Words I Don't Know 5 Flashcards
Mélange (may-longe)
Noun, a mixture or medley
Ex: My lunch was a delightful mélange of spring greens and summer berries.
Fulsome
Adj, either complimentary or flattering to an excessive degree, or of a large size.
Ex: His fulsome description of my work experience was a red flag he was buttering me up.
Vacillate
Verb, to alternate or waver between different opinions or actions, to be indecisive.
Ex: I vacillated between going to bed and staying up late to work, and ultimately got nothing done and wasted a night.
Unconscionable
Adjective, not right or reasonable, or unreasonably expensive.
Ex: I had to pay an unconscionable amount of money to fix my tail light.
Inimical
Adj, tending to obstruct or harm, unfriendly, hostile
Ex: A diet high in saturated fats is inimical to heart health.
Heuristic
Adj., enabling someone to discover or learn something for themselves.
Ex: When I TA, I take a heuristic approach and encourage students to search around the lab themselves.
Refragable
Adj, capable of being refuted, refutable.
Ex: Despite the years of life she poured into her thesis, her main results were entirely refragable and her thesis committee did not pass her.
Intemperate
Adj, having or showing low self control, antonym to temperate.
Ex: Her intemperate behavior at the bar led to a wicked hangover and numerous awkward conversations the next day.
Edify
Verb, to instruct or improve someone morally or intellectually
Ex: Grad school should be an edifying experience, yet so many people squander the opportunity to learn.
Apostrophize
Verb, to address an exclamatory passage in a speech or poem to someone or something.
Ex: I apostrophized my thesis with a dedication to my grandparents.
Eftsoons
Archaic adverb. Soon after.
Eftsoons I finished my breakfast, I had to return to work.
Gramercy
Archaic, used to express gratitude or surprise.
Ex: Gramercy! I did not expect a surprise birthday this year!
Aver (uh-verr)
Verb, to formally state or assert something to be the case.
Ex: In the trial, I averred my innocence.
Ribald
Adj, referring to sexual manners in an amusingly coarse or irreverent way
Ex: Emiliano, Ava and I’s ribald groupchat would not be well received by our parents.
Dragoon
Verb, to coerce someone into doing something (refers to old British army cavalry regiments)
Ex: I dragooned Caleb into cleaning the whole basement after the cats made a small mess.
Turnkey
Adj, of or relating to supplying a product/service that is ready for immediate use.
Ex: Apple’s genius was developing turnkey software accessible to the casual computer user.
Incongruous
Adj, not harmonious with the surroundings, doesn’t jive with the other aspects of something
Ex: The inclusion of corndogs was an incongruous, though popular, choice.
Somnambulant
Adj, resembling or characteristic of a sleepwalker, sluggish
Ex: Though extremely tired, I still fit in a somnambulant walk around my neighborhood before I called it a night.
Kitsch (kich)
Noun and adj, to be in poor taste due to garishness or sentimentality, but can be appreciated in ironic/knowing way
Ex: I decorated my room in a very dated, grandmotherly, kitsch way.
Impute
Adj, related to finances, inferring the value added to a product or process by something
Ex: By using a nicer grade of paper, we can impute consumers will value this book more.
