Vocab P Flashcards
Pacify
v. to calm; to bring peace
Paean
n. a song of praise
Palatial
adj. like a palace; magnificent
Palliate
v. to relieve or lessen
Pallid
adj. pale; lacking energy
Panacea
n. a cure for all diseases, or a solution to all problems
Panache
n. dashing style, flair, or manner
Panegyric
n. a formal expression of praise
Panoply
n. complete or impressive array
Paradox
n. a statement that contradicts itself but nevertheless may still be true
Paragon
n. a perfect example
Parenthetical
adj. characterized by the use of parenthesis
Pariah
n. a person who is rejected; an outcast (THE TOWN IN WESTWORLD)
Parley
v. to talk or confer
Parody
n. a humorous imitation
Parry
v. to ward off, avoid, or evade
Parsimonious
adj. extremely reluctant to spend money; frugal and stingy
Partisan
adj. tending to favor one group or one way of thinking
Pastiche
n. a work that is mixture of style, materials, or sources
Patriarch
n. the male head of a family
Paucity
n. an insufficient quantity or number
Peccadillo
n. a minor fault or sin
Pedagogical
adj. relating to education or teaching
Pedantic
adj. overly focused on small details while learning or teaching
Pejorative
n. a word that is derogatory or belittling
Penchant
n. a strong liking
Penitent
adj. feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds
Penurious
adj. extremely reluctant to spend money; stingy
Peregrinate
v. to travel
Perfidious
adj. tending to betray
Perfunctory
adj. done only as a matter of routine, with indifference and lack of enthusiasm
Peripatetic
adj. traveling about
Permeate
v to spread throughout
Pernicious
adj. exceedingly harmful
Perquisite
n. a payment of benefit of addition to one’s regular pay
Perspicacity
n. intelligence manifested by being astute
Peruse
v. to read
Pervasive
adj. spreading throughout
Petulant
adj. easily irritated over small issues
Phalanx
n. a closely masses group
Philanthropist
n. a person who makes charitable donation intended to increase human well- being
Philistine
n. a person who resists culture, the arts, or intellectual pursuits
Phlegmatic
adj. unemotional; calm
Picayune
adj. small and of little importance
Pious
adj. religiously devoted
Pith
n. the essential part
Pithy
adj. brief but meaningful
Placid
adj. calm
Platitude
n. remark repeated too often
Plebeian
adj. of the common people; lacking sophistication
Plethora
n. overabundance
Pliant
adj. capable of being bent or capable of being influenced
Plucky
adj. brave
Polemical
adj. controversial; causing opposition
Politic
adj. ingenious, wise, or diplomatic
Polyglot
adj. able to speak, read, or write in many language
Populist
n. a person who supports the rights and powers of the common people
Posit
v. to assume as fact; to put in place
Potentate
n. a powerful ruler
Pragmatic
adj. practical; guided by practice rather than theory
Prattle
v. to babble
Precipitate
v. to bring about abruptly
Precis
n. a short summary
Precocious
adj. advanced in development or maturity
Predilection
n. a preference
Prescience
n. a false act intending to deceive
Pretense
n. a false act intending to deceive
Prevaricate
v. to lie or deceive
Pristine
adj. pure, clean, or unused
Probity
n. honesty and integrity
Proclivity
n. a natural tendency
Prodigal
adj. recklessly wasteful or lavishly abundant
Prodigy
n. a person, often a child who is extraordinarily gifted
Profligate
adj. shamelessly immoral or recklessly wasteful
Progenitor
n. a direct ancestor or originator
Proletarian
adj. of the working class
Proliferate
v. to grow rapidly
Propensity
n. a natural tendency
Propitiate
v. to calm or pacify
Propriety
n. accepted or appropriate standards
Prosaic
adj. dull and lacking excitement
Proselytize
v. to convert someone to another belief, religion, party, or cause
Provincial
adj. unsophisticated and limited; associated with the country
Prudent
adj. careful and sensible
Puerile
adj. childish; immature
Pugilist
n. a person who fights with his fists; a boxer
Pugnacious
adj. tending to quarrel or fight easily
Pulchritude
n. beauty
Punctilious
adj. marked by precise accordance with details
Pundit
n. a critic or expert
Pungent
adj. sharp; biting
Pusillanimous
adj. timid; cowardly
Putrefy
v. to decay