Word Smart (21-40) Flashcards
circuitous
(of a route or journey) longer than the most direct way:
circumlocution
An indirect expression; use of wordy or evasive language
circumscribe
To draw a line around; to set the limits; to define; to restrict.
circumspect
Cautious
circumvent
find a way around (an obstacle)
civil
Polite; civilized; courteous
clemency
Mercy; forgiveness; mildness
cliche
An overused saying or idea
clique
An exclusive group bound together by some shared quality or interest: almost no one from her clique showed up at the reunion
coalesce
To come together as one; to fuse; to unite ;
coerce
To restrain by force, especially by law or authority; to repress; to curb.
Punishments are manifold, that they may coerce this profligate sort.
cogent
Powerfully convincing
cognitive
Dealing with how we know the world around us through our senses; mental
cognizant
Aware; conscious
coherent
Holding together; making sense
colloquial
Conversational; informal in language
collusion
Conspiracy; secret cooperation
commensurate
corresponding in size or degree; in proportion: salary will be commensurate with experience
compelling
Forceful; causing to yield
compendium
A summary; an abridgment
complacent
Self-satisfied; overly pleased with oneself; contented to a fault
complement
To complete or fill up; to be the perfect counterpart
complicity
Participation in wrongdoing; the act of being an accomplice
comprehensive
Covering or including everything
comprise
To consist of; to be composed of cf constitute compose
conciliatory
intended or likely to placate or pacify: a conciliatory approach.
concise
Brief and to the point; succinct
concord
Harmony; agreement
concurrent
Happening at the same time; parallel
condescend
To stoop to someone else level usually in an offensive way; to patronize
condone
To overlook; to permit to happen
conducive
Promoting
confluence
A flowing together especially of rivers; place where they begin to flow together
congenial
Agreeably suitable; pleasant
congenital
A trait or condition acquired between conception and birth; innate
conjecture
To guess; to deduce or infer on slight evidence
conjure
To summon or bring into being as if by magic
connoisseur
An expert particularly in matter of art or taste
consecrate
To make or declare sacred
consensus
Unanimity or general agreement
consonant
Harmonious; in agreement
construe
To interpret
consummate
Perfect; complete; supremely skillful
contentious
Argumentative; quarrelsome
contiguous
Side by side; adjoining
contingent
Dependent; possible
contrite
Admitting guilt; especially feeling remorseful
contrived
Artificial; labored
conventional
common; customary; unexceptional
convivial
Fond of partying; festive
copious
Abundant; plentiful
corollary
something that follows; a natural consequence
corroborate
to confirm; to back up with evidence
cosmopolitan
at home in many places or situations; internationally sophisticated
countenance
face; facial expression especially an encouraging one
coup
a brilliant victory or accomplishment; the violent overthrow of a government by a small internal group ;
covenant
a solemn agreement; a contract; a pledge
covert
secret; hidden
covet
to wish for enviously
credulous
eager to believe; gullible
criterion
standard; basis for judgment
cryptic
mysterious; mystifying; clandestine mysterious;
culinary
relating to cooking or the kitchen
culminate
to climax; to reach full effect
culpable
deserving blame; guilty
cursory
hasty; superficial
curtail
to shorten; to cut short …
cynic
one who deeply distrusts human nature; one who believes humans are motivated only by selfishness
daunt
to make fearful; to intimidate
dearth
lack; scarcity
debacle
violent breakdown; sudden overthrow; overwhelming defeat
debauchery
wild living; excessive intemperance
debilitate
to weaken; to cripple
decadent
decaying or decayed especially in terms of morals
decimate
to kill or destroy a large part of 10:1
decorous
proper; in good taste; orderly
deduce
to conclude from evidence; to infer
defame
to libel or slander; to ruin the good name of
deference
submission to another’s will; respect; courtesy
definitive
conclusive; providing the last word
degenerate
to break down; to deteriorate
deleterious
harmful
delineate
to describe accurately; to draw in outline
delude
to deceive
deluge
a flood; an inundation
demagogue
a leader of the people but more a rabble rouser
denizen
inhabitant
depravity
extreme wickedness or corruption
deprecate
to express disapproval of
deride
to ridicule; to laugh at contemptuously
derogatory
disapproving; degrading
desiccate
to dry out
despondent
extremely depressed; full of despair
despot
an absolute ruler; an autocrat
destitute
