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LSAT > vocab > Flashcards

vocab Flashcards

1
Q

Absolve

A

declare (someone) free from guilt, obligation, or punishment

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2
Q

Abstract

A

existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence

relating to or denoting art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but rather seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, colours, and textures

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3
Q

Acquit

A

1 [with object] free (someone) from a criminal charge by a verdict of not guilty: she was acquitted on all counts | the jury acquitted Bream of murder.
2 (acquit oneself) conduct oneself or perform in a specified way: the goalkeeper acquitted himself well.
• (acquit oneself of) archaic discharge (a duty or responsibility): they acquitted themselves of their charge with vigilance.

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4
Q

Acrimony

A

noun [mass noun]

bitterness or ill feeling:

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5
Q

Advent

A

the arrival of a notable person or thing

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6
Q

Aerate

A

introduce air into (a material)

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7
Q

Affable

A

friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to

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8
Q

Affinity

A

1 a natural liking for and understanding of someone or something: he had a special affinity with horses.
• a similarity of characteristics suggesting a relationship, especially a resemblance in structure between animals, plants, or languages: a semantic affinity between two words.
• [mass noun] relationship, especially by marriage as opposed to blood ties: the distinction between kinship and affinity is not always clear-cut.
2 chiefly Biochemistry the degree to which a substance tends to combine with another: the bacterial proteins bind to these molecules with high affinity.

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9
Q

Affluence

A

the state of having a great deal of money; wealth

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10
Q

Alleviate

A

make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe

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11
Q

Ambivalence

A

the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone

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12
Q

Amenable

A

open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled

(amenable to) capable of being acted upon in a particular way

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13
Q

Antagonism

A

active hostility or opposition:

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14
Q

Apathy

A

lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern

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15
Q

Appellate

A

(especially of a court) concerned with or dealing with applications for decisions to be reversed: courts of appellate jurisdiction.

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16
Q

Arcane

A

adjective

understood by few; mysterious or secret: arcane procedures for electing people.

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17
Q

Aversion

A

a strong dislike or disinclination: they made plain their aversion to the use of force.
• someone or something that arouses a strong dislike or disinclination: my dog’s pet aversion is visitors, particularly males.

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18
Q

Avert

A

1 turn away (one’s eyes or thoughts): she averted her eyes while we made stilted conversation.
2 prevent or ward off (an undesirable occurrence): talks failed to avert a rail strike.

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19
Q

Benign

A

1 gentle and kind: his benign but firm manner.
• (of a climate or environment) mild and favourable: the climate becomes more benign as we move nearer to the Black Sea.
• not harmful to the environment: the cycle as a benign form of transport | [in combination] : an ozone-benign refrigerant.
2 Medicine (of a disease) not harmful in effect: a benign condition.
• (of a tumour) not malignant: benign growths.

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20
Q

Blight

A

a plant disease, typically one caused by fungi such as mildews, rusts, and smuts: the vines suffered blight and disease | potato blight.
2 [in singular] a thing that spoils or damages something: her remorse could be a blight on that happiness.
• the degeneration of a landscape or urban area as a result of neglect: the city’s high-rise social housing had become synonymous with urban blight.

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21
Q

Blithe

A

showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper: a blithe disregard for the rules of the road.
• literary happy or carefree: a blithe seaside comedy.

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22
Q

Brittle

A

adjective
hard but liable to break easily: her bones became fragile and brittle.
• (of a person’s voice) unpleasantly hard and sharp and showing signs of instability or nervousness: a brittle laugh.
• appearing decisive or cheerful but unstable or nervous within: her manner was artificially bright and brittle.

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23
Q

Buoyant

A

adjective
1 able or tending to keep afloat or rise to the top of a liquid or gas.
• (of a liquid or gas) able to keep something afloat: buoyant water.
2 cheerful and optimistic: the conference ended with the party in a buoyant mood.
3 (of an economy, business, or market) involving or engaged in much successful trade or activity: car sales were buoyant.

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24
Q

Candour

A

the quality of being open and honest; frankness:

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25
Q

Charlatan

A

a person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge or skill

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26
Q

Chauvinism

A

exaggerated or aggressive patriotism.

• excessive or prejudiced support for one’s own cause, group, or sex. See also male chauvinism.

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27
Q

Chronicle


A

noun
a factual written account of important or historical events in the order of their occurrence: a vast chronicle of Spanish history | the rebels’ demands for personal freedom are conspicuous in the chronicles.
• a fictitious or factual work describing a series of events: a chronicle of his life during the war years.
verb [with object]
record (a series of events) in a factual and detailed way: his work chronicles 20th-century migration.

