Set 14 Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

Disparate
adj
(dih spar uht)

A

Fundamentally different; entirely unlike

Although the twins are physically identical, their personalities are DISPARATE.

Synonyms: different; dissimilar; divergent; divers; variant; various

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Oblique
adj
(oh bleek)

A

Indirect or evasive; misleading or devious

Usually open and friendly, Reynaldo has been behaving in a curiously OBLIQUE manner lately.

Synonyms: glancing; slanted; tangential

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Bilk
verb
(bihlk)

A

To cheat; to defraud

When the greedy salesman realized that his customer spoke poor French, he BILKED the tourist out of 20 euros.

Synonyms: beat; defraud; overreach

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Leery
adj
(lihr ree)

A

Suspicious

After being swindled once, Ruth became LEARY of strangers trying to sell things to her.

Synonyms: distrustful; guarded; wary

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Tacit
adj
(taa siht)

A

Done without using words

Although not a word was said, everyone in the room knew that a TACIT agreement had been made about what course of action to take.

Synonyms: implicit; implied; undeclared; unsaid; unuttered

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Symbiosis
noun
(sihm bee oh sihs)

A

Cooperation; mutual helpfulness

The rhino and the tick-eating bird live in SYMBIOSIS; the rhino gives the bird food in the form of ticks, and the bird rids the rhino of the parasites.

Synonyms: association; interdependence

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Decorum
noun
(deh kohr uhm)

A

Appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety

The countess complained that he vulgar peasants lacked the DECORUM appropriate for a visit to the palace.

Synonyms: correctness; decency; etiquette; manners; mores:0; propriety; seemliness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Rarefy
verb
(rayr uh fie)

A

To become thinner or sparser

Since the atmosphere RAREFIES as altitudes increase, the air at the top of the very tall mountains is too thin to breathe.

Synonyms: attenuate; thin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Panegyric
noun
(paan uh jeer ihk)

A

Elaborate praise; formal hymn of praise

The director’s PANEGYRIC for the donor who kept his charity going was heart-warming.

Synonyms: compliment; homage

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Redress
noun
(rih drehs)

A

Relief from wrong or injury

Seeking REDRESS for the injuries she had received in the accident, Doreen sued the driver of the truck that had hit her.

Synonyms: amends; indemnity; quittance; reparation; restitution

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Arbitrary
adj
(ahr bih trayr ee)

A

Determined by chance or impulse

When you lack the information to judge what to do next, you will be forced to make an ARBITRARY decision.

Synonyms: changeable; erratic; indiscriminate; random; wayward

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Incarnadine
adj
(in car nuh deen)

A

Blood-red in color

At his mother’s mention of his baby pictures, the shy boy’s cheeks turned INCARNADINE with embarrassment.

Synonyms: reddened; ruby; ruddy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Phalanx
noun
(fay laanks)

A

A compact or close-knot body of people, animals, or things

A PHALANX of guards stood outside of the prime minister’s home day and night.

Synonyms: legion; mass

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Contrite
adj
(kuhn triet)

A

Deeply sorrowful and repentant for a wrong

After three residents were mugged in the lobby while the watchman was away from his post, he felt very CONTRITE.

Synonyms: apologetic; regretful; remorseful

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Mollify
verb
(mahl uh fie)

A

To calm or make less severe

Their argument was so intense that it was difficult to believe any compromise would MOLLIFY them.

Synonyms: appease; assuage; conciliate; pacify

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Malinger
verb
(muh ling guhr)

A

To evade responsibility by pretending to be ill

A common way to avoid the draft was by MALINGERING- pretending to be mentally or physically ill so as to avoid being taken by the army.

Synonyms: shirk; slack

17
Q

Interregnum
noun
(in tuh reg nuhm)

A

A period between reigns

When John F. Kennedy was shot, there was a brief INTERREGNUM before Lyndon B. Johnson became president.

Synonym: interval

18
Q

Palliate
verb
(paa lee ayt)

A

To make less serious; to ease

The alleged crime was so vicious that the defense lawyer could not PALLIATE it for the injury.

Synonyms: alleviate; assuage; extenuate; mitigate

19
Q

Antipathy
noun
(aan tih puh thee)

A

Extreme dislike

The ANTIPATHY between fans of the rival soccer teams made the game even more electrifying to watch.

Synonyms: abhorrence; animosity; animus; antagonism; aversion; dislike; enmity; hatred; hostility; loathing; repellence; repugnance; repulsion; revulsion

20
Q

Husband
verb
(huhz buhnd)

A

To manage economically; to use sparingly

The cyclist paced herself at the start of the race, knowing that if she HUSBANDED her resources, she’d have the strength to break out of the pack later on.

Synonyms: conserve; ration

21
Q

Impetuous
adj
(ihm peh choo uhs)

A

Quick to act without thinking

It is not good for an investment broker to be IMPETUOUS since much thought should be given to all the possible options.

Synonyms: impulsive; precipitate; rash; reckless; spontaneous

22
Q

Salient
adj
(say lee uhnt)

A

Prominent; of notable significance

His most SALIENT characteristic is his tendency to dominate every conversation.

Synonyms: marked; noticeable; outstanding

23
Q

Misanthrope
noun
(mihs ahn throhp)

A

A person who dislikes others

The Grinch was such a MISANTHROPE that even the sight of children singing made him angry.

Synonyms: curmudgeon

24
Q

Pariah
noun
(puh rie uh)

A

An outcast

Once he betrayed those in his community, he was banished and lived the life of a PARIAH.

Synonyms: castaway; derelict; leper; offsourcing; untouchable

25
Q

Advocate
verb
(aad vuh kayt)

A

Ito speak in favor of

The vegetarian ADVOCATED a diet containing no meat.

Synonyms: back; champion; support

26
Q

Spartan
adj
(spahr tihn)

A

Highly self-disciplined; frugal; austere

When he was in training, the athlete preferred to live in a SPARTAN room, so he could shut out all distractions.

Synonyms: restrained; simple

27
Q

Abeyance
noun
(uh bay uhns)

A

Temporary suppression or suspension

The baseball game was held in ABEYANCE while it continued to rain.

Synonyms: deferral; delay; dormancy; postponement; remission

28
Q

Malleable
adj
(mah lee uh buhl)

A

Capable of being shaped

Gold is the most MALLEABLE of precious metals; it can easily be formed into almost any shape.

Synonyms: adaptable; ductile; plastic; pliable; pliant

29
Q

Dilate
verb
(die layt)

A

To make larger; to expand

When you enter a darkened room, the pupils of your eyes DILATE so as to let more light in.

Synonyms: amplify; develop; elaborate; enlarge; expand; expatiate

30
Q

Pallid
adj
(paa lihd)

A

Lacking color or liveliness

The old drugstore’s PALLID window could not compete with the new megastore’s extravagant display next door.

Synonyms: ashen; blanched; ghostly; pale; wan