Vocabulary Flashcards
1
Q
Abate (v.)
A
To lessen in intensity or degree
2
Q
Accolade (n.)
A
An expression of praise
3
Q
Adulation (n.)
A
Excessive praise; intense adoration
4
Q
Aesthetic (adj.)
A
Dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
5
Q
Ameliorate (v.)
A
To make better or more tolerable
6
Q
Ascetic (n.)
A
One who practices rigid self denial, especially as an act of religious devotion
7
Q
Avarice (n.)
A
Greed, especially for wealth
Adj. form: avaricious
8
Q
Axiom (n.)
A
A universally recognized principle
9
Q
Burgeon (v.)
A
To grow rapidly or flourish
10
Q
Bucolic (adj.)
A
Rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
11
Q
Cacophony (n.)
A
Harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance
Adj. form: cacophonous
12
Q
Canon (n.)
A
An established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature
Adj form: canonical
13
Q
Castigation (n.)
A
Severe criticism or punishment
V. Form: castigate
14
Q
Catalyst (n.)
A
A substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change
15
Q
Caustic (adj.)
A
Burning or stinging; causing corrosion
16
Q
Chary (adj.)
A
Wary, cautious, sparing
17
Q
Cogent (adj.)
A
Appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
18
Q
Complaisance (n.)
A
The willingness to comply with the wishes of others
Adj. form: complaisant
19
Q
Contentious (adj.)
A
Argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
20
Q
Contrite (adj.)
A
Regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness
N. form: contrition
21
Q
Culpable (adj.)
A
Deserving blame
N. form: culpability
22
Q
Dearth (n.)
A
Smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
23
Q
Demur (v.)
A
To question or oppose
24
Q
Didactic (adj.)
A
Intended to teach or instruct
25
Discretion (n.)
Cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions
Adj. form: discreet
26
Disinterested (adj.)
Free of bias or self-interest; impartial
27
Dogmatic (adj.)
Expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improbable principles
N. form: dogma
28
Ebullience (n.)
The quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings
Adj. form: ebullient
29
Eclectic (adj.)
Composed of elements drawn from various sources
30
Elegy (n.)
A mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead
Adj. form: elegiac
31
Emollient (adj.)(n.)
Soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; and agent that softens or smooths the skin
32
Empirical (adj.)
Based on observation or experiment
33
Enigmatic (adj.)
Mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand
N. form: enigma
34
Ephemeral (adj.)
Brief; fleeting
35
Esoteric (adj.)
Intended for or understood by a small, specific group
36
Eulogy (n.)
A speech honoring the dead
V. form: eulogize
37
Exonerate (v.)
To remove blame
38
Facetious (adj.)
Playful, humorous
39
Fallacy (n.)
An invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief
Adj. form: fallacious
40
Furtive (adj.)
Marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious
41
Gregarious (adj.)
Sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
42
Harangue (v.)(n.)
To deliver a forceful or angry speech; ranting speech or writing
43
Heretical (adj.)
Violating accepted dogma or convention
N. form: heresy
44
Hyperbole (n.)
An exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech
Adj. form: hyperbolic
45
Impecunious (adj.)
Lacking funds; without money
46
Incipient (adj.)
Beginning to come into being or to become apparent
47
Inert (adj.)
Unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
48
Innocuous (adj.)
Harmless; causing no damage
49
Intransigent (adj.)
Refusing to compromise
N. form: intransigence
50
Inveigle (v.)
To obtain by deception or flattery
51
Morose (adj.)
Sad; sullen; melancholy
52
Odious (adj.)
Evoking intense aversion or dislike
53
Opaque (adj.)
Impenetrable by light; not reflecting light
54
Oscillation (n.)
The act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm
V. form: oscillate
55
Penurious (adj.)
Penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
56
Pernicious (adj.)
Extremely harmful on a way that is not easily seen or noticed
57
Peruse (v.)
To examine with great care
N. form: perusal
58
Pious (adj.)
Extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion
N. form: piety
59
Precursor (n.)
One that precedes and indicates or announces another
60
Preen (v.)
To dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care
61
Prodigious (adj.)
Abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary
62
Prolific (adj.)
Producing large volumes or amounts; productive
63
Putrefy (v.)
To rot; to decay and give off a foul odor
Adj. form: putrid
64
Quaff (v.)
To drink deeply
65
Quiescence (n.)
Stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest
Adj. form: quiescent
66
Redoubtable (adj.)
Awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
67
Sanction (n.)(v.)
Authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority
68
Satire (n.)
A literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision
Adj. form: satirical
69
Squalid (adj.)
Sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect
N. form: squalor
70
Stoic (adj.)
Indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast
N. form: stoicism
71
Supplant (v.)
To take the place of; to supersede
72
Torpid (adj.)
Lethargic; sluggish;dormant
N. form: torpor
73
Ubiquitous (adj.)
Existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread
74
Urbane (adj.)
Sophisticated; refined; elegant
N. form: urbanity
75
Vilify (v.)
To defame; to characterize harshly
76
Viscous (adj.)
Thick; sticky
N. form: viscosity
77
Pulchritudinous (adj.)
Beautiful
78
Hebetudinous (adj.)
The state of dullness; lethargy
79
Limn (v.)
To outline in sharp detail; to draw or paint on a surface
80
Shibboleth (n.)
