Vocab 1 Flashcards
abdicate
(vb) to give up, often in a formal manner
King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in order to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson, a divorced American.
Word Forms: abdicable, abdicative, abdicator, abdication Antonym Form: unabdicative
aberrant
(adj) unusual
My dog displayed aberrant behavior when he refused to greet me at the door or eat any of the treats I offered.
Word Forms: aberrance, aberrancy, aberrantly, aberrate, aberrational
abeyance
(n) temporary suspension
The council voted to place the decision in abeyance for a month while more research was conducted.
Word Forms: abeyant, abeyancy
abjure
(vb) to give up, often in a formal manner
King Edward VIII abjured the throne in order to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson, a divorced American.
Word Forms: abjuratory, abjurer, abjuration Antonym Forms: unabjuratory, unabjured, nonabjuratory
abstemious
(adj) sparing in consumption, especially of food and drink
Abby’s emaciated figure was the result of her abstemious lifestyle; she never ate breakfast or lunch, and rarely ate
dinner.
Word Forms: abstemiously, abstemiousness
abstruse
(adj) hard to understand
Mr. Abbot tried to teach us how to solve an abstruse math problem, but it was too complicated for us to understand.
Word Forms: abstrusely, abstruseness, abstrusity
accretion
(n) an increase
Akeem’s gradual accretion of duties at work did not go unnoticed; he was given a raise for taking on the extra work.
Word Forms: accrete, accretive, accretionary Antonym Forms: nonaccretion, nonaccretive
acerbic
(adj) sour; harsh
Sour Patch Kids candy tastes like acerbic gummy bears.
Word Forms: acerbically, acerbate, acerbity Antonym Forms: unacerbic, unacerbically
acidulous
(adj) sour; sharp
Her acidulous criticism of my paper on Shakespeare was disappointing since I had invested many hours in research.
Word Forms: acidulent, acidulation Related Words: subacidulous, acid
acme
(n) the highest point
The Roman Empire reached its acme of power around 11 AD, but a slow decline occurred over the next four
centuries.
Word Forms: acmic, acmatic,
acumen
(n) good judgment
The judge was respected for his acumen when sentencing convicted defendants.
Word Forms: acuminous, acuminate, acumination Antonym Form: unacuminous
adroit
(adj) highly skilled, especially with one’s hands
The adroit mechanic was able to fix Addy’s old car, even though six other mechanics said it couldn’t be repaired.
Word Forms: adroitly, adroitness
aerie
(n) a nest; a home high on a mountain
Our aerie atop Roan Mountain was a cozy escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Related Word: aerial
aesthetic
(adj) relating to beauty
Alaina chose this church because of its aesthetic qualities; it was the most beautiful wedding chapel she had ever
seen.
Word Forms: aesthetically, aesthetics (n.), aestheticize, aesthete, aesthetician Antonym Form: unaesthetic
affable
(adj) friendly
In the fable, the affable princess was adored by all except for her three stepsisters who were angered by her
friendliness.
Word Forms: affably, affability, affableness Antonym Forms: inaffable, inaffibility
affected
(adj) fake; phony
Afton had never traveled outside of the United States, but he used an affected French accent to attract attention.
Word Forms: affectedly, affectedness
aggrandize
(vb) increase in size
Agatha, an avid baseball enthusiast, used her inheritance to aggrandize her collection of baseball cards.
Word Forms: aggrandizement, aggrandizer, aggrandizable Related Words: aggrade, grand
alacrity
(n) liveliness and eagerness
Alaina impressed her new boss by accepting the task with alacrity; she was both eager and excited to get started.
Word Form: alacritous
alchemy
(n) magical power; process of turning base metals into gold
Al uses alchemy in the kitchen, turning simple ingredients into delicious culinary works of art.
Word Forms: alchemic, alchemical, alchemistic, alchemistical, alchemically, alchemist, alchemistry Related:
chemistry
amalgamation
(n) a combination
Amy’s new dance routine is an amalgamation of styles, including ballet and jazz.
Word Forms: amalgam, amalgamate, amalgamable, amalgamative, amalgamator
