Word List 40 Flashcards
abase
to lower in rank, office, prestige, or esteem
e.g. unwilling to abase himself by pleading guilty to a crime that he did not commit
abnegation
denial; especially, self-denial
e.g. abnegation of political lawmaking power
people capable of abnegation and unselfishness
abortive
fruitless, unsuccessful
imperfectly formed or developed
tending to cut short
e.g. an abortive attempt to recover the sunken pirate ship
abound
to be present in large numbers or in great quantity; be prevalent
to be copiously supplied (used with in or with)
e.g. They live in a region where oil abounds.
life abounded in mysteries
a city that abounds with art museums
acarpous
not producing fruits; sterile, barren
actuate
to put into mechanical action or motion
to move to action
e.g. a pump actuated by windmills
actuated by selfish motives
addle
(of an egg) rotten
confused
also
e.g. My brain grew more and more addle as I made my way through the tax instructions.
brains addled with fear
adduce
to offer as example, reason, or proof in discussion or analysis
e.g. adduce many instances to corroborate this assertion
adjudicate
to settle judicially
to act as judge
e.g. The board will adjudicate claims made against them.
ad-lib
to deliver spontaneously
to improvise
also
e.g. Throughout the play, he had to ad-lib (his lines) constantly.
ad-lib remarks to hecklers
advert
to turn the mind or attention (used with to)
make reference
e.g. adverted to the speaker
adverted to foreign-language sources
agape
wide open; gaping
being in a state of wonder
e.g. with mouth agape
alliteration
head rhyme
e.g. wild and woolly; threatening throngs
alms
something (as money or food) given freely to relieve the poor
ambrosial
extremely pleasing to taste or smell
ambulate
walk
e.g a progressive disease that compromises a patient’s ability to ambulate
amiss
in the wrong way
e.g. I hope that my suggestion that you might be more comfortable in a larger chair was not taken amiss.
something going amiss
amoral
lying outside the sphere to which moral judgments apply
lacking moral sensibility
being outside or beyond the moral order or a particular code of morals
e.g. science as which is completely amoral
amoral infants
amoral customs
anodyne
serving to alleviate pain
not likely to offend or arouse tensions; innocuous
e.g. The otherwise anodyne comments sounded quite inflammatory when taken out of context.
apothegm
a short, pithy, and instructive saying or formulation; aphorism
apotheosis
elevation to divine status; deification
the highest point in the development of something; culmination or climax
e.g. the apotheosis of the picaresque novel
aquiline
curving like an eagle’s beak
of, relating to, or resembling an eagle
e.g. an aquiline nose
arachnid
the kind of animal that has eight legs and a body formed of two parts (like spiders, scorpions, etc.)
arraign
to call (a defendant) before a court to answer to an indictment; charge to accuse of wrong, inadequacy, or imperfection
e.g. arraign him on the score of heartlessness
asinine
extremely or utterly foolish
of, relating to, or resembling an ass
e.g. an asinine excuse
askance
with a side-glance; obliquely
with disapproval or distrust; scornfully
e.g. We looked askance at the dealer’s assertion that the car had never been in an accident.
astigmatic
- astigmatism
showing incapacity for observation or discrimination
e.g. an astigmatic fanaticism, a disregard for the facts
attrition
wearing or grinding down by friction
weakening or exhausting by constant harassment, abuse, or attack
a reduction in numbers usually as a result of resignation, retirement, or death
e.g. Attrition led to the main mechanism’s breaking.
a war of attrition
a company with a high rate of attrtion
auger
a sharp tool used chiefly for making holes
aureole
a radiant light around the head or body of a representation of a sacred personage
radiance, aura
auricular
told privately
understood or recognized by the sense of hearing
of, relating to, or using the ear or the sense of hearing
e.g. an auricular confession
Birds’ beginning chirping is the auricular proof that the sun was up.
avuncular
of or relating to an uncle
suggestive of an uncle especially in kindliness or geniality
e.g. a man known for his avuncular charm
bacchanal
drunken revelry
excessive indulgence in something especially to satisfy an inordinate appetite or craving
backslide
to lapse morally or in the practice of religion
to revert to a worse condition; retrogress
e.g. Smokers who quit often backslide within a year.
backwater
water backed up in its course by an obstruction, an opposing current, or the tide
an isolated or backward place or region
an unpopular or unimportant field (as of study or business)
e.g. The once sleepy backwater is now a thriving city.
