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.
Define:
remonstrate
(rih-mon-strehyt)
v. to protest
Many special-interest groups remonstrated against the new legislation.
Define:
remunerate
(rih-mew-nuh-rehyt)
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.
Define:
render
(ren-der)
v. to take forcibly, result in, or cause to become
v. to do something for someone else
His harsh words rendered her speechless.
Define:
repose
(rih-poze)
n. peacefulness, rest
v. to be lying or stationary
In the summer, she would often lie under the willow trees in complete repose.
Define:
repudiate
(rih-pew-dee-ehyt)
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.
Define:
reticent
(rett-ih-sunt)
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.
Define:
retiring
(rih-tie-ring)
adj. shy; quiet
During high school, Mary became so retiring that people sometimes didn’t notice when they shared a class with her.
Define:
revere
(rih-veer)
v. to admire greatly; to honor
The mayor was so revered by the village that every single man, woman, and child attended his funeral.
Define:
platitude
(plat-ih-tewd)
n. a cliché, dull, or unenlightening saying
My father’s favorite platitude was, “Winners never quit, quitters never win”.
Define:
pliant
(ply-unt)
adj. easy to change or bend
adj. easy to convince
The professor needed a particularly pliant mind for his brainwashing experiments.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to protest
remonstrate
(rih-mon-strehyt)
synonyms: argue, challenge
The citizens gathered to remonstrate against the proposed legislation.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to compensate monetarily for trouble or work done
remunerate
(rih-mew-nuh-rehyt)
synonyms: compensate, reimburse
The company will remunerate employees for their overtime hours.
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
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.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. peacefulness
n. rest
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.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to renounce ownership or disown
v. to refuse to recognize
v. to reject as true
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.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. not wanting to talk; reluctant
reticent
(rett-ih-sunt)
synonyms: not talkative, reserved
She was reticent during the meeting, choosing to listen rather than speak.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. shy; quiet
retiring
(rih-tie-ring)
synonyms: bashful, unassuming
His retiring nature made him prefer working behind the scenes.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to admire greatly; to honor
revere
(rih-veer)
synonyms: adore, esteem, value
The community reveres the professor for her dedication to education.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a cliché, dull, or unenlightening saying
platitude
(plat-ih-tewd)
synonyms: banality, cliché
His speech was filled with platitudes that failed to inspire the audience.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. easy to change or bend
adj. easy to convince
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.
Define:
poignant
(poin-yunt)
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.
Define:
polar
(poe-lur)
adj. related to opposite extremes or sides
The two were so different their personalities could be considered polar opposites.
Define:
polemic
(puh-lem-ik)
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.
Define:
ponderous
(pon-dur-us)
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.
Define:
portend
(pore-tend)
v. to foretell
The witch claimed that the stormy weather portended the ruler’s downfall.
Define:
posit
(poz-it)
v. to assume as fact
Some physicists posit that the universe will expand forever.
Define:
postulate
(poss-chuh-lehyt)
v. to assume a basic truth
Economic theory postulates limits on essential resources as the basis of human behavior.
Define:
bolster
(bole-stur)
v. to support
The candidate’s campaign was bolstered by endorsements by several former military leaders.
Define:
bombastic
(bom-bass-tick)
adj. inflated, arrogant
The bombastic way in which the author described his new novel repulsed me.
Define:
brood
(brewd)
n. a group of offspring
v. to worry over
The hen protected her new brood from the farmer’s inspection.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. so emotionally intense as to be painful
poignant
(poin-yunt)
synonyms: agonizing, bitter; sharp, keen
The film’s poignant ending left the audience in tears.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. related to opposite extremes or sides
polar
(poe-lur)
synonyms: opposite, contrary, counter
The debate revealed polar views on the controversial issue.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. controversial
n. a controversial argument
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.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. difficult to handle due to heaviness; or
adj. requiring a lot of work
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.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to foretell
portend
(pore-tend)
synonyms: foreshadow, harbinger
The dark clouds portend an approaching storm.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to assume as fact
posit
(poz-it)
synonyms: propose an explanation based upon assumptions, postulate
The scientist posited that the results were due to an error in measurement
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to assume a basic truth
postulate
(poss-chuh-lehyt)
synonyms: assert, premise, suppose
Researchers postulate that regular exercise improves mental health.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to support
bolster
(bole-stur)
synonyms: assist, aid, help
She used statistics to bolster her argument during the debate.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. inflated, arrogant
bombastic
(bom-bass-tick)
synonyms: grandiose, egotistical
His bombastic speech was filled with grand claims but lacked substance.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a group of offspring
v. to worry over
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.
