sat 2014 Flashcards
flippant
not showing a serious or respectful attitude “a flippant remark”
morass
muddy ground; a complicated or confused situation; “she would become lost in a morass of lies and explanations.”
ethnocentric
evaluating other people and cultures according to the standards of one’s own culture
anathema
something or someone that one vehemently dislikes “racial hatred was anathema to her”
ribald
referring to sexual matters in an amusingly rude or irreverent way “a ribald comment”
insipid
lacking flavor; “mugs of insipid coffee” lacking vigor or interest, “many artists continued to churn out insipid, shallow works
castigate
reprimand someone severely “he was castigated for not setting a good example”
condominium
a building or complex of buildings containing a number of individually owned apartments or houses; the joint control of a country’s or territory’s affairs by other countries
indigence
a state of extreme poverty “he did valuable work toward the relief of indigence”
leper
a person suffering from leprosy; a person who is avoided or rejected by others for moral or social reasons “the story made her out to be a social leper.”
gird
encircle with a belt or bad “a young man was to be girded with the belt of knighthood.”
eulogize
praise highly in speech or writing “contemporaries eulogized him as a great US senator”
historiography
the study of historical writing
fastidious
very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail “he chooses his words with fastidious care.”
maintain
assert “he has always maintained his innocence”
fain
please or willing under the circumstances “the traveler is fain to proceed”; compelled by the circumstances; obliged “he was fain to acknowledge that the agreement was sacrosanct”
rollick
act or behave in a jovial and exuberant fashion.
encumbrance
a burden or impediment.
winnow
remove (people or things) from a group until only the best ones are left “the contenders had been winnowed to five”
ambulatory
relating to or adapted for walking; movable; mobile “an ambulatory opthalmic service”
benighted
in a state of pitiful or contemptible intellectual or moral ignorance, typically owing to a lack of opportunity “they see themselves as bringers of culture to poor benighted people”
cascade
a process whereby something, typically information or knowledge, is successfully passed on “the greater the number of people who are briefed, the wider the cascade effect.”
tawdry
showy but cheap and of poor quality “tawdry jewelry”; sordid or unpleasant “tawdry business of politics”
malcontent
a person who is dissatisfied and rebellious
abash
cause to feel embarrassed, disconcerted, or ashamed “she was not abashed at being caught.
fiasco
a thing that is a complete failure, esp. in a ludicrous or humorous way “his plans turned into a fiasco”
dolt
a stupid person
cataract
a large waterfall; a sudden rush of water “rain enveloped us in a deafening cataract”; a medical condition in the eye that causes blurred vision
oversight
an unintentional failure to notice or do something; the action of overseeing something
diminutive
extremely or unusually small “a diminutive figure dressed in a book”
idyllic
like an idyll; extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque “an attractive hotel in a idyllic setting”
officious
assertive of authority in an annoying or domineering way, esp. with regard to petty or trivial matters “a policeman came to move them on, an officious, spiteful man.” intrusively enthusiastic in offering help or advice; interfering “an officious bystander”
maladroit
ineffective or bungling; clumsy
palisade
a fence of wooden states or iron railings fixed in the ground, forming an enclosure or defense.
