Vocab Flashcards
Abate
to reduce in amount, degree, or severity; The headache abated after taking
medicine.
Abhor
- to hate or detest; She abhors cruelty to animals.
Abstain
to refrain or hold back voluntarily; He abstained from smoking
Accretion
gradual buildup or growth by addition; An accretion of dust covered
the furniture.
Acerbic
sharp, biting, or caustic in tone; She made an acerbic retort
Acumen
keen insight or judgment; She has excellent business acumen.
Acquire
to gain possession of; He acquired a taste for opera.
Adhere
to stick fast or cleave; The stamp adhered to the envelope.
Alleviate
to relieve or make more bearable; Medication helped alleviate her pain.
Admonish
to caution or advise against; The teacher admonished the students
not to be late.
Affable
friendly, good-natured, and easy to talk to; He had an affable manner
that made everyone comfortable
Aesthetic
relating to beauty or good taste; She appreciated modernist aesthetics
in art.
Amiable
friendly and good-natured; His amiable personality drew people to
him.
Ample
more than sufficient in size or scope; We had ample time to finish the
test.
Analogous
similar or comparable in certain respects; This process is analogous
to how a cell works.
Arbitrary
chosen at random, without reason; It seemed an arbitrary decision,
without rationale.
Anomaly
something that deviates from the norm; Finding the artifact was an
archaeological anomaly.
Banal
lacking originality, freshness, or novelty; The movie’s banal plot was
forgettable.
Antipathy
a deep dislike or aversion; He had an antipathy for crowds
Arrogant
having an exaggerated sense of self-importance; The arrogant dictator
ignored the people’s needs.
* Aspire (v) - to strive for or ambition
Aversion
a strong feeling of dislike, distaste, or hostility; He had an aversion to
spinach since childhood.
Aspire
to strive for or ambition to achieve a goal; She aspired to become an
engineer.
Belligerent
hostile, aggressive, or pugnacious; The belligerent gang was known
for fighting.
Bolster
to give vital support, reinforce, or strengthen; Extra tutoring helped
bolster the struggling math student’s skills.
Belittle
to make someone or something seem unimportant; The bullies belittled
the shy student.
Boon
a blessing, timely benefit, or assistance; Winning the scholarship was a
boon that enabled her to attend college.
Benevolent
characterized by or expressing goodwill; He made a benevolent
donation to the animal shelter.
Calm
free from agitation, disturbance, or tumult; absent of wind; The calm
lake reflected the serene sky.
Brevity
concise expression without wasted words; Brevity is essential in a 30-
second commercial.
Bombastic
high-sounding but with little meaning; inflated or pretentious language;
The politician’s bombastic rhetoric failed to impress voters.
Candor
honesty, frankness, or sincere expression; I appreciated her candor and
straightforward advice.
Brusque
abrupt or offhand in speech or manner; rudely concise; My request
was met with a brusque refusal.
Byzantine
very complicated or intricate; The byzantine tax codes were impossible
to decipher.
Coarse
rough, harsh, or uneven in texture; lacking refinement or elegance; His
coarse language was inappropriate at the dignified ceremony.
Callous
showing little sympathy for others; insensitive; He acted in a callous
way toward those less fortunate.
Castigate
to punish or criticize severely; The boss castigated the employee for
repeated mistakes.
Capricious
characterized by or subject to whim; impulsive; unpredictable; My
capricious toddler was happy one minute, fussy the next.
Diligent
characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic application; The diligent
student made sure to study every day.
Censure
blame or condemn; The senator was censured for unethical conduct.
Constant
remaining unchanged or fixed; showing loyalty or faithfulness; Water’s
boiling point is a physical constant.
Complex
composed of interconnected or complicated parts; The complex machine
required an experienced mechanic.
Concise
expressing much in few words; a concise summary of the research
findings.
Conform
to act in accordance with rules, standards, or customs; She refused to
conform by wearing the uniform.
Character
moral qualities distinctive to an individual; integrity and values; She
is known for her outstanding character and ethics.
Circumspect
cautious or prudent, especially in speech or action; We were
circumspect in sharing details until we understood the risks involved.
Desolate
depressing, bleak, lifeless; barren; The remote desert island was
completely desolate.
Defiant
boldly resistant to authority or any opposing force; The defiant
protestors refused to disperse.
Conscientious
guided by or in accordance with conscience or sense of right;
governed by principle; a conscientious decision after much deliberation.
Elicit
to draw forth or bring out; Skillful questioning elicited her eyewitness
account.
Contemplate
to consider thoughtfully; She contemplated all possible outcomes
before deciding.
Contribute
to give or supply along with others; We all contributed food to the
potluck dinner.
Dearth
scarcity or lack; There is a dearth of jobs in this struggling economy.
Dubious
doubtful or suspect; of uncertain quality or outcome; She had dubious
qualifications for the job.