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28
Q

Circumscribe

A 
verb [with object]
1 restrict (something) within limits: the minister's powers are circumscribed both by tradition and the organization of local government.
2 Geometry draw (a figure) round another, touching it at points but not cutting it: if a hexagon is circumscribed about a circle the lines joining opposite vertices meet in one point. Compare with inscribe.
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29
Q

Circumspect

A

adjective

wary and unwilling to take risks: the officials were very circumspect in their statements.

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30
Q

Coalesce

A

verb [no object]
come together to form one mass or whole: the puddles had coalesced into shallow streams.
• [with object] combine (elements) in a mass or whole: his idea served to coalesce all that happened into one connected whole.

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31
Q

Commendation

A

formal or official praise: the film deserved the highest commendation | [count noun] : the book gives commendations for initiative.
• [count noun] an award given for very good performance: the detectives received commendations for bravery.
• [count noun] a very good result in an examination or competition.

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32
Q

Commensurate

A

adjective
corresponding in size or degree; in proportion: salary will be commensurate with age and experience | such heavy responsibility must receive commensurate reward.

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33
Q

Congenial

A

adjective
(of a person) pleasing or liked on account of having qualities or interests that are similar to one’s own: his need for some congenial company.
• (of a thing) pleasant or agreeable because suited to one’s taste or inclination: he went back to a climate more congenial to his cold stony soul.

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34
Q

Consternation

A

a feeling of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected: to her consternation her car wouldn’t start.

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35
Q

Contentious

A

causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial: a contentious issue.
• involving heated argument: the socio-economic plan had been the subject of contentious debate.
• (of a person) given to provoking argument.
• Law relating to or involving differences between contending parties.

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36
Q

Contingency

A

noun (plural contingencies)
a future event or circumstance which is possible but cannot be predicted with certainty: a detailed contract which attempts to provide for all possible contingencies.
• a provision for a possible event or circumstance: stores were kept as a contingency against a blockade.
• an incidental expense: allow an extra fifteen per cent on the budget for contingencies.
• [mass noun] the absence of certainty in events: the island’s public affairs can occasionally be seen to be invaded by contingency.
• [mass noun] Philosophy the absence of necessity; the fact of being so without having to be so.

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37
Q

Countervailing

A

verb [with object] (usually as adjective countervailing)
offset the effect of (something) by countering it with something of equal force: the dominance of the party was mediated by a number of countervailing factors.

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38
Q

Curtail

A

verb [with object]
reduce in extent or quantity; impose a restriction on: civil liberties were further curtailed.
• (curtail someone of) archaic deprive someone of (something): I that am curtailed of this fair proportion.

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39
Q

Dawdle

A

verb [no object]
waste time; be slow: she mustn’t dawdle—she had to make the call now.
• [with adverbial of direction] move slowly and idly in a particular direction: Ruth dawdled back through the wood.

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40
Q

Defamation

A

noun [mass noun]

the action of damaging the good reputation of someone; slander or libel: she sued him for defamation.

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41
Q

Delineate

A

verb [with object]
1 describe or portray (something) precisely: the law should delineate and prohibit behaviour which is socially abhorrent.
2 indicate the exact position of (a border or boundary): his finger found a precisely outlined section delineated in red marker.

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42
Q

Demean

A

verb [with object]
cause a severe loss in the dignity of and respect for (someone or something): I had demeaned the profession.
• (demean oneself) do something that is beneath one’s dignity: good potential MPs would not demean themselves by setting out to acquire popularity.

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43
Q

Derision

A

noun [mass noun]

contemptuous ridicule or mockery: my stories were greeted with derision and disbelief.

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44
Q

Derivative

A

adjective
1 imitative of the work of another artist, writer, etc., and usually disapproved of for that reason: an artist who is not in the slightest bit derivative.
• originating from, based on, or influenced by: Darwin’s work is derivative of the moral philosophers.
2 [attributive] Finance (of a product) having a value deriving from an underlying variable asset: equity-based derivative products.
noun
1 something which is based on another source: the aircraft is a derivative of the Falcon 20G.
• a word derived from another or from a root in the same or another language: ‘fly-tip’ is a derivative of the phrase ‘on the fly’.
• a substance that is derived chemically from a specified compound: crack is a highly addictive cocaine derivative.
2 (often derivatives) Finance an arrangement or product (such as a future, option, or warrant) whose value derives from and is dependent on the value of an underlying asset, such as a commodity, currency, or security: [as modifier] : the derivatives market.
3 Mathematics an expression representing the rate of change of a function with respect to an independent variable.

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45
Q

Despoliation

A

noun [mass noun]
the action of despoiling or the condition of being despoiled; plunder: the despoliation of the resources of the natural world.

