WOD 101 Flashcards
DIVISION INTO TWO USUALLY CONTRADICTORY PARTS
contrast, difference, polarity, conflict; gulf, chasm, division, separation, split; contrariety
dichotomy
“the great dichotomy between theory and practice”
the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.
synergy
“the synergy between artist and record company”
more important than anything else; supreme.
most important, of greatest/prime importance, supreme
paramount
“the interests of the child are of paramount importance”
(n.) a remedy for all ills; cure-all; an answer to all problems
universal cure, cure-all, cure for all ills, universal remedy, elixir, wonder drug, magic bullet
panacea
1 A person’s general or natural mood; tendency
2 the way in which something is placed or arranged, especially in relation to other things.
temperament, nature, character, constitution, makeup, mentality
disposition
“a sweet-natured girl of a placid disposition”
“he plan need not be accurate so long as it shows the disposition of the rooms”
to cut apart in preparation for scientific study; to analyze with great care
anatomize, cut up/open, analyze, examine, study, scrutinize, pore over, investigate
dissect
An effect that occurs when the mental scale that people use to judge the pleasantness-unpleasantness of their experiences shifts so that their neutral point, or baseline for comparison, changes.
hedonic adaptaion
To leave or withdraw
withdraw from, break away from, break with, separate (oneself) from, leave, split with, split off from, disaffiliate from, resign from, pull out of
secede
“the kingdom of Belgium seceded from the Netherlands in 1830”
(of bad behavior) done openly and unashamedly.
completely lacking in subtlety; very obvious.
flagrant, glaring, obvious, undisguised, unconcealed
Blatant
“blatant lies”
Uncertain; unable to decide, or wanting to do two contradictory things at once
Having mixed feelings
equivocal, uncertain, unsure, doubtful, indecisive, inconclusive, irresolute, of two minds, undecided, torn, in a quandary, on the fence, hesitating, wavering
ambivalent
“some loved her, some hated her, few were ambivalent about her”
“the need to relocate has made her ambivalent about the promotion”
great trouble or difficulty
misfortune, ill luck, bad luck, trouble, difficulty, hardship, distress, disaster, suffering, affliction, sorrow, misery, tribulation, woe, pain, trauma
adversity
“resilience in the face of adversity”
Kind
Generous
compassionate, caring, altruistic, humanitarian, philanthropic, charitable, nonprofit
benevolent
“a benevolent smile”
“a benevolent fund”
A mutual exchange of favors or privileges. “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.”
reciprocity
not easily upset or excited.
Calm, peaceful
tranquil, equable, unexcitable, serene, mild, ‘calm, cool, and collected’, composed, self-possessed, poised, easygoing, levelheaded, steady, unruffled
Placid
“this horse has a placid nature”
“the placid waters of a small lake”
unwilling and hesitant; disinclined.
unenthusiastic, resistant, resisting, opposed
Reluctant
“today, many ordinary people are still reluctant to talk about politics”
(of behavior, performance, or appearance) in accordance with the highest standards of propriety; faultless.
unblemished, spotless, immaculate, pristine, stainless, perfect, exemplary
impeccable
“a man of impeccable character”
a worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand.
craftsman
(of food or drink) made in a traditional or non-mechanized way using high-quality ingredients.
Artisan
“local artisan cheeses”
cause (something) to change direction by interposing something; turn aside from a straight course.
synonyms: turn aside/away, divert, avert, sidetrack; More
(of an object) change direction after hitting something.
synonyms: bounce, glance, ricochet, carom; More
cause (someone) to deviate from an intended purpose.
deflect
“the bullet was deflected harmlessly into the ceiling”
“the ball deflected off his body”
“she refused to be deflected from anything she had set her mind on”
a lack of compatibility or similarity between two or more facts.
synonyms: difference, disparity, variance, variation, deviation, divergence, disagreement, inconsistency, dissimilarity, mismatch, discordance, incompatibility, conflict
discrepancy
“there’s a discrepancy between your account and his”
“the discrepancy between the two sets of figures”
not clearly visible or attracting attention; not conspicuous.
synonyms: unobtrusive, unnoticeable, unremarkable, unspectacular, unostentatious, unshowy, unflashy, undistinguished, unexceptional, modest, unassuming, discreet, hidden, concealed
inconspicuous
“an inconspicuous red-brick building”
is a concept in traditional Japanese aesthetics constituting a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.
