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Vocab Builder > Vocab Junkie - Set 2 > Flashcards

Vocab Junkie - Set 2 Flashcards

Learn this group of tough but common English vocab words - in chunks of 10 at a time. Just rate your confidence on each word, and it will repeat in an interval of time optimized for your brain's maximum retention.

1
Q

Define:

remonstrate

(rih-mon-strehyt)

A

v. to protest

Many special-interest groups remonstrated against the new legislation.

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2
Q

Define:

remunerate

(rih-mew-nuh-rehyt)

A

v. to compensate monetarily for trouble or work done

Although they finally had to throw the computer out, Linda remunerated her friend for trying to fix it anyway.

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3
Q

Define:

render

(ren-der)

A

v. to take forcibly, result in, or cause to become

v. to do something for someone else

His harsh words rendered her speechless.

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4
Q

Define:

repose

(rih-poze)

A

n. peacefulness, rest

v. to be lying or stationary

In the summer, she would often lie under the willow trees in complete repose.

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5
Q

Define:

repudiate

(rih-pew-dee-ehyt)

A

v. to renounce ownership or disown

v. to refuse to recognize

v. to reject as true

The scientists who discovered the fossil were shocked when it was repudiated as a fake.

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6
Q

Define:

reticent

(rett-ih-sunt)

A

adj. not wanting to talk; reluctant

When asked about the stolen vase, the maid was reticent even though she had seen the thief take it.

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7
Q

Define:

retiring

(rih-tie-ring)

A

adj. shy; quiet

During high school, Mary became so retiring that people sometimes didn’t notice when they shared a class with her.

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8
Q

Define:

revere

(rih-veer)

A

v. to admire greatly; to honor

The mayor was so revered by the village that every single man, woman, and child attended his funeral.

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9
Q

Define:

platitude

(plat-ih-tewd)

A

n. a cliché, dull, or unenlightening saying

My father’s favorite platitude was, “Winners never quit, quitters never win”.

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10
Q

Define:

pliant

(ply-unt)

A

adj. easy to change or bend

adj. easy to convince

The professor needed a particularly pliant mind for his brainwashing experiments.

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11
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to protest

A

remonstrate

(rih-mon-strehyt)

synonyms: argue, challenge

The citizens gathered to remonstrate against the proposed legislation.

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12
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to compensate monetarily for trouble or work done

A

remunerate

(rih-mew-nuh-rehyt)

synonyms: compensate, reimburse

The company will remunerate employees for their overtime hours.

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13
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to take forcibly, result in, or cause to become

v. to do something for someone else

A

render

(ren-der)

synonyms: cause, become, execute; carry out, accomplish

The heavy rain will render the roads impassable.

She decided to render assistance to her elderly neighbor.

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14
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. peacefulness

n. rest

A

repose

(rih-poze)

synonyms: rest, lack of work

After a long day, she found repose in the quiet of her garden.

He enjoyed a short repose before continuing his work.

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15
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to renounce ownership or disown

v. to refuse to recognize

v. to reject as true

A

repudiate

(rih-pew-dee-ehyt)

synonyms: reject, decline, disown

She chose to repudiate the claims made against her character.

The government decided to repudiate the treaty after allegations of fraud.

He aimed to repudiate the rumors circulating about his involvement.

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16
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. not wanting to talk; reluctant

A

reticent

(rett-ih-sunt)

synonyms: not talkative, reserved

She was reticent during the meeting, choosing to listen rather than speak.

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17
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. shy; quiet

A

retiring

(rih-tie-ring)

synonyms: bashful, unassuming

His retiring nature made him prefer working behind the scenes.

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18
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to admire greatly; to honor

A

revere

(rih-veer)

synonyms: adore, esteem, value

The community reveres the professor for her dedication to education.

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19
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a cliché, dull, or unenlightening saying

A

platitude

(plat-ih-tewd)

synonyms: banality, cliché

His speech was filled with platitudes that failed to inspire the audience.

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20
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. easy to change or bend

adj. easy to convince

A

pliant

(ply-unt)

synonyms: amenable, compliant, pliable

The pliant branches of the tree swayed gracefully in the wind.

Her pliant nature made her easily swayed by others’ opinions.

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21
Q

Define:

poignant

(poin-yunt)

A

adj. so emotionally intense as to be painful

Watching her daughter wake up was particularly poignant for her mother who had worried by her bedside the whole night.

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22
Q

Define:

polar

(poe-lur)

A

adj. related to opposite extremes or sides

The two were so different their personalities could be considered polar opposites.

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23
Q

Define:

polemic

(puh-lem-ik)

A

adj. controversial

n. a controversial argument

As soon as the graduate student obtained her doctorate, she published a polemic refutation of her mentor’s work.

