Vocabulary Flashcards
blame, strong dislike (n.)
odium of sth./sb.
The popular odium of attorneys is often unmerited.
an attorney / a lawyer
an attorney
adj: not adequately (hinreichend) earned or deserved
unmerited
officious
adj: 1.assertive of authority in a domineering
way
2. prone to give unwanted advice
- The security people at the concert were very officious.
- I try to avoid being officious with my friends.
assertive
asserting (v.)
noun: to behave confidently and to not be frightened to say what you want or believe
domineering
adj: asserting one’s will over another in an arrogant way.
adj: 1. blocking all light; not transparent
2. hard to understand or explain
opaque
- The windows became so dirty they were almost opaque.
- Some of his sentences are really opaque.
opportune
adj: happening under fitting circumstances
The teacher has been waiting for an opportune moment to surprise the students.
superfluous
adj: more than necessary; unnecessary
The student’s essay was full of superfluous phrases that needed to be deleted.
Stress: suPERfluous
supersede
verb: to substitute; to take precedence over
(Vorrang haben)
It had been my understanding that the new tax code supersedes the old one, but actually both are in vigor (in Kraft) simultaneously.
Stress: superSEDE
having lost respect or credibility (adj.)
discredited
fleissig (adj.)
diligent
noun: diligence
Very clean
Spotless / pristine
to replace (v.)
to supplant sb./sth. with sb./sth.
The higher-ups tried to supplant rebellious teachers with conformists.
to humbly ask (v.)
to supplicate sb. to do sth.
The churchgoers then bowed their heads and supplicated God to answer their prayers.
to overcome / to rise above (v.)
to surmount sth.
Through sheer determination, he was able to surmount his disadvantages and win the contest outright (completely / immediately).
secretive (adj.)
(especially because it would not be approved of)
surreptitious
Since they were not allowed to speak, the couple exchanged surreptitious glances from across the room.
similar (adj.)
to be akin to sth./sb.
very complicated and detailed; carefully prepared and organzied (adj.)
elaborate
She had prepared a very elaborate meal
operating at the same time or at the same rate (adj.)
synchronous
The film was notable for its synchronous premiere in 11 capital cities around the globe.
tending to be silent; quiet (adj.)
taciturn (tass-ih-turn)
Some of the students were quite taciturn and had to be asked to participate more.
to make worse (v.)
exacerbate
The children’s screaming exacerbated their father’s headache.
to free from blame (v.)
exculpate (ek-skull-pate)
The political prisoner was fully exculpated only when the dictatorship was overthrown and an independent truth commission established.
to advise or try hard to persuade sb. to do sth. (v.)
urge
Police are urging anyone who saw the accident to contact them immediately.
very small in size or amount; hardly enough (adj.)
exiguous
an exiguous salary
An action that is useful or necessary for a particular purpose, but not always fair or right. (n.)
expedient
The politician tended to bring up his humble origins when it was politically expedient.
to speed up (v.)
expedite
For an extra fee, the post office can expedite your package’s delivery.
to atone for wrongdoing (v.)
expiate
After destroying his friend’s car, Jim hoped the fruit basket he sent would expiate his guilt.
Atone:
To act in a way that shows you are sorry for doing something wrong in the past
Spoken or done without planning or preparation. (adj.)
extemporaneous
To be a news anchor, she would have to improve her extemporaneous speaking skills.
to praise (v.)
extol
Melinda was often heard extolling her daughter’s many talents.
to make a guess based on facts (v.)
extrapolate
Pete figured it was possible to extrapolate her personality from her Facebook profile.
a rude or unpleasant person (n.)
churl
to be limited or restrained by sth.
to be circumscribed
I believe our government’s actions are circumscribed by financial interests as well as moral imperatives.
prudent, cautious (adj.)
circumspect
Though her mother’s boyfriend attempted to win affection with toys and treats, Elise remained circumspect around him.
(prudent <-> imprudent)
To find a way of avoiding a difficult or a rule. (v.)
Circumvent
They found a way of circumventing the law.
to come together to form a single unit (v.)
coalesce (koh-ih-less)
Our county’s many poverty initiatives are too different to coalesce into an effective whole.
clear and convincing; relevant
cogent
We won the debate because the other team was unable to mount a cogent counterargument.
to have a clear logical connection so that together they make a whole. (v.)
cohere (with sth.)
