Word List 3 Flashcards
abhor
(ab HOR)
verb
Definition: to feel disgust and hatred toward; to detest
Examples:
- The sombrero-wearing psychologist dreaded his next meeting because he abhorred his patient.
- I abhor cleaning the toilet.
affluent
(AF loo ent) or (uh FLOO ent)
adj
Definition: having a great deal of money; wealthy
Examples:
- The company’s founder became affluent very quickly.
- You can tell at a glance that the families who live in this neighborhood must be very affluent.
avarice
(AV ur is)
noun
(Note: Avaricious [av uh RI shus] is an adjective.)
Definition: extreme greed for wealth or material gain
Examples:
- He started his company with good intentions, but he was overcome with avarice; he quickly decided to outsource his labor to a country where he could pay the workers only fifty cents per hour.
- He cared so little about others noticing his avarice that he combined a petting zoo and a nuclear power plant in order to save money.
behemoth
(bih HEE muth) or (BEE uh muth)
noun
Definition: a huge or monstrous creature; something very big and powerful
Examples:
- Upon entering the cave, we saw the largest dragon I’d ever seen. As fire shot from the behemoth’s nose, we turned and ran.
- None of the small businesses in town can compete with the big box store; it’s too much of a behemoth.
camaraderie
(com ROD er ee) or (com uh ROD er ee)
noun
Definition: mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together
Examples:
- They walked down the muddy street, kicking up puddles, comparing phones, and settling into the usual camaraderie.
- Their camaraderie seemed genuine when we met them, but our friendship didn’t survive the softball tryouts.
concise
(kun SISE)
adj
Definition: briefly and clearly expressed; brief but comprehensive
Examples:
- Please provide a concise summary of the incident.
- Her paragraph was concise, not containing any unnecessary words.
corpulent
(CORP yuh lent)
adj
Definition: overweight; fat
Examples:
- The corpulent man decided to seek his doctor’s advice for a healthy weight-loss plan.
- The school bully used Jeremy’s corpulence as the subject for his mean-spirited joke.
debacle
(dih BOCK ul)
noun
Definition: a disaster or complete failure; a fiasco
Examples:
- The fireworks exploded in the basement of the Sycamore home. What a debacle!
- The rebellion was a debacle; the revolutionary forces were crushed.
desiccated
(DESS ih kay ted)
adj
Definition: thoroughly dried up; dehydrated (Note: This usually refers to an object that once contained water and is now dehydrated; it would NOT refer to something like a counter or floor that became wet and was then dried.)
Examples:
- The children used the desiccated apple to create a “granny head” for a school project.
- The desiccated brown leaves fluttered around the quad.
egregious
(ih GREE jus)
adj
Definition: extraordinarily bad; shocking
Examples:
- If it were a rolling stop, perhaps I’d let you go with a warning, but not for such an egregious offense. You flew through that intersection!
- His essay was not only incomplete and poorly written, but was also filled with egregious errors. For example, he stated that the War of 1812 began in 1924!
gourmand
(gor MAHND)
noun
Definition: a person who enjoys eating and often eats too much
NOTE: There are a few “g” words with somewhat different meanings. A “gourmet” is a connoisseur of good food, or a person with a discerning palate. A “gourmand” also enjoys good food, but they usually eat too much of it. A “glutton” is an excessively greedy eater, regardless of the quality of the food.
Examples:
- The gourmand loved the French cuisine.
- The gourmand often over ate when dining out with friends.
inept
(ih NEPT)
adj
Definition: having or showing no skill for a particular task; incompetent
Examples:
- His grandfather was inept at using the new technology.
- The chauffeur was an inept driver.
myriad
(MEER ee ud)
noun & adj
Definition:
noun - a countless or extremely great number of people or things (When used as a noun: “a myriad of…”)
adj - countless or extremely great in number
Examples:
Noun example- A myriad of refugees fled across the border pleading for aid and sanctuary.
Adjective example- The myriad lights of the city light up the sky on a nightly basis.
novice
(NOV is)
noun
Definition: a person new to a field or situation; a beginner
Examples:
- She took a ski class that was meant for novices.
- I am a novice when it comes to global trade.
obsequious
(ub SEE kwee us)
adj
Definition: obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree; too eager to help or obey someone important
Examples:
- The rest of the class was growing annoyed by the boy’s obsequious behavior toward the professor.
- The greasy-haired henchman kneeled before his master and replied obsequiously, “Yes, master… just as you wish, master.”