Wabi-sabi (侘寂)
obscure, secret, known only by a few
Arcane
“The professor is an expert in arcane Kashubian literature.”
ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one’s own experience.
synonyms: narrow-minded, small-minded, inward-looking, parochial, provincial, small-town, shortsighted, hidebound, blinkered
antonyms: broad-minded, tolerant
lacking contact with other people.
synonyms: isolated, inaccessible, cutoff, segregated, detached, solitary, lonely, hermitic
“an insular existence”
insular
“a stubbornly insular farming people”
“people living restricted and sometimes insular existences”
representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.
synonyms: typical, prototypical, stereotypical, archetypal, classic, model, standard, stock, representative, conventional
quintessential
“he was the quintessential tough guy—strong, silent, and self-contained”
method of cooking in which food is vacuum-sealed in a plastic pouch….
sous-vide
persuade someone to do something by sustained coaxing or flattery.
synonyms: persuade, wheedle, coax, talk into, prevail on, sweet-talk, butter up, soft-soap, seduce, inveigle
cajole cajoling
“he hoped to cajole her into selling the house”
“It took a bit of cajoling”
a thing that motivates or encourages one to do something.
synonyms: inducement, motivation, motive, reason, stimulus, stimulant, spur, impetus, encouragement, impulse; More
antonyms: deterrent
a payment or concession to stimulate greater output or investment.
Incentive
“there is no incentive for customers to conserve water”
“tax incentives for investing in depressed areas”
intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest.
synonyms: abstruse, obscure, arcane, recherché, rarefied, recondite, abstract
esoteric
“esoteric philosophical debates”
easily persuaded to believe something; credulous.
synonyms: credulous, naive, overtrusting, overtrustful, easily deceived, easily taken in, exploitable, dupable, impressionable, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, unwary, ingenuous, innocent, inexperienced, unworldly, green
gullible
“an attempt to persuade a gullible public to spend their money”
very complicated or detailed.
synonyms: complex, complicated, convoluted, tangled
intricate
“An intricate part of the design”
a strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation.
synonyms: calling, life’s work, mission, purpose, function; More
a person’s employment or main occupation, especially regarded as particularly worthy and requiring great dedication.
a trade or profession.
vocation
“not all of us have a vocation to be nurses or doctors”
“her vocation as a poet”
1.
suggest or hint (something bad or reprehensible) in an indirect and unpleasant way.
synonyms: imply, suggest, hint, intimate, indicate, let it be known, give someone to understand; informalmake out
2.
maneuver oneself into (a position of favor or office) by subtle manipulation.
synonyms: worm one’s way into, ingratiate oneself with, curry favor with; More
slide (oneself or a thing) slowly and smoothly into a position.
insinuate
“he was insinuating that she had slept her way to the top”
“he insinuated that she lied”
“she seemed to be taking over, insinuating herself into the family”
“the bugs insinuate themselves between one’s skin and clothes”
1.
gentle; kindly.
synonyms: kindly, kind, warmhearted, good-natured, friendly, warm, affectionate, agreeable, genial, congenial, cordial, approachable, tenderhearted, gentle, sympathetic, compassionate, caring, well disposed, benevolent
2.
MEDICINE
(of a disease) not harmful in effect: in particular, (of a tumor) not malignant.
synonyms: harmless, nonmalignant, noncancerous; benignant
benign
“her face was calm and benign”
“a benign grandfatherly role”
“a benign tumor”
1.
never ending or changing.
synonyms: everlasting, never-ending, eternal, permanent, unending, endless, without end, lasting, long-lasting, constant, abiding, enduring, perennial, timeless, ageless, deathless, undying, immortal
2.
occurring repeatedly; so frequent as to seem endless and uninterrupted.
