Vocabulary Flashcards
Aberration
Deviation from standard
Adage
Wise saying/proverb
Alacrity
Cheerful, willingness, ready response
Allusion
Indirect reference
Amity
Friendship
Avarice
Greed, desire for wealth
Bastion
Stronghold, fortress
Blasphemy
Insult to something sacred
Boon
Benefit or gift
Bulwark
Strong protection, barrier
Caste
Social class, category
Chagrin
Embarrassment or disappointment
Clamor
Uproar
Connoisseur
Expert judge of the best of something
Conondrum
Puzzle or riddle
Crux
Essential point, central part
Dearth
Scarcity lack of something
Debacle
Large scale defeat
Deference
Conceding to another desire or will; respect or courtesy
Deluge
Great flood, overwhelming inflow
Diction
The way which words are used by a speaker
Discernment
Insight, ability to see things clearly
Din
Loud, pervasive, continuous noise
Dissent
Difference of opinion
Effluvium
A disagreeeable or bad smelling vapor or gas
Enterprise
Important project or self sufficient organization
Epitome
Top level representation of a quality
Epoch
A period of history that’s remarkable
Exodus
Departure
Facet
A side or aspect of a problem or situation
Facsimile
Exact copy or representation
Fallacy
Mistaken or erroneous idea, assumption or conclusion
Fervor
Passion, enthusiasm
Fiend
Cruel, hateful person
Flair
Natural- seeming talent or style
Fortitude
Courage, strength
Furor
An outburst of excitement or disagreement
Gamut
An entire range or spectrum of possible outcomes or conditions
Genesis
Beginning or origin
Gist
Essential content, central idea
Grievance
Grudge, complaint made against an individual
Guile
Cunning, deceit, duplicity
Heresy
An opinion directly opposed to established beliefs, in a religious sense.
Hindrance
Obstacle or delaying obstruction
Hoax
Deliberate attempt to trick someone
Horde
Great mass of people
Hysteria
Excessive or uncontrollable fear or other strong emotion
Idiom
Jargon
Impetus
Moving force or starting idea
Incumbent
Present holder of an office or position
Incursion
Hostile invasion
Infirmity
Physical disease, injury or defect
Interlude
Short feature or period of time coming between 2 others
Intrigue
Secret plot or scheme
Invective
Insulting or abusive speech
Iota
A very small amount or piece
Keynote
Main theme or idea
Larceny
Theft
Layman
A regular person
Legion
A large number of people
Levee
A raised embankment designed to prevent flooding from a body of water
Levity
Lightness, frivolity
Litigation
Legal proceedings
Lore
Body of traditional or historical knowledge
Malady
Disease or illness
Maneuver
Movement of a unit or individual to achieve a goal
Mania
Abnormal concentration on or enthusiasm for something
Maverick
A person who acts independently instead of in conformance with expected behavior
Maxim
An adage prescribing a rule or method of conduct
Medium
Means of communication of presentation
Memento
Object that commemorates or reminds someone of a past event
Metropolis
A very large city
Milieu
Surroundings, environment
Mores
Established customs or values of a group or segment of society
Neophyte
Beginner
Omen
A sign or event believed to foretell the future
Oversight
An omission through error or carelessness
Overture
First step intended to lead others in action
Panacea
A cure for all problems or diseases
Paradox
Contradicting statement
Partisan
One who supports a particular cause, person or idea
Pathology
Diseases
Paucity
Scarcity
Pauper
Poor person
Pedagogue
A strict overly academic teacher or speaker
Philanthropy
Love of mankind, exemplified by donations to charitable causes
Pilgrimage
Long journey to some place or condition worthy of respect or devotion
Pittance
Very small amount, usually referring to money
Plight
Unfavorable conditions or situation
Posterity
Future descendants or generations
Precedent
Event or law that serves as an example for later action
Predecessor
Someone or something that came before another
Preface
Introductory statement or passage to a form of communication.
Prélude
Something preliminary to something more important
Premise
A statement or assumption from which a conclusion is drawn
Pretext
A reason given as a cover up for the real purpose of an action
Probity
Integrity, uprightness, honesty
Propinquity
Nearness
Propriety
Good manners
Prospect
Possibility for the future
Proviso
A requirement that something specific is done.
Prowess
Strength or superior ability
Pseudonym
An assumed name “pen name” taken by an author
Pundit
A knowledgeable person in a particular field or a commentator
Quagmire
A swamp that impedes movement, a difficult situation with limited hope of escape
Qualm
Doubt or unease
Quandary
Dilemma
Rampart
A fortification
Remnant
Remaining
Renaissance
Rebirth, revival
Rendezvous
A meeting or location for a meeting
Renown
Fame
Reprisal
Retaliation.
Reprobate
Wicked, sinful person
Respite
Temporary break
Saga
A long story or tale
Salutation
A persons title or a greeting
Sanction
Approval or a penalty for breaking a law
Satire
Criticism or someone by seeming approval
Sect
A group of people having the same beliefs
Semblance
Outward appearance
Sham
False imitation
Sheaf
A bundle, of papers or grain
Slander
Spoken untruth that damages ones reputation
Snare
Trap
Solace
Comfort after loss or disappointment
Stanza
Section of a poem or song, verse
Stature
A height measure physically or in respect
Strife
Conflict, disagreement, contention
Sycophant
One who flatters a superior in hope of getting preferential treatment
Synopsis
Brief summary
Synthesis
The combination of parts to form a whole
Tacit
Silent, Unspoken, implied
Tact
The ability to communicate a message without causing offense
Temerity
Recklessness, audacity, boldness
Temperament
Overall attitude, disposition
Threshold
Starting point of an activity
Timbre
The quality of a sound
Token
A sign or object that signifies a greater feeling or whole.
