Vocab 9 Flashcards
urgent; requiring immediate action
exigent
The patient was losing blood so rapidly that it was exigent to stop the bleeding.
poor; having no money
impecunious
After the stock market crashed, many former millionaires found themselves impecunious.
a blocked path; a dilemma with no solution
impasse
The rock slide produced an impasse, so no one could proceed further on the road.
to clear from blame; to prove innocent
exculpate
The legal system is intended to convict those who are guilty and exculpate those who are innocent.
deeply sorrowful and repentant for a wrong
contrite
After three residents were mugged in the lobby while the watchman was away from his post, he felt very contrite.
a person with expert knowledge or discriminating tastes
connoisseur
Dr. Crane was a connoisseur of fine food and wine, drinking and eating only the best.
to overlook, pardon, or disregard
condone
Some theorists believe that failing to prosecute minor crimes is the same as condoning an air of lawlessness.
pleasant, harmonious sound
euphony
a collaboration; complicity; conspiracy
collusion
It came to light that the police chief and the mafia had a collusion in running the numbers racket.
use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
euphemism
The funeral director preferred to use the euphemism “sleeping” instead of the word “dead.”
convincing and well-reasoned
cogent
Swayed by the cogent argument of the defense, the jury had no choice but to acquit the defendant.
a speech in praise of someone
eulogy
His best friend gave the eulogy at his funeral, outlining his many achievements and talents.
a strong box; a large chest for money
coffer
The bulletproof glass of the coffer is what keeps the crown jewels secure.
having low moral standards; not noble in character; mean
ignoble
The photographer was paid a princely sum for the picture of the self-proclaimed ethicist in the ignoble act of pick-pocketing.
a person with refined taste in food and wine
epicure
Niren is an epicure who always throws the most splendid dinner parties.
to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
arbitrate
Since the couple could not come to an agreement, a judge was forced to arbitrate their divorce proceedings.
a harsh, jarring noise
cacophony
The junior high orchestra created an almost unbearable cacophony as they tried to tune their instruments.
capable of being shaped
mallebale
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
malinger
A common way to avoid the draft was by malingering-pretending to be mentally or physically ill so as to avoid being taken by the army.
lasting a short time
ephemeral
The lives of mayflies seem ephemeral to us, since the flies’ average life span is a matter of hours.
a curse; a wish of evil upon another
malediction
The frog prince looked for a princess to kiss him and put an end to the witch’s malediction.
a point of time especially one where two things are joined
juncture
At this juncture, I think it would be a good idea for us to take a coffee break.
powerful or influential person
magnate
The entertainment magnate bought two cable TV stations to add to his collection of magazines and publishing houses.
sensible; showing good judgement
judicious
The wise and distinguished judge was well known for having a judicious temperament.
whirlpool; turmoil; agitated state of mind
maelstrom
The transportation system of the city had collapsed in the maelstrom of war.
playful; humorous
jocular
The jocular old man entertained his grandchildren for hours.
to manage economically; to use sparingly
husband
The cyclist paced herself at the start of the race, knowing that if she husbanded her resources she’d have the strength to break out of the pack later on.
belligerent support of one’s country
jingoism
plot or scheme
machination
Tired of his enemies’ endless machinations to remove him from the throne, the king had them executed.
of a similar kind
homogeneous
very old; whitish or gray from age
hoary
The old man’s beard was hoary.
to discard; to get rid of as unnecessary or encumbering
jettison
The sinking ship jettisoned its cargo in a desperate attempt to reduce its weight.
composed of unlike parts; different; diverse
heterogeneous
bright; brilliant; glowing
luminous
nonsensical talk; specialized language
jargon
You need to master technical jargon in order to communicate successfully with engineers.
wandering from place to place; unsettled
itinerant
The itinerant tomcat came back to the Johansson homestead every two months.
tightly sealed
hermetic
The hermetic seal of the jar proved impossible to break.
intricate and complicated
convoluted
Although many people bought the professor’s book, few people could follow its convoluted ideas and theories.
the domination of one state or group over its allies
hegemony
When Germany claimed hegemony over Russia, Stalin was outraged.
to move slowly and awkwardly
lumber
causing grief or sorrow; serious and distressing
grievous
outgoing; sociable
gregarious
She was so gregarious that when she found herself alone she felt quite sad.
a degree or stage in a process; a variation in color
gradation
to glare or stare angrily and intensely
glower
fluent in an insincere manner; offhand; casual
glib
The slimy politician managed to continue gaining supporters because he was a glib speaker.
to count, list, or itemize
enumerate
Before making his decision, Jacob asked the waiter to enumerate the different varieties of ice cream that the restaurant carried.
unfortunate; having bad luck
hapless
I wish someone would give that poor, hapless soul some food and shelter.
easily deceived
gullible
deceit; trickery
guile
Since he was not fast enough to catch the roadrunner on foot, the coyote resorted to guile in an effort to trap his enemy.
to humble oneself in a demeaning way
grovel
Thor groveled to his ex-girlfriend, hoping she would take him back.
