SAT 7 Flashcards
Archetype
the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype. | (in Jungian psychology) a collectively inherited unconscious idea, pattern of thought, image, etc., universally present in individual psyches. | a perfect or typical specimen | an original model or pattern; prototype | (psychoanal) one of the inherited mental images postulated by Jung as the content of the collective unconscious | a constantly recurring symbol or motif in literature, painting, etc
Clemency
the quality of being clement; disposition to show forbearance, compassion, or forgiveness in judging or punishing; leniency; mercy. | an act or deed showing mercy or leniency. | (of the weather) mildness or temperateness. | mercy or leniency | mildness, esp of the weather
Disinterested
unbiased by personal interest or advantage; not influenced by selfish motives: a disinterested decision by the referee. | not interested; indifferent. | absence of interest; indifference. | to divest of interest or concern. | free from bias or partiality; objective | not interested | freedom from bias or involvement | lack of interest; indifference | (transitive) to free from concern for personal interests |
Flout
to treat with disdain, scorn, or contempt; scoff at; mock: to flout the rules of propriety. | to show disdain, scorn, or contempt; scoff, mock, or gibe (often followed by at). | a disdainful, scornful, or contemptuous remark or act; insult; gibe. | when intr, usually foll by at. to show contempt (for); scoff or jeer (at)
Ingénue
the part of an artless, innocent, unworldly girl or young woman, especially as represented on the stage. | an actress who plays such a part or specializes in playing such parts. | an artless, innocent, or inexperienced girl or young woman
Mendacious
telling lies, especially habitually; dishonest; lying; untruthful: a mendacious person. | false or untrue: a mendacious report.
Paucity
smallness of quantity; scarcity; scantiness: a country with a paucity of resources. | smallness or insufficiency of number; fewness. | smallness of quantity; insufficiency; dearth | smallness of number; fewness
Protean
readily assuming different forms or characters; extremely variable. | changeable in shape or form, as an amoeba. | (of an actor or actress) versatile; able to play many kinds of roles. | (initial capital letter) of, pertaining to, or suggestive of Proteus. | readily taking on various shapes or forms; variable
Sophomoric
of or pertaining to a sophomore or sophomores. | suggestive of or resembling the traditional sophomore; intellectually pretentious, overconfident, conceited, etc., but immature: sophomoric questions.
Venal
willing to sell one’s influence, especially in return for a bribe; open to bribery; mercenary: a venal judge. | able to be purchased, as by a bribe: venal acquittals. | associated with or characterized by bribery: a venal administration; venal agreements. | easily bribed or corrupted; mercenary: a venal magistrate | characterized by corruption: a venal civilization | open to purchase, esp by bribery: a venal contract
Archives
Usually, archives. documents or records relating to the activities, business dealings, etc., of a person, family, corporation, association, community, or nation. | archives, a place where public records or other historical documents are kept. | any extensive record or collection of data: The encyclopedia is an archive of world history. The experience was sealed in the archive of her memory. | Digital Technology.
a long-term storage device, as a disk or magnetic tape, or a computer directory or folder that contains copies of files for backup or future reference.
a collection of digital data stored in this way.
a computer file containing one or more compressed files.
a collection of information permanently stored on the Internet: The magazine has its entire archive online, from 1923 to the present. | to place or store in an archive: to vote on archiving the city’s historic documents. | Digital Technology. to compress (computer files) and store them in a single file. | a collection of records of or about an institution, family, etc | a place where such records are kept | (computing) data transferred to a tape or disk for long-term storage rather than frequent use | to store (documents, data, etc) in an archive or other repository
Cliché
a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse, as sadder but wiser, or strong as an ox. | (in art, literature, drama, etc.) a trite or hackneyed plot, character development, use of color, musical expression, etc. | anything that has become trite or commonplace through overuse. | British Printing.
a stereotype or electrotype plate.