Deride
to ridicule, mock, or scornfully laugh at; The bullies derided the shy
student’s stutter.
Dull
boring, monotonous, lacking sharpness; The dull lecture soon put me to
sleep.
Delicate
fragile, frail, or vulnerable; requiring gentle handling; The delicate
crystal shattered when dropped.
Disperse
to spread or scatter widely; The police dispersed the rowdy crowd that
gathered in the park.
Demonstrate
to establish or prove by example; clear explanation; The experiment
demonstrated the laws of physics.
Detach
to separate or disengage from association; He detached the document
from the email before forwarding.
Eclectic
deriving ideas or style from a diverse range of sources; Their home
decor had an eclectic mix of modern and antique.
Disclose
to make known, reveal, or uncover; The CEO disclosed the company’s
financial problems.
Edify
to instruct, improve, or enlighten; The book was both entertaining and
edifying.
Eminent
prominent, distinguished, or noteworthy; The eminent scholar was
awarded the Nobel Prize.
Dismal
causing gloom or depression; The dismal weather matched her sad
mood.
Egalitarian
relating to or believing in equality for all people; He advocated an
egalitarian society.
Equivocal
open to more than one interpretation; purposefully vague or ambiguous;
His equivocal instructions left me confused about what to do.
Enigma
something or someone puzzling, mysterious, or difficult to understand;
The coded message was an enigma they couldn’t decipher.
Empathy
the ability to understand another’s perspective, feelings, or difficulties;
She showed genuine empathy for the grieving widow.
Exact
precise, accurate, or correct in every detail; Could you give me the exact
amount needed?
Extol
to praise highly or glorify; The eulogy extolled the deceased’s virtues and
accomplishments.
Explicit
clearly and directly stated, leaving no room for confusion; The teacher
was explicit that assignments must be turned in on time.
Expedient
suitable for achieving a particular end; pragmatically useful; In a
crisis, quick action may be more expedient than detailed planning.
Facilitate
to make easier or help bring about; The mediator helped facilitate an
agreement.
Evoke
to summon or call forth; Childhood photos evoked strong memories from
long ago.
Fathom
to understand something thoroughly; I couldn’t fathom his reason for
quitting without notice.
Feckless
weak, ineffective, incompetent; irresponsible; His feckless leadership
led the company to ruin.
Extricate
to free or release from a difficult situation or entanglement; Firefighters
extricated the injured driver from the mangled car.
Fatuous
silly, foolish, smugly ignorant; He made fatuous arguments that revealed
little understanding of the issue.
Fervor
great warmth and intensity of feeling; She spoke with fervor about her
political beliefs.
Fickle
frequently changing, erratic; His fickle behavior left her confused.
Flout
to openly disregard rules or conventions; She flouted the school dress code
with her outfit.
Flagrant
glaringly bad or offensive; a flagrant foul during the game; flagrant
disregard for the law.
Flimsy
thin and easily bent or damaged; lacking plausibility; She offered a
flimsy excuse for missing class.
Frugal
practicing or reflecting economy in use of resources; simple, plain, costefficient;
They lived a frugal lifestyle and saved money where they could.
Garrulous
excessively talkative, especially about trivial matters; My garrulous
neighbor loved chatting over the fence each morning.
Germane
relevant and appropriate for the subject at hand; His rambling
anecdote was not germane to the discussion.
Gross
blatant, outrageous, or unambiguous; lacking refinement or dignity; His
gross exaggerations undermined his credibility.
Grave
serious; requiring consideration; The doctor had a grave expression when
giving the prognosis.
Gregarious
sociable, seeking and enjoying the company of others; Humans are
naturally gregarious and form bonds through social contact.
Guile
cunning, deceitful shrewdness or treachery; She betrayed her friend out of
pure guile.
Hesitate
to pause in uncertainty or have difficulty choosing; She hesitated before
exiting the stage, nerves getting the best of her.
Gullible
easily persuaded to believe something; naive, credulous; The scammer
took advantage of gullible people.
Hinder
to hamper, obstruct, or delay; The snowstorm will likely hinder travel
plans.
Haughty
arrogantly superior, disdainful, looking down on others; The haughty
queen barely acknowledged the peasants.
Hostile
having or showing ill will, animosity, opposition; The hostile crowd
shouted angrily at the politician.
Hyperbole
exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally;
Saying he was starving was hyperbole; he just wanted a snack.
Iconoclast
one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions;
The rebel was an iconoclast who challenged the status quo.
Idolize
to worship or admire intensely and often excessively; Young girls often
idolize celebrities and pop stars.
Illusion
something that deceives or misleads intellectually; The magician created
illusions that seemed to defy physics.
Illuminate
to supply or brighten with light; enlighten; His lecture helped illuminate
and explain Plato’s philosophy.
