Words 951 - 975 Flashcards
utopia
an imaginary and remote place of perfection
noun
Everyone in the world wants to live in a utopia, but no one can agree how to go about building one.
vacillate
to fluctuate, hesitate
verb
I prefer a definite answer, but my boss kept vacillating between the distinct options available to us.
vacuous
emptied of or lacking content
adjective
Beyonce realized that the lyrics she had just penned were completely vacuous and tried to add more substance.
validate
to confirm, support, corroborate
verb
Yoko’s chemistry lab partner was asleep during the experiment and could not validate the accuracy of her methods.
vapid
lacking liveliness, dull
adjective
The professor’s comments about the poem were surprisingly vapid.
variegated
diversified, distinctly marked
adjective
Each wire in the engineering exam was variegated by color so that the students could figure out which one was which.
vehement
marked by forceful energy
adjective
The candidate vehemently opposed cutting back on Social Security funding.
veneer
a superficial or deceptively attractive appearance, façade
noun
Thanks to her Chanel makeup, Shannen was able to maintain a veneer of perfection that hid the flaws underneath.
venerable
deserving of respect because of age or achievement
adjective
The venerable Supreme Court justice had made several key rulings in landmark cases throughout the years.
venerate
to regard with respect or to honor
verb
The tribute to John Lennon sought to venerate his music, his words, and his legend.
veracity
truthfulness, accuracy
noun
With several agencies regulating the reports, it was difficult for Latifah to argue against its veracity.
verbose
wordy, impaired by wordiness
adjective
It took the verbose teacher two hours to explain the topic, while it should have taken only fifteen minutes.
verdant
green in tint or color
adjective
The verdant leaves on the trees made the world look emerald.
vestige
a mark or trace of something lost or vanished
noun
Do you know if the Mexican tortilla is a vestige of some form of Aztec corn-based flatbread?
vex
to confuse or annoy
verb
My little brother vexes me by poking me in the ribs for hours on end.
vicarious
experiencing through another
adjective
All of my lame friends learned to be social through vicarious involvement in my amazing experiences.
vicissitude
a surprising or irregular change
noun
The vicissitudes of daily life prevent me from predicting what might happen from one day to the next.
vigilant
watchful, alert
adjective
The guards remained vigilant throughout the night, but the enemy never launched the expected attack.
vilify
to lower in importance, defame
verb
After the Watergate scandal, almost any story written about President Nixon sought to vilify him and criticize his behavior.
vindicate
to free from blame or guilt
verb
The attorney had no chance of vindicating the defendant with all of the strong evidence presented by the state.
vindictive
vengeful
adjective
The vindictive madman seeks to exact vengeance for any insult that he perceives is directed at him, no matter how small.
virtuoso
one who excels in art; a highly skilled musical performer
noun
Even though Lydia has studied piano for many years, she’s only average at it. She’s no virtuoso, that’s for sure.
viscous
not free-flowing, syrupy
adjective
The viscous syrup took three minutes to pour out of the bottle.
vitriolic
having a caustic quality
adjective
When angry, the woman would spew vitriolic insults.
vituperate
to criticize harshly
verb
Jack ran away as soon as his father found out, knowing he would be vituperated for his unseemly behavior.
