Word List 30 Flashcards
quibble
to evade the point of an argument by caviling about words
cavil, carp; bicker
an evasion of or shift from the point
a minor objection or criticism
e.g. He spent the entire evening quibbling about the historical inaccuracies in the television series on World War II.
Our only quibble about the trip was that it rained a lot.
quip
a clever usually taunting remark; gibe
quibble, equivocation
something strange, droll, curious, or eccentric; oddity
e.g. They traded quips over a beer.
has his share of the quips that seem to come with a title nobility
quiescent
marked by inactivity or repose; tranquilly at rest
causing no trouble or symptoms
e.g. a group of quiescent loungers recovering from the Thanksgiving feast
quietus
final settlement (as of a debt)
removal from activity; especially, death
something that quiets or represses
e.g. granted a quietus on the remainder of the debt in the old man’s will
Her unshakable belief in a blissful afterlife allowed her to meet her quietus without the slightest tinge of fear or regret.
put the quietus on their celebration
quirk
an abrupt twist or curve
a peculiar trait; idiosyncrasy
accident, vagary
e.g. Wearing red shoes every day is just one of her quirks.
a quirk of fate
quisling
traitor, collaborator
e.g. warned that all quislings would be punished without mercy
quiver
a case for carrying or holding arrows
the arrows in a quiver
to shake or move with a slight trembling motion
quixotic
foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals; especially, marked by rash lofty romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action
capricious, unpredictable
e.g. quixotic dreams about the future
In this age of giant chain stores, any attempt at operating an independent bookstore must be regarded as quixotic.
quota
a proportional part or share
e.g. He lost his driver’s license because he exceeded the quota of traffic violations.
quotidian
occurring every day
belonging to each day; everyday
commonplace, ordinary
e.g. quotidian fever
quotidian routine
rabble
a disorganized or confused collection of things
a disorganized or disorderly crowd of people; mob
the lowest class of people
e.g. The crown prince was reminded that even the rabble of the realm deserved his attention and compassion.
rabid
extremely violent; furious
going to extreme lengths in expressing or pursing a feeling, interest, or opinion
affected with rabies
e.g. a politician with rabid supporters
raconteur
a person who excels in telling anecdotes
racy
full of zest or vigor
having a strongly marked quality; piquant
risque, suggestive
e.g. a racy flavor
racy jokes
raffish
marked by or suggestive of flashy vulgarity or rudeness
marked by a careless unconventionality; rakish
e.g. The dowager cringed at the thought of raffish tourists in rough boots tromping all over her Persian rugs.
rafter
any of the parallel beams that support a roof
one who maneuvers logs into position and binds them into rafts; one who travels by raft
ragged
roughly unkempt
executed in an irregular or uneven manner
e.g. a boy in ragged jeans
You look a little ragged - did you have a rough week?
rail
to revile or scold in harsh, insolent, or abusive language
rakish
dissolute
having a trim or streamlined appearance suggestive of speed
dashingly or carelessly unconventional; jaunty
e.g. rakish behavior
a hat worn at a rakish angle
ram
a male sheep to strike with violence; crash to move with extreme rapidity to make compact; cram, crowd to force passage or acceptance of
e.g. They deliberately rammed my car from behind.
ram home an idea
ramble
to move aimlessly from place to place
to explore idly
to talk or write in a desultory or long-winded fashion
also
e.g. She rambled for several minutes before introducing the main speaker.
We went for a ramble along the beach.
The first chapter is a 100-page ramble.
rambunctious
marked by uncontrollable exuberance; unruly
e.g. That beach is often taken over by packs of rambunctious young people, so don’t go there expecting peace and quiet.
ramify
to split up into branches or constituent parts
to send forth branches or extensions
e.g. The rise of cable television ramified the audience, creating even smaller segments for an ever growing array of programming choices.
rampage
to rush wildly about
a course of violent, riotous, or reckless action
e.g. Rioters rampaged through the streets of the city.
