Vocab 10 Flashcards

1
Q

livid

A

discolored from a bruise; pale; reddened with anger

Andre was living when he discovered that someone had spilled grape juice all over his cashmere coat.

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2
Q

loquacious

A

talkactive

She is naturally loquacious, which is a problem in situations where listening is more important than talking.

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3
Q

lucid

A

clear and easily understood

The explanations were written in a simple and lucid manner so that students were immediately able to apply what they had learned.

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4
Q

lugubrious

A

sorrowful; mournful; dismal

Irish wakes are a rousing departure from the lugubrious funeral services to which most people are accustomed.

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5
Q

contumacious

A

rebellious

The contumacious teenager ran away from home when her parents told her she was grounded.

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6
Q

equivocate

A

to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead

When faced with criticism of his policies, the politician equivocated and left all parties thinking he agreed with them.

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7
Q

erratic

A

wandering and unpredictable

The plot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of erratic turns that surprised the audience.

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8
Q

ersatz

A

fake

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9
Q

inquest

A

an investigation; an inquiry

The police chef ordered an inquest to determine what went wrong.

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10
Q

erudite

A

learned; scholarly; bookish

The annual meeting of philosophy professors was a gathering of the most erudite, well-published individuals in the field.

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11
Q

insipid

A

lacking interest or flavor

The critic claimed that the painting was insipid, containing no interesting qualities at all.

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12
Q

eschew

A

to shun; to avoid (as something wrong or distasteful)

The filmmaker eschewed artificial light for her actors, resulting in a stark movie style.

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13
Q

insurrection

A

rebellion

After the emperor’s troops crushed the insurrection, its leaders fled the country.

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14
Q

inter

A

to bury

After giving the masses one last chance to pay their respects, the leader’s body was interred.

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15
Q

interregnum

A

a period between reigns

When John F. Kennedy was shot, there was a brief interregnum before Lyndon B. Johnson became president.

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16
Q

intractable

A

not easily managed or manipulated

Intractable for horse, the wild horse eventually allowed the rider to mount.

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17
Q

intransigent

A

uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled

The professor was intransigent on the deadline, insisting that everyone turn the assignment in at the same time.

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18
Q

intrepid

A

fearless; resolutely courageous

Despite freezing winds, the intrepid hiker completed his ascent.

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19
Q

inundate

A

to overwhelm; to cover with water

The tidal wave inundated Atlantis, which was lost beneath the water.

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20
Q

inure

A

to harden; accustom

Eventually, Hassad became inured to the sirens that went off every night and could sleep through them.

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21
Q

invective

A

abusive language

22
Q

investiture

A

ceremony conferring authority

At Napoleon’s investiture, he grabbed the crown from the Pope’s hands and placed it on his head himself.

23
Q

invidious

A

envious, obnoxious, or offensive; likely to promote ill-will

It is cruel and invidious for parents to play favorites with their children.

24
Q

irascible

A

easily made angry

Attila and Hun’s irascible and violent nature made all who dealt with him fear for their lives.

25
enervate
to reduce in strength
26
engender
to produce, cause, or bring about His fear and hatred of clowns was engendered when he witnessed a bank robbery carried out by five men wearing clown suits and make-up.
27
enigma
a puzzle; a mystery Speaking in riddles and dressed in old robes, the artist gained a reputation as something of an enigma.
28
esoteric
known or understood only by a few Only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the esoteric world of particle physics.
29
estimable
admirable Most people consider it estimable that Mother Teresa spent her life helping the poor of India.
30
ethos
the beliefs or character of a group It is the Boy Scouts' ethos that one should always be prepared.
31
hyperbole
purposeful exaggeration for effect When the mayor claimed his town was one of the seven wonders of the world, outsiders classified his statement as a hyperbole.
32
iconoclast
one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions His lack of regard for traditional beliefs soon established him as an iconoclast.
33
idiosyncrasy
peculiarity of temperament; eccentricity His numerous idiosyncrasies included a fondness for wearing bright green shoes with mauve socks.
34
inexorable
inflexible; unyielding The inexorable force of the twister swept away their house.
35
ingenuous
showing innocence or childlike simplicity She was so ingenuous that her friends feared that her innocence and trustfulness would be exploited when she visited the big city.
36
ingrate
an ungrateful When none of her relatives thanked her for the fruitcakes she had sent them, Audrey condemned them all as ingrates.
37
ingratiate
to gain favor with another by deliberate effort; to seek to please somebody so as to gain an advantage The new intern tried to ingratiate herself with the managers so that they might consider her for a future job.
38
inimical
hostile; unfriendly Even though a cease-fire had been in place for months, the two sides were still inimical to each other.
39
iniquity
a sin; an evil act I promise to close every den of iniquity in this town! thundered the conservative new mayor.
40
innocuous
harmless Some snakes are poisonous, but most species are innocuous and pose no danger to humans.
41
martinet
strict disciplinarian one who rigidly follows rules A complete martinet, the official insisted that Pete fill out all the forms again even though he was already familiar with his case.
42
accretion
a gradual growth in size; an increase in amount The committee's strong fund-raising efforts resulted in an accretion in scholarship money.
43
abstemious
moderate in appetite Because Alyce is a vegetarian, she was able to eat only an abstemious meal at the Texas Steakhouse.
44
abyss
an extremely deep hole The submarine dove into the abyss to chart the previously unseen depths.
45
abscond
to leave secretly The patron absconded from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door.
46
abstain
to choose not to do something Before the medical procedure, you must abstain from eating.
47
abjure
to reject; to abandon formally The spy abjured his allegiance to the United States when he defected to Russia.
48
adulterate
to make impure The restaurateur made his ketchup last longer by adulterating it with water.
49
abeyance
temporary suppression or suspension The baseball game was held in abeyance while it continued to rain.
50
mendacious
dishonest So many of her stories were mendacious that I decided she must be a pathological liar.