work with; ex) Teachers are charged with the powerful task of molding _________ young minds.
Transcend
To go above and beyond; to rise above; ex) Through luck and hard work, he was able to _________ his humble origins.
Transgress
To exceed or violate; ex) Joel has repeatedly _________ed the laws against using a cell phone while driving.
Transpose
To reverse the order of; interchange; ex) When I copied down her telephone number, I foolishly _________ed two digits.
Unalloyed
Pure; complete; ex) The detectives needed more than four hours to extract the _________ version of events from the witness.
Unilaterally
Performed in a one-sided manner; ex) When the high school principal failed to respond to numerous requests for more information, the school board _________ terminated his contract.
Unprecedented
Having no previous example; ex) The coffee shop franchise launched new locations at an _________ rate, opening an average of eight new stores per day across the country.
Unstinting
Very generous; bestowed liberally; ex) Sometimes the boss’s _________ praise of our work can be construed as disingenuous.
Urbanity
Refinement and elegance; ex) Cindy’s _________ was apparent in the way she dressed herselfclassic clothes with a touch of style.
