week 13 vocab Flashcards
piquant adj.
having a pleasantly sharp taste or appetizing flavor.
“a piquant tartare sauce”
pleasantly stimulating or exciting to the mind.
“a story’s ____ twist”
pique v.
stimulate (interest or curiosity).
“you have piqued my curiosity about the man”
feel irritated or resentful.
“she was piqued by his curtness”
pithy adj.
(of language or style) concise and forcefully expressive.
pivotal adj.
of crucial importance in relation to the development or success of something else.
“the alliance that played a pivotal role in the revolution”
fixed on or as if on a pivot.
“a sliding or pivotal motion”
placate v.
make (someone) less angry or hostile.
“they attempted to placate the students with promises”
plagiarism n.
the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own.
“there were accusations of plagiarism”
platitude n.
a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful.
“he masks his disdain for her with platitudes about how she should believe in herself more”
a dull remark made as if it were profound
plausible adj.
(of an argument or statement) seeming reasonable or probable.
“a plausible explanation”
plebeian n./adj.
n. a member of the common man
adj. relating to the common man
plethora n.
a large or excessive amount of (something).
“a plethora of committees and subcommittees”
poignant adj.
evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret.
“a poignant reminder of the passing of time”
intense, sincere, profoundly moving
ponderous adj.
slow and clumsy because of great weight.
“her footsteps were heavy and ponderous”
portentous adj.
accurately describing or predicting what will happen in the future.
giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; threatening; inauspicious.
[esp. when indicating a momentous incident]
“the envelope and its portentous contents”
posthumous adj.
occurring, awarded, or appearing after the death of the originator.
“he was awarded a posthumous Military Cross”
postulate n./v.
a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.
to hypothesize
potent adj.
having great power, influence, or effect.
“thrones were potent symbols of authority”
pragmatic adj.
dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.
“a pragmatic approach to business ethics”
precarious adj.
not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse.
“a precarious ladder”
dependent on chance; uncertain.
“he made a precarious living as a painter”
precedent n.
an earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances.
“there are substantial precedents for using interactive media in training”
preclude v.
prevent from happening; make impossible.
“the secret nature of his work precluded official recognition”
(of a situation or condition) prevent someone from doing something.
“his difficulties preclude him from leading a normal life”
inactivity can _____ improvement
precocious adj.
(of a child) having developed certain abilities at an earlier age than usual.
“he was a precocious, solitary boy”
precursor n.
a person or thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner.
“a three-stringed precursor of the violin”
hypertension is a _____ to heart disease
predatory adj.
relating to or denoting an animal or animals preying naturally on others.
“predatory birds”
seeking to exploit or oppress others.
“new laws have been passed designed to crack down on predatory lenders”
predecessor n.
a person who held a job or office before the current holder.
“his approach is very similar to that of his predecessor”
predilection adj.
a preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something.
“my predilection for Asian food”
prehensile adj.
(chiefly of an animal’s limb or tail) capable of grasping.
“many monkeys have long, prehensile tails which they use in swinging through the trees” “most often ____ thumbs, as in that of humans”
prelude n.
an action or event serving as an introduction to something more important.
“education cannot simply be a prelude to a career”
premise n.
a previous statement or proposition from which another is inferred or follows as a conclusion.
“if the premise is true, then the conclusion must be true”
prerogative n.
a right or privilege exclusive to a particular individual or class.
“owning an automobile was still the prerogative of the rich”
presentiment n.
an intuitive feeling about the future, especially one of a feeling that something bad will happen.
“a presentiment of disaster”
presently adverb.
after a short time; soon.
“this will be examined in more detail presently”
presentment n.
a formal presentation of information to a court, especially by a sworn jury regarding an offense or other matter.
pretentious adj.
attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.
“a pretentious literary device”
prevaricate v.
to lie
pristine adj.
in its original condition; unspoiled, pure, uncorrupted.
“pristine copies of an early magazine”
probity n.
the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency.
“financial probity”
proclivity n.
a tendency to choose or do something regularly; an inclination or predisposition toward a particular thing.
“a proclivity for hard work”
procrastinate v.
delay or postpone action; put off doing something.
“it won’t be this price for long, so don’t procrastinate”
prodigal adj.
spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.
“prodigal habits die hard”
prodigious adj.
remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree.
“the stove consumed a prodigious amount of fuel”
profligate adj.
- extremely wasteful
- shamelessly immoral
profound adj.
(of a state, quality, or emotion) very great or intense.
“profound feelings of disquiet”
deep and significant
profuse adj.
(especially of something offered or discharged) exuberantly plentiful; abundant.
“I offered my profuse apologies”
progeny n.
a descendant or the descendants of a person, animal, or plant; offspring.
“the progeny of celebrities”
prognosis n.
a forecast of the likely course of a disease or ailment.
“it is very difficult to make an accurate prognosis”
a forecast of the likely outcome of a situation.
“gloomy prognoses about overpopulation”
prolific adj.
(of a plant, animal, or person) producing much fruit or foliage or many offspring.
“in captivity tigers are prolific breeders”
present in large numbers or quantities; plentiful.
“mahogany was once prolific in the tropical forests”
promiscuous adj.
having or characterized by many lasting only for a short time sexual relationships.
“promiscuous teenagers”
staying or working in a place for only a short time.
“the transient nature of the labor force in catering”
promulgate v.
promote or make widely known (an idea or cause).
“these objectives have to be promulgated within the organization”
propensity n.
an inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way.
“a propensity for violence”
propinquity n.
the state of being close to someone or something; proximity.
“he kept his distance as though afraid propinquity might lead him into temptation”
propitiate v.
win or regain the favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by doing something that pleases them.
“the pagans thought it was important to propitiate the gods with sacrifices”
propitious adj.
giving or indicating a good chance of success; favorable.
“the timing for such a meeting seemed propitious”
prosaic adj.
having the style or diction of prose; lacking poetic beauty.
“prosaic language can’t convey the experience”
commonplace; unromantic.
“the masses were too preoccupied by prosaic day-to-day concerns”
proscribe v.
forbid, especially by law.
“strikes remained proscribed in the armed forces”
denounce or condemn.
“certain practices that the Catholic Church proscribed, such as polygyny”
outlaw someone
proselyte n.
a person who has converted from one opinion, religion, or party to another.
protract v.
prolong.
“he had certainly taken his time, even protracting the process”
provincial adj.
narrow in interests, unsophisticated
in a province, rural
provocative adj.
exciting
prowess n.
skill or expertise in a particular activity or field.
“his prowess as a fisherman”
proximity n.
nearness in space, time, or relationship.
“do not operate microphones in close proximity to television sets”