Trepidation
Fear, apprehension
Tribunal
A place of judgement
Turpitude
Shameful wickedness or depravity
Tycoon
A very wealthy and powerful business leader
Upheaval
Conflict or disturbance
Vicinity
Local area
Vigor
Vitality or energy
Volition
Will or conscious choice
Wager
Bet
Welter
Confused mass; commotion
Whim
Impulsive idea
Woe
Great trouble or sorrow
Wrath
Intense anger or fury
Zeal
Eager/ enthusiastic
Zest
Enthusiasm
Unprecedented
Happening for the first time; never seen before
Vehement
Strong, urgent, passionate
Verbose
Talkative, wordy
Virulent
Malignant, malicious
Volatile
Highly unstable, explosive
Acquiesce
Give in, agree
Appease
Pacify
Atrophy
Waste away from lack of use
Censure
To condemn severely for inappropriate or rule breaking behavior
Coalesce
Unite
Condescend
Patronize
Denounce
Speak out against or condemn
Deride
Ridicule
Desecrate
To profane a holy place
Digress
Veer off the main topic
Disparage
Belittle
Drone
Talk on and on in a dull way
Efface
To erase or rub away the features of
Engender
To create or produce
Enthrall
To hold spellbound, charm
Extol
Praise
Heed
To listen and obey
Languish
To become listless, hopeless or depressed
Meander
To wander slowly or aimlessly
Preclude
Prevent, make impossible
Refute
Disprove
Repress
Hold down
Reproach
To scold or rebuke
Repudiate
To reject or deny
Rescind
To repeal, take back formally
Squander
Waste
Venerate
To revere or treat as something holy
Vilify
Defame
Ambiguous
Unclear, confusing
Ambivalent
Undecided, wavering between alternatives
Amiable
Friendly, pleasant
Ambulatory
Able to walk
Apocryphal
Of doubtful or uncertain origin
Apprehensive
Worried, anxious
Ascetic
Austere, self denying
Astute
Perceptive, intelligent
Auspicious
Favorable, pointing towards good results
Austere
Bare, unadorned
Banal
Unoriginal, boring
Belligerent
Combative, quarrelsome
Benevolent
Kind, generous
Benign
Gentle; not harmful
Blithe
Carefree, cheerful
Candid
Forthright
Caustic
Very sharp or cutting insult
Complacent
Smug
Conciliatory
Peacemaking
Concise
Succinct, brief and direct
Congenial
Agreeably pleasant
Conspicuous
Obvious
Contrite
Genuinely and deeply remorseful, apologetic
Credulous
Gullible
Didactic
Instructive
Diffident
Timid; lacking self confidence
Disparate
Different, varied, incomplete
Dogmatic
Arrogantly or overconfident
Dubious
Doubtful or uncertain
Elusive
Evasive
Ephemeral
Short lived, temporary, fleeting
Esoteric
Hard to understand, cryptic
Exhaustive
Very through and complete
Expedient
Meeting an immediate need
Extraneous
Irrelevant, extra, unnecessary
Fallacious
False
Fastidious
Meticulous, insistent on attention to detail
Fickle
Not faithful or consistent, unpredictable
Flagrant
Shocking or outrageous violation of a rule
Fortuitous
Luckily coincidental, accidentally advantageous
Frivolous
Not serious, with levity; inconsequential
Furtive
Secretive
Futile
Hopeless, without effect or result
Hackneyed
Overused, trite
Hedonistic
Pleasure seeking, overly indulgent
Inadvertent
Accidental
Incessant
Never ending
Incongruous
Inconsistent or inappropriate
Indulgent
Lenient, giving into desires
Innate
Inborn, inherent
Innocuous
Harmless, insignificant
Insipid
Empty, dull, meaningless
Irascible
Irritable
Lax
Careless
Marred
Damaged or scarred
Peripheral
Unimportant
Pervasive
Present throughout; permeating
Pious
Reverent or devout
Pivotal
Crucial, result changing
Pragmatic
Practical
Pretentious
Pompous, self important
Prodigal
Extravagant, rebellious, wasteful
Prodigious
Enormous
Profuse
Extravagant, free flowing
Prosaic
Dull, unimaginative
Provincial
Narrow
Recalcitrant
Stubbornly defiant of authority
Redundant
Repetitive
Relevant
Pertinent
Reprehensible
Worth of blame; disgraceful
Resolute
Firm, determined
Reticent
Restrained, uncommunicative
Rigorous
Strict, harsh, severe
Saccharine
Overly sweet or flattering
Sage
Wise or knowledgeable
Scanty
Inadequate, minimal
Scrupulous
Strict or careful in an ethical sense
Servile
Submissive or subservient
Solemn
Grave, serious
Static
Unmoving
Stoic
Outwardly indifferent to circumstances
Stringent
Strict or restrictive
Supercilious
Haughty, insultingly patronizing
Taciturn
Untalkative
Temperate
Moderate or restrained
Tenacious
Dogged or determined in the pursuit of an objective
Tentative
Temporary, uncertain