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24
Q

Define:

ponderous

(pon-dur-us)

A

adj. difficult to handle due to heaviness

adj. requiring a lot of work

The ponderous task was completed in no time, thanks to the large number of volunteers we had.

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25
Q

Define:

portend

(pore-tend)

A

v. to foretell

The witch claimed that the stormy weather portended the ruler’s downfall.

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26
Q

Define:

posit

(poz-it)

A

v. to assume as fact

Some physicists posit that the universe will expand forever.

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27
Q

Define:

postulate

(poss-chuh-lehyt)

A

v. to assume a basic truth

Economic theory postulates limits on essential resources as the basis of human behavior.

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28
Q

Define:

bolster

(bole-stur)

A

v. to support

The candidate’s campaign was bolstered by endorsements by several former military leaders.

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29
Q

Define:

bombastic

(bom-bass-tick)

A

adj. inflated, arrogant

The bombastic way in which the author described his new novel repulsed me.

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30
Q

Define:

brood

(brewd)

A

n. a group of offspring

v. to worry over

The hen protected her new brood from the farmer’s inspection.

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31
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. so emotionally intense as to be painful

A

poignant

(poin-yunt)

synonyms: agonizing, bitter; sharp, keen

The film’s poignant ending left the audience in tears.

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32
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. related to opposite extremes or sides

A

polar

(poe-lur)

synonyms: opposite, contrary, counter

The debate revealed polar views on the controversial issue.

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33
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. controversial

n. a controversial argument

A

polemic

(puh-lem-ik)

synonyms: refutation, dispute

The author’s polemic article sparked heated discussions among readers.

The polemic stirred intense debate among scholars and critics.

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34
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. difficult to handle due to heaviness; or

adj. requiring a lot of work

A

ponderous

(pon-dur-us)

synonyms: burdensome, unwieldy

The ponderous book was too heavy to carry for long.

The ponderous task of organizing the archives took several weeks to complete.

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35
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to foretell

A

portend

(pore-tend)

synonyms: foreshadow, harbinger

The dark clouds portend an approaching storm.

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36
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to assume as fact

A

posit

(poz-it)

synonyms: propose an explanation based upon assumptions, postulate

The scientist posited that the results were due to an error in measurement

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37
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to assume a basic truth

A

postulate

(poss-chuh-lehyt)

synonyms: assert, premise, suppose

Researchers postulate that regular exercise improves mental health.

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38
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to support

A

bolster

(bole-stur)

synonyms: assist, aid, help

She used statistics to bolster her argument during the debate.

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39
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. inflated, arrogant

A

bombastic

(bom-bass-tick)

synonyms: grandiose, egotistical

His bombastic speech was filled with grand claims but lacked substance.

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40
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a group of offspring

v. to worry over

A

brood

(brewd)

synonyms: cluster, breed; grieve, dwell upon

The mother bird tended to her brood, keeping them warm and fed.

He tended to brood over his past mistakes, unable to move on.

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41
Q

Define:

burgeon

(burr-djun)

A

v. to grow

The burgeoning mass of bees was heading straight for the picnic.

42
Q

Define:

exacting

(ig-zak-ting)

A

adj. making severe demands or requirements

adj. requiring great care

The exacting professor wanted a 15-page paper due the next day in class.

43
Q

Define:

rebuke

(rih-byook)

A

v. to reprimand, to scold sharply

The child was rebuked for stealing candy.

44
Q

Define:

dulcet

(duhl-sit)

A

adj. pleasant sounding or looking

The dulcet tone of the musical parody contrasted sharply with its offensive lyrics.

45
Q

Define:

toady

(toh-dee)

A

n. a flatterer, a yes man

The president was surrounded by toadies rather than people with honest criticisms.

46
Q

Define:

gall

(gawl)

A

n. audacity, impudence

He had the gall to request a raise after it was discovered that he was calling in sick in order to play golf.

47
Q

Define:

cloying

(kloi-ing)

A

adj. unpleasant due to excess; sickeningly sweet or sentimental

Unfortunately, cloying romantic comedies are sure box-office hits, and so Hollywood continues to churn them out.

48
Q

Define:

sully

(suhl-ee)

A

v. to stain or tarnish the purity of

Joe’s reputation as an ethical CEO was sullied by his selfish actions during his company’s merger.

49
Q

Define:

defile

(dih-fahyl)

A

v. to dirty, spoil, or dishonor

v. to violate the chastity of

The holy site was unwittingly defile when the invaders, for whom it held no special meaning, used it as a stable.

