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100 Words Flashcards

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1
Q

Profusion

A

An abundance or large quantity of something.

A rich profusion of flowers.

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2
Q

Sumptuous

A

Splendid and expensive looking.

The banquet was a sumptuous, luxurious meal.

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3
Q

Resplendent

A

Attractive and impressive through being richly colourful or sumptuous.

The resplendent Christmas tree.

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4
Q

Wanton

A

Deliberate or unprovoked.

Sheer wanton vandalism.

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5
Q

Incipient

A

Beginning to happen or develop.

He could feel incipient anger building up.

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6
Q

Consternation

A

A feeling of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected.

To her consternation her car wouldn’t start.

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7
Q

Convivial

A

Friendly, lively and enjoyable.

A convivial cocktail party.

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8
Q

Abhor

A

Regard with disgust or hatred.

He abhorred sexism in every form.

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9
Q

Primordial / primeval

A

Existing at or from the beginning of time.

The primordial oceans.

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10
Q

Prolific

A

Producing man works.

He was a prolific composer of operas.

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11
Q

Trope

A

A figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression

Both clothes and illness became tropes for new attitudes toward the self.

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12
Q

Scupper

A

Prevent from working or succeeding; thwart.

Plans for a bypass were scuppered by a public inquiry.

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13
Q

Moue

A

A pouting expression used to convey annoyance or dismay.

She made a moue of disappointment.

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14
Q

Licentious

A

Promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters.

The ruler’s tyrannical and licentious behaviour.

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15
Q

Profligate

A

Reckless / wasteful use of resources.

Profligate consumers of energy.

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16
Q

Inert

A

Lacking the ability or strength to move.

She lay inert in her bed.

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17
Q

Quiescent

A

In a state or period of inactivity or dormancy.

The strikes were led by workers who were previously quiescent.

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18
Q

Malady

A

A disease or ailment.

An incurable malady.

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19
Q

Prodigious

A

Remarkably or impressively great in extent, size or degree.

The stove consumed a prodigious amount of fuel.

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20
Q

Disseminate

A

Spread (something, especially information) widely.

Health authorities should foster good practice by disseminating information.

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21
Q

Onerous

A

Involving a great deal of effort, trouble or difficulty.

He found his duties increasingly onerous.

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22
Q

Commensurate

A

Corresponding in size or degree; in proportion.

Salary will be commensurate with age and experience.

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23
Q

Conjecture

A

An opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information.

Conjectures about the newcomer were man and varied.

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24
Q

Deciduous

A

Shedding its leaves annually.

Sun-loving deciduous trees like aspen.