extremely poor; utterly lacking
desultory
without a plan or purpose; disconnected; random
dialectical
relating to discussions; relating to the rules and methods of reasoning; approaching truth in the middle of opposing extremes
dictum
an authoritative saying; an adage; a maxim; a proverb
didactic
intended to teach; morally instructive; pedantic
diffident
timid; lacking in self-confidence
digress
to stray from the main subject
dilettante
someone with superficial knowledge of the arts; an amateur; a dabbler
discern
to have insight; to see things clearly to discriminate; to differentiate
discreet
prudent; judiciously reserved
discrete
unconnected; separate; distinct
discriminate
to notice or point out the difference between two or more things; to discern; to differentiate ;
disdain
arrogant scorn; contempt
disinterested
not taking sides; unbiased
disparage
to belittle; to say uncomplimentary things about usually in a somewhat indirect way
disparate
different; incompatible; unequal
disseminate
to spread the seeds of something; to scatter; to make widely known
dissipate
to thin out drift away or dissolve; to cause to thin out drift away or dissolve; to waste or squander
dissolution
the breaking up or dissolving of something into parts; disintegration
distend
to swell; to extend a great deal
distinguish
to tell apart; to cause to stand out
docile
easily taught; obedient; easy to handle
doctrinaire
inflexibly committed to a doctrine or theory without regard to its practicality; dogmatic
dogmatic
arrogantly assertive of unproven ideas; stubbornly claiming that something often a system of beliefs is beyond dispute
domestic
having to do with the household or family; not foreign
dormant
A inactive; as though asleep; asleep ~volcano ~window
dubious
A full of doubt; uncertain a ~ friend be ~ about cf dubitable
duplicity
N the act of being two-faced; double-dealing; deception cf duplication duplicate a n v
ebullient
A boiling; bubbling with excitement; exuberant; n ebullience-cy n ebullition
eccentric
A not conventional; a little kooky; irregular
eclectic
A choosing the best from many sources; drawn from many sources n cf eclecticism
edify
Vt to enlighten; to instruct especially in moral or religious matters; cfedifying
efface
Vt to erase; to rub away the features of eclipse Cf effaceable effacement
effusion
N a pouring forth Effuse v Effusive a
egalitarian
A believing in the social and economic equality of all people
egocentric
A selfish; believing that one is the center of everything n egoism egoistic -tical
egregious
A extremely bad; flagrant
elicit
Vt to bring out; to call forth ~a laugh from ~a reply elicitation n
elliptical
Adj oval; missing a word or words; obscure
Ellipsis
ellipsoid
elusive
Adj hard to pin down; evasive elude V elusion
emigrate
V to move to a new country; to move a new place to live; to expatriate
emigrant
a n immigrate
empirical
Adj relying on experience or observation; not merely theoretical ; ~philosophy Empiricism
emulate
Vt to strive to equal or excel usually through imitation emulator emulation emulous be emulous of
encroach
Vi to make gradual or stealthy inroads into; to trespass on upon
endemic
A native; restricted to a particular region or era; indigenous n endemicity
enervate
V to reduce the strength or energy of especially to do so gradually
enfranchise
V to grant the privileges of citizenship especially the right to vote
engender
V to bring into existence; to create; to cause produce ment
enigma
N a mystery riddle
enormity
N extreme evil; a hideous offense; immensity
ephemeral
A lasting a very short time
epigram
N a brief and usually witty or satirical saying
epitome
N a brief summary that captures the meaning of the whole; the perfect example of something; a paradigm ;
equanimity
N composure; calm
equitable
Adj fair
equivocal
Adj ambiguous; intentionally confusing; capable of being interpreted in more than one way
erudite
Adj scholarly; deeply learned ;
esoteric
Adj hard to understand; understood by only a select few; peculiar
espouse
V to support; to advocate
ethereal
Adj heavenly as light and insubstantial as a gas or ether heavenly
euphemism
N a pleasant or inoffensive expression used in place of an unpleasant or offensive one
evanescent
Adj fleeting; vanishing; happening for only the briefest period
exacerbate
V to make worse ;
exacting
Adj extremely demanding; difficult; requiring great skill or care
exalt
V to raise high; to glorify
exasperate
V to annoy thoroughly; to make very angry; to try the patience of
exemplify
V to illustrate by example; to serve as a good example
exhaustive
Adj thorough; rigorous; complete; painstaking
exhort
V to urge strongly; to give a serious warning to
