Truths Flashcards
1
Q
apocryphal
A
- Of questionable authorship or authenticity.
- Erroneous; fictitious: “Wildly apocryphal rumors about starvation in Petrograd . . . raced through Russia’s trenches” (W. Bruce Lincoln).
- Apocryphal Bible Of or having to do with the Apocrypha.
2
Q
specious
A
- Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious: a specious argument.
- Deceptively attractive.
3
Q
spurious
A
- Lacking authenticity or validity in essence or origin; not genuine; false.
- Of illegitimate birth.
- Botany Similar in appearance but unlike in structure or function. Used of plant parts.
4
Q
glib
A
- Performed with a natural, offhand ease: was fascinated by his unfailingly glib conversation.
- Characterized by fluency of speech or writing that often suggests insincerity, superficiality, or a lack of concern.
5
Q
fallacy
A
- A false notion.
- A statement or an argument based on a false or invalid inference.
- Incorrectness of reasoning or belief; erroneousness.
- The quality of being deceptive.
6
Q
dubious
A
- Fraught with uncertainty or doubt; undecided.
- Arousing doubt; doubtful: a dubious distinction.
- Of questionable character: dubious profits.
7
Q
mendacity
A
- The condition of being mendacious; untruthfulness.
2. A lie; a falsehood.
8
Q
verisimilitude
A
- The quality of appearing to be true or real. See Synonyms at truth.
- Something that has the appearance of being true or real.
9
Q
elusive
A
- Tending to elude capture, perception, comprehension, or memory: “an invisible cabal of conspirators, each more elusive than the archterrorist [himself]” (David Kline).
- Difficult to define or describe: “Failures are more finely etched in our minds than triumphs, and success is an elusive, if not mythic, goal in our demanding society” (Hugh Drummond).
10
Q
beguile
A
- To deceive by guile; delude. See Synonyms at deceive.
- To take away from by or as if by guile; cheat: a disease that has beguiled me of strength.
- To distract the attention of; divert: “to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming” (Abraham Lincoln).
- To pass (time) pleasantly.
- To amuse or charm; delight. See Synonyms at charm.
11
Q
equivocate
A
- To use equivocal language intentionally.
2. To avoid making an explicit statement.
12
Q
embellish
A
- To make beautiful, as by ornamentation; decorate.
2. To add ornamental or fictitious details to: a fanciful account that embellishes the true story.
13
Q
belie
A
- To give a false representation to; misrepresent: “He spoke roughly in order to belie his air of gentility” (James Joyce).
- To show to be false; contradict: Their laughter belied their outward grief.
14
Q
vacillate
A
- To sway from one side to the other; oscillate.
2. To swing indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another.
15
Q
waver
A
- To move unsteadily back and forth.
- a. To exhibit irresolution or indecision; vacillate: wavered over buying a house.
b. To become unsteady or unsure; falter: His resolve began to waver. - To tremble or quaver in sound, as of the voice or a musical note.
- To flicker or glimmer, as light.
