Vocab 2 Flashcards

Question

naive

Answer 1

lacking sophistication or experience Inexperienced writers often are naive and assume that big words make them sound smarter. artless, credulous, guileless, ingenuous, simple, unaffected, unsophisticated

Answer 2

starting to develop; coming into existence The advertising campaign was still in a nascent stage, and nothing had been finalized yet. embryonic, emerging, inchoate, incipient

Answer 3

new word or expression Aunt Mabel simple doesn't understand today's youth; she is perplexed by their clothing, music and neologisms. slang, coinage

Answer 4

pompous Roberto soon grew tired of his date's orotund babble about her new job, and decided their first date would probably be their last. aureate, bombastic, declamatory, euphuistic, flowery, grandiloquent, magniloquent, oratorical, overblown, sonorous

Answer 5

to change into bone; to become hardened or set in a rigidly conventional pattern The forensics expert ascertained the body's age based on the degree to which the facial structure had ossified.

Answer 6

apparent The ostensible reason for his visit was to borrow a book, but he secretly wanted to chat with the lovely Wanda. represented, supposed, surface

Answer 7

excessive showiness The ostentation of the Sun King's court is evident in the lavish decoration and luxuriousness of his palace at Versailles. conspicuousness, flashiness, pretentiousness, showiness

Answer 8

agitated; overdone The lawyer's overwrought voice on the phone made her clients worry about the outcome of their case. elaborate, excited, nervous, ornate

Answer 9

relating to a palace; magnificent After living in a cramped studio apartment for years, Sible thought the modest one bedroom looked downright palatial. grand, stately

Answer 10

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

Answer 11

to present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character The villain could dissemble to the police no longer - he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the stash of stolen money. dissimulate, fake, feign, pose, counterfeit, sham

Answer 12

a harsh and disagreeable combination, especially of sounds Cognitive dissonance is the inner conflict produced when long-standing beliefs are contradicted by new evidence. clash, contention, discord, dissension, dissent, dissidence, friction, strife, variance

Answer 13

the female branch of a family The lazy husband refused to cook dinner for his wife, joking that the duty belongs to the distaff's side. maternal

Answer 14

to swell, inflate, or bloat Her stomach was distended after she gorged on the six-course meal. broaden, bulge

Answer 15

to act confusedly or without clear purpose Ellen dithered around her apartment, uncertain how to tackle the family crisis. falter, hesitate, vacillate, waffle, waver

Answer 16

active or occurring during the day Diurnal creatures tend to become inactive during the night. daylight, daytime

Answer 17

to foretell or know by inspiration The fortune-teller divined from the pattern of the tea leaves that her customer would marry five times. auger, foresee, intuit, predict, presage

Answer 18

rigidly devoted to theories without regard for practicality; dogmatic The professor's manner of teaching was considered doctrinaire for such a liberal school. dictatorial; inflexible

Answer 19

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

Answer 20

belonging to a particular area; inherent The health department determined that the outbreak was endemic to the small village, so they quarantined the inhabitants before the virus could spread. indigenous, local, native

Answer 21

shrewd, astute, or keen-witted Inspector Gadget used his perspicacious mind to solve mysteries. insightful, intelligent, sagacious

Answer 22

to be present throughout; to permeate Four spices - cumin, turmeric, coriander, and cayenne - pervade almost every Indian dish, ad give the cuisine its distinctive flavor. imbue, penetrate, permeate, suffuse

Answer 23

a compact or close-knit body of people, animals, or things A phalanx of guards stood outside the prime minister's home day and night. legion, mass

Answer 24

amusing in a wry, subtle way Although the play couldn't be described as hilarious, it was certainly droll. comic, entertaining, funny, visible, witty

Answer 25

to deceive Bugs Bunny was able to dupe Elmer Fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit. beguile, betray, bluff, cozen, deceive, delude, fool, hoodwink, humbug, mislead, take in, trick

Answer 26

charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness The Metropolitan Museum of Art owes much of its collection to the philanthropy of private collectors who willed their estates to the museum. altruism, humanitarianism