“their perpetual money worries”
synonyms: interminable, incessant, ceaseless, endless, without respite, relentless, unrelenting, persistent, continual, continuous, nonstop, never-ending, recurrent, repeated, unremitting, sustained, around/round-the-clock, chronic, unabating; informaleternal
perpetual
“perpetually curious”
“deep caves in perpetual darkness”
“her mother’s perpetual nagging”
1
: a long wandering or voyage usually marked by many changes of fortune
any epic journey
2
: an intellectual or spiritual wandering or quest an odyssey of self-discovery a spiritual odyssey from disbelief to faith
odysseys
“The film follows one man’s odyssey to find the …”
“ a spiritual odyssey from disbelief to faith”
the state of being harmed or damaged.
a cause of harm or damage.
plural noun: detriments
synonyms: harm, damage, injury, hurt, impairment, loss, disadvantage, disservice, mischief
“local merchants fear the detriment to business that one of these superstores could bring about”
detriment
“he is engrossed in his work to the detriment of his married life”
“such tests are a detriment to good education”
(of a metal or other material) able to be hammered or pressed permanently out of shape without breaking or cracking.
synonyms: pliable, ductile, plastic, pliant, soft, workable
easily influenced; pliable.
synonyms: easily influenced, suggestible, susceptible, impressionable, pliable, amenable, compliant, tractable
malleable
“a malleable substance”
“Anna was shaken enough to be malleable”
1.
likely or liable to be influenced or harmed by a particular thing.
synonyms: open to, receptive to, vulnerable to; More
antonyms: immune, resistant
(of a person) easily influenced by feelings or emotions; sensitive.
synonyms: impressionable, credulous, gullible, innocent, ingenuous, naive, easily led; More
antonyms: skeptical, streetwise
2.
capable or admitting of.
susceptible
“patients with liver disease may be susceptible to infection”
“they only do it to tease him—he’s too susceptible”
“the problem is not susceptible of a simple solution”
noun
1.
trash, such as paper, cans, and bottles, that is left lying in an open or public place.
synonyms: garbage, refuse, junk, waste, debris, scraps, leavings, fragments, detritus, trash, rubbish
2.
the group of young animals born to an animal at one time.
“a litter of five kittens”
synonyms: brood, family
“a litter of kittens”
verb
1.
make (a place) untidy with rubbish or a large number of objects left lying about.
“clothes and newspapers littered the floor”
synonyms: make untidy, mess up, make a mess of, clutter up, be strewn about, be scattered about; informalmake a shambles of
“clothes littered the floor”
Litter
“fines for dropping litter”
Stop the littering
1.
in the form of a cloud or haze; hazy.
synonyms: indistinct, indefinite, unclear, vague, hazy, cloudy, fuzzy, misty, lacking definition, blurred, blurry, out of focus, foggy, faint, shadowy, dim, obscure, shapeless, formless, unformed, amorphous; rarenebulose
2.
(of a concept) vague or ill-defined.
“nebulous concepts like quality of life”
synonyms: vague, ill-defined, unclear, hazy, uncertain, indefinite, indeterminate, imprecise, unformed, muddled, confused, ambiguous, inchoate, opaque, muddy
nebulous
“a giant nebulous glow”
“the figure was still nebulous—she couldn’t quite see it”
“his nebulous ideas about salvation”
the discipline that deals with the theory and practice of education; it thus concerns the study of how best to teach.
Pedagogy
make less severe, serious, or painful.
synonyms: alleviate, reduce, diminish, lessen, weaken, lighten, attenuate, take the edge off, allay, ease, assuage, palliate, relieve, tone down
lessen the gravity of (an offense or mistake).
synonyms: extenuating, justificatory, justifying, vindicating, qualifying
mitigate
“he wanted to mitigate misery in the world”
“the worst symptoms have been mitigated”
“he would have faced a prison sentence but for mitigating circumstances”
