Define
pedant
(ped-ant)
n. someone who shows off knowledge
n. someone who pays undue attention to rules
Dominic is a pedant who annoys everyone in the class with his long-winded questions and unnecessary quotes from the textbook.
Define
penchant
(pen-chunt)
n. a strong preference for something
Kate had a penchant for interior decorating, so she took over the role of set designer for the play.
Define
penury
(pen-yuh-ree)
n. extreme poverty or destitution
Having lived in penury their whole lives, the townspeople were very grateful for the donations sent by the charitable organization.
Define
tangent
(tan-djunt)
n. a different topic
adj. touching
Halfway into her speech on global warming, she went on a tangent about materialism in modern society.
Define
technocracy
(teck-knock-ruh-see)
n. rule by scientists
In the movie, the future is a technocracy where programmers rule the entire world.
Define
tedium
(tee-dee-um)
n. dullness
n. the feeling of being bored
The tedium of a fixed routine made John reconsider his plans to become a teacher.
Define
tenacious
(tuh-nay-shuss)
adj. sticking strongly to something
adj. having greater than average longevity
adj. stubborn
Despite the sudden thunderstorm, the tenacious runners continued to move towards the finish line.
Define
timorous
(tim-er-us)
adj. easy to frighten
The timorous young man jumped at even the slightest sound.
Define
tirade
(tahy-raid)
n. a long, angry rant
One student asked a simple question about the death penalty, causing the teacher to launch into a tirade about the topic.
Define
torpid
(tore-pid)
adj. lacking physical or mental energy
The student was torpid and generally uninvolved in discussions, so the teacher had to speak with him about his participation.
Define
torpor
(tore-per)
n. a state of low physical or mental energy
The doctors discovered that her torpor was a symptom of a severe illness.
Define
torrid
(tore-id)
adj. extremely hot
adj. having intense emotion or passion
The president was accused of carrying on a secret and torrid love affair with his aide.
Define
totalitarianism
(toe-tal-ih-tare-ee-un-izm)
n. absolute, dictatorial control by the government
After years of civil war, one party emerged triumphant and dominated the country in a return to totalitarianism.
Define
tractable
(track-tuh-bul)
adj. easy to handle or control
adj. easily shaped
After some training, the dog became tractable enough to be sold as a pet.
Define
anomalous
(uh-nom-ih-luss)
adj. different from the norm; aberrant
The new shampoo was a success, although there were a few anomalous cases in which it actually damaged consumers’ hair.
Define
antipathy
(an-tip-uh-thee)
n. aversion; loathing
The couple tried to hide their antipathy toward the new neighbors so as not to seem unwelcoming.
Define
approbate
(ap-ruh-behyt)
v. to approve
The judge _approbate_d her right to keep the house.
Define
appropriate
(uh-pro-pree-ehyt)
v. to take by force
v. to assign for a certain purpose
During the chaos following the president’s death, his wife _appropriate_d the role of head of the organization.
Define
arbiter
(are-bih-ter)
n. a person chosen to solve a dispute
One of her duties as babysitter was to act as arbiter when the children got into arguments.
