Words I Know - MASTER Flashcards
abet
encourage or assist (someone) to do something wrong, in particular to commit a crime
abjure
to renounce or reject solemnly; to recant; to avoid
abrogate
to abolish or annul by authority; to put down
abstemious
not self-indulgent; temperate; austere
abstruse
not easy to understand; recondite; esoteric
acerbic
(especially of a comment or style of speaking) sharp and forthright
adjudicate
judge or make decisions
admonish
to reprove; to express warning or disapproval
alcrity
brisk and cheerful readiness; enthusiasm
—
all cry out in enthusiasm
anachronistic
belonging to another time; removed from natural chronological context
anathema
a solemn or ecclesiastical (religious) curse; accursed or thoroughly loathed person or thing
anodyne
soothing; something that assuages or allays pain or comforts noun
—
Anna is soothing
antipathy
aversion; dislike
antithetical
diametrically opposed, as in antithesis
apocryphal
of dubious authenticity or origin; spurious
apoplectic
overcome with anger; furious
apostate
one who abandons long-held religious or political convictions
apotheosis
culmination or climax OR deification
apposite
appropriate; pertinent; relevant; apropos
approbation
an expression of approval or praise
appropriate
to take for one’s own use; to confiscate
arabesque
a complex, ornate design; also a dance position
arcane
mysterious; abstruse; esoteric; knowable only to initiates
archaic
outdated; associated with an earlier, perhaps more primitive time
arrant
utter (as in “what utter nonsense)
—
match the vowels (rr/tt)
arrest
to suspend; to engage; to hold one’s attention
artless
completely without guile; natural; without artificiality
ascetic
someone practicing self-denial; austere; stark adjective
asperity, asperities
harshness in tone or manner
aspersion
an act of defamation or maligning; animadversion
assay
an analysis; examination; test; to put to a test
asseverate
to aver; to allege; to assert
assiduous
diligent; hard-working; sedulous
attenuate
reduce (the force, effect, or value)
augury
omen or portent
—
John the Baptist shared an august augury in August
august
majestic; venerable
auspice
prophecy
(under the ___ of): protection or support; patronage
auspicious
favorable
austerity
sternness in attitude
aver
to state as a fact; to confirm or support
—
A VERy confident statement
baleful
malevolent
—
criminals out on bail are sinister
bane
cause of injury; poison; source of harm
beatify
to bless, make happy, or ascribe a virtue to; to regard as saintly
bedizen
to adorn, especially in a cheap, showy manner; to festoon
beguile
charm or attract
bellicose
demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight
beneficent
charitable and kind in action
bilge
nonsense
blandish
coax (someone) with kind words or flattery; toady
boor
a rude or insensitive person; lout
broach
to bring up or announce; to begin to talk about
brook
to tolerate, endure, or countenance
bulwark
a defensive wall
burgeon
to grow rapidly or flourish
burnish
to polish; to rub to a shine
byzantine
labyrinthine; complex
cachinnate
to laugh loudly
cadge
to sponge or mooch
cajole
to inveigle, coax, or wheedle
—
like cajun cooking persuades something
calumny, calumniate
to slander; to make a false accusation
candor
honesty; frankness; sincerity
caparison
to adorn or bedizen
—
there is no comparing when something is bedizened
chagrin
distress or embarrassment from humiliation; vexation
chauvinist
sexist
chimera
an illusion
churlish
rude
—
can’t behave rudely in church
circumspect
discreet; prudent; careful
conciliate, conciliatory
pacify someone; mollify; propitiate
conspicuous
easily visible; obvious
consternation
dismay; startling, distressing fear or shock that results in complete confusion
consummation
the point at which something is finalized
contemn
to scorn or despise
corpulent
fat; paunchy
—
sounds like opulent and opulent people are fat
corrigible
capable of being corrected
corroborate
to confirm
corrosion
act or process of causing deterioration; a wearing away, especially of metals
countenance
a person’s face or facial expressions OR support or approval
covert
hidden; clandestine
cozen
beguile, chicanery
—
instead of a dozen, the cozen theft stole 13 bananas
curmudgeon
a crusty, ill-tempered coot; a misanthrope
dearth
a scarcity
—
dear it would be bad if things were scarce
decorous
correct; formal; marked by decorum
defalcate
to embezzle or misappropriate
deleterious
causing harm or damage
demagogue
a leader who seeks support by appealing to the desires of ordinary people rather than by rational argument
depredate