a reproduction made in a like manner. | trite; hackneyed; stereotyped; clichéd. | a word or expression that has lost much of its force through overexposure, as for example the phrase: it’s got to get worse before it gets better | an idea, action, or habit that has become trite from overuse | (printing, mainly Brit) a stereotype or electrotype plate
Disparage
to speak of or treat slightingly; depreciate; belittle: Do not disparage good manners. | to bring reproach or discredit upon; lower the estimation of: Your behavior will disparage the whole family. | to speak contemptuously of; belittle | to damage the reputation of
Flustered
to put into a state of agitated confusion: His constant criticism flustered me. | to excite and confuse with drink. | to become agitatedly confused. | nervous excitement or confusion. | to make or become confused, nervous, or upset | a state of confusion or agitation
Ingrate
an ungrateful person. | Archaic. ungrateful. | an ungrateful person | ungrateful
Mercenary
working or acting merely for money or other reward; venal. | hired to serve in a foreign army, guerrilla organization, etc. | a professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army. | any hireling. | influenced by greed or desire for gain | of or relating to a mercenary or mercenaries | a man hired to fight for a foreign army, etc | (rare) any person who works solely for pay
Peccadillo
a very minor or slight sin or offense; a trifling fault. | a petty sin or trifling fault
Protégé
a person under the patronage, protection, or care of someone interested in his or her career or welfare. | a person who is protected and aided by the patronage of another person
Soporific
causing or tending to cause sleep. | pertaining to or characterized by sleep or sleepiness; sleepy; drowsy. | something that causes sleep, as a medicine or drug. | inducing sleep | drowsy; sleepy | a drug or other agent that induces sleep
Veneer
a thin layer of wood or other material for facing or inlaying wood. | any of the thin layers of wood glued together to form plywood. | Building Trades. a facing of a certain material applied to a different one or to a type of construction not ordinarily associated with it, as a facing of brick applied to a frame house. | a superficially valuable or pleasing appearance: a cruel person with a veneer of kindliness. | to overlay or face (wood) with thin sheets of some material, as a fine wood, ivory, or tortoise shell. | to face or cover (an object) with any material that is more desirable as a surface material than the basic material of the object; revet. | to cement (layers of wood veneer) to form plywood. | to give a superficially valuable or pleasing appearance to. | a thin layer of wood, plastic, etc, with a decorative or fine finish that is bonded to the surface of a less expensive material, usually wood | a superficial appearance, esp one that is pleasing: a veneer of gentility
Articulate
uttered clearly in distinct syllables. | capable of speech; not speechless. | using language easily and fluently; having facility with words: an articulate speaker. | expressed, formulated, or presented with clarity and effectiveness: an articulate thought. | made clear, distinct, and precise in relation to other parts: an articulate form; an articulate shape; an articulate area. | (of ideas, form, etc.) having a meaningful relation to other parts: an articulate image. | having parts or distinct areas organized into a coherent or meaningful whole; unified: an articulate system of philosophy. | Zoology. having joints or articulations; composed of segments. | to utter clearly and distinctly; pronounce with clarity. | Phonetics. to make the movements and adjustments of the speech organs necessary to utter (a speech sound).
