Define:
burnish
(bur-nish)
v. to polish or make shine
n. a shiny appearance
The store owner's son's only job was to burnish the statues in the window every day.
Define:
buttress
(but-riss)
n. a supporting structure
v. to support or encourage
The parents decided to buttress the after-school programs that were in danger of ending by making donations.
Define:
equivocate
(i-kwiv-uh-keyt)
v. to make vague, unclear statements
The mayor equivocated when confronted about his use of public funds.
Define:
paragon
(par-uh-gon)
n. a model of excellence
The man was a paragon of virtue who had never stolen so much as a loaf of bread in his life.
Define:
cacophony
(kuh-kof-uh-nee)
n. unpleasant, discordant sounds
The orchestra's first attempt to play together was a cacophony of jarring notes.
Define:
mawkish
(maw-kish)
adj. overly sentimental to a sickening point
The group of graduating seniors was a mawkish sight, crying and taking hundreds of pictures.
Define:
cajole
(kuh-djohl)
v. to make someone do something with flattery or promises
Mother cajoled her into driving the other children to school, promising to make her favorite dinner.
Define:
dogmatic
(dawg-matt-ik)
adj. rigidly fixed in opinion or expression in an arrogant manner
The dogmatic theorist refused to listen to any other possibilities.
Define:
calibrate
(kal-ih-brehyt)
v. to check or balance the scale of a measuring device with a standard scale
The new thermometer needed to be calibrated before it could be used.
Define:
perdition
(per-dish-uhn)
n. a state of final spiritual ruin, loss of soul, damnation
n. hell
Poor moral choices led Johnny down the road to perdition.
Define:
beseech
(bih-seech)
v. to request urgently
The dying man beseeched his family to visit him.
Define:
canny
(can-ee)
adj. careful; shrewd
John was a canny negotiator; no matter how bad his bargaining position, he would always come out on top.
Define:
seminal
(sem-uh-nl)
adj. original and influential
The seminal works of the artist developed into a new style of interpretation.
Define:
cantankerous
(can-tang-kurr-us)
adj. difficult to handle; ill-tempered
The worst part about working in customer service was having to deal with irate, cantankerous callers.
Define:
semantic
(suh-man-tick)
adj. related to the meaning of words
Susan felt that the abortion debate had become too focused on semantic arguments.
Define:
serrate
(sare-ate)
adj. having toothed edges ("serrated" is an alternate form of the adj.)
Kate used the serrate edge of the knife to cut through the tough meat.
Define:
sever
(sev-er)
v. to cut off
Unfortunately, to prevent the infection from spreading, the doctors had to sever the infected parts of the hand.
Define:
sinuous
(sin-you-us)
adj. twisting and winding
adj. not direct
The sinuous path through the mountains was probably the most dangerous route to take.
Define:
solicitude
(suh-liss-ih-tood)
n. caring about others' well being
Though she claims not to have any feelings for Julio, she showed a great deal of solicitude when she learned of his illness.
