S Flashcards
saccharine
adj. excessively sweet or sentimental
The love story is too saccharine for Bill’s taste.
sacrilege
n. the desecration of something holy
The robber committed the sacrilege of opening the saint’s tomb.
sacrosanct
adj. extremely sacred; beyond criticism
The idea of freedom is sacrosanct.
sagacious
adj. having insight; wise
Many young students seek the advice of the sagacious processor.
sagacity
n. insight; wisdom
Socrates is remembered as a person of great sagacity.
saga
n. prose narrative
The novel tells the saga of the settling of America by Europeans.
sage
n. wise older person
The sage advised the students to seek the truth within themselves.
salacious
adj. lascivious; lustful
The film’s salacious content got it an X rating.
salient
adj. prominent or conspicuous
Your opening paragraph should outline the salient points of your argument.
sallow
adj. sickly yellow in color
The long illness left Bob looking sallow.
salubrious
adj. healthful
After she enjoyed the salubrious climate of Western Australia, Jill’s health was restored.
salutary
adj. effecting an improvement; favorable to health
Regular exercise has a salutary effect on Joan’s health.
salutation
n. greeting
“Hi” has become a populate e-mail salutation.
sanctify
v. to set apart as holy; consecrate
The church was sanctified by the bishop.
sanctimonious
adj. pretending to be pious or righteous
We were annoyed by the sanctimonious newspaper editorial.
sanction (v.)
v. to approve; ratify; permit; penalize
The governor sanctioned the use of force to stop the riot.
sanction (n.)
n. approval; ratification; permission; penalization
The drug has received the sanction of health officials.
sanguine
adj. ruddy; cheerfully optimistic
Most economists are sanguine about the economy.
sardonic
adj. cynical, scornfully mocking
The sardonic article criticizes government policy.
sartorial
adj. pertaining to tailors
Professor Parker’s small sartorial rebellion is to wear jeans during his tutorials.
satiate
v. to satisfy
The university library has more than enough books to satiate your hunger for knowledge.
satire
n. use of ridicule to expose vice or foolishness
The movie is a satire on consumers in modern society.
satirical
adj. relating to the use of ridicule to expose vice or foolishness
The drama society performed a satirical anti-war skit.
saturnine
adj. gloomy
The mood on campus after the big loss was saturnine.
satyr
n. a creature that is half-man, half-beast with the horns and legs of a goat; a lecher
Joan’s friends urged her to steer clear of the satyr.
savant
n. learned person
The savant has written book son many subjects.
savior faire
n. ability to behave appropriately in social situations
A big part of the actor’s appeal is his remarkable savior faire.
savory
adj. agreeable in taste or smell; morally respectable
Only savory characters are accepted to the teacher’s college.
scabbard
n. sheath for sword or dagger
After slaying the dragon, the knight returned his sword to its scabbard.
scathing
adj. harshly critical; painfully hot
The opposition party was scathing in its criticism of government policy.
scenario
n. plot outline; possible situation
in this scenario, the company loses money for awhile but gains in the long run.
schematic
n. a outline or diagram
The engineer made a schematic of the radio’s circuit.
schism
n. division; split
The schism in the party eventually led to its breakup.
scintilla
n. trace amount
There is not one scintilla of evidence to support the case.
scintillate
v. to sparkle, flash
The actor’s performance was adequate but did not scintillate.
scion
n. descendant or heir
The scion of the billionaire established a foundation to help the poor.
scourge
n. source of widespread affliction or devastation
War was one of the scourge of the twentieth century.
scrivener
n. professional copyist
With modern technology, scriveners are not in much demand.
scruple
n. conscientious feeling that tends to hinder action
His scruples don’t allow him to participate in war.
scrupulous
adj. conscientious; very thorough
The scrupulous editor discovered many errors in the manuscript.
scrutinize
v. to examine closely and critically
The teacher scrutinized the student’s exam paper.
scurrilous
adj. vulgar, low, indecent
There were scurrilous rumors about the girl.
secrete
v. to produce and release substance into an organism
The physiologist in studying the mechanisms by which the body secretes digestive juices.
