Word List 8 Flashcards
complacency
self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies
an instance of usually unaware or uninformed self-satisfaction
e.g. a momentary complacency that was quickly dispelled by the shock of cold reality
complaisant
marked by an inclination to please or oblige
tending to consent to others’ wishes
e.g. The goddess was complaisant, granting exactly what they wished for.
compliant
ready or disposed to comply; submissive
conforming to requirements
e.g. a corrupt regime aided by a compliant press
compliant with the latest standards
compliment
an expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration, especially an admiring remark
(pl.) best wishes; regards
to express esteem, respect, affection, or admiration to
to present with a token of esteem
e.g. complimented her on her election victory
vituperative
uttering or given to censure; containing or characterized by verbal abuse
e.g. the type of provocative magazine article that is guaranteed to engender vituperative threats of subscription cancellations
composed
free from agitation; calm, especially self-possessed
e.g. They tried to remain composed throughout the ordeal.
composure
tranquility, equanimity
intransigent
characterized by refusal to compromise or to abandon an extreme position or attitude; uncompromising
e.g. He has remained intransigent, refusing all suggestions for improvement of the process.
repulse
to drive or beat back; repel
to repel by discourtesy, coldness, or denial
to cause repulsion in
e.g. I was repulsed by the movie’s violence.
compunction
anxiety arising from awareness of guilt
distress of mind over an anticipated action or result
a twinge of misgiving; scruple
e.g. compunctions of conscience
showed no compunction in planning devilish engines of destruction
concatenate
to link together in a series or chain
e.g. The movie actually concatenates into one extended narrative several episodes from various books in the series.
concede
to grant as a right or privilege
to accept as true, valid, or accurate
to accept grudgingly or hesitantly
to relinquish grudgingly or hesitantly
e.g. I concede that the work has been slow so far.
concede power
conceit
a result of mental activity; thought
excessive appreciation of one’s own worth or virtue
e.g. His conceit has earned him many enemies.
rarefy
to make rare, thin, porous, or less dense; to expand without the addition of matter
to make more spiritual, refined, or abstruse
concession
- concede
conciliate
to gain (as goodwill) by pleasing acts
to make compatible; reconcile
appease
e.g. The company’s attempts to conciliate the strikers have failed.
polemical
of, relating to, or being a polemic; controversial
engaged in or addicted to polemics; disputatious
e.g. an unnecessarily polemical look at the supposed incompatibility between science and religion
conclave
a private secret meeting
conclusive
of, relating to, or being a conclusion
putting an end to debate or question especially by reason of irrefutability
e.g. the archaeological discovery was conclusive proof that the Vikings had indeed settled in North America around 1000 A.D.
concomitant
accompanying especially in a subordinate or incidental way
e.g. an improvement in the facilities led to a concomitant improvement in morale
concord
a state of agreement; harmony
e.g. living in concord with people different races and religions
damnify
to cause loss or damage to
indemnify
to secure against hurt, loss, or damage
to make compensation to for incurred hurt, loss, or damage
e.g. The company generously indemnifies workers who are injured on the job.
countenance
calm expression; mental composure
face, visage, especially the face as an indication of mood, emotion, or character
bearing or expression that offers approval or sanction; moral support
also
e.g. The photograph showed his somber countenance.
He countenanced the delays and inconveniences of travelling by air with good grace.
condescend
to descend to a less formal or dignified level; unbend
to waive the privileges of rank
to assume an air of superiority
e.g. I will not condescend to answer the sore loser’s charge that I cheated in order to win the race.
condone
to regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless
e.g. a government accused of condoning racism
condone corruption in politics
conducive
tending to promote or assist
e.g. an atmosphere conducive to education
conduit
a large pipe for fluids
e.g. a conduit for illicit payments
a conduit of information
confection
any kind of candy or other sweet preparation
conifer
any of an order of mostly evergreen trees and shrubs having usually needle-shaped or scalelike leaves and including forms with true cones and others with an arillate fruit
confederacy
a league or compact for mutual support or common action; alliance
a combination of persons for unlawful purposes; conspiracy
e.g. a confederacy of native tribes
confer
to compare views or take counsel; consult
to bestow from or as if from a position of superiority
to give (as a property or characteristic) to someone or something
e.g. The lawyer and judge conferred about the ruling.
