Vocab II (Sparknotes + Direct Hits 2 + Personal) Flashcards
1
Q
abrogate
A
to abolish, usually by authority “The Bill of Rights assures that the government cannot abrogate our right to a free press.”
2
Q
acumen
A
Keen insight “Because of his mathematical acumen, Larry was able to figure out in minutes problems that took other students hours”
3
Q
adumbrate
A
to sketch out in a vague way “The coach adumbrated a game plan, but none of the players knew precisely what to do”
4
Q
personification
A
A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes
5
Q
lampoon
A
to ridicule with satire
6
Q
hyperbole
A
purposeful exaggeration for effect
7
Q
caricature
A
A portrait (verbal or otherwise) that exaggerates a facet of personality.
8
Q
glut
A
an excessively abundant supply of something
9
Q
foreshadowing
A
A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.
10
Q
allusion
A
A reference to another work of literature, person, or event
11
Q
crystallize
A
in chemistry the forming of crystal, in everyday language giving a definite form to an idea or plan.
12
Q
osmosis
A
Diffusion of water through a selectively permeable membrane, indirect collection of knowledge
13
Q
entomology
A
study of insects
14
Q
gestate
A
To conceive and develop in the mind or body
15
Q
paradigm
A
something that serves as a model, example, or pattern; the framework of assumptions and understandings shared by a group or discipline that shapes its worldview
16
Q
cupidity
A
(n.) an eager desire for something; greed
17
Q
plethora
A
an overabundance, a surplus
18
Q
destitute
A
(adj.) deprived of the necessities of life; lacking in
19
Q
parsimonious
A
(adj.) stingy, miserly; meager, poor, small
20
Q
relief
A
Elevation of a land surface
21
Q
check
A
stop or slow down the progress of (something undesirable)
22
Q
eclipse
A
to obscure, darken, make less important (v)
23
Q
stock
A
A stereotypical and formulaic character in a novel or film
24
Q
accord
A
(n.) agreement, harmony; (v.) to agree, be in harmony or bring into harmony; to grant, bestow on
25
appeasement
Accepting demands in order to avoid conflict
26
triumvirate
A group or association of three leaders
27
watershed
Critical point that marks a change of course; a turning point
28
despot
A dictator with absolute power
29
mainfesto
n. a public declaration of beliefs or principles, usually political ones
30
enfranchise
Give voting rights
31
disenfranchise
To lose the right to vote
32
demarcation
(n.) the marking of boundaries or categories
33
inquisition
A severe interrogation; a systematic questioning
34
desiccated
(adj., part.) thoroughly dried out; divested of spirit or vitality; arid and uninteresting
35
pertinent
(adj.) related to the matter at hand, to the point
36
complicity
(n.) involvement in wrongdoing; the state of being an accomplice
37
exculpate
to clear from blame; prove innocent
38
indisputable
Not open to question; undeniable; irrefutable
39
malfeasance
Misconduct or wrongdoing, especially by a public official
40
probity
complete honesty and integriity
41
flag
Glaringly bad; outrageous
42
currency
1. widespread acceptance, 2. money
43
perfidious
disloyal, willing to betray one's trust
44
cavalier
arrogant; haughty; carefree; casual
45
sanction
authoritiative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance
46
lambaste
Denounce; strongly criticize
47
quiescent
at rest; dormant; temporarily inactive;
48
provisional
Conditional; temporary; tentative
49
truculent
(adj.) fierce and cruel; aggressive; deadly, destructive; scathingly harsh
50
propitiate
to conciliate; to appease
51
aplomb
(n.) poise, assurance, great self-confidence; perpendicularity
52
craven
(adj.) cowardly; (n.) a coward
53
venal
(adj.) open to or marked by bribery or corruption
54
licentious
(adj.) displaying a lack of moral or legal restraints
55
noxious
harmful, unwholesome
56
duplicitous
Deliberately deceptive in behavior or speech
57
obfuscate
To confuse; to bewilder "The detective did not want to answer the newspaperman’s questions, so he obfuscated the truth"
58
harbringer
a messenger; an omen
59
presage
(n) portent or omen; a sign or warning of a future event
60
beleaguer
To besiege by encircling (as with an army); to harass
61
imperious
(adj.) overbearing, arrogant; seeking to dominate; pressing, compelling
62
querulous
(adj.) peevish, complaining, fretful
63
complaisant
Eager to please; cheerfully complying
64
fawning
attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
65
obsequious
overly submissive and eager to please
66
intransigent
(adj.) refusing to compromise, irreconcilable
67
conundrum
A difficult problem; a dilemma with no easy solution
68
slight
1. minor (a); 2. perceived insult (v) and (n)
69
capitulate
(v.) to end resistance, give up, surrender, throw in the towel
70
disheartening
Very discouraging; dismaying; dispiriting
71
apocryphal
of questionable authority or authenticity
72
magisterial
Learned and authoritative
73
malleable
capable of being shaped
74
pliable
(adj.) easily bent, flexible; easily influenced
75
chagrin
(n.) irritation or humiliation caused by disappointment or frustration; (v.) to cause such a feeling
76
obstreperous
noisy; unruly, disorderly
77
idyllic
Charming in a rustic way; naturally peaceful
78
extemporize
Compose, perform, or produce something such as music or a speech without preparation; improvise.