sect
n. a group of people forming a distinct unit within a larger group due to distinctions of belief
The religious sect has doubled its membership over the last twenty years.
sectarian
adj. narrow-minded; relating to a group or sect
The president does not want his decision on the issue to be influenced by sectarian interests.
secular
adj. not specifically pertaining to religion
The church has a department to take care of secular matter.
sedentary
adj. inactive, stationary; sluggish
A sedentary lifestyle is not healthy.
sedimentary
ad. relating to or containing sediment, that is material deposited by water, wind, or glaciers
Geologists are studying the sedimentary rocks.
sedition
n. behavior promoting rebellion
The writer was accused of sedition.
sedulous
adj. diligent
Karen has a reputation as a sedulous worder.
segregation
n. separation from others; policy of separating races in society
Segregation was ended in America in the middle of the last century.
seismology
n. science of earthquakes
Advances in seismology may some day allow scientists to make accurate predictions of earthquakes.
self-indulgent
adj. relating to excessive gratification of desires
Lucy has become so self-indulgent that she doesn’t care about work anymore.
self-perpetuating
adj. having the power to renew itself
The scientists are creating a self-perpetuating robot.
semantics
n. the study of meaning in language
The debate on democracy was largely a discussion of semantics.
semblance
n. outward appearance; resemblance
Although this book has a semblance of scholarship, if you examine it closely, it contains falsehoods and errors.
seminal
adj. relating to the beginning or seeds of something; containing the seeds of later development
The scientist did seminal work in the field of biophysics.
semiotic
adj. related to semiotics or the production of meanings by sign systems
Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose could be described as a semiotic novel.
semiotics
n. the study of signs and symbols as elements of communication
The advertising firm has hired an expert on semiotics as a consultant.
Semitic
adj. related to Semites, members of any of a number of peoples of ancient southwestern Asia including the Akkadians, Phoenicians, Hebrews, and Arabs or to a descendant of these peoples
The most widely spoken Semitic language today is Arabic.
senescent
adj. aging, growing old
The government is trying to help senescent industries.
sensibility
n. receptiveness to impression; refined awareness and appreciation in feeling
Visiting a good art gallery can improve your artistic sensibility.
sensual
adj. satisfying or gratifying the senses; suggesting sexuality
Heather’s father doesn’t want her to wear such sensual outfits.
sensuous
adj. relating to the senses; operating through the senses
Barbara loves the sensuous feeling of silk on her skin.
sententious
adj. having a moralizing tone
The speaker wants to talk about moral issues without sounding sententious.
sentience
n. awareness, consciousness, ability to perceive
The scientists are studying what produces sentience in the human brain.
sentient
adj. aware, conscious, able to perceive
No one knows if there’s sentient life on other planets.
sentiment
n. general attitude toward something; a view based on emotion rather than reason; emotion
The teacher asked the students to express their sentiments about the budget cuts.
sequester
v. to remove or set apart; put into seclusion
The class was sequestered after being exposed to the virus.
seraphic
adj. angelic, pure, sublime
The infant gave her mother a seraphic smile.
serendipitous
adj. resulting from a fortunate discovery by chance
It was a serendipitous discovery.
serendipity
n. habit of making fortunate discoveries by chance
The scientist thanked serendipity for helping her make the discovery.
serenity
n. calm, peacefulness
Many people enjoy the serenity of nature.
serpentine
adj. serpent-like; twisting, winding
The stream takes a serpentine course through the valley.
serrated
adj. saw-toothed, notched
Use a serrated knife to cut the wood.
servile
ad. submissive, obedient
The boss likes employees who are cooperative without being servile.
sextant
n. navigation tool that determines latitude and longitude
A sextant is often used to sight the sun and moon to find one’s latitude.
shaman
n. a person who acts as intermediary between the natural and supernatural worlds, controls spiritual forces, and cures illnesses
The shaman went into a trance, hoping to get the spirit’s help to heal the dying child.
shard
n. piece of broken glass or pottery
The scientist found a shard she thought was part of an ancient Greek vase.
shibboleth
n. a belief or custom that distinguishes a curtain group, especially one regarded as outmoded
Members of the party have begun to break with the shibboleths of the left.