Define
archetype
(are-kih-tahyp)
n. a typical example of something
n. the original on which something else is modeled
Dante’s Divine Comedy was the archetype upon which many derivative works were based.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. someone who shows off knowledge
n. someone who pays undue attention to rules
pedant
(ped-ant)
synonyms: sophist, doctrinaire, know-it-all
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a strong preference for something
penchant
(pen-chunt)
synonyms: fondness, inclination
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. extreme poverty or destitution
penury
(pen-yuh-ree)
synonyms: squalor, deprivation
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a different topic
tangent
(tan-djunt)
synonyms: digression, departure
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. rule by scientists
technocracy
(teck-knock-ruh-see)
synonyms: scientific rule
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. dullness
n. the feeling of being bored
tedium
(tee-dee-um)
synonyms: monotony, boredom, routine
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. sticking strongly to something
adj. having greater than average longevity
adj. stubborn
tenacious
(tuh-nay-shuss)
synonyms: adamant, persistent
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. easy to frighten
timorous
(tim-er-us)
synonyms: fearful, nervous, rattled
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a long, angry rant
tirade
(tahy-raid)
synonyms: abuse, outburst, berating
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. lacking physical or mental energy
torpid
(tore-pid)
synonyms: dormant, drained, motionless
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a state of low physical or mental energy
torpor
(tore-per)
synonyms: dormancy, apathy
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. extremely hot
adj. having intense emotion or passion
torrid
(tore-id)
synonyms: arid, blazing, impassioned
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. absolute, dictatorial control by the government
totalitarianism
(toe-tal-ih-tare-ee-un-izm)
synonyms: dictatorship, tyranny, authoritarianism
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. easy to handle or control
adj. easily shaped
tractable
(track-tuh-bul)
synonyms: manageable, compliant, adjustable
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. different from the norm; aberrant
anomalous
(uh-nom-ih-luss)
synonyms: unusual, abnormal, strange
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. aversion; loathing
antipathy
(an-tip-uh-thee)
synonyms: disgust, abhorrence
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to approve
approbate
(ap-ruh-behyt)
synonyms: affirm, accept
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to take by force
v. to assign for a certain purpose
appropriate
(uh-pro-pree-ehyt)
synonyms: steal, embezzle; allocate, assign
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a person chosen to solve a dispute
arbiter
(are-bih-ter)
synonyms: mediator, negotiator, referee
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a typical example of something
n. the original on which something else is modeled
archetype
(are-kih-tahyp)
synonyms: prototype, paradigm
Define
ardor
(are-der)
n. feeling of great warmth or intensity
His sense of justice manifests itself in the ardor with which he throws himself into his legal work.
Define
arduous
(ar-djew-us)
adj. requiring mental or physical strain
adj. demanding
The beach was practically empty, as reaching it entailed an arduous journey through a bramble thicket.
Define
aria
(are-ee-uh)
n. a solo vocal piece in an opera
During her aria, the opera singer expressed her character’s sorrow to the audience with great skill.
Define
arid
(air-id)
adj. extremely dry
adj. lacking spirit or vitality
The arid climate of the desert is ideal for plants that do not require much water, such as cacti.
Define
sundry
(suhn-dree)
adj. various, miscellaneous, separate
The sundry items at the garage sale ranged from antique to almost brand new.
Define
reprise
(ruh-preez)
n. a repetition of an action
v. to repeat or resume
The reprise of the song had the audience dancing in the aisles.
Define
harrow
(hair-oh)
v. to distress, torment
Any talk of layoffs would always leave the entire division _harrow_ed and unable to focus on their work.
Define
sardonic
(sahr-don-ik)
adj. cynical, mocking
The class clown’s sardonic remark landed him in detention.
Define
subterfuge
(suhb-ter-fyoodj)
n. a deliberate deception to avoid a consequence
Policemen who stop drunk drivers can see right through the subterfuge of hastily chewing a piece of gum.
Define
axiom
(ack-see-um)
n. a generally accepted truth
In math class, we learned about the different _axiom_s we could use to develop geometric proofs.
Define
controvert
(kon-truh-vurt)
v. to deny the truth of
Recent experiments seem to controvert the predictions of previous theories.
Define
progeny
(prodj-uh-nee)
n. one born or derived from another; an offspring or descendent
n. a product of creative effort
That family claims to be the progeny of the king of France, but they refuse to submit to a DNA test to prove their bloodline.
Define
potentate
(poht-n-teyt)
n. one with absolute power to rule; a monarch
While the potentate sipped wine, the peasants toiled in the field.
Define
cardinal
(kahr-dn-uhl)
adj. of paramount importance
adj. dark red
At the graduation speech, the valedictorian gave them cardinal rules to live by.
