word power Flashcards
inarticulate
a. unable to speak distinctly or express oneself clearly
=\ fluent, natural, eloquent, effortless
degenerate
decline, deteriorate physically, mentally, morally
profligate, debauched, lapse, regress, slump
=\ improve
take on
oppose, be against
a wrestler who took on all comers.
parable
a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson allegory fable exemplum parable of a prodigal son
bolt
- run away suddenly out of control
the horse shied and bolted.
dash, dart, sprint, hurtle, careen, shoot, bound
eat or swallow quickly
puppies bolt down their food.
devour, gobble up, gulp down, wolf down
fecal
excrement
solid waste released from the body
fecal incontinence (failure to control the evacuative functions)
prickly
having many sharp points
stinging sensation
troublesome, vexatious
=\ freckle
shear [shir]
cut the hair, wool off (animal)
deprive of sth as if by cutting
Lives SHORN of any hope
pp. shorn or sheared
attire
dress, array especially fancy or rich garments
proper attire is required at the restaurant.
needed some snazzy (attractive and stylish) attire for the interview.
conceited
haughty, fanciful, arrogant, biggety, bigheaded, swellheaded, complacent, consequential, overweening, self-conceited, smug, stuck-up, vainglorious, pompous
assail
attack violently with blows or words
syn. sally (sudden attack, funny and
smart remarks )
bash, blast, belabor, castigate, excoriate, jump on, lambast, savage, potshot, scathe, slam, trash, vituperate
surmise
conjecture, speculate, assume, daresay, presume
form a notion from scanty evidence
surmettre pp. surmise from Middle English to allege
analgesic
painkiller, anesthetic, anodyne
briquette
a compact often brick shaped mass of usually fine material
a charcoal briquette
brique - brick
pneumatic
curvy, curvaceous, shapely
filled with air
a pneumatic blonde
a pneumatic sex symbol in the 1950s
scanty
a very small amount
his allegation was based on scanty evidence.
despondency
depression
despair
denigrate
minimise
belittle
derogate
recalcitrant
stubbornly disobedient defiant resistant difficult to manage not responsive to treatment
re-
calc- : kick
kick back
disembowel
take the stomach out
remove the substance of
a program disembowelled by spending cuts
epithet
an offensive name or word used as a way of abusing or insulting
racial epithets
earn the epithet “smart ass”
hurling epithets at one another
eponymous
a name (as of drug or disease) based on or derived from the name of a person
named after someone’s name
hypothermia
subnormal temperature of the body
hypo- : under, down less than normal hypoblast hypodermic injection hypesthsia (impaired or decreased tactile sensibility) hypotension (low blood pressure)
pluripotent
capable of differentiating into one of many cell types
pluripotent stem cells
rattle
rattlesnake
make a rapid succession of short sharp noises
move with a clatter or rattle
say, perform, affect in a brisk lively fashion
rattled around the big old house
bewilder
confuse someone very much
baffle, maze,
astonish (great wonder, sudden fear),
stagger (move unsteadily)
reprobate
criminal
evildoer
villain
v. reject
lax
not stringent
being loose
slack
lax control lax foreman (a leader member of the jury)
ocular
relating to the eye
ocular inspection ocular testimony ocular muscle ocular spectrum ocular diseases
rectitude
moral righteousness
rectus: straight, right
contrive
form or make in a skillful or clever way
devise, plan, manage
concoct, trump up, vamp up, excogitate, fabricate, make up
con(composer) + trive (trouver)
wind up [waind]
bring to a conclusion
end up
put in order for the purpose of bringing to an end
winds up the meeting
bellicose
favouring or inclined to start quarrels or fight
belligerent agonistic brawly chippy feisty
hypoallergenic
having little likelihood of causing an allergic response
hypoallergenic food/cosmetics
opt
choose
OPT FOR a tax increase
OPT TO reinstate the fixed telephone service
=\ OPT OUT: exclude in the final decision
opt out of the project
otiose [osheos]
futile
pointless
idle
functionless
it would be OTIOSE to inquire what you thought of it since you haven’t read the book.
derange
fr. déranger confuse disarrange make insane disturb
supplant
supersede (another) by force or treachery
displace
substitute
old fashions were SUPPLANTED by modern ways.
profuse
pouring forth liberally
extravagant
bountiful
be PROFUSE in their thanks
offer PROFUSE apologies
a PROFUSE harvest
RETICENT
reluctant hesitant cagey dubious disinclined indisposed loath
brawn
muscular strength
an actor more famous for his BRAWN than for his talent
contemptuous
abhorrent
disdainful
scornful
loutish tourists who are CONTEMPTUOUS of the ways and traditions of their host countries.
seclusion
segregation
sequestration
isolation
seclusion of women occurs in some countries.
antidote
something that corrects or improve the bad effects of something
ANTIDOTE to the poison
an ANTIDOTE to boredom
apparatus
tool of equipment used for specific activities
systems or organisations for operating something
APPARATUS of society
gymnastics APPARATUS
medical APPARATUS
congenital
connatural
inborn
innate
