Vocabulary>Commonly Tested Words>J-Q Flashcards
jettison
n. –a throwing overboard of goods to lighten a vehicle in an emergency
syn. –dump, drop, ditch, discharge, throw out, unload
jocund
adj. –merry; gay; cheerful
syn. –happy, jolly, merry, bright, glad, sunny, joyful, joyous, lighthearted, sparkling, bubbly, exuberant, buoyant, ebullient, elated, gleeful
lacerate
v. –1. to tear or mangle; 2. to wound or hurt
syn. –gash, slash, tear, rip, rend, shred, score, scratch, scrape, graze, wound, injure, hurt
lambent
adj. –giving off a soft radiance
syn. –flickering, fluttering, incandescent, twinkling, dancing, radiant, brilliant
lassitude
n. –a state or feeling of being tired or weak
syn. –lethargy, listlessness, weariness, languor, sluggishness, tiredness, fatigue, torpor, lifelessness, apathy
lewd
adj. –lustful; wicked
syn. –lecherous, licentious, lascivious, dirty, prurient, salacious, lubricious, libidinous; debauched, depraved, degenerate, decadent, dissipated, dissolute, perverted, wanton
libertine
n. –one who indulges his desires without restraint
syn. –philanderer, playboy, rake, lecher, seducer, womanizer, adulterer, debauchee, profligate, wanton
licentious
adj. –disregarding accepted rules and standards
syn. –dissolute, dissipated, debauched, degenerate, immoral, naughty, wanton, decadent, depraved, sinful, corrupt, lustful, lecherous, lascivious, libidinous, prurient, lubricious, lewd, promiscuous, lickerish
lithe
adj. –easily bent; pliable; marked by effortless grace
syn. –agile, graceful, supple, limber, lithesome, loose-limbed, nimble, deft, flexible, lissome, slender, slim, willowy
loquacious
adj. –talkative
syn. –voluble, communicative, expansive, garrulous, unreserved, chatty, gossipy, gossiping
lugubrious
adj. –mournful; very sad
syn. –gloomy, sad, unhappy, doleful, glum, melancholy, woeful, miserable, woebegone, forlorn, somber, solemn, serious, sorrowful, morose, dour, cheerless, joyless, dismal
lurid
adj. –ghastly pale; gloomy
syn. –bright, brilliant, vivid, glaring, shocking, fluorescent, flaming, dazzling, intense, gaudy, loud, showy, bold, garish, tacky
magnate
n. –a very influential person in any field of activity
syn. –tycoon, mogul, captain of industry, baron, lord, king, magnifico; industrialist, proprietor; informal, big shot, big cheese
malefactor
n. –one who commits a crime
syn. –wrongdoer, miscreant, offender, criminal, culprit, villain, lawbreaker, felon, evildoer, delinquent, hooligan, hoodlum; sinner, transgressor
malign
v. –to defame; speak evil of
syn. –harmful, evil, bad, baleful, hostile, inimical, destructive, malignant, injurious
marauder
n. –a rover in search of booty or plunder
syn. –raider, plunder, pillager, looter, robber, pirate, freebooter, bandit, highwayman, rustler
maudlin
adj. –foolishly and tearfully sentimental
syn. –emotional, overemotional, tearful, lachrymose
mendacious
adj. –addicted to deception
syn. –lying, untruthful, dishonest, deceitful, false, dissembling, insincere, disingenuous, hypocritical, fraudulent
mercurial
adj. –quick, volatile; changeable
syn. –capricious, temperamental, excitable, fickle, changeable, unpredictable, variable, protean, mutable, erratic, quicksilver, inconstant, inconsistent, unstable, unsteady, fluctuating, ever-changing, moody, flighty
meretricious
adj. –alluring by false, showy charms; fleshy
syn. –worthless, valueless, cheap, tawdry, trashy, Brummagem, tasteless, kitsch, kitschy
mettle
n. –high quality of character
syn. –spirit, fortitude, strength of character, moral fiber, steel, determination, resolve, resolution, backbone, grit, true grit, courage, courageousness, bravery, valor, fearlessness, daring
mien
n. –manner; external appearance
syn. –look, expression, countenance, aura, demeanor, attitude, air, manner, bearing
misanthropy
n. –hatred of mankind
syn. –cynic, recluse, hermit
mite
n. –1. very small sum of money; 2. very small creature
syn. –1. morsel, portion, pinch, smidgen; 2. acarid, atom, molecule, mote, nit
modulate
v. –1. to regulate or adjust; 2. to vary the pitch of the voice
syn. –1. adjust, set, modify, moderate; 2. adjust, change the tone of, temper, soften
mollify
v. –to soften; to make less intense
syn. –appease, placate, pacify, conciliate, soothe, calm
moot
adj. –subject to or open for discussion or debate
syn. –debatable, arguable, questionable, at issue, disputable, controversial, contentious, disputed, unresolved, unsettled
mordant
adj. –biting, cutting, or caustic
syn. –trenchant, biting, acerbic, sardonic, sarcastic, scathing, acid, sharp, keen; critical, bitter, virulent, vitriolic
mutinous