Define
hidebound
(hahyd-bound)
adj. rigid, dry, unmoving
The hidebound rules of organized religion have never appealed to me much.
Define
chary
(chair-ee)
adj. very cautious; not giving or spending freely
adj. shy
Joe was chary of his praise for his daughters, but when he did congratulate them, they beamed.
Define
arabesque
(air-uh-besk)
n. a complex, ornate design
The kimono was trimmed with an arabesque of tiny yellow curlicues.
Define
rapturous
(rap-cher-uhs)
adj. expressing great pleasure or enthusiasm
The presidential decree was greeted with rapturous applause.
Define
amalgamate
(uh-mal-guh-meyt)
v. to combine several elements into a whole; to blend
Our county will amalgamate with the neighboring county in order to cut administrative costs.
Define
prattle
(prat-uhl)
v. to babble or speak foolishly
The confused student _prattle_d for a few minutes before sitting back down.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. feeling of great warmth or intensity
ardor
(are-der)
synonyms: admiration, passion
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. requiring mental or physical strain
adj. demanding
arduous
(ar-djew-us)
synonyms: burdensome, exhausting
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a solo vocal piece in an opera
aria
(are-ee-uh)
synonyms: descant, hymn, song
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. extremely dry
adj. lacking spirit or vitality
arid
(air-id)
synonyms: dry, barren
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. various, miscellaneous, separate
sundry
(suhn-dree)
synonyms: assorted, different
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a repetition of an action
n. to repeat or resume
reprise
(ruh-preez)
synonyms: recurrence; repeat
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to distress, torment
harrow
(hair-oh)
synonyms: depredate, harass
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. cynical, mocking
sardonic
(sahr-don-ik)
synonyms: derisive, scornful
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a deliberate deception to avoid a consequence
subterfuge
(suhb-ter-fyoodj)
synonyms: cheating, dishonesty, dissimulation
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a generally accepted truth
axiom
(ack-see-um)
synonyms: principle, fundamental
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to deny the truth of
controvert
(kon-truh-vurt)
synonyms: oppose, argue, deny, dispute
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. one born or derived from another; an offspring or descendent
n. a product of creative effort
progeny
(prodj-uh-nee)
synonyms: offspring, children, lineage; result
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. one with absolute power to rule; a monarch
potentate
(poht-n-teyt)
synonyms: autocrat, chief, leader
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. of paramount importance
adj. dark red
cardinal
(kahr-dn-uhl)
synonyms: important, key; burgundy
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. rigid, dry, unmoving
hidebound
(hahyd-bound)
synonyms: fixed, immovable, strict
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. very cautious; not giving or spending freely
adj. shy
chary
(chair-ee)
synonyms: stingy, cautious; abashed, modest
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a complex, ornate design
arabesque
(air-uh-besk)
synonyms: design, frill, adornment, flourish
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. expressing great pleasure or enthusiasm
rapturous
(rap-cher-uhs)
synonyms: delighted, happy
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to combine several elements into a whole; to blend
amalgamate
(uh-mal-guh-meyt)
synonyms: integrate, combine
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to babble or speak foolishly
prattle
(prat-uhl)
synonyms: chatter, gab, gush
Define
simian
(sim-ee-uhn)
adj. relating to apes
Humans have many simian characteristics.
Define
precipice
(press-uh-piss)
n. a steep rock or cliff face
The climber faced the largest precipice of his career.
Define
augury
(aw-gyuh-ree)
n. divination
n. an omen, portent
Augury is often performed by observing a crystal ball.
Define
picayune
(pik-ee-yoon)
adj. of little value, paltry, petty
n. something of little value
His craftsmanship wasn’t worth a picayune.
Define
anthropomorphic
(an-thruh-puh-mawr-fik)
adj. having human characteristics
Many people believe that aliens will be anthropomorphic, but there is no evidence to support that.
