Advanced Vocab Words - Set 9 Flashcards
Learn to understand and effectively use 100 advanced vocabulary words. Improve your test scores, or simply be more articulate in your daily life. Each word is used in context in a sample sentence and includes synonyms and a pronunciation guide.
Define
mendacious
(men-dey-shuhs)
adj. dishonest
Phyllis is mendacious yet entertaining; she is fun to talk to at a party, but I wouldn’t believe a word she says.
Define
consequential
(kon-suh-kwen-shuhl)
adj. important
adj. pompous, self-important
I am not prepared to accept such consequential airs from a journalist 20 years my junior.
Define
tremulous
(trem-yuh-luhs)
adj. trembling, timid, fearful
He signed the contract with a tremulous hand.
Define
mendicant
(men-dih-kuhnt)
n. a beggar, a supplicant
There was a large number of _mendicant_s stalking the street.
Define
egress
(n. ee-grehss; v. ih-grehss)
n. exit
v. to exit
It was thought that the prisoner, seeking egress from his cell before the spreading fire consumed it, had managed to slip out between the warping floorboards.
Define
preternatural
(pree-ter-nach-er-uhl)
adj. beyond what is normal or natural
Occasionally, people with mental illnesses also exhibit preternatural abilities in mathematics or memorization.
Define
fulminate
(fuhl-muh-neyt)
v. to verbally attack
v. to explode
The crotchety old fool _fulminate_d about every sort of modern improvement while we listened, too stunned to interrupt him.
Define
gull
(guhl)
v. to fool or deceive
They _gull_ed Akiko so well that she walked right into her own surprise party without suspecting a thing.
Define
rebus
(ree-buhss)
n. a riddle in which words are represented by pictures
Pictures of bees and eyes are commonly used in a rebus to symbolize the words “be” and “I”.
Define
pedestrian
(puh-dess-tree-uhn)
adj. commonplace, trite, unremarkable
Timothy’s dissertation was lengthy but pedestrian.
Define
distrait
(diss-trey)
adj. distracted as a result of anxiety
The distrait teacher kept pausing mid-sentence to look out the window.
Define
nefarious
(nih-fair-ee-uhs)
adj. vicious, evil
The nefarious conspirators left nothing in the poor woman’s house.
Define
factious
(fak-shuhss)
adj. inclined to make arguments, divisive, contentious
Many networks purposely select factious personalities to appear in their reality T.V. shows in the hopes that their bickering will attract viewers.
Define
ignoble
(ig-noh-buhl)
adj. dishonorable, disgraceful
The ignoble act of profiteering at someone else’s expense is not to be condoned.
Define
epithet
(epp-ih-thet)
n. a characterizing phrase
n. a disparaging word or phrase
Ivan the Terrible’s name was one epithet I do not envy.
Define
anodyne
(ann-uh-dahyn)
adj. pain-relieving, soothing; bland
n. a distress-reliever
She tried to keep the conversation as anodyne as possible
Define
jejune
(djih-djoon)
adj. uninteresting, dull
adj. immature
adj. lacking in nutrition
It may be said that her verse is jejune, but I happen to find a sage sensibility in her later poems.
Define
conciliatory
(kuhn-sill-ee-uh-tawr-ee)
adj. agreeable; overcoming distrust or hostility
Karen’s conciliatory attitude helped her to move up in the business.
Define
diaspora
(dahy-ass-per-uh)
n. a dispersion of people from their homeland (esp. Jews)
n. a community of dispersed people
The African diaspora throughout the world has settled into certain traditions, some of which are not actually African in origin.
Define
welter
(well-ter)
v. to writhe, toss about; to be in turmoil
The lake _welter_ed in the storm, tossing the boat all over.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. dishonest
mendacious
(men-dey-shuhs)
synonyms: deceptive, false
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. important
adj. pompous, self-important
consequential
(kon-suh-kwen-shuhl)
synonyms: significant, considerable; egotistic
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. trembling, timid, fearful
tremulous
(trem-yuh-luhs)
synonyms: quivering, cowardly, nervous
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a beggar, a supplicant
mendicant
(men-dih-kuhnt)
synonyms: panhandler, pauper
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. exit
v. to exit
egress
(n. ee-grehss; v. ih-grehss)
synonyms: departure, escape, withdrawal
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. beyond what is normal or natural
preternatural
(pree-ter-nach-er-uhl)
synonyms: anomalous, irregular, bizarre
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to verbally attack
v. to explode
fulminate
(fuhl-muh-neyt)
synonyms: berate, condemn; blast, blow up
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to fool or deceive
gull
(guhl)
synonyms: mislead, hoodwink, dupe
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a riddle in which words are represented by pictures
rebus
(ree-buhss)
synonyms: puzzle, enigma
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. commonplace, trite, unremarkable
pedestrian
(puh-dess-tree-uhn)
synonyms: everyday, dull, uninteresting
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. distracted as a result of anxiety
distrait
(diss-trey)
synonyms: preoccupied, engrossed, scatterbrained
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. vicious, evil
nefarious
(nih-fair-ee-uhs)
synonyms: atrocious, malevolent
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. inclined to make arguments, divisive, contentious
factious
(fak-shuhss)
synonyms: conflicting, warring, belligerent
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. dishonorable, disgraceful
ignoble
(ig-noh-buhl)
synonyms: corrupt, lewd, petty
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a characterizing phrase
n. a disparaging word or phrase
epithet
(epp-uh-thet)
synonyms: nickname, title, designation
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. pain-relieving, soothing; bland
n. a distress reliever
anodyne
(ann-uh-dahyn)
synonyms: curative, dull, toothless
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. uninteresting, dull
adj. immature
adj. lacking in nutrition
jejune
(dji-djoon)
synonyms: empty, banal, childlike
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. agreeable; overcoming distrust or hostility
conciliatory
(kuhn-sill-ee-uh-tawr-ee)
synonyms: appeasing, pacifying
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a dispersion of people from their homeland (esp. Jews)
n. a community of dispersed people
diaspora
(dahy-ass-per-uh)
synonyms: dispersion, exodus