A - D Flashcards
(151 cards)
1
Q
aberrant
A
abnormal, deviant
2
Q
abeyance
A
temporary suspension, inactivity
3
Q
abjure
A
give up, renounce; repudiate, recant, or shun (especially formally or under oath)
4
Q
abreast
A
side-by-side. the more common “abreast of” means keeping up with, staying aware of, or remaining equal in progress with
5
Q
abscission
A
cutting off; sudden termination; the separation of leaves, petals, or other parts from a plant or animal
6
Q
abscond
A
depart suddenly and secretively
7
Q
accretion
A
gradual increase; an added part or addition
8
Q
acerbic
A
sour; harsh or severe
9
Q
acidulous
A
slightly acid or sour; sharp or caustic
10
Q
acumen
A
keen, quick, accurate insight or judgement
11
Q
admonish
A
mildly scold; caution, advise, or remind to do something
12
Q
adumbrate
A
give a rough outline of; foreshadow; reveal only partially; obscure
13
Q
aerie
A
dwelling or fortress built on a high place; the nest of a bird of prey, such as an eagle or hawk, built on a mountain or cliff
14
Q
affectation
A
fake behavior (such as in speech or dress) adopted to give a certain impression
15
Q
alacrity
A
cheerful or speedy willingness
16
Q
amortize
A
gradually pay off a debt, or gradually write off an asset
17
Q
analegesia
A
pain relief; inability to feel pain
18
Q
anarchy
A
absence of law or government; chaos, disorder
19
Q
anodyne
A
medicine that relieves pain (noun)
soothing, relieving pain (adj)
20
Q
antagonize
A
make hostile or unfriendly
21
Q
antedate
A
be older than, precede in time; assign to an earlier date
22
Q
apocryphal
A
of questionable authenticity; false
23
Q
apostate
A
person who deserts a party, cause, religion, etc.
24
Q
apposite
A
highly appropriate, suitable, or relevant
25
apprise
inform, give notice to
26
approbation
praise or approval, especially formal approval
27
appropriate
set aside or authorize (such as money) for a particular purpose; take for one's own use
28
arbiter
judge, umpire, person empowered to decide matters at hand
29
arcane
known or understood by only a few; obscure, secret
30
ardent
very passionate, devoted, or enthusiastic
31
arduous
very difficult, strenuous; severe, hard to endure
32
arrogate
claim or take presumptuously or without the right to do so
33
artless
free of deceit or craftiness, natural, genuine; lacking skill or knowledge, crude, uncultured
34
ascetic
abstinent or austere in lifestyle (adj)
a person who leads an austere and simple life without material pleasures, especially someone who does this for religious reasons
35
ascribe
assign or credit to a certain cause or source
36
aseptic
free from germs
37
asperity
rigor, severity; harshness or sharpness of tone; roughness of surface
38
aspersions
damaging remarks, defamation, slander
39
assiduous
persevering, diligent, constant
40
attenuate
weaken or thin out
41
augury
telling the future, such as through supernatural means
42
august
venerable, majestic; inspiring admiration
43
austere
severe in manner or appearance; very self-disciplined, ascetic; without luxury or ease; sober or serious
44
avarice
insatiable greed; a miserly desire to hoard wealth
45
aver
declare or affirm with confidence
46
base
morally low, mean, dishonorable; of little or no value; crude and unrefined; counterfeit
47
baying
howling in a deep way, like a dog or wolf
48
belie
contradict or misrepresent
49
bent
personal inclination or tendency
50
bevy
group of birds or other animals that stay close together; any large group
51
bifurcate
to fork into two branches or divide into two halves
52
bilk
cheat or defraud
53
blight
disease that kills plants rapidly, or any cause of decay or destruction (noun)
ruin or cause to wither (verb)
54
bolster
strengthen or support
55
bombastic
(of speech or writing) far too showy or dramatic than is appropriate; pretentious
56
bonhomie
friendliness, open and simple good heartedness
57
boor
rude, ill-mannered, or insensitive person; a peasant or country bumpkin
58
brook
suffer or tolerate
59
bucolic
pertaining to shepherds; suggesting a peaceful and pleasant view of rurual liferural
60
burgeon
grow or flourish rapidly; put forth buds or shoots (of a plant)
61
burnish
polish, make smooth and lustrous
62
buttress
support or encourage (verb)
a support or prop, especially projecting from and supporting the wall of a building (noun)
63
bygone
past, former (adj)
that which is in the past (usually plural noun)
64
calumny
malicious lie intended to hurt someone's reputation; the act of telling such lise
65
canard
rumor, a false or baseless story
66
canonical
authorized, recognized; pertaining to the canon, or body of accepted rules, standards or artistic works
67
capricious
acting on impuse, erratic
68
cardinal
chief, most important
69
castigate
criticize severely; punish in order to correct
70
catholic
universal, broad-minded
71
caustic
capable of corroding metal or burning the skin; very critical or sarcastic
72
censure
strong disapproval or official reprimand (noun)
to issue such disapproval or reprimand (verb)
73
chauvinism
fanatical patriotism or blind enthusiasm for military glory; undue or biased devotion to any group, cause, etc.