Define
ramify
(ram-uh-fahy)
v. to be divided, to branch out
The dispute _ramifi_ed as more factions got involved.
Define
upbraid
(uhp-breyd)
v. to scold sharply, reprimand, or blame
Mom _upbraid_ed me for not doing the dishes last night.
Define
banality
(buh-nal-ih-tee)
n. triviality
n. something overused and trite
The once-funny joke had become a banality in the camp.
Define
base
(behyss)
adj. immoral
adj. made of low quality materials
The young man was criticized by his parents for his base, degrading lifestyle.
Define
sodden
(sod-n)
adj. thoroughly soaked, saturated
My clothes were sodden from the rainstorm.
Define
stolid
(stawl-id)
adj. stoic, emotionless
People in old-time photographs tend to have stolid expressions.
Define
phthisis
(thigh-sis)
n. a disease characterized by body-part atrophy (especially of the lungs)
His phthisis was interfering with work more every day.
Define
vintner
(vint-ner)
n. one who makes or sells wine
In Italy there are a great number of _vintner_s.
Define
salient
(sehy-lee-uhnt)
adj. prominent or conspicuous
The cover of the study guide listed its salient features, such as diagnostic and practice exams.
Define
haughty
(haw-tee)
adj. arrogant, snobbish
I prefer the company of one or two good friends to a party full of haughty, self-absorbed socialites.
Define
blanch
(blanch)
v. to whiten or turn pale
During the biology dissection, Jennifer _blanch_ed and ran out of the room.
Define
inimitable
(in-im-ih-tuh-buhl)
adj. incapable of being imitated or duplicated
The Broadway debut was a spellbinding performance thanks mainly to the inimitable stamina of the female lead.
Define
accretion
(uh-kree-shuhn)
n. growth; increase by successive or gradual addition
The accretion of dirt has changed the floor’s color.
Define
trenchant
(tren-chuhnt)
adj. forceful and effective
adj. extremely perceptive
The experienced CEO offered trenchant criticisms of the young company.
Define
turgid
(tur-djid)
adj. swollen or distended
adj. excessively ornate; grandiloquent
Marcy’s turgid leg was enough to concern her parents.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. relating to apes
simian
(sim-ee-uhn)
synonyms: ape-like
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a steep rock or cliff face
precipice
(press-uh-piss)
synonyms: crag, bluff, cliff
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. divination
n. an omen, portent
augury
(aw-gyuh-ree)
synonyms: fortunetelling; forewarning
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. of little value, paltry, petty
n. something of little value
picayune
(pik-ee-yoon)
synonyms: diminutive, frivolous; a trifle
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. having human characteristics
anthropomorphic
(an-thruh-puh-mawr-fik)
synonyms: humanlike
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to be divided, to branch out
ramify
(ram-uh-fahy)
synonyms: diverge, diversify, fork
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to scold sharply, reprimand or blame
upbraid
(uhp-breyd)
synonyms: berate, criticize, reprimand
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. triviality
n. something overused and trite
banality
(buh-nal-ih-tee)
synonyms: cliché, quotidian
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. immoral
adj. made of low quality materials
base
(behyss)
synonyms: vulgar, low; shoddy, cheap
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. thoroughly soaked, saturated
sodden
(sod-n)
synonyms: soaked, soggy, wet
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. stoic, emotionless
stolid
(stawl-id)
synonyms: apathetic, indifferent
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a disease characterized by body-part atrophy (especially of the lungs)
phthisis
(thigh-sis)
synonyms: infection, decay
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. one who makes or sells wine
vintner
(vint-ner)
synonyms: winemaker, wine merchant
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. prominent or conspicuous
salient
(sehy-lee-uhnt)
synonyms: noticeable, important, pertinent
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. arrogant, insolent
haughty
(haw-tee)
synonyms: egotistic, conceited
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to whiten or turn pale
blanch
(blanch)
synonyms: discolor, fade, wash out
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. incapable of being imitated or duplicated
inimitable
(in-im-ih-tuh-buhl)
synonyms: unique, matchless, peerless
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. growth; increase by successive or gradual addition
accretion
(uh-kree-shuhn)
synonyms: increase, build-up
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. forceful and effective
adj. extremely perceptive
trenchant
(tren-chuhnt)
synonyms: sharp; observant
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. swollen or distended
adj. excessively ornate; grandiloquent
turgid
(tur-djid)
synonyms: bloated, enlarged; grandiose
Define
belabor
(buh-lehy-burr)
v. to speak or worry about something at length
v. to attack
She was known to belabor the point when it came to environmentalism, so we tried not to bring it up.