sibyl
n. one of a number of women regarded as oracles or prophets by the ancient Greeks and Romans; a woman prophet
One of the main characters in the novel is a sibyl who seems to know what is going to happen to most of the other characters.
sidereal
adj. relating to the stars
Astronomers generally use sidereal time in their work.
simian
adj. ape-like; relating to apes
Human beings evolved from simian creatures.
simile
n. comparison of one thing with another using “like” as “as”
A simile from the French writer Balzac: “She snatched her happiness like swimmer seizing a willow branch overhanging the river to draw himself to land and rest for a while.”
simper
v. to smirk, smile foolishly
The director told the stress to stop simpering.
sinecure
n. well-paying job or office that requires little or no work
The former government official was offered a sinecure.
singular
adj. unique; extraordinary; odd
The appearance of the UFO was a singular event.
sinister
adj. suggesting or threatening evil; ominous
The country’s troop buildup was seen by many observers as sinister.
sinuous
adj. winding; intricate, complex
The road follows a sinuous path over the mountain.
Sisyphean
adj. endlessly laborious or futile
The housekeeper aptly described his job as Sisyphean.
skeptic
n. one who doubts
Lynn is a skeptic when it comes to UFOs.
skeptical
adj. doubting; suspending judgment
The investigator takes a skeptical approach to alleged occult phenomena.
skewed
adj. distorted in meaning
His interpretation of the poem might be skewed by his religious beliefs.
skulk
v. to move in a stealthy or cautious manner; sneak
We saw two men skulking around outside our house.
slavish
adj. servile; blindly imitative
The teacher warned the students that they couldn’t make a slavish copy of the test.
slipshod
adj. careless, hasty
The barber gave Tom a slipshod haircut.
sloth
n. sluggishness, laziness
Rick’s sloth means that he will never succeed.
slough
v. to discard or shed
The snake sloughed off its skin.
slovenly
adj. untidy, messy
Ted will never get the job with his slovenly appearance.
smelt
v. to melt metal in order to refine it
The ore is smelted to obtain copper.
snippet
n. tiny part, tidbit
I’ve included snippets from several books in the article.
sobriety
n. seriousness
The judge is a man of great sobriety.
sobriquet
n. nickname
The center on our basketball team was given the sobriquet “The Tower.”
Socratic irony
n. profession of ignorance while questioning another person in order to discover the truth
The detective puts Socratic irony to good use when she questions suspects.
sodden
adj. thoroughly soaked; saturated
The sodden field made it difficult to play soccer.
soiree
n. an evening party
The poets had a soiree at which they read their poems.
sojourn
n. visit, stay
My sojourn to Australia lasted two weeks.
solace
n. comfort in sorrow; consolation
The relatives of the soldiers killed in the battle drew solace from the knowledge that they had died for a noble cause.
solarium
n. room or glassed-in area exposed to the sun
We enjoy eating breakfast in the solarium in the winter.
solecism
n. grammatical mistake
Even good writers sometimes commit solecisms.
solicitude
n. concern, attention; eagerness
The students appreciate their teacher’s solicitude.
soliloquy
n. literary or dramatic speech by one character, not addressed to others
Playwrights sometimes use a soliloquy to convey something about a character’s inner life.
solipsism
n. belief that the self is the only reality
Solipsism raises many interesting philosophical issues.
solipsistic
adj. relating to the belief that the self is the only reality
Critics see her poems as solipsistic and self-absorbed.
solstice
n. shortest and longest day of the year
In a week, the winter solstice will occur.
soluble
adj. capable of being solved or dissolved
Sugar is soluble in water.
solvent
adj. able to meet financial obligations
Mr. Lesh is happy to still be solvent after paying for his four children’s college education.
somatic
adj. relating to or affecting the body
The psychologist investigated the patient’s complaint to see if there were any somatic symptoms.
somber
adj. dark and gloomy; melancholy, dismal
Ted tried to break the somber mood by cracking a joke.
somnambulist
n. sleepwalker
The somnambulist doesn’t remember what he did last night.
somnolent
adj. drowsy, sleep; inducing sleep
The drug made Liz somnolent.
