250 Most Common Flashcards
(249 cards)
1
Q
abdicate
A
to give up, to yield, to relinquish
2
Q
aberration
A
an abnormality or deviation
3
Q
abstruse (ab stroos)
A
hard to understand
4
Q
adage
A
a familiar saying
5
Q
adamant
A
stubborn, unyielding, obstinate
6
Q
aesthetic
A
pertaining to beauty
7
Q
affable
A
friendly, agreeable
8
Q
alleviate
A
to lessen or relieve
9
Q
ambiguous
A
unclear, having one or more interpretations
10
Q
ambivalent (am bih vuh lent)
A
having conflicting or mixed feelings
11
Q
amenable
A
agreeable
12
Q
amiable
A
friendly, pleasant, kind
13
Q
ample
A
roomy, abundant, more than enough
14
Q
annihilate
A
totally destroy
15
Q
apt
A
inclined, able
16
Q
arbiter
A
judge, decision maker
17
Q
archaic
A
outdated, old-fashioned, ancient
18
Q
arduous
A
difficult, strenuous, straining, challenging
19
Q
arid
A
dry
20
Q
assiduous
A
dilligent, careful, meticulous, thorough
21
Q
asylum
A
a safe place or refuge
22
Q
auspicious
A
favorable
23
Q
austere
A
severe, stern, self-disciplined
24
Q
benevolent
A
generous, kind
25
benign
harmless, gentle
26
biased
partial, preferential
27
brittle
fragile, likely to crack or break
28
brusque
abrupt in manner, blunt, rough
29
burgeoning
growing rapidly, flourishing
30
camaraderie
loyalty, friendliness, teamwork, mutual trust
31
candor
honesty, openness, frankness
32
cantankerous
ill-tempered, quarrelsome, grouchy
33
capacious
having a large capacity, spacious, roomy
34
capricious
erratic, impulsive, sudden changes in behavior/mood
35
catalog
a list or inventory
36
caustic
corrosive, acidic
| sarcastic, bitter
37
charlatan (shar lih ten)
a person falsely claiming to have a talent, a fraud
38
clandestine
secretive, private, covert
39
clarity
clearness, coherence
40
cogent
convincing, persuasive in a logical way
41
cohesive
sticking together
42
compelling
forceful, evoking attention and understanding
43
conflagration
a large and destructive fire, inferno, blaze
44
conscientious
attentive, dedicated, concerned, doing what is right
45
contemptuous
scornful, bitter, insulting
46
convoluted
twisted, complex, confusing
47
copious
plentiful, abundant
48
cordial
courteous, respectful, friendly
49
coup (koo)
a sudden and swift attack, a sudden transfer of power
50
curtailed
cut short
51
debunk
disprove, quash
52
decorous
tasteful, respectful, proper, refined
53
deleterious
harmful, malignant, damaging
54
despotic
tyrannical, totalitarian
55
dictatorial
despotic, undemocratic, autocratic
56
didactic
instructive, educational, inclined to teach
57
dilatory (dil uh toor ee)
sluggish, slow, late in doing things
58
dilettante (dih lih tahnt)
a dabbler in the arts, one with an amateur interest and superficial knowledge
59
diligent
hard working, industrious, assiduous
60
disdain
to scorn, insult
61
disingenuous
untruthful, ingenuous, dishonest
62
disparage
to belittle, put down, deface
63
dogged
persistent, tenacious
64
dogmatic
inclined to lay down opinions as undoubtedly true, opinionated, assertive
65
dubious
doubtful, questionable, uncertain
66
ebullience (ih bool yens)
enthusiasm, energy
67
eclectic
choosing from various sources, wide-ranging, comprehensive
68
effusive
unrestrained, enthusiastic, gushing
69
egregious
remarkably bad, outrageous
70
embellish
decorate, exaggerate (embellish the truth)
71
emollient (ih mul yent)
soothing, softening
72
emphatic
forceful, firm, vehement, giving something emphasis
73
emulate
to model after, imitate
74
enervate
to weaken, exhaust, tire out
75
enmity
hostility, hatred, bitterness
76
ephemeral (eh fem ur al)
temporary, short-lived, transient, fleeting
77
epiphany
a revelation, an appearance of a deity or god
78
equanimity (eh kwun im uh tee)
calmness, tranquility
79
exculpate
to free from blame, declare innocent, vindicate
80
exemplary
worthy of imitation, worthy of being modeled after
81
fabricated
made up, false
82
facetious
joking, sarcastic, frivolous
83
facile
easy, effortless, simple, shallow
84
farce
a mockery or joke, a ridiculous show or comedy
85
fastidious
hard to please, attentive to detail, perfectionist
86
feasible
capable of being accomplished, doable
87
feral
untamed, wild, animalistic, savage
88
florid
having a red or ruddy face
| flowery, ornate, lavish, flamboyant
89
fractious
irritable, quarrelsome, stubborn
90
frank
forthright, open, honest
91
frenetic
frantic, wild, hectic
92
furtive
stealthy, secretive, clandestine
93
futile
useless, hopeless, vain
94
garrulous
excessively talkative (usually on trivial matters), babbling
95
genre
a class or category of media (music, books, movies, etc.)
