Vocab Flashcards
to lionize
To treat as important
“The lionization of Vladmir Nabokov as one of North America’s literary giants has thrown the spotlight on his peripheral activities and has thus served to foreground his efforts as an amateur entomologist.”
sartorial
Relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress
“The novelist devotes so much time to avid descriptions of his characters’ clothes that the reader soon feels that such sartorial concerns, although worthy of attention, have superseded any more directly literary aims.”
synoptic
of or forming a general summary or synopsis
“A synoptic outline of the contents”
Matthew, Mark, and Luke (but not John) are the Synoptic Gospels because they summarize the same key events.
intransigent
uncompromising
unwilling or refusing to change one’s views or agree about something
“Always circumspect, she was reluctant to make judgments, but once arriving at a conclusion, she was intransigent in its defense.”
probity
The quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency
“Financial probity”
“The committee feels that he has demonstrated little probity in this matter and therefore cannot be trusted.”
tendentious
biased
expressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view, especially a controversial one
“A tendentious reading of history”
inimical
antagonistic, contrary
tending to obstruct or harm
“Actions inimical to our interests”
pellucid
translucently clear; easily understood
“Mountains reflected in the pellucid waters”
“He writes, as always, in pellucid prose”
abscond
to leave secretly
allow the intruder to abscond with the cash
adulterate
to make impure
amalgamate
to combine, mix together
assuage
to make something unpleasant less severe
assuage guilt, fear, concerns
attenuate
weaken
to reduce in force or degree; to weaken
attenuate poverty, distress, this response
bombastic
pompous in speech and manner
castigate
to punish or criticize harshly
an effort to demonize and castigate a whole broad base of human beings
cogent
convincing and well-reasoned
cogent or compelling case or argument
corroborate
to provide supporting evidence
credulous
too trusting; gullible
The con man promised the credulous women a fairy tale ending.
desultory
jumping from one thing to another; disconnected, lacking a plan or purpose
desultory existence, conversation, reading
dilettante
someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
dirge
a funeral hymn or mournful speech
disabuse
to set right; to free from error; persuade someone that an idea or belief is mistaken
Disabuse someone of that notion or theory
dissemble
to present a false appearance; to disguise one’s real intentions or character
dogma
a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
elegy
a sorrowful poem or speech
enervate
to reduce in strength; to feel drained of energy or vitality
bleeding might enervate but would not kill him
equivocal
open to more than one interpretation; misleading
equivocate
to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
erudite
learned, scholarly, bookish
estimable
admirable
estimable qualities and talents
exculpate
to clear from blame; prove innocent
exigent
urgent; requiring immediate attention
foment
to arouse or incite
iconoclast
one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions
inchoate
not fully formed; disorganized
an inchoate democracy
ingenuous
showing innocence or childlike simplicity
inimical
hostile, unfriendly
actions inimical to our interests
intransigent
uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled
laconic
using few words
his laconic reply suggested his lack of interest in the topic
malinger
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
misanthrope
a person who dislikes others
mitigate
to soften; to lessen
mollify
to calm or make less severe
obdurate
hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion
obviate
to prevent; to make unnecessary
the blinds obviated the need for curtains
occlude
to stop up; to prevent the passage of
thick makeup can occlude the pores
onerous
troublesome and oppressive; burdensome
opprobrium
public disgrace
the opprobrium of being associated with criminals
histronic
overly theatrical or melodramatic in character or style
a histrionic outburst
scurrilous
slanderous, obscene
making or spreading scandalous claims about someone with the intention of damaging their reputation
a scurrilous attack on his integrity
panned
to criticize severely
The movie was panned by the critic.
abstruse
difficult to understand; obscure
an abstruse philosophical inquiry
extirpate
to root out and destroy completely; to eradicate
use every legal measure to extirpate the evil from the land
recondite
mysterious, obscure
a little-known subject, abstruse
The book is full of recondite information.
punctilious
showing great attention to detail or correct behavior
He was punctilious in providing every amenity for his guests.
vociferous
vehement or clamorous
He was a vociferous opponent of the shutdown.
vituperated
to blame or insult someone with strong or violent language
orotund
full, round, and imposing (i.e. an orotund voice)
pompous, pretentious (of writing, style, expression)
obtuse
annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand
He wondered if the doctor was being deliberately obtuse.
pedant
person excessively concerned with minor details or with displaying academic learning
perfidious
deceitful and untrustworthy
a perfidious lover
precipitate
to bring about an event unexpectedly or prematurely
the incident precipitated a political crisis
prevaricate
to speak or act in an evasive way
he prevaricated when the journalists asked pointed questions
propitiate
to regain the favor of someone by doing something that pleases them
the pagans propitiated the gods with sacrifices
(opposite: provoke)
quiescent
inactive, dormant
a period of dormancy or inactivity
strikes were led by workers who had once been quiescent
rarefy
thin (esp. air); distant from the lives and concerns of ordinary people
rarefied air in the mountains
debates about the nature of knowledge can seem rarefied (esoteric)
specious
misleading
seemingly plausible, but actually wrong
a specious argument
tacit
understood or implied without being stated
a tacit agreement
torpor
a state of physical or mental inactivity; lethargy
they veered between apathetic torpor and hysterical fanaticism
