Vocab List 12 Flashcards
abstruse
hard to understand
abysmal
wretched, bottomless
advocate
a person who argues in favor of a position
aesthetic
artistic
amass
to accumulate; to pile up
ambience
atmosphere, mood
apartheid
racial oppression, prejudice
apathy
lack of interest
archetype
original model
archipelago
a large group of islands
attest
to give proof of; to give testimony
attribute
to credit to; to assign; to ascribe
baroque
extravagantly ornate
barrage
a concentrated outpouring of artillery fire
bombast
pompous or pretentious speech or writing
bon vivant
a person who enjoys luxurious living
calamity
a disaster
callous
emotionally insensitive
cerebral
brainy
chaff
worthless stuff
cliche
overused saying
climatic
having to do with the climate
comprise
to consist of; made of
compromise
a settlement of differences
consensus
unanimity
conservatory
a green house; a music or drama school
corporeal
tangible; material; having substance
correlation
mutual relation
curtail
to shorten
cynic
one who distrusts humanity
delineate
to describe accurately
delinquent
neglecting a duty or law; late in payment; derelict
dialectical
relating to discussions
diatribe
a bitter, abusive denunciation
dispassionate
unaffected by passion; impartial; tranquil
disperse
to scatter; to spread widely; to disseminate
draconian
harsh; severe; cruel
droll
humorous; amusing in an odd way
embargo
a government order suspending foreign trade
embellish
to adorn; to beautify by adding ornaments; to add fanciful or fictitious
epilogue
an afterword; a short concluding chapter of a book; a short speech at the end of a play
epithet
a characterizing term
existential
having to do with existence
exodus
a mass departure or journey away
fastidious
hard to please; finicky
fatalist
one who believes in fate
forbear
to refrain from
forebear
ancestor
genre
type of art
genteel
refined; polite; aristocratic
histrionic
overly dramatic
hoary
gray or white with age; ancient; stale
implication
something implied or suggested; ramification
imply
to hint at
indignant
angry
indolent
lazy
insipid
dull; bland; banal
insolent
arrogant; insulting
iridescent
displaying glowing, changing colors
ironic
meaning other than what’s said
licentious
lascivious; lewd; promiscuous; amoral
limpid
transparent; clear; lucid
maverick
nonconformist
mawkish
overly sentimental; maudlin
motif
a recurring theme or idea
motley
extremely varied or diverse; heterogeneous; multicolored
oblivion
forgetfulness
obscure
hard to understand
palpable
obvious; tangible
paltry
insignificant; worthless
pedestrian
unimaginative; banal
pejorative
negative; disparaging
plausible
believable; convincing
plebeian
low class; vulgar
preempt
to seize by prior right
pregnant
highly significant; overflowing
propagate
to reproduce; to multiply; to spread or disseminate
propensity
natural inclination
qualify
to modify or restrict
qualitative
having to do with quality
reclusive
hermitlike
recondite
hard to understand
reprisal
retaliation; revenge; counterattack
reproach
to scold
saccharine
sweet
sacrilege
blasphemy; violating a sacred object
sequester
to set apart
serendipity
accidental good fortune
spurn
to reject with disdain; scorn
squander
to waste
succinct
brief and to the point
succumb
to yield
temerity
boldness
temperate
mild
trenchant
concise; effective; caustic; sarcastic
trepidation
fear
venerate
to revere
veracity
truthfulness
waft
to carry lightly or smoothly through the air or over water
waive
to refrain from claiming or insisting on; give up
