Vocab List 5 Flashcards
abhor
to detest
abject
hopeless, wretched
adamant
stubborn, unyielding
address
to speak to
alacrity
cheerful eagerness
alchemy
a seemingly magical process of transformation
angst
anxiety; fear; dread
anguish
agonizing pain
appreciate
to increase in value
apprehensive
worried, anxious
ascetic
hermitlike
ascribe
to give credit for something/ to attribute something to
avid
eager; enthusiastic
avow
to claim or to declare frankly
bereaved
left desolate
beset
to harass, to surround
brouhaha
uproar; hubbub
brusque
abrupt in manner, blunt
cartography
the art of making maps and charts
cascade
waterfall
chutzpah
brazenness; audacity; self-confidence
cipher
zero
commiserate
to express sorrow for; to sympathize with
commodious
spacious; roomy; capacious
conflagration
a large fire
confluence
flowing together
conundrum
a puzzle or problem without a solution
convene
to come together or assemble
cringe
to shrink back with fear; to cower
criterion
standard
defiant
resistant
deficit
a shortage, especially of money
deprecate
to express the disapproval of
depredate
to prey upon; to plunder
discourse
conversation; spoken or written expression in words
discreet
prudent, thoughtful
divulge
to reveal
docile
easily taught
egalitarian
believing in the social equality
egocentric
selfish
enmity
deep hatred; animosity; ill will
ennui
boredom; listless lack of interest
evasive
elusive, trickery, slippery
evince
to show clearly
extrapolate
to infer
extremity
a limb or appendage of the body (hands or feet)
finesse
skillful maneuvering
fiscal
pertaining to financial matters; monetary
fulminate
to denounce vigorously; to protest vehemently against something
furnish
to provide
harass
to disturb persistently; torment, as with troubles or cares
harbinger
forerunner
impartial
fair; unbiased
impasse
a deadlock; a situation from which there is no escape
incessant
unceasing
incipient
beginning; emerging
ingenuous
artless; charmingly naive
ingratiate
to work to make oneself to be liked
intimate
to hint or imply
intractable
uncontrollable; stubborn; disobedient
lampoon
to satirize
languish
to become weak
malfeasance
illegal act
malinger
to pretend to be sick
minuscule
very tiny
mire
marshy, mucky ground
nomenclature
a set or system of names; a designation; a terminology
nominal
in name only
oscillate
to swing back and forth; to pulsate; to waver or vacillate between beliefs
osmosis
gradual or subtle absorption
pastoral
rural; rustic; peaceful and calm, like the country
patent
obvious
perverse
contrary; stubborn
petulant
rude; cranky; ill-tempered
precarious
dangerously insecure or unsteady
precedent
earlier example
prodigal
wastefully extravagant
prodigious
extraordinary; enormous
prudent
careful
prurient
having lustful thoughts or desires; causing lust
rarefied
esoteric; interesting to a select group only; exalted
ratify
to confirm by expressing consent, approval, or formal sanction
rend
to separate into parts with force or violence
render
to cause to be or become
revulsion
loathing; repugnance; disgust
rhapsodize
to speak extremely enthusiastically; to gush
scrutinize
to examine very carefully
seamless
without seams; smooth
solvent
not bankrupt
sophomoric
juvenile; childishly goofy
stupendous
remarkable; extraordinary; remarkably large or extraordinarily gigantic
stupor
a stunned condition; near-unconsciousness; apathy; inertia
sycophant
flatterer
syntax
the patterns or rules governing the way grammatical sentences are formed
titular
in title or name only; nominal
toil
hard work; labor; drudgery; exhausting effort
unwitting
unintentional
urbane
poised and sophisticated
virulent
extremely poisonous
viscous
thick; gluey; sticky
