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Knowledge Rehab pt 2 > Vocab Workout > Flashcards

Vocab Workout Flashcards

1
Q

crux

A

the most important point of issue

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2
Q

Double entendre

A

2 interpretations, one indecent

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3
Q

cynical

A

believing that people are motivated purely by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity.

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4
Q

chortle

past tense: Chortled

A

laugh in a noisy, gleeful way.

context - “he chortled at his own execrable pun”

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5
Q

incredulous

A

unwilling or unable to believe something.

“an incredulous gasp”

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6
Q

conspicuous

A

clearly visible.
“he was very thin, with a conspicuous Adam’s apple”
attracting notice or attention.
“he showed conspicuous bravery”

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7
Q

inconspicuous

A

not clearly visible or attracting attention

“an inconspicuous red-brick building”

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8
Q

androgynous

an-drodj-uh-nuhs

A

adj. not distinguishable between male and female

The names Sam is androgynous because it could stand for Samantha or Samual.

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9
Q

allude

uh-lewd

A

v. to refer to another concept indirectly

She would occasionally allude to a summer house, though nobody knew exactly where it was.

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10
Q

indigenous

in-didj-ih-nuss

A

adj. originating in a certain place

The Aborigines are a people indigenous to Australia.

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11
Q

furtive

fur-tiv

A

adj. secretive, sly

At the party, Julia cast furtive glances around the room to make sure her older sister was not around to send her back home.

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12
Q

opaque

owe-peyk

A

adj. blocking all light
adj. hard to understand

The windows became so dirty they were almost opaque.

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13
Q

exacerbate

ig-zass-er-bate

A

v. to make worse

The children’s screaming exacerbated their father’s headache.

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14
Q

malevolent

muh-lev-uh-lunt

A

adj. wishing evil on others

The malevolent old woman was always trying to make her neighbors miserable.

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15
Q

terse

turs

A

adj. succinct, curt

Your terse apology does not even begin to give an adequate explanation for your behavior.

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16
Q

ambivalence

am-biv-uh-lunce

A

n. indifference or confused feelings

The bride’s ambivalence towards the color of the roses meant the groom had to decide.

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17
Q

eclectic

ih-klek-tik

A

adj. composed of parts from many different sources

The girl’s fashion sense was an eclectic mix of conservative Victorian and colorful modern styles.

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18
Q

pariah

puh-rahy-uh

A

n. an outcast; a rejected or despised person

Alex left the party feeling like a pariah.

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19
Q

amenable

uh-men-ih-bull

A

adj. open to suggestion or criticism
adj. accountable

A good manager is amenable to his employee’s new ideas.

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20
Q

exonerate

ig-zawn-ih-rate

A

v. to clear of blame or guilt

Though the defendant had clearly done something wrong, the court had no choice but to exonerate her on the present charges.

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21
Q

esoteric

es-uh-ter-ik

A

adj. intended for or understood only by a particular group
adj. not publicly disclosed; confidential

The esoteric ideas of the cult failed to enlighten many outsiders.

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22
Q

superfluous

suh-per-flu-us

A

adj. more than necessary; unnecessary

The student’s essay was full of superfluous phrases that needed to be deleted.

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23
Q

surreptitious

ser-up-tish-us

A

adj. secretive

Since they were not allowed to speak, the couple exchanged surreptitious glances from across the room.

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24
Q

erudite

A

having or showing great knowledge or learning.

“Ken could turn any conversation into an erudite discussion”

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25
Q

dormant

door-munt

A

adj. inactive for a period of time

The dormant volcano erupted unexpectedly, injuring many.

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26
Q

debauchery

dih-baw-chuh-ree

A

n. extreme sensual indulgence

The debauchery in the movie was enough to make me blush.

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27
Q

sanguine

sang-gwin

A

adj. cheerfully optimistic

Samantha had a sanguine attitude towards life that enriched those around her.

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28
Q

emasculate

uh-mass-kyuh-leyt

A

v. to castrate or make effeminate
v. to weaken

Wearing the frilly pink shirt made him feel emasculated.

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29
Q

visceral

viss-er-uhl

A

adj. felt in one’s stomach
adj. emotional, rather than intellectual

Jeb’s visceral response to his mother’s racist ramblings was visible to all of us.

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30
Q

decorous

dek-core-us

A

adj. conforming to what is acceptable to society
adj. marked by propriety and etiquette

One must always behave in a decorous manner at formal events.

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31
Q

alchemy

al-kuh-me

A

n. the medieval study of transforming lead into gold

Alchemy is in many ways related to the chemistry we study today.