conferred an honorary degree on her
A reputation for power will confer power.
profess
to declare or admit openly or freely; affirm
to declare in words or appearances only; pretend, claim
to confess one’s faith in or allegiance to
e.g. He professes confidence in his friend.
confide
to have confidence; trust
to show confidence by imparting secrets
to tell confidentially
to give to the care or protection of another; entrust
e.g. He confided that he was very unhappy with his job.
confide in a friend
The local SPCA was looking for homes for a number of exotic animals confided to its care.
configuration
the way the parts of something are arranged
contour, outline
e.g. The basic configuration of the building is that of a geodesic dome.
confiscate
to seize as forfeited to the public treasury
to seize by or as if by authority
fiscal
of or relating to taxation, public revenues, or public debt
of or relating to financial matters
e.g. the fiscal health of the university
conflagration
fire, especially a large disastrous fire
conflict, war
e.g. The treaty is the latest attempt to resolve the ten-year conflagration.
deflagrate
to cause to deflagrate
to burn rapidly with intense heat and sparks being given off
conflate
to bring together; fuse
confuse
e.g. Be careful not to conflate gossip with real news.
The movie conflates documentary footage and dramatized reenactments so seamlessly and ingeniously that viewers may not know what is real and what is not.
jibe
to be in accord; agree
confound
baffle, frustrate
to put to shame; discomfit
refute
e.g. The complicated directions confounded him.
The school’s team confounded all predictions and won the game.
congeal
to change from a fluid to a solid state by or as if by cold
to make viscid or curdled; coagulate
to make rigid, fixed, or immobile
congenial
having the same nature, disposition, or tastes; kindred
existing or associated together harmoniously
pleasant, especially agreeably suited to one’s nature, tastes, or outlook
sociable, genial
e.g. congenial companions
The town is a congenial place for raising children.
a congenial host
dour
stern, harsh
obstinate, unyielding
gloomy, sullen
e.g. a dour expression
the dour mood of the crowd
conglomerate
to gather into a mass or coherent whole
accumulate
e.g. Over the years, the town’s discarded junk conglomerated at the bottom of the river.
congruent
congruous
superposable so as to be coincident throughout
e.g. His personal goal is not congruent with the goals of the team.
a theory congruent with the known facts of the case
conjecture
supposition
inference from defective or presumptive evidence
to arrive at or deduce by surmise or guesswork; guess
to make conjectures
e.g. The biography includes conjectures about the writer’s earliest ambitions.
scientists conjecturing that a disease is caused by a defective gene
conjoin
to join together (as separate entities) for a common purpose
conjunction
- the act or an instance of conjoining; the state of being conjoined; combination
occurrence together in time or space; concurrence
injunction
the act or an instance of enjoining; order, admonition
a writ granted by a court or equity whereby one is required to do or to refrain from doing a specified act
e.g. The group has obtained an injunction to prevent the demolition of the building.
conjure
to charge or entreat earnestly or solemnly
to summon by or as if by invocation or incantation
to affect or effect by or as if by magic; imagine, contrive
to bring to mind
to use a conjurer’s tricks; juggle
e.g. I conjure you to hear my plea.
We conjure up our own metaphors for our own needs.
words that conjure pleasant images
abjure
to renounce upon oath
to reject solemnly
to abstain from; avoid
e.g. abjure extravagance
connive
to pretend ignorance of or fail to take action against something one ought to oppose
to be indulgent or in secret sympathy; wink
to cooperate secretly or have a secret understanding
conspire
e.g. The government connived in the rebels’ military buildup.