sonic
adj. relating to sound
The jet fighter created a sonic boom when it broke the sound barrier.
sonorous
adj. producing a full, rich sound
The audience enjoyed listening to the speaker’s sonorous voice.
sophist
n. person good at arguing deviously
The debater accused her opponents of being sophists.
sophistical
adj. relating to deceptive reasoning or argumentation
The debater’s sophistical reasoning didn’t confuse the judges.
sophistry
n. deceptive reasoning or argumentation
Good debaters should not need to resort to sophistry.
sophomoric
adj. immature and overconfident
The judge called the lawyer’s presentation sophomoric.
soporific
n. something that produces sleep
Jim took a soporific to help him get to sleep.
sordid
adj. filthy; contemptible and corrupt
The actress tried to keep the sordid affair out of the newspaper.
sovereign
adj. having supreme power
Singapore became a sovereign nation in 1965.
Spartan
adj. austere, severe, grave; simple, bare
The soldiers live in Spartan quarters.
spate
n. a sudden outpouring
There has been a spate of violence recently.
spawn
v. to generate, produce
The new invention soon spawned many imitations.
speciation
n. the evolutionary formation of new biological species
There is a debate within evolutionary biology about the rate at which speciation events occur over time.
specious
adj. seeming to be logical, sound, etc., but not really so
The debate tea used a specious argument.
specter
n. an apparition; a threatening possibility
In creasing international tension has led to the specter of war.
spectrum
n. band of colors produced when sunlight passes through prism; a broad range of related ideas or objects
The electromagnetic spectrum is one of our precious natural resources.
speculate
v. take something as true based on insufficient evidence
The astronomer doesn’t like to speculate about life in outer space.
spendthrift
n. a person who spends money recklessly
Richard’s reputation as a spendthrift didn’t help him to get a bank loan.
spontaneous
adj. one the spur of the moment, impulsive
In a spontaneous act of gratitude, the student hugged the teacher.
sporadic
adj. irregular
Sporadic gunfire could still be heard in the city.
sportive
adj. frolicsome, playful
Sportive children danced on the lawn during the celebration.
sprightly
adj. lively, animated, energetic
The sprightly actress gave a lively performance.
spur
v. to prod
Failure on the exam spurred Carol to study harder for the next one.
spurious
adj. lacking authenticity; counterfeit, false
The salesperson’s claims are spurious.
spurn
v. to reject; scorn
Marcia spurned Wayne’s offer of marriage
squalid
adj. filthy; morally repulsive
The family lives in squalid conditions.
squander
v. to waste
The student squandered time in the exam daydreaming.
staccato
adj. marked by abrupt, clear-cut sounds
We heard the staccato sound of the drum approaching.
staid
adj. self-restrained to the point of dullness
The banker wears staid clothes to work.
stanch
v. to stop or check the flow of
Use a tourniquet to stanch the bleeding.
stark
adj. bare, empty, vacant
The writer concentrates best in a stark environment.
stasis
adj. motionless state; standstill
The family settled into the dull stasis of country life.
static
adj. at rest
The airplane engine was subjected to a static test.
stature
n. status; achieved level
The professor has achieved a high stature in the field.
status quo
n. existing condition
The election results suggest the majority doesn’t want to change the status quo.
stentorian
adj. extremely loud
The orator’s stentorian voice echoed through the hall.
stigma
n. mark of disgrace or inferiority
Divorce is no longer the stigma it was fifty years ago.
stilted
adj. stiff, unnatural
Avoid stilted language when you write an essay.
stint
n. period of time spent doing something
Joe had a two-year stint in the Peace Corps.
stipend
n. a regular fixed payment
His father receives a monthly stipend from the government.
stipulate
v. to specify as an essential condition
The contract stipulates that Ms. Smith teaches for two years.
stoic
adj. indifferent to or unaffected by emotions
The monk has a stoic acceptance of life’s misfortunes.
stolid
adj. having or showing little emotion
The soldier was stolid despite being severely wounded.
stratagem
n. trick designed to deceive an enemy
The enemy’s stratagem was to make us think that they were retreating.
stratify
v. to arrange into layers
The scientist studied how the layers of soil had stratified.