Clientele
the clients or customers, as of a professional person or shop, considered collectively; a group or body of clients: This jewelry store has a wealthy clientele. | dependents or followers. | customers or clients collectively
Disparity
lack of similarity or equality; inequality; difference: a disparity in age; disparity in rank. | inequality or difference, as in age, rank, wages, etc | dissimilarity
Fly-by-night
not reliable or responsible, especially in business; untrustworthy: a fly-by-night operation. | not lasting; brief; impermanent; transitory: a fly-by-night theater. | a person or thing that is unreliable, especially a debtor who evades or attempts to evade creditors. | a person regarded as a poor credit risk. | unreliable or untrustworthy, esp in finance | brief; impermanent | an untrustworthy person, esp one who departs secretly or by night to avoid paying debts | a person who goes out at night to places of entertainment
Inimical
adverse in tendency or effect; unfavorable; harmful: a climate inimical to health. | unfriendly; hostile: a cold, inimical gaze. | adverse or unfavourable | not friendly; hostile
Mercurial
changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic: a mercurial nature. | animated; lively; sprightly; quick-witted. | pertaining to, containing, or caused by the metal mercury. | (initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the god Mercury. | (initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the planet Mercury. | Pharmacology. a preparation of mercury used as a drug. | of, like, containing, or relating to mercury | volatile; lively: a mercurial temperament | (sometimes capital) of, like, or relating to the god or the planet Mercury | (med) any salt of mercury for use as a medicine
Pedant
a person who makes an excessive or inappropriate display of learning. | a person who overemphasizes rules or minor details. | a person who adheres rigidly to book knowledge without regard to common sense. | Obsolete. a schoolmaster. | a person who relies too much on academic learning or who is concerned chiefly with insignificant detail | (archaic) a schoolmaster or teacher
Protocol
the customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality, precedence, and etiquette. | an original draft, minute, or record from which a document, especially a treaty, is prepared. | a supplementary international agreement. | an agreement between states. | an annex to a treaty giving data relating to it. | Medicine/Medical. the plan for carrying out a scientific study or a patient’s treatment regimen. | Computers. a set of rules governing the format of messages that are exchanged between computers. | Also called protocol statement, protocol sentence, protocol proposition. Philosophy. a statement reporting an observation or experience in the most fundamental terms without interpretation: sometimes taken as the basis of empirical verification, as of scientific laws. | to draft or issue a protocol. | the formal etiquette and code of behaviour, precedence, and procedure for state and diplomatic ceremonies
Sparse
thinly scattered or distributed: a sparse population. | not thick or dense; thin: sparse hair. | scanty; meager. | scattered or scanty; not dense
Venerate
to regard or treat with reverence; revere. | to hold in deep respect; revere | to honour in recognition of qualities of holiness, excellence, wisdom, etc
Artifice
a clever trick or stratagem; a cunning, crafty device or expedient; wile. | trickery; guile; craftiness. | cunning; ingenuity; inventiveness: a drawing-room comedy crafted with artifice and elegance. | a skillful or artful contrivance or expedient. | a clever expedient; ingenious stratagem | crafty or subtle deception | skill; cleverness | a skilfully contrived device | (obsolete) craftsmanship |
Coalesce
to grow together or into one body: The two lakes coalesced into one. | to unite so as to form one mass, community, etc.: The various groups coalesced into a crowd. | to blend or come together: Their ideas coalesced into one theory. | to cause to unite in one body or mass. | (intransitive) to unite or come together in one body or mass; merge; fuse; blend
Dispassionate
free from or unaffected by passion; devoid of personal feeling or bias; impartial; calm: a dispassionate critic. | devoid of or uninfluenced by emotion or prejudice; objective; impartial
Forensic
pertaining to, connected with, or used in courts of law or public discussion and debate. | adapted or suited to argumentation; rhetorical. | forensics, (used with a singular or plural verb) the art or study of argumentation and formal debate. | relating to, used in, or connected with a court of law: forensic science