Define:
solidarity
(sol-ih-dare-ih-tee)
n. a feeling of camaraderie with others due to shared goals
Several townspeople expressed solidarity with the union members by protesting with them.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to polish or make shine
n. a shiny appearance
burnish
(bur-nish)
synonyms: polish, brighten
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a supporting structure
v. to support or encourage
buttress
(but-riss)
synonyms: prop, support; bolster, reinforce
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to make vague, unclear statements
equivocate
(i-kwiv-uh-keyt)
synonyms: evade, sidestep
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a model of excellence
paragon
(par-uh-gon)
synonyms: archetype, ideal
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. unpleasant, discordant sounds
cacophony
(kuh-kof-uh-nee)
synonyms: noise, clamor
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. overly sentimental to a sickening point
mawkish
(maw-kish)
synonyms: emotional, mushy
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to make someone do something with flattery or promises
cajole
(kuh-djohl)
synonyms: coax, persuade, wheedle
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. rigidly fixed in opinion or expression in an arrogant manner
dogmatic
(dawg-matt-ik)
synonyms: arrogant, bullheaded, authoritarian
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to check or balance the scale of a measuring device with a standard scale
calibrate
(kal-ih-brehyt)
synonyms: align, balance, fix
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a state of final spiritual ruin, loss of soul, damnation
n. hell
perdition
(per-dish-uhn)
synonyms: hell, damnation, corruption, underworld
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to request urgently
beseech
(bih-seech)
synonyms: beg, appeal, plead
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. careful; shrewd
canny
(can-ee)
synonyms: acute, cunning
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. original and influential
seminal
(sem-uh-nl)
synonyms: landmark, fundamental, fertile
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. difficult to handle; ill-tempered
cantankerous
(can-tang-kurr-us)
synonyms: crabby, cranky, aggressive
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. related to the meaning of words
semantic
(suh-man-tick)
synonyms: linguistic, verbal
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. having toothed edges
serrate
(sare-ate)
synonyms: a toothed edge or blade
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to cut off
sever
(sev-er)
synonyms: carve, disconnect, break off
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. twisting and winding
adj. not direct
sinuous
(sin-you-us)
synonyms: curved, circuitous, meandering
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. caring about others' well being
solicitude
(suh-liss-ih-tood)
synonyms: consideration, watchfulness
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a feeling of camaraderie with others due to shared goals
solidarity
(sol-ih-dare-ih-tee)
synonyms: alliance, sympathy
Define:
soluble
(sol-yuh-bull)
adj. capable of being dissolved in a liquid
adj. capable of being solved
Certain medicines are soluble in water so they can be taken with ease.
Define:
solvent
(sol-vunt)
adj. able to meet financial obligations
n. a substance that can dissolve other substances
To remain solvent, the business was forced to sell its overseas operations.
Define:
soporific
(sop-uh-riff-ik)
adj. able to cause sleepiness
n. a substance that causes sleepiness
Bill's new cold medication has soporific side effects that interfere with his ability to drive.
Define:
emulate
(em-yuh-lehyt)
v. to try to imitate or exceed another's actions
Nancy wanted to emulate her older sister and so began to study more often.
Define:
enamor
(ih-nam-er)
v. to make infatuated; to cause to love
He was so enamored of her that he thought about her every day.
Define:
endemic
(in-dem-ik)
adj. originating in, native to, particular to
There are some deadly diseases that are endemic to the tropics.
Define:
endow
(in-dow)
v. to give (esp. an inheritance or genetic trait)
Christine's mother endowed her with beautiful green eyes.
Define:
dour
(doo-er)
adj. harsh; gloomy, forbidding
adj. stern, humorless
The old headmaster never had anything but a dour expression to offer.
Define:
enervate
(in-er-vehyt)
v. to make weaker
The heat enervated the soccer players' strength with each passing minute, and by halftime most were in no condition to continue playing.
Define:
insouciant
(in-soo-see-uhnt)
adj. unconcerned, nonchalant, lighthearted
Michael's insouciant attitude towards schoolwork led to poor test grades.
Define:
evince
(ih-vins)
v. to clearly prove something, to indicate
Her choice not to enter into an argument with him evinced her maturity.
Define:
enfranchise
(in-fran-chahyz)
v. to give rights of citizenship, esp. the right to vote
When women were finally enfranchised, spontaneous celebrations occurred throughout the country.
Define:
filigree
(fil-ih-gree)
n. an ornamental work, esp. delicate and lacelike
v. to adorn
The wine glass was filigreed with a delicate pattern of grape vines.
Define:
engender
(in-djen-dur)
v. to cause, to lead to
The poor ventilation in the factory engendered health problems amongst the workers.
Define:
apocryphal
(uh-pok-ruh-fuhl)
adj. of dubious origin; of doubtful authenticity
I believe all stories of alien abduction are apocryphal.
Define:
enmity
(en-mih-tee)
n. strong mutual hatred
Great enmity has existed between the two tribes for centuries, leading to untold bloodshed.
Define:
aesthete
(es-theet)
n. one with artistic sensibilities
The aesthete was able to knowledgeably interpret the painting.