79
improvise
(v.) to compose or perform without preparation; to construct from available materials
80
ungainly
(adj.) clumsy, awkward; unwieldy
81
dilatory
(adj.) tending to delay or procrastinate, not prompt; intended to delay or postpone
82
vituperative
(adj.) harshly abusive, severely scolding
83
sophomoric
(adj.) immature and overconfident; conceited
84
perfidious
willing to betray one's trust
85
indomitable
(adj.) unconquerable, refusing to yield
86
resolute
(adj.) bold, determined; firm
87
moribund
Approaching death; about to become obsolete
88
contrition
deep regret for doing something wrong
89
facetious
(adj.) humorous, not meant seriously
90
credulous
too trusting; gullible
91
excoriating
expressing strong disapproval; condemning; loudly decrying
92
scathing
(adj.) bitterly severe, withering; causing great harm
93
interloper
(n.) one who moves in where he or she is not wanted or has no right to be, an intruder
94
cerebral
intellectual rather than emotional
95
visceral
Instinctive rather than rational
96
nonplussed
(adj., part.) puzzled, not knowing what to do, at a loss
97
confounded
Bewildered; confused; perplexed
98
euphony
pleasant, harmonious sound
99
cacophony
harsh, jarring noise
100
vacillate
(v.) to swing indecisively from one idea or course of action to another; to waver weakly in mind or will
101
timorous
Fearful, timid
102
insolent
Boldly disrespectful
103
idiosyncrasy
peculiarity of temperament; eccentricity
104
censorious
Disapproving; critical
105
captious
Fault-Finding, Disposed to point out trivial faults; calculated to confuse or entrap in argument
106
consternation
Dismay, confusion
107
furor
A general commotion; an uproar
108
marginal
Extra cost of producing one additional unit of production.