The various sections of the report fail to cohere into a satisfactory whole.
unwilling to change their opinions or behavior in a way that would be helpful to others (adj.)
intransigent
~stubborn
The government remained intransigent despite the people’s protest.
important, vital, essential (adj.)
paramount
Reducing carbon emissions is of paramount importance in order to com bat climate change.
unimportant, unnecessary (adj.)
trifling (used in a more negative way)
Choosing a university is no trifling matter for young people.
interesting (adj.)
riveting
I found Ben’s last video absolutely riveting.
boring
dull (often used to described people)
My English teacher is so dull.
pretty, different, charming (adj.)
quaint (often used to describe villages)
I come from a quaint village.
little, not enough, insufficient, inadequate (adj.)
paltry
Nurses are paid a paltry salary considering how hard they work.
although (conjunction)
albeit (only used before nouns, adjectives or adverbs)
! Can’t be used with an indefinite clause !
He did the task well, albeit slowly.
They are positive measures, albeit insufficient.
to the extent / to the degree (conjunction)
insofar as
Used to clarify the limitations of what’s expressed in the first clause.
English exams are very useful insofar as they can help students with motivation an focus.
therefore (3)
ergo (very formal)
The results of the experiment were inconclusive. Ergo, further testing is required.
thus (formal)
Results in the third quarter have been poor. Thus, cost cutting measures need to be implemented.
hence (quite formal)
The study found that employees are dissatisfied with the food available in the canteen. Hence, it is recommended that a new catering service is contracted.
courageous (adj.)
intrepid
The intrepid naturalist routinely braved storms and mudslides to document new species.
belonging to the real nature of sth. / sb.
intrinsic (<-> extrinsic)
These tasks were repetitive, lengthy and lacking any intrinsic interest.
To accustom to sth. negative or unpleasant (v.)
to inure
Nearby residents soon inured to the noise from the construction project.
verbally abusing (adj.) / abusive or stern language (n.)
invective
What this debate needs is a little less invective language and a little more substance.
unable to be revoke; permanent (adj.)
irrevocable
The laws the king decreed (decided officially) were irrevocable even after he left the throne.
the central part of a situation or seed (n.)
kernel
the kernel of the matter was that she didn’t even know where to begin looking for a new house.
not lively; not bright (adj.)
lackluster
Tired from a long day, Susan gave a very lackluster performance during the dress rehearsal.
stubborn; difficult to treat or handle
refractory
The doctors didn’t know how to deal with such a refractory infection.
to protest (v.)
to remonstrate
Many special-interest groups remonstrated against the new legislation.
peacefulness, rest (n.)
In the summer, she would often lie under the willow trees in complete repose.
to renounce ownership or disown / to refuse to recognize / to reject as true
to repudiate
The scientists who discovered the fossil were shocked when it was repudiated as a fake.
not wanting to talk; reluctant (hesitating before doing sth.) (adj.)
When asked about the stolen vase, the maid was reticent even though she had seen the thief take it.
shy; quiet (adj.)
retiring
During high school, Mary became so retiring that people sometimes didn’t notice when they shared a class with her.
to admire greatly; to honor (v.)
to revere
(often passive)
The mayor was so revered by the village that every citizen attended his funeral.
easy to convince (adj.)
pliant
The professor needed a particularly pliant mind for his brainwashing experiment.
so emotionally intense as to be painful (adj.)
poignant
Watching her daughter wake up was particularly poignant for her mother who had worried by her bedside the whole night.
controversial (adj.) controversial argument (n.)
polemic
As soon as the graduate student obtained her doctorate, she published a polemic refutation (statement that sth. is untrue) of her mentor’s work.
difficult to handle due to heaviness / requiring a lot of work (adj.)
ponderous
The ponderous task was completed in no time, thanks to the large number of volunteers we had.
to force someone or something out of a position (v.)
to dislodge sth.
We are always trying to dislodge each other’s pessimism.