Innate
existing in one from birth; inborn; native: innate musical talent. | inherent in the essential character of something: an innate defect in the hypothesis. | originating in or arising from the intellect or the constitution of the mind, rather than learned through experience: an innate knowledge of good and evil. | existing in a person or animal from birth; congenital; inborn | being an essential part of the character of a person or thing | instinctive; not learned: innate capacities | (botany) (of anthers) joined to the filament by the base only | (in rationalist philosophy) (of ideas) present in the mind before any experience and knowable by pure reason
Merge
to cause to combine or coalesce; unite. | to combine, blend, or unite gradually so as to blur the individuality or individual identity of: They voted to merge the two branch offices into a single unit. | to become combined, united, swallowed up, or absorbed; lose identity by uniting or blending (often followed by in or into): This stream merges into the river up ahead. | to combine or unite into a single enterprise, organization, body, etc.: The two firms merged last year. | to meet and join or cause to meet and join | to blend or cause to blend; fuse
Pedestrian
a person who goes or travels on foot; walker. | going or performed on foot; walking. | of or pertaining to walking. | lacking in vitality, imagination, distinction, etc.; commonplace; prosaic or dull: a pedestrian commencement speech. | a person travelling on foot; walker
(as modifier): a pedestrian precinct | dull; commonplace: a pedestrian style of writing
Provincial
belonging or peculiar to some particular province; local: the provincial newspaper. | of or pertaining to the provinces : provincial customs; provincial dress. | having or showing the manners, viewpoints, etc., considered characteristic of unsophisticated inhabitants of a province; rustic; narrow or illiberal; parochial: a provincial point of view. | (often initial capital letter) Fine Arts. noting or pertaining to the styles of architecture, furniture, etc., found in the provinces, especially when imitating styles currently or formerly in fashion in or around the capital: Italian Provincial. | History/Historical. of or pertaining to any of the American provinces of Great Britain. | a person who lives in or comes from the provinces. | a person who lacks urban sophistication or broad-mindedness. | Ecclesiastical.
the head of an ecclesiastical province.
a member of a religious order presiding over the order in a given district or province. | of or connected with a province | characteristic of or connected with the provinces; local
Specious
apparently good or right though lacking real merit; superficially pleasing or plausible: specious arguments. | pleasing to the eye but deceptive. | Obsolete. pleasing to the eye; fair. | apparently correct or true, but actually wrong or false | deceptively attractive in appearance
Venial
able to be forgiven or pardoned; not seriously wrong, as a sin (opposed to mortal ). | excusable; trifling; minor: a venial error; a venial offense. | easily excused or forgiven: a venial error
Artisan
a person skilled in an applied art; a craftsperson. | a person or company that makes a high-quality or distinctive product in small quantities, usually by hand or using traditional methods: our favorite local food artisans. | pertaining to an artisan or the product of an artisan; artisanal: artisan beer. | a skilled workman; craftsman | (obsolete) an artist
Coddle
to treat tenderly; nurse or tend indulgently; pamper: to coddle children when they’re sick. | to cook (eggs, fruit, etc.) in water that is just below the boiling point; cook gently. | to treat with indulgence | to cook (something, esp eggs) in water just below the boiling point | (Irish, dialect) stew made from ham and bacon scraps
Disseminating
to scatter or spread widely, as though sowing seed; promulgate extensively; broadcast; disperse: to disseminate information about preventive medicine. | (transitive) to distribute or scatter about; diffuse
Fortitude
mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation courageously: Never once did her fortitude waver during that long illness. | strength and firmness of mind; resolute endurance
Innocuous
not harmful or injurious; harmless: an innocuous home remedy. | not likely to irritate or offend; inoffensive; an innocuous remark. | not interesting, stimulating, or significant; pallid; insipid: an innocuous novel. | having little or no adverse or harmful effect; harmless
Metaphorically