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32
Q

indigenous

in-didj-ih-nuss

A

adj. originating in a certain place

The Aborigines are a people indigenous to Australia.

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33
Q

volition

voh-lish-uhn

A

n. a conscious decision or the capability of choosing
n. willingness

Though his friends had egged him on, it was determined that Pat stole the sunglasses of his own volition.

34
Q

altruism

al-true-iz-um

A

n. selfless concern for others

Many charities were formed thanks to Rajiv’s altruism and generosity.

35
Q

hedonism

heed-in-iz-um

A

n. dedication to pursuing pleasure

Jake’s hedonism became apparent when he quit his job rather than cancel his trip to the Bahamas.

36
Q

circumvent

sir-kum-vent

A

v. to get around an obstacle

She managed to circumvent security and approached her favorite actor backstage.

37
Q

expedite

ek-spuh-dahyt

A

v. to speed up

For an extra fee, the post office can expedite your package’s delivery.

38
Q

quotidian

kwoh-tid-ee-uhn

A

adj. everyday, commonplace, habitual

Joe’s small, quotidian pleasures seemed more substantial than Mattias’s high-profile jet-setting.

39
Q

jocular

jock-yuh-lur

A

adj. related to jokes

The boy was popular with his classmates due to his cheerful, jocular nature.

40
Q

equivocate

i-kwiv-uh-keyt

A

v. to make vague, unclear statements

The mayor equivocated when confronted about his use of public funds.

41
Q

ameliorate

uh-meal-yuh-rate

A

v. to make better

The new medicine ameliorated her condition rather quickly.

42
Q

didactic

die-dak-tick

A

adj. overly instructive or preachy

He may mean well, but Pat’s efforts to help come across as fussy and didactic.

43
Q

cache

kash

A

n. a hidden place, a secret storage
n. a place for valuables

The bomb shelter had a cache of resources capable of supporting the family.

44
Q

extemporaneous

ik-stem-puh-ray-nee-us

A

adj. made up on the spot, ad-libbed

To be a news anchor, she would have to improve her extemporaneous speaking skills.

45
Q

callous

kal-uhs

A

adj. insensitive; having no feeling

The callous remark upset the entire family.

46
Q

cacophony

kuh-kof-uh-nee

A

n. unpleasant, discordant sounds

The orchestra’s first attempt to play together was a cacophony of jarring notes.

47
Q

candor

kan-der

A

n. the quality of being frank, sincere, or impartial in expression

Giorgio was known for his candor, so it surprised no one when he began to talk at length about his love life.

48
Q

precocious

prih-koh-shuhs

A

adj. unusually quick development or maturation, especially in intelligence

The child’s precocious understanding of calculus stunned his teachers.

49
Q

endemic

in-dem-ik

A

adj. originating in, native to, particular to

There are some deadly diseases that are endemic to the tropics.

50
Q

trite

trahyt

A

adj. uninteresting due to overuse; hackneyed

Though some may find Valentine’s Day chocolates trite, I look forward to every box I get.

51
Q

symbiotic

sim-bee-ott-ik

A

adj. related to a relationship that is beneficial for all involved

The whale and the small fish that cling to its body have a symbiotic relationship.

52
Q

semantic

suh-man-tick

A

adj. related to the meaning of words

Susan felt that the abortion debate had become too focused on semantic arguments.

53
Q

emulate

em-yuh-lehyt

A

v. to try to imitate or exceed another’s actions

Nancy wanted to emulate her older sister and so began to study more often.

54
Q

tacit

tass-it

A

adj. implied or unspoken

There was a tacit agreement between the two companies that neither would expand into the other’s city.

55
Q

pithy

pith-ee

A

adj. concise and relevant

Satya’s pithy keynote speech was more enlightening than the endless lectures that had preceded it.

56
Q

proliferate

pruh-lif-er-ehyt

A

v. to grow and spread quickly

Tensions in the area proliferated after the civilian casualties.

57
Q

meticulous

muh-tick-yuh-luss

A

adj. paying great attention to detail

He was a meticulous sculptor, sometimes spending hours perfecting a single fingernail on one of his figures.

58
Q

vestige

ves-tidge

A

n. a small remnant

That abandoned well is a vestige of the manor that once stood here.

59
Q

prone

prone

A

adj. lying face or front downward
adj. tending to behave or act a certain way

Lucy was prone to cheat on tests, so the teachers placed her in a separate room.

60
Q

misogynist

mih-sodj-uh-nist

A

n. one who hates women

The song contained several lyrics that were so offensive to women that the singer was immediately labeled a misogynist.

61
Q

covert

koe-vert

A

adj. hidden; secret

The government’s covert operations were laid bare by the shocking article.

62
Q

virtuoso

vur-chew-owe-so

A

n. a highly-skilled artist

Even at a young age, it was clear that Beethoven was a virtuoso in the making.`

63
Q

pedagogy

ped-uh-goh-djee

A

n. the art or profession of training, teaching, or instructing

Training in pedagogy can’t prepare you for manic third graders.

64
Q

prudent

proo-dent

A

adj. practical; careful

His assistant was particularly prudent when it came to keeping the company’s secrets.

65
Q

grovel

gruhv-uhl

A

v. to behave in a servile manner
v. to indulge in unworthy pursuits

The servants groveled at the king’s throne.

66
Q

decadent

deck-ih-dunt

A

adj. in a state of decline
adj. self-indulgent

Louis XIV was known for his decadent displays of wealth and power.

67
Q

eugenics

yoo-djen-iks

A

n. the study of heredity improvements by genetic control

Nazi Germany is known to have carried out many eugenics experiments that provoked outrage once they came to light.

68
Q

veracity

vur-rass-ih-tee

A

n. truthfulness

In order have her article published, Susan needed to prove the veracity of her claims.

69
Q

astute

A

having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn this to one’s advantage.
“an astute businessman”
synonyms: shrewd, sharp, sharp-witted, razor-sharp, quick-witted, ingenious, clever, intelligent, bright, brilliant, smart, canny, media-savvy, intuitive, discerning, perceptive, perspicacious, insightful, incisive, piercing, sagacious, wise, judicious;

70
Q

lexicon

A

the vocabulary of a person, language, or branch of knowledge.
“the size of the English lexicon”

71
Q

assimilate

A

1.
take in and understand fully (information or ideas).
“Marie tried to assimilate the week’s events”
2.
(of the body or any biological system) absorb and digest (food or nutrients).
“the sugars in the fruit are readily assimilated by the body”

72
Q

mundane

A

lacking interest or excitement; dull.
“his mundane, humdrum existence”
synonyms: humdrum, dull, boring, tedious, monotonous, tiresome, wearisome, prosaic, unexciting, uninteresting, uneventful, unvarying, unvaried, unremarkable, repetitive, repetitious, routine, ordinary, everyday, day-to-day, quotidian, run-of-the-mill, commonplace, common, workaday, usual, pedestrian, customary, regular, normal;

73
Q

negentropy

A

Negentropy is reverse entropy. It means things becoming more in order. By ‘order’ is meant organisation, structure and function: the opposite of randomness or chaos. One example of negentropy is a star system such as the Solar System. Another example is life.

74
Q

innocuous

A

not harmful or offensive.
“it was an innocuous question”
synonyms: harmless, safe, non-dangerous, non-poisonous, non-toxic, non-irritant, non-injurious, innocent;

75
Q

invidious

A

(of an action or situation) likely to arouse or incur resentment or anger in others.
“she’d put herself in an invidious position”
synonyms: unpleasant, awkward, difficult

76
Q

Immolation

A

Immolation is what happens when something is killed or offered as a sacrifice. … Immolation comes from the Latin word immolat-, meaning “sprinkled with sacrificial meal.” Immolation always involves a sacrifice or offering of some sort. The word often invokes burning, a common method of sacrifice.

77
Q

Vindictive

A

having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge.
“the criticism was both vindictive and personalized”
synonyms: vengeful, out for revenge, revengeful, avenging, unforgiving, grudge-bearing, resentful, ill-disposed, implacable, unrelenting, acrimonious, bitter;

78
Q

pervasive

A

(especially of an unwelcome influence or physical effect) spreading widely throughout an area or a group of people.
“ageism is pervasive and entrenched in our society”
synonyms: prevalent, penetrating, pervading, permeating, extensive, ubiquitous, omnipresent, present everywhere, rife, widespread, general, common, universal, pandemic, epidemic, endemic, inescapable, insidious

79
Q

Entropy

A

lack of order or predictability; gradual decline into disorder.
“a marketplace where entropy reigns supreme”

80
Q

erratic

A

not even or regular in pattern or movement; unpredictable.
“her breathing was erratic”
synonyms: unpredictable, inconsistent, changeable, variable, inconstant, uncertain, irregular, unstable, turbulent, unsteady, unsettled, unreliable, undependable, changing, ever-changing, volatile, varying, shifting, fluctuating, fluid,

81
Q

Patsy

A

a person who is easily taken advantage of, especially by being cheated or blamed for something.
“the blonde was drop-dead gorgeous but she was nobody’s patsy”

Knowledge Rehab pt 2 (7 decks)

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