The Other Top 128 Flashcards

Question

Chaos

Answer 1

great disorder or confusion In most religious traditions, God created an ordered universe from *chaos*. ——— Chaotic: jumbled, confused clutter, confusion, disarrangement, disarray, disorder, disorderliness, disorganization, jumble, mess, muddle, scramble, snarl, topsy-turviness, turmoil

Answer 2

someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs The attitude that men are inherently superior to women and therefore must be obeyed is common among male *chauvinist**s*. ——— partisan

Answer 3

deception by means of craft or guile Dishonest used car salespeople often use *chicanery* to sell their beat-up old cars. ——— artifice, conniving, craftiness, deception, deviousness, misrepresentation, pettifoggery, shadiness, sneakiness, sophistry, subterfuge, underhandedness

Answer 4

convincing and well-reasoned Swayed by the *cogent* argument of the defense, the jury had no choice but to acquit the defendant. ——— Cogitate: to think deeply convincing, persuasive, solid, sound, telling, valid

Answer 5

to overlook, pardon, or disregard Some theorists believe that failing to prosecute minor crimes is the same as *condoning* an air of lawlessness. ——— exculpate, excuse, pardon, remit

Answer 6

intricate and complicated Although many people bought "A Brief History of Time," few could follow its *convoluted* ideas and theories. ——— byzantine, complex, elaborate, intricate, knotty, labyrinthine, perplexing, tangled

Answer 7

too trusting; gullible Although some 4-year-olds believe in the Easter Bunny, only the most *credulous* 9-year-olds also believe in him. ——— Credulity: the quality of being credulous naive, susceptible, trusting

Answer 8

steadily increasing in volume or force The *crescendo* of tension became unbearbale as Evel Knievel prepared to jump his motorcycle over the school buses.

Answer 9

appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety The countess complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the *decorum* appropriate for a visit to the palace. ——— Decorous: conforming to acceptable standards correctness, decency, etiquette, manners, mores, propriety, seemliness

Answer 10

respect, courtesy The respectful young law clark treated the Supreme Court justice with the utmost *deference*. ——— Defer: to delay; to show someone deference Deferential: courteous and respectful courtesy, homage, honor, obeisance, respect, reverence, veneration

Answer 11

jumping from one thing to another; disconnected Diane had a *desultory* academic record; she had changed majors 12 times in three years. ——— aimless, disconnected, erratic, haphazard, indiscriminate, objectless, purposeless, random, stray, unconsidered, unplanned

Answer 12

an abusive, condemnatory speech The trucker bellowed a *diatribe* at the driver who had cut him off. ——— fulmination, harangue, invective, jeremiad, malediction, obloquy, tirade

Answer 13

lacking self-confidence Steve's *diffident* manner during the job interview stemmed from his nervous nature and lack of experience in the field. ——— backward, bashful, coy, demure, modest, retiring, self-effacing, shy, timid

Answer 14

to make larger; to expand When you enter a darkened room, the pupils of your eyes *dilate* to let in more light. ——— amplify, develop, elaborate, enlarge, expand, expatiate

Answer 15

intended to delay The congressman used *dilatory* measures to delay the passage of the bill. ——— dragging, flagging, laggard, lagging, slow, slow-footed, slow-going, slow-paced, tardy

Answer 16

someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic Jerry's friends were such *dilettantes* that they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week. ——— amateur, dabbler, superficial, tyro

Answer 17

a funeral hymn or mournful speech Melville wrote the poem "A *Dirge* for James McPherson" for the funeral of a Union general who was killed in 1864. ——— elegy, lament

Answer 18

to set right; to free from error Galileo's observations *disabused* scholars of the notion that the sun revolved around the Earth. ——— correct, undeceive

Answer 19

to perceive; to recognize It is easy to *discern* the difference between butter and butter-flavored topping. ——— Discernment: taste and cultivation catch, descry, detect, cifferentiate, discriminate, distinguish, espy, glimpse, know, separate, spot, spy, tell

Answer 20

fundamentally different; entirely unlike Although the twins appear to be identical physically, their personalities are *disparate*. ——— different, dissimilar, divergent, diverse, variant, various

