The Most Interesting People: 101-130 Flashcards
Skeptic
A person who doubts; a person who asks questions and lacks faith
Charlatan
A fake; fraud; imposter; cheat
Rhetorician
An eloquent writer or speaker; a master of RHETORIC (the art of speaking and writing)
Hedonist
A person who believes that pleasure is a chief goal of life
Ascetic
A person who gives up material comforts and leads a life of self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion
Raconteur
A person who excels in telling ANECDOTES
Iconoclast
A person who attacks and ridicules cherished figures, ideas, and institutions
Dilettante
An amateur or dabbler; a person with a SUPERFICIAL interest in an art or a branch of knowledge
Partisan
A person with strong and therefore biased beliefs
Mentor
Acolyte
An advisor; teacher; guide
A devoted follower
Demagogue
A leader who appeals to the fears, emotions, and prejudices of the populace
Automation
A self-operating machine; a mindless follower; a person who acts in a mechanical fashion
Recluse
A person who leads a secluded or solitary life
Bungler
Someone who is clumsy or INEPT; a person who makes mistakes because of incompetence
Clairvoyant
Having the supposed power to see objects and events that cannot be perceived with the five traditional senses; a SEER
Prognosticator
A person who makes predictions based upon current information and data
Pundit
An expert commentator; an authority who expresses his or her opinion, usually on political issues
Zealot
A very enthusiastic person; a champion; a true believer
Neophyte, Novice, Greenhorn
All three are beginners
Benefactor and Patron
Beneficiary
A person who makes a gift or bequest
The recipient of funds, titles, property, and other benefits
Dissembler and Prevaricator
Both are liars and deceivers
Proponent
One who argues in support of something; an ADVOCATE; a champion of a cause
Prodigy
A person with great talent; a young genius
Oracle
A person considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic opinions
Misanthrope
A person who hates or distrusts humankind
Innovator
A person who introduces something new
Sycophant
A person who seeks favor by flattering people of influence; a TOADY; someone who behaves in an OBSEQUIOUS or servile manner
Stoic
A person who is seemingly INDIFFERENT to or unaffected by joy, grief, pleasure, or pain; someone who is impassive and emotionless
Reprobate
A morally unprincipled person
Renegade
A disloyal person who betrays his or her cause; a traitor; a deserter