Define
belie
(buh-lahy)
v. to give a false impression
v. to reveal as untrue
She greeted us with a smile, but the redness of her eyes _belie_d her cheerful attitude.
Define
benign
(buh-nahyn)
adj. pleasant
adj. not harmful, especially to health
The doctor’s benign manner endeared him to patients.
Define
bent
(bent)
n. a natural talent
n. an inclination or interest
Lisa had a true bent for working with animals, so people often told her to consider a career as a veterinarian.
Define
berate
(bih-rate)
v. to scold or criticize angrily
Jane’s boss was so mean that he _berate_d her for even the smallest mistakes.
Define
blithe
(blahyth)
adj. carefree and happy
When he lost his job, John struggled to maintain his blithe and optimistic attitude toward life.
Define
capacious
(kuh-pay-shuss)
adj. having a lot of room
The capacious living room often impressed their guests.
Define
capitulate
(kuh-pitch-ih-lehyt)
v. to surrender; to give in
The mother _capitulate_d after hours of tantrums and finally bought her son the toy.
Define
caprice
(kuh-prees)
n. a sudden desire
Her decision to come along on the trip was a mere caprice; she had never expressed a desire to come before then.
Define
carp
(karp)
v. to raise trivial objections
n. a type of fish
She hated when her coworkers _carp_ed about the minimal work they had to do.
Define
cascade
(kass-kehyd)
n. a waterfall
n. something that falls or progresses like a waterfall
I knew the wire was badly damaged when a cascade of sparks fell the moment I touched it.
Define
castigate
(kast-ih-gehyt)
v. to give harsh criticism
v. to punish harshly
His parents _castigate_d him for his bad grades by taking away his car keys.
Define
caustic
(kaw-stick)
adj. capable of corroding
adj. harsh or sarcastic in tone
The comedian was known for his caustic jokes about political scandals.
Define
censure
(sen-shur)
n. strong disapproval, esp. official disapproval
v. to condemn
The professor was _censure_d by the administration for his controversial and politically incorrect lectures.
Define
chauvinism
(show-vuh-niz-um)
n. fanatical patriotism
n. prejudiced support of one’s own group, sex, or cause
My father’s chauvinism was characterized by a rather dim view of other races.
Define
chimera
(kahy-mere-uh)
n. a creature possessing the body parts of different animals
n. a fanciful mental illusion
The ability to make easy money is a chimera; it only works until the next economic downturn.
Define
collusion
(kuh-loo-zhun)
n. a conspiracy or secret plot
Acting in collusion with several high officials, the rebels completed the government takeover successfully.
Define
complacent
(kum-plehy-sunt)
adj. satisfied and thus not wanting to improve
Kate became complacent after years of success as a model and so was unprepared when younger women challenged her position at the top.
Define
complaisant
(kum-plehy-sunt)
adj. eager to please
Although usually argumentative, Paul is surprisingly complaisant with his girlfriend.
