Words Flashcards
abscond
to leave secretly
abyss
extremely deep hole
adulterate
to make impure
aggrandize
to increase in power, influence and reputation,
augment, exalt, apotheosize, ennoble
amalgamate
to combine, to mix together
commingle, admix,
ameliorate
to make better
pacify
anachronism
something out of place
anomaly
deviation from what is normal
aberrance,
antipathy
extreme dislike
animus, enmity
apathy
lack of interest of emotion
lassitude, phlegm , stolidity
arbitrate
to judge or dispute between two opposing parties
adjudge
archaic
ancient, old fashioned
ardor
intense or passionate feeling
fervidity, zeal, fervor
assuage
to make something unpleasant less severe
palliate, propitiate
attenuate
to reduce in force or degree, weaken
enervate
audacious
fearless and daring
plucky, intrepid, stout, doughty,
austere
severe or stern in appearance, undecorated
banal
predictable, boring
innocuous, bromidic, vapid, jejune, prosaic
bolster
support, buttress
bombastic
pompous in speech and manner
cacophony
harsh, jarring noise
ambiguous
equivocal, obscure, dubious, nebulous
capricious
changing one’s mind quickly and often
arbitrary, mercurial, whimsical
castigate
to punish or criticize harshly
admonish, rebuke, reprove, upbraid, chide,
catalyst
to bring a change in something else
caustic
biting in wit
acerbic, mordant, trenchant
chauvinist
someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which they belong to
partisan
chicanery
deception by means of craft or guile
subterfuge, conniving, artifice
cogent
convincing and well-reasoned
condone
to overlook, pardon, or disregard
exculpate, remit
convoluted
intricate and complicated
corroborate
to provide supporting evidence
buttress,
credulous
too trusting, gullible
deference
respect, courtesy
homage, obeisance, veneration
deride
to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock
gibe, `
desiccate
to dry out thoroughly
desultory
jumping from one thing to another
diatribe
an abusive, condemnatory speech
harangue, fulmination, jeremiad, tirad
diffident
lacking self confidence
demure
dilatory
intended to delay
Dilettante
someone who is amateurish and superficial interest in topic tyro
dirge
funeral hymn or mournful speech
elegy, lamen t
disabuse
to set right, to free from error
discern
to perceive, to recognize
disparate
different, entirely unlike
dissemble
to present a false appearance; to disguise one’s real intetions or character
dogma
a firmly held opinion
creed, tenet
dissonance
a harsh and disagreeable combo; often sounds
contention, dissension, discord
dupe
to deceive; a person who is easily deceived
beguile, delude
elegy
a sorrowful poem or speech
emulate
to copy, to try to equal or excel
enervate
to reduce in strength
engender
to produce, cause or bring about
enigma
puzze
enumerate
to count, list, to itemize
ephemeral
lasting a short time
evanescent, transient
erratic
wandering, unpredictable
erudite
learned, scholarly, bookish
esoteric
known or understood by only a few
arcane, abstruse
estimable
admirable
laudable
eulogy
speech in praise of someone
euphemism
use of an offensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
exacerbate
to make worse
exculpate
to clear from blame; prove innocent
exigent
urgent, requiring immediate action
exonerate
to clear from blame
fawn
to grovel, suck up
fervid
intensely emotional; feverish
vehement, zealous
florid
excessively decorated or embellished
ostentatious
foment
to arouse or incite
frugality
tendency to be thrifty or cheap
gregarious
outgoing, sociable
guile
deceit or trickery
iconoclast
one who opposes established beliefs, customs and institutions
imperturbable
not capable of being disturbed
impervious
impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
impetuous
quick to act without thinking
implacable
unable to be calmed down or made peaceful
inchoate
not fully formed; disorganized
ingenuous
showing innocence or childlike simplicity
inimical
hostile; unfriendly
innocuous
harmless
insipid
lacking interest or flavor
intransigent
uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled
inundate
to overwhelm; to cover with water
irascible
easily made angry
laconic
using few words
taciturn
lament
to express sorrow; to grieve