Define:
estimable
(es-tuh-muh-buhl)
adj. formidable, worthy
The team knew within the first few minutes that they faced an estimable opponent.
Define:
revile
(ruh-vahyl)
v. to criticize with harsh or abusive language
Film critics reviled the studio for gutting the director's artistic vision and replacing it with meaningless action sequences.
Define:
indefatigable
(in-duh-fat-ih-guh-buhl)
adj. incapable of becoming exhausted; tireless; dogged
The marathon runner was seemingly indefatigable, keeping up his brisk pace while competitors fell behind one after the other.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. capable of being dissolved in a liquid
adj. capable of being solved
soluble
(sol-yuh-bull)
synonyms: dispersable, dissolvable; solvable
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. able to meet financial obligations
n. a substance that can dissolve other substances within itself
solvent
(sol-vunt)
synonyms: financially stable, viable; dissolver
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. able to cause sleepiness
n. a substance that causes sleepiness
soporific
(sop-uh-rif-ik)
synonyms: anesthetic, narcotic, sedative
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to try to imitate or exceed another's actions
emulate
(em-yuh-lehyt)
synonyms: copy, mimic
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to make infatuated; to cause to love
enamor
(ih-nam-er)
synonyms: fascinate, captivate
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. originating in, native to, particular to
endemic
(in-dem-ik)
synonyms: local, regional
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to give (esp. an inheritance or genetic trait)
endow
(in-dow)
synonyms: provide, impart
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. harsh; gloomy, forbidding
adj. stern, humorless
dour
(doo-er)
synonyms: uninviting, severe
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to make weaker
enervate
(in-er-vehyt)
synonyms: tire, exhaust
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. unconcerned, nonchalant, lighthearted
insouciant
(in-soo-see-uhnt)
synonyms: carefree, unworried
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to clearly prove something, to indicate
evince
(ih-vins)
synonyms: declare, demonstrate
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to give rights of citizenship, esp. the right to vote
enfranchise
(in-fran-chahyz)
synonyms: empower, naturalize
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. an ornamental work, esp. delicate and lacelike
v. to adorn
filigree
(fil-ih-gree)
synonyms: decoration, ornamentation; decorate
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to cause, to lead to
engender
(in-djen-dur)
synonyms: develop, generate, bring about
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. of dubious origin; of doubtful authenticity
apocryphal
(uh-pok-ruh-fuhl)
synonyms: fictitious, doubtful
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. strong mutual hatred
enmity
(en-mih-tee)
synonyms: animosity, antagonism
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. one with artistic sensibilities
aesthete
(es-theet)
synonyms: artist, connoisseur
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. formidable, worthy
estimable
(es-tuh-muh-buhl)
synonyms: admirable, honored
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to criticize with harsh or abusive language
revile
(ruh-vahyl)
synonyms: scold, criticize, abuse
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. incapable of becoming exhausted; tireless; dogged
indefatigable
(in-duh-fat-ih-guh-buhl)
synonyms: untiring, active, persevering
Define:
ensemble
(on-som-bul)
n. a whole group formed by separate parts
The band was an ensemble of classical violinists, guitarists, and a jazz pianist.
Define:
effervescent
(eff-er-vess-uhnt)
adj. emitting small bubbles
adj. lively, showing high spirits, vivacious
Stacy's effervescent mind captivated everyone she met.
Define:
enthrall
(in-thrawl)
v. to captivate
v. to enslave
The singer's voice enthralled the judges, who immediately awarded her first place in the contest.
Define:
entreat
(in-treet)
v. to plead
The rejected boy entreated the girl to give him a second chance.
Define:
extirpate
(ek-ster-peyt)
v. to destroy, annihilate totally
v. to cut out by the roots
Modern thinkers have proposed to extirpate religion from all political discourse.
Define:
enumerate
(ih-new-muh-rate)
v. to list items individually
Shocked by her decision, I asked her to enumerate her reasons for firing him.