Define
concise
(kun-sayhs)
adj. brief; able to express a lot in few words
Before the show, the director gave a concise introduction that explained his reasons for getting involved in the production.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to speak or worry about something at length
v. to attack
belabor
(buh-lehy-burr)
synonyms: dwell on, repeat; invade, assail
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to give a false impression
v. to reveal as untrue
belie
(buh-lahy)
synonyms: falsify, garble, distort; disprove
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. pleasant
adj. not harmful, especially to health
benign
(buh-nahyn)
synonyms: amiable; harmless
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a natural talent
n. an inclination or interest
bent
(bent)
synonyms: ability, gift; propensity, intent
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to scold or criticize angrily
berate
(bih-rate)
synonyms: abuse, discipline
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. carefree and happy
blithe
(blahyth)
synonyms: animated, buoyant, cheerful
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. having a lot of room
capacious
(kuh-pay-shuss)
synonyms: spacious, roomy, expansive
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to surrender; to give in
capitulate
(kuh-pitch-ih-lehyt)
synonyms: bow, concede, succumb
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a sudden desire
caprice
(kuh-prees)
synonyms: fancy, impulse
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to raise trivial objections
n. a kind of fish
carp
(karp)
synonyms: nag, bother
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a waterfall
n. something that falls or progresses like a waterfall
cascade
(kass-kehyd)
synonyms: chute, downpour, flood
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to give harsh criticism to
v. to punish harshly
castigate
(kast-ih-gehyt)
synonyms: criticize, berate; punish, batter
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. capable of corroding
adj. harsh or sarcastic in tone
caustic
(kaw-stick)
synonyms: abrasive, erosive; ironic, bitter
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. strong disapproval, esp. official disapproval
v. to condemn
censure
(sen-shur)
synonyms: criticism; blame, chide, incriminate
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. fanatical patriotism; and
n. prejudiced support of one’s own group, sex, or cause
chauvinism
(show-vuh-niz-um)
synonyms: jingoism, ethnocentricity
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a creature possessing the body parts of different animals
n. a fanciful mental illusion
chimera
(kahy-mere-uh)
synonyms: dream, fantasy
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a conspiracy or secret plot
collusion
(kuh-loo-zhun)
synonyms: pact, trick, connivance
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. satisfied and thus not wanting to improve
complacent
(kum-plehy-sunt)
synonyms: self-assured, unconcerned, gratified
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. eager to please
complaisant
(kum-plehy-sunt)
synonyms: obliging, compliant
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. brief; able to express a lot in few words
concise
(kun-sahys)
synonyms: short, succinct
Define
conjecture
(kun-jeck-chur)
n. inference based on inconclusive or incomplete evidence
The scientist’s paper was criticized by his peers for being based purely on conjecture.
Define
consternation
(kon-stur-nehy-shun)
n. a state of confused terror or apprehension
A feeling of consternation filled the room as the teacher began to hand back papers immediately after the students had handed them in.
Define
consummate
(v. kon-suh-meyt; adj. kon-suh-muht)
v. to make complete or perfect
adj. perfect in every aspect
The team’s victory was _consummate_d by a spontaneous celebration on the field.
Define
contention
(kun-ten-shun)
n. a point or argument in a debate
n. a competition
The ceasefire is holding, but a few points of contention must still be resolved before a final peace can be reached.
Define
contrite
(kun-trahyt)
adj. full of remorse
The letter explained that he was truly contrite and wanted to apologize in person.
Define
convalesce
(kon-vuh-less)
v. to recover
After the accident, Tom was told to convalesce for at least two weeks.
Define
deleterious
(dell-uh-teer-ee-us)
adj. causing harm or damage
It is now common knowledge that smoking is deleterious to one’s health.
Define
demagogue
(dem-uh-gog)
n. a speaker who targets his or her audience’s emotions or prejudices
The candidate’s opponent accused him of being a demagogue and relying upon the public’s fear of change.
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denigrate
(den-ih-grehyt)
v. to attack the reputation of
The columnist _denigrate_d the baseball coach for his string of high-profile losses.
Define
denote
(dih-noht)
v. to mark or indicate
The red text on her report card _denote_d which classes she was failing.
