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Vocab 8 Flashcards

1
Q

deviation from what is normal

A

anomaly

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2
Q

something that calms or soothes pain

A

anodyne

The massage was an anodyne that helped remove the knots from the lawyer’s tense shoulders.

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3
Q

similar or alike in some way; equivalent

A

analogous

His mother argued that not going to college was analogous to throwing his life away.

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4
Q

a lessening of pain without loss of consciousness

A

analgesia

An example of an analgesic is opium or morphine.

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5
Q

something out of place in time

A

anachronism

The play was set in the 19th century, but was ruined by anachronisms, like the lead actor’s digital watch.

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6
Q

an ornament worn as a charm against evil

A

amulet

Though she claimed it was not because of superstition, Vivian always wore an amulet around her neck.

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7
Q

to return or repay

A

requite

Thanks for offering to lend me $1,000, but I know I’ll never be able to requite your generosity.

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8
Q

thrown violently or brought about abruptly; lacking deliberation

A

precipitate

Theirs was a precipitate marriage - they had only known each other for two weeks before they wed.

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9
Q

meaningless, foolish talk

A

prattle

Her husband’s mindless prattle drove Heidi insane; sometimes she wished he would just shut up.

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10
Q

to diminish by installment payments

A

amortize

While college students are notorious for accumulating credit card debt, they are not as well known for amortizing it.

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11
Q

practical, as opposed to idealistic

A

pragmatic

While idealistic gamblers think they can get rich by frequenting casinos, pragmatic gamblers realize that the odds are heavily stacked against them.

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12
Q

to make better; to improve

A

ameliorate

The doctor was able to ameliorate the patient’s suffering using painkillers.

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13
Q

a monarch or ruler with great power

A

potentate

Alex was much kinder before he assumed the role of potentate.

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14
Q

doubtful or uncertain; can be interpreted several ways

A

ambiguous

The directions he gave were so ambiguous that we disagreed on which way to turn.

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15
Q

extremely careful; fastidious; painstaking

A

meticulous

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16
Q

to combine; to mix together

A

amalgamate

Giant Industries amalgamated with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega Products Incorporated.

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17
Q

figure of speech comparing two different things

A

metaphor

The metaphor “sea of troubles” suggests a lot of troubles by comparing their number to the vastness of the sea.

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18
Q

to make more bearable

A

alleviate

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19
Q

gaudy; falsely attractive

A

meretricious

The casino’s meretricious decor horrified the cultivated interior designer.

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20
Q

speed or quickness

A

alacrity

The restaurant won a reputation for fine service since the wait staff responded to their clients’ requests with alacrity.

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21
Q

lofty or grand

A

sublime

The music was so sublime that it transformed the rude surroundings into a special place.

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22
Q

to increase in power, influence, and reputation

A

aggrandize

The supervisor sought to aggrandize himself by claiming that the achievements of his staff were actually his own.

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23
Q

trick designed to deceive an enemy

A

stratagem

The Trojan Horse must be one of the most successful military stratagems used in all of history.

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24
Q

phony; artificial

A

affected

The affected hairdresser spouted French phrases, though she had never been to France.

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25
unemotional; lacking sensitivity
stolid The prisoner appeared stolid and unaffected by the judge's harsh sentence.
26
concerning the appreciation of beauty
aesthetic The aesthetic movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art.
27
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.
28
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.
29
something that calms or soothes pain
anodyne The massage was an anodyne that helped remove the knots from the lawyer's tense shoulders.
30
a state of static balance or equilibrium; stagnation
stasis The rusty, ivy-covered World War II tank had obviously been in stasis for years.
31
a lessening of pain without loss of consciousness
analgesia An example of an analgesic is opium or morphine.
32
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.
33
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.
34
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.
35
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.
36
meaningless, foolish talk
prattle Her husband's mindless prattle drove Heidi insane; sometimes she wished he would just shut up.
37
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.
38
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.
39
to make better; to improve
ameliorate The doctor was able to ameliorate the patient's suffering using painkillers.
40
a monarch or ruler with great power
potentate Alex was much kinder before he assumed the role of potentate.
41
doubtful or uncertain; can be interpreted several ways
ambiguous The directions he gave were so ambiguous that we disagreed on which way to turn.
42
extremely careful; fastidious; painstaking
meticulous
43
to combine; to mix together
amalgamate Giant Industries amalgamated with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega Products Incorporated.
44
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.
45
to make more bearable
alleviate
46
gaudy; falsely attractive
meretricious The casino's meretricious decor horrified the cultivated interior designer.
47
speed or quickness
alacrity The restaurant won a reputation for fine service since the wait staff responded to their clients' requests with alacrity.
48
lofty or grand
sublime The music was so sublime that it transformed the rude surroundings into a special place.
49
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.
50
trick designed to deceive an enemy
stratagem The Trojan Horse must be one of the most successful military stratagems used in all of history.
51
phony; artificial
affected The affected hairdresser spouted French phrases, though she had never been to France.
52
unemotional; lacking sensitivity
stolid The prisoner appeared stolid and unaffected by the judge's harsh sentence.
53
concerning the appreciation of beauty
aesthetic The aesthetic movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art.
54
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.
55
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.
56
extremely loud
stentorian Cullen couldn't hear her speaking over the stentorian din of the game on TV.
57
to speak in favor of
advocate The vegetarian advocated a diet containing no meat.
58
a state of static balance or equilibrium; stagnation
stasis The rusty, ivy-covered World War II tank had obviously been in stasis for years.
59
to give up a position, right, or power
abdicate With the angry mob clamoring outside the palace, the king abdicated his throne and fled.
60
silent; reserved
reticent Physically small and verbally reticent, Joan Didion often went unnoticed by those she was reporting upon.
61
aware; conscious; able to perceive
sentient The anesthetic didn't work, and I was still sentient when the dentist starting drilling!
62
frolicsome; playful
sportive The lakeside vacation meant more sportive opportunities for the kids than the wine tour through France.
63
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.
64
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.
65
habitually lazy or idle
indolent Her indolent ways got her fired from many jobs.
66
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.
67
acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
lethargic
68
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.
69
suspicious
leery After being swindled once, Ruth became leery of strangers trying to sell things to her.
70
dormant; unused
fallow This field should lie fallow for a year or so the soil does not become completely depleted.
71
to censor
expurgate Government propagandists expurgated all negative references to the dictator from the film.
72
one who champions or advocates
exponent The vice president was an enthusiastic exponent of computer technology.
73
clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression
explicit The journalist wrote an explicit description of the gruesome murder.
74
to clear of blame
exonerate The fugitive was exonerated when another criminal confessed to committing the crime.
75
extremely generous or extravagant; giving unsparingly
lavish
76
to attack; to assault
assail The foreign army will try to assail our bases, but they will not be successfully in their attack.
77
to make something unpleasant less severe
assuage Like many people, Philip Larkin used alcohol to assuage his sense of meaninglessness and despair.

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