words Flashcards
What does ‘Noisome’ mean?
having an extremely bad smell
Define ‘Pellucid’.
transparently clear; easily understandable
What is ‘Inequity’?
injustice by virtue of not conforming with rules or standards
What does it mean to ‘Impugn’?
attack as false or wrong
What does ‘Proscribe’ mean?
command against
Who is a ‘Tyro’?
someone new to a field or activity
Define ‘Gumption’.
resourcefulness and determination
What does ‘Unassailable’ mean?
immune to attack; without flaws
What does ‘Ethereal’ describe?
characterized by lightness and insubstantiality
What is meant by ‘Bridle’?
the act of restraining power or action or limiting excess
What does ‘Doughty’ mean?
brave; bold; courageous
What does ‘Solicitous’ indicate?
showing hovering attentiveness
Define ‘Conflagration’.
a very intense and uncontrolled fire
What does ‘Abjure’ mean?
formally reject or give up (as a belief)
What does ‘Vaunted’ refer to?
highly or widely praised or boasted about
What does ‘Pontificate’ mean?
talk in a dogmatic and pompous manner
Define ‘Coterminous’.
being of equal extent or scope or duration
What does ‘Discursive’ mean?
(of e.g. speech and writing) tending to depart from the main point
What does ‘Stultify’ mean?
cause one, through routine, to lose energy and enthusiasm
What does ‘Conflate’ mean?
mix together different elements or concepts
Define ‘Unimpeachable’.
free of guilt; not subject to blame; beyond doubt or reproach
What does ‘Afford’ mean?
provide with an opportunity
What does ‘Desiccated’ mean?
uninteresting, lacking vitality
What does ‘Dolorous’ refer to?
showing sorrow
What does ‘Impervious’ mean?
not admitting of passage or capable of being affected
What does ‘Self-effacing’ mean?
reluctant to draw attention to yourself
Define ‘Aplomb’.
great coolness and composure under strain
What is a ‘Panegyric’?
a formal expression of praise
What does ‘Turgid’ describe?
(of language) pompous and tedious
What does ‘Diminutive’ indicate?
noun: to indicate smallness; adjective: very small
What does ‘Loath’ mean?
unwilling to do something contrary to your custom (usually followed by ‘to’)
What does ‘Palaver’ mean?
speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly
Define ‘Demonstrative’.
given to or marked by the open expression of emotion
What is ‘Bastardization’?
an act that debases or corrupts
What does ‘Flag’ mean?
droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss of tautness; become less intense
What does ‘Ineluctable’ mean?
impossible to avoid or evade
What does ‘Concomitant’ describe?
describing an event or situation that happens at the same time as or in connection with another
What does ‘Extrapolate’ mean?
draw from specific cases for more general cases
What does ‘Dissipate’ mean?
squander or spend money frivolously; to disperse or scatter
What does ‘Ebullient’ mean?
joyously unrestrained
What does ‘Countermand’ mean?
a contrary command cancelling or reversing a previous command
What does ‘Trenchant’ describe?
characterized by or full of force and vigor; having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought, expression, or intellect
What is a ‘Cataclysm’?
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
What does ‘Enamored’ mean?
strongly attracted to or in love with
What does ‘Dissemble’ mean?
conceal one’s true motives, usually through deceit
What is a ‘Simulacrum’?
a representation of a person (especially in the form of sculpture)
What does ‘Infelicitous’ mean?
inappropriate
What does ‘Estimable’ refer to?
deserving of esteem and respect
What is ‘Raillery’?
light teasing
What does ‘Exiguity’ mean?
the quality of being meager
What does ‘Splenetic’ mean?
very irritable
What does ‘Dissolution’ refer to?
a living full of debauchery and indulgence in sensual pleasure
What does ‘Surfeit’ mean?
an excessive amount of something
What does ‘Officious’ mean?
intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner
What is ‘Graft’?
corruption, usually through bribery
What does ‘Pillory’ mean?
ridicule or expose to public scorn
What does ‘Capitulate’ mean?
to surrender (usually under agreed conditions)
What does ‘Misattribute’ mean?
to erroneously attribute; to falsely ascribe; used especially of authorship
Define ‘Despot’.
a cruel and oppressive dictator
What does ‘Lachrymose’ mean?
tearful or something that induces tears; showing strong sorrow
What does ‘Obtain’ mean?
be valid, applicable, or true
What does ‘Exorbitant’ mean?
greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation
What does ‘Abrogate’ mean?
revoke or relinquish formally; do away with
What is a ‘Panacea’?
hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; a universal solution
What does ‘Adjudicate’ mean?
to serve as a judge in a competition; to arrive at a judgment or conclusion
What does ‘Row’ refer to?
an angry dispute
What does ‘Sardonic’ mean?
disdainfully or ironically humorous; scornful and mocking
Define ‘Verisimilitude’.
the appearance of truth
What does ‘Veritable’ mean?
truthfully, without a doubt
What does ‘Halcyon’ describe?
idyllically calm and peaceful; suggesting happy tranquility; marked by peace and prosperity
What is ‘Chauvinism’?
unreasonable belief in the superiority of one’s own group or people, who are seen as strong and virtuous, while others are considered weak, unworthy, or inferior
What does ‘Canard’ mean?
a deliberately misleading fabrication
What does ‘Modicum’ refer to?
a small or moderate or token amount
What is an ‘Eponym’?
the name derived from a person (real or imaginary); the person for whom something is named
What does ‘Evanescent’ mean?
tending to vanish like vapor
What does ‘Hoodwink’ mean?
to deceive or trick someone
What does ‘Bereft’ mean?
unhappy in love; suffering from unrequited love; sorrowful through loss or deprivation
What does ‘Promulgate’ mean?
state or announce