to plunder, pillage, ravage, or destroy; to exploit in a predatory manner
deride, derision; derisive
scorn; ridicule; contemptuous treatment
—
if you don’t have a car (de ride) that is expensive enough, other kids may mock and ridicule you
descant
to comment at length
—
sounds like de scant. de is not, and scant is little so it’s a lot of talking
descry
to discriminate or discern
desuetude
disuse
desultory
casual; lacking a plan
detraction
slander
diaphanous
(especially of fabric) light, delicate, and translucent
diffident
reserved, shy, or unassuming; lacking in self-confidence
dilatory
causing delay; procrastinating
din
loud, sustained noise
disabuse
persuade (someone) that an idea or belief is mistaken
disaffect
to estrange or alienate the affection of
discomfit
to defeat; to put down
discrete
distinct; individual
discreet, discretion
cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions
disingenuous
insincere; lacking in honesty or frankness
disjunction
a lack of correspondence or consistency
disparate
diverse; contrasting
dissemble
to disguise or conceal; to mislead
dissolution
disintegration; looseness in morals
distention
the state or act of extending or being swollen out of shape
distrait
distracted; absent-minded, especially due to anxiety
divest
to remove or strip, especially clothing
docility
ready to submit (such as being taught)
doggerel
trivial, poorly constructed verse
dross
rubbish
dulcet
melodious; harmonious; mellifluous
ebullience
the quality of being cheerful and full of energy; exuberance
edacious
eating insatiably
effluvia
outflow in a stream of particles; a noxious odor or vapor
effusive
gushing; excessively demonstrative
elegy
a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead
emboldened
given the courage
encomium
glowing and enthusiastic praise; panegyric; tribute; eulogy
enervate
to weaken; to reduce in vitality
engender
to cause; to produce; to give rise to
ennui
a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement
enormity
excessive wickedness; evilness
enumerate, enumeration
to list or count off individually
sybarite
epicure
epithet
nickname
equanimity
composure; self-possession
equipoise
equal distribution of weight; equilibrium
equivocate, equivocal, equivocation
ambiguous
errant
traveling; itinerant; peripatetic
eschew
to shun or avoid
estimable
worthy; formidable
etiolated
(of a plant) pale and drawn out due to a lack of light
evince
reveal
exact
to demand, call for, require or take
excoriate
censure or criticize severely
exculpate
to exonerate; to clear of blame
execrable
appalling
exegesis
critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture
exigent
pressing; demanding
expatiate
to descant; to discourse; to discuss or write about at length
expiate, expiation
to atone or make amends for
expostulate
express strong disapproval or disagreement
expurgate
to remove obscenity; to purify; to censor
exscind
to cut out or extirpate
extant
existing; not destroyed or lost
extirpate
to destroy; to exterminate; to cut out; to exscind
extrapolation
the action of estimating or concluding something by assuming that existing trends will continue or a current method will remain applicable
fallow
(of a period of time) characterized by inaction; dormant
feckless
ineffectual; irresponsible
fetid
stinking; smelly; malodorous
fetter
to shackle; to put in chains
filigree
an ornamental work, especially of delicate lacelike patterns
flag
to sag or droop; to become spiritless; to decline
ostentatious
showy
flip
sarcastic; impertinent
flippant
not showing a serious or respectful attitude; frivolous; superficial; glib
forbearance
patience; willingness to wait
ford
to wade across the shallow part of a river or stream
forestall
stop something from happening
forswear
to renounce; to disallow; to repudiate
fracas
noisy quarrel; imbroglio; brawl
fractious
(typically of children) irritable and quarrelsome
frieze
a semi-sculptural, raised-surface ornamental facade to a building
froward
intractable; not willing to yield or comply; recalcitrant
gainsay
to deny, dispute, contradict, or oppose
gambol
to skip about playfully
gauche
crude; awkward; tasteless
glib
marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial
goad
to prod or drive forward; to urge on; to incite
gossamer
used to refer to something very light, thin, and insubstantial or delicate
grouse
to complain or grumble
guile
artfulness; trickery; chicanery; duplicity
guy
a cord or cable used to steady or guide something
harbinger
a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another
harrow
to distress; to create stress; to torment
hedonistic
sensually self-indulgent