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46
Q

Despotism

A

noun [mass noun]
the exercise of absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way: the ideology of enlightened despotism.
• [count noun] a country or political system where the ruler holds absolute power: some nations are democracies, others are despotisms.

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47
Q

Deterrent

A

noun
a thing that discourages or is intended to discourage someone from doing something: cameras are a major deterrent to crime.
• a nuclear weapon or weapons system regarded as deterring an enemy from attack: Britain’s nuclear deterrent.
adjective
able or intended to deter: the deterrent effect of heavy prison sentences.

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48
Q

Devise

A

verb [with object]
1 plan or invent (a complex procedure, system, or mechanism) by careful thought: a training programme should be devised | a complicated game of his own devising.
2 Law leave (something, especially real estate) to someone by the terms of a will.
noun Law
a clause in a will leaving something, especially real estate, to someone.

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49
Q

Digression

A

noun
a temporary departure from the main subject in speech or writing: let’s return to the main topic after that brief digression.

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50
Q

Disinter

A 
verb (disinters, disinterring, disinterred) [with object]
dig up (something that has been buried, especially a corpse): his corpse was disinterred and dumped in a pit.
• discover (something that is well hidden): he has disinterred an important collection of writings.
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51
Q

Disparage

A

verb [with object]

regard or represent as being of little worth: he never missed an opportunity to disparage his competitors.

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52
Q

Disparate

A

adjective
essentially different in kind; not able to be compared: they inhabit disparate worlds of thought.
• containing elements very different from one another: a culturally disparate country.

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53
Q

dispel

A

make (a doubt, feeling, or belief) disappear: the brightness of the day did nothing to dispel Elaine’s dejection.

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54
Q

Dissent

A

noun [mass noun]
the holding or expression of opinions at variance with those commonly or officially held: there was no dissent from this view.
• (also Dissent) refusal to accept the doctrines of an established or orthodox Church; nonconformity: rural communities with a long tradition of Dissent.
• (in sport) the offence of expressing disagreement with the referee’s decision: he was sent off for dissent.

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55
Q

dissipate

A

verb
1 (with reference to a feeling or emotion) disappear or cause to disappear: [no object] : the concern she’d felt for him had wholly dissipated | [with object] : he wanted to dissipate his anger.
• disperse or scatter: the cloud of smoke dissipated.
2 [with object] waste or fritter away (money, energy, or resources): he inherited, but then dissipated, his father’s fortune.

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56
Q

Edifice

A

noun formal
1 a large, imposing building.
2 a complex system of beliefs: the concepts on which the edifice of capitalism was built.

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57
Q

Elated

A

verb [with object] (usually as adjective elated)
make (someone) ecstatically happy: I felt elated at beating Dennis.
adjective archaic
in high spirits; exultant or proud: their elate and animated faces.

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58
Q

err

A

verb [no object] formal
be mistaken or incorrect; make a mistake: the judge had erred in ruling that the evidence was inadmissible.
• (often as adjective erring) sin; do wrong: the erring brother who had wrecked his life

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59
Q

Eschew

A

verb [with object]

deliberately avoid using; abstain from: he appealed to the crowd to eschew violence.

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60
Q

Esoteric

A

adjective
intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest: esoteric philosophical debates.

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61
Q

Espouse

A

verb [with object]
1 adopt or support (a cause, belief, or way of life): she espoused the causes of justice and freedom for all.
2 archaic marry: Edward had espoused the lady Grey.
• (be espoused to) (of a woman) be engaged to (a particular man): she was secretly espoused to his son, Peter | a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph.

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62
Q

Expedite

A

verb [with object]

make (an action or process) happen sooner or be accomplished more quickly: he promised to expedite economic reforms.

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63
Q

Facsimile

A

noun
an exact copy, especially of written or printed material: a facsimile of the manuscript | [as modifier] : facsimile editions.
• another term for fax1.

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64
Q

Fallacious

A

adjective

based on a mistaken belief: fallacious arguments.

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65
Q

Fastidious

A

adjective
very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail: she dressed with fastidious care.
• very concerned about matters of cleanliness: the child seemed fastidious about getting her fingers dirty.

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66
Q

Fervour

A

noun
1 [mass noun] intense and passionate feeling: he talked with all the fervour of a new convert.
2 archaic intense heat.

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67
Q

Flippant

A

adjective

not showing a serious or respectful attitude: a flippant remark.

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68
Q

Formidable

A

adjective

inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or capable: a formidable opponent.

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69
Q

Forthright

A

1 (of a person or their manner or speech) direct and outspoken: his most forthright attack yet on the reforms.

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70
Q

Garrulous

A

adjective

excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters: a garrulous cab driver.