Define
desiccate
(dess-ih-kehyt)
v. to cause to lose moisture
Mary had her wart removed at the doctor’s office by _desiccat_ing it.
Define
despond
(dih-spond)
v. to become dejected
His campaign team _despond_ed when they heard the official results of the election.
Define
desultory
(dess-uhl-tore-ee)
adj. having no plan or purpose; random
The desultory thoughts running through Mick’s mind prevented him from concentrating on the essay he had to write.
Define
diatribe
(die-uh-trahyb)
n. a harsh rant or critical review
After hours of waiting with me in the lobby, my mother began her usual diatribe on the various failings of airport management.
Define
discrete
(diss-kreet)
adj. distinctly separate
The U.S. government has three discrete branches: the judiciary, the legislature, and the executive.
Define
disparage
(dih-spare-idj)
v. to express a negative opinion of
She _disparage_d her friend behind his back, yet praised him to his face.
Define
disparate
(diss-puh-rit)
adj. completely different
The two had such disparate opinions on the topic that it seemed impossible for them to work together effectively.
Define
dispassionate
(diss-pash-ih-nut)
adj. unbiased; objective
A dispassionate judge will favor neither the prosecution nor the defense.
Define
disposed
(diss-pohzd)
adj. having a tendency or partiality to
Kate was particularly stubborn when she was angry and was not disposed to listen to reason.
Define
tendentious
(ten-den-chuss)
adj. exhibiting a trend; having an ulterior motive or bias
Wendy’s tendentious assessment of the war mentions only its positive effects, skipping over the negative points.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. inference based on inconclusive or incomplete evidence
conjecture
(kun-jeck-chur)
synonyms: assumption, guess, presumption
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a state of confused terror or apprehension
consternation
(kon-stur-nehy-shun)
synonyms: dismay, distress, panic
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to make complete or perfect
adj. perfect in every aspect
consummate
(v. kon-suh-meyt; adj. kon-suh-muht)
synonyms: fulfill, finish, achieve; flawless
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a point or argument in a debate
n. a competition
contention
(kun-ten-shun)
synonyms: allegation, claim; altercation, contest
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. full of remorse
contrite
(kun-trahyt)
synonyms: regretful, atoning, remorseful
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to recover
convalesce
(kon-vuh-less)
synonyms: grow strong, rest, recharge physically
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. causing harm or damage
deleterious
(dell-uh-teer-ee-us)
synonyms: destructive, injurious, hurtful
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a speaker who targets his or her audience’s emotions or prejudices
demagogue
(dem-uh-gog)
synonyms: agitator, rabble-rouser
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to attack the reputation of
denigrate
(den-ih-grehyt)
synonyms: malign, slander, defame
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to mark or indicate
denote
(dih-noht)
synonyms: assign, signify
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to cause to lose moisture
desiccate
(dess-ih-kehyt)
synonyms: dehydrate; dry out
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to become dejected
despond
(dih-spond)
synonyms: despair, dishearten, surrender
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. having no plan or purpose; random
desultory
(dess-uhl-tore-ee)
synonyms: aimless, erratic
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a harsh rant or critical review
diatribe
(die-uh-trahyb)
synonyms: criticism, tirade
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. distinctly separate
discrete
(diss-kreet)
synonyms: detached, disconnected, separate
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to express a negative opinion of
disparage
(dih-spare-idj)
synonyms: insult, belittle
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. completely different
disparate
(diss-puh-rit)
synonyms: contrary, unlike, various
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. unbiased; objective
dispassionate
(diss-pash-ih-nut)
synonyms: unbiased, fair, not affected by emotion
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. having a tendency or partiality to
disposed
(diss-pohzd)
synonyms: inclined, prone to
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. exhibiting a trend
adj. having an ulterior motive or bias
tendentious
(ten-den-chuss)
synonyms: biased, calculated