Set 6 Flashcards
Inundate
verb
(ih nuhn dayt)
To overwhelm; to cover with water
The tidal wave INUNDATED Atlantis, which was lost beneath the water.
Synonyms: deluge; drown; engulf; flood; submerge
Archaic
adj
(ahr kay ihk)
Ancient; old-fashioned
Her ARCHAIC Commodore computer could not run the latest software.
Synonyms: ancient; antediluvian; antique; bygone; dated; dowdy; fusty; obsolete; outdated; passé; prehistoric; stale; superannuated; vintage
Prudence
noun
(proo dehns)
Wisdom, caution, or restraint
The college student exhibited PRUDENCE by obtaining practical experience along with her studies, which greatly strengthened her resume.
Synonyms: astuteness; circumspection; discretion; frugality; judiciousness; providence; thrift
Crescendo
noun
(kruh shehn doh)Steady increase in volume or force
The CRESCENDO of tension became unbearable or as Evil Knieval prepared to jump his motorcycle over the school buses.
Synonyms: acme; capstone; climax; crest; culmination; meridian; peak
Dyspeptic
adj
(dihs pehp tihk)
Suffering from indigestion; gloomy and irritable
The DYSPEPTIC young man cast a gloom over the party the minute he walked in.
Synonyms: acerbic; melancholy; morose; solemn; sour
Ostensible
adj
(ah stehn sih buhl)
Apparent
The OSTENSIBLE reason for his visit was to borrow a book, but he secretly wanted to chat with the lovely Wanda.
Synonyms: represented; supposed; surface
Larceny
noun
(laar suh nee)
Theft or property
The crime of stealing a wallet can be categorized as petty LARCENY.
Synonyms: burglary; robbery; stealing
Insipid
adj
(in sih pid)
Lacking interest or flavor
The critic claimed that the painting was INSIPID, containing no interesting qualities at all.
Synonyms: banal; bland; dull; stale; vapid
Eclectic
adj
(eh klehk tihk)
Selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
Budapest’s architecture is an ECLECTIC mix of eastern and western styles.
Synonyms: broad; catholic
Droll
adj
(drohl)
Amusing in a wry, subtle way
Although the play couldn’t be described as hilarious, it was certainly DROLL.
Synonyms: comic; entertaining; funny; risible; witty
Jargon
noun
(jahr guhn)
Nonsensical talk; specialized language
You need to master technical JARGON in order to communicate successfully with engineers.
Synonyms: argot; cant; dialect; idiom; slang
Vicissitude
noun
(vih sih sih tood)
A change or variation
Investors must be prepared for VICISSITUDES of the stock market.
Synonyms: inconstancy; mutability
Arrogate
verb
(aa ruh gayt)
To claim oneself without justification; to claim for oneself without right
Gretchen watched in astonishment as her boss ARROGATED the credit for her brilliant work on the project.
Synonyms: appropriate; presume; take
Puerile
adj
(pyoo ruhl)
Childish, immature, or silly
Olivia’s boyfriend’s PUERILE antics are really annoying; sometimes he acts like a five-year-old!
Synonyms: infantile; jejune; juvenile
Repudiate
verb
(ree pyoo dee ayt)
To reject the validity of
The old woman’s claim that she was Russian royalty was REPUDIATED by other known relatives.
Synonyms: deny; disavow; disclaim; disown; renounce
Approbation
noun
(aa pruh bay shuhn)
Approval and praise
The APPROBATION that Jerry Lewis received in France included a medal from the Ministry of Culture.
Synonyms: acclaim; adulation; applause; commendation; compliments; exaltation; extolment; hail; kudos; praise
Irascible
adj
(ih rah suh buhl)
Easily made angry
Attila the Hun’s IRASCIBLE and violent nature made all who dealt with him fear for their lives.
Synonyms: cantankerous; irritable; ornery; testy
Pragmatic
adj
(praag maa tihk)
Practical, as opposed to idealistic
While idealistic gamblers think they can get rich by frequenting casinos, PRAGMATIC gamblers realize that the odds are heavily stacked against them.
Synonyms: rational; realistic
Craven
adj
(kray vuhn)
Lacking courage
The CRAVEN lion cringed in the corner off his cage, terrified of the mouse.
Synonyms: fainthearted; spineless; timid
Dirge
noun
(duhrj)
A funeral hymn or mournful speech
Melville wrote a DIRGE for the funeral of James McPherson, a Union general who was killed in 1864.
Synonyms: elegy; lament
Meretricious
adj
(mehr ih trihsh uhs)
Gaudy; falsely attractive
The casino’s MERETRICIOUS decor horrified the cultivated interior designer.
Synonyms: flashy; insincere; loud; specious; tawdry
Jettison
verb
(jeht ih zuhn)
To discard; to get rid of as unnecessary or encumbering
The sinking ship JETTISONED its cargo in a desperate attempt to reduce its weight.
Synonyms: dump; eject
Boor
noun
(bohr)
A crude person; one lacking manners or taste
“That utter BOOR ruined my recital with his constant guffawing!” wailed the pianist.
Synonyms: clod; lout; oaf; vulgarian; yahoo
Orotund
adj
(or uh tuhnd)
Pompous
Roberto soon grew tired of his date’s OROTUND babble about her new job, and decided their first date would probably be their last.
Synonyms: aureate; bombastic; declamatory; euphuistic; flowery; grandiloquent; mangniloquent; oratorical; overblown; sonorous
Itinerant
adj
(ie tihn uhr uhnt)
Wandering from place to place; unsettled
The ITINERANT tomcat came back to the Johansson homestead every two months.
Synonyms: nomadic; vagrant
Fetid
adj
(feh tihd)
Foul-smelling; putrid
The FETID stench from the outhouse caused Francesca to wrinkle her nose in disgust.
Synonyms: funky; malodorous; noisome; rank; stinky
Requite
verb
(rih kwiet)
To return or repay
Thanks for offering to lend me $1,000, but I know I’ll never be able to REQUITE your generosity.
Synonyms: compensate; reciprocate
Anachronism
noun
(uh naak ruh nih suhm)
Something out of place in time
The play was set in the nineteenth century, but was ruined by ANACHRONISMS, like the lead actor’s digital watch.
Synonyms: archaism; incongruity
Prattle
noun
(praa tuhl)
Meaningless, foolish talk
Her husband’s mindless PRATTLE drove Heidi insane; sometimes she wished she would just shut up.
Synonyms: babble; blather; chatter; drivel; gibberish
Imbue
verb
(ihm byoo)
To infuse, dye, wet, or moisten
Marcia struggled to IMBUE her children with decent values, a difficult task in this day and age.
Synonyms: charge; freight; impregnate; permeate; pervade