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71
Q

Gregarious

A

adjective
(of a person) fond of company; sociable: he was a popular and gregarious man.
• (of animals) living in flocks or loosely organized communities: gregarious species forage in flocks from colonies or roosts.
• (of plants) growing in open clusters or in pure associations: in the wild, trees are usually gregarious plants.

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72
Q

Heed

A

verb [with object]
pay attention to; take notice of: he should have heeded the warnings.
noun [mass noun]
careful attention: if he heard, he paid no heed | we must take heed of the suggestions

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73
Q

Iconoclastic

A

adjective
criticizing or attacking cherished beliefs or institutions: an iconoclastic filmmaker who has pushed the boundaries with every film he’s made.

74
Q

Impede

A

verb [with object]

delay or prevent (someone or something) by obstructing them; hinder: the sap causes swelling which can impede breathing.

75
Q

Implacable

A

adjective
unable to be appeased or placated: he was an implacable enemy of Ted’s.
• unable to be stopped; relentless: the implacable advance of the enemy.

76
Q

Imprimatur

A

noun
an official licence issued by the Roman Catholic Church to print an ecclesiastical or religious book: the imprimatur for this edition was granted by Cardinal O’Casey.
• a person’s authoritative approval: the original LP enjoyed the imprimatur of the composer.

77
Q

Inadvertently

A

adverb

without intention; accidentally: his name had been inadvertently omitted from the list.

78
Q

Incongruity

A

the state of being incongruous; incompatibility: the incongruity of his fleshy face and skinny body disturbed her | [count noun] : the movie presents numerous incongruities and reversals.

79
Q

Indict

A

formally accuse of or charge with a crime: his former manager was indicted for fraud.

80
Q

Inept

A

adjective

having or showing no skill; clumsy: the referee’s inept handling of the match.

81
Q

Infallible

A

adjective
incapable of making mistakes or being wrong: doctors are not infallible.
• never failing; always effective: infallible cures.
• (in the Roman Catholic Church) credited with papal infallibility: for an encyclical to be infallible the Pope must speak ex cathedra

82
Q

ingenious

A

adjective

(of a person) clever, original, and inventive: he was ingenious enough to overcome the limited budget.

83
Q

Ingenuous

A

adjective
(of a person or action) innocent and unsuspecting: he eyed her with wide, ingenuous eyes | she’s staggeringly ingenuous, or possibly very cunning indeed

84
Q

Ingrate

A

noun

an ungrateful person

85
Q

Inimical

A

adjective
tending to obstruct or harm: the policy was inimical to Britain’s real interests.
• unfriendly; hostile: an inimical alien power.

86
Q

Innocuous

A

adjective

not harmful or offensive: it was an innocuous question.

87
Q

Inscrutable

A

adjective

impossible to understand or interpret: Guy looked blankly inscrutable.

88
Q

Intermittent

A

adjective

occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady: intermittent rain.

89
Q

Irradiate

A

verb [with object]
1 expose (someone or something) to radiation.
• expose (food) to gamma rays to kill microorganisms.
2 illuminate (something) by or as if by shining light on it: happiness filled her, irradiating her whole face.

90
Q

Judicious

A

adjective

having, showing, or done with good judgement or sense: the judicious use of public investment.

91
Q

Laud

A

verb [with object] formal
praise (a person or their achievements) highly: the obituary lauded him as a great statesman and soldier | (as adjective, with submodifier lauded) : her much-lauded rendering of Lady Macbeth.
noun [mass noun] archaic
praise: all glory, laud, and honour to Thee Redeemer King.

92
Q

Levity

A

the treatment of a serious matter with humour or lack of due respect: as an attempt to introduce a note of levity, the words were a disastrous flop.

93
Q

Litigate

A

verb [no object]
resort to legal action to settle a matter; be involved in a lawsuit: the plaintiff is prepared to litigate.
• [with object] take (a claim or a dispute) to a law court: even a claim which is litigated and defended successfully involves high legal costs.

94
Q

Lugubrious

A

adjective

looking or sounding sad and dismal: his face looked even more lugubrious than usual.

95
Q

Manifold

A

adjective formal or literary
many and various: the implications of this decision were manifold.
• having many different forms or elements: the appeal of the crusade was manifold.

96
Q

mantle

A

noun
1 a loose sleeveless cloak or shawl, worn especially by women: she was wrapped tightly in her mantle.
• a covering of a specified sort: the houses were covered with a thick mantle of snow.
• Ornithology a bird’s back, scapulars, and wing coverts, especially when of a distinctive colour: many gulls are all white except for dark grey mantle and wings.
• Zoology (in molluscs, cirripedes, and brachiopods) a fold of skin enclosing the viscera and secreting the shell.
2 an important role or responsibility that passes from one person to another: the second son has now assumed his father’s mantle. [with allusion to the passing of Elijah’s cloak (mantle) to Elisha (2 Kings 2:13).]