96
glower
to frown, stare angrily at, glare
97
gratuitous
given or done free of charge
| unnecessary, uncalled for
98
gregarious
sociable, friendly, outgoing, talkative
99
hackneyed
overused, unoriginal, cheesy
100
harbinger (har bin jur)
an omen or sign
101
haughty
arrogant, snobbish, aloof
102
heinous (hay nus)
wicked, evil, hateful, abominable (esp. an act or crime)
103
heresy
dissent from accepted orthodoxy (usually Christian)
104
idyllic
charmingly simple, poetic, peaceful
105
immutable
unchangeable, permanent
106
impede
to hinder, obstruct, prevent progress
107
impenetrable
incapable of being passed through or into, unyielding
108
imperious
domineering, haughty
| assuming power or authority without justification
109
impetuous
acting without thought, impulsive
110
impinge (im pinj)
to encroach
to strike (esp. in Physics)
to have an effect upon
111
implacable
unbending, inflexible
| merciless, relentless
112
impromptu
without preparation, offhand
113
inconsequential
unimportant
114
incontrovertible
certain, undeniable, indisputable
115
incorrigible (in cuh rih juh bul)
unable to be corrected or fixed, permanent
116
incumbent
resting or lying down
necessary for a duty
currently holding office
117
indigenous
native to a particular area
118
indolent
lazy, idle
119
ingrate
an ungrateful person
120
innate
existing from birth, natural, inherent
121
innocuous (in na kyoo us)
harmless, innocent
122
insightful
having a deep understanding
| mentally alert and sharp
123
insolvent
bankrupt, unable to pay creditors
124
insipid
tasteless, dull
125
intrepid
fearless, brave, courageous
126
intuitive
instinctive, knowing by a hidden sense
127
inveterate (in vee tur et)
firmly established, deep-rooted
128
itinerant
traveling from place to place
129
jurisprudence
the theory, philosophy, and science of law
130
laconic (luh conic)
using few words, concise, brief
131
lament (luh ment)
to mourn, express grief or sorrow
132
lampoon
a sharp, sometimes harmful satire
133
laudatory
complementary, flattering, praising
134
liquid
fluid, free-runnning, pure, clean
135
listless
feeling no interest in anything, indifferent
136
lucid
expressed clearly, easy to understand
137
malevolent
showing ill will or hatred, dangerous, harmful
138
malfeasance (mal fee zinse)
a wrongdoing, esp. by a public official
139
malice
spite, malevolence, ill will
140
maverick
a rebel, nonconformist, individualist
141
medley
a mixture
142
mercurial
volatile, erratic, unpredictable
143
meticulous
excessively careful, finicky
144
milk (verb)
to draw something from, to take advantage of
145
mitigate
to make less severe, alleviate, lessen
146
mollify
to calm, pacify, appease
147
morose
gloomy, ill-humored, sullen, surly
148
mundane
ordinary, dull, humdrum, tedious
149
mural
a painting depicted directly on a wall
150
naïve
simple, unsophisticated, gullible
151
nascent (nah sint)
budding, developing, growing, coming into being
152
nocturnal
pertaining to the night
153
notorious
having a bad reputation, infamous
154
novel
new, original
155
novice
a beginner, rookie
156
obdurate (ahb dyur et)
stubborn, hard-headed, obstinate
157
obscure
dim, not clear, not easily understood
158
obsolete
outdated, ancient
159
obstinate
stubborn
160
ominous
threatening, intimidating, indicating evil or harm
161
omnipotent
having unlimited power, supreme
162
opulent
rich, lavish, luxurious
163
ornate
showy, highly decorative, elaborate, flamboyant
164
ostentatious
showing off, boastful, gaudy, pretentious
165
pander
to indulge the wants and weaknesses of others
166
paramount
of greatest importance, chief, supreme
167
parochial (puh roa ki uhl)
local, narrow, limited, provincial
| of or relating to a parish
168
parody
a work that imitates others in a ridiculous manner
169
parsimonious
stingy, cheap, niggardly
170
patronizing
talking down to someone
171
