Vocab 5 Flashcards
imperturbable
not capable of being disturbed
The counselor had so much experience dealing with distraught children that she was imperturbable, even when faced with the wildest tantrums.
impervious
impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
A good raincoat will be impervious to moisture.
levity
an inappropriate lack of seriousness; an overly causal atmosphere
The joke added a jarring note of levity to the otherwise serious meeting.
impetuous
quick to act without thinking
It is not good for an investment broker to be impetuous since much thought should be given to all the possible options.
liberal
tolerant or broad-minded; generous or lavish
Cali’s liberal parents trusted her and allowed her to manager her own affairs to a large extent.
impious
not devout to a religion
The nun cut herself off from her impious family after she entered the convent.
implacable
unable to be calmed down or made peaceful
His rage at the betrayal was so great that he remained implacable for weeks.
libertine
a free thinker (usually used disparagingly); one without moral restraint
The libertine took pleasure in gambling away his family’s money.
imprecation
a curse
Spouting violent imprecations, Hank searched for the person who had vandalized his truck,
licentious
immoral; unrestrained by society
Religious citizens were outraged by the licentious exploits of the free-spirited artists living in town.
limpid
clear; transparent
Fernando could see all the way to the bottom through the pond’s limpid water.
lionize
to treat as a celebrity
After the success of his novel, the author was lionized by the press.
impugn
to call into question; to attack verbally
How dare you impugn my motives? protested the lawyer on being accused of ambulance chasing.
lissome
easily flexed; limber; agile
The lissome yoga instructor twisted herself into shapes that her students could only dream of.
incarnadine
blood-red in color
At his mother’s mention of his baby pictures, the shy boy’s cheeks turned incarnadine with embarrassment.
listless
lacking energy and enthusiasm
Listless and depressed after breaking up with his girlfriend, Raj spent his days moping on the couch.
inchoate
not fully formed; disorganized
The ideas expressed in Nietzche’s mature work also appear in an inchoate form in his earliest writing.
keen
having a sharp edge; intellectually sharp; perceptive
With her keen intelligence, she figured out the puzzle in ten seconds flat.
kindle
to set fire or ignite; to excite or inspire
With only damp wood to work with, Tilda had great difficultly trying to kindle the campfire.
kinetic
relating to motion; characterized by movement
The kinetic sculpture moved back and forth, startling the museum visitors.
knell
sound of a funeral bell; omen of death or failure
When the townspeople heard the knell from the church belfry, they knew that their mayor had died.
kudos
fame, glory or honor
The actress happily accepted kudos from the press for her stunning performance in film.
lachrymose
tearful
Marcella always became lachrymose when it was time to bid her daughter good-bye.
laconic
using few words
He was the classic laconic native of Maine; he talked as if he were being charged for each word.
lament
to express sorrow; to grieve
The children continued to lament the death of the goldfish weeks after its demise.
lampoon
to ridicule with satire
The mayor hated being lampooned by the press for his efforts to improve people’s politeness.
languid
lacking energy; indifferent; slow
The languid cat cleaned its fur, ignoring the vicious, snarling dog chained a few feet away from it.
lapidary
relating to precious stones or the art of cutting them
Most lapidary work today is done with the use of motorized equipment.
larceny
theft of property
The crime of stealing a wallet can be categorized as petty larceny.
largess
generous giving (as of money) to others who may seem inferior
She’d always relied on her parents’ largess, but after graduation she had to get a job.
lassitude
a state of diminished energy
The lack of energy that characterized patients with anemia makes lassitude one of the primary symptoms of the disease.
latent
potentially available, but not readily apparent
Latent trait testing seeks to identify skills that test takers may have but are not aware of.
laud
to give praise; to glorify
Parades and fireworks were staged to laud the success of the rebels.
calumny
a false and malicious accusation; misrepresentation
The unscrupulous politician used calumny to bring down his opponent n the senatorial race.
canard
a lie
That tabloid’s feature story about a goat giving birth to a human child was clearly a canard.
candid
impartial and honest in speech
The observations of a child can be charming since they are candid and unpretentious.
capricious
changing one’s mind quickly and often
Queen Elizabeth I was quite capricious; her courtiers could never be sure which one would catch her fancy.
cartography
the science or art of making maps
Gail’s interest in cartography may stem from the extensive traveling she did as a child.
castigate
to punish or criticize harshly
Martina castigated her boyfriend for not remembering her birthday.
catalyst
something that brings about a change in something else
The imposition of harsh taxes was the catalyst that finally brought on the revolution.
catholic
universal; broad and comprehensive
His catholic musical tastes included everything from opera to rap.
apathy
lack of interest or emotion
The apathy of voters is so great that less than half the people who are eligible to vote actually bother to do so.
apocryphal
of questionable authority or authenticity
The is no hard or authoritative evidence to support the apocryphal tales that link the Roswell, New Mexico, incident to the downed UFO.
apostate
one who renounces a religious faith
So that he could divorce his wife, the king scoffed at the church doctrines and declared himself a apostate.
approbation
approval and praise
The approbation that Jerry Lewis received in France included a medal from the Ministry of Culture.
arbitrary
determined by chance or impulse
When you lack the information to judge what to do next, you will be forced to make an arbitrary decision.
archaic
ancient; old-fashioned
Her archaic Commodore computer could not run the latest software.
articulate
able to speak clearly and expressively
She is extremely articulate when it comes to expressing her pro-labor views; as a result, unions are among her strongest supporters.
ardor
intense and passionate feeling
Bishop’s ardor for landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley.
arrogate
to claim without justification; to claim for oneself without right
Gretchen watched in astonishment as her boss arrogated the credit for her brilliant work on the project.