97
Q

Misanthropic

A

adjective
having or showing a dislike of other people; unsociable: a misanthropic drunken loner | with his misanthropic outlook, he was an ugly character.

98
Q

Mitigate

A

verb [with object]
make (something bad) less severe, serious, or painful: drainage schemes have helped to mitigate this problem.
• lessen the gravity of (an offence or mistake): (as adjective mitigating) : he would have faced a prison sentence but for mitigating circumstances.

99
Q

adducing

A

to present

100
Q

accrue

A
  1. (of a benefit or sum of money) be received by someone in regular or increasing amounts over time.”financial benefits willaccrue fromrestructuring”
    • accumulate or receive (payments or benefits) over time.”they accrue entitlements to holiday pay”
    • make provision for (a charge) at the end of a financial period for work that has been done but not yet invoiced.”at 31 December the amount due for the final quarter is accrued”
101
Q

Mollify

A

appease the anger or anxiety of (someone): nature reserves were set up around the power stations to mollify local conservationists.
• rare reduce the severity of (something): the women hoped to mollify the harsh wilderness environment.

102
Q

Monolithic

A 
1 formed of a single large block of stone: later Byzantine columns were monolithic and usually made of marble.
• (of a building) very large and characterless: IPC moved the paper from Covent Garden to the monolithic King's Reach Tower.
2 (of an organization or system) large, powerful, indivisible, and slow to change: rejecting any move towards a monolithic European superstate.
3 Electronics (of a solid-state circuit) composed of active and passive components formed in a single chip: a video converter on a single monolithic chip.
103
Q

Monotony

A

noun [mass noun]
lack of variety and interest; tedious repetition and routine: you can become resigned to the monotony of captivity.
• sameness of pitch or tone in a sound or utterance: depression flattens the voice almost to monotony.

104
Q

Morass

A

noun
1 an area of muddy or boggy ground: in midwinter the track beneath this bridge became a muddy morass.
2 a complicated or confused situation: she would become lost in a morass of lies and explanations.

105
Q

Moribund

A

adjective
(of a person) at the point of death: on examination she was moribund and dehydrated.
• (of a thing) in terminal decline; lacking vitality or vigour: the moribund commercial property market.

106
Q

Morose

A

adjective

sullen and ill-tempered: she was morose and silent when she got home.

107
Q

Mudslinging

A

noun [mass noun] informal
the use of insults and accusations, especially unjust ones, with the aim of damaging the reputation of an opponent: politicians seem to rely on mud-slinging instead of argument.

108
Q

Multifarious

A

adjective
many and of various types: multifarious activities.
• having many varied parts or aspects: a vast multifarious organization.

109
Q

Municipal

A

adjective

relating to a town or district or its governing body: national and municipal elections | municipal offices.

110
Q

Munificent

A

adjective

characterized by or displaying great generosity: a munificent bequest | a munificent patron of the arts.

111
Q

Mutability

A

liability or tendency to change: the incessant mutability of species | the very diversity of his fans suggest his mutability.

112
Q

Myopia

A

noun [mass noun]
the quality of being short-sighted: he wore spectacles to correct a mild degree of myopia.
• lack of foresight or intellectual insight: the company’s corporate myopia.

113
Q

Myriad

A

1 a countless or extremely great number of people or things: myriads of insects danced around the light above my head.

114
Q

Nebulous

A

in the form of a cloud or haze; hazy: a giant nebulous glow.
• another term for nebular.
2 (of a concept) vague or ill-defined: nebulous concepts like quality of life.

115
Q

Nefarious

A

(typically of an action or activity) wicked or criminal: the nefarious activities of the organized-crime syndicates.

116
Q

Neologism

A

noun
a newly coined word or expression.
• [mass noun] the coining or use of new words.

117
Q

Nominal

A

adjective
1 (of a role or status) existing in name only: Thailand retained nominal independence under Japanese military occupation.
• relating to or consisting of names: the streets have names like Third Avenue, but the resemblance to Manhattan is only nominal | a nominal roll of the Grenadier Company shows a total of 86 men.
2 (of a price or charge) very small; far below the real value or cost: they charge a nominal fee for the service.
3 (of a quantity or dimension) stated or expressed but not necessarily corresponding exactly to the real value: EU legislation allowed variation around the nominal weight (that printed on each packet).
• Economics expressed in terms of current prices or figures, without making allowance for changes over time: the nominal exchange rate.
4 Grammar relating to or functioning as a noun: a nominal group.
5 informal (chiefly in the context of space travel) functioning normally or acceptably.

