Vocab 8 Flashcards
deviation from what is normal
anomaly
something that calms or soothes pain
anodyne
The massage was an anodyne that helped remove the knots from the lawyer’s tense shoulders.
similar or alike in some way; equivalent
analogous
His mother argued that not going to college was analogous to throwing his life away.
a lessening of pain without loss of consciousness
analgesia
An example of an analgesic is opium or morphine.
something out of place in time
anachronism
The play was set in the 19th century, but was ruined by anachronisms, like the lead actor’s digital watch.
an ornament worn as a charm against evil
amulet
Though she claimed it was not because of superstition, Vivian always wore an amulet around her neck.
to return or repay
requite
Thanks for offering to lend me $1,000, but I know I’ll never be able to requite your generosity.
thrown violently or brought about abruptly; lacking deliberation
precipitate
Theirs was a precipitate marriage - they had only known each other for two weeks before they wed.
meaningless, foolish talk
prattle
Her husband’s mindless prattle drove Heidi insane; sometimes she wished he would just shut up.
to diminish by installment payments
amortize
While college students are notorious for accumulating credit card debt, they are not as well known for amortizing it.
practical, as opposed to idealistic
pragmatic
While idealistic gamblers think they can get rich by frequenting casinos, pragmatic gamblers realize that the odds are heavily stacked against them.
to make better; to improve
ameliorate
The doctor was able to ameliorate the patient’s suffering using painkillers.
a monarch or ruler with great power
potentate
Alex was much kinder before he assumed the role of potentate.
doubtful or uncertain; can be interpreted several ways
ambiguous
The directions he gave were so ambiguous that we disagreed on which way to turn.
extremely careful; fastidious; painstaking
meticulous
to combine; to mix together
amalgamate
Giant Industries amalgamated with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega Products Incorporated.
figure of speech comparing two different things
metaphor
The metaphor “sea of troubles” suggests a lot of troubles by comparing their number to the vastness of the sea.
to make more bearable
alleviate
gaudy; falsely attractive
meretricious
The casino’s meretricious decor horrified the cultivated interior designer.
speed or quickness
alacrity
The restaurant won a reputation for fine service since the wait staff responded to their clients’ requests with alacrity.
lofty or grand
sublime
The music was so sublime that it transformed the rude surroundings into a special place.
to increase in power, influence, and reputation
aggrandize
The supervisor sought to aggrandize himself by claiming that the achievements of his staff were actually his own.
trick designed to deceive an enemy
stratagem
The Trojan Horse must be one of the most successful military stratagems used in all of history.
phony; artificial
affected
The affected hairdresser spouted French phrases, though she had never been to France.
unemotional; lacking sensitivity
stolid
The prisoner appeared stolid and unaffected by the judge’s harsh sentence.
concerning the appreciation of beauty
aesthetic
The aesthetic movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art.
a mark of shame or discredit
stigma
In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne was required to wear the letter A on her clothes as a public stigma for her adultery.
a nest build high in the air; an elevated, often secluded dwelling
aerie
Perched high among the trees, the eagle’s aerie was filled with eggs.
something that calms or soothes pain
anodyne
The massage was an anodyne that helped remove the knots from the lawyer’s tense shoulders.
a state of static balance or equilibrium; stagnation
stasis
The rusty, ivy-covered World War II tank had obviously been in stasis for years.
a lessening of pain without loss of consciousness
analgesia
An example of an analgesic is opium or morphine.
something out of place in time
anachronism
The play was set in the 19th century, but was ruined by anachronisms, like the lead actor’s digital watch.
an ornament worn as a charm against evil
amulet
Though she claimed it was not because of superstition, Vivian always wore an amulet around her neck.
to return or repay
requite
Thanks for offering to lend me $1,000, but I know I’ll never be able to requite your generosity.
thrown violently or brought about abruptly; lacking deliberation
precipitate
Theirs was a precipitate marriage - they had only known each other for two weeks before they wed.
meaningless, foolish talk
prattle
Her husband’s mindless prattle drove Heidi insane; sometimes she wished he would just shut up.
to diminish by installment payments
amortize
While college students are notorious for accumulating credit card debt, they are not as well known for amortizing it.
