Vocab List 3 Flashcards
abate
to lessen; to reduce
abbreviate
to shorten
acrid
harsh
acrimonious
bitter, unpleasant, nasty
aggregate
sum total
aggrieve
to mistreat; to distress
anachronism
incongruity/ not belonging to the same time period as
analogy
similarity, comparison
appease
to soothe, to alleviate
appellation
name
artful
crafty
articulate
to pronounce clearly
avant-garde
the vanguard; literary or artistic leading members
avarice
greed
benediction
a blessing; an utterance of good wishes
benefactor
donor
breach
a violation; a gap or break
brevity
briefness
captivate
to fascinate; to enchant; to enrapture
captive
prisoner
chimera
illusion
choleric
hot-tempered
coherent
making sense
cohort
a group
condone
to overlook; to forgive
conducive
promoting
continuum
a continuous whole
contraband
smuggling goods
crass
extremely unrefined; gross; stupid
craven
cowardly
decry
to condemn or to depreciate by proclamation
dedication
offering
depict
to represent by or as if a painting; portray; delineate
deplete
to decrease the fullness of; use up or empty out
disaffect
to cause to lose affection; to estrange; to alienate
disarray
disorder; confusion
distend
to swell
distinct
separate; different; clear and unmistakeble
edify
to enlighten; to improve the mind
efface
erase
endemic
native
enervate
to reduce the strength of
ethereal
heavenly
ethics
the moral standards governing behavior
exquisite
extraordinarily fine or beautiful; intense
extant
still in existence
fiasco
a complete failure or disaster; an incredible
fragmentary
incomplete; disconnected; made up of fragments
fraternal
like brothers
guile
cunning
guise
appearance; semblance
idyllic
naturally peaceful
igonominy
deep disgrace
inaugurate
to begin a public office officially
incandescent
brilliant
inflammatory
fiery; tending to arouse passion or anger; incendiary
influx
inflow
interloper
intruder
interlude
a pause
juxtapose
to place side by side
karma
good or bad emanations from someone or something
machination
scheming evil activity
mercurial
emotionally unpredictable
metamorphosis
magical change of form
neophyte
beginner; novice
nepotism
favoritism
onerous
burdensome; oppressive
opaque
impossible to see through
parochial
narrow in point of view
parody
satirical imitation
perpetuate
to make something perpetual (continue indefinitely) ; to stop from perishing
perquisite
job-related privilege
posterity
future generations; descendants; heirs
posthumous
occurring after one’s death; published after the death of the author
primal
first; original; of the greatest importance
pristine
unspoiled; original; pure
provident
frugal
provincial
narrow in outlook
quotidian
daily; everyday; ordinary
ramification
consequence
relentless
continuous
relinquish
to surrender
retrospect
looking backward; to review
revamp
to patch up or restore
savant
a scholar; a very knowledgeable and learned person
scant
limited; meager; barely sufficient
slavish
extremely subservient
sloth
laziness
stout
plump; stocky; substansial
stratagem
a maneuver designed to outwit an enemy; a scheme; a ruse
surmise
to guess
surreal
having an unreal, fantastic quality; hallucinatory; dreamlike
threshold
the sill of doorway; a house’s or building’s entrance; any point of beginning or entering
throttle
to choke; to strangle; to work a fuel lever or feed the flow of fuel to an
underpinning
a system of supports beneath; a foundation, basis
underscore
to underline; to emphasize
vigilant
constantly alert; watchful; wary
vignette
a small, decorative design or drawing; a short literary sketch
zeitgeist
the mood or spirit of the times
zenith
the highest point; peak; pinnacle