Define:
internecine
(in-ter-neh-seen)
adj. mutually destructive
adj. characterized by bloodshed and carnage
adj. relating to intra-group struggle
That country's internecine struggle was only put to rest after many innocent people lost their lives.
Define:
ephemeral
(uh-fem-er-ul)
adj. lasting only a short while
Our joy at being let out for the weekend was only ephemeral, for we soon realized that we had a lot of studying to do for Monday.
Define:
variegated
(vair-ee-uh-gehyt-id)
adj. multicolored
adj. varied
The variegated leaves were a sure sign that autumn had arrived.
Define:
venerate
(ven-uh-rehyt)
v. to respect deeply and honor
The children venerated their grandfather and sought not to disappoint him.
Define:
veracity
(vur-rass-ih-tee)
n. truthfulness
In order to have her article published, Susan needed to prove the veracity of her claims.
Define:
verbiage
(ver-bee-idge)
n. an overabundance of words
n. one's manner of speaking
The elderly speaker's verbiage tended toward the formal.
Define:
vestige
(ves-tidge)
n. a small remnant
That abandoned well is a vestige of the manor that once stood here.
Define:
vex
(vex)
v. to annoy or bother
v. to confound
v. to talk about extensively
It was when they were allowed to horse around the house that the children vexed her the most.
Define:
vigilant
(vidge-ih-lunt)
adj. watchful
Our new dog is very vigilant when it comes to guarding the house.
Define:
vigor
(vig-er)
n. energy, vitality
n. strength; forcefulness
After she broke her hip dancing, Kate realized that she had lost the youthful vigor she once had.
Define:
virtuoso
(vur-chew-owe-so)
n. a highly-skilled artist
Even at a young age, it was clear that Beethoven was a virtuoso in the making.
Define:
viscous
(viss-kuss)
adj. thick and syrup-like
They slathered a viscous glue over the pieces to make sure they would stick.
Define:
vituperate
(vahy-too-puh-rehyt)
v. to scold
The old man vituperated the neighborhood boys who were trespassing on his lawn.
Define:
vivacious
(vih-vey-shuss)
adj. energetic; full of life
At ninety years old, Melinda was known for being particularly vivacious for her age.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a whole group formed by separate parts
ensemble
(on-som-bull)
synonyms: band, collection, organization
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. emitting small bubbles
adj. lively, showing high spirits, vivacious
effervescent
(eff-er-vess-uhnt)
synonyms: airy, foaming; spirited, bubbly
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to captivate
v. to enslave
enthrall
(in-thrawl)
synonyms: absorb, enrapture, beckon, beguile
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to plead
entreat
(in-treet)
synonyms: beg, request
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to destroy, annihilate totally
v. to cut out by the roots
extirpate
(ek-ster-peyt)
synonyms: destroy, annihilate; remove, uproot
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to list items individually
enumerate
(ih-new-muh-rate)
synonyms: count, list to review
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. mutually destructive
adj. characterized by bloodshed and carnage
adj. relating to intra-group struggle
internecine
(in-ter-neh-seen)
synonyms: civil, fratricidal, deadly, bloody, catastrophic
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. lasting a very short time
ephemeral
(uh-fem-er-ul)
synonyms: momentary, passing
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. appearing to have different colors
adj. varied
variegated
(vair-ee-uh-gehyt-id)
synonyms: diverse, kaleidoscopic
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to respect deeply and honor
venerate
(ven-uh-rehyt)
synonyms: admire, esteem
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. truthfulness
veracity
(vur-rass-ih-tee)
synonyms: certainty, truth, fact
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. an overabundance of words
n. one's manner of speaking
verbiage
(ver-bee-idge)
synonyms: wordiness, verbosity; delivery
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a small remnant
vestige
(ves-tidge)
synonyms: remainder, hint
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to annoy or bother
v. to confound
v. to talk about extensively
vex
(vex)
synonyms: distress, agitate; confuse
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. watchful
vigilant
(vidge-ih-lunt)
synonyms: attentive, aware, on the lookout
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. energy, vitality
n. strength; forcefulness
vigor
(vig-er)
synonyms: power, intensity
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a highly-skilled artist
virtuoso
(vur-chew-owe-so)
synonyms: ace, artist, professional
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. thick and syrup-like
viscous
(viss-kuss)
synonyms: slow-flowing, syrupy
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to scold
vituperate
(vahy-too-puh-rehyt)
synonyms: abuse, berate, yell at
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. energetic; full of life
vivacious
(vih-vey-shuss)
synonyms: lively, spirited
Define:
meticulous
(muh-tick-yuh-luss)
adj. paying great attention to detail
He was a meticulous sculptor, sometimes spending hours perfecting a single fingernail on one of his figures.