stratum
n. layer
John knows people in the highest stratum of society.
striated
adj. marked with thin, narrow grooves or channels
The geologist believes that the rock is striated because of flowing water.
stricture
n. something that restrains; negative criticism
The writer refuses to be bound the my strictures of modern taste.
strident
adj. loud, harsh, unpleasantly noisy
There were several strident objections to the proposal from the audience.
stultify
v. to impair or reduce to uselessness
If you keep changing your views, your will stultify yourself.
stupefy
v. to dull the senses of; stun, astonish
The artillery barrage stupefied the soldiers.
stupor
n. daze; state of mental confusion
They stole his watch when he was in a drunken stupor.
stygian
adj. dark and gloomy; hellish
The soldier’s memoir describes the atmosphere of the battlefield as stygian.
stylized
adj. conforming to a particular style
Kabuki is a Japanese drama that is performed in a stylized manner.
stymie
v. to block or thwart
The proposal was stymied by congressional opposition.
suave
adj. smoothly gracious or polite; blandly ingratiating
Ralph’s suave manner makes him popular.
subdued
v. suppressed, stifled
The rebellion was finally subdued.
subjective
adj. taking place within a person; particular to a person
The analysis is regarded as too subjective to be of much scientific value.
subjugate
v. to conquer, subdue; enslave
The ruler’s ambition was to subjugate China.
sublethal
adj. almost lethal
The victim had been given a sublethal dose of poison.
sublime
adj. awe-inspiring; of high spiritual or moral value
The professor has spent much of his life studying the sublime work of Shakespeare.
subliminal
adj. subconscious; imperceptible
Studies suggest that violence on television has a subliminal effect on children.
sublimity
n. nobility; majesty; high spirituality or moral value
Rarely has a artist produced a work of such sublimity.
subpoena
n. notice ordering someone to appear in court
Peter received a subpoena yesterday.
substantiate
v. support with proof or evidence
The writer substantiates his claims with eyewitness accounts.
substantive
adj. essential; pertaining to the substance
The two sides are in agreement on the substantive issues.
subsume
v. to include or incorporate in something else
Most of the phenomena can be subsumed under three broad categories.
subterfuge
n. trick or tactic used to avoid something
The enemy general’s subterfuge allowed most of his forces to escape.
subterranean
adj. hidden, secret; underground
Geologists found a vast subterranean store of fresh water not far from the city.
subtlety
n. quality of state of being hard to detect or describe
The subtlety of the poem makes it too advanced for a high school class.
subversive
adj. intended to undermine or overthrow, especially an established government
The intelligence agency is monitoring subversive activity.
subvert
v. to undermine or corrupt
The group was accused of subverting the government.
succinct
adj. terse, brief, concise
The lawyer prepared a succinct account of events.
succor
n. help and support in times of hardship and distress
The prisoners of war were freed by friendly forces and given succor.
succulent
adj. juicy; full of vitality or freshness
The steak is succulent.
succumb
v. yield; give in; die
The old man finally succumbed to the disease.
sufferable
adj. bearable
The long journey was made sufferable by the good novel I had brought.
suffrage
n. the right to vote
Suffrage was extended to women in the early twentieth century.
suffragist
n. one who advocates extended voting rights
Nineteenth-century suffragists campaigned to extend the right to vote to women.
suffuse
v. spread through
His writing is suffused with irony.
sui generis
adj. one of a kind; unique
Many critics regard the book Wuthering Heights as sui generis.
sullen
adj. brooding, gloomy
The boy was sullen after being told that he had not been selected for the football team.
sully
v. to soil, stain, tarnish; taint
The player’s’ uniforms were sullied after the soccer match.
summa bonum
n. greatest good
For millennia human beings have searched for the summa bonum.
sumptuous
adj. lavish, splendid
We enjoyed a sumptuous Christmas dinner.
sundry
adj. various
“There are sundry reasons I don’t want to go to graduate school,” Amy said.
superannuated
ad. too old, obsolete, outdated
The superannuated teacher works as a volunteer in the school.
supercilious
ad. arrogant, haughty, overbearing, condescending
No body likes the boss’s supercilious attitude.