A distant backwater that didn’t even have electricity at that time.
balky
refusing or likely to refuse to proceed, act, or function as directed or expected
e.g. a balky mule/machine
bamboozle
to deceive by underhanded methods; dupe, hoodwink
to confuse, frustrate, or throw off thoroughly or completely
e.g. bamboozled by con men into buying worthless land in the desert
bamboozled by the latest changes
bandy
to bat (as a tennis ball) to and fro
exchange; especially, to exchange (words) argumentatively
to discuss lightly or banteringly
to use in a glib or offhand manner (oft. used with about)
e.g. to bandy blows / to bandy gossip
bandy these statistics about with considerable bravado
barrister
a lawyer in Britain who has the right to argue in higher courts of law
bassoon
a large musical instrument that is shaped like a tube, makes low sounds, and is played by blowing into a small, thin tube in its side
bauble
trinket
e.g. picked up some cheap baubles at the fair
bawl
to cry out loudly and unrestrainedly
to cry loudly; wail
e.g. He bawled for days after his dog died.
beatific
of, possessing, or imparting bliss
having a blissful appearance
e.g. a beatific smile
beckon
to summon or signal typically with a wave or nod
to appear inviting; attract
e.g. She was beckoning them to come.
The frontier beckons.
bedizen
to dress or adorn gaudily
e.g. the elderly actress bedizening herself with makeup and jewelry
bedraggled
soiled and stained by or as if by trailing in mud
left wet and limp by or as if by rain
dilapidated
e.g. bedraggled after its bath
bedraggled buildings
befuddle
to muddle or stupefy with or as if with drink
confuse, perplex
e.g. Most of the applicants were befuddled by the wording of one of the questions on the driving test.
beget
to procreate as the father; sire
to produce especially as an effect or outgrowth
e.g. died without begetting an heir
a belief that power begets power
bemuse
to make confused; puzzle, bewilder
to occupy the attention of; distract, absorb
e.g. a public that seemed more bemused by the shenanigans of celebrities than by a war being waged half a world away
A stage mishap momentarily bemused the actress.
betoken
to typify beforehand; presage
to give evidence of; show
e.g. The humor in his writing is never cruel, and betokens a warm and compassionate heart.
bibulous
highly absorbent
fond of alcoholic beverages
of, relating to, or marked by the consumption of alcoholic beverages
e.g. special drying cloths that are so bibulous that they can absorb 10 times their weight in water
a campaign to make the bibulous fraternity brother a collegiate archetype of the past
bilious
of or relating to bile
of or indicative of a peevish ill-natured disposition
sickeningly unpleasant
e.g. a bilious old dog who snaps at everyone
with clapboards painted red and bilious yellow
blackball
to vote against
to exclude socially; ostracize
boycott
e.g. The club secretly blackballs applicants who belong to that religion.
blase
apathetic to pleasure or excitement as a result of excessive indulgence or enjoyment; world-weary
unconcerned
e.g. People get blase about their hometown.
bloated
obnoxiously vain
bode
to indicate by signs; presage
e.g. Her natural gift for reading boded well for her future in school.
bonhomie
good-natured easy friendliness
e.g. the bonhomie of strangers singing together around a campfire
bough
a branch of a tree; especially, a main branch
bowdlerize
to expurgate (as a book) by omitting or modifying parts considered vulgar to modify by abridging, simplifying, or distorting in style or content
e.g. bowdlerize a classic novel by removing offensive language
bower
an attractive dwelling or retreat
a shelter (as in a garden) made with tree boughs or vines twined together; arbor
embower, enclose
e.g. Bowered by a canopy of grapevines, we enjoyed a serene and very private picnic.
brackish
somewhat salty
not appealing to the taste; repulsive
bray
to utter or play loudly harshly
brindled
having obscure dark streaks or flecks on a usually gray or tawny ground
brocade
a rich silk fabric with raised patterns in gold and silver
a fabric characterized by raised designs