Define:
mimicry
(mim-ih-kree)
n. a close imitation of something else
Mimicry is common in the animal kingdom, such as when harmless species assume the aspect of poisonous ones to avoid being eaten.
Define:
minuet
(min-you-et)
n. a slow, stately, pattern dance in 3/4 time
n. the music to accompany the dance of the same name
A minuet is always danced with three beats per measure.
Define:
minute
(my-newt)
adj. tiny
adj. attentive to the smallest details
The chances of such a slow horse actually winning the race are minute.
Define:
mirth
(murth)
n. glee; joy
The house was always full of happy laughter and other signs of mirth.
Define:
dissipated
(dis-uh-pey-tid)
adj. indulging in excessive devotion to pleasure; debauched, dissolute; wasted, squandered; to cause to disappear, disperse
His life quickly became dissipated and unstructured after he won the lottery.
Define:
misanthrope
(miss-un-throwp)
n. hater of humanity
The old man was a notorious misanthrope who loathed even his own children.
Define:
invidious
(in-vid-ee-uhs)
adj. offensive, provoking resentment or ill-will
The teacher's invidious practice of playing favorites led to several parent conferences.
Define:
misconstrue
(miss-kun-strew)
v. to misunderstand
Eva has a habit of misconstruing compliments, reading amorous designs into the most innocent remarks.
Define:
remit
(rih-mit)
v. to transmit payment
v. to refrain from exacting
v. to pardon
v. to desist, postpone or give up
The transaction was completed after the buyer remitted the money.
Define:
mitigate
(mit-ih-gate)
v. to make smaller or less problematic
The hurricane's effect was mitigated by the quick response from the national guard.
Define:
opprobrium
(uh-proh-bree-uhm)
n. the disgrace felt by someone who has acted in an outrageously shameful manner
Oedipus Rex experienced great opprobrium after learning the true extent of his crimes.
Define:
mollify
(mohl-ih-fahy)
v. to decrease the strength of, pacify, placate
v. to make softer, less severe
His rage was mollified by his wife's soothing words.
Define:
momentum
(moh-men-tum)
n. strength built up by continued movement or development
The protest gained momentum as it passed through the city and gained new supporters.
Define:
prodigious
(pruh-didj-us)
adj. having great power or size
adj. extreme
The building of the new dam is a prodigious project requiring thousands of men and millions of dollars.
Define:
asperity
(uh-sper-ih-tee)
n. severity, rigor
n. acrimony, irritability
The asperity of a northern winter can lead to depression.
Define:
profligate
(prof-lih-git)
adj. immoral
adj. recklessly extravagant
She criticized her spoiled son for his profligate lifestyle.
Define:
profuse
(pruh-fewss)
adj. abundant
adj. freely giving or spending
Horrified by the consequences of her actions, Joyce offered profuse apologies to her friends.
Define:
hapless
(hap-liss)
adj. unlucky, unfortunate, luckless
The hapless, accident-prone child managed to break his leg for the third time.
