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Vocabulary Flashcards

1
Q

distraught

A

adjective

: very upset
: so upset that you are not able to think clearly or behave normally

  • She was distraught over the death of her partner.
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2
Q

disposition

A

noun

: the usual attitude or mood of a person or animal
: a tendency to act or think in a particular way
: a tendency to develop a disease, condition, etc.

  • People with a genetic disposition toward a particular disease.
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3
Q

beckon

A

verb

: to signal (someone) with your arm or hand in order to tell that person to come closer or follow
: to appear attractive or inviting
: to attract (someone or something)

  • She beckoned the waiter to come over.
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4
Q

torrent

A

noun

: a large amount of water that moves very quickly in one direction
: a large amount of something that is released suddenly

  • The storm turned the stream into a raging torrent.
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5
Q

faux pas

A

noun

: an embarrassing social mistake

  • Arriving too early would be a serious faux pas.
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6
Q

aficionado

A

noun

: a person who likes and knows a lot about something

  • An aficionado of the sci-fi series who has seen all the movies several times
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7
Q

fervent

A

adjective

: felt very strongly
: having or showing very strong feelings

  • A fervent speech that called for tolerance and compassion for those who are different
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8
Q

brunt

A

noun

: the principal force, shock, or stress (as of an attack)
: the greater part

  • The brunt of the responsibility fell on her shoulders
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9
Q

bane

A

noun

obsolete :  killer, slayer
\:  poison
\:  death, destruction
\:  woe
\:  a source of harm or ruin
\:  curse
  • National frontiers have been more of a bane than a boon for mankind.
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10
Q

colloquial

A

adjective

: used when people are speaking in an informal way
: using an informal style

  • The new coworker’s rudeness soon began—to use a colloquial expression—to rub me the wrong way.
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11
Q

sequester

A

transitive verb

: to keep (a person or group) apart from other people
law : to take (property) until a debt has been paid

  • The jury was sequestered until a verdict was reached.
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12
Q

impartial

A

adjective

: treating all people and groups equally
: not partial or biased

  • An impartial evaluation of the job applicant’s qualifications that does not consider age, gender, or race.
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13
Q

preempt

A

verb

: to prevent (something) from happening
: to take the place of (something)
: to be shown instead of (another television program)

  • The state law was preempted by a federal law.
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14
Q

infallible

A

adjective

: not capable of being wrong or making mistakes : not fallible
: certain to work properly or succeed

  • I never claimed to be infallible.
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15
Q

suffrage

A

noun

: the right to vote in an election

  • Women who fought for suffrage.
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16
Q

nefarious

A

adjective

: evil or immoral

  • A nefarious scheme to cheat people out of their money
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17
Q

behoove

A

verb

: to be necessary or proper for (someone)

  • It behooves a good citizen to obey the law.
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18
Q

penultimate

A

adjective

: occurring immediately before the last one
: next to the last

  • The penultimate syllable of the word.
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19
Q

demure

A

adjective

: quiet and polite
: not attracting or demanding a lot of attention
: not showy or flashy

  • The demure charm of the cottage.
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20
Q

indolent

A

adjective

: not liking to work or be active

  • She is indolent and irresponsible.
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21
Q

introspection

A

noun

: the process of examining your own thoughts or feelings

  • A moment of quiet introspection.
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22
Q

retrospect

A

noun

: in considering the past or a past event

  • In retrospect, we should have saved more money for college.
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23
Q

diligent

A

adjective

: characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort
: painstaking

  • A student who has been unceasingly diligent in pursuit of a degree in mathematics.
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24
Q

obscure

A

adjective

: not well-known : not known to most people
: difficult to understand : likely to be understood by only a few people
: difficult or impossible to know completely and with certainty

  • The movie is full of obscure references that only pop culture enthusiasts will understand.
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25
Q

crux

A

noun

: a puzzling or difficult problem
: an unsolved question
: an essential point requiring resolution or resolving an outcome
: a main or central feature (as of an argument)

  • The crux of the problem is that the school’s current budget is totally inadequate.
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26
Q

diplomatic

A

adjective

: involving the work of maintaining good relations between the governments of different countries
: of or relating to diplomats or their work
: not causing bad feelings
: having or showing an ability to deal with people politely

  • A diplomatic attempt at preventing any hurt feelings.
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27
Q

debauchery

A

noun

: bad or immoral behavior that involves sex, drugs, alcohol, etc.