109
obfuscate
To confuse; to bewilder
110
flummoxed
confused or bewildered
111
spate
(n) sudden outpouring or rush; flood
112
histrionic
(adj.) pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic
113
overwrought
agitated; overdone
114
placate
to soothe or pacify
115
eschew
(v.) to avoid, shun, keep away from
116
stopgap
A temporary solution designed to meet an urgent need
117
jetsam
cargo or equipment thrown overboard to lighten an imperiled vessel; discarded odds and ends
118
churlish
(adj.) lacking politeness or good manners; lacking sensitivity; difficult to work with or deal with; rude
119
surly
(adj.) angry and bad-tempered; rude
120
resitution
act of making good or compensating for loss, damage, or injury
121
disquieting
(adj.) causing uneasiness or worry
122
execrable
Loathsome, detestable
123
odious
hateful; arousing strong feelings of dislike
124
prescient
Having foreknowledge or foresight, seeing the future
125
hiatus
(n.) a gap, opening, break (in the sense of having an element missing)
126
vertiginous
causing dizziness, as from spinning or heights
127
blithe
(adj.) cheerful, lighthearted; casual, unconcerned
128
underwrite
give guarantee, insure, To assume financial responsibility for a project
129
discomfited
embarrassed; disconcerted
130
sinecure
a well-paying job or office that requires little or no work
131
provincial
(adj.) pertaining to an outlying area; local; narrow in mind or outlook, countrified in the sense of being limited and backward; of a simple, plain design that originated in the countryside; (n.) a person with a narrow point of view; a person from an outlying area; a soldier from a province or colony
132
parochial
Limited in range or scope, narrow, provincial
133
fecund
fertile; fruitful; productive
134
sanguine
ruddy; cheerfully optimistic
135
scintillating
(adj., part.) sparkling, twinkling, exceptionally brilliant (applied to mental or personal qualities)
136
refractory
stubbornly resistant to authority or control
137
voluble
talkative; speaking easily; glib
138
brusque
(adj.) abrupt, blunt, with no formalities
139
curt
To cut short or reduce
140
tepid
Lukewarm; unenthusiastic, marked by an absence of interest
141
protean
Exceedingly variable; readily assuming different forms or shapes
142
ingenuous
(adj.) innocent, simple; frank, sincere
143
revere
To honor, to regard with respect
144
contentious
argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
145
compunction
Feeling of regret or remorse
146
contrition
deep regret for doing something wrong
147
remorse
A strong feeling of sadness or guilt for having done something wrong, Regret
148
penitence
remorse for your past conduct
149
axiom
premise; postulate; self-evident truth
150
juxtapose
To place side by side
151
juxtaposition
Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts
152
unfettered
Free from restraints, liberated
153
prescribe
(v) to order as a rule or course to be followed; to order for medical purpose
154
proscribe
To condemn, outlaw
155
puerile
childish, immature, or silly
156
callow
(adj.) without experience; immature, not fully developed; lacking sophistication and poise; without feathers
157
precipitate
cause (an event or situation, typically one that is undesirable) to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely
158
phlegmatic
having or suggesting a calm, sluggish temperament; unemotional
159
besiege
surround (a place) with armed forces in order to capture it or force its surrender.
160
anathema (n.)
a cursed, detested person or thing
161
antipathy (n.)
a strong dislike, repugnance
162
approbation (n.)
praise
163
arrogate (v.)
to take without justification
164
ascetic (adj.)
practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious
165
aspersion (n.)
a curse, expression of ill-will
166
assiduous (adj.)
hard-working, diligent
167
blandish (v.)
to coax by using flattery
168
brusque (adj.)
short, abrupt, dismissive
169
burnish (v.)
to polish, shine
170
buttress
1. to support, hold up 2. something that offers support
171
cacophony (n.)
tremendous noise, disharmonious sound
172
cajole (v.)
to urge, coax
173
calumny (n.)
an attempt to spoil someone else's reputation by spreading lies
174
clemency (n.)
mercy
175
cogent (adj.)
intellectually convincing
176
concomitant (adj.)
accompanying in a subordinate fashion
177
conflagration (n.)
great fire
178
contrite (adj.)
penitent, eager to be forgiven
179
conundrum (n.)
puzzle, problem
180
credulity (n.)
readiness to believe
181
cupidity (n.)
greed, strong desire
182
cursory (adj.)
brief to the point of being superficial
183
decry (v.)
to criticize openly
184
defile (v.)
to make unclean, impure
185
deleterious (adj.)
harmful
186
demure (adj.)
quiet, modest, reserved
187
deprecate (v.)
to belittle, depreciate
188
desecrate (v.)
to violate the sacredness of a thing or place
189
desiccated (adj.)
dried up, dehydrated
190
diaphanous (adj.)
light, airy, transparent
191
diffident (adj.)
shy, quiet, modest
192
discursive (adj.)
rambling, lacking order
193
dissemble (v.)
to conceal, fake
194
dither (v.)
to be indecisive
195
ebullient (adj.)
extremely lively, enthusiastic
196
effrontery (n.)
impudence, nerve, insolence
197
enervate (v.)
to weaken, exhaust
198
ephemeral (adj.)
short-lived, fleeting
199
eschew (v.)
to shun, avoid
200
evanescent (adj.)
fleeting, momentary
201
evince (v.)
to show, reveal
202
exculpate (v.)