Some crazy guy went on a rampage in the public library and started grabbing books off the shelves and tossing them around.
rampant
marked by a menacing wildness, extravagance, or absence of restraint
profusely widespread
e.g. The mayor promised to put a stop to the rampant crime that plagued the city.
rampant weed
rampart
a protective barrier; bulwark
ramshackle
appearing ready to collapse; rickety
carelessly or loosely constructed
e.g. The movie’s ramshackle plot is confusing and not believable.
rancid
having a rank smell or taste
offensive
e.g. an unscrupulous food vendor who is as rancid as the meat he serves
rancor
bitter deep-seated ill will
e.g. She answered her accusers calmly without rancor.
rankle
to cause anger, irritation, or deep bitterness
to feel anger and irritation
e.g. That kind of rude treatment from a young person makes me rankle.
rapacious
excessively grasping or covetous
ravenous
e.g. The jury found it easier to see her as a rapacious sinner than as the beautiful blue-eyed saint.
a rapacious appetite
rapine
pillage, plunder
rapport
relation; especially, relation marked by harmony, conformity, accord, or affinity
e.g. develop a good rapport with others
a lack of rapport between the members
rapprochement
established of or state of having cordial relations
e.g. Officials hope that these talks will lead to a rapprochement with the rebels.
The possibility of rapprochement between the two countries seems unlikely.
rapt
lifted up and carried away
transported with emotion; enraptured
wholly absorbed; engrossed
e.g. listen with rapt attention
The children sat rapt as the puppets danced.
rarefy
to make rare, thin, porous, or less dense
to make more spiritual, refined, or abstruse
rarefaction
- rarefy
e. g. We threw over part of our ballast, and mounted up till the cold and the rarefaction of the air became troublesome.
raspy
harsh, grating
irritating
e.g. Her voice was raspy from yelling so much.
Overwork tends to make him raspy.
ratify
to approve and sanction formally; confirm
e.g. A number of countries have refused to ratify the treaty.
ratiocination
the process of exact thinking; reasoning
a reasoned train of thought
e.g. As an expert in ratiocination, the detective Sherlock Holmes has few rivals.
rattle
to make a rapid succession of short sharp noises
to chatter incessantly and aimlessly
to be or move about in a place too big or grand
to upset especially to the point of loss of poise and composure; disturb
e.g. windows rattling in the wind
rattle around the big old house
raucous
disagreeably harsh or strident; hoarse
boisterously disorderly
e.g. The partying neighbors kept up their raucous laughter half the night.
ravage
to wreak havoc on; affect destructively
also
e.g. Hurricane ravaged Louisiana and Florida in 1992, causing $19 billion in damage.
a face ravaged by grief
the ravages of war
rave
to talk irrationally in or as if in delirium
to talk with extreme enthusiasm
to move or advance violently; storm
also
e.g. raved about its beauty
raving like a madman
The iced gusts still rave and beat.
Her review of the movie was a rave.
ravel
to separate or undo the texture of; unravel
to undo the intricacies of; disentangle
entangle, confuse
ravenous
rapacious
very eager or greedy for food, satisfaction, or gratification
e.g. ravenous wolves
ravishing
unusually attractive, pleasing, or striking
e.g. a ravishing beauty
a ravishing view of the ocean
raze
to scrape, cut, or shave off
to destroy to the ground; demolish
e.g. an entire city block razed by a terrible fire
raze an old building
reactionary
relating to, marked by, or favoring resistance or opposition to a force, influence, or movement; especially, ultraconservative in politics
e.g. Reactionary guardians of proper English usage invariably regard every new coinage that comes along as a nonword.
realm
kingdom
sphere, domain
e.g. new discoveries in the realm of medicine
in political and legal realms
ream
a quantity of paper being 20 quires or variously 480, 500, or 516 sheets
a great amount (usually used in pl.)
cheat, victimize
reprimand (oft. used with out)
e.g. reams of information
reamed a whole new generation of suckers with a variation of the Ponzi scheme
He got reamed in the press for his comments.
reams out his players severely
reap
to gather by reaping; harvest
obtain, win
e.g. She is now reaping the benefits of her hard work.
rebate
to reduce the force or activity of; diminish
to give a rebate to; to make a rebate of
a return of a part of a payment
e.g. rebate $5 to me
rebate this air-conditioner
a $50 rebate offered with the printer
rebuff
to reject or criticize sharply; snub
e.g. The company rebuffed the bid.
