Week 14 Flashcards
prudent
acting with or showing care and thought for the future.
“no prudent money manager would authorize a loan without first knowing its purpose”
pseudo adj.
not genuine; spurious or sham. false995
“we are talking about real journalists and not the pseudo kind”
pseudonym n.
a fictitious name, especially one used by an author.
“I wrote under the pseudonym of Evelyn Hervey”
puerile adj.
childishly silly and trivial.
“you’re making puerile excuses”
punctilious adj.
showing great attention to detail or correct behavior.
“he was punctilious in providing every amenity for his guests”
pungent adj.
having a sharply strong taste or smell.
“the pungent smell of frying onions”
(of comment, criticism, or humor) having a sharp and caustic quality.
“he has expressed some fairly pungent criticisms”
purge
to cleanse, purify
putrid adj.
(of organic matter) decaying or rotting and emitting a fetid smell.
“the putrid smells from the slaughterhouses”
qualm n.
an uneasy feeling of doubt, worry, or fear, especially about one’s own conduct; a misgiving.
“military regimes generally have no qualms about controlling the press”
quandary n.
a state of uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation.
“Kate is in a quandary”
quash v.
reject or void, especially by legal procedure.
“his conviction was quashed on appeal”
put an end to; suppress.
“a hospital executive quashed rumors that nursing staff will lose jobs”
quell v.
put an end to (a rebellion or other disorder), typically by the use of force.
“extra police were called to quell the disturbance”
subdue or silence someone.
“Connor quelled him with a look”
suppress (a feeling, especially an unpleasant one).
“he spoke up again to quell any panic among the assembled youngsters”
querulous adj.
complaining in a petulant or whining manner.
“she became querulous and demanding”
quiescence n.
inactivity or dormancy.
“this method has been shown to induce sleep-like quiescence in adult animals”
quintessence n.
the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.
“he was the quintessence of political professionalism”
quixotic adj.
exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
“a vast and perhaps quixotic project”
raconteur n.
a person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way.
“a colorful raconteur”
rampant adj.
wild, uncontrolled
“political violence was rampant”
rancor n.
bitterness or resentfulness, especially when existing for a long time 
“he spoke without rancor”
raucous adj.
making a disturbingly harsh and loud noise.
“raucous youths”
raze v.
completely destroy (a building, town, or other site).
“villages were razed to the ground”
rebut v,
claim or prove that (evidence or an accusation) is false.
“he had to rebut charges of acting for the convenience of his political friends”
recalcitrant adj.
having an uncooperative attitude toward authority or discipline.
“a class of recalcitrant fifteen-year-olds”
recondite adj.
(of a subject or knowledge) little known; abstruse.
“the book is full of recondite information”
difficult to understand
recreant
a coward
cowardly
recumbent adj.
(especially of a person or human figure) lying down.
“recumbent statues”
inactive, idle
redolent adj.
aromatic, pleasant odor, fragrant
redress v.
remedy or set right (an undesirable or unfair situation).
“the power to redress the grievances of our citizens”
redundant adj.
repetitive
refractory adj.
stubborn or unmanageable.
“his refractory pony”
resistant to a process or stimulus.
“some granules are refractory to secretory stimuli”
refute v.
prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove.
“these claims have not been convincingly refuted”
regale v.
entertain or amuse (someone) with a story or food/brink.
“he regaled her with a colorful account of that afternoon’s meeting”
regimen n.
a prescribed course of medical treatment, way of life, or diet for the promotion or restoration of health.
“a regimen of one or two injections per day”
rejuvenate v.
give new energy or vigor to; revitalize.
“the exercise and fresh air rejuvenated me”
restore a youthful appearance to.
“exfoliation rejuvenates the skin”
relegate v.
to send to an inferior rank or position.
“they aim to prevent women from being relegated to a secondary role”
relevant adj.
closely connected or appropriate to what is being done or considered.
“what small companies need is relevant advice”
remiss
lacking care or attention to duty; negligent.
“it would be very remiss of me not to pass on that information”
“_____ of me to forget the importance of language in human history”
remorse n.
deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed.
“they were filled with remorse and shame”
remuneration n.
money paid for work or a service.
“they work in excess of their contracted hours for no additional remuneration”
renegade n.
a person who deserts and betrays an organization, country, or set of principles.
“an agent who later turns out to be a renegade”
replete adj.
filled or well-supplied with something.
“sensational popular fiction, replete with adultery and sudden death”
reprehensible adj.
bad, blameworthy
repress
subdue (someone or something) by force.
“the uprisings were repressed”
restrain, prevent, or inhibit (the expression or development of something).
“Isabel couldn’t repress a sharp cry of fear”
suppress (a thought, feeling, or desire) in oneself so that it becomes or remains unconscious.
“the thought that he had killed his brother was so terrible that he repressed it”
“___ memories”
reprisal n.
an act of retaliation.
“three youths died in the reprisals that followed”
to play a role again
reprove v.
to scold, reprimand, censure, castigate
reprimand or censure (someone).
“he was reproved for obscenity”
requite
make appropriate return for (a favor, service, or wrongdoing).
“they are quick to requite a kindness”
return a favor to (someone).
“to win enough to requite my friends”
respond to (love or affection); return.
“she did not requite his love”
rescind v.
revoke, cancel, or repeal (a law, order, or agreement).
“___ an invitation”
resignation n.
the acceptance of something undesirable but inevitable.
“a shrug of resignation”
resolution
a firm decision to do or not to do something.
“she kept her resolution not to see Anne any more”
the quality of being determined or resolute.
“he handled the last French actions of the war with resolution”
respite n./v,
a short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant.
“the refugee encampments will provide some respite from the suffering”
postpone (a sentence, obligation, etc.).
“the execution was only respited a few months”
reticent adj.
not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readily.
“she was extremely reticent about her personal affairs”
silent, uncommunicative
retort v.
a sharp reply
to give such a reply
retract
draw back.
“she retracted her hand as if she’d been burnt”
withdraw (a statement or accusation) as untrue or unjustified.
“he retracted his allegations”
retribution n.
just compenstaion, justice
retrogress v.
go back to an earlier state, typically a worse one.
“she retrogressed to the starting point of her rehabilitation”
revere v.
Feel deep respect or admiration for (something).
“Cézanne’s still lifes were revered by his contemporaries”
ribald adj./n.
- vulgar in speech, obscene, gross
- any such speech difficulty
rigor n.
difficulty, strictness
rill
a small stream
rococo
- extravagantly decorative items.
- an art period of elegant but still very ornate art