The objective of the protest was to dislodge the Prime Minister from power.
unhappily, depressingly (adv.)
gloomily
(gloomy: dark; unlit / unhappy, depressing)
The economist gloomily predicted a recession.
boring / dull due to overuse (adj.)
trite
The film is entertaining, but the plot is trite and predictable.
praise or an award for an achievement that people admire (n.)
accolade
Four restaurants have been awarded the highest accolade of a three-star rating.
to praise or welcome sb./sth. publicly (v.)
acclaim
The work was acclaimed as a masterpiece.
a person who changes his opinion easily & suddenly (adj.)
fickle
Football fans are typically very fickle. They worship a player one day and lambast him the very next.
someone who’s difficult to deal with, argumentative, complain a lot (adj.)
cantankerous
My granddad was always moody and sometimes downright cantankerous.
brave, courageous, spirited (adj.)
clucky
The plucky boy climbed the tree even though he was afraid of heights.
weird/different in a fun way (adj.)
quirky
She was well known for her quirky dress sense.
lacking class or grace (adj.)
uncouth
He dressed elegantly, but his uncouth table manners gave him away.
calm under pressure (adj.)
unflappable
Whatever crisis we face at work my boss is always unflappable.
unlucky (Adj.)
hapless
The hapless defender scored three own goals in one match.
to foretell (v.)
portend
The witch claimed that the stormy weather portended the ruler’s downfall.
to assume as fact (v.)
posit
Some physicists posit that the universe will expand forever.
to support (v.)
bolster
(often passive)
The candidate’s campaign was bolstered by endorsements by several former military leaders.
to grow (v.)
burgeon
The burgeoning mass of bees was heading straight for the picnic.
making severe demand or requirements / requiring great care (adj.)
exacting
The exacting professor wanted a 15-page paper due the next day in class.
A physically exacting sport.
to reprimand, to scold sharply (v.)
rebuked for sth.
(often passive)
The child was rebuked for stealing.
pleasant sounding (adj.)
dulcet
The dulcet tone of the musical parody contrasted sharply with its offensive lyrics.
to recognize or show that two things are not the same
differentiate between / from
It’s difficult to differentiate between the two varieties.
I can’t differentiate one variety from another.
= good
top notch / outstanding / superb
= bad
appalling, egregious
= old
long in the tooth
I’m far too long in the tooth to listen to reggaeton.
antiquated (more like old-fashioned)
For a young man, he has surprisingly antiquated views.
= little
miniscule
For 16 years, we lived in a miniscule flat in the center of the city.
knee-high to a grasshopper (more used to describe people)
Last time I saw you, you were knee-high to a grasshopper.
= high
lofty
The lofty (swinging slowly from side to side) trees swayed in the wind.
He had lofty goals of becoming CEO.
= Different
Disparate
We often clash because our political views are so disparate.
Chalk and cheese (info. more used to describe people)
My sister and I are chalk and cheese.
= same
Peas in the pod (more used for people)
The brother were like peas in a pod.
Tantamount (almost the same, negatively)
Calling a Scot an Englishman is tantamount to a declaration of war.
strongly recommend or encourage sb. to do sth.
urge
The government urged the public to remain calm.
lazy, showing no effort (adj.)
indolent
The indolent employee expected his coworkers to complete his unfinished project.
extraordinary, impressive (adj.)
prodigious
The athlete’s prodigious strength allowed him to lift twice his body weight.
nickname (n.)
sobriquet
Because Laura was so small, her father referred to her by the sobriquet of Half-pint
an inappropriate lack of seriousness; overly casual
levity
The unexpected moment of levity during the meeting broke the ice and helped everyone relax.
~frivolity
behavior that is silly or funny, especially when this is not suitable
deeply unhappy and without hope, disappointed
disconsolate
She was disconsolate after her boyfriend broke up with her.
or dejected, despondent
a feeling of boredom or weariness
ennui
I can’t shake off tis ennui today; everything seems so dull.
hardly ever
seldom ever
Seldom ever have we seen such incompetence.
to express or explain your thoughts or feelings clearly in words
articulate
She struggled to articulate her thoughts.
audacity
gall
He had the gall to request a raise after it was discovered that he was calling in sick in order to play golf.
rude behaviour
impudence
I’ve had enough of your impudence, young lady.
connected with your emotions, rather than reason (adj.)
sentimental
The ring wasn’t worth very much but it had great sentimental value.
to damage or reduce the value of sth. (v.)
to sully
By cheating they have sullied the good name of their country.
to make something dirty or no longer pure, especially something that people consider important or holy
defile sth.
Many victims of burglary feel their homes have been defiled.
short but expressed well and full of meaning (adj.)
pithy
The book is full of pithy observations about how we behave when we travel abroad.