118
Q

Obtuse

A

1 annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand: he wondered if the doctor was being deliberately obtuse.
• difficult to understand, especially deliberately so: some of the lyrics are a bit obtuse.
2 (of an angle) more than 90° and less than 180°: an obtuse angle of 150°.
3 not sharp-pointed or sharp-edged; blunt: it had strange obtuse teeth.

119
Q

Obviate

A

remove (a need or difficulty): the presence of roller blinds obviated the need for curtains.
• avoid or prevent (something undesirable): a parachute can be used to obviate disaster.

120
Q

Officious

A

adjective
assertive of authority in a domineering way, especially with regard to trivial matters: the security people were very officious.
• intrusively enthusiastic in offering help or advice; interfering: an officious bystander.

121
Q

Oligarchy

A

a small group of people having control of a country or organization: the ruling oligarchy of military men around the president.
• a country governed by an oligarchy: he believed that Britain was an oligarchy.
• [mass noun] government by an oligarchy.

122
Q

Onerous

A

adjective
(of a task or responsibility) involving a great deal of effort, trouble, or difficulty: he found his duties increasingly onerous.
• Law involving heavy obligations: an onerous lease.

123
Q

Opulent

A

ostentatiously costly and luxurious: the opulent comfort of a limousine.
• wealthy: his more opulent tenants.

124
Q

Ostensible

A

stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so: the real dispute which lay behind the ostensible complaint.

125
Q

Ostensibly

A

apparently

126
Q

Ostentatious

A

adjective
characterized by pretentious or showy display; designed to impress: a simple design that is glamorous without being ostentatious.

127
Q

Paucity

A

noun [in singular]

the presence of something in only small or insufficient quantities or amounts: a paucity of information.

128
Q

Perfunctory

A

adjective

(of an action) carried out without real interest, feeling, or effort: he gave a perfunctory nod.

129
Q

Pervasive

A

adjective
(especially of an unwelcome influence or physical effect) spreading widely throughout an area or a group of people: ageism is pervasive and entrenched in our society.

130
Q

Petulant

A

adjective
(of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or bad-tempered: he was moody and petulant | a petulant shake of the head.

131
Q

Polemic

A

noun
a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something: his polemic against the cultural relativism of the Sixties | [mass noun] : a writer of feminist polemic.
• (usually polemics) the practice of engaging in controversial debate or dispute: the history of science has become embroiled in religious polemics.

132
Q

Potency

A

1 the power of something to influence or make an impression: a myth of enormous potency.
• the strength of an intoxicant or drug, as measured by the amount needed to produce a certain response: the unexpected potency of the rum punch | the potency of these drugs paralleled their effectiveness.
• [count noun] (in homeopathy) the number of times a remedy has been diluted and succussed, taken as a measure of the strength of the effect it will produce: she was given a low potency twice daily.
• Genetics the extent of the contribution of an allele towards the production of a phenotypic characteristic.
• Biology a capacity in embryonic tissue for developing into a particular specialized tissue or organ.
2 a male’s ability to achieve an erection or to reach orgasm: the myth of declining sexual potency with increasing age.

133
Q

Premonition

A

a strong feeling that something is about to happen, especially something unpleasant: he had a premonition of imminent disaster.

134
Q

Promulgate

A

verb [with object]
promote or make widely known (an idea or cause): these objectives have to be promulgated within the organization.
• put (a law or decree) into effect by official proclamation: in January 1852 the new Constitution was promulgated.

135
Q

Propensity

A

noun (plural propensities)
an inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way: his propensity for violence | [with infinitive] : their innate propensity to attack one another.

136
Q

Propound

A 
verb [with object]
put forward (an idea or theory) for consideration by others: he began to propound the idea of a ‘social monarchy’ as an alternative to Franco.
137
Q

Proscription

A

noun [mass noun]
the action of forbidding something; banning: the proscription of the party after the 1715 Rebellion.
• condemnation or denunciation of something: he plays a the priest whose moral proscriptions lead only to catastrophe.

138
Q

Protract

A

verb [with object]

prolong: he had certainly taken his time, even protracting the process.

139
Q

Querulous

A

adjective

complaining in a rather petulant or whining manner: she became querulous and demanding.

140
Q

Quixotic

A

adjective

extremely idealistic; unrealistic and impractical: a vast and perhaps quixotic project.