hegemonic
ruling or dominant in an political or social context
hermeneutic
concerning interpretation, especially of the Bible or literary texts
hirsute
hairy
homiletics
the art of preaching
ignominious
deserving or causing public disgrace or shame
illusory
deceptive; based upon a false belief or impression
imbroglio
difficult or embarrassing situation
imperious
commanding; masterful; arrogant; domineering; haughty
implacable
not capable of being appeased or significantly changed
importune
harass (someone) persistently for or to do something
impudent
saucy; impertinent; bold and disrespectful
impugn
to attack or assail ally; to censure; to execrate
impute
to attribute to a cause or source; to ascribe
indefatigable
(of a person or their efforts) persisting tirelessly
indolent
lazy; listless; torpid
ineluctable
certain; inevitable
inequity
lack of fairness or judgedmemnt
ingenuity
cleverness or inventiveness
ingenuous
guileless; trusting; naive; credulous
ingratiate, ingratiating
sycophant
inimical
hostile
inimitable
unique
iniquity
gross injustice; wickedness
injurious
likely to cause an injury; deleterious
inscrutable
incapable of being discovered or understood
insensible
unconscious; unresponsive; unaffected; numb
insipid
without taste or flavor; lacking in spirit; bland
insouciant
nonchalant
intemperance
excessive indulgence of appetite or passion, especially in regard to alcohol; lack of constraint
interdict
to prohibit; to forbid; to ban; to halt
intimate, intimation
to imply, suggest, or insinuate
intransigent
refusing to compromise
inured
accustomed to accepting something undesirable
inveigh
speak or write about (something) with great hostility
inveterate
(of a feeling or habit) long-established and unlikely to change
involute
intricate; complex; convoluted
irascible
easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts
jejune
vapid; uninteresting; immature; puerile
jibe
to agree; to be in accord
jocose, jocular, jocosity
humorous; gay; blithe
labile
readily open to change; unstable
lachrymose
causing tears; tearful
laconic
using few words; terse
languid
(of a person, manner, or gesture) having or showing a disinclination for physical exertion or effort; not interested in fighting
lassitude
lethargy
limn
to draw; to outline in detail; to delineate; to describe
limpid
lucid
list
to tilt or lean to one side
lubricious
lewd; wanton; greasy; slippery
lumber
to move heavily and clumsily
malinger
to feign illness so as to avoid work; to avoid work
maunder
to digress; to meander; to stray from the topic or path
mendacity
lying
mendicant
beggar; supplicant
meretricious
cheap; gaudy; tawdry; flashy; showy
mettle
spirit and resilience
mettlesome
courageous; high-spirited
militate
(of a fact or circumstance) be a powerful or conclusive factor in preventing.
minatory
menacing; threatening
multifarious
varied; motley; greatly diversified
nadir
low point; perigee
nascent
inchoate
natty
trimly neat and tidy; smart
nexus
a connection, tie, or link
fastidious
pedantic
noisome
offensive, especially to one’s sense of smell; fetid
nonplused
baffled; in a quandary; at a loss for what to say or do
nostrum
questionable remedy
nugatory
trifling; inconsequential
obloquy
vituperation; calumny
obsequious
obedient or attentive to a sycophantic degree
obstreperous
noisy; loud
occult
hidden; concealed; beyond comprehension
officious
assertive of authority in a domineering way, especially with regard to trivial matters: meddlesome
opprobrium
disgrace; contempt; scorn
orate
to make a pompous speech
ostensible
stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so
overweening
presumptuous; supercilious
palliate
make (a disease or its symptoms) less severe without removing the cause
paradigm
a model, example, or pattern; exemplar
pedagogy
the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept
pedantic
overly concerned with details
pedestrian
commonplace; trite; unremarkable; quotidian
pellucid
transparent; easy to understand; limpid
penchant
strong inclination; a liking
penury, penurious
extremely poor
peregrination
traveling about; wandering
peremptory
(especially of a person’s manner or actions) insisting on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way
peripatetic
itinerant; traveling; nomadic
peroration
the concluding part of a speech; grandiloquent speech
petrous
like a rock; hard; stony
petulant
impatient; irritable
philistine
hostile or indifferent to the arts
phlegmatic
impassive; stoical; lethargic; sluggish
picaresque
relating to an episodic style of fiction dealing with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero.