a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.”. Compare mixed metaphor, simile (def 1). | something used, or regarded as being used, to represent something else; emblem; symbol. | a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action that it does not literally denote in order to imply a resemblance, for example he is a lion in battle Compare simile
Peerless
having no equal; matchless; unrivaled. | having no equals; matchless
Prudent
wise or judicious in practical affairs; sagacious; discreet or circumspect; sober. | careful in providing for the future; provident: a prudent decision. | discreet or cautious in managing one’s activities; circumspect | practical and careful in providing for the future | exercising good judgment or common sense
Speckled
a small speck, spot, or mark, as on skin. | speckled coloring or marking. | to mark with or as with speckles. | a small or slight mark usually of a contrasting colour, as on the skin, a bird’s plumage, or eggs | (transitive) to mark with or as if with speckles
Veracity
habitual observance of truth in speech or statement; truthfulness: He was not noted for his veracity. | conformity to truth or fact; accuracy: to question the veracity of his account. | correctness or accuracy, as of the senses or of a scientific instrument. | something veracious; a truth. | truthfulness or honesty, esp when consistent or habitual | precision; accuracy | something true; a truth
Ascetic
a person who dedicates his or her life to a pursuit of contemplative ideals and practices extreme self-denial or self-mortification for religious reasons. | a person who leads an austerely simple life, especially one who abstains from the normal pleasures of life or denies himself or herself material satisfaction. | (in the early Christian church) a monk; hermit. | pertaining to asceticism. | rigorously abstinent; austere: an ascetic existence. | exceedingly strict or severe in religious exercises or self-mortification. | a person who practises great self-denial and austerities and abstains from worldly comforts and pleasures, esp for religious reasons | (in the early Christian Church) a monk | rigidly abstinent or abstemious; austere | of or relating to ascetics or asceticism
Coercion
the act of coercing; use of force or intimidation to obtain compliance. | force or the power to use force in gaining compliance, as by a government or police force. | the act or power of coercing | government by force
Diurnal
of or pertaining to a day or each day; daily. | of or belonging to the daytime (opposed to nocturnal ). | Botany. showing a periodic alteration of condition with day and night, as certain flowers that open by day and close by night. | active by day, as certain birds and insects (opposed to nocturnal ). | Liturgy. a service book containing offices for the daily hours of prayer. | Archaic. a diary. | Archaic. a newspaper, especially a daily one. | happening during the day or daily | (of flowers) open during the day and closed at night | (of animals) active during the day Compare nocturnal
Fortuitous
happening or produced by chance; accidental: a fortuitous encounter. | lucky; fortunate: a series of fortuitous events that advanced her career. | happening by chance, esp by a lucky chance; unplanned; accidental
Innovate
to introduce something new; make changes in anything established. | to introduce (something new) for or as if for the first time: to innovate a computer operating system. | Archaic. to alter. | to invent or begin to apply (methods, ideas, etc)
Meticulous
taking or showing extreme care about minute details; precise; thorough: a meticulous craftsman; meticulous personal appearance. | finicky; fussy: meticulous adherence to technicalities. | very precise about details, even trivial ones; painstaking
Pejorative
having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force: the pejorative affix-ling inprinceling. | a pejorative form or word, as poetaster. | (of words, expressions, etc) having an unpleasant or disparaging connotation | a pejorative word, expression, etc
Puerile
of or pertaining to a child or to childhood. | childishly foolish; immature or trivial: a puerile piece of writing. | exhibiting silliness; immature; trivial | of or characteristic of a child
Sporadic
(of similar things or occurrences) appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time; occasional: sporadic renewals of enthusiasm. | appearing in scattered or isolated instances, as a disease. | isolated, as a single instance of something; being or occurring apart from others. | occurring singly or widely apart in locality: the sporadic growth of plants. | occurring at irregular points in time; intermittent: sporadic firing | scattered; isolated: a sporadic disease
