Set 15 Flashcards
Penury
noun
(pehn yuh ree)
An oppressive lack of resources (as money); severe poverty
Once a famous actor, he eventually died in PENURY and annonymity.
Synonyms: destitution; impoverishment
Waver
verb
(way vuhr)
To fluctuate between choices
If you WAVER too long between making. A decision about which testing site to register for, you may not get your first choice.
Synonyms: dither; falter; fluctuate; oscillate; vacillate
Pastiche
noun
(pah steesh)
A piece of literature or music imitating other works.
The playwright’s clever PASTICHE of the well-known children’s story had the audience rolling in the aisles.
Synonyms: medley; spoof
Canard
noun
(kuh nard)
A lie
That tabloid’s feature story about a goat giving birth to a human child was clearly a CANARD.
Synonyms: falsehood; falsity; fib; misreprentation; prevarication; tale; untruth
Ephemeral
adj
(ih fehm uhr uhl)
Lasting a short time
The lives of mayflies seem EPHEMERAL to us, since the flies’ average life span is a matter of hours.
Synonyms: evanescent; fleeting; momentary; transient
Exigent
adj
(ehk suh juhnt)
Urgent; requiring immediate action
The patient was losing blood so rapidly that it was EXIGENT to stop the bleeding.
Synonyms: critical; imperative; needed; urgent
Garner
verb
(gahr nuhr)
To gather and stor
The director managed to GARNER financial backing from several different sources for his next project.
Synonyms: acquire; amass; gleam; harvest; reap
Quotidian
adj
(kwo tih dee uhn)
Occurring daily; commonplace
The sight of people singing on the street is so QUOTIDIAN in New York that passersby rarely react to it.
Synonyms: everyday; normal; usual
Fortuitous
adj
(fohr too ih tuhs)
Happening by chance; fortunate
It was FORTUITOUS that he won the lotto just before he had to pay back his loans.
Synonyms: chance; fortunate; haphazard; lucky; propitious; prosperous
Convoluted
adj
(kahn vuh loo tehd)
Intricate and complicated
Although many people bought the professor’s book, few people could follow its CONVOLUTED ideas and theories.
Synonyms: Byzantine; complex; elaborate; intricate; knotty; labyrinthine; perplexing; tangled
Lethargic
adj
(luh thar jik)
Acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
The clerk was so LETHARGIC that, even when business was slow, he always had a long line in front of him.
Synonyms: apathetic; lackadaisical; languid; listless; torpid
Amalgamate
verb
(uh maal guh mayt)
To continue; to mix together
Giant Industries AMALGAMATED with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega Products Incorporated.
Synonyms: admix; blend; coalesce; combine; commingle; commix; compound; fuse; intermingle; intermix; merge; mingle; mix; unite
Peregrinate
verb
(peh ruh gruh nayt)
To wander from place to place; to travel, especially on foot
Shivani enjoyed PEREGRINATING the expansive grounds of Central Park.
Synonyms: journey; traverse; trek
Equivocate
verb
(ih kwihv uh kayt)
To use expressions of double meaning in order to be mislead
When faced with criticism of his policies, the politician EQUIVOCATED and left all parties thinking he agreed its them.
Synonyms: ambiguous; evasive; waffling
Volatile
adj
(vah luh tuhl)
Easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive
His VOLATILE personality made it difficult to predict his reaction to anything.
Synonyms: capricious; erratic; fickle; inconsistent; inconstant; mercurial; temperamental
Ersatz
adj
(uhr sats)
Fake
Edda, a fashion maven, knew instantly that her friend’s new Kate Spade bag was really an ERSATZ version purchased on the street.
Synonyms: artificial; dummy; false; imitation; mock; sham; simulated; spurious; substitute
Erudite
adj
(ehr yuh dite)
Learned; scholarly; bookish
The annual meeting of philosophy professors was a gathering of the most ERUDITE, well-published individuals in the field.
Synonyms: learned; scholastic; wise
Viscous
adj
(vih skuhs)
Thick and adhesive, like a slow-flowing fluid
Most VISCOUS liquids, like oil or honey, become even thicker as they are cooled down.
Synonyms: gelatinous; glutinous; thick
Magnate
noun
(maag nayt)
Powerful or influential person
The entertainment MAGNATE bought two cable TV stations to add to his collection of magazines and publishing houses.
Synonyms: dignitary; luminary; nabob; potentate; tycoon
Luminous
adj
(loo muhn uhs)
Bright; brilliant; glowing
The park was bathed in LUMINOUS sunshine that warmed the bodies and the souls of the visitors.
Synonyms: incandescent; lucent; lustrous; radiant; resplendent
Maelstrom
noun
(mayl struhm)
Whirlpool; turmoil; agitated state of mind
The transportation system of the city had collapsed in the MAELSTROM of war.
Synonyms: eddy; turbulence
Lumber
verb
(luhm buhr)
To move slowly and awkwardly
The bear LUMBERED toward the garbage, drooling at the prospect of the leftovers he smelled.
Synonyms: galumph; hulk; lurch; stumble
Burnish
verb
(buhr nihsh)
To polish
He BURNISHED the silver coffee pot until it shone brightly.
Synonyms: buff; luster; polish; scour
Estimable
adj
(eh stuh muh buhl)
Admirable
Most people consider it ESTIMABLE that Mother Teresa soent her life helping the poor of India.
Synonyms: admirable; commendable; creditable; honorable; laudable; meritorious; praiseworthy; respectable; venerable; worthy
Esoteric
adj
(eh suh tehr ihk)
Known or understood only by a few
Only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the ESOTERIC world of particle physics.
Synonyms: abstruse; arcane; obscure
Rhetoric
noun
(reh tuhr ihk)
Effective writing or speaking
Lincoln’s talent for RHETORIC was evident in his beautifully expressed Gettysburg Address.
Synonyms: eloquence; oratory
Keen
adj
(keen)
Having a sharp edge; intellectually sharp; perceptive
With her KEEN intelligence, she figured out the puzzle in ten seconds flat.
Synonyms: acute; canny; quick
Kindle
verb
(kihn duhl)
To set fire to or ignite; to excite or inspire
With only damp wood to work with, Tilda had great difficulty trying to KINDLE the campfire.
Synonyms: arouse; awaken; light; spark
Abstain
verb
(aab stayn)
To choose not to do something
Before the medical procedure, you must ABSTAIN from eating.
Synonyms: forbear; refrain; withhold
Emulate
verb
(ehm yuh layt)
To copy; to try to equal or excel
The graduate student sought to EMULATE his professor in every way, copying not only how she taught but also how she conducted herself outside of class.
Synonyms: ape; imitate; simulate
