Set 9 Flashcards

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1
Q

boorish

A

rough and bad-mannered; coarse
e.g. .. their boorish rejection of the ageing movie star

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2
Q

brook

A

a small stream

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3
Q

circumspect

A

wary and unwilling to take risks
e.g. The banks should have been more circumspect in their dealings

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4
Q

comity

A

an association of nations for their mutual benefits

courtesy and considerate behavior towards others
e.g. .. a show of public comity in the White House

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5
Q

commensurate

A

corresponding in size or degree; in proportion
e.g. Employees are paid salaries commensurate with those of teachers

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6
Q

cordial

A

warm and friendly
e.g. He had never known him to be so chatty and cordial

strongly felt
e.g. .. a cordial distaste for formality

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7
Q

deleterious

A

causing harm or damage
e.g. Petty crime is having a deleterious effect on community life

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8
Q

dichotomy

A

a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different
e.g. There is a dichotomy between the academic world and the industrial world

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9
Q

edify

A

instruct or improve (someone) morally and intellectually
e.g. .. religious paintings that edify the viewer

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10
Q

elicit

A

evoke or draw out (a reaction, answer or fact) from someone
e.g. He spoke for a long time, trying to elicit some comment or response from Hanuman

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11
Q

erudite

A

having or showing great knowledge or learning
e.g. He was never dull, always erudite and well-informed

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12
Q

fecund

A

producing or capable of producing a abundance of offspring or new growth;

highly fertile
e.g. The pampas are still among the most fecund lands in the world

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13
Q

feeble

A

lacking physical strength, especially as a result of age or illness
lacking strength or character
e.g. The feeble light of a tin lamp

failing to convince or impress
e.g. He said that the government has been feeble

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14
Q

felicitous

A

well chosen or suited to the circumstances
e.g. Her prose style is not always felicitous; she tends to repetition

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15
Q

forbear

A

politely or patiently restrain an impulse to do something; refrain
e.g. Protesters largely forbear from stone-throwing and vandalism

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16
Q

haphazard

A

lacking any obvious principle of organization

17
Q

hodgepodge

A

a confused mixture; a hotchpotch

18
Q

impede

A

delay or prevent (someone or something) by obstructing them; hinder
e.g. Fallen rock is impeding the progress of rescue workers

19
Q

impetuous

A

acting or done quickly and without thought or care
e.g. He tended to react in a heated and impetuous way

20
Q

irascible

A

having or showing tendency to be easily angered
e.g. He had an irascible temper

21
Q

mercenary

A

primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics

a professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army

22
Q

meticulous

A

showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise

23
Q

mordant

A

(especially of humor) having or showing a sharp or critical quality; biting
e.g. A wicked, mordant sense of humor has come to the fore in Blur’s world

24
Q

outstrip

A

move faster than and overtake (someone else) / exceed
e.g. In mid-eighteenth century the production of food far outstripped the rise in population

25
Q

precarious

A

not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse
e.g. Our financial situation has become precarious

26
Q

quirky

A

having or characterized by peculiar or unexpected traits or aspects

27
Q

repudiate

A

refuse to accept; reject
e.g. Cavour later repudiated what he regarded as his youthful follies

28
Q

tact

A

skill and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues
e.g. .. helping to smooth over the problems with great tact and efficiency

29
Q

trifling

A

unimportant or trivial
e.g. The guests had each paid 250, no trifling sum

30
Q

turbulent

A

characterized by conflict, disorder, or confusion; not stable or calm