50
Q

Define:

pithy

(pith-ee)

A

adj. concise and relevant

Satya’s pithy keynote speech was more enlightening than the endless lectures that had preceded it.

51
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to grow

A

burgeon

(burr-djun)

synonyms: blossom, grow, expand

The small startup began to burgeon after receiving new funding.

52
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. making severe demands or requirements

adj. requiring great care

A

exacting

(ig-zak-ting)

synonyms: claim, command; difficult, formidable

The exacting professor required meticulous attention to detail in all assignments.

The exacting task demanded great care and precision from the team.

53
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to reprimand, to scold sharply

A

rebuke

(rih-byook)

synonyms: berate, blame, condemn

The manager rebuked the employee for repeatedly missing deadlines.

54
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. pleasant sounding or looking

A

dulcet

(duhl-sit)

synonyms: melodious, pleasurable

The dulcet tones of the piano filled the room with a soothing atmosphere.

55
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a flatterer, a yes man

A

toady

(toh-dee)

synonyms: doter, brownnoser

His reputation as a toady made him unpopular among his colleagues.

56
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. audacity, impudence

A

gall

(gawl)

synonyms: nerve, brashness

She had the gall to question her boss’s judgment in front of everyone.

57
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. unpleasant due to excess; sickeningly sweet or sentimental

A

cloying

(kloi-ing)

synonyms: cheesy, overly sentimental, sappy

The movie’s cloying romance was too sentimental for many viewers.

58
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to stain or tarnish the purity of

A

sully

(suhl-ee)

synonyms: stain, blot, smear

The scandal threatened to sully the company’s pristine reputation.

59
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to dirty, spoil, dishonor

v. to violate the chastity of

A

defile

(dih-fahyl)

synonyms: befoul, besmirch

The vandals defiled the historic monument with graffiti.

The invasion was seen as an attempt to defile the sanctity of the sacred site.

60
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. concise and relevant

A

pithy

(pith-ee)

synonyms: concise, cogent, precise

Her pithy remarks during the discussion captured everyone’s attention.

61
Q

Define:

slovenly

(sluhv-uhn-lee)

A

adj. untidy, disheveled; unclean in appearance or habits

The other dinner guests held the slovenly drunkard in contempt.

62
Q

Define:

onerous

(oh-ner-uhs)

A

adj. causing hardship; burdensome, troublesome

The students relished making the teacher’s job as onerous as possible.

63
Q

Define:

scourge

(skurdj)

A

n. a plague or cause of affliction

The scourge of drugs in American society will be its downfall.

64
Q

Define:

candor

(kan-der)

A

n. the quality of being frank, sincere, or impartial in expression

Giorgio was known for his candor, so it surprised no one when he began to talk at length about his love life.

65
Q

Define:

boor

(boor)

A

n. a crude, unmannered, or rude person

The boor upset everyone at the fancy restaurant.

66
Q

Define:

moribund

(mawr-uh-buhnd)

A

adj. dying, decaying, on the brink of extinction

The moribund customs of the indigenous culture are only practiced in a few outlying areas.

67
Q

Define:

pine

(pahyn)

A

v. to suffer from extreme desire or painful longing

v. to waste away with grief

The sailor’s wife pined for him all through the long, harsh winter.

68
Q

Define:

siren

(sahy-ruhn)

A

n. a beautiful, seductive, or charming woman

The young men of the neighborhood are smitten with the siren who moved in last week.

69
Q

Define:

cache

(kash)

A

n. a hidden place, a secret storage

n. a place for valuables

The bomb shelter had a cache of resources capable of supporting the family.

70
Q

Define:

lionize

(lahy-uh-nahyz)

A

v. to treat a person as a celebrity

When the musical sensation returned to her hometown, she was lionized by everyone she knew.

71
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. untidy, disheveled; unclean in appearance or habits

A

slovenly

(sluhv-uhn-lee)

synonyms: dirty, careless

His slovenly appearance suggested he hadn’t bothered to groom himself.

72
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. causing hardship; burdensome, troublesome

A

onerous

(oh-ner-uhs)

synonyms: arduous, cumbersome, vexatious

The onerous tasks required extensive effort and left the team exhausted.

73
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a plague or cause of affliction

A

scourge

(skurdj)

synonyms: torment, affliction, pestilence

The drought was a scourge for the farmers, devastating their crops.

74
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the quality of being frank, sincere, or impartial in expression

A

candor

(kan-der)

synonyms: honesty, directness

Her candor in discussing the project’s challenges earned her the team’s respect.

75
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a crude, unmannered, or rude person

A

boor

(boor)

synonyms: goon, oaf, barbarian

His boorish behavior at the party embarrassed everyone around him.