to free from guilt or blame, exonerate
203
execrable (adj.)
loathsome, detestable
204
exigent (adj.)
urgent, critical
205
maelstrom (n.)
a destructive whirlpool which rapidly sucks in objects
206
extant (adj.)
existing, not destroyed or lost
207
extol (v.)
to praise, revere
208
fallacious (adj.)
incorrect, misleading
209
fastidious (adj.)
meticulous, demanding, having high and often unattainable standards
210
maelstrom (n.)
a destructive whirlpool which rapidly sucks in objects
211
fecund (adj.)
fruitful, fertile
212
fetid (adj.)
having a foul odor
213
florid (adj.)
flowery, ornate
214
fractious (adj.)
troublesome or irritable
215
gregarious (adj.)
drawn to the company of others, sociable unoriginal, trite
216
hapless (adj.)
unlucky
217
ignominious (adj.)
humiliating, disgracing
218
impassive (adj.)
stoic, not susceptible to suffering
219
impervious (adj.)
impenetrable, incapable of being affected
220
impetuous (adj.)
rash; hastily done
221
implacable (adj.)
incapable of being appeased or mitigated
222
impudent (adj.)
casually rude, insolent, impertinent
223
inchoate (adj.)
unformed or formless, in a beginning stage
224
incontrovertible (adj.)
indisputable
225
ineffable (adj.)
unspeakable, incapable of being expressed through words
227
iniquity (n.)
wickedness or sin appealing but imperceptibly harmful, seductive refusing to compromise, often on an extreme opinion
228
inure (v.)
to cause someone or something to become accustomed to a situation
229
inveterate (adj.)
stubbornly established by habit
230
jubilant (adj.)
extremely joyful, happy
231
juxtaposition (n.)
the act of placing two things next to each other for implicit comparison
232
largess (n.)
the generous giving of lavish gifts
233
latent (adj.)
hidden, but capable of being exposed
234
legerdemain (n.)
deception, slight-of-hand
235
licentious (adj.)
displaying a lack of moral or legal restraints
236
aphorism
A tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion; an adage
237
insidious
(adj.) appealing but imperceptibly harmful, seductive (Lisa’s insidious chocolate cake tastes so good but makes you feel so sick later on!)
238
malediction
(n.) a curse (When I was arrested for speeding, I screamed maledictions against the policeman and the entire police department.)
239
malevolent
(adj.) wanting harm to befall others (The malevolent old man sat in the park all day, tripping unsuspecting passersby with his cane.)
240
manifold
(adj.) diverse, varied (The popularity of Dante’s Inferno is partly due to the fact that the work allows for manifold interpretations.)
241
mawkish
(adj.) characterized by sick sentimentality (Although some nineteenth- century critics viewed Dickens’s writing as mawkish, contemporary readers have found great emotional depth in his works.)
242
mendacious
(adj.) having a lying, false character (The mendacious content of the tabloid magazines is at least entertaining.)
243
modicum
(n.) a small amount of something (Refusing to display even a modicum of sensitivity, Henrietta announced her boss’s affair in front of the entire office.)
244
morass
(n.) a wet swampy bog; figuratively, something that traps and confuses (When Theresa lost her job, she could not get out of her financial morass.)
245
multifarious
(adj.) having great diversity or variety (This Swiss Army knife has multifarious functions and capabilities. Among other things, it can act as a knife, a saw, a toothpick, and a slingshot.)
246
nascent
(adj.) in the process of being born or coming into existence (Unfortunately, my brilliant paper was only in its nascent form on the morning that it was due.)
247
heinous
(of a person or wrongful act, especially a crime) utterly odious or wicked.
248
obstreperous
(adj.) noisy, unruly (Billy’s obstreperous behavior prompted the librarian to ask him to leave the reading room.)
249
obtuse
lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect
250
officious
(adj.) offering one’s services when they are neither wanted nor needed (Brenda resented Allan’s officious behavior when he selected colors that might best improve her artwork.)
251
palliate
to reduce the severity of (The doctor trusted that the new medication would palliate her patient’s discomfort.)
