Vocab List 1 Flashcards
magnate
mag·nate
[mag-neyt, -nit]
noun
- a person of great influence, importance, or standing in a particular enterprise, field of business,
Rockerfeller made most of his money as a successful railroad magnate.
- a person of eminence or distinction in any field: literary magnates
vacillation
**vac·il·la·tion **
**[vas-uh-ley-shuhn] **
noun
- an act or instance of fluctuation.
- a state of indecision or irresolution.
- unsteady movement; fluctuation.
abstemious
ab·ste·mi·ous
[ab-stee-mee-uhs]
adjective
- sparing or moderate in eating and drinking; temperate in diet.
- characterized by abstinence: an abstemious life.
- sparing: Monks eat an abstemious diet.
penchant
pen·chant
[pen-chuhnt] ** **
a strong inclination, taste, or liking for something:
The rockclimber a penchant for outdoor sports.
renounce
re·nounce
[ri-nouns]
verb
- to give up or put aside voluntarily: to renounce worldly pleasures.
- to give up by formal declaration: to renounce a claim.
- to repudiate; disown: to renounce one’s son
replete
re·plete
[ri-pleet]
adjective
- abundantly supplied or provided; filled (usually followed by with
It was a speech replete with sentimentality.
- stuffed or gorged with food and drink.
surfeit
sur·feit
[sur-fit]
noun
- excess; an excessive amount: .
- excess or overindulgenc in eating or drinking.
There was a surfeit of grain left over after a very good farm year.
“surfeit” is almost always followed by “of”
mitigate
mit·i·gate
[mit-i-geyt]
verb
- to make less severe: to mitigate a punishment.
- to make milder or more gentle; mollify; appease.
Once the judge heard the man’s reason, he mitigated the punishment from 10 to 5 years
indifference
in·dif·fer·ence
[in-dif-er-uhns, -dif-ruhns]
noun
- lack of interest or concern:
We were shocked by their indifference toward poverty.
- unimportance; little or no concern:
Whether or not to attend the party is a matter of indifference to him.
**philanthropy **
phi·lan·thro·pist
fi-lan-thruh-pist
noun
- the practice of performing charitable or benevolent actions
- love of mankind
The philanthropist gave away million of dollars to the poor and needy.
revere
re·vere
[ri-veer]
verb
(used with object)
(a person always reveres something)
it cannot be used alone
To regard with respect tinged with awe; venerate:
The child revered her mother.
miser
mi·ser
[mahy-zer]
noun
- a person who lives in wretched circumstances in order to save and hoard money.
- a stingy, avaricious person
Someone who never spends any money and tries to save it all is known as a miser.
skeptical
skep·ti·cal
[skep-ti-kuhl]
.
- having doubt: a skeptical young woman.
- showing doubt: a skeptical smile.
- denying or questioning the tenets of a religion: a skeptical approach to the nature of miracles.
abhor
ab·hor [ab-hawr]
verb (used with object),
you must always abhor something
To regard with extreme repugnance or aversion; detest utterly; loathe; abominate.
I abhor exercise, and never want to do it.
hoard
hoard
[hawrd, hohrd]
noun
- a supply or accumulation that is hidden or carefully guarded for preservation, a vast hoard of silver.
verb (used with object) - to accumulate in a hidden or carefully guarded place:
to hoard food during a shortage.
migrate
mi·grate
[mahy-greyt]
verb
- to go from one country, region, or place to another. .
The birds migrate southward in the winter.
- to shift, as from one system, mode of operation, or enterprise to another.
**precarious **
pre·car·i·ous
[pri-kair-ee-uhs]
- dependent on circumstances beyond one’s control; uncertain; unstable; insecure:
a precarious livelihood.
He held a precarious tenure under an arbitrary administration.
- exposed to or involving danger; dangerous; perilous; risky: often involving a description of footing
the precarious life of an underseas diver.
apathy
ap·a·thy
[ap-uh-thee]
noun, .
- absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement.
- lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting.
**taper **
ta·per
[tey-per]
verb
- to become smaller or thinner toward one end.
- to grow gradually lean.
As the pants got closer to the ankle, they tapered and got narrower.
subtle
sub·tle [suht-l]
adjective,
- thin, tenuous, or rarefied, as a fluid or an odor.
- fine or delicate in meaning or intent; difficult to perceive or understand: subtle irony.
- delicate or faint and mysterious: a subtle smile.
The difference was so subtle we didn’t notice it.
indecision
in·de·ci·sion
[in-di-sizh-uhn]
noun
inability to decide
See definitions first
- a person of great influence, importance, or standing in a particular enterprise, field of business,
Rockerfeller made most of his money as a successful railroad magnate.