76
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. dying, decaying, on the brink of extinction

A

moribund

(mawr-uh-buhnd)

synonyms: doomed, expiring, passing

The moribund industry struggled to adapt to new technologies and competition.

77
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to suffer from extreme desire or painful longing

v. to waste away with grief

A

pine

(pahyn)

synonyms: dream, hanker, lust

She began to pine for her hometown after moving away for college.

He seemed to pine away after the loss of his beloved pet.

78
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a beautiful, seductive, and charming woman

A

siren

(sahy-ruhn)

synonyms: seductress, charmer

The singer was often called a siren, captivating audiences with her enchanting voice.

79
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a hidden place, a secret storage

n. a place for valuables

A

cache

(kash)

synonyms: a secret storage place

The archaeologists discovered a cache of ancient artifacts buried in the ground.

The treasure was hidden in a cache deep within the cave.

80
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to treat a person as a celebrity

A

lionize

(lahy-uh-nahyz)

synonyms: adulate, worship

The media began to lionize the athlete after his record-breaking performance.

81
Q

Define:

skulk

(skuhlk)

A

v. to lie in wait; to hide with evil intent

The fugitive was spotted skulking about the docks just past midnight.

82
Q

Define:

emendation

(ee-muhn-dey-shuhn)

A

n. a correction or revision in a text

Once the emendations have been made, the pamphlet can be sent to the printer.

83
Q

Define:

euphony

(yoo-fuh-nee)

A

n. a pleasant, harmonious sound

The euphony of the Italian language is unparalleled.

84
Q

Define:

terse

(turs)

A

adj. succinct, curt

Your terse apology does not even begin to give an adequate explanation for your behavior.

85
Q

Define:

trite

(trahyt)

A

adj. uninteresting due to overuse; hackneyed

Though some may find Valentine’s Day chocolates trite, I look forward to every box I get.

86
Q

Define:

malefactor

(mal-uh-fak-ter)

A

n. evildoer, culprit, a violator of the law

The Nuremberg trials brought the Nazi malefactors to justice.

87
Q

Define:

obtuse

(uhb-toos)

A

adj. stupid, dull

adj. slow to perceive, feel, or respond

The obtuse response lacked a great deal of sophistication.

88
Q

Define:

ingratiate

(ing-grey-shee-eyt)

A

v. to work oneself into the favor of someone

The intern ingratiated himself to his superiors starting on the first day.

89
Q

Define:

travesty

(trav-uh-stee)

A

n. a perverse or ludicrous parody or exaggeration

Thom’s checkered tux was a travesty of good taste.

90
Q

Define:

philology

(fih-lol-uh-djee)

A

n. the study of linguistics and literature

The students of philology were hunched over their Spanish literature texts.

91
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to lie, to sneak into hiding, with evil intent

A

skulk

(skuhlk)

synonyms: tiptoe, sneak, slither, creep

The thief chose to skulk in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

92
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a correction or revisions in a text

A

emendation

(ee-muhn-dey-shuhn)

synonyms: editing, proofreading

The editor’s emendation improved the clarity of the manuscript significantly.

93
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a pleasant, harmonious sound

A

euphony

(yoo-fuh-nee)

synonyms: melody, symphony

The choir’s euphony filled the church, creating a soothing atmosphere.

94
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. succinct, curt

A

terse

(turs)

synonyms: brief, short

Her terse reply left no room for further discussion.

95
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. uninteresting due to overuse; hackneyed

A

trite

(trahyt)

synonyms: banal, common

The speaker’s trite remarks failed to engage the audience.

96
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. evildoer, culprit, a violator of the law

A

malefactor

(mal-uh-fak-ter)

synonyms: felon, outlaw, villain

The police worked tirelessly to apprehend the malefactor responsible for the crime spree.

97
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. stupid, dull

adj. slow to perceive, feel, or respond

A

obtuse

(uhb-toos)

synonyms: dense, dumb, insensitive

His obtuse comments during the meeting frustrated his more insightful colleagues.

She was obtuse to the criticism, failing to recognize its validity.

98
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to work oneself into the favor of someone

A

ingratiate

(ing-grey-shee-eyt)

synonyms: flatter, curry favor

He tried to ingratiate himself with his boss by volunteering for extra tasks

99
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a perverse or ludicrous parody or exaggeration

A

travesty

(trav-uh-stee)

synonyms: caricature, burlesque

The play was a travesty of the original story, turning serious themes into a farce.

100
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the study of linguistics and literature

A

philology

(fih-lol-uh-djee)

synonyms: the study of language; linguistics, and literature

She pursued a degree in philology to explore the evolution of language and literature.

Vocab Builder (9 decks)

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