252
pathos
an emotion of sympathy
253
pejorative
(adj.) derogatory, uncomplimentary (The evening’s headline news covered an international scandal caused by a pejorative statement)
254
pellucid
(adj.) easily intelligible, clear
255
penurious
(adj.) miserly, stingy (Stella complained that her husband’s penurious ways made it impossible to live the lifestyle she felt she deserved.)
256
perspicacity
(adj.) shrewdness, perceptiveness (The detective was too humble to acknowledge that his perspicacity was the reason for his professional success.)
257
pertinacious
(adj.) stubbornly persistent (Harry’s parents were frustrated with his pertinacious insistence that a monster lived in his closet.)
258
petulance
rudeness, irritability (The nanny resigned after she could no longer tolerate the child’s petulance.)
259
pithy
(adj.) concisely meaningful (My father’s long-winded explanation was a stark contrast to his usually pithy statements.)
260
platitude
(n.) an uninspired remark, cliché (After reading over her paper, Helene concluded that what she thought were profound insights were actually just platitudes.)
261
portent
(n.) an omen (When a black cat crossed my sister’s path while she was walking to school, she took it as a portent that she would do badly on her spelling test.)
262
prescient
(adj.) to have foreknowledge of events (Questioning the fortune cookie’s prediction, Ray went in search of the old hermit who was rumored to be prescient.)
263
primeval
(adj.) original, ancient (The first primates to walk on two legs, called Australopithecus, were the primeval descendants of modern man.)
264
proclivity
(n.) a strong inclination toward something (In a sick twist of fate, Harold’s childhood proclivity for torturing small animals grew into a desire to become a surgeon.)
265
promulgate
(v.) to proclaim, make known (The film professor promulgated that both in terms of sex appeal and political intrigue, Sean Connery’s James Bond was superior to Roger Moore’s.)
266
prosaic
(adj.) plain, lacking liveliness (Heather’s prosaic recital of the poem bored the audience.)
267
protean
(adj.) able to change shape; displaying great variety (Among Nigel’s protean talents was his ability to touch the tip of his nose with his tongue.)
268
prurient
(adj.) eliciting or possessing an extraordinary interest in sex (David’s mother was shocked by the discovery of prurient reading material hidden beneath her son’s mattress.)
269
pugnacious
(adj.) quarrelsome, combative (Aaron’s pugnacious nature led him to start several barroom brawls each month.)
270
pulchritude
(n.) physical beauty (Several of Shakespeare’s sonnets explore the pulchritude of a lovely young man.)
271
punctilious
(adj.) eager to follow rules or conventions (Punctilious Bobby, hall monitor extraordinaire, insisted that his peers follow the rules.)
272
rectitude
uprightness, extreme morality (The priest’s rectitude)
273
restive
(adj.) resistant, stubborn, impatient (The restive audience pelted the band with mud and yelled nasty comments.)
274
ribald
(adj.) coarsely, crudely humorous (While some giggled at the ribald joke involving a parson’s daughter, most sighed and rolled their eyes.)
275
rife
(adj.) abundant (Surprisingly, the famous novelist’s writing was rife with spelling errors.)
276
sacrosanct
(adj.) holy, something that should not be criticized (In the United States, the Constitution is often thought of as a sacrosanct document.)
277
zephyr
(n.) a gentle breeze (If not for the zephyrs that were blowing and cooling us, our room would have been unbearably hot.)
278
sanctimonious
(adj.) giving a hypocritical appearance of piety (The sanctimonious Bertrand delivered stern lectures on the Ten Commandments to anyone who would listen, but thought nothing of stealing cars to make some cash on the side.)
279
scurrilous
(adj.) vulgar, coarse (When Bruno heard the scurrilous accusation being made about him, he could not believe it because he always tried to be nice to everyone.)
280
solicitous
(adj.) concerned, attentive (Jim, laid up in bed with a nasty virus, enjoyed the solicitous attentions of his mother, who brought him soup and extra blankets.)
281
solipsistic
(adj.) believing that oneself is all that exists (Colette’s solipsistic attitude completely ignored the plight of the homeless people on the street.)
282
somnolent
(adj.) sleepy, drowsy (The somnolent student kept falling asleep and waking up with a jerk.)
283
staid
(adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained (The staid butler never changed his expression no matter what happened.)