- a person of eminence or distinction in any field: literary magnates
magnate
mag·nate
[mag-neyt, -nit]
noun
See definitions first
noun
- an act or instance of fluctuation.
- a state of indecision or irresolution.
- unsteady movement; fluctuation.
vacillation
**vac·il·la·tion **
**[vas-uh-ley-shuhn] **
See definitions first
- sparing or moderate in eating and drinking; temperate in diet.
- characterized by abstinence: an abstemious life.
- sparing: Monks eat an abstemious diet.
abstemious
ab·ste·mi·ous
[ab-stee-mee-uhs]
adjective
See definitions first
a strong inclination, taste, or liking for something:
The rockclimber a penchant for outdoor sports.
penchant
pen·chant
[pen-chuhnt] ** **
See definitions first
- to give up or put aside voluntarily: to renounce worldly pleasures.
- to give up by formal declaration: to renounce a claim.
- to repudiate; disown: to renounce one’s son
renounce
re·nounce
[ri-nouns]
verb
See definitions first
- abundantly supplied or provided; filled (usually followed by with
It was a speech replete with sentimentality.
- stuffed or gorged with food and drink.
replete
re·plete
[ri-pleet]
adjective
See definitions first
- excess; an excessive amount: .
- excess or overindulgenc in eating or drinking.
There was a surfeit of grain left over after a very good farm year.
“surfeit” is almost always followed by “of”
surfeit
sur·feit
[sur-fit]
noun
See definitions first
- to make less severe: to mitigate a punishment.
- to make milder or more gentle; mollify; appease.
Once the judge heard the man’s reason, he mitigated the punishment from 10 to 5 years
mitigate
mit·i·gate
[mit-i-geyt]
verb
See definitions first
- lack of interest or concern:
We were shocked by their indifference toward poverty.
- unimportance; little or no concern:
Whether or not to attend the party is a matter of indifference to him.
indifference
in·dif·fer·ence
[in-dif-er-uhns, -dif-ruhns]
noun
See definitions first
- the practice of performing charitable or benevolent actions
- love of mankind
The philanthropist gave away million of dollars to the poor and needy.
**philanthropy **
phi·lan·thro·pist
fi-lan-thruh-pist
noun
See definitions first
To regard with respect tinged with awe; venerate:
The child revered her mother.
revere
re·vere
[ri-veer]
verb
(used with object)
(a person always reveres something)
it cannot be used alone
See definitions first
- a person who lives in wretched circumstances in order to save and hoard money.
- a stingy, avaricious person
Someone who never spends any money and tries to save it all is known as a miser.
miser
mi·ser
[mahy-zer]
noun
See definitions first
- having doubt: a skeptical young woman.
- showing doubt: a skeptical smile.
- denying or questioning the tenets of a religion: a skeptical approach to the nature of miracles.
skeptical
skep·ti·cal
[skep-ti-kuhl]
.
See definitions first
To regard with extreme repugnance or aversion; detest utterly; loathe; abominate.
I abhor exercise, and never want to do it.
abhor
ab·hor [ab-hawr]
verb (used with object),
you must always abhor something
See definitions first
- a supply or accumulation that is hidden or carefully guarded for preservation, a vast hoard of silver.
verb (used with object) - to accumulate in a hidden or carefully guarded place:
to hoard food during a shortage.
hoard
hoard
[hawrd, hohrd]
noun
See definitions first
- to go from one country, region, or place to another. .
The birds migrate southward in the winter.
- to shift, as from one system, mode of operation, or enterprise to another.
migrate
mi·grate
[mahy-greyt]
verb
See definitions first
- dependent on circumstances beyond one’s control; uncertain; unstable; insecure:
a precarious livelihood.
He held a precarious tenure under an arbitrary administration.
- exposed to or involving danger; dangerous; perilous; risky: often involving a description of footing
the precarious life of an underseas diver.
**precarious **
pre·car·i·ous
[pri-kair-ee-uhs]
See definitions first
- absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement.
- lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting.
apathy
ap·a·thy
[ap-uh-thee]
noun, .
See definitions first
- to become smaller or thinner toward one end.
- to grow gradually lean.
As the pants got closer to the ankle, they tapered and got narrower.
**taper **
ta·per
[tey-per]
verb
See definitions first
- thin, tenuous, or rarefied, as a fluid or an odor.
- fine or delicate in meaning or intent; difficult to perceive or understand: subtle irony.
- delicate or faint and mysterious: a subtle smile.
The difference was so subtle we didn’t notice it.
subtle
sub·tle [suht-l]
adjective,
See definitions first
inability to decide
indecision
in·de·ci·sion
[in-di-sizh-uhn]
noun