practical, as opposed to idealistic
pragmatic
While idealistic gamblers think they can get rich by frequenting casinos, pragmatic gamblers realize that the odds are heavily stacked against them.
to make better; to improve
ameliorate
The doctor was able to ameliorate the patient’s suffering using painkillers.
a monarch or ruler with great power
potentate
Alex was much kinder before he assumed the role of potentate.
doubtful or uncertain; can be interpreted several ways
ambiguous
The directions he gave were so ambiguous that we disagreed on which way to turn.
extremely careful; fastidious; painstaking
meticulous
to combine; to mix together
amalgamate
Giant Industries amalgamated with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega Products Incorporated.
figure of speech comparing two different things
metaphor
The metaphor “sea of troubles” suggests a lot of troubles by comparing their number to the vastness of the sea.
to make more bearable
alleviate
gaudy; falsely attractive
meretricious
The casino’s meretricious decor horrified the cultivated interior designer.
speed or quickness
alacrity
The restaurant won a reputation for fine service since the wait staff responded to their clients’ requests with alacrity.
lofty or grand
sublime
The music was so sublime that it transformed the rude surroundings into a special place.
to increase in power, influence, and reputation
aggrandize
The supervisor sought to aggrandize himself by claiming that the achievements of his staff were actually his own.
trick designed to deceive an enemy
stratagem
The Trojan Horse must be one of the most successful military stratagems used in all of history.
phony; artificial
affected
The affected hairdresser spouted French phrases, though she had never been to France.
unemotional; lacking sensitivity
stolid
The prisoner appeared stolid and unaffected by the judge’s harsh sentence.
concerning the appreciation of beauty
aesthetic
The aesthetic movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art.
a mark of shame or discredit
stigma
In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne was required to wear the letter A on her clothes as a public stigma for her adultery.
a nest build high in the air; an elevated, often secluded dwelling
aerie
Perched high among the trees, the eagle’s aerie was filled with eggs.
extremely loud
stentorian
Cullen couldn’t hear her speaking over the stentorian din of the game on TV.
to speak in favor of
advocate
The vegetarian advocated a diet containing no meat.
a state of static balance or equilibrium; stagnation
stasis
The rusty, ivy-covered World War II tank had obviously been in stasis for years.
to give up a position, right, or power
abdicate
With the angry mob clamoring outside the palace, the king abdicated his throne and fled.
silent; reserved
reticent
Physically small and verbally reticent, Joan Didion often went unnoticed by those she was reporting upon.
aware; conscious; able to perceive
sentient
The anesthetic didn’t work, and I was still sentient when the dentist starting drilling!
frolicsome; playful
sportive
The lakeside vacation meant more sportive opportunities for the kids than the wine tour through France.
deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible by fallacious
specious
The student’s specious excuse for being late sounded legitimate, but was proved otherwise when his teacher called his home.
impatient, uneasy, or restless
restive
The passengers became restive after having to wait in line for hours and began to shout complaints at the airline staff.
habitually lazy or idle
indolent
Her indolent ways got her fired from many jobs.
to teach; to impress in the mind
inculcate
Most parents inculcate their children with their beliefs and ideas instead of allowing their children to develop their own values.
acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
lethargic
trickery
legerdemain
The little boy thought his legerdemain was working on his mother, but she in fact knew about every hidden toy and stolen cookie.
suspicious
leery
After being swindled once, Ruth became leery of strangers trying to sell things to her.
dormant; unused
fallow
This field should lie fallow for a year or so the soil does not become completely depleted.
to censor
expurgate
Government propagandists expurgated all negative references to the dictator from the film.
one who champions or advocates
exponent
The vice president was an enthusiastic exponent of computer technology.
clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression
explicit
The journalist wrote an explicit description of the gruesome murder.
to clear of blame
exonerate
The fugitive was exonerated when another criminal confessed to committing the crime.
extremely generous or extravagant; giving unsparingly
lavish
to attack; to assault
assail
The foreign army will try to assail our bases, but they will not be successfully in their attack.
to make something unpleasant less severe
assuage
Like many people, Philip Larkin used alcohol to assuage his sense of meaninglessness and despair.
