34-39 Flashcards
(205 cards)
1
Q
overwrought
A
nervous or excited
2
Q
pachyderm
A
thick-skinned animal
3
Q
paen
A
song of praise or joy
4
Q
palatial
A
magnificent; suitable for a palace
5
Q
palimpsest
A
something that has changed over time and shows evidence of that change
6
Q
pall
A
become boring; grow tiresome
7
Q
paltry
A
insignificant
8
Q
pan
A
criticize harshly
9
Q
panache
A
flair
10
Q
pander
A
cater to
11
Q
panegyric
A
formal praise
12
Q
encomium
A
glowing and warmly enthusiastic praise
13
Q
parable
A
short simple story teaching a moral
14
Q
paradigm
A
a model or pattern for something that may be copied
15
Q
paragon
A
model of perfection
16
Q
paramour
A
illicit lover
17
Q
inamorata
A
woman whom a man loves
18
Q
parlance
A
language; manner of speaking
19
Q
parley
A
conference
20
Q
takeoff
A
burlesque
21
Q
paroxysm
A
sudden, violent outburst
22
Q
parquet
A
a surface (such as a floor) made of small pieces of wood that fit together to form a pattern
23
Q
parry
A
ward off a blow
24
Q
parsimony
A
stinginess
25
partisan
one-sided; prejudiced
26
parvenu
newly wealthy
27
pastiche
something that imitates the style of someone or something else
28
patent
obvious; easily seen
29
patina
a superficial covering or exterior
30
patois
local or provincial dialect
31
patrician
noble; aristocratic
32
peccadillo
slight offence or fault
33
pecuniary
pertaining to money
34
peerless
having no equal; incomparable
35
pejorative
belittling
36
pell-mell
in confusion; disorderly
37
pellucid
transparent; clear in meaning
38
penance
self-imposed punishment for sin
39
penumbra
partial shadow
40
penury
extreme poverty; stinginess
41
perdition
damnation; complete ruin
42
peregrination
journey
43
perfidious
treacherous
44
perfunctory
done routinely without care
45
perigee
the point nearest a planet or a satellite (as the moon) reached by an object orbiting it
46
peripatetic
going from place to place usually as part of your job
47
pernicious
very harmful; deadly
48
peroration
conclusion of an oration
49
perquisite
perk
50
personable
attractive
51
perspicacious
having insight
52
perspicuous
plainly expressed
53
pert
impertinent
54
pertinacious
stubborn; persistent
55
pervasive
spread throughout
56
pestilential
causing plague; baneful
57
petulant
peevish; ill-tempered
58
phalanx
a large group of people, animals, or things often placed close together
59
pharisaical
marked by hypocritical censorious self-righteousness
60
philistine
narrow-minded person
61
phlegmatic
calm and unexcitable
62
physiognomy
the appearance of a person's face
63
piebald
multi-colored
64
piecemeal
gradually; in stages
65
pied
multicolored
66
pillory
subject to criticism and ridicule
67
pinion
restrain or immobilize by binding wings or legs
68
pique
irritation; resentment from wounded pride
69
pith
core or marrow; essence
70
pittance
small amount (of money)
71
plaintive
expressing sorrow; mournful
72
plasticity
ability to be molded
73
platitude
trite remark; commonplace statement
74
plaudit
praise
75
plebiscite
direct vote by the entire electorate
76
plenary
complete; full
77
plenitude
abundance
78
plight
difficult condition
79
pluck
courage
80
plumb (v)
to examine (something) in a careful and complete way in order to understand it
81
plumb (adj)
exactly vertical
82
poignancy
quality of being deeply moving
83
polemic
arrack or defense of an opinion
84
polemical
aggressive in verbal attack
85
politic
prudent; judicious
86
polyglot
speaking several languages
87
ponderous
having great weight; dull
88
pontifical
pompous or pretentious
89
pore
ponder; scrutinize
90
interstice
narrow space between things
91
postulate (v)
to assume or claim as true, existent, or necessary
92
postulate (n)
a statement that is accepted as being true and that is used as the basis of a theory, argument, etc
93
potentate
monarch; sovereign
94
poultice
a soft, usually heated substance that is spread on cloth and then placed on the skin to heal a sore or reduce pain
95
pragmatic
practical
96
prate
talk long and idly
97
prattle
babble; talk idly
98
preamble
introductory statement
99
precarious
unsafe; risky