A word or saying used by adherents of a party, or belief and usually regarded by others as empty of real meaning
81
Catechism (n.)
A series of fixed questions, answers, or precepts used for instruction. Traditionally applied to Christianity.
82
Abscond (v.)
To depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide
83
Aberrant (adj.)
Deviating from the norm
84
Alacrity (n.)
Eager and enthusiastic willingness
85
Anomaly (n.)
Deviation from the normal order, form, or rule; abnormality
86
Approbation (n.)
An expression of approval or praise
87
Arduous (adj.)
Strenuous, taxing; requiring significant effort
88
Assuage (v.)
To ease or lessen; to appease or pacify
89
Audacious (adj.)
Daring and fearless; recklessly bold
90
Austere (adj.)
Without adornment; bare; severely simple; ascetic
91
Axiomatic (adj.)
Taken as a given; possessing self-evident truth
92
Canonical (adj.)
Following or in agreement with accepted traditional standards
93
Capricious (adj.)
Inclined to change ones mind impulsively; erratic, unpredictable
94
Censure (v.)
To criticize severely; to officially rebuke
95
Chicanery (n.)
Trickery or subterfuge
96
Connoisseur (n.)
An informed and astute judge in matters of taste; expert
97
Disabuse (v.)
To undeceive; to set right
98
Convoluted (adj.)
Complex or complicated
99
Discordant (adj.)
Conflicting; dissonant or harsh in sound
100
Disparate (adj.)
Fundamentally distinct or dissimilar
101
Effrontery (n.)
Extreme boldness; presumptuousness
102
Eloquent (adj.)
Well-spoken, expressive, articulate
103
Enervate (adj.)
To weaken; to reduce in vitality
104
Ennui (n.)
Dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy
105
Equivocate (v.)
To use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent
106
Erudite (adj.)
Very learned; scholarly
107
Exculpate (v.)
Exonerate; to clear of blame
108
Exigent (adj.)
Urgent, pressing; requiring immediate action or attention
109
Extemporaneous (adj.)
Improvised; done without preparation
110
Filibuster (n.)
Intentional obstruction, esp. using prolonged speechmaking to delay legislative action
111
Fulminate (v.)
To loudly attack or denounce
112
Ingenuous (adj.)
Artless; frank and candid; lacking in sophistication
113
Inured (adj.)
Accustomed to accepting something undesirable
114
Irascible (adj.)
Easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts
115
Laud (v.)
To praise highly
116
Lucid (adj.)
Clear; easily understood
117
Magnanimity (n.)
The quality of being generously noble in mind and heart, esp. in forgiving
118
Martial (adj.)
Associated with war and armed forces
119
Mundane (adj.)
Of the world; typical of or concerned with the ordinary
120
Nascent (adj.)
Coming into being; in early developmental stages
121
Nebulous (adj.)
Vague; cloudy; lacking clearly defined form
122
Neologism (n.)
A new word, expression, or usage; the creation or use of new words or senses
123
Noxious (adj.)
Harmful, injurious
124
Obtuse (adj.)
Lacking sharpness of intellect; not clear or precise in thought or expression
125
Obviate (v.)
To anticipate and make unnecessary
126
Onerous (adj.)
Troubling; burdensome
127
Paean (n.)
a song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving
128
Parody (n.)
A humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic effect, esp. in literature and art
129
Perennial (adj.)
Recurrent through the year or many years; happening repeatedly
130
Perfidy (n.)
Intentional breach of faith; treachery
131
Perfunctory (adj.)
Cursory; done without care or interest
132
Perspicacious (adj.)
Acutely perceptive; having keen discernment
133
Prattle (v.)
To babble meaninglessly; to talk in an empty and idle manner
134
Precipitate (adj.)
Acting with excessive haste or impulse
135
Precipitate (v.)
To cause or happen before anticipated or required
136
Predilection (n.)
A disposition in favor of something; preference
137
Prescience (n.)
Foreknowledge or events; knowing of events prior to their occurring
138
Prevaricate (v.)
To deliberately avoid the truth; to mislead
139
Qualms (n.)
Misgivings; reservations; causes for hesitancy
140
Recant (v.)
To retract, esp. a previously held belief
141
Refute (v.)
To disprove; to successfully argue against
142
Relegate (v.)
To forcibly assign, esp. to a lower place or position
143
Reticent (adj.)
Quiet; reserved; reluctant to express thoughts and feelings
144
Solicitous (adj.)
Concerned and attentive; eager
145
Sordid (adj.)
Characterized by filth, grime, or squalor; foul
146
Sporadic (adj.)
Occurring only occasionally, or in scattered instances
147
Squander (v.)
To waste by spending or using irresponsibly
148
Static (adj.)
Not moving, active, or in motion; at rest
149
Stupefy (v.)
To stun, baffle, or amaze
150
Stymie (v.)
To block; to thwart
151
Synthesis (n.)
The combination of parts to make a whole
152
Torque (n.)
A force that causes rotation
153
Tortuous (adj.)
Winding, twisting; excessively complicated
154
Truculent (adj.)
Fierce and cruel; eager to fight
155
Veracity (n.)
Truthfulness, honesty
156
Virulent (adj.)
Extremely harmful or poisonous; bitterly hostile or antagonistic
157
Voracious (adj.)
Having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; ravenous
158
Waver (v.)
To move to and fro; to sway; to be unsettled in opinion