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25
Assiduous
Showing great care and perseverance; diligent. She was assiduous in pointing out every feature.
26
Fauna
The animals of a particular region, habitat, or geological period. The flora and fauna of Siberia.
27
Amorous
Showing, feeling, or relating to sexual desire. She rejected his amorous advances.
28
Concubine
A woman who lives with a man but has lower status than his wife or wives.
29
Salient
Most notable or important. It succinctly covered all the salient points of the case.
30
Macabre
Gruesome and horrifying. And if these meetings had their macabre side, I hope it was hidden at least from my guests.
31
Dominion
Sovereignty or control. Man's attempt to establish dominion over nature.
32
Credulous
Having or showing too great a readiness to believe things; gullible. A ceremony staged for credulous tourists.
33
Appellation
A name or title. The city fully justifies its appellation, 'the Pearl of the Orient'.
34
Esoteric
Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialised knowledge or interest. Esoteric philosophical debates.
35
Arcane
Understood by few; mysterious or secret. Arcane procedures for electing people.
36
Addled
Unable to think clearly; confused. This might just be my addled brain playing tricks.
37
Ambivalent
Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone. Some loved her, some hatred her, few were ambivalent about her.
38
Impetuous
Acting or done quickly and without thought or care. She might live to rue this impetuous decision.
39
Preclude
Prevent from happening; make impossible. The secret nature of his work precluded official recognition.
40
Blithe
Showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper. A blithe disregard for the rules of the road.
41
Serendipity
The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. A fortunate stroke of serendipity.
42
Unrequited
Not returned
43
Insidious
Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects. Sexual harassment is a serious and insidious problem.
44
Eminence
Fame or acknowledged superiority within a particular sphere. Her eminence in cinematography.
45
Riposte
A quick, clever reply to an insult or criticism. His riposte thwarted any further criticism.
46
Impertinence
Lack of respect; rudeness. They gasped at the impertinence of the suggestion.
47
Explicit
Stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for conclusion or doubt. He gave explicit instructions to wait for his return.
48
Posthumous
Occurring, awarded, or appearing after the death of the originator. He was awarded a posthumous Military Cross.
49
Auspicious
Conducive to success; favourable. It was not the most auspicious moment to hold an election
50
Edification
The moral or intellectual instruction or improvement of someone. A video was filmed for the edification of clients.
51
Ineluctable
Unable to be resisted or avoided; inescapable. The ineluctable facts of history.
52
Ostensible
Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so. The real dispute which lay behind the ostensible complaint.
53
Subsidiary
Less important than but related or supplementary to something. A subsidiary flue of the main chimney.
54
Diffident
Modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence. A diffident youth.
55
Disingenuous
Not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does.
56
Fortuitous
Happening by chance rather than intention. The similarity between the paintings may not be simply fortuitous.
57
Posterity
All future generations of people. The victims' names are recorded for posterity.
58
Perennial
Lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring. His perennial distrust of the media.
59
Vindicate
Clear of blame or suspicion. Hospital staff were vindicated by the inquest verdict.
60
Fidelity
Faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support. His fidelity to liberal ideals.
61
Gratuitous
Done without good reason; uncalled for. Gratuitous violence.
62
Veracity
Conformity to facts; accuracy. Officials expressed doubts concerning the veracity of the story.
63
Vacillating
Waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive. I vacillated between teaching and journalism.
64
Interminable
Endless or apparently endless. We got bogged down in interminable discussions.
65
Precipitate
Cause to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely. The incident precipitated a political crisis.
66
Epoch
A particular period of time in history or a person's life. The Victorian epoch.
67
Abeyance
A state of temporary disuse or suspension. Matters were held in abeyance pending further enquiries.
68
Exorbitant
Unreasonably high (of a price or amount charged). Some hotels charge exorbitant rates for phone calls.
69
Amenable
Open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled. Parents who have amenable children.
70
Wistful
Having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing. A wistful smile.
71
Scant
Barely sufficient or adequate. Companies with scant regard for the safety of future generations.
72
Dither
Be indecisive. I can't bear people who dither.
73
Omnipotent
Having unlimited power (of a deity). God is described as omnipotent and benevolent.
74
Intrepid
Fearless; adventurous (often used for rhetorical or humorous effect).
75
Akimbo
With hands on the hips and elbows turned outwards. She stood with arms akimbo, frowning at the small boy.
76
Elucidate
Make (something) clear; explain. Work such as theirs will help to elucidate this matter.
77
Affluent
Having a great deal of money; wealthy. The affluent societies of the western world.
78
Umbrage
Offence or annoyance. She took umbrage at his remarks.
79
Deign
Do something that one considers to be beneath one's dignity. She did not deign to answer the maid's question.
80
Acrimonious
Angry and bitter. An acrimonious dispute about wages.
81
Sibilant
Making or characterised by a hissing sound. His sibilant whisper.
82
Mercurial
Subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mind or mood. His mercurial temperament.
83
Trite
Lacking originality or freshness; dull on account of overuse. This point may now seem obvious and trite.
84
Hyperbole
Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. He vowed revenge with oaths and hyperboles.
85
Subversive
Seeking or intended to subvert an established system or institution. Subversive literature.
86
Facile
Ignoring the true complexities of an issue; superficial. Facile generalisations.
87
Mantra
A word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation. A mantra is given to a trainee meditator when his teacher initiates him.
88
Inexorable
Impossible to stop or prevent. The seemingly inexorable march of new technology.
89
Nefarious
Wicked or criminal. The nefarious activities of the organised-crime syndicates.
90
Forlorn
Pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely. Forlorn figures at bus stops.
91
Torpid
Mentally or physically inactive; lethargic. We sat around in a torpid state.
92
Sinecure
A position requiring little or no work but giving the holder status or financial benefit. Political sinecures for the supporters of ministers.
93
Vivacious
Attractively lively and animated. Her vivacious and elegant mother.
94
Axiom
A statement or proposition which is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true. The axiom that sport builds character.
95
Equanimity
Calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation. She accepted both the good and the bad with equanimity.
96
Aphorism
A concise statement of a principle. The aphorism 'the child is father to the man'.
97
Ensconced
Establish or settle in a comfortable, safe place. Agnes ensconced herself in their bedroom.
98
Ebullience
The quality of being cheerful and full of energy; exuberance. The ebullience of happy children.
99
Dolorous
Feeling or expressing great sorrow or distress. A dolorous and repetitive tale of atrocity.
100
Querulous
Complaining in a rather petulant or whining manner. She became querulous and demanding.

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