Define:
burgeon
(burr-djun)
v. to grow
The burgeoning mass of bees was heading straight for the picnic.
Define:
exacting
(ig-zak-ting)
adj. making severe demands or requirements
adj. requiring great care
The exacting professor wanted a 15-page paper due the next day in class.
Define:
rebuke
(rih-byook)
v. to reprimand, to scold sharply
The child was rebuked for stealing candy.
Define:
dulcet
(duhl-sit)
adj. pleasant sounding or looking
The dulcet tone of the musical parody contrasted sharply with its offensive lyrics.
Define:
toady
(toh-dee)
n. a flatterer, a yes man
The president was surrounded by toadies rather than people with honest criticisms.
Define:
gall
(gawl)
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.
Define:
cloying
(kloi-ing)
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.
Define:
sully
(suhl-ee)
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.
Define:
defile
(dih-fahyl)
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.
Define:
pithy
(pith-ee)
adj. concise and relevant
Satya’s pithy keynote speech was more enlightening than the endless lectures that had preceded it.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to grow
burgeon
(burr-djun)
synonyms: blossom, grow, expand
The small startup began to burgeon after receiving new funding.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. making severe demands or requirements
adj. requiring great care
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.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to reprimand, to scold sharply
rebuke
(rih-byook)
synonyms: berate, blame, condemn
The manager rebuked the employee for repeatedly missing deadlines.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. pleasant sounding or looking
dulcet
(duhl-sit)
synonyms: melodious, pleasurable
The dulcet tones of the piano filled the room with a soothing atmosphere.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a flatterer, a yes man
toady
(toh-dee)
synonyms: doter, brownnoser
His reputation as a toady made him unpopular among his colleagues.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. audacity, impudence
gall
(gawl)
synonyms: nerve, brashness
She had the gall to question her boss’s judgment in front of everyone.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. unpleasant due to excess; sickeningly sweet or sentimental
cloying
(kloi-ing)
synonyms: cheesy, overly sentimental, sappy
The movie’s cloying romance was too sentimental for many viewers.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to stain or tarnish the purity of
sully
(suhl-ee)
synonyms: stain, blot, smear
The scandal threatened to sully the company’s pristine reputation.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to dirty, spoil, dishonor
v. to violate the chastity of
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.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. concise and relevant
pithy
(pith-ee)
synonyms: concise, cogent, precise
Her pithy remarks during the discussion captured everyone’s attention.
Define:
slovenly
(sluhv-uhn-lee)
adj. untidy, disheveled; unclean in appearance or habits
The other dinner guests held the slovenly drunkard in contempt.
Define:
onerous
(oh-ner-uhs)
adj. causing hardship; burdensome, troublesome
The students relished making the teacher’s job as onerous as possible.
Define:
scourge
(skurdj)
n. a plague or cause of affliction
The scourge of drugs in American society will be its downfall.
Define:
candor
(kan-der)
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.
Define:
boor
(boor)
n. a crude, unmannered, or rude person
The boor upset everyone at the fancy restaurant.
Define:
moribund
(mawr-uh-buhnd)
adj. dying, decaying, on the brink of extinction
The moribund customs of the indigenous culture are only practiced in a few outlying areas.
Define:
pine
(pahyn)
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.
Define:
siren
(sahy-ruhn)
n. a beautiful, seductive, or charming woman
The young men of the neighborhood are smitten with the siren who moved in last week.
Define:
cache
(kash)
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.