Define:
prognostic
(prog-noss-tick)
n. a prediction
adj. indicating future events
Climate scientists presented a chilling prognostic of what will happen to our planet in the near future.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. paying great attention to detail
meticulous
(muh-tick-yuh-luss)
synonyms: perfectionist, painstaking
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a close imitation of something else
mimicry
(mim-ih-kree)
synonyms: mime, imitation
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a slow, stately, pattern dance in 3/4 time
n. the music to accompany the dance of the same name
minuet
(min-you-et)
synonyms: dance, waltz; music, piece
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. tiny
adj. attentive to the smallest details
minute
(my-newt)
synonyms: very small, miniature; exact, precise
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. glee; joy
mirth
(murth)
synonyms: cheer, amusement
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. devoted to the pursuit of pleasure; hedonistic
dissipated
(dis-uh-pey-tid)
synonyms: self-indulgent, spoiled, debauched
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. hater of humanity
misanthrope
(miss-un-throwp)
synonyms: cynic, curmudgeon
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. offensive, provoke resentment or ill-will
invidious
(in-vid-ee-uhs)
synonyms: abominable, repugnant
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to misunderstand
misconstrue
(miss-kun-strew)
synonyms: distort, mistake, misread
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to transmit payment
v. to refrain from exacting
v. to pardon
v. to desist, postpone or give up
remit
(rih-mit)
synonyms: transfer; stop, postpone; alleviate, pardon
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to make smaller or less problematic
mitigate
(mit-ih-gate)
synonyms: diminish, lighten
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. the disgrace felt by someone who has acted in an outrageously shameful manner, contempt
opprobrium
(uh-proh-bree-uhm)
synonyms: dishonor, infamy, humiliation
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to decrease the strength of
v. to make softer
mollify
(mohl-ih-fahy)
synonyms: disarm, smooth over, soften
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. strength built up by continued movement or development
momentum
(moh-men-tum)
synonyms: drive, energy, propulsion
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. having great power or size
adj. extreme
prodigious
(pruh-didj-us)
synonyms: massive, colossal, monumental, extraordinary
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. severity, rigor
n. acrimony, irritability
asperity
(uh-sper-ih-tee)
synonyms: harshness, bad temper
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. immoral
adj. recklessly extravagant
profligate
(prof-lih-git)
synonyms: corrupt, degenerate; immoderate, lavish
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. abundant
adj. freely giving or spending
profuse
(pruh-fewss)
synonyms: excessive, extravagant, plentiful
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. unlucky, unfortunate, luckless
hapless
(hap-liss)
synonyms: luckless, jinxed
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a prediction
adj. indicating future events
prognostic
(prog-noss-tick)
synonyms: omen, foreboding, warning, prophecy
Define:
proliferate
(pruh-lif-er-ehyt)
v. to grow and spread quickly
Tensions in the area proliferated after the civilian casualties.
Define:
puissant
(pyoo-uh-suhnt)
adj. powerful, mighty
A puissant leader can secure the success of an entire team.
Define:
prone
(prone)
adj. lying face or front downward
adj. tending to behave or act a certain way
Lucy was prone to cheat on tests, so the teachers placed her in a separate room.
Define:
propitiate
(proh-pish-ee-ehyt)
v. to appease
The custom was to propitiate the angry gods with a sacrifice.
Define:
ineffable
(in-eff-uh-buhl)
adj. incapable of being described in words
After a long day you can find ineffable pleasure in a hot bath.
Define:
propitious
(pruh-pish-us)
adj. favorable
The rainy weather was not propitious for the picnic they had planned.
Define:
propound
(pruh-pound)
v. to propose or offer for consideration
To make her point about the dangers of sunburns, Kate propounded various theories about skin cancer and its links to ultraviolet radiation.
Define:
propriety
(pruh-pry-ih-tee)
n. proper behavior
A model housewife, Mary valued propriety and manners over everything else.
Define:
precipitate
(prih-sip-ih-teyt)
adj. acting with haste or on impulse
v. to cause or hasten an event
The officer took precipitate action and wound up making the situation even worse.
Define:
prosaic
(pro-zay-ik)
adj. common; unimaginative
Kate's realistic paintings of household objects were criticized as being too prosaic.
Define:
prudent
(proo-dent)
adj. practical; careful
His assistant was particularly prudent when it came to keeping the company's secrets.
