Word List 24 Flashcards
pusillanimous
adj. cowardly; fainthearted
quack
n. charlatan; impostor
quaff
v. drink with relish
qualms
n. misgivings
quandary
n. dilemma
quay
n. dock; landing place
querulous
adj. fretful; whining
quibble
v. equivocate; play on words
quiescent
adj. at rest; dormant
quietude
n. tranquillity
quintessence
n. purest and highest embodiment
quirk
n. startling twist; caprice
qui vive
n. wide awake; expectant
quixotic
adj. idealistic but impractical
quizzical
adj. bantering; comical; humorously serious
ragamuffin
n. person wearing tattered clothers
ramification
n. branching out; subdivision
rampant
adj. rearing up on hind legs; unrestrained
rancor
n. bitterness; hatred
rapacious
adj. excessively grasping; plundering
rapprochement
n. reconciliation
rarefied
adj. made less dense (of a gas)
ratiocination
n. reasoning; the act of drawing conclusions from premises
raucous
adj. harsh and shrill
ravage
v. plunder; despoil
ravening
adj. rapacious; seeking prey
raze
v. destroy completely
rebate
n. discount
recalcitrant
adj. obstinately stubborn
recant
v. repudiate; withdraw previous statement
reciprocal
adj. mutual;exchangeable; interacting
reciprocate
v. repay in kind
recondite
adj. abstruse; profound; secret
reconnaissance
n. survey of enemy by soldiers; reconnoitering
recourse
n. resorting to help when in trouble
recreant
n. coward; betrayer of faith
recrimination
n. countercharges
rectitude
n. uprightness
recumbent
adj. reclining; lying down completely or in part
recurrent
adj. occurring again and again
redolent
adj. fragrant; odorous; suggestive of an odor
redoubtable
adj. formidable; causing fear
redress
n. remedy; compensation
refection
n. slight refreshment
refectory
n. dining hall
refulgent
adj. radiant
refutation
n. disproof of opponents’ arguments
regale
v. entertain
regatta
n. boat or yacht race
reiterate
v. repeat