Verbose
characterized by the use of many or too many words; wordy: a verbose report. | using or containing an excess of words, so as to be pedantic or boring; prolix
Assiduous
constant; unremitting: assiduous reading. | constant in application or effort; working diligently at a task; persevering; industrious; attentive: an assiduous student. | hard-working; persevering: an assiduous researcher | undertaken with perseverance and care: assiduous editing
Cogent
convincing or believable by virtue of forcible, clear, or incisive presentation; telling. | to the point; relevant; pertinent. | compelling belief or assent; forcefully convincing
Divert
to turn aside or from a path or course; deflect. | British. to route (traffic) on a detour. | to draw off to a different course, purpose, etc. | to distract from serious occupation; entertain or amuse. | to turn aside; veer: It is sad to see so much talent divert to trivial occupations. | to turn (a person or thing) aside from a course; deflect | (transitive) to entertain; amuse | (transitive) to distract the attention of
Fractious
refractory or unruly: a fractious animal that would not submit to the harness. | readily angered; peevish; irritable; quarrelsome: an incorrigibly fractious young man. | irritable | unruly
Inscrutable
incapable of being investigated, analyzed, or scrutinized; impenetrable. | not easily understood; mysterious; unfathomable: an inscrutable smile. | incapable of being seen through physically; physically impenetrable: the inscrutable depths of the ocean. | incomprehensible; mysterious or enigmatic
Mettle
courage and fortitude: a man of mettle. | disposition or temperament: a man of fine mettle. | on one’s mettle, in the position of being incited to do one’s best: The loss of the first round put him on his mettle to win the match. | courage; spirit | inherent character | on one’s mettle, roused to putting forth one’s best efforts
Pellucid
allowing the maximum passage of light, as glass; translucent. | clear or limpid: pellucid waters. | clear in meaning, expression, or style: a pellucid way of writing. | transparent or translucent | extremely clear in style and meaning; limpid
Punctilious
extremely attentive to punctilios; strict or exact in the observance of the formalities or amenities of conduct or actions. | paying scrupulous attention to correctness in etiquette | attentive to detail
Spurious
not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit. | Biology. (of two or more parts, plants, etc.) having a similar appearance but a different structure. | of illegitimate birth; bastard. | not genuine or real | (of a plant part or organ) having the appearance of another part but differing from it in origin, development, or function; false: a spurious fruit | (of radiation) produced at an undesired frequency by a transmitter, causing interference, etc | (rare) illegitimate
Verbosity
the state or quality of being verbose; superfluity of words; wordiness: His speeches were always marred by verbosity.
Assuage
to make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate: to assuage one’s grief; to assuage one’s pain. | to appease; satisfy; allay; relieve: to assuage one’s hunger. | to soothe, calm, or mollify: to assuage his fears; to assuage her anger. | to soothe, moderate, or relieve (grief, pain, etc) | to give relief to (thirst, appetite, etc); satisfy | to pacify; calm
Cogitate
to think hard; ponder; meditate: to cogitate about a problem. | to think about; devise: to cogitate a scheme. | to think deeply about (a problem, possibility, etc); ponder
Docile
easily managed or handled; tractable: a docile horse. | readily trained or taught; teachable. | easy to manage, control, or discipline; submissive | (rare) ready to learn; easy to teach
Fraudulent
characterized by, involving, or proceeding from fraud, as actions, enterprise, methods, or gains: a fraudulent scheme to evade taxes. | given to or using fraud, as a person; cheating; dishonest. | acting with or having the intent to deceive | relating to or proceeding from fraud or dishonest action
Insentient
not sentient; without sensation or feeling; inanimate. | (rare) lacking consciousness or senses; inanimate
Milieu
surroundings, especially of a social or cultural nature: a snobbish milieu. | surroundings, location, or setting
Pensive
dreamily or wistfully thoughtful: a pensive mood. | expressing or revealing thoughtfulness, usually marked by some sadness: a pensive adagio. | deeply or seriously thoughtful, often with a tinge of sadness | expressing or suggesting pensiveness