Define:
lionize
(lahy-uh-nahyz)
v. to treat a person as a celebrity
When the musical sensation returned to her hometown, she was lionized by everyone she knew.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. untidy, disheveled; unclean in appearance or habits
slovenly
(sluhv-uhn-lee)
synonyms: dirty, careless
His slovenly appearance suggested he hadn’t bothered to groom himself.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. causing hardship; burdensome, troublesome
onerous
(oh-ner-uhs)
synonyms: arduous, cumbersome, vexatious
The onerous tasks required extensive effort and left the team exhausted.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a plague or cause of affliction
scourge
(skurdj)
synonyms: torment, affliction, pestilence
The drought was a scourge for the farmers, devastating their crops.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. the quality of being frank, sincere, or impartial in expression
candor
(kan-der)
synonyms: honesty, directness
Her candor in discussing the project’s challenges earned her the team’s respect.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a crude, unmannered, or rude person
boor
(boor)
synonyms: goon, oaf, barbarian
His boorish behavior at the party embarrassed everyone around him.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. dying, decaying, on the brink of extinction
moribund
(mawr-uh-buhnd)
synonyms: doomed, expiring, passing
The moribund industry struggled to adapt to new technologies and competition.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to suffer from extreme desire or painful longing
v. to waste away with grief
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.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a beautiful, seductive, and charming woman
siren
(sahy-ruhn)
synonyms: seductress, charmer
The singer was often called a siren, captivating audiences with her enchanting voice.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a hidden place, a secret storage
n. a place for valuables
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.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to treat a person as a celebrity
lionize
(lahy-uh-nahyz)
synonyms: adulate, worship
The media began to lionize the athlete after his record-breaking performance.
Define:
skulk
(skuhlk)
v. to lie in wait; to hide with evil intent
The fugitive was spotted skulking about the docks just past midnight.
Define:
emendation
(ee-muhn-dey-shuhn)
n. a correction or revision in a text
Once the emendations have been made, the pamphlet can be sent to the printer.
Define:
euphony
(yoo-fuh-nee)
n. a pleasant, harmonious sound
The euphony of the Italian language is unparalleled.
Define:
terse
(turs)
adj. succinct, curt
Your terse apology does not even begin to give an adequate explanation for your behavior.
Define:
trite
(trahyt)
adj. uninteresting due to overuse; hackneyed
Though some may find Valentine’s Day chocolates trite, I look forward to every box I get.
Define:
malefactor
(mal-uh-fak-ter)
n. evildoer, culprit, a violator of the law
The Nuremberg trials brought the Nazi malefactors to justice.
Define:
obtuse
(uhb-toos)
adj. stupid, dull
adj. slow to perceive, feel, or respond
The obtuse response lacked a great deal of sophistication.
Define:
ingratiate
(ing-grey-shee-eyt)
v. to work oneself into the favor of someone
The intern ingratiated himself to his superiors starting on the first day.
Define:
travesty
(trav-uh-stee)
n. a perverse or ludicrous parody or exaggeration
Thom’s checkered tux was a travesty of good taste.
Define:
philology
(fih-lol-uh-djee)
n. the study of linguistics and literature
The students of philology were hunched over their Spanish literature texts.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to lie, to sneak into hiding, with evil intent
skulk
(skuhlk)
synonyms: tiptoe, sneak, slither, creep
The thief chose to skulk in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a correction or revisions in a text
emendation
(ee-muhn-dey-shuhn)
synonyms: editing, proofreading
The editor’s emendation improved the clarity of the manuscript significantly.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a pleasant, harmonious sound
euphony
(yoo-fuh-nee)
synonyms: melody, symphony
The choir’s euphony filled the church, creating a soothing atmosphere.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. succinct, curt
terse
(turs)
synonyms: brief, short
Her terse reply left no room for further discussion.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. uninteresting due to overuse; hackneyed
trite
(trahyt)
synonyms: banal, common
The speaker’s trite remarks failed to engage the audience.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. evildoer, culprit, a violator of the law
malefactor
(mal-uh-fak-ter)
synonyms: felon, outlaw, villain
The police worked tirelessly to apprehend the malefactor responsible for the crime spree.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. stupid, dull
adj. slow to perceive, feel, or respond
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.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to work oneself into the favor of someone
ingratiate
(ing-grey-shee-eyt)
synonyms: flatter, curry favor
He tried to ingratiate himself with his boss by volunteering for extra tasks
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a perverse or ludicrous parody or exaggeration
travesty
(trav-uh-stee)
synonyms: caricature, burlesque
The play was a travesty of the original story, turning serious themes into a farce.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. the study of linguistics and literature
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.
