Word List 28 Flashcards
Jaundiced (adj)
prejudiced (envious, hostile, or resentful); yellowed
Because Sue disliked Carolyn, she looked at Carolyn’s paintings with a jaundiced eye, calling them formless smears
Jettison (v)
throw overboard
Jocular (adj)
said or done in jest
He couldn’t resist making one jocular remark; his jocularity cost him the job
Jovial (adj)
good-natured; merry
A frown seemed out of place on his invariably jovial face
Ken (n)
range of knowledge
I cannot answer your question since this matter is beyond my ken
Kernel (n)
central or vital part
Within the centre of this crime scene lies the kernel of truth; when i find it, the mystery will be solved
Killjoy (n)
grouch; spoilsport
At breakfast we had all been enjoying our bacon and eggs until that killjoy John started talking about how bad animal fats and cholesterol were for our health
Kindred (adj)
related; similar in nature or character
Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn were two kindred spirits
Knave (n)
untrustworthy person; rogue; scoundrel
Any politician nicknamed Tricky Dick clearly has the reputation of a knave
Knotty (adj)
intricate; difficult; tangled
What to Watson had been a knotty problem to Sherlock was simplicity itself
Lachrymose (adj)
producing tears His voice has a lachrymose quality that is more appropriate at a funeral than a class reunion
Lackadaisical (adj)
lacking purpose or zest; halfhearted; languid
Because Gatsby had his mind more on his love life than on his finances, he did a very lackadaisical job of managing his money
Laconic (adj)
brief and to the point
Many of the characters portrayed by Clint Eastwood are laconic types; strong men of few words
Laggard (adj)
slow; sluggish
The sailor had been taught not to be laggard in carrying out orders
Lambaste (v)
beat; thrash verbally or physically
It was painful to watch the champion lambaste his opponent, tearing into him mercilessly
Lampoon (v)
ridicule
This article lampoons the pretensions of some movie moguls
Languid (adj)
weary; sluggish; listless
Her siege of illness left her languid and pallid
Languish (v)
lose animation or strength
Languor (n)
lassitude; depression
His friends tried to overcome the languor into which he had fallen by taking him to parties and to the theater
Larceny (n)
theft
Because of the prisoner’s record, the district attorney refused to reduce the charge from grand larceny to petty larceny
Largess (n)
generous gift
Lady Bountiful distributed largess to the poor
Lassitude (n)
languor; weariness
After a massage and a long soak in the hot tub, I surrendered to my growing lassitude and lay down for a nap
Lax (adj)
careless
Levity (n)
lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity
Stop giggling and wriggling around in the pew: such levity is improper in church
Lexicon (n)
dictionary
I cannot find this word in any lexicon in the library
Libel (n)
defamatory statement; act of writing something that smears a person’s character
Lionise (v)
treat as a celebrity
She enjoyed being lionised and adored by the public