141
Q

Remit

A

cancel or refrain from exacting or inflicting (a debt or punishment): the excess of the sentence over 12 months was remitted.
• Theology forgive (a sin): God’s act of remitting the sins of guilty men.
2 send (money) in payment or as a gift: the income they remitted to their families.
3 refer (a matter for decision) to an authority: the request for an investigation was remitted to a special committee.
• Law send back (a case) to a lower court.
• Law send (someone) from one tribunal to another for a trial or hearing: it remits an offender to another court after convicting him.
• archaic postpone: the movers refused Mr Tierney’s request to remit the motion.
• archaic consign again to a previous state: thus his indiscretion remitted him to the nature of an ordinary person.
4 [no object] archaic diminish: phobias may remit spontaneously without any treatment.

142
Q

Repertory

A

1 [mass noun] the performance of various plays, operas, or ballets by a company at regular short intervals: [as modifier] : a repertory actor.
• repertory theatres regarded collectively: his long apprenticeship in repertory was as satisfying as what he is doing now.
• [count noun] a repertory company: regional repertories and touring companies.
2 another term for repertoire: a fair conspectus of Ferrier’s repertory has been preserved for posterity.
• a repository or collection, especially of information: most countries produce several periodical repertories of useful information.

143
Q

Repudiate

A

verb [with object]
1 refuse to accept; reject: she has repudiated policies associated with previous party leaders.
• chiefly Law refuse to fulfil or discharge (an agreement, obligation, or debt): breach of a condition gives the other party the right to repudiate a contract.
• (in the past or in non-Christian religions) disown or divorce (one’s wife): Philip was excommunicated in 1095 because he had repudiated his wife.
2 deny the truth or validity of: the minister repudiated allegations of human rights abuses.

144
Q

Reticent

A

adjective

not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readily: she was extremely reticent about her personal affairs.

145
Q

Reverent

A

adjective

feeling or showing deep and solemn respect: a reverent silence.

146
Q

Salutary

A

adjective
(especially with reference to something unwelcome or unpleasant) producing good effects; beneficial: it failed to draw salutary lessons from Britain’s loss of its colonies.
• archaic health-giving: the salutary Atlantic air.

147
Q

Surefootedness

A

adjective
unlikely to stumble or slip: tough, sure-footed hill ponies.
• confident and competent: the challenges of the 1990s demand a responsible and sure-footed government.

148
Q

Surreptitious

A

adjective
kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of: low wages were supplemented by surreptitious payments from tradesmen.

149
Q

Taciturn

A

adjective
(of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little: after such gatherings she would be taciturn and morose.

150
Q

Thwart

A

verb [with object]
prevent (someone) from accomplishing something: he never did anything to thwart his father | he was thwarted in his desire to punish Uncle Fred.
• oppose (a plan, attempt, or ambition) successfully: the government had been able to thwart all attempts by opposition leaders to form new parties.

151
Q

Torpor

A

noun [mass noun]

a state of physical or mental inactivity; lethargy: they veered between apathetic torpor and hysterical fanaticism.

152
Q

Transient

A

adjective
lasting only for a short time; impermanent: a transient cold spell.
• staying or working in a place for a short time only: the transient nature of the labour force in catering.

153
Q

Trepidation

A

noun [mass noun]
1 a feeling of fear or anxiety about something that may happen: the men set off in fear and trepidation.
2 archaic trembling movements or motion.

154
Q

Ubiquitous

A

adjective
present, appearing, or found everywhere: his ubiquitous influence was felt by all the family | cowboy hats are ubiquitous among the male singers.

155
Q

Unctuous

A

adjective
1 excessively flattering or ingratiating; oily: he seemed anxious to please but not in an unctuous way.
2 (chiefly of minerals) having a greasy or soapy feel.

156
Q

Unremitting

A

adjective

never relaxing or slackening; incessant: unremitting drizzle.

157
Q

Unwitting

A

adjective
1 (of a person) not aware of the full facts: an unwitting accomplice.
2 not done on purpose; unintentional: we are anxious to rectify the unwitting mistakes made in the past.

158
Q

Usurp

A

verb [with object]
take (a position of power or importance) illegally or by force: Richard usurped the throne.
• take the place of (someone in a position of power) illegally; supplant: the Hanoverian dynasty had usurped the Stuarts.
• [no object] (usurp on/upon) archaic encroach or infringe upon (someone’s rights): the Church had usurped upon the domain of the state.

159
Q

Vagrancy

A

noun [mass noun]

the state of living as a vagrant; homelessness: a descent into vagrancy and drug abuse.

160
Q

Verisimilitude

A

noun [mass noun]

the appearance of being true or real: the detail gives the novel some verisimilitude.