  • He recalled the evening’s debaucheries with regret.
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28
Q

prehensile

A

adjective

: capable of grabbing or holding something by wrapping around it

  • The monkey has a prehensile tail.
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29
Q

transcend

A

verb

: to rise above or go beyond the normal limits of (something)

  • She was able to transcend her own suffering and help others.
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30
Q

incorrigible

A

adjective

: not able to be corrected or changed

  • He is always the class clown and his teachers say he is incorrigible.
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31
Q

aphorism

A

noun

: a short phrase that expresses a true or wise idea

  • When decorating, remember the familiar aphorism, “less is more.”
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32
Q

expunge

A

verb

: to remove (something) completely

  • Time and the weather have expunged any evidence that a thriving community once existed here.
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33
Q

precarious

A

adjective

: not safe, strong, or steady

  • The strong wind almost knocked him off of his precarious perch on the edge of the cliff.
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34
Q

ephemeral

A

adjective

: lasting a very short time

  • The autumnal blaze of colors is always to be treasured, all the more so because it is so ephemeral.
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35
Q

contrite

A

adjective

: feeling or showing regret for bad behavior

  • Being contrite is not enough to spare you an arrest if you’re caught shoplifting.
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36
Q

snicker

A

intransitive verb

: to make a short, quiet laugh in a way that shows disrespect

  • He snickered at the puzzled look on her face.
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37
Q

espouse

A

verb

: to express support for (a cause, belief, etc.)

  • The new theory has been espoused by many leading physicists.
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38
Q

propriety

A

noun

: behavior that is accepted as socially or morally correct and proper
: the state or quality of being correct and proper
proprieties : rules of correct social behavior

  • When attending a wedding, there are certain proprieties that must be observed.
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39
Q

caprice

A

noun

: a sudden change; especially
: a sudden change in someone’s mood or behavior

  • Employees have complained of being at the mercy of the manager’s every whim and caprice.
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40
Q

mercurial

A

adjective

: changing moods quickly and often
: changing often
: very changeable
: very lively and quick

  • The boss’s mood is so mercurial that we never know how he’s going to react to anything.
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41
Q

reticent

A

adjective

: not willing to tell people about things

  • The panel decided to investigate the fraud charges against the company, which has always been reticent about its internal operations.
42
Q

enmity

A

noun

: a very deep unfriendly feeling

  • We need to put aside old enmities for the sake of peace.
43
Q

traduce

A

transitive verb

: to tell lies about (someone)

  • He was traduced in the press.
44
Q

clairvoyance

A

noun

: an ability to communicate with dead people, to predict future events, or to know about things that you did not actually see happen or hear about

  • I don’t believe in clairvoyance, but I can’t explain how he knew those things about my grandmother.
45
Q

schmooze

A

verb

: to talk with someone in a friendly way often in order to get some advantage for yourself

  • Spent every spare minute of the conference schmoozing with the industry’s power players.
46
Q

seedy

A

adjective

: dirty or in bad condition
: not respectable or decent
: having bad morals

  • A seedy area of the city.
47
Q

enthrall

A

verb

: to hold the attention of (someone) by being very exciting, interesting, or beautiful

  • For years these master magicians have been enthralling audiences with their astounding illusions.
48
Q

penchant

A

noun

: a strong liking for something or a strong tendency to behave in a certain way

  • A penchant for sitting by the window and staring moodily off into space.
49
Q

vacuous

A

adjective

: having or showing a lack of intelligence or serious thought : lacking meaning, importance, or substance

