Word List 50 Flashcards
vivacious
adj. lively or animated; springhtly
She had always been vivacious and sparkling.
vociferious
adj. clamoroous; noisy
The crowd grew vociferous in its anger and threatened to take the law into its own hands.
See clamor, n.
vogue
n. popular fashion
Jeans became the vogue on many college campuses.
☆volatile
adj. changeable; explosive; evaporating rapidly
The political climate today is extremely volatile: no one can predict what the electrorate will do next.
Maria Callas’s temper was extremely volatile: the only thing you could predict was that she would blow up.
Acetone is an extremely volatile liquid: it evaporates instantly.
-> volatility, n.
volition
n. act of making a conscious choice.
She selected this dress of her own volition.
voluble
adj. fluent; glib; talkative
An excessively voluble speaker suffers from logorrhea: he continually runs off at the mouth!
-> volubility, n.
voluminous
adj. bulky; large
A caftan is a voluminous garment; the average person wearing one looks as if he or she is draped in a small tent.
voracious
adj. ravenous
The wolf is a voracious animal, its hunger never satisfied.
See ravenous, adj.
vouchsafe
v. grant condescendingly: guarantee
I can safely vouchsafe you fair return on your investment.
See condescend, v.
vulnerable
adj. susceptible to wounds
His opponents could not harm Achilles, who was vulnerable only in his heel.
waffle
adj. speak equivocally about an issue.
When asked directly about the governor’s involvement in the savings and loan scandal, the press secretary waffled, talking all around the issue.
See equivocal, v.
waive
v. give up temporarily; yield
I will waive my rights in this matter in order to expedite our reaching a proper decision.
wanderlust
n. strong longing to travel
Don’t set your heart on a traveling man. He’s got too much wanderlust to settle down.
wane
v. decrease in size or strength; draw gradually to an end
To wane is the opposite of to wax or increase in size. When lit, does a wax candle wane?
wangle
v. wiggle out; fake
She tried to wangle an invitation to the party.
*wiggle, v. : move from side to side or up and down in short quick movements; make something move in this way. Also noun.
wanton
adj. unrestrained; willfully malicious; unchaste
Pointing to the stack of bills, Sheldon criticized Sarah for her wanton* expenditures. In response, Sara accused Sheldon of making an unfounded; *wanton attack.
See malicious, adj. expenditure, n.
* unchaste, adj. : 不貞な、身持ちの悪い、多情な、猥褻な
☆warranted
[pronunciation: warrant]
adj. justified; authorized
Before the judge issues the injunction, you must convince her this action is warranted.
warranty
n. guarantee; assurance by seller
The purchaser of this automobile is protected by the manufacturer’s warranty that he will replace any defective part for five years or 50,000 miles.
wary
adj. very cautious
The spies grew wary as they approached the sentry.
wax
v. increase; grow
With proper handling, her fortunes waxed and she became rich.
waylay
v. ambush; lie in wait
They agreed to waylay their victim as he passed through the dark alley going home.
* ambush, v. : make a surprise attack on somebody or something from a hidden position.
wean
v. accustom a baby not to nurse; give up a cherished activity
He decided he would wean himself away from eating junk food and stick to fruits and vegetables.
weather
v. endure the effects of weather or other forces.
He weathered the changes in his personal life with difficulty, as he had no one in whom to confide.
☆welter
n. turmoil; bewildering jumble
The existing welter of overlapping federal and state claims cries out for immediate reform.
v. wallow
At the height of the battle, the casualties were so numerous that the victims weltered in their blood while waiting for medical attention.
See causual, adj. turmoil, n.
* wallow, v.: lie and roll about in water or mud, to keep cool or for pleasure
