vocabulary Flashcards
disillusioned
disappointed in someone or something that one discovers to be less good than one had believed.
inept
having or showing no skill; clumsy.
Innocuous
not harmful or offensive
Pious
devoutly religious
Indefatigable
(of a person or their efforts) persisting tirelessly.
Acrimonious
(typically of speech or discussion) angry and bitter.
Vindicate
clear (someone) of blame or suspicion.
Levity
the treatment of a serious matter with humour or lack of due respect.
“as an attempt to introduce a note of levity, the words were a disastrous flop”
Fractiousness
the quality of being easily upset or annoyed, and often complaining: There is growing fractiousness within the party.
Conscientious
wishing to do one’s work or duty well and thoroughly.
Imperceptibility
not noticeable : not perceptible by a sense or by the mind. one whose beauty was imperceptible to others. 2. : hardly noticeable : very small or gradual.
incredulously
in a manner indicating disbelief.
Extemporising
compose or perform something such as music or a speech without preparation; improvise.
Temperament
a person’s or animal’s nature, especially as it permanently affects their behaviour.
Supercilious
behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others.
Sumptuous
splendid and expensive-looking.
Stout
bulky in figure; heavily built; corpulent; thickset; fat. She is getting too stout for her dresses. 2. bold, brave, or dauntless.
Earnestly
with sincere and intense conviction; seriously
Shrill
(of a voice or sound) high-pitched and piercing.
Languid
(of a person, manner, or gesture) having or showing a disinclination for physical exertion or effort. and/or weak or faint from illness or fatigue
Gaudy
extravagantly bright or showy, typically so as to be tasteless.
Erroneous
wrong; incorrect
employers sometimes make erroneous assumptions (adj)
Homogeneity
the quality or state of being all the same or all of the same kind
Corpulent
(of a person) fat.
Convivial
(of an atmosphere or event) friendly, lively, and enjoyable.
Obstetrical
of or pertaining to the care and treatment of women in childbirth and during the period before and after delivery. 2. of or pertaining to childbirth or obstetrics.
Indignant
feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment
Tumultuous
making an uproar or loud, confused noise.
Jaunty
having or expressing a lively, cheerful, and self-confident manner.
Magnanimous
generous or forgiving, especially towards a rival or less powerful person
Presumptuous
(of a person or their behaviour) failing to observe the limits of what is permitted or appropriate
Marred
impair the quality or appearance of; spoil.
Pervade
(especially of a smell) spread through and be perceived in every part of
be present and apparent throughout
Redolent
strongly reminiscent or suggestive of.
“names redolent of history and tradition” (reminiscent)/ fragrant
Stolid
calm, dependable, and showing little emotion or animation
Buttressed
(of a building or structure) strengthened or supported with a buttress
Neophyte
a person new to a subject or activity
Scrim
be thrifty/ economise
Assiduous
showing great care and perseverance
Shuttered face
closed off emotionally
Affable
friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to.
Abject
(of something bad) experienced or present to the maximum degree.
“his letter plunged her into abject misery”
2.
(of a person or their behaviour) completely without pride or dignity; self-abasing.
“an abject apology
to filch
to steal
Catatonic
PSYCHIATRY
relating to or characterized by catatonia.
“catatonic schizophrenia”
INFORMAL
of or in an immobile or unresponsive stupor.
To cleave
: to stay very close to (someone) children cleaving to their families. 2. : to stick closely to (something) usually used figuratively.
Percolation
the process by which water moves downward through the soil under gravitational forces
Venerable
accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character
Timid
showing a lack of courage or confidence; easily frightened.
Interpose
place or insert between one thing and another.
Ruffianly
violently and lawless
Quell
to put an end to using force
Infallible
incapable of making mistakes or being wrong
Aficionado
a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime.
To assail
make a concerted or violent attack on.
“the Scots army assailed Edward’s army from the rear”
(of an unpleasant feeling or physical sensation) come upon (someone) suddenly and strongly.
“she was assailed by doubts and regrets”
criticize strongly.
“he assailed a group of editors for their alleged excesses”
allusive vs elusive
allusive - using or containing suggestion rather than explicit mention.
Elusive - difficult to find, catch, or achieve.
/ remember
timid
showing a lack of courage or confidence; easily frightened.
To immolate
kill or offer as a sacrifice, especially by burning.
“Chinese kings would immolate vast numbers of animals”
indignant
feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment.
To expiate
make amends or reparation for (guilt or wrongdoing).