  • A dull and vacuous movie.
50
Q

sinecure

A

noun

: a job or position in which someone is paid to do little or no work

  • Early in his political career, he intended to retire in a sinecure position.
51
Q

donnybrook

A

noun

: a public argument
: an uncontrolled fight

  • A dozen people were arrested after the donnybrook at the stadium.
52
Q

superfluous

A

adjective

: beyond what is needed
: not necessary

  • Cleared off all the superfluous stuff on his desk to make room for the new computer.
53
Q

dystopia

A

noun

: an imaginary place where people are unhappy and usually afraid because they are not treated fairly

  • In a dystopian future, teens Katniss and Peeta are drafted for a televised event pitting young competitors against each other in a fight to the death.
54
Q

swoon

A

intransitive verb

: to become very excited about someone or something
: to suddenly become unconscious

  • Swooning with joy.
55
Q

slander

A

transitive verb

: to make a false spoken statement that causes people to have a bad opinion of someone

  • For some reason, that newspaper seems determined to slander one particular celebrity.
56
Q

procure

A

verb

: to get (something) by some action or effort
: to find or provide (a prostitute) for someone

  • She managed to procure a ticket to the concert.
57
Q

chasm

A

noun

: a deep hole or opening in the surface of the earth
: a major division, separation, or difference between two people, groups, etc.

  • A chasm in the ocean floor.
58
Q

vehement

A

adjective

: showing strong and often angry feelings
: very emotional

  • The proposal has faced vehement opposition from many teachers.
59
Q

prude

A

noun

: a person who is easily shocked or offended by things that do not shock or offend other people

  • He is too much of a prude to enjoy movies containing sex and violence.
60
Q

obdurate

A

adjective

: refusing to do what other people want
: not willing to change your opinion or the way you do something

  • He is known for his obdurate determination.
61
Q

forthwith

A

adverb

: without delay

  • If the fire alarm rings, leave the building forthwith.
62
Q

malady

A

noun

: a disease or illness

  • In the olden days people were always suffering from some unknown malady.
63
Q

docile

A

adjective

: easily taught, led, or controlled

  • His students were docile and eager to learn.
64
Q

perseverance

A

noun

: the quality that allows someone to continue trying to do something even though it is difficult

  • His perseverance was rewarded: after many rejections, he finally found a job.
65
Q

egregious

A

adjective

: very bad and easily noticed

  • The student’s theme was marred by a number of egregious errors in spelling.
66
Q

comestible

A

adjective

: edible

  • Some mushrooms are comfortably comestible, but others are decidedly poisonous.
67
Q

admonition

A

noun

: a criticism or warning about behavior

  • He offered words of advice and admonition.
68
Q

wry

A

adjective

: humorous in a clever and often ironic way
: showing both amusement and a feeling of being tired, annoyed, etc.

  • When I asked her how she felt after winning the race, she gave me a wry smile and said, “Pretty tired.”
69
Q

sinuous

A

adjective

: having many twists and turns
: moving and bending in a smooth and attractive way

  • The river flowed in a sinuous path through the lush valley.
70
Q

assuage

A

verb

: to make (something, such as an unpleasant feeling) less painful, severe, etc.
- a mother cooing to her toddler and assuaging his fear of the dark

  • A mother cooing to her toddler and assuaging his fear of the dark.
71
Q

ominous

A

adjective

: suggesting that something bad is going to happen in the future

  • An ominous threat of war
72
Q

dismay

A

verb

: to cause (someone) to feel very worried, disappointed, or upset

  • Her choice of career dismays her parents.
73
Q

wary

A

adjective

: not having or showing complete trust in someone or something that could be dangerous or cause trouble

  • Investors are increasingly wary about putting money into stocks.
74
Q

rueful

A

adjective

: showing or feeling regret for something done

  • He gave me a rueful smile and apologized.
75
Q

avarice

A

noun

: a strong desire to have or get money

  • The corporate world is plagued by avarice and a thirst for power.
76
Q

subvert

A

transitive verb

: to secretly try to ruin or destroy a government, political system, etc.
: to make (something) weaker or less effective

