Vocab 6 Flashcards
the practice of lending money at exorbitant rates
usury
The moneylender was convicted of usury when it was discovered that he charged 50% interest on all his loans.
to scold sharply
upbraid
The teacher upbraided the student for scrawling graffiti all over the walls of the school.
absolute; certain
unequivocal
The jury’s verdict was unequivocal: the organized crime boss would be locked up for life.
unscrupulous; shockingly unfair or unjust
unconscionable
After she promised me the project, the fact that she gave it to someone else is unconscionable.
someone passionately devoted to a cause
zealot
The religious zealot had no time for those who failed to share his strong beliefs.
passion; excitement
zeal
She brought her typical zeal to the project, sparking enthusiasm in the other team members.
to join together
yoke
As soon as the farmer had yoked his oxen together, he began to plow the fields.
a fear or hatred of foreigners or stangers
xenophobia
Countries in which xenophobia is prevalent often have more restrictive immigration policies than countries that are more open to foreign influences.
a ghost or specter; a ghost of a living person seen just before his or her death
wraith
Gideon thought he saw a wraith late one night as he sat vigil outside his great uncle’s bedroom door.
shriveled; withered; wrinkled
wizened
The wizened old man was told that the plastic surgery necessary to make him look young again would cost more money than he could imagine.
to increase in number quickly
proliferate
Although he only kept two guinea pigs initially, they proliferated to such an extent that he soon had dozens.
corrupt; degenerate
profligate
Some historians claim that it was the Romans’ decadent, profligate behavior that led to the decline of the Roman Empire.
lavish; wasteful
prodigal
The prodigal son quickly wasted all of his inheritance on a lavish lifestyle devoted to pleasure.
a natural inclination or predisposition
proclivity
Her childhood love of acting, singing, and adoration indicated a proclivity for the theater in later life.
complete honesty and integrity
probity
George Washington’s reputation for probity is illustrated in the legend about his inability to lie after he chopped down the cherry tree.
fresh and clean; uncorrupted
pristine
Since concerted measures had been taken to prevent looting, the archaeological site was still pristine when researchers arrived.
to lie or deviate from the truth
prevaricate
Rather than admit that he overslept again, the employee prevaricated and claimed that heavy traffic had prevented him from arriving at work on time.
having foresight
prescient
Jonah’s decision to sell the apartment seemed to be a prescient one, as its value soon dropped by half.
short summary of facts
precis
Farah wrote a precis of her thesis on the epic poem to share with the class.
offense; resentment
umbrage
The businessman took umbrage at the security guard’s accusation that he had shoplifted a packet of gum.
beginner; novice
tyro
an obvious tyro at salsa, Millicent received no invitations to dance.
swollen as form a fluid; bloated
turgid
In the process of osmosis, water passes through the walls of turgid cells, ensuring that they never contain too much water.
acute, sharp, or incisive; forceful; effective
trenchant
Tyrone’s trenchant observations in class made him the professor’s favorite student.
temporary; lasting a brief time
transitory
The reporter’s homes were transitory; she stayed in one place only long enough to cover the current story.
extreme mental and physical sluggishness
torpor
After surgery, the patient’s torpor lasted several hours until the anesthesia wore off.
a book, usually a large and academic one
tome
The teacher was forced to refer to various tomes to find the answer to the advanced student’s question.
elaborate praise; formal hymn of praise
panegyric
The director’s panegyric for the donor who kept his charity going was heart-warming.
flamboyance or dash in style and action; verve
panache
Leah has such panache when planning parties, even when they’re last-minute affairs.
lacking color or liveliness
pallid
The old drugstore’s pallid window could not compete with the new megastore’s extravagant display next door.
a contradiction or dilemma
paradox
It is a paradox that those most in need of medical attention are often those least able to obtain it.
impressive array
panoply
Her resume indicated a panoply of skills and accomplishments.
to conciliate; to appease
propitiate
Because their gods were angry and vengeful, the Vikings propitiated them with many sacrifices.
one who flatters in the hope of gaining favors
toady
The king was surrounded by toadies who rushed to agree with whatever outrageous thing he said.
a long, harsh speech or verbal attack
tirade
Observers were shocked at the manager’s tirade over such a minor mistake.
earthly; down-to-earth; commonplace
terrestrial
Many ‘extraterrestrial’ objects turn out to be terrestrial in origin, as when flying saucers turn out to be normal airplanes.
gaudy, cheap, or showy
tawdry
The performer changed into her tawdry, spangled costume and stepped out onto the stage to do her show.
digressing; diverting
tangential
Your argument is interesting, but it’s tangential to the matter at hand, so I suggest we get back to the point.
claw of an animal, especially a bird of prey
talon
silent; not talkactive
taciturn
The clerk’s taciturn nature earned him the nickname Silent Bob.
done without using words
tacit
Although not a word was said, everyone in the room knew that a tacit agreement had been made about what course of action to take,
temporary irregularity in musical rhythm
syncopation
A jazz enthusiast will appreciated the use of syncopation in that musical genre.
cooperation; mutual helpfulness
symbiosis
a self-serving flatterer; a yes-man
sycophant
Dreading criticism, the actor surrounded himself with admirers and sycophants.
a person devoted to pleasure and luxury
sybarite
A confirmed sybarite, the nobleman fainted at the thought of having to leave his palace and live in a small cottage.
rude and bad-tempered
surly
When asked to clean the windshield, the surly gas station attendant tossed a dirty rage at the customer and walked away.
the point of culmination; peak
zenith
The diva considered her appearance at the Metropolitan Opera to be the zenith of her career.
charming; happily engagin
winsome
Lenora gave the doorman a winsome smile, and he let her pass to the front of the line.
to fluctuate between choices
waver
If you waver too long before making a decision about which testing site to register for, you may not get your first choice.
undisciplined; unrestrained; reckless
wanton
The townspeople were outraged by the wanton display of disrespect when they discovered the statue of the town founder covered in graffiti.
easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive
volatile
His volatile personality made it difficult to predict his reaction to anything.
