Vocab - Set 1 Flashcards
aberrant
(barron’s 333)
abnormal, anomalous, atypical
aberration
insanity, lunacy; but also peculiarity, inconsistency, variation
abstruse
difficult to understand
admonish
(barron’s 333)
scold, chide, rebuke, reprimand, tick off
OR
advise or warn (someone) of something to be avoided.
admonitory
offering a warning
aesthete
a person who is appreciative of and sensitive to art and beauty
aesthetic
HF, Barron’s 333
pleasing to look at, beautiful
ambivalent
unsure, indecisive, having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone
ameliorate
barron’s 333
to make something better, opposite of deteriorate
amenable
agreeable/willing to someone or something
amorphous
shapeless
anomalous
Barron’s 333
abnormal, not normal
anomaly
aberration, not normal/not expected
antipathy
barron’s 333
animosity, hostility towards someone or something
apathetic
having or showing a lack of interest or concern - no feelings or passion towards someone or something, nonchalance
apathy
barron’s 333
Lack of emotion or motivation; lack of interest or enthusiasm towards something; disinterest (in something).
apocryphal
undocumented, unauthentic, speculative, hypothetical
appease
barron’s 333
to pacify/comfort someone, make them calm
arbitrary
based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system
OR
unrestrained and autocratic in the use of authority.
“a country under arbitrary government
arcane
mysterious/hidden
OR
grammatical rules that seem arcane to generations of students who were never taught grammar in the first place
artful
crafty, shrewd, tricky person
OR
creative, imaginative, ingenious, innovative, inventive
ascetic
barron’s 333
relating to or having a strict and simple way of living that avoids physical pleasure
monkish life
self-denial towards things
askance
distrustfully, doubtfully, doubtingly, dubiously,
audacious
barron’s 333
bold, risk-taker OR cheeky, insolent OR foolishly daredevil attitude
austere
barron’s 333
severe or strict in manner or attitude
OR
living life of having no comforts or luxuries
OR
having a plain and unadorned appearance
avaricious
excessively greedy
banal
barron’s 333
not unique
OR
something dull
banality
something so overused or obvious that it seems unoriginal, dull, not unique
belie
HF+Barrons 333
to give a misleading impression of, misrepresent
OR
prove something to be false
OR
conceal (the security council issued false assurances that belied the true gravity of the situation)
belligerent
hostile and aggressive
or
a nation or person engaged in war or conflict
blatant
obvious/noticeable
OR
engaging in loud and insistent cries especially of protest
brazen
rude boldness, cocky
bucolic
open areas with few buildings or people - rural, semi-urban, country, rustic, agricultural area
bumbling
do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
OR
to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound
a fly bumbling around the room while we were trying to sleep
burgeon
Barron’s 333
grow and flourish
calumny
character assassination, defamation, vilify
capricious
Barron’s 333
fickle, inconsistent, fluid, temperamental, unsteady
castigate
chastise, to criticize (someone) severely or angrily
censure
to condemn, to express strong disapproval
chastise
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily