Vocab1 Flashcards
Acrimony
n Bitterness of words or manner
Ambivalence
n Having contradictory emotions
Charlatan
n Quack; pretender to knowledge
Congenial
adj Pleasant; friendly
Contentious
adj Quarrelsome
Defamation
n Harming a person’s reputation
malignant
adj 1. virulent or infectious/cancerous
2. malevolent
prescient
adj showing knowledge of events before they happen “a prescient warning”
erudite
adj showing great knowledge or learning “an erudite theory”
anachronistic
adj not in its correct historical time
edified
adj instructed/encouraged in intellectual/moral/spiritual improvement
modicum
n. a small amount of something
antecedent
- adj going before; preceding
2. an event that happens before another
afford
verb. 1. have enough money 2. have available to spare 3. provide or supply
equanimity
n. mental calmness, composure
protectionist
n. an advocate of government economic protection for domestic producers (restricting foreign competitors)
pundit
n. an expert in a particular subject
euphonious
adj. pleasing to the ear
bellicose
adj. demonstrating aggression “bellicose patriots”
perfidious
adj. deceitful, untrustworthy “a perfidious lover”
ubiquitous
adj. found everywhere “ubiquitous influence”
adulatory
adj. excessively praising or admiring “an adulatory review”
languorous
adj. with lack of energy or vitality “languorous Sunday afternoons”
vituperative
adj. bitter and abusive “vituperative criticism”
sycophantic
adj. self-seeking, attempting to gain an advantage through flattering
implicate
verb. 1. to convey indirectly 2. to show someone to be involved in a crime
vicarious
adj. experienced in the imagination through someone else “vicarious pleasure from fictional characters”
nominal
adj. 1. existing in name only 2. very small
ultimatum
noun. a final demand or statement of terms “they issued an ultimatum demanding etc etc”
entreaty
noun. an earnest or humble request
ostensibly
adv. apparently but perhaps not actually “it was ostensibly a book about football”
salient
adj. something that projects outward from its surroundings, standing out
incontrovertible
adj. not able to be denied “incontrovertible proof”
myriad
noun. a countless/extremely great number
prospective
adj. expected to be something in the future “a prospective buyer” “prospective changes”
veneration
noun. great respect; reverence
consternation
noun. anxiety or dismay typically at something unexpected
commiseration
noun. sympathy/sorrow “offered him clumsy commiseration”
proliferation
noun. rapid increase in numbers “cell proliferation”
precocious
adj. developing early “precocious boy”
sinuous
adj. having many curves and turns
succinct
adj. briefly and clearly expressed “a succinct report”
spate
noun. a large number of events occurring in quick succession “a spate of attacks on travelers”
paucity
noun. scarcity “a paucity of information”
panoply
noun. a complete or impressive collection of things
elocution
noun. the skill of clear and expressive speech
cataclysmic
Adj. Relating to a violent natural event “a cataclysmic failure”
Beneficiary
N. A person who derives advantage from something (like a trust, will, or life insurance policy)
Emissary
N. A person sent on a special mission usually as a diplomatic representative
Connoisseur
N. An expert judge in matters of taste
Patron
n. 1. a person who gives financial or other support 2. a (regular) customer of a store, restaurant, or theater
sojourn
- n. a temporary stay “his sojourn in Paris” 2. v. to live temporarily “to sojourn on the Riviera for two months”
benefactor
n. a person who gives $ or other help to a person (synonym = patron)
raconteur
n. someone who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way (storyteller)
dilettante
n. a person who cultivates an area of interest without real commitment or knowledge “a dilettante approach”
magnate
n. a wealthy and influential person (synonym = tycoon)
prevaricator
n. a person who tells lies
tycoon
n. a wealthy, powerful person in business or industry (synonym = magnate)
abate
verb. to become less intense or widespread “the storm suddenly abated”
preeminent
adj. surpassing all others; distinguished in some way “the world’s preeminent expert”
preternatural
adj. beyond what is normal or natural “preternatural speed”
debilitate
v. make weak or hinder “a weakness that debilitates him”
punctilious
adj. showing great attention to behavior “punctilious in providing every amenity”
eclectic
adj. deriving ideas/style from a broad and diverse range of sources “eclectic music taste”
subsidiary
adj. less important than but related to
consecrated
v. made sacred “the church was consecrated”
salubrious
adj. health-giving; healthy “salubrious weather”
winnow
v. 1. find or identify “winnow out the truth” 2. blow “the autumn wind winnowing its way through the grass”
contumacious
adj. stubbornly disobedient to authority
pertinacious
adj. determined, tenacious
maxim
n. adage, aphorism, axiom, dictum
solicitous
adj. showing interest or concern “she was solicitous about her students’ welfare”
chimerical
adj. fantastically visionary or improbable
aspersion
n. an attack on the reputation/integrity of something “casting aspersions”
jettison
v. throw/drop something from an aircraft or ship
expeditious
adj. done with speed and efficiency “an expeditious investigation”
fortuitous
adj. happening by accident or chance “the similarity between the paintings was fortuitous”
insipid
adj. lacking flavor, lacking vigor or interest
unctuous
adj. excessively or ingratiatingly flattering
ebullient
adj. cheerful and full of energy
scurrilous
adj. 1. defamatory, slanderous, insulting “a scurrilous attack on his integrity” 2. humorously insulting “scurrilous writings”
supercilious
adj. arrogant
onus
n. burden, responsibility, obligation
indelible
adj. ineradicable, permanent, lasting
autodidact
n. a self-taught person
sanguinary
adj. 1. involving or causing much bloodshed “this sanguinary war” 2. bloodthirsty, murderous “sanguinary hatred”
conscientious
adj. wishing to do what is right, diligent, assiduous
recondite
adj. esoteric, arcane, obscure “full of recondite information”
litigious
adj. concerned with lawsuits or litigation “today’s litigious society”
puerile
adj. childishly silly and trivial “puerile excuses”
picayune
adj. petty, worthless “picayune squabbling of politicians”
moribund
adj. at the point of death “the patient was moribund”
conflagration
n. an extensive fire that destroys a lot of land/property
treacly
adj. annoyingly sentimental
extemporize
v. improvise “he extemporized at the piano”
convivial
adj. friendly, genial, cheerful, jovial
sedulous
adj. diligent, careful
excoriated
v. censured or criticized severely
quixotic
adj. exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic
attenuated
adj. 1. unnaturally thin 2. weakened in force or effect, reduced, lessened