laud
to give praise; to glorify
lavish
to give unsparingly; generous
loquacious
talkative
lucid
clear and easily understood
luminous
bright, brilliant, glowing
malinger
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
misanthrope
person who dislikes others
mitigate
to soften; to lessen
mollify
to calm or make less severe
obdurate
hardening in feeling; resistant in persuasion
intrepid
steadfast, courageous
probity
uprightness
unfeigned
genuine
veneration
extreme respect
anthology
collection of literacy aworks
aver
to confirm or support
brevity
briefness
admonish
to reprove, reprimand, criticize
Consternation
dismay; confusion
dogmatic
to strongly state or hold unproven beliefs
equivocate
to use vague language with deceptive intent
fatuous
silly; foolish
platitude
a superficial remark
prodigal
excessively wasteful
tortuous
complicated
solvent
able to meet financial obligations
unfettered
unrestrained
perfunctory
cursory, carried out with little thought, desultory
tractable
obedient
endemic
indigenous
repudiate
disown
penchant
inclination, a liking or preference
veracity
truthfulness
mendacity
deceit
abjure
reject
beatify
sanctify, bless
obsequious
overly submissive and eager to please
deferential
obstinate
stubborn, unyielding
obviate
to prevent, to make unnecessary
occlude
to stop up; to prevent the passage of
onerous
troublesome and oppressive; burdensome
opaque
impossible to see through
opprobrium
public disgrace
ostentation
excessive showiness
paragon
model of excellence or perfection
pedant
someone who shows off learning
perfidious
willing to betray one’s trust
perfunctory
done in a routine way; indifferent
permeate
to penetrate
placate
to soothe or pacify; appease; conciliate; propitiate
pragmatic
practical as opposed to idealistic
precipitate
to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation
prevaricate
to lie or deviate from the truth
prodigal
lavish; wasteful
propitiate
to mollify, placate; conciliate; appease
propriety
correct behavior;
prudence
wisdom, caution, or restraint
quiescent
motionless
rarefy
to make thinner
repudiate
to reject the validity of
reticent
silent, reserved
rhetoric
effective writing or speaking
satiate
to satisfy fully or overindulge
soporific
causing sleep or lethargy
specious
deceptively attrative; seemingly plausible but fallacious
stolid
unemotional, lacking sensitivity
sublime
lofty or grand
tacit
done without using words
taciturn
silent; not talkative
tirade
long harsh speech or verbal attack
torpor
extreme mental and physical sluggishness
transitory
temporary; lasting a brief time
vacillate
to sway physically to be indecisive
venerate
to deeply respect
veracity
truthfullness
verbose
wordy
vex
to annoy
whimsical
acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable
zeal
passion, excitement
empirical
relying on or derived from observation or experiment
incipient
beginning to exist or appear
theoretical
hypothetical or existing only in theory
copious
abundance
covert
concealed
elucidated
clarified
excoriation
strong censure or denunciation
vilified
to speak with abusive language
succor
relief or assistance
denouement
climax
co - opted
taken for one’s own
serendipitously
accidentally making fortunate discoveries
wry
dryly humorous
vapid
lacking liveliness and animation
Accolade
high praise
distinction
name
intransigent
not willing to comprise
conciliatory
flexible, appeasing
recondite
obscure
astringent
biting, sharp
espouse
to adopt or embrace
rescind
to take back
abate
to cease
forbear
to grudgingly tolerate
respite
rest
remuneration
compensation
levity
humor
emollient
something that is soothing
onus
burden
boon
blessing or benefit
sumptuous
luxurious
genial
friendly
cloistered
secluded
malady
illness
affront
open and intentional offense
puerile
immature
ennui
boredom
felicity
happiness
repose
relax
inane
lacking sense or substance
deferential
respectful
propitious
presenting favorable circumstances
disquieting
causing mental discomfort
relegate
assign to obscure position
accolade
praise
panacea
remedy for disease, cure
despondency
depression of spirits from loss of hope
ebullience
zestful enthusiasm
augury
practice of divination from omens or signs
beguiling
charming or amusing