pillory
to punish; to hold up to public scorn
pine
to lose vigor (as through grief ); to yearn
pique, piquant
pleasantly stimulating or exciting to the mind
placate
to appease; to calm by making concessions
plangent
pounding; thundering; resounding
plastic, plasticity
moldable; pliable; not rigid
platitude
a superficial remark, especially one offered as meaningful
plebiscite
the direct vote of members of an electorate on an important public question
poignant
distressing; pertinent; touching; stimulating; emotional
polemic
a speech or piece of writing expressing a strongly critical attack on or controversial opinion about someone or something
poseur
affected or insincere person; literally, a poser
prate
to chatter; to babble, as in prattle
precept
a general rule intended to regulate behaviour or thought
predisposition
a liability or tendency to suffer from a particular condition, hold a particular attitude, or act in a particular way
preempt
forestall
prevaricate
to speak or act in an evasive way; equivocate
privation
a state in which things that are essential for human well-being such as food and warmth are scarce or lacking; deprivation; penury; indigence; destitution
prize (also, prise)
to pry; to press or force with a lever; something taken by force; spoils
probity
adherence to the highest principles; uprightness
proclivity
a tendency (towards something)
prodigal
recklessly wasteful; extravagant; profuse; lavish
prodigious
abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary
profligate
spendthrift; prodigal; wildly extravagant
proliferate
to grow or increase swiftly and abundantly
prolix
verbose
propensity
a natural inclination or tendency; penchant
propinquity
nearness in time or place; affinity of nature
propitiate
win or regain the favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by doing something that pleases them
provident
frugal; looking to the future
puissance
power; strength
punctilious
precise; paying attention to trivialities, especially in regard to etiquette
pundit
an authority on a subject; one who gives opinions
pusillanimous
cowardly; craven
qualify
to limit
querulous
habitually complaining; whining
quiescence
stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest
raffish
tawdry; flashy; meretricious; low; vulgar; base
rail
to complain about bitterly
ramify
to be divided or subdivided; to branch out
rapacious
voracious; greedy; plundering
rarefy, rarefied
esoteric OR thin air
raucous
making or constituting a disturbingly harsh and loud noise
rebus
riddle; a representation of words by pictures or symbols
recidivism
relapse into antisocial or criminal behavior
recondite
abstruse; profound; arcane
reconnaissance
preliminary survey to gain information, especially of an enemy
reconnoiter
to engage in reconnaissance
recreant
pusillanimous
redolent
fragrant; suggestive or evocative
refractory
stubborn; unmanageable; intractable; unruly; fractious
regale
to delight or entertain; to feast
remonstrate
to protest; to object
repine
feel or express discontent; fret
reproach
disapprove
rubric
heading, title, or category
runic
mysterious; magical
sagacious
having sound judgment; perceptive; wise
salacious
inappropriate interest in sexual matters
salient
conspicuous
salubrious
healthy OR pleasant
salutary
wholesome; causing improvement; favorable to health
sanguine
cheerful; confident; optimistic
sap
to enervate or weaken the vitality of
satiate
to surfeit; to overindulge
saturate
to fill until there is no further capacity for absorbance; to soak
saturnine
morose
scurvy
contemptible; despicable
sententious
given to moralizing in a pompous or affected manner
shroud
a thing that envelops or obscures something
sidereal
of or with respect to the distant stars (i.e. the constellations or fixed stars, not the sun or planets)
simper
to smirk; a silly smile
sinecure
position requiring little or no work and usually providing an income
singular
exceptional; unusual; odd
sinuous
winding; undulating; serpentine
slake
to satisfy or quench
sodden
soaked or drenched; unimaginative; dull
solder
to weld, fuse, or join
solicitous
concerned and attentive; eager
solvent
able to meet financial obligations; able to dissolve another substance
sophistry
fallacious reasoning; faulty logic
sophomoric
self-assured though immature; affected; bombastic; lacking maturity
specious
seeming true, but actually being fallacious; misleadingly attractive
splenetic
bad-tempered; irritable