“their sins must be expiated by sacrifice”
aquiescent
tending to accept or allow what others want or demand
intimidate
frighten or overawe (someone), especially in order to make them do what one wants.
“the forts are designed to intimidate the population”
rancorous
characterized by bitterness or resentment.
“sixteen miserable months of rancorous disputes”
assurance
a positive declaration intended to give confidence; a promise.
“he gave an assurance that work would begin on Monday”
confidence or certainty in one’s own abilities.
“she drove with assurance”
subservience
willingness to obey others unquestioningly.
“he demonstrated his complete subservience to his masters”
• the condition of being less important than something else.
“is it a case of the subservience of the divine to political beliefs?”
lamely
in a weak and unsatisfactory way: “You must have been mistaken,” she told Adam, rather lamely.
indignation
Indignation is a complex emotion that is a feeling of anger or disgust caused by something that is considered unjust, unworthy, or mean. For example, someone might feel indignation at an offensive television show and start a campaign to get it canceled.
Supine
(of a person) lying face upwards.
failing to act or protest as a result of moral weakness or indolence.
“they remained supine in the face of terrible wrongdoing”
AKA - weak, spineless
turpitude
depraved or wicked behaviour or character.
“acts of moral turpitude”
AKA vileness, wrongdoing, vice, wickedness. a vile or depraved act.
E.g., The court did not find moral turpitude in his actions. Immigration officers denied his entry claiming issues of moral turpitude.
Depraved
Depraved means very evil or having an evil and immoral character.
Morally corrupt, wicked
dictum
a short statement that expresses a general truth or principle.
a formal pronouncement from an authoritative source
A vamp
A seductive woman
colluding (v)
cooperate in a secret or unlawful way in order to deceive or gain an advantage over others.
“he accused his opponents of colluding with one another”
To commiserate
express or feel sympathy or pity; sympathize.
“she went over to commiserate with Rose on her unfortunate circumstances”
feel or express pity for (someone).
“she did not exult in her rival’s fall, but, on the contrary, commiserated her”
Exult
feel or show triumphant elation or jubilation.
“exulting in her escape, Lisa closed the door behind her”
innocuous
not harmful or offensive.
“it was an innocuous question”
incur
become subject to (something unwelcome or unpleasant) as a result of one’s own behaviour or actions.
adroitly
ADVERB
in a clever or skilful way.
“he managed the evacuation adroitly”
conceited
adj - excessively proud of oneself; vain.
“Fred’s so conceited he’d never believe anyone would refuse him”
impudent
adj-not showing due respect for another person; impertinent.
“he could have strangled this impudent upstart”
virtuosity
noun-great skill in music or another artistic pursuit.
“a performance of considerable virtuosity”
languid
(of a person, manner, or gesture) having or showing a disinclination for physical exertion or effort.
“his languid demeanour irritated her”
weak or faint from illness or fatigue.
“she was pale, languid, and weak, as if she had delivered a child”
impertinent
not showing proper respect; rude.
“an impertinent question”
not pertinent to a particular matter; irrelevant.
“talk of ‘rhetoric’ and ‘strategy’ is impertinent to this process”
Implacable
Adj - unable to be appeased or placated.
“he was an implacable enemy of Ted’s”
unable to be stopped; relentless.
“the implacable advance of the enemy”
Lament
VERB: express passionate grief about.
“he was lamenting the death of his infant daughter”
express regret or disappointment about something.
NOUN: a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.
“his mother’s night-long laments for his father”
a complaint.
“there were constant laments about the conditions of employment”
Lament
VERB: express passionate grief about.
“he was lamenting the death of his infant daughter”
express regret or disappointment about something.
NOUN: a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.
“his mother’s night-long laments for his father”
a complaint.
“there were constant laments about the conditions of employment”
Shrewdness
Noun- the quality of having or showing good powers of judgement.
“he is a man of some tactical shrewdness”
Shrewd
having or showing astute or sharp judgment in practical matters, sometimes at the cost of moral compromise: a shrewd businessman. Synonyms: intelligent, discriminating, keen, sagacious, perspicacious, perceptive, discerning, quick. cunning or tricky; artful.
Conspicuous
clearly visible.
“he was very thin, with a conspicuous Adam’s apple”
attracting notice or attention.
“he showed conspicuous bravery”
Conspicuous
clearly visible.
“he was very thin, with a conspicuous Adam’s apple”
attracting notice or attention.