Purloin
to take dishonestly; steal; filch; pilfer. | to commit theft; steal. | to take (something) dishonestly; steal
Stagnant
not flowing or running, as water, air, etc. | stale or foul from standing, as a pool of water. | characterized by lack of development, advancement, or progressive movement: a stagnant economy. | inactive, sluggish, or dull. | (of water, etc) standing still; without flow or current | brackish and foul from standing still | stale, sluggish, or dull from inaction | not growing or developing; static
Vertigo
a dizzying sensation of tilting within stable surroundings or of being in tilting or spinning surroundings. | (pathol) a sensation of dizziness or abnormal motion resulting from a disorder of the sense of balance
Astute
of keen penetration or discernment; sagacious: an astute analysis. | clever; cunning; ingenious; shrewd: an astute merchandising program; an astute manipulation of facts. | having insight or acumen; perceptive; shrewd
Collage
a technique of composing a work of art by pasting on a single surface various materials not normally associated with one another, as newspaper clippings, parts of photographs, theater tickets, and fragments of an envelope. | a work of art produced by this technique. Compare assemblage (def 3). | an assemblage or occurrence of diverse elements or fragments in unlikely or unexpected juxtaposition: The experimental play is a collage of sudden scene shifts, long monologues, musical interludes, and slapstick. | a film that presents a series of seemingly unrelated scenes or images or shifts from one scene or image to another suddenly and without transition. | to make a collage of: The artist has collaged old photos, cartoon figures, and telephone numbers into a unique work of art. | an art form in which compositions are made out of pieces of paper, cloth, photographs, and other miscellaneous objects, juxtaposed and pasted on a dry ground | a composition made in this way | any work, such as a piece of music, created by combining unrelated styles
Dogmatic
of, pertaining to, or of the nature of a dogma or dogmas; doctrinal. | asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated. | (of a statement, opinion, etc) forcibly asserted as if authoritative and unchallengeable
(of a person) prone to making such statements | of, relating to, or constituting dogma: dogmatic writings | based on assumption rather than empirical observation
Frivolous
characterized by lack of seriousness or sense: frivolous conduct. | self-indulgently carefree; unconcerned about or lacking any serious purpose. | (of a person) given to trifling or undue levity: a frivolous, empty-headed person. | of little or no weight, worth, or importance; not worthy of serious notice: a frivolous suggestion. | not serious or sensible in content, attitude, or behaviour; silly: a frivolous remark | unworthy of serious or sensible treatment; unimportant: frivolous details
Insipid
without distinctive, interesting, or stimulating qualities; vapid: an insipid personality. | without sufficient taste to be pleasing, as food or drink; bland: a rather insipid soup. | lacking spirit; boring | lacking taste; unpalatable
Mire
a tract or area of wet, swampy ground; bog; marsh. | ground of this kind, as wet, slimy soil of some depth or deep mud. | to plunge and fix in mire; cause to stick fast in mire. | to involve; entangle. | to soil with mire; bespatter with mire. | to sink in mire or mud; stick. | a boggy or marshy area | mud, muck, or dirt | to sink or cause to sink in a mire | (transitive) to make dirty or muddy
Penury
extreme poverty; destitution. | scarcity; dearth; inadequacy; insufficiency. | extreme poverty | extreme scarcity
Pusillanimous
lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; faint-hearted; timid. | proceeding from or indicating a cowardly spirit. | characterized by a lack of courage or determination
Staid
of settled or sedate character; not flighty or capricious. | fixed, settled, or permanent. | Archaic. a simple past tense and past participle of stay1. | to spend some time in a place, in a situation, with a person or group, etc.: He stayed in the army for ten years. | to continue to be as specified, as to condition or state: to stay clean. | to hold out or endure, as in a contest or task (followed by with or at): Please stay with the project as long as you can. | to keep up, as with a competitor (followed by with). | Poker. to continue in a hand by matching an ante, bet, or raise. | to stop or halt. | to pause or wait, as for a moment, before proceeding or continuing; linger or tarry.
