STAAR 2 VOCAB Flashcards
beguile
- charm or enchant (someone), often in a deceptive way.
“he beguiled the voters with his good looks” - ( LITERARY) help (time) pass pleasantly.
“to beguile some of the time they went to the cinema”
transact
conduct or carry out (business).
“traders transact business in the public exchange”
ravenous
- extremely hungry.
“I’d been out all day and was ravenous”
spontaneous
performed or occurring as a result of a sudden impulse or inclination and without premeditation or external stimulus.
“the audience broke into spontaneous applause”
unkempt
(especially of a person) having an untidy or dishevelled appearance.
“they were unwashed and unkempt”
diverse
showing a great deal of variety; very different.
“subjects as diverse as architecture, language teaching, and the physical sciences”
intangible
unable to be touched; not having physical presence.
“the moonlight made things seem intangible”
shirk
avoid or neglect (a duty or responsibility).
“I do not shirk any responsibility in this matter”
avian
elating to birds.
“avian tuberculosis”
saunter
- walk in a slow, relaxed manner.
“Adam sauntered into the room” - a leisurely stroll.
“a quiet saunter down the road”
debilitating
(of a disease or condition) making someone very weak and infirm.
“debilitating back pain”
* tending to weaken something.
“the debilitating effects of underinvestment”
reverently
with deep and solemn respect.
“the people fell to their knees and bowed reverently”
incubate
(of a bird) sit on (eggs) in order to keep them warm and bring them to hatching.
curative
able to cure disease.
“the curative properties of herbs”
acquiesce
accept something reluctantly but without protest.
“Sara acquiesced in his decision”
gallantry
- courageous behaviour, especially in battle.
“a medal awarded for outstanding gallantry during the raid” - polite attention or respect given by men to women.
“no young man offers to carry this burden for her: such gallantry is out of fashion”
sovereignty
- supreme power or authority.
“the sovereignty of Parliament - the power of a country to control its own government
faltered
lose strength or momentum.
“the music faltered, stopped, and started up again”
* speak hesitantly.
“‘A-Adam?’ he faltered”
permissible
that can be permitted; allowable
soporific
tending to induce drowsiness or sleep.
“the motion of the train had a somewhat soporific effect”
careeining/careen
(north american) move swiftly and in an uncontrolled way.
“an electric golf cart careened around the corner”
onlooker
a non-participating observer; a spectator.
“a crowd of fascinated onlookers”
excursion
a short journey or trip, especially one taken as a leisure activity.
“an excursion to London Zoo”
adhere
stick fast to (a surface or substance).
“paint won’t adhere well to a greasy surface”
amble
walk or move at a slow, relaxed pace.
“they ambled along the riverbank”
brook
a small stream.
“the Lake District boasts lovely lakes and babbling brooks”
e
errant
- (FORMAL) erring or straying from the accepted course or standards.
“an errant husband coming back from a night on the tiles” - (archaic*literary) travelling in search of adventure.
“that same lady errant”
stupefied/stupefy
make (someone) unable to think or feel properly.
“the offence of administering drugs to a woman with intent to stupefy her”
* astonish and shock.
“the amount they spend on clothes would appal their parents and stupefy their grandparents”
fortuintously
by chance rather than intention.
“he fortuitously ended up in Detroit when his car broke down”
* by a lucky chance; fortunately.
“my arrival appears to be fortuitously timed
err
be mistaken or incorrect; make a mistake.
“the judge had erred in ruling that the evidence was inadmissible”
* fail to adhere to the proper or accepted standards; do wrong.
“he has erred and strayed as many of us have”
voracious
wanting or devouring great quantities of food.
“a voracious appetite”
* engaging in an activity with great eagerness or enthusiasm.
“she’s a voracious reader”