The principal connived at all the school absences that were recorded on the day of the city’s celebration of its Super Bowl victory.
accused his opponents of conniving to defeat the proposal
connoisseur
a person who knows a lot about something; an expert in a particular subject
connotation
the suggestive of a meaning by a word apart from the thing its explicit names or describes; implication
e.g. the connotations of comfort that surrounded that old chair
conscientious
governed by or conforming to the dictates of conscience; scrupulous
meticulous, careful
e.g. He was conscientious about following the doctor’s orders.
conscript
to enroll into service by compulsion; drat
e.g. conscripted into the army
consequence
a conclusion derived from logic; inference
something produced by a cause or necessarily following from a set of conditions
importance with respect to power of producing an effect
social importance
e.g. a mistake of no consequence
consequential
of the nature of a secondary result; indirect
having significant consequences; important
self-important
e.g. There have been several consequential innovations in their computer software.
conservatory
a greenhouse for growing or displaying plants
a school specializing in one of the fine arts
consign
to give over to another’s care
to commit especially to a final destination or fate
to send or address to an agent to be cared for or sold
e.g. She consigned the painting to an auction house.
a writer consigned to oblivion
console
a combination of readouts or displays and an input device (as a keyboard or switches) by which an operator can monitor and interact with a system
a small storage cabinet
to alleviate the grief, sense of loss, or trouble of; comfort
e.g. the military officer who must console the bereaved at a soldier’s funeral
consonant
being in agreement or harmony; free from elements making for discord
e.g. His gentle behavior is consonant with his expressed belief in pacifism.
conspicuous
obvious to the eye or mind
attracting attention; striking
marked by a noticeable violation of good taste
e.g. conspicuous changes
a conspicuous success
perspicacious
of acute mental vision or discernment; keen
mercurial
characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood
e.g. a mercurial temper
consternation
amazement or dismay that hinders or throws into confusion
e.g. The candidate caused consternation among his supporters by changing positions on a key issue.
constituent
a member of a constituency
an essential part; component, element
also
e.g. Many senators have received calls from constituents who want them to vote in favor of the law.
The company can be separated into several constituent parts.
constitute
to appoint to an office, function, or dignity
set up, establish
make up, form, compose
e.g. He was constituted treasurer.
Imports constitute a challenge to local goods.
Women constitute 70 percent of the student population at the college.
constitutional
relating to, inherent in, or affecting the constitution of body or mind
of, relating to, or entering into the fundamental makeup of something; essential
e.g. Constitutional symptoms of the disease include headache and fever.
the constitutional guarantee of free speech
construe
to analyze the arrangement and connection of words in (a sentence or sentence part)
to understand or explain the sense or intention of usually in a particular way or with respect to a given set of circumstances
e.g. The way the court construes various words has changed over time.
He construed my actions as hostile.
consul
an official appointed by a government to reside in a foreign country to represent the commercial interests of citizens of the appointing country
consummate
complete in every detail; perfect
extremely skilled and accomplished
of the highest degree
finish, complete; to make perfect; achieve
e.g. Consummate cabinet-makers, they produced desks and chests of drawers that are now regarded as masterpieces of American furniture.
consummate skill/cruelty
The bargaining process went on for a few days, but the deal was never consummated.
contiguous
being in actual contact; touching along a boundary or at a point, adjacent
next or near in time or sequence
touching or connected throughout in an unbroken sequence
e.g. Connecticut and Massachusetts are contiguous states.
contemplate
to think about intently
contempt
the act of despising; the state of mind of one who despises; disdain
lack of respect or reverence for something
willful disobedience to or open disrespect of a court, judge, or legislative body
e.g. speak with contempt
a profound contempt for her opponents
deference
respect and esteem due to a superior or an elder; also affected or ingratiating regard for another’s wishes
(in deference to: in consideration of)
e.g. He is shown much deference by his colleagues.
She returned early in deference to her parents’ wishes.
estimable
capable of being estimated
worthy of esteem
e.g. an estimable adversary/colleague
contemptuous
manifesting, feeling, or expressing deep hatred or disapproval; feeling or showing contempt
e.g. loutish tourists who are contemptuous of the ways and traditions of their host countries
distend
extend
to enlarge from internal pressure; swell
e.g. an abdomen distended by disease
