Set 2 Flashcards

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1
Q

adulterate

A

render (something) poorer in quality by adding another substance
e.g. The food has been adulterated to increase its weight

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2
Q

advocate

A

a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy
e.g. Mr. Williams is a conservative who advocates fewer government controls on business

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3
Q

aggrandize

A

increase in power status or wealth of
e.g. At the dinner table, my father would go on and on, showing off, aggrandizing himself

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4
Q

alacrity

A

brisk and cheerful readiness
e.g. As you can imagine, I accepted with alacrity

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5
Q

ambivalent

A

having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone
e.g. He maintained an ambivalent attitude to the Church throughout his long life

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6
Q

ameliorate

A

make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better
e.g. He expected me to do something to ameliorate his depression

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7
Q

amenable

A

open and responsive to suggestion;
e.g. Sleyman seemed to be more amenable than his father

easily persuaded or controlled
e.g. My cat was half-grown black and white female, guaranteed to be clean and amenable

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8
Q

anachronistic

A

belonging to a period other than being portrayed
e.g. In an increasing secular society, the religious aspects of monarchy may seem anachronistic

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9
Q

audacious

A

showing willingness to take surprisingly bold risks
e.g. An audacious plan to win the presidency

showing an impudent lack of respect
e.g. .. he made an audacious remark

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10
Q

avaricious

A

having or showing an extreme greed for wealth or material gain
e.g. He sacrificed his own career so that his avaricious brother could succeed

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11
Q

banal

A

so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring
e.g. Bland, banal music tinkled discreetly from the hidden loudspeakers

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12
Q

benign

A

gentle and kind; not harmful to the environment
e.g. They are normally a more benign audience

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13
Q

brazen

A

bold and without shame
e.g. They’re quite brazen about their sexuality, it doesn’t wrong them

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14
Q

calumny

A

the making of false and defamatory statements about someone in order to damage their reputation
e.g. He was a victim of calumny

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15
Q

candid

A

truthful and straightforward; frank
e.g. Nat is candid about the problems she is having with Steve

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16
Q

castigate

A

reprimand (someone) severely
e.g. Marx never lost an opportunity to castigate colonialism

17
Q

caustic

A

sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way
e.g. His abrasive wit and caustic comments were an interviewer’s nightmare

able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action
e.g. Remember that this is caustic; use gloves or a spoon

18
Q

construe

A

interpret (a word or action) in a particular way
e.g. What may seem helpful behavior to you can be construed as interference by others

19
Q

contrite

A

feeling or expressing remorse at the recognition that one has done wrong
e.g. She’d have to placate him, to be properly remorseful and contrite if that was what it took to heal her marriage

20
Q

convoluted

A

(especially of an argument, story or sentence) extremely complex and difficult to follow
e.g. Despite its length and convoluted plot, this is a rich and rewarding read

intricately folded, twisted or coiled
e.g. Walnuts come in hard and convoluted shells

21
Q

covet

A

yearn to possess (something, especially something belonging to another)
e.g. She coveted his job so openly that conversations between them were tense

22
Q

craven

A

contemptibly lack of courage; cowardly
e.g. They condemned the deal as a craven surrender

23
Q

decorum

A

behavior in keeping with good taste and propriety
e.g. I was treated with decorum and respect throughout the investigation

24
Q

deft

A

neatly skillful and quick in one’s movements
e.g. With a deft flick of his foot, Mr. Worth tripped one of the raiders up

25
Q

demur

A

raise objections or show reluctance
e.g. Once again she accepted without demur, with the proviso that he stop first at her place or a pre-dinner drink

26
Q

derivative

A

something which is based on another source;
e.g. The makers are already planning two cheaper derivatives of the bike

imitative of the work of another artist, writer, etc. and usually disapproved of for that reason
e.g. A lot of what you see in stand-up comedy today is very derivative

27
Q

desiccate

A

remove the moisture from (something); cause to become completely dry
e.g. The grapes are taken to special drying rooms where they are allowed to desiccate, concentrating the sugars inside the grape

28
Q

diatribe

A

a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something
e.g. The book is a diatribe against the academic left

29
Q

incredulous

A

(of a person or manner) unwilling or unable to believe something
e.g. ‘He made you do it?’ Her voice was incredulous

30
Q

ingenuous

A

(of a person or action) innocent and unsuspecting
e.g. With ingenuous sincerity, he captivated his audience