supererogatory
adj. more than needed; superfluous
The coach decided that any more practice would be supererogatory.
superfluity
n. overabundance; excess
There is a superfluity of males of marriageable age in China.
superfluous
adj. excessive; overabundant; unnecessary
The teacher wrote a single page of comments about the essay; any more would be superfluous.
supernal
adj. celestial; heavenly
The fantasy novel describes voyages to a supernal world.
supersede
v. to take the place of; replace
The teacher announced that the latest test result would supersede the earlier one.
supine
adj. lying on the back; marked by lethargy
The long distance runner was supine on the track after the race.
supplant
v. to replace, substitute
our school’s main rival has supplanted us in first place.
supple
adj. flexible, pliant
The gymnast does stretching exercises to keep her body supple.
suppliant
adj. beseeching
The king looked down from his throne at the suppliant asked the king to pardon her son.
supplicant
n .one who asks humbly and earnestly
The supplicant asked the king to pardon her son.
supplication
n., humble and earnest entreaty
The referee was deaf to the coach’s supplications.
supposition
n., the act of assuming to be true or real
The investigation was conducted on the supposition that the victim was murdered.
suppositiontious
adj. hypothetical; not genuine; suppositious
The critic described the linguist’s work as “the supposititious reconstruction of a dead language.”
surfeit
n. excessive amount
We have such a surfeit of food for the picnic that we’ll be eating all day.
surly
adj. rude and bad-tempered
The boy told the surly man a joke to make him laugh.
surmise
v. to make an educated guess
The teacher surmised that the student had not studied by the test result.
surmount
v. to conquer, overcome
With steady work you will be able to surmount the obstacles.
surreal
adj. fantastic; bizarre
The science fiction novel describes a surreal futuristic world.
surrealistic
adj. irrational and fantastic
The futuristic movie contains several surrealistic scenes.
surreptitious
adj. secret
The lovers had a surreptitious date.
surrogate
adj. relating to a substitute
Ms. Hughes volunteered to be a surrogate mother for the orphan.
swagger
v. behave arrogantly or pompously; walk proudly
Ted swaggered down the aisle of his office.
swarthy
adj. having a dark complexion
The witness said she saw a swarthy man at the scene of the crime.
sybarite
n. person devoted to pleasure and luxury
The sybarite spends most of his money on food and entertainment.
sycophant
n. self-serving flatterer, yes-man
The sycophant was surprised when he didn’t get the promotion.
syllogism
n. form of deductive reasoning that has a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion
The statement “All dogs are animals; all animals have four legs; therefore all dogs have four legs” is a syllogism.
sylvan
adj. related tot he woods or forest
The play has a sylvan setting.
symbiotic
adj. relating to cooperation; mutually helpful
Over the years the couple development a symbiotic relationship.
symmetry
n. balance of parts; harmony
The architect strives to achieve symmetry in her designs.
symposium
n. meeting with short presentations on related topic
The symposium on health care will be held in Hawaii.
synchronous
adj. occurring at the same time; moving at the same rate
The celebrations in New York and Los Angeles will be synchronous.
syncopation
n. temporary irregularity in musical rhythm
The song has unusual syncopation.
syncretistic
adj. composed of differing systems of belief
The new religion is a syncretistic blend of the beliefs of three existing religions.
syndrome
n. a group of symptoms that indicate an abnormal condition
The doctor recognized the patient’s syndrome.
synergy
n. the interaction of two or more forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects
The two companies believe that synergies will come out of their merge.
synopsis
n. brief summary
The synopsis makes the book sound interesting.
synoptic
adj. providing an overview; summary
The historian wrote a synoptic account of the middle ages.
syntactic
adj. related to syntax
Proficient readers make use of syntactic clues.
syntax
n. the way in which words are put together to form phrases and sentences
Her syntax suggests that she is not a native English speaker.
synthesis
n. blend, combination
The new philosophy is a synthesis of several earlier philosophies.
systematic
adj. based on a system; orderly
A systematic study of the problem should produce a solution.
systemic
adj. relating to systems; affecting the entire body
Unfortunately, his illness appears to be systemic.