284
surmise
(v.) to infer with little evidence (After speaking to only one of the students, the teacher was able to surmise what had caused the fight.)
285
tacit
(adj.) expressed without words (I interpreted my parents’ refusal to talk as a tacit acceptance of my request.)
286
temerity
(n.) audacity, recklessness (Tom and Huck entered the scary cave armed with nothing but their own temerity.)
287
tenuous
(adj.) having little substance or strength (Your argument is very tenuous, since it relies so much on speculation and hearsay.)
288
timorous
(adj.) timid, fearful (When dealing with the unknown, timorous Tallulah almost always broke into tears.)
289
tractable
(adj.) easily controlled (The horse was so tractable, Myra didn’t even need a bridle.)
290
transmute
(v.) to change or alter in form (Ancient alchemists believed that it was possible to transmute lead into gold.)
291
trenchant
(adj.) effective, articulate, clear-cut (The directions that accompanied my new cell phone were trenchant and easy to follow.)
292
turgid
(adj.) swollen, excessively embellished in style or language (The haughty writer did not realize how we all really felt about his turgid prose.)
293
turpitude
(n.) depravity, moral corruption (Sir Marcus’s chivalry often contrasted with the turpitude he exhibited with the ladies at the tavern.)
294
umbrage
(n.) resentment, offense (He called me a lily-livered coward, and I took umbrage at the insult.)
295
unctuous
(adj.) smooth or greasy in texture, appearance, manner (The unctuous receptionist seemed untrustworthy, as if she was only being helpful because she thought we might give her a big tip.)
296
undulate
(v.) to move in waves (As the storm began to brew, the placid ocean began to undulate to an increasing degree.)
297
vapid
(adj.) lacking liveliness, dull (The professor’s comments about the poem were surprisingly vapid and dull.)
298
variegated
(adj.) diversified, distinctly marked (Each wire in the engineering exam was variegated by color so that the students could figure out which one was which.)
299
verdant
(adj.) green in tint or color (The verdant leaves on the trees made the world look emerald.)
300
viscous
(adj.) not free flowing, syrupy (The viscous syrup took three minutes to pour out of the bottle.)
301
vitriolic
(adj.) having a caustic quality (When angry, the woman would spew vitriolic insults.)
302
vituperate
(v.) to berate (Jack ran away as soon as his father found out, knowing he would be vituperated for his unseemly behavior.)
303
wizened
(adj.) dry, shrunken, wrinkled (Agatha’s grandmother, Stephanie, had the most wizened countenance, full of leathery wrinkles.)
304
zephyr
(n.) a gentle breeze (If not for the zephyrs that were blowing and cooling us, our room would’ve been unbearably hot.)
305
inoculate
treat with a vaccine to produce immunity against a disease; vaccinate.
306
winsome
(adj.) charming, pleasing (After such a long, frustrating day, I was grateful for Chris’s winsome attitude and childish naivete.)
307
heft
weight
308
temerity
audacity
309
indelible
making marks that cannot be removed
310
conduit
means by which something is transmitted
311
disparate
essentially different in kind; not able to be compared
312
decadence
moral or cultural decline as characterized by excessive indulgence in pleasure or luxury.
313
conundrum
a confusing and difficult problem or question.
314
bifurcate
divide into two branches or forks.
315
preemptive
serving or intended to pre-empt or forestall something, especially to prevent attack by disabling the enemy
316
abomination
a thing that causes disgust or loathing.
317
petered out
decrease or fade gradually before coming to an end
318
bantered
exchange remarks in a good-humoured teasing way.
319
precipitate
cause (an event or situation, typically one that is undesirable) to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely.
320
contravene
offend against the prohibition or order of (a law, treaty, or code of conduct).
321
caveat
a warning or proviso of specific stipulations, conditions, or limitations.
322
siphon
to draw off or convey through or as if through a siphon
323
sordid
involving ignoble actions and motive
324
enrapture
give intense pleasure or joy to.
325
travesty
a false, absurd, or distorted representation of something.
| "the absurdly lenient sentence is a travesty of justice"
326
floundering
struggle or stagger helplessly or clumsily in water or mud.