adj. –inclined to revolt
syn. –rebellious, insubordinate, subversive, seditious, insurgent, insurrectionary, rebel, riotous
nefarious
adj. –very wicked; abominable
syn. –evil, sinful, iniquitous, egregious, heinous, atrocious, vile, foul, odious, depraved, monstrous, fiendish, diabolical, unspeakable, despicable, villainous, criminal, corrupt, illegal, unlawful
nemesis
n. –just punishment; retribution; one that inflicts relentless vengeance
syn. –retribution, vengeance, punishment, just deserts, fate, destiny
nexus
n. –a connection
syn. –center, core, link
nostrum
n. –a quack medicine
syn. –potion, elixir, panacea, cure-all, wonder drug, quack remedy
noxious
adj. –harmful to health or morals
syn. –poisonous, deadly, dangerous, pernicious, damaging, destructive, unpleasant, nasty, disgusting, awful, dreadful, horrible, vile, revolting, foul, nauseating, appalling, offensive, malodorous, fetid, putrid
nugatory
adj. –trifling; futile; insignificant
syn. –useless, vain, unavailing, null, invalid
obeisance
n. –a gesture of respect or reverence
syn. –bow, curtsy, bob, genuflection
obfuscate
v. –to darken; to confuse
syn. –obscure, confuse, make unclear, blur, muddle, complicate, muddy, cloud, befog
objurgate
v. –to chide vehemently
syn. –upbraid, berate, reprimand, reprove, rebuke, admonish, censure, lambaste, lecture
obloquy
n. –verbal abuse of a person or thing
syn. –insult, be rude to, swear at, curse, taunt, revile, bawl out, vilify, slander
otrude
v. –to thrust forward; to eject
syn. –bail out, escape, get out
odious
adj. –hateful; disgusting
syn. –revolting, repulsive, repellent, repugnant, offensive, objectionable, vile, foul, abhorrent, appalling, reprehensible, deplorable, insufferable, intolerable, despicable, contemptible, unspeakable, atrocious, dreadful, frightful, obnoxious, unsavory, unpalatable, unpleasant, disagreeable, nasty
oligarchy
n. –form of government in which the supreme power is placed in the hands of a small exclusive group
syn. –absolutism, authoritarianism, autocracy, despotism, fascism, high-handedness, imperiousness, totalitarianism, totality, unreasonableness
opalescent
adj. –iridescent
syn. –prismatic, kaleidoscopic, multicolored, many-hued, lustrous, shimmering, glittering, sparkling, variegated, scintillating, shot, milky, pearly
opprobrious
adj. –reproachful or contemptuous
syn. –abusive, vituperative, derogatory, disparaging, pejorative, deprecatory, insulting, offensive, defamatory, vitriolic, libelous, venomous, scornful, contemptuous, derisive
palatial
adj. –large and ornate, like a palace
syn. –luxurious, deluxe, magnificent, sumptuous, splendid, grand, opulent, lavish, stately, regal, fancy, upscale
palindrome
n.–a word, verse or sentence that is the same when read backward or forward
Example: racecar
paltry
adj. –worthless; trifling
syn. –small, meager, trifling, insignificant, negligible, inadequate, insufficient, derisory, pitiful, pathetic, miserable, beggarly
pandemonium
n. –a place of wild disorder, noise, or confusion
syn. –bedlam, chaos, mayhem, uproar, turmoil, tumult, commotion, confusion, anarchy, furor, hubbub, rumpus
parapet
n. –a wall or railing to protect people from falling
syn. –balustrade, barricade, rampart, bulwark, bank, embankment, fortification, defense
pariah
n. –an outcast; someone despised by others
syn. –outcast, persona non grata, black sheep, leper, undesirable
parity
n. –state of being the same in power, value, or rank
syn. –equality, equivalence, uniformity, consistency, correspondence, congruity, levelness, unity, coequality
parley
v. –to speak with another; to discourse
syn. –conference, summit, discussion, powwow
parry
v. –to ward off; to avoid
syn. –fend off, deflect, hold off, block, counter, repel, repulse
parsimonious
adj. –miserly; stingy
syn. –cheap, miserly, mean, close-fisted, close, penny-pinching, ungenerous
paucity
n. –scarcity; small number
syn. –scarcity, sparseness, dearth, shortage, poverty, insufficiency, deficiency, lack, want
peculate
v. –to embezzle
syn. –misappropriate, steal, thieve, pilfer, purloin, appropriate, pocket, abstract
pecuniary
adj. –relating to money
syn. –financial, monetary, money, fiscal, economic
pellucid
adj. –transparent
syn. –translucent, clear, crystal clear, crystalline, glassy, limpid, unclouded
penury
n. –lack of money or property
syn. –extreme poverty, destitution, pennilessness, impecuniousness, impoverishment, indigence, pauperism, privation, beggary
perdition
n. –complete and irreparable loss
syn. –damnation, eternal punishment, doom
peremptory
adj. –1. barring future action; 2. that cannot be denied, changed, etc.