  • They conspired to subvert the government.
77
Q

eccentric

A

adjective

: tending to act in strange or unusual ways
: strange or unusual
: not following a perfectly circular path

  • He was a kind but eccentric man.
78
Q

clout

A

noun

: the power to influence or control situations
: a hit especially with the hand

  • She used her political clout to have another school built.
79
Q

languid

A

adjective

: showing or having very little strength, energy, or activity

  • It was a hot, languid summer day.
80
Q

augment

A

verb

: to increase the size or amount of (something)
: to add something to (something) in order to improve or complete it

  • Heavy rains augmented the water supply.
81
Q

taut

A

adjective

: very tight from being pulled or stretched
: not loose or slack
: firm and strong : not loose or flabby
: very tense

  • The rope was drawn taut.
82
Q

aberration

A

noun

: something (such as a problem or a type of behavior) that is unusual or unexpected

  • For her, such a low grade on an exam was an aberration.
83
Q

devoid

A

adjective

: not having (something usual or expected)
: completely without (something)

  • The picnic jug was completely devoid of juice after only a few minutes.
84
Q

allegory

A

noun

: a story in which the characters and events are symbols that stand for ideas about human life or for a political or historical situation

  • The long poem is an allegory of love and jealousy.
85
Q

disparage

A

verb

: to describe (someone or something) as unimportant, weak, bad, etc.

  • Voters don’t like political advertisements in which opponents disparage one another.
86
Q

onus

A

noun

: the responsibility for something

  • He perpetually tries to shift the onus for any mistakes onto other team members
87
Q

prudent

A

adjective

: having or showing careful good judgment

  • He always listened to her prudent advice.
88
Q

debacle

A

noun

: a great disaster or complete failure

  • After the debacle of his first novel, he had trouble getting a publisher for his next book.
89
Q

renege

A

verb

: to refuse to do something that you promised or agreed to do

  • They had promised to pay her tuition but later reneged.
90
Q

poignant

A

adjective

: causing a strong feeling of sadness

  • The photograph was a poignant reminder of her childhood.
91
Q

tout

A

verb

: to talk about (something or someone) as being very good, effective, skillful, etc.
: to try to persuade people to buy your goods or services
: to buy tickets for an event and resell them at a much higher price

  • The company is running advertisements touting the drug’s effectiveness.
  • People were touting tickets outside the stadium.
92
Q

brevity

A

noun

: the use of few words to say something
: the quality or fact of lasting only for a short period of time

  • The best quality a graduation speech can have is brevity.
93
Q

philanthropy

A

noun

: the practice of giving money and time to help make life better for other people

  • The family’s philanthropy made it possible to build the public library.
94
Q

mar

A

verb

: to ruin the beauty or perfection of (something)
: to hurt or damage the good condition of (something)

  • A large scar marred his face.
95
Q

concatenate

A

verb

: to link together in a series or chain

  • Concatenate several lists of instructions into a single master file.
96
Q

bamboozle

A

verb

: to trick or confuse (someone)

  • Bamboozled by con men into buying worthless land in the desert.
97
Q

enigma

A

noun

: someone or something that is difficult to understand or explain

  • To his friends, he was always something of an enigma.
98
Q

exodus

A

noun

: a situation in which many people leave a place at the same time

  • The mass exodus from the cities for the beaches and the mountains on most summer weekends
99
Q

affluent

A

adjective

: having a large amount of money and owning many expensive things

  • He is affluent and can afford to send his children to the best schools.
100
Q

grandeur

A

noun

: a great and impressive quality

  • His paintings capture the beauty and grandeur of the landscape.
101
Q

juxtapose

A

verb

: to place (different things) together in order to create an interesting effect or to show how they are the same or different

  • A display that juxtaposes modern art with classical art

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