Answer 21

to present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character The villian could *dissemble* to the police no longer—he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the body of the old man. ——— act, affect, assume, cloak, counterfeit, camouflage, cover up, disguise, dissimulate, fake, feign, mask, masquerade, pose, pretend, put on, sham, simulate

Answer 22

a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief Linus's central *dogma* was that children who believed in the Great Pumpkin would be rewarded. ——— creed, doctrine, teaching, tenet

Answer 23

dictatorial in one's opinions The dictator was *dogmatic*—he, and only he, was right. ——— authoritatian, bossy, dictatorial, doctrinaire, domineering, imperious, magisterial, masterful, overbearing, peremptory

Answer 24

to deceive; a person who is easily deceived Bugs Bunny was able to *dupe* Elmer Fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit. ——— beguile, betray, bluff, cozen, deceive, delude, fool, hoodwink, humburg, mislead, take in, trick

Answer 25

selecting from or made up from a variety of sources Budapest's architecture is an *eclectic* mix of eastern and western styles. ——— broad, catholic, selective

Answer 26

effectiveness The *efficacy* of penicillin was unsurpassed when it was first introduced; the drug completely eliminated almost all bacterial infections for which it was administered. ——— Efficacious: effective; productive dynamism, effectiveness, efficiency, force, power, productiveness, proficiency, strength, vigor

Answer 27

a sorrowful poem and speech Although Thomas Gray's "*Elegy* Written in a Country Churchyard" is about death and loss, it urges its readers to endure this life and to trust in spirituality. ——— Elegiac: like an elegy; mournful dirge, lament

Answer 28

persuasive and moving, especially in speech The Gettysburg Address is moving not only because of its lofty sentiments but also because of its *eloquent* words. ——— articulate, expressive, fluent, meaningful, significant, smooth-spoken

Answer 29

to copy; to try to equal or excel The graduate student sought to *emulate* his professor in every way, copying not only how she taught, but also how she conducted herself outside of class. ——— ape, imitate, simulate

Answer 30

to count, list, or itemize Moses returned from the mountain with tablets on which the commandments were *enumerated*. ——— catalog, index, tabulate

Answer 31

wandering and unpredictable The plot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of *erratic* turns that surprised the audience. ——— Errant:straying, mistaken, roving capricious, inconstant, irresolute, whimsical

Answer 32

known or understood by only a few Only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the *esoteric* world of particle physics. ——— abstruse, arcane, obscure

Answer 33

admirable Most people consider it *estimable* that Mother Teresa spent her life helping the poor of India. ——— Esteem: high regard admirable, commendable, creditable, honorable, laudable, meritorious, praiseworthy, respectable, venerable, worthy

Answer 34

use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one The funeral director preferred to use the *euphemism* "sleeping" instead of the word "dead." ——— circumlocution, whitewash

Answer 35

to make worse It is unwise to take aspirin to try to relieve heartburn; instead of providing relief, the drug will only *exacerbate* the problem. ——— annoy, aggravate, intensify, irritate, provoke

Answer 36

to clear from blame; prove innocent The adversarial legal system is intended to convict those who are guilty and to *exculpate* those who are innocent. ——— absolve, acquit, clear, exonerate, vindicate

Answer 37

urgent; requiring immediate action The patient was losing blood so rapidly that it was *exigent* to stop the source of the bleeding. ——— critical, imperative, needed, urgent

Answer 38

to clear of blame The fugitive was *exonerated* when another criminal confessed to committing the crime. ——— absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, vindicate

Answer 39

clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression The owners of the house left a list of *explicit* instructions detailing their house sitter's duties, including a schedule for watering the house plants. ——— Explicable: capable of being explained Explicate: to give a detailed explanation candid, frank, straightforward, unequivocal

Answer 40

acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestionable devotion The stormtroopers were *fanatical* in their devotion to the Emeror, readily sacrificing their lives for him. ——— extremist, fiery, frenzied, zealous

Answer 41

to govel The understudy *fawned* over the director in hopes of being cast in the part on a permanent basis. ——— bootlick, grovel, pander, toady