Vestigial
of, pertaining to, or of the nature of a vestige: a vestigial tail. | of, relating to, or being a vestige | (of certain organs or parts of organisms) having attained a simple structure and reduced size and function during the evolution of the species: the vestigial pelvic girdle of a snake
Asylum
(especially formerly) an institution for the maintenance and care of the mentally ill, orphans, or other persons requiring specialized assistance. | an inviolable refuge, as formerly for criminals and debtors; sanctuary: He sought asylum in the church. | International Law.
a refuge granted an alien by a sovereign state on its own territory.
a temporary refuge granted political offenders, especially in a foreign embassy. | any secure retreat. | a safe or inviolable place of refuge, esp as formerly offered by the Christian Church to criminals, outlaws, etc; sanctuary (often in the phrase give asylum to) | shelter; refuge | (international law) refuge afforded to a person whose extradition is sought by a foreign government: political asylum | (obsolete) an institution for the shelter, treatment, or confinement of individuals, esp a mental hospital (formerly termed lunatic asylum)
Collate
to gather or arrange in their proper sequence (the pages of a report, the sheets of a book, the pages of several sets of copies, etc.). | Bookbinding. to verify the arrangement of (the gathered sheets of a book), usually by inspecting the signature at the foot of the first page of each sheet or the mark printed on the back of each sheet or on the spine of each signature. | to compare (texts, statements, etc.) in order to note points of agreement or disagreement. | Bibliography. to verify the number and order of the sheets of (a volume) as a means of determining its completeness. | Computers. to merge (sequenced data from two or more data sets or files) to produce a new sequenced data set or file. | Ecclesiastical. to present by collation, as to a benefice. | to examine and compare (texts, statements, etc) in order to note points of agreement and disagreement | (in library work) to check the number and order of (the pages of a book) | (bookbinding)
to check the sequence of (the sections of a book) after gathering
a nontechnical word for gather (sense 9) | (often foll by to) (Christianity) to appoint (an incumbent) to a benefice
Dolt
a dull, stupid person; blockhead. | a slow-witted or stupid person
Frugal
economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful: What your office needs is a frugal manager who can save you money without resorting to painful cutbacks.
Synonyms: thrifty, chary, provident, careful, prudent, penny-wise, scrimping; miserly, Scotch, penny-pinching.
Antonyms: wasteful, extravagant, spendthrift, prodigal, profligate. | entailing little expense; requiring few resources; meager; scanty: a frugal meal.
Synonyms: scant, slim, sparing, skimpy.
Antonyms: luxurious, lavish, profuse. | practising economy; living without waste; thrifty | not costly; meagre
Instigate
to cause by incitement; foment: to instigate a quarrel. | to urge, provoke, or incite to some action or course: to instigate the people to revolt. | to bring about, as by incitement or urging: to instigate rebellion | to urge on to some drastic or inadvisable action
Misanthrope
a hater of humankind. | a comedy (1666) by Molière. | a person who dislikes or distrusts other people or mankind in general
Perceptive
having or showing keenness of insight, understanding, or intuition: a perceptive analysis of the problems involved. | having the power or faculty of perceiving. | of, pertaining to, or showing perception. | quick at perceiving; observant | perceptual | able to perceive
Pyromania
a compulsion to set things on fire. | (psychiatry) the uncontrollable impulse and practice of setting things on fire
Stanza
an arrangement of a certain number of lines, usually four or more, sometimes having a fixed length, meter, or rhyme scheme, forming a division of a poem. | (prosody) a fixed number of verse lines arranged in a definite metrical pattern, forming a unit of a poem | (US & Austral) a half or a quarter in a football match
Vignette
a decorative design or small illustration used on the title page of a book or at the beginning or end of a chapter. | an engraving, drawing, photograph, or the like that is shaded off gradually at the edges so as to leave no definite line at the border. | a decorative design representing branches, leaves, grapes, or the like, as in a manuscript. | any small, pleasing picture or view. | a small, graceful literary sketch. | Photography. to finish (a picture, photograph, etc.) in the manner of a vignette. | a small illustration placed at the beginning or end of a book or chapter | a short graceful literary essay or sketch | a photograph, drawing, etc, with edges that are shaded off | (architect) a carved ornamentation that has a design based upon tendrils, leaves, etc