“he showed conspicuous bravery”
Vehemence
great forcefulness or intensity of feeling or expression.
“the vehemence of his reaction”
Aka Intense (reaction)
Debauchery
noun - excessive indulgence in sex, alcohol, or drugs.
E.g Stag and hen nights have become weekends and even whole weeks of debauchery and indulgence.”
“A long weekend at the seaside means drinking, drugging & general debauchery, yes?”
“debauchery and licentiousness were the keynotes of Nero’s court”
“Many of the British clearly enjoyed a traditional expatriate life of abandoned debauchery.”
Insouciance(insoosiance)
Noun- casual lack of concern; indifference.
“an impression of boyish insouciance”
“I wish I could agree with this call for mature insouciance, one year on.”
“Mostly, though, Sanders’ cheerful insouciance could not be less calculating.”
Insouciance(insoosiance)
Noun- casual lack of concern; indifference.
“an impression of boyish insouciance”
“I wish I could agree with this call for mature insouciance, one year on.”
“Mostly, though, Sanders’ cheerful insouciance could not be less calculating.”
inexorable
impossible to stop or prevent.
“the seemingly inexorable march of new technology”
unrelenting
- (of a person) impossible to persuade; unrelenting.”the doctors were inexorable, and there was nothing to be done”
Enervated
drained of energy or vitality.
“Daniel felt too enervated to resist”
Expatiate
speak or write in detail about.
“she expatiated on working-class novelists”
Reproachful
expressing disapproval or disappointment.
“she gave him a reproachful look”
Bucolic bliss
an idyllic lifestyle in the countryside
disconcerted
to be worried, uncertain, or disturbed in one’s composure or self-possession
Imploring look
showing in a very sincere, emotional, and determined way that you want someone to do or not do something : He had an imploring look in his eyes. She looked at his imploring face, and felt a stab of guilt.
Acrimony
bitterness or ill feeling.
Barmy
Foolish/crazy
Lumbering
moving in a slow, heavy, awkward way.
“Bob was a big, lumbering, gentle sort”
Reposeful
having a calm and soothing quality; tranquil.
“the desire for reposeful contemplation”
Caprice
a sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behaviour.
“the caprices of the electorate”
dissipation
overindulgence in sensual pleasures; dissipated living.
“a descent into drunkenness and sexual dissipation”
the squandering of money, energy, or resources.
“the dissipation of the country’s mineral wealth”
Sacrosanct
(especially of a principle, place, or routine) regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with.
“the individual’s right to work has been upheld as sacrosanct”
To enthral
capture the fascinated attention of.
“she had been so enthralled by the adventure that she had hardly noticed the cold”
or enslave
Ravaged
severely damaged; devastated.
“he hopes to visit his ravaged homeland”
disfigured by age or illness.
“the ravaged faces of the elderly cancer victims”
To suffuse
gradually spread through or over.
“her cheeks were suffused with colour”
to behave boorishly
in a way that is rude and does not consider other people’s feelings: He would get drunk at dinner parties and behave boorishly towards his hosts. He could be boorishly insensitive at times, but he was not a bad person. Related word. boorish
Lilt
a characteristic rising and falling of the voice when speaking; a pleasant gentle accent.
“he spoke with a faint but recognizable Irish lilt”
emissary
a person sent as a diplomatic representative on a special mission.
Intransigence
refusal to change one’s views or to agree about something.
“opponents accused him of intransigence”
If you describe someone as intransigent, you mean that they refuse to behave differently or to change their attitude to something
To sully
damage the purity or integrity of.
“they were outraged that anyone should sully their good name”
make dirty.
“she wondered if she dared sully the gleaming sink”
Sentinels
a soldier or guard whose job is to stand and keep watch.
Enervating
causing one to feel drained of energy or vitality.
“the enervating humidity of the coast”
imbue
inspire or permeate with (a feeling or quality).
“his works are invariably imbued with a sense of calm and serenity”
Lethargic
Lack of energy, sluggish
Transient
lasting only for a short time; impermanent.
“a transient cold spell”
a person who is staying or working in a place for a short time only.
Aka temporary
Contemptuous
showing contempt; scornful.
(Contempt- the feeling that a person or a thing is worthless or beneath consideration. disregard for something that should be considered.)
Contempt
(Contempt- the feeling that a person or a thing is worthless or beneath consideration. disregard for something that should be considered.)
Scornful
If you are scornful of someone or something, you show that you do not like or respect them. He is deeply scornful of politicians.
derision
contemptuous ridicule or mockery.
