Week 2 words Flashcards
Sanction
- (POSITIVE meaning) Official or authoritative permissino or authorization; support or encouragement; (v) To approve or authorize officially; to support or tolerate by showing approval.
- (NEGATIVE meaning) A penalty meant to force compliance; a military or economic measure adopted by several nations and meant to coerce another nation violating international law; (v) To penalize, especially for a violation of international law
An expression now sanctioned by educated usage.
Complaisant
(adj) Agreeable, eager to please, obliging
The most complaisant child I’ve ever met.
Ubiquitous
(adj) Existing or present everywhere; constantly encountered or widespread.
Ubiquitous fog; ubiquitous little ants.
Distend
(v) To extend; to swell form internal pressure
Habitual overating had distended his stomach; The sea distended about them.
Vacillate
(v) To hesitate or waver in forming an opinion or make a decision
(v) To fluctuate or oscillate
His tendency to vacillate makes him a poor leader.
Perfidy
(n) 1. The quality or state of being disloyal; treachery; faithlessness
2. An act of disloyalty
Perfidy that goes unpunished
Derivative
(adj) Not original, secondary, or copied
(adj) derived
Fracas
(n) A noisy, loudy quarrel, brawl, or disturbance
Explicit
(adj) Fully and clearly expressed, without leaving anything to implication
(adj) Fully developed or defined
(adj) Forthright and unambiguous in expression
Presumptuous
(adj) Overstepping the bounds of what’s right or proper; inappropriately forward or taking liberties
syn: impertinent, audacious, arrogant, bold
Extraneous
(adj) Irrelevant, unrelated, not pertinent
(adj) Nonessential, not vital
(adj) Coming from outside
Slight
(v) 1. To treat as unimportant or make light of
2. To treat with disdain or discourteous inattention
3. To do inattentively or negligently
(n) An instance of being slighted
(adj) 1. Slim or delicate of body
2. Small in size, extent, or quantity
3. Trifling, trivial, or unimportant
4. Lack strength of substance; flimsy
Vigor
(n) Active strength or energy; vitality
Transparent
(adj) Permitting the passage of light, sheer enough to see through
(adj) Frank, candid, and free of deceit or pretense
(adj) Obvious; readily seen or understood
(adj) Open with regards to methods of practices, especially in business
Pristine
(adj) Belonging or related to the original, earliest condition; primitive
(adj) Remainging in pure, unspoiled state, untouched by civilization
(adj) clean as if new
His pristine new car
Confound
(v) To confuse, perplex, or stump; To throw into disorder
(v) To mix up, fail to notice differences
(v) To refute, prove wrong, or put to shame
Console
(v) To comfort, alleviate someone’s grief, suffering, or sense of loss
(n) 1. A cabinet (such as for a television) designed to stand on the floor
2. The control unit of a computer, electrical system, vehicle, etc.
A PS game console
Discrete
(adj) Separate or distinct; an individual thing
(adj) Consisting of unconnected individual parts; not continuous
discrete parts; a discrete variable
Specious
(adj) Deceptive in attractions or allure
(adj) Falsely appearing true, genuine, or plausible
syn: plausible, misleading
Specious arguments
Approbation
(n) Official approval
(n) Commendation, praise; a warm expression of approval; conclusive proof
Concur
(v) To agree, cooperate, or coincide
Nadir
(adj) The lowest point
(adj) A point on the celestial sphere, opposite the zenith and below the observer
(n) lowest point; point of greatest adversity or despair
Tractability
(n) Capacity for being led, controlled, or taught; docility
(n) Malleability; Ease of being handled or worked with
Impermeable
(adj) Impassable; preventing passage through or into itself (such as by a liquid - e.g., an impermeable raincoat)
Denunciation
(n) 1. public condemnation or censure
2. an accusation of a crime
Lackluster
(adj) Without luster or brilliance; dull
lackluster eyes; a lackluster performance
Foment
(v) To foster or promote the development of; to incite or rouse
To foment troubl; to foment discontent
syn: encourage, stimluate, stir up, provoke, arouse, inflame, excite
Deference
(n) Submission to or due respect for superiors or elders
In deference to his wishes
Veracity
(n) Conformity or adherence to the truth or accuracy
He was not noted for his veracity; To questions the veracity of his account
syn: honesty, integrity, credibility
Diffuse
(adj) Dispersed, spread out
(adj) wordy and poorly organized
Innocuous
(adj) Harmless or without negative effect
(adj) Unlikely to offend or inspire a strong reaction; insipid or bland
an innocuous home remedy; an innocuous remark
Audacious
(adj) Recklessly bold; Insolent or contemptuous of rules
(adj) Original and spirited
Exculpate
(v) To clear from a charge or guilt
Abate
(v) To reduce in degree, amount, or intensity
To abate a tax; to abate all mentions of names
syn: omit
Obstinate
(adj) Stubbornly sticking to an attitude, opinion, purpose, or course against argument or persuasion; difficult to control, subdue, or remedy
The obstinate growth of weeds; obstinate advocacy of high tariffs
Prodigious
(adj) Impressive or extraordinary in bulk, amount, or degree; enormous
(adj) Marvelous, eliciting amazement
A prodigious research grant; a prodigious feat
Stolid
(adj) Unemotional or impassive
Alleviate
(v) To mitigate, lessen, or make bearable
Levy
(v) 1. To impose and collect (such as a tax)
2. To draft troops into military service
3. To declare and wage war
To levy a duty on imports
Exacerbate
(v) To make more severe, violent, or bitter; to aggravate, intensify, or inflame
Covert
(adj) Not openly done, acknowledged, or avowed; veiled
(adj) Sheltered or covered
syn: concealed, disguised, sheltered, covered
Apprise
(v) To inform, tell, or give notice to
To be apprised of the death of an old friend
NOTE: often followed by of
Recalcitrant
(adj) Stubbornly resisting or defying authority or guidance
I can often be a recalcitrant person to useful and hard advice
Derision
(n) Ridicule, mockery, or scorn
The inept performance elicited derision from the audience
Taciturn
(adj) Disinclined to speak to temperament
Blithe
(adj) Lighthearted, carefree, joyous, or gaily cheerful
(adj) Thoughtless, heedless, or without regard or consideration
Everyone loved her for her blithe spirit; a blithe indifference to anyone’s feelings
Convoke
(v) To call (as a group of people) to a meeting
syn: assemble
Impetuous
(adj) Impulsive, characterized by sudden, passionate action
(adj) Violent or forceful
An impetuous person; The impetuous winds
Ponderous
(adj) Of great weight; unwieldy due to heaviness and bulk
(adj) Labored, dull, or lifeless
A ponderous dissertation; He carried ponderous burden on his back