100
precept
practical rule guiding conduct
101
precocious
advanced in development
102
predilection
preference; partiality
103
predispose
give an inclination toward; make susceptible to
104
preen
make oneself tidy in appearance
105
prefatory
introductory
106
prehensile
gifted with mental grasp or moral or aesthetic perception
107
prelate
church dignitary
108
preponderance
superiority of power, quantity
109
prerogative
privilege; unquestionable right
110
presage
foretell; be a warning or sign of
111
presentiment
premonition
112
presumptuous
going beyond what is right; arrogant
113
presume
take for granted; act overconfidently
114
preternatural
beyond what is normal in nature; supernatural
115
prevaricate
lie; hide the truth
116
primogeniture
being the first born child
117
probity
honesty
118
defalcate
embezzle
119
proclivity
inclination; natural tendency
120
procurement
obtaining
121
prodigal
wasteful
122
prodigious
enormous; marvelous
123
profligate
wasteful; dissipated
124
profusion
great amount
125
prognosticate
predict
126
proletarian
member of the working class
127
prolixity
tedious wordiness; verbosity
128
promontory
a high area of land or rock that sticks out into the sea
129
promulgate
announce; proclaim a doctrine or law
130
propensity
natural inclination
131
propinquity
nearness
132
propitiate
appease; conciliate
133
propitious
favorable; auspicious
134
propound
put forth for consideration or analysis; set forth
135
prosaic
lacking in imagination
136
proscenium
part of stage in front of curtain
137
proscribe
prohibit
138
proselytize
convert to a religion or belief
139
prosody
art of versification
140
prostrate
stretch out full on ground; completely overcome and lacking vitality, will, or power
141
protean
versatile
142
protract
prolong
143
proturberance
protrusion
144
provender
fodder; dry food for livestock
145
providence
being provident; divine care
146
provisional
tentative; temporary
147
proviso
an article or clause that introduces a condition
148
prowess
extraordinary ability
149
prurient
having or causing lustful desires and thoughts
150
psychosomatic
of the influence of the mind on the body
151
puerile
childish; immature
152
pugilist
boxer
153
pugnacity
combativeness
154
pulchritude
beauty
155
punctilious
minutely attentive
156
pundit
authority on a subject
157
punitive
punishing
158
purport
intention; purpose
159
rabble
mob; noisy crowd
160
purveyor
caterer
161
pusillanimous
cowardly
162
putative
supposed
163
putrid
decayed and foul-smelling
164
quack
charlatan
165
quaff
drink with zest
166
quagmire
predicament
167
quail
cower
168
quandary
dilemma; state of uncertainty
169
quash
crush; subdue
170
squelch
produce a splashing sound
171
querulous
given to complaining
172
quibble
minor objection or complaint
173
quiescent
dormant; inactive
174
quintessence
purest and highest embodiment; most essential element
175
quip
taunt; clever sarcastic remark
176
quisling
traitor who aids invaders
177
quorum
minimal number of members necessary to conduct a meeting
178
ragamuffin
dirty child in torn clothes
179
rail
complain bitterly; scold
180
raiment
clothing; garments
181
rakish
jaunty; stylish
182
rake
angle of a slope; immoral or dissolute person
183
ramify
branch out; divide into branches or subdivisions
184
rampant
growing or spreading uncontrollably
185
rampart
defensive mound of earth
186
ramshackle
poorly constructed; rickety
187
rancor
bitterness
188
rankle
irritate; festor
189
rapacious
ravenous; voracious
190
rapt
engrossed; absorbed
191
ratify
approve formally; confirm
192
ratiocination
reasoning
193
ravel
unravel
194
raze
destroy completely
195
reactionary
strongly opposed to social or political change
196
rebus
representation of words in the form of pictures or symbols
197
recant
disclaim or disavow; retract (statement)
198
recast
reconstruct
199
recidivism
habitual return to crime
200
recluse
hermit; loner
201
recondite
abstruse; not easily understood
202
recourse
resorting to help when in trouble
203
recreant
disloyal; cowardly
204
recrimination
a retaliatory accusation
205
recumbent
reclining