“my stories were greeted with derision and disbelief”
Tryst
a private romantic rendezvous between lovers.
Pinioned
restrain or immobilize (someone) by tying up or holding their arms or legs.
“he was pinioned to the ground”
- prevent them from moving
Callous
showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others.
“his callous comments about the murder made me shiver”
AKA heartless
acquiesce
accept something reluctantly but without protest.
“Sara acquiesced in his decision”
Steve seemed to acquiesce in the decision.
alacrity
brisk and cheerful readiness.
“she accepted the invitation with alacrity”
She accepted the money with alacrity.
arcane
understood by few; mysterious or secret.
“arcane procedures for electing people”
Arcane ritual
Fractious
irritable and quarrelsome.
“they fight and squabble like fractious children”
Also difficult to control
oblivious
not aware of or concerned about what is happening around one.
avarice
extreme greed for wealth or material gain.
“he was rich beyond the dreams of avarice”
furtive
attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble; secretive.
“they spent a furtive day together”
suggestive of guilty nervousness.
“the look in his eyes became furtive”
obsequious
obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
“they were served by obsequious waiters”
brazen
Bold, without shame
obtuse
annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand.
“he wondered if the doctor was being deliberately obtuse”
brusque
Abrupt/ offhand
gratuitous
done without good reason; uncalled for.
“gratuitous violence”
given or done free of charge.
“solicitors provide a form of gratuitous legal advice”
cajole
persuade (someone) to do something by sustained coaxing or flattery.
“he hoped to cajole her into selling the house”
haughty
arrogantly superior and disdainful., full of pride
penchant
a strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something.
“he has a penchant for adopting stray dogs”
candour
the quality of being open and honest; frankness.
“a man of refreshing candour”
perusal
the action of reading or examining something.
“I continued my perusal of the instructions”
chide
scold or rebuke.
“she chided him for not replying to her letters”
impertinent
not showing proper respect; rude.
(not pertinent to a particular matter; irrelevant.)
militia
a military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency.
“creating a militia was no answer to the army’s manpower problem”
• a military force that engages in rebel or terrorist activities in opposition to a regular army.
forlorn request
A forlorn request is a request that is unlikely to be successful or achieved.
forlorn
sad, abandoned, lonely
hubris
Hubris is a personality trait that describes excessive pride, arrogance, or dangerous overconfidence that can lead to failure or ruin.
impotence
inability to take effective action; helplessness.
“people speak constantly of their social and political impotence”
plenum
an assembly of all the members of a group or committee.
animosity
strong hostility
antipathy
a deep-seated feeling of aversion.
“his fundamental antipathy to capitalism”
beneficent
(of a person) generous or doing good.
“a beneficent landowner”
benevolent
Well meaning, kindly
brevity
concise and exact use of words in writing or speech.
“the staff will edit manuscripts with a view to brevity and clarity”
brevity is the soul of wit
clever people can express intelligent things using very few words.
incontrovertible
not able to be denied or disputed.
“incontrovertible proof”
obstinancy
the quality or state of being obstinate : stubbornness. She held to her own opinion with great obstinacy. b. : the quality or state of being difficult to remedy, relieve, or subdue.
unprepossessing
not attractive or appealing to the eye
unrelieved
monotonous
striated
marked with long, thin parallel streaks
leaden
dull, heavy, or slow., of the colour of lead; dull grey.
coverlet
a bedspread.
trepidation
a feeling of fear or anxiety about something that may happen.
petulant
(of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or bad-tempered.
dun-coloured
having a dull or dingy brown color, especially a grayish-brown color
inconcequence
having no important effects or influence.
pereambulation
the act of walking around, touring, or surveying land
vagaries
an unexpected and inexplicable change in a situation or in someone’s behaviour. aka quirk, idiosyncrasy, oddity
idiosyncrasy
a mode of behaviour or way of thought peculiar to an individual.
a distinctive or peculiar feature or characteristic of a place or thing.
aka eccenticity
plummy voice
If you say that someone has a plummy voice or accent, you mean that they sound very upper-class
bilious
affected by or associated with nausea or vomiting.
spiteful; bad-tempered
garbed
wearing particular clothes; dressed
puce coloured
Puce is a brownish-purple color with hints of brown and purple
pelisse
woman’s ankle-length cloak with armholes or sleeves.
toque
small hat
arbiter of fashion
a person who has influence over fashion trends and is considered an authority on what is fashionable