Define:
advert
(ad-vurt)
v. to call or direct attention towards
As soon as Jim saw the unsafe guardrail, he adverted everyone to the problem.
Define:
excoriate
(ik-skawr-ee-eyt)
v. to condemn scathingly
After the student's repetitive acts of bullying, the principal excoriated him.
Define:
insipid
(in-sip-id)
adj. bland, trite
The film's insipid plot, like that of hundreds of others, centered on American agents thwarting a Russian spy ring.
Define:
sublimate
(suhb-luh-meyt)
v. to change state of matter between solid and gaseous form without passing through a liquid stage
v. to modify the expression of an instinctual impulse in a socially acceptable manner
Dry ice sublimates directly from its solid ice form to the gas you see rising off of it.
Define:
expatiate
(ik-spey-shee-eyt)
v. to discuss or write about at great length
Margie expatiated about her misfortunes until early in the morning.
Define:
precipitous
(prih-sip-ih-tuhs)
adj. dangerously high or steep
adj. done hastily and without care
The economy suffered a precipitous decline in exports.
Define:
necromancy
(nek-ruh-man-see)
n. the practice of communicating with the spirits of the dead
n. black magic, black arts, or sorcery
Aunt Pam claimed that necromancy was a way you could speak to your ancestors.
Define:
truculent
(truhk-yuh-luhnt)
adj. cruel, ferocious, savage, brutal
The truculent dictator did not care about the well-being of his people.
Define:
depravity
(dih-prav-ih-tee)
n. moral corruption or degradation
The various depravities of modern society include an unhealthy obsession with the lives and deaths of celebrities.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to grow and spread quickly
proliferate
(pruh-lif-er-ehyt)
synonyms: expand, develop
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. powerful, mighty
puissant
(pyoo-uh-suhnt)
synonyms: strong, formidable
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. lying face or front downward
adj. tending to behave or act a certain way
prone
(prone)
synonyms: face down, flat, horizontal; likely, susceptible
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to appease
propitiate
(proh-pish-ee-ehyt)
synonyms: assuage, satisfy
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. incapable of being described in words
ineffable
(in-eff-uh-buhl)
synonyms: beyond words, indescribable
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. favorable
propitious
(pruh-pish-us)
synonyms: good, beneficial
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to propose or offer for consideration
propound
(pruh-pound)
synonyms: counsel, advise, set forth
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. proper behavior
propriety
(pruh-pry-ih-tee)
synonyms: correctness, accordance, courtesy
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. acting with haste or on impulse
v. to cause or hasten an event
precipitate
(prih-sip-ih-teyt)
synonyms: expedite, advance
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. common; unimaginative
prosaic
(pro-zay-ik)
synonyms: everyday, drab, dull
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. practical; careful
prudent
(proo-dent)
synonyms: canny, sagacious
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to call or direct attention towards
advert
(ad-vurt)
synonyms: observe, attend, point to
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to condemn scathingly
excoriate
(ik-skawr-ee-eyt)
synonyms: berate, scathe, chastise
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. bland, trite
insipid
(in-sip-id)
synonyms: dull, uninteresting
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to change state of matter between solid and gaseous form without passing through a liquid stage
v. to modify the expression of an instinctual impulse in a socially acceptable manner
sublimate
(suhb-luh-meyt)
synonyms: refine, transfer, redirect
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to discuss or write about at great length
expatiate
(ik-spey-shee-eyt)
synonyms: elaborate, expound
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. dangerously high or steep
adj. done hastily and without care
precipitous
(prih-sip-ih-tuhs)
synonyms: steep, arduous, high; impulsive, abrupt
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. the practice of allegedly communicating with the spirits of the dead
n. black magic, black arts, or sorcery
necromancy
(nek-ruh-man-see)
synonyms: sorcery, occultism
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. cruel, ferocious, savage, brutal
truculent
(truhk-yuh-luhnt)
synonyms: abusive, aggressive, hostile
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. moral corruption or degradation
depravity
(dih-prav-ih-tee)
synonyms: immorality, criminality