161
Q

vernacular

A 
noun
1 (usually the vernacular) the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people of a country or region: he wrote in the vernacular to reach a larger audience.
• [with adjective or noun modifier] informal the terminology used by people belonging to a specified group or engaging in a specialized activity: [mass noun] : gardening vernacular.
2 [mass noun] architecture concerned with domestic and functional rather than public or monumental buildings: buildings in which Gothic merged into farmhouse vernacular.
162
Q

Vicarious

A

adjective
1 experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person: this catalogue brings vicarious pleasure in luxury living.
2 acting or done for another: a vicarious atonement.

163
Q

Vicissitude

A

noun
1 (usually vicissitudes) a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant: her husband’s sharp vicissitudes of fortune.
2 [mass noun] literary alternation between opposite or contrasting things: the vicissitude of the seasons.

164
Q

Vignette

A

noun
1 a brief evocative description, account, or episode: a classic vignette of embassy life.
2 a small illustration or portrait photograph which fades into its background without a definite border.
3 a small ornamental design filling a space in a book or carving, typically based on foliage.
verb [with object]
portray (someone) in the style of a vignette.
• produce (a photograph) in the style of a vignette by softening or shading away the edges of the subject: (as adjective vignetted) : instructions had been sent to the shop to make a cropped, oval, vignetted copy of a family group portrait.

165
Q

Vindicate

A

verb [with object]
clear (someone) of blame or suspicion: hospital staff were vindicated by the inquest verdict.
• show or prove to be right, reasonable, or justified: more sober views were vindicated by events.

166
Q

Virtuoso

A

1 a person highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit: a celebrated clarinet virtuoso | [as modifier] : virtuoso guitar playing.
2 a person with a special knowledge of or interest in works of art or curios.

167
Q

Virulent

A

adjective
1 (of a disease or poison) extremely severe or harmful in its effects: a virulent strain of influenza | the poison is so virulent that it kills a fish instantly.
• (of a pathogen, especially a virus) highly infective: Staphylococcus aureus is a common organism whose virulent strains are causing problems.
2 bitterly hostile: a virulent attack on liberalism.

168
Q

Wanton

A

adjective
1 (of a cruel or violent action) deliberate and unprovoked: sheer wanton vandalism.
2 (especially of a woman) sexually immodest or promiscuous: her cheeks burned as she recalled how forward she had been, how wanton.
3 archaic
growing profusely; luxuriant: where wanton ivy twines.
• lively; playful: a wanton fawn.

169
Q

wayward

A

adjective
difficult to control or predict because of wilful or perverse behaviour: a wayward adolescent | figurative : his wayward emotions.

170
Q

Wistful

A

adjective

having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing: a wistful smile.

171
Q

Zeal

A

great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective: his zeal for privatization | Laura brought a missionary zeal to her work.

172
Q

Zenith

A

1 the time at which something is most powerful or successful: in 1977, punk was at its zenith.
2 Astronomy the point in the sky or celestial sphere directly above an observer. The opposite of nadir.
• the highest point reached by a given celestial object: the sun was well past the zenith.

173
Q

Zest

A

noun [mass noun]
1 great enthusiasm and energy: they campaigned with zest and intelligence | [in singular] : she had a great zest for life.
• a quality of excitement and piquancy: I used to try to beat past records to add zest to my monotonous job.

174
Q

laudable

A

of an action, idea or claim deserving praise and commendation

175
Q

idiosyncrasy

A

1 a mode of behaviour or way of thought peculiar to an individual: one of his little idiosyncrasies was always preferring to be in the car first.
• a distinctive or peculiar feature or characteristic of a place or thing: the idiosyncrasies of the prison system.

176
Q

prevaricate

A

speak or act in an evasive way: he seemed to prevaricate when journalists asked pointed questions.

177
Q

vehemence

A

great forcefulness or intensity of feeling or expression: the vehemence of his reaction.

178
Q

incumbent

A

adjective
1 (incumbent on/upon) necessary for (someone) as a duty or responsibility: the government realized that it was incumbent on them to act.
2 [attributive] (of an official or regime) currently holding office: the incumbent President was defeated.
3 [attributive] (of a company) having a sizeable share of a market: powerful incumbent airlines.
noun
the holder of an office or post: the present incumbent will soon be retiring.
• Christian Church the holder of an ecclesiastical benefice.

179
Q

tacit

A

adjective

understood or implied without being stated: your silence may be taken to mean tacit agreement.

180
Q

bulwark

A

noun
1 a defensive wall.
• a person or thing that acts as a defence: the security forces are a bulwark against the breakdown of society.
2 (usually bulwarks) an extension of a ship’s sides above the level of the deck: the ships met, their crews lining the bulwarks.

181
Q

deleterious

A

deleterious | ˌdɛlɪˈtɪərɪəs |
adjective formal
causing harm or damage: divorce is assumed to have deleterious effects on children.

LSAT (5 decks)

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