Set 16 Flashcards
Stentorian
adj
(stehn tohr ee yehn)
Extremely loud
Cullen couldn’t hear her speaking over the STENTORIAN din of the game on TV.
Synonyms: clamorous; noisy
Voluble
adj
(vahl yuh buhl)
Talkative; speaking easily; glib
The VOLUBLE man and his reserved wife proved the old saying that opposites attract.
Synonyms: loquacious; verbose
Calumny
noun
(kaa luhm nee)
A false and malicious accusation; misrepresentation
The unscrupulous politician used CALUMNY to bring down his opponent in the senatorial race.
Synonyms: defamation; libel; slander
Wanton
adj
(wahn tuhn)
Undisciplined; unrestrained; reckless
The townspeople were outraged by the WANTON display of disrespect when they discovered the statue of the town founder covered in graffiti.
Synonyms: capricious; lewd; licentious
Lionize
verb
(lie uhn iez)
To treat as a celebrity
After the success of his novel, the author was LIONIZED by the press.
Synonyms: feast; honor; regale
Fervid
adj
(fuhr vihd)
Intensely emotional; feverish
The fans of Maria Callas were particularly FERVID, doing anything to catch a glimpse of the great opera singer.
Synonyms: burning; impassioned; passionate; vehement; zealous
Kinetic
adj
(kih neh tihk)
Relating to motion; characterized by movement
The KINETIC sculpture moved back and forth, startling the museum visitors.
Synonyms: active; dynamic; mobile
Sagacious
adj
(suh gay shuhs)
Shrewd; wise
Owls have a reputation for being SAGACIOUS, perhaps because of their big eyes, which resemble glasses.
Synonyms: astute; judicious; perspicacious; sage; wise
Overwrought
adj
(oh vuhr rawt)
Agitated; overdone
The lawyer’s OVERWROUGHT voice on the phone made her clients worry about the outcome of their case.
Synonyms: elaborate; excited; nervous; ornate
Yoke
verb
(yohk)
To join together
As soon as the farmer had YOKED his oxen together, he began to plow the fields.
Synonyms: bind; harness; pair
Listless
adj
(lihst lihs)
Lacking energy and enthusiasm
LISTLESS and depressed after breaking up with his girlfriend, Raj spent his days moping on the couch.
Synonyms: faineant; indolent; languid; lethargic; sluggish
Xenophobia
noun
(zee nuh foh bee uh)
A fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers
Countries in which XENOPHOBIA is prevalent often have more restrictive immigration policies than countries that are more open to foreign influences.
Synonyms: bigotry; chauvinism; prejudice
Palatial
adj
(puh lay shuhl)
Relating to a palace; magnificent
After living in a cramped studio apartment for years, Siobhan thought the modest one bedroom looked downright PALATIAL.
Synonyms: grand; stately
Unequivocal
adj
(uhn ee kwih vih kuhl)
Absolute; certain
The jury’s verdict was EQUIVOCAL: the organized crime boss I’ll be locked up for life.
Synonyms: categorical; clear; explicit; express; unambiguous
Salubrious
adj
(suh loo bree uhs)
Healthful
Run-down and sickly, Rita hoped that the fresh mountain air would have a SALUBRIUS effect on her health.
Synonyms: bracing; curative; medicinal; therapeutic; tonic
Blight
verb
(bliet)
To afflict; to destroy
The farmers feared that the night’s frost would BLIGHT the potato crops entirely.
Synonyms: damage; plague
Chauvinist
noun
(shoh vuh nist)
Someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
The attitude that men must be obeyed since they are inherently superior to women is common among male CHAUVINISTS.
Synonyms: bigot; jingoist; partisan
Amortize
verb
(uh mohr tiez)
To diminish by installment payments
While college students are notorious for accumulating credit card debt, they are not as well known for AMORTIZING it.
Synonyms: decrease; reduce
Embellish
verb
(ehm behl ihsh)
To add ornamental or fictitious details
Britt EMBELLISHED her resume, hoping to make the lowly positions she had help seem more important.
Synonyms: adorn; bedeck; elaborate; embroider; enhance; exaggerate
Dogma
noun
(dahg muh)
A firmly held opinion, especially a religious belief
Linus’s central DOGMA was that children who believed in the Great Pumpkin would be rewarded.
Synonyms: creed; doctrine; teaching; tenet
Gradation
noun
(gray day shuhn)
A degree or stage in a process; a variation in color
The paint store offers so many different GRADATIONS of red that it’s impossible to choose among them.
Synonyms: nuance; shade; step; subtlety
Occlude
verb
(uh klood)
To step up; to prevent the passage of
A shadow is thrown across get Earth’s surface during a solar eclipse, when the light from the sun is OCCLUDED by the moon.
Synonyms: barricade; block; close; obstruct
Malediction
noun
(maal ih dihk shun)
A curse; a wish of evil upon another
The frog prince looked for a princess to kiss him and out an end to the witch’s MALEDICTION.
Synonyms: anathema; imprecation
Aberrant
adj
(uh ber unt)
Deviating from what is normal or expected
Since he had been a steady, cheerful worker for many years, his fellow postal workers did not expect his ABERRANT burst of rage.
Synonyms: abnormal; anomalous; deviant; divergent; errant; irregular
Usury
noun
(yoo zhuh ree)
The practice of lending money at exorbitant rates
The moneylender was convicted of USURY when it was discovered that he charged 50 percent interest on all his loans.
Synonyms: loan-sharking
Ingrate
noun
(ihn grayt)
An ungrateful person
When non of her relatives thanked her for the fruit cakes she had sent them, Audrey condemned them all as INGRATES.
Synonyms: cad; churl
Sardonic
adj
(sahr dah nihk)
Cynical; scornfully mocking
Isabella was offended by the SARDONIC way in which her date made fun of her ideas and opinions.
Synonyms: acerbic; caustic; sarcastic; satirical; snide
Vacillate
verb
(vaa sihl ayt)
To physically sway; to be indecisive
The customer held up the line as he VACILLATED between ordering chocolate-chip or rocky-road ice cream.
Synonyms: dither; falter; fluctuate; oscillate; waver
Impious
adj
(ihm pie uhs)
Not devout in religion
The nun cut herself off from her IMPIOUS family after she entered the covent.
Synonyms: immoral; irreverent; profane
Bolster
verb
(bohl stuhr)
To support; to prop up
The presence of giant footprints BOLSTERED the argument that Bigfoot was in the area.
Synonyms: brace; buttress; crutch; prop; stay; support; sustain; underpin; uphold