~concise
= untidy
slovenly
The other dinner guests held the slovenly drunkard in contempt (the feeling that sb./sth. is without value and deserves no respect at all).
troublesome, burdensome
onerous
The students relished (to get great pleasure from sth.) making the teacher’s job as onerous as possible.
to treat a person as a celebrity
lionize
When the musical sensation returned to her hometown she was lionized by everyone she knew.
a pleasant, harmonious sound (n.)
euphony (adj: euphonious)
The euphony of the Italian language is unparalleled.
boring due to overuse (adj.)
trite
Though some may find Valentine’s Day chocolates trite, I look forward to every box I get.
acting or done quickly without thought or care (adj.)
impetuous
His impetuous decision to quit his job without having another one lined up resulted in financial difficulties.
to pretend to bee ill to skip duty (v.)
malinger
The employees malinger on holidays, but their manager knows better and asks for a doctor’s note.
easily annoyed or irritated, especially when things don’t go your way (adj.)
petulant
The petulant child threw a tantrum when he didn’t get what he wanted.
present everywhere, pervasive
ubiquitous
In today’s world, technology is ubiquitous.
believing that oneself is all that exists (adj.)
solipsistic
Young adults are often seen as solipsistic when in reality many of them volunteer at local charities.
too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words. (adj.)
ineffable
The ineffable beauty of the sunset left them speechless.
a person who is new or inexperienced in a particular activity or field (n.)
neophyte
The neophyte was lucky to find a mentor in the industry to help him learn the ropes.
mysterious, difficult to understand (adj.)
enigmatic
The enigmatic artist left many questions about his work unanswered.
having or showing very strong and sincere feelings about something (adj.)
fervent
often used with: belief, believer, supporter, hope
The young poet wrote fervent love letters to her crush.
to enjoy or like
to relish
I relish traveling to exotic countries.
to happen at or near the same thing
to be the same or similar
A coincides with B
I’m sorry. I can’t go to the birthday party because it coincides with a business trip that I have to take.
If our schedules coincide, we can plan the trip together.
to waste money or supplies, or to waste opportunities by not taking advantage of them
squander
Collocation: squander an () opportunity
Many people feel that the government squanders taxpayer money.
to remember officially and give respect to a great person or event, especially by a public ceremony or by making a statue or special building.
commemorate
Events co commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.
to form an opinion or guess that something is true because of the information you have.
infer
If i am soaking wet, you might infer that it is raining outside.
to walk slowly with a lot of effort, especially over a difficult surface or while carrying something heavy.
trudge
Have you ever trudged through the snow.
continued effort to achieve something, even though it’s difficult or takes a lot of time (n.)
perseverance
Learning a new language takes a lot of perseverance.
a person who works a lot and can’t stop
workaholic
Bonus tips: The suffix -holic often states that someone is addicted to something.
(shopaholic, bookaholic…)
when you support or oppose someone or something in an unfair way because you are influenced by you personal opinion.
bias
Employers must consider all candidates impartially (~neutrally) and without bias.
careful examination of something in order to gather more information about it
(to come under) scrutiny
The situation is bound to come under the scrutiny of the public health authorities.
compromise = to make a …
concession
I’m ready to make a concession as long as it means the end of this argument.
The arrival of a lot of things or people at the same time.
influx
The town experienced an influx of tourists this summer.
to be the perfect example of sth.
epitome
epitomise (v.)
having enough skill or knowledge to do something well (adj.)
competent -> incompetent
Make sure the film is competent to carry out the work.
He’s very competent in his work.
a very clear and typical example of sth.
paradigm
The war was a paradigm of the destructive side of human nature.
sth. that stops people doings sth. because they are afraid of what may happen
sth. acts as a deterrent to sth.
The teacher’s strict punishments act as a deterrent to cheating.
a situation or statement that is unclear and may have more than one possible meaning and therefore possibly causing confusion
ambiguity / ambiguous
There is ambiguity in the law.
Be specific so there is no ambiguity.
The place where a person or thing is
whereabouts
The police doesn’t know the criminal’s whereabouts.
sth. so important that you could not manage without it (adj.)
indispensable
She is an indispensable part of the team.
doubtful
dubious about
I was rather dubious about the whole idea.
stiff or fixed; not able to be bent or moved
rigid
The crowbar is rigid. It won’t bend.