Our suggestion was immediately rebuffed.
rebuke
to criticize sharply; reprimand
to turn back or keep down; check
e.g. The father was forced to rebuke his son for the spendthrift ways he had adopted since arriving at college.
rebus
a riddle or puzzle made up of letters, pictures, or symbols, whose names sound like the parts or syllables of a word or phrase
e.g. A picture of an eye followed by one of the tine can is a rebus for “I can”.
rebut
to drive or beat back; repel
to contradict or oppose; to expose the falsity of; refute
e.g. rebut the witness’s testimony
rebut the besiegers after a horrendous loss of life
recalcitrant
obstinately defiant of authority or restraint
difficult to manage or operate
resistant
e.g. The manager worried that the recalcitrant employee would try to undermine his authority.
The subject is recalcitrant both to observation and to experiment.
recant
to withdraw or repudiate (a statement or belief) formally and publicly; renounce
revoke
e.g. Church officials asked the minister to recant.
Witnesses threatened to recant their testimony when the court released their names to the paper.
recantation
- recant
recapitulate
to restate briefly; summarize
to give new form or expression to
to repeat the principal stages or phases of
e.g. To recapitulate (what was said earlier), ….
recast
to cast again; also, remodel, refashion
e.g. The director decided to recast the movie with unknowns.
When she quit the movie, I was recast in the leading role.
recasts his political image to fit the times
recede
to move back or away; withdraw
to grow less or smaller; diminish, decrease
e.g. In the final moments of the season, the supernatural elements of the show will recede.
a receding deficit
a receding hairline
receptacle
one that receives and contains something; container
e.g. a box as the receptacle for her jewelry
recessive
tending to recede; withdrawn
(bio) - recessive genes/traits/diseases
e.g. a recessive genius who was most comfortable working alone in his lab
reciprocal
inversely related; opposite
shared, felt, or shown by both sides
serving to reciprocate; consisting of or functioning as a return in kind
mutually corresponding
e.g. reciprocal respect/aid
the reciprocal devastation of nuclear war
The two nations agreed to give reciprocal work rights to each other’s citizens, thus facilitating the daily border crossings of workers from both countries.
reciprocate
to give and take mutually
to return in kind or degree
to move forward and backward alternately
e.g. They appreciated her kindness but were not ready to reciprocate the gesture.
We hope to reciprocate for your kindness.
a reciprocating value
reclaim
to recall from wrong or improper conduct; reform
tame, subdue
to rescue from an undesirable state
e.g. We try to reclaim the worst criminals, and sometimes we succeed.
Sons and daughters are proudly reclaiming the traditions that their parents had forgotten.
reclaim mining sites/swampland
recluse
marked by withdrawal from society; solitary
a person who leads a secluded or solitary life
e.g. Sick of cities and crowds, he decided to go live by himself in the woods as a recluse.
recoil
to fall back under pressure
e.g. We recoiled in horror at the sight of his wounded arms.
The rifle recoiled and bruised my shoulder.
recollection
- recollect
e. g. She has only a vague recollection of her childhood.
recompense
to give something to by way of compensation
to pay for
to return in kind; requite
e.g. The cash-strapped museum can recompense lecturers with only token honorariums.
recondite
hidden from sight; concealed
difficult or impossible for one of ordinary understanding or knowledge to comprehend; deep
e.g. a recondite subject
recondite fact about the origin of the holiday
reconnaissance
a preliminary survey to gain information; especially, an exploratory military survey of enemy territory
reconstitute
to constitute again or anew; especially, to restore to a former condition by adding water
e.g. They have plans to reconstitute the bankrupt company.
recourse
a turning to someone or something for help or protection
a source of help of strength; resort
e.g. The dispute was settled without recourse to law.
A toddler quickly learns that a tantrum is a surefire recourse when a polite request for something is met with parental indifference.
rectify
to set right; remedy to purify (as alcohol) especially by repeated or fractional distillation
e.g. The hotel management promised to rectify the problem.
