Week 3 Flashcards
bombastic
given to pompous speech or writing
The principal’s bombastic speech bombed in the eyes of the students; it only furthered their impression of him as a pompous jerk.
ebullience
intense enthusiasm
A sense of ebullience swept over the lacrosse fans when their team won the game.
exorbitant
exceeding all bounds, as of custom or fairness
I wanted to buy a Porsche, but the price was exorbitant; instead, i purchased a used Honda.
exuberant
full of unrestrained enthusiasm or joy
William was exuberant when he found out that he’d gotten into the college of his choice.
embellish
to ornament or decorate; to exaggerate
One can never trust the Anwar’s stories are realistic; his details were almost always embellished so that his experiences sound more interesting than they are in reality.
flagrant
extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable
Burning the flags show flagrant disrespect for the country
gratuitous
given freely; unearned; unnecessary
The film was full of gratuitous sex and violence not essential to the story
lavish
extravagant
Laura’s wedding was a lavish affair.
lugubrious
mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree
Lucas’s lugubrious eulogy for his pet lobster quickly became ridiculous
opulent
displaying great wealth
The software engineer’s opulent home was the envy of his friends; the crystal chandeliers, marble floors, and teak furniture must have cost a fortune.
ornate
elaborately decorated
The wood carvings were so ornate that you should examin them many times and stil notice things you hand not seen before
penchant
a strong inclination or liking
Penny’s penchant for chocolate-covered ants led her to munch on them all day
redundant
needlessly repetitive
The author’s speech was terribly redudant, repeating the same phrases, saying the same thing over and over, and constantlyh reiterating the same point.
ubiquitous
being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent
Kenny had a ubiquitous little sister; wherever he turned, there she was
vicarious
felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another
Stan, who was never athletic but loved sports, lived vicariously through his brother, a professional basketball player.
vignette
a short scene or story
The poodle vignette in my new film expresses the true meaning of Valentine’s Day.
amalgam
a combination of diverse elements; a mixture
The song was an amalgam of many different styles, from blues to hip-hop to folk.
inundate
to overwhelm as if with a flood; to swamp
The day after the ad ran, Martha was inundated with phone calls.
multifarious
diverse; various
The multifarious achievements of DaVinci–which range from architecture and painting to philosophy and science–are unparalleled in our century.
multiplicity
state of being various or manifold; a great number
A multiplicity of views is essential to a healthy multicultural democracy
alleviate
to ease a pain or burden
Alvin meditated to alleivate the pain from the headache he got after taking the SAT
beneficial
producing or promoting a favorable result; helpful
According to my doctor, tea’s beneficial effects may include reducing anxiety.
cathartic
relaxing after an emotional outburst
Cathy found that yelling at her idiotic coworkers for a while had a cathartic effect, and she was able to calmly go back to work
curative
able to heal or cure
The aloe had a curative effect on my sunburn; within hours, the flaking had stopped.
palliative
relieving or soothing the symptoms of a disease or disorder without effecting a cure
Watching professional polo on TV became a palliative for the screaming child; it was the only thing that would quiet him
therapeutic
having or exhibiting healing powers
The therapeutic air of the Mediterranean Sea cured Thomas of his asthma
complement
something that completes, goes with, or brings to perfection
The lovely computer is the perfect complement to the modern furnishings in Abby’s apartment
epitome
a representative or example of a type
She is the epitome of selflessness; no matter how much or little she as, she always gives to others
felicitous
admiralby suited; apt
Jamie Foxx made a felicitous speech when he won his Oscar
belie
to misrepresent
He smiled in order to belie his hostility
debunk
to expose untruths, shams, or exaggerated claims
The university administration debunked the myth that bunk beds are only for children by installing them in every dorm on campus
dubious
doubtful; of unlikely authenticity
Jerry’s dubious claim that he could fly like Superman didn’t win him any summer job offers.
duplicitous
deliberately deceptive
The duplicitous man duplicated dollars and gave the counterfeits to unsuspecting vendors.
fabricate
to make up in order to deceive
Fabio fabricated the story that he used to play drums for Metallica; he has never actually held a drumstick in his life.
fallacy
a false notion
The idea that there is only one college for you is a fallacy
mendacious
lying; untruthful
John’s mendacious statements on the stand sealed his fate; he was found guilty of lying to the court about his role in the crime
specious
having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually false
Susie’s specious argument seemed to make sense, but when I looked more closely, it was clearly illogical
ambiguous
open to more than one interpretation
Big’s eyes were an ambiguous color; in some lights, brown, and in others, green.
ambivalent
simultaneously feeling opposing feelings; uncertain
Amy felt ambivalent about her dance class: on one hand, she enjoyed the exercise; but on the other, the choice of dances bore her.
apathetic
feeling or showing little emotion
The apathetic students didn’t even bother to vote for class president
capricious
The referee’s capricious behavior angered the players; he would call a foul for minor contact, but ignore elbowing and kicking
equivocal
open to two ore more interpretations and often intended to mislead; ambiguous
The politician made so many equivocal statements during the scandal that no one could be sure of what, if anything, he had admitted to having done.
erratic
markedly inconsistent
Erroll’s erratic behavior made it difficult for his friends to predict what he would do in a given moment
impetuous
suddenly and forcefully energetic or emotioned; impulsive and passionate
Mr. Limpet was so impetuous that we never knew what he would do next
impetus
an impelling force or stimulus
A looming deadline provided Imelda with the impetus she needed to finish her research paper
sporadic
occuring at irregular intervals; having no pattern or order in time
Storms in Florida are sporadic; it’s hard to predict when they’re going to occur
vacillate
to sway from one side to the other; oscillate
The cook vacillated between favoring chicken and preferring fish; he just couldn’t diecide which to prepare
whimsical
characterized by whim; unpredictable
Egbert rarely behaved as expected; indeed, he was a whimsical soul whose every decision was anybody’s guess
flag
to decline in vigor or strength; to tire; to droop
After several few days climbing mountains in pouring rain, our enthusiasm for the hiking trip began to flag.
jaded
worn out; wearied
Jade’s experiences had jaded her; she no longer believed tha the junk stacked in her garage was going to make her rich.