74
circumscribe
strictly limit a role, range of activity, or area; in math, to be constructed around so as to touch as many points as possible
75
circumspect
cautious, prudent; careful to consider the circumstances and consequences
76
clamber
climb awkwardly or with difficulty, scramble
77
cloying
disgustingly or distastefully sweet
78
coagulate
cause a liquid to become solid or semisolid
79
coda
final part of a musical composition; an ending, especially one that sums up what has come before
80
coffer
chest for storing valuables; financial resources, a treasury
81
cogent
very convincing, logical
82
commensurate
the same in size, extent, etc., equivalent; proportional
83
compendium
concise but complete summary; a list or collection
84
complaisant
eager to please; cheerfully complying
85
concur
approve, agree
86
condone
overlook, tolerate, regard as harmless
87
confer
consult, compare views; bestow or give
88
confound
confuse, frustrate; mix up or make worse
89
connote
suggest or imply in addition to the precise, literal meaning
90
contextualize
place in context, such as by giving the background or circumstances
91
contraries
things that are opposing; either of two opposite things
92
contrite
remorseful; feeling sorry for one's offenses or sins
93
contumacious
rebellious; stubbornly disobedient
94
conversant
knowledgeable about or experienced with
95
convoke
call together, as to a meeting
96
cosmopolitan
belonging to the entire world, at home globally; free from local or national prejudices or attachments
97
cosset
treat as a pet, pamper
98
coterie
close or exclusive group, clique
99
counterpoint
contrasting item, opposite; a complement; the use of contrast or interplay in a work of art
100
credulous
gullible; prone to believing or trusting too easily or without enough evidence
101
culminate
reach the highest point or final stage
102
cupidity
greed, great or excessive desire
103
curmudgeon
bad-tempered, difficult person; grouch
104
daunt
discourage, dishearten, lessen the courage of
105
debase
degrade; lower in quality, value, rank, etc.; lower in moral quality
106
declaim
speak in an impassioned, pompous, or oratorical manner; give a formal speech
107
declivity
downward slope
108
decorous
behaving with propriety and good taste, polite
109
default
failure to act, neglect (noun)
fail to fulfill an obligation, especially a financial one (verb)
110
deleterious
harmful, unhealthful
111
delimit
fix, mark, or define the boundaries of
112
delineate
mark the outline of; sketch; describe in detail
113
demagogue
a leader who lies and gains power by arousing the passions and especially prejudices of the people
114
demur
show reluctance or object, especially for moral reasons
115
denigrate
belittle, attach the reputation of
116
denote
be a name or symbol for
117
deride
mock, scoff at, laugh at contemptuously
118
desiccate
thoroughly dried up, dehydrated
119
desultory
lacking consistency or order, disconnected, sporadic; going off topic
120
diaphanous
very sheer, fine, translucent
121
diatribe
bitter, abusive attack or criticism; rant
122
dictum
formal or authoritative pronouncement; saying or proverb
123
didactic
intended to instruct; teaching, or teaching a moral lesson
124
diffident
lacking confidence, shy
125
diffuse
spread widely, disseminate (verb);
dispersed, widely spread out, or wordy and going off-topic (adj)
126
dilate
to become wider or make wider, cause to expand; to speak or write at length, elaborate upon
127
dilatory
slow, late; procrastinating or stalling for time
128
dilettante
person who takes up an art or activity for amusement only or in a superficial way
129
dirge
a funeral or mourning song or poem
130
disabuse
free someone from a mistake in thinking
131
discomfiting
disconcerting, confusing, frustrating
132
discriminating
judicious, discerning, having good judgement or insight
133
disparage
belittle, put down; bring shame upon, discredit
134
dispassionate
unbiased, not having a selfish or personal motivation; calm, lacking emotion
135
dispatch
speedy, promptness; send off or deal with in a speedy way
136
disquieting
disturbing, causing anxiety
137
dissent
disagree or take an opposing view, espeically in relation to a formal body such as a government, political party, or church; such a view
138
dissolution
dissolving, the state of having been dissolved; breaking bonds or breaking up of a group of people; death, disintegration; sinking into excessive hedonism, vice, and degradation
139
distaff
female, especially relating to the maternal side of the family; women or women's work, a staff that holds wool or flax for spinning
140
distend
swell, expand, stretch, bloat
141
dither
act indecisively (verb);
a state of fear or trembling excitement
142
diurnal
occurring every day; happening in the daytime (rather than at night)
143
divest
deprive or strip of a rank, title, etc., or of clothing or gear; to sell off holdings (opposite of invest)
144
divine
discover through divination or supernatural means; perceive by insight
145
doctrinaire
person who applies doctrine in an impractical or rigid and close-minded way (noun)
merely theoretical, impractical, or fanatical about other people accepting one's ideas (adj)
146
doff
take off (such as clothes), put aside; remove one's hat as a gesture
147
dogma
a system of principles laid down by an authority; established belief
148
dovetail
join or fit together
149
dupe
person who is easily fooled or used (noun)
to fool or exploit (verb)
150
duplicity
deceit, double-dealing, acting in two different ways for the purpose of deception
151
dyspeptic
grumpy, pessimistic, irritable; suffering from dyspepsia (indigestion)