Let me get the store manager, and he’ll rectify the invoice for your order.
rectitude
the quality or state of being straight
moral integrity; righteousness
the quality or state of being correct in judgment or procedure
e.g. a finely honed sense of rectitude that keeps him from cheating on exams
recumbent
suggestive of repose; leaning, resting
lying down
e.g. The Egyptian sphinx has the body of a recumbent lion.
recuperate
to get back; regain
to bring back into use or currency; revive
e.g. recuperate from flu
recuperate old traditions
redolent
exuding fragrance; aromatic
evocative, suggestive
e.g. a house redolent with the aroma of baking bread
air redolent of seaweed
a city redolent of antiquity
redoubtable
causing fear or alarm; formidable
illustrious, eminent; broadly, worth of respect
e.g. His next opponent, the reigning champion, would be by far the most redoubtable adversary the young boxer had ever faced.
redress
to set right; remedy
to make up for; compensate
to exact reparation for; avenge
also
e.g. Avengers were formed to redress the injustices of the world.
the belief that redressing a murder with another murder, even if carried out by the state, is not morally justified
The office should not treat a matter of such importance with such negligence without any redress.
Redress of grievances could be obtained without severance.
reed
a tall, thin grass that grows in wet areas
a thin strip of wood, metal, or plastic inside some musical instruments that makes a sound when you blow over it
e.g. the reeds along the edge of a pond
the reed section of the orchestra
reek
vapor, fog
a strong or disagreeable fume or odor
to emit smoke or vapor
to give off or become permeated with a strong or offensive odor
to give a strong impression of some constituent quality or feature
e.g. a terrible reek coming from the garbage can see through the reek of smog a room reeking of incense a neighborhood that reeks of poverty a politician who reeks charm
reel
a revolvable device on which something flexible is wound
to wind on or as if on a real
to draw by reeling a line
e.g. reel a fish in
refection
refreshment of mind, spirit, or body; especially, nourishment
the taking of refreshment
food and drink together; repast
e.g. Refections at the monastery are as spartan as the surroundings.
refectory
a dining hall (as in a monastery or college)
refractory
resisting control or authority; stubborn, unmanageable
resistant to treatment; unresponsive to stimulus
immune, insusceptible
capable of enduring high temperature
e.g. refractory players ejected from the game
refractory to infection
refrain
to stop oneself from doing something
a regularly recurring phrase or verse especially at the end of each stanza or division of a poem or song; chorus; also, the musical setting of a refrain
e.g. refrained from having dessert
A common refrain among teachers these days is that the schools need more funding.
Not knowing the lyrics of the song, I only sang the refrain.
refulgent
shining brightly; radiant; gleaming
e.g. Crystal chandeliers and gilded walls made the opera house a refulgent setting for the ball.
fulgurate
to flash or dart like lightning
refurbish
to brighten or freshen up; renovate
regale
to entertain sumptuously; feast with delicacies
to give pleasure or amusement to
e.g. regaled his grandchildren with stories of his time in Morocco
an inn that nightly regales its guests with five-course meals prepared by a master chief
regress
an act or the privilege of going or coming back the act of reasoning backward to make or undergo retrograde to be subject to or exhibit regression to tend to approach or revert to a mean
e.g. The patient is regressing to a childlike state.
rehabilitate
(transitive) to restore to a former capacity; reinstate
to restore to a former state (as of efficiency, good management, or solvency)
e.g. The clinic rehabilitates drug addicts.
He’s still rehabilitating the knee he injured last year.
rehabilitate slum areas
rehearse
to say again; repeat
to present an account of; relate
to recount in order; enumerate
e.g. rehearse a familiar story
rehearse their demands
rein
a strap fastened to a bit by which a rider or driver controls an animal; a restraining influence; check
controlling or guiding power (oft. pl.)
opportunity for unhampered activity or use
to control or direct with or as if with reins
e.g. He has people working for him, but he has a tight rein on every part of the process.
After the president resigned, the vice president stepped in and took the reins of the company.
gave full rein to her imagination
couldn’t rein his impatience
