Words I Don't Know 2 Flashcards
Gregarious
(Of a person) fond of company, sociable
Ex: He was a gregarious man, always throwing dinner parties and inviting over friends.
(Of animals) living in flocks or loosely organized communities
Ex: The sheep flocked gregariously.
(Of plants) growing in open clusters or in pure associations
Ex: After years and years of new bulbs splitting off of the parent plant, the old daffodil beds were stuffed with gregarious clumps of the yellow flowers.
Prurient
Having or encouraging an excessive interest in sexual matters
Ex: His personal life, and the many people involved, were of prurient interest to his potential boyfriend.
Mendacious
Not telling the truth; lying
Ex: Nestle released a mendacious study showing their water bottling plants had little impact on indigenous peoples’ access to water.
Vituperative
Vie-too-per-ative
Bitter and abusive
Ex: After a performance review full of vituperative remarks, I realized I was doing a fine job, my boss just hates me.
Perfidious
Deceitful and untrustworthy
Ex: My perfidious co-lab mates were always looking for a way to destroy me after I blew the cover off of their schemes.
Mimesis
Mih-mee-sis
Representation or imitation of the real world in art and literature
Ex: As a writer, I love using mimesis to provide commentary on contemporary social issues.
Also, a word for mimicry in zoology
Antecedent
A thing or event that existed before, or logistically precedes, another
Ex: Examining early hominid skeletons, it’s easy to see how they’re an antecedent to modern humans.
Inchoate
In-coe-et
Just begun, and so not fully formed or developed, rudimentary
Ex: My inchoate knowledge of nutrition led to some interesting beliefs about fat consumption, but over time I’ve developed a more nuanced understanding of diet and health.
In law, refers to an act anticipating or preparatory to a further criminal act.
Copacetic
Cope-a-see-dick
In excellent order
Ex: According to Vinnie, everything on the dock was copacetic!
Irascible
Having or showing a tendency to be easily angered
Ex: Never let your dog walk on the lawn of the irascible old man next door!
Diffidence
Modesty or shyness resulting from a lack of self confidence
Ex: The new lifter’s unwillingness to squat in front of seasoned athletes was a result of his diffidence.
Laconic
Adjective, using very few words
Ex: The laconic comments left on my work implied my mentor didn’t read it very closely.
Tractable
Adjective, a person or situation east to control/influence/deal with
Ex: Though my work rival thinks she’s a manipulative mastermind, I’ve found her quite tractable and non threatening.
Cupidity
Noun, greed for money or possessions.
Ex: His cupidity was thwarted by his laziness; you can’t accrue wealth if you won’t work for it.
Indelible
Adjective, making marks that can’t be removed, or can’t be forgotten
Ex: Watching the dam cannibalize her living pups left an indelible memory.
Purblind
Adjective, having impaired or defective vision, or slow/unable to understand, dim witted
Ex 1: The old purblind dog didn’t make for a very affective guard dog anymore.
Ex 2: My purblind colleagues just didn’t recognize the value of investing in new infrastructure now rather than in 5 years.
Pullulating
Adjective, very crowded and lively, teeming, or spreading/multiplying prolifically or rapidly
Ex: I started out with only a few duckweed leaves, but after a few weeks the surface of my fish tank was pullulating with the green sprouts.
Verity
noun, a true principle or belief, especially one of fundamental importance
Ex: A fundamental verity of the lifter’s dogma is the importance of sufficient protein.
Recalcitrant
Adjective: having an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority or discipline
Ex: Despite being an authoritative stickler herself, my sister is surprising recalcitrant to every authority figure in her life.
Noun: a person with an obstinately uncooperative attitude
Ex: My brother can be a total recalcitrant when we work together.
Clandestine
Adjective, kept secret or done secretively, especially because it is illicit
Ex: My clandestine plot to max out my vacation hours flew right under the radar of the department HR rep.
Viviparous
Adjective
Of an animal: bringing forth live young that developed inside the parent
Of plants: reproducing from buds that grow on a parent plant, or reproducing from seeds that sprout in the fruit
Ressentiment (French)
Ray-sen-teh-mon
Noun
A psychological state arising from suppressed feelings of envy and hatred that cannot be acted upon, frequently resulting in some form of self-abasement.
Ex: Kevin’s ressentiment resulted in a furious, bitter article about the legitimacy of the entire student council, the whole piece a sad veneer for his hatred for me.
Gauche
Goe-sh
Adjective
Lacking ease or grace, unsophisticated and socially awkward
Ex: I got too “in my head” before the interview, and my experience and knowledge was completely overshadowed by my gauche first impression.
Nadir
Nay-der
Noun
The lowest point in the fortunes of a person or organization
Ex: I thought I’d finally hit my nadir after a series of bad investments, car troubles, and a burst water main, and then a loose pebble
in my bulk lentils broke a molar.
Vouchsafe
Pronounced as written
Verb
1) To give or grant something in a gracious or condescending manor
2) To divulge or reveal information
Ex 1) My boss is such a self-righteous asshole; you’d think he was Jesus, the way he vouchsafes small favors in every meaning of the word.
Ex 2) Kat and i conspiratorially vouchsafed the most recent rumors we’d heard about Aaron.