syn. –irreversible, binding, absolute, final, conclusive, decisive, definitive, categorical, irrefutable, incontrovertible
perfidious
adj. –violating good faith or vows
syn. –treacherous, duplicitous, deceitful, disloyal, faithless, unfaithful, traitorous, treasonous, false, untrustworthy
perquisite
n. –a fee, profit, etc., in addition to the stated income of one’s employment
syn. –perk, fringe benefit, additional benefit, benefit, advantage, bonus
peruse
v. –to read carefully and thoroughly
syn. –study, scrutinize, inspect, examine, wade through, look through; browse through, leaf through, scan
pied
adj. –spotted
syn. –multicolored, variegated, black and white, brown and white, piebald, skewbald, dappled, brindle, spotted, mottled, speckled, flecked
pinioned
adj. –1. having wings; 2. having wings or arms bound or confined
syn. –hold down, pin down, restrain, hold fast, immobilize, tie, bind, truss (up), shackle, fetter, hobble, manacle, handcuff
platonic
adj. –1. idealistic or impractical; 2. not amorous or sensual
syn. –nonsexual, nonphysical, chaste, intellectual, friendly
plenary
adj. –full; entire; complete
syn. –unconditional, unlimited, unrestricted, unqualified, absolute, sweeping, comprehensive, plenipotentiary
plethora
n. –the state of being too full; excess
syn. –overabundance, superabundance, surplus, glut, superfluity, surfeit, profusion
portend
v. –to foreshadow
syn. –presage, augur, foreshadow, foretell, prophesy, indicate, herald, signal, bode, promise, threaten, signify, spell, denote
potable
adj. –drinkable
syn. –palatable, fit to drink, pure, clean, safe, unpolluted, untainted, uncontaminated
prate
v. –to talk much and foolishly
syn. –babble, gab, gabble, jabber, tattle
precept
n. –a rule or direction of moral conduct
syn. –principle, rule, tenet, canon, doctrine, command, order, decree, dictate, dictum, injunction, commandment
precocious
adj. –developed or matured earlier than usual
syn. –advanced for one’s age, forward, mature, gifted, talented, clever, intelligent, quick
prefatory
adj. –introductory
syn. –preliminary, opening, initial, preparatory, initiatory, precursory
preponderate
v. –to outweigh
syn. –dominate, dictate, command, domineer, control
prerogative
n. –a prior or exclusive right or privilege
syn. –predominate, prevail, dominate, reign
prevaricate
v. –to evade the truth
syn. –hedge, fence, shilly-shally, dodge (the issue), sidestep (the issue), equivocate, waffle
prognosis
n. –a forecast, especially in medicine
syn. –prediction, prognostication, prophecy, divination, augury
prolific
adj. –fruitful
syn. –plentiful, abundant, bountiful, profuse, copious, luxuriant, rich, lush, fecund
propagate
v. –to reproduce or multiply
syn. –breed, grow, cultivate
propitiate
v. –to win the good will of
syn. –appease, placate, mollify, pacify, make peace with, conciliate, soothe, calm
protocol
n. –an original draft or record of a document
syn. –agreement, treaty, entente, concordat, convention, deal, pact, contract, compact
provident
adj. –prudent; economical
syn. –farsighted, judicious, shrewd, circumspect, forearmed, wise, sagacious, sensible, thrifty, economical
proviso
n. –conditional stipulation to an agreement
syn. –provision, clause, rider, qualification, restriction, caveat
pseudonym
n. –a borrowed or fictitious name
syn. –pen name, nom de plume, assumed name, false name, alias, professional name, sobriquet, stage name, nom de guerre
puerile
adj. –childish; immature
syn. –infantile, juvenile, babyish, inane, fatuous, jejune, asinine, foolish, petty
purloin
v. –to steal
syn. –thieve, rob, take, snatch, pilfer, loot, appropriate
purview
n. –the range of control, activity, or understanding
syn. –amplitude, confines, diapason, extensity, parameters, radius, scope
quaff
v. –to drink or swallow in large quantities
syn. –gulp (down), guzzle, slurp, down, empty, imbibe, partake of, consume, swig, swill, slug, knock back, toss off, chug
quagmire
n. –a difficult position, as if on shaky ground
syn. –muddle, mix-up, mess, predicament, mare’s nest, can of worms, quandary, tangle, imbroglio, trouble, confusion, difficulty
qualm
n. –sudden feeling of uneasiness or doubt
syn. –misgivings, doubts, reservations, second thoughts, worries, concerns, anxiety, hesitation, hesitance, hesitancy, demur, reluctance, disinclination, apprehension, trepidation, unease, scruples, remorse
quintessence
n. –1. the ultimate substance; 2. the pure essence of anything
syn. –perfect example, exemplar, prototype, stereotype, picture, epitome, embodiment, ideal, apotheosis
quixotic
adj. –extravagantly chivalrous
syn. –idealistic, romantic, visionary, extravagant, starry-eyed, unrealistic, unworldly
quizzical
adj. –1. odd; comical; 2. suggesting puzzlement; questioning
syn. –inquiring, questioning, curious, puzzled, perplexed, baffled, mystified, amused, mocking, teasing