spurious
lacking authenticity or validity; false; counterfeit
stanch
to stop the flow of a fluid
stentorian
extremely loud and powerful
stint
to restrain; to be sparing or frugal
stolid
phlegmatic; impassive
striated
striped; grooved; banded
strut
the supporting structural cross-part of a wing
stupefy
make (someone) unable to think or feel properly
stygian
gloomy; dark
succor
assistance; relief in time of distress
sundry
various; miscellaneous; separate
supercilious
behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others; haughty; disdainful
superficial
lacking depth; existing on or near the surface
supine
failing to act or protest as a result of moral weakness or indolence; OR lying face-up
surfeit
a surplus
table
to remove (as a parliamentary motion) from consideration
tacit
implied; not explicitly stated
taciturn
not talkative; reserved; uncommunicative
tact
discerning and sensitive use of speech; diplomacy
tangential
touching only briefly upon the topic at hand; irrelevant
tautology
a repetition; a redundancy
tawdry
cheap; gaudy; showy; tacky; meretricious
temerity
audacity; effrontery; presumption
temper
to moderate or soothe
tendentious
biased; showing marked tendencies
tender
to proffer or offer; to give
torpor
lethargic
tortuous
winding; twisting; excessively complicated
truculent
eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant
tumid
swollen OR bombastic
turbid
roiled; muddy; clouded to the point of being opaque
turgid
swollen and distended or congested
turpitude
depravity; prurience
tyro
novice; greenhorn; rank amateur
umbrage
chagrin
undulate
to move in wavelike fashion; to fluctuate
unfettered
not tied down; unrestrained
untoward
unexpected and inappropriate or inconvenient
upbraid
to scold; to censure; to rebuke; to chastise
urbane
courteous and refined in manner
vacillation
waffle
valiant
possessing or showing courage or determination
vapid
insipid
variegation
make more diverse
vaunt
to brag or boast
venal
capable of being bought or bribed; mercenary; purchasable
veracity
truthfulness; honesty
verisimilitude
appearance of truth or reality
veritable
authentic; honest-to-goodness
vestige
a remnant; a trace
vigor
active bodily or mental strength or energy; force
vindicate
clear (someone) of blame or suspicion
virago
a loud, domineering woman; a scold or nag
viscous
thick; sticky
vital
essential for or relating to life; necessary
vitality
vigor; ability to live or grow; energy
vitiate
to pervert; to debase; to spoil; to make ineffective
vitriol
bitter criticism or malice
volubility
the quality of talking fluently, readily, or incessantly; talkativeness
voracious
insatiable
wag
wit; joker
wan
pale; weak; without luster
waver
to move to and fro; to sway; to be unsettled in decision
wayfaring
(of a person) traveling on foot
welter
move in a turbulent fashion
wend
to go; to proceed; to walk
writhe
make continual twisting, squirming movements or contortions of the body
wry
dry humor; sardonic
lambaste
to censure; to excoriate; to berate
insolent
showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect
epoch
era
conflagration
fire
pernicious
deleterious
depravity
corruption
pulchritude
beauty
indigence
penury
complacent, complacency
smugness
precocious, precocity
(of a child) having developed skills or abilities earlier than expected
prepossessing
attractive
pedestrian
ordinary
odium
disgust
maladroit
inept
choleric
bad-tempered
physiognomy
facial features
caustic
corrosive; sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way
cavil
make petty or unnecessary objections
celerity
moving swiftly
circumscribe
put limits on something
coeval
existing at the same time
vituperate, vituperative
bitter
pecuniary
financial
summation
adding things up
recompense
conpensation
drivel
nonsense
scourge
whip OR something that causes affliction
relish
enjoy
ramrod
a manager with strict discipline
austere
severe or strict
repressive
oppressive
intone; intoned
say or recite with little rise and fall of the pitch of the voice
bromide
a trite statement that is intended to soothe or placate
elfin
looking like an elf
interregnum
a period when normal government is suspended, especially between successive reigns or regimes
convalescence
recuperation
epistemic
relating to knowledge
impecunious
poor
prejudicially
detrimental
abate
become less intense
explicate; explicated
explain
ubiquitous
found everywhere
galvanize
shock someone into taking action
propitiate
win favor of