paucity
a scarcity or shortage, a lack
172
penitent
expressing sorrow for a sin or wrongdoing
173
pejorative (pih jar uh tiv)
expressing contempt or disapproval, insulting
174
permeate
to spread throughout
175
pervasive
widespread, extensive, ubiquitous
176
plagiarism
the claiming of another's work as one's own, copying
177
plausible
seeming reasonable or probable, feasible, credible
178
poignant
emotional, touching, moving
179
ponderous
heavy, clumsy, awkward
180
portend
be a sign that something will happen, foreshadow
181
pragmatic
practical, sensible, logical
182
pristine
uncorrupted, pure, in its original state
183
prodigious
enormous, vast
184
prophetic
predicting
185
propriety
the state of conforming to accepted standards of behavior, decency, appropriateness
186
prosaic (pro zay ik)
dull, commonplace, unimaginative
187
prudent
cautious, careful, wise
188
pugnacious
eager to fight, quarrelsome, belligerent
189
punctilious
very exact, precise, meticulous, diligent
190
purist
one who can only deal with traditional standards, perfectionist
191
quandary
a puzzling situation, dilemma, predicament
192
rancorous
bitter, resentful, spiteful
193
rapport (ra poor)
a close friendship or harmony
194
recalcitrant
disobedient, hard to manage
195
reclamation
the act of restoring or recovering
196
remote
far-off, distant
197
replete
filled, satiated
198
repugnant
distasteful, disgusting, abhorrent, unacceptable
199
reticent (ret uh sent)
silent or reserved in manner
200
ruse (roos)
a skillful trick or deception
201
salutary
healthful, wholesome, beneficial, advantageous
202
sanction
a penalty or punishment for breaking a law
| to authorize, give permission
203
sanguine (sang win)
cheerful, optimistic
204
sedentary
sitting most of the time
205
serene
calm, peaceful, tranquil
206
slander
the act of making a false statement against someone
| to make a false statement against someone
207
solvent
a substance that dissolves another
| having the ability to pay a debt
208
sonorous
producing a deep, rich sound
209
soporific
causing sleep
210
specious (sped shus)
not genuine, pleasing to the eye but deceptive, misleading
211
spurious
deceitful, counterfeit, fake
212
squalor
filth, dirt, grime
213
staid
sedate, unadventurous
214
stoic
showing no emotion, indifferent to pain or pleasure
215
stratagem
a plan, scheme, trick
216
stupor
daze, state of unconsciousness
217
stymied
to prevent or hinder the progress of, block, impede
218
substantiate
to prove, confirm, support
219
superfluous
unnecessary, redundant, excessive
220
suppressed
to keep from public knowledge
| to put down by authority
221
surreptitious
acting in a sneaky way, stealthy, clandestine
222
tacit
implicit, understood, conveyed or indicated without words
223
temperate
moderate, not extreme, mild
224
tenacity
persistence, holding on, perseverance
225
tenet
a doctrine, belief, principle
226
tenuous
slender, flimsy, without substance
227
terse
brieft, curt, to the point
228
thwart
to prevent or hinder
229
timorous
fearful, cowardly, intimidated
230
torpor (tor pur)
laziness, lethargy
231
toxic
poisonous, harmful
232
transitory
not permanent, brief, transient
233
trenchant
keen, incisive, sharp, penetrating
234
trepidation
fear, alarm, wariness
235
trite
commonplace, worn out, overused
236
truncate
to shorten or cut off
237
unfettered
unconstrained, unrestricted, free
238
unpalatable
not desirable, unappetizing
239
urbane
refined, suave
240
usurp
to seize illegally, to take over
241
vacuous
mindless, empty-headed, unintelligent
242
vilify
to defame, disparage
243
vindicated
acquitted, cleared of blame
244
wane
to gradually decrease in size or intensity
245
wary
cautious, watchful
246
whimsical
fanciful, quaint in an appealing way
247
wily
tricky or sly
248
wry
mocking, satirical (a wry grin)
249
zealous
devoted, diligent, passionate, fervent
