Define:
dissociate
(dih-soh-see-ate)
v. to consider as separate
v. to break away
When news of the company's fraud broke out, former affiliates tried to dissociate themselves from the partnership.
Define:
dissonant
(diss-ih-nunt)
adj. not in agreement; discordant
adj. unpleasant or harsh sounding
The first song the group performed surprised the audience with its dissonant chords and unusual length.
Define:
distend
(dih-stend)
v. to swell or widen
The children watched in fascination as the frog distended its throat and croaked.
Define:
distill
(dih-still)
v. to make pure
v. to take out from
The essence of the substance was distilled through a complicated process.
Define:
divest
(dahy-vest)
v. to deprive or dispossess
v. to dispose of assets
He was divested of his privileges and title after breaking the club's most important rule.
Define:
doctrinaire
(dock-truh-nair)
adj. following theory without regard for practical reality
The new president's doctrinaire attitude towards economics led him to go through with some harmful policies.
Define:
elate
(ee-late)
v. to fill with optimism or excitement
Activists were elated to hear about the passage of the civil rights legislation.
Define:
elegy
(ell-ih-djee)
n. a mournful poem or song
At her father's funeral, Linda chose to read an elegy by his favorite poet, Keats.
Define:
elucidate
(ih-loo-sih-dehyt)
v. to make easier to understand
The company introduced simplified diagrams on its packaging to elucidate its new environmentally-friendly manufacturing process.
Define:
emaciate
(ih-mehy-shee-ehyt)
v. to make or become thin
He emerged from the prisoner camp emaciated by months of inadequate rations.
Define:
emollient
(ih-mole-yunt)
adj. having the effect of softening
The cream was popular for its moisturizing and emollient properties.
Define:
venal
(veen-l)
adj. capable of being bought or bribed; mercenary; corruptible
Naturally, the case was declared a mistrial when its venal judge was shown to have sought bribes from both the prosecution and the defense.
Define:
doggerel
(daw-ger-uhl)
n. trivial, poorly constructed verse
adj. comic, burlesque; loose and irregular
The doggerel found in some publications is often a result of lazy editing.
Define:
manse
(manss)
n. a clergyman's house
n. a mansion
The architect just finished the plans for the minister's new manse.
Define:
nexus
(nek-suhss)
n. a connected series; a tie or link
n. the center or focus
The detective pursued several corrupt police officials and so uncovered the nexus of the city's violent crime.
Define:
promulgate
(prom-uhl-geyt)
v. to make openly known; to officially announce
The governor promulgated the new building code by special courier to each of the state's municipalities.
Define:
dross
(drawss)
n. rubbish, waste, or foreign matter; impurity
Fred dismissed the criticisms of his portfolio, pointing out that the gold had far outweighed the dross through his long career.
Define:
demur
(duh-mur)
v. to take exception; to object
n. an objection
Though he was essentially in favor of freedom of speech, he demurred at certain types of hate speech.
Define:
felicitous
(fih-liss-ih-tuss)
adj. appropriate, suitable (as of a comment); well-chosen
Though Zhang and Eric are nothing alike, their complementary strengths made for a felicitous pairing as lab partners.
Define:
veritable
(ver-ih-tuh-buhl)
adj. authentic, real, true
In such a moderate district, winning more than 60 percent of the vote is a veritable landslide.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to consider as separate
v. to break away
dissociate
(dih-soh-see-ate)
synonyms: separate, detach
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. not in agreement; discordant
adj. unpleasant or harsh sounding
dissonant
(diss-ih-nunt)
synonyms: discordant, clashing
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to swell or widen
distend
(dih-stend)
synonyms: bulge, swell, bloat
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to make pure
v. to take out from
distill
(dih-still)
synonyms: boil down, condense, extract
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to deprive or dispossess
v. to dispose of assets
divest
(dahy-vest)
synonyms: release, give up possession, rid
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. following theory without regard for practical reality
doctrinaire
(dock-truh-nair)
synonyms: dogmatic, unrealistic
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to fill with optimism or excitement
elate
(ee-late)
synonyms: uplift, exalt, to make very proud or happy
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a mournful poem or song
elegy
(ell-ih-djee)
synonyms: death song, lament
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to make easier to understand
elucidate
(ih-loo-sih-dehyt)
synonyms: clarify, simplify, expose
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to make or become thin
emaciate
(ih-mehy-shee-ehyt)
synonyms: decrease, starve, weaken
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. having the effect of softening
emollient
(ih-mole-yunt)
synonyms: relaxing, relieving
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. capable of being bought or bribed; mercenary
venal
(veen-l)
synonyms: dishonest, corruptible
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. trivial, poorly constructed verse
doggerel
(daw-ger-uhl)
synonyms: awkward, droll
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a clergyman's house
n. a mansion
manse
(manss)
synonyms: dwelling, house, residence
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a connected series; a tie or link
n. the center or focus
nexus
(nek-suhss)
synonyms: web, union; core
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to make openly known; to officially announce
promulgate
(prom-uhl-geyt)
synonyms: advertise, broadcast, declare
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. slag, waste, or foreign matter; impurity
dross
(drawss)
synonyms: dregs, scum
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to take exception; to object
n. an objection
demur
(duh-mur)
synonyms: disagree, challenge, oppose
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. appropriate, suitable (as of a comment); well-chosen
felicitous
(fih-liss-ih-tuss)
synonyms: apt, fitting, favorable
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. authentic, real, true
veritable
(ver-ih-tuh-buhl)
synonyms: bona fide, genuine
Define:
impassive
(im-pass-iv)
adj. showing no emotion; stoic; unmoved
Who could remain impassive after such a heart-wrenching story?
Define:
hermetic
(hur-met-ik)
adj. airtight, impervious to outside influence; isolated
The tomb's hermetic seal had never been opened.
Define:
fracas
(frey-kuhs)
n. a noisy fight or quarrel
In the middle of the day, a fracas between two cab drivers erupted in the street.
Define:
eminence
(em-ih-nunce)
n. a place of high rank
Late in her career, Aida was finally recognized for achieving eminence in filmmaking.
Define:
epigram
(ep-ih-gram)
n. a witty saying
The comedian became famous for his instantly recognizable epigrams and one-liners.
Define:
epitome
(uh-pit-uh-mee)
n. a particularly worthy example of a class or type
The salon's customers praised his work as the epitome of high-class hairstyling.
Define:
equanimity
(ek-wuh-nim-ih-tee)
n. steadiness of mind
A good leader maintains her equanimity even during a crisis.
Define:
equivocal
(uh-kwiv-uh-kul)
adj. uncertain or open to interpretation
The doctor's conclusion was rather equivocal, so I asked for a second opinion.
Define:
erudite
(air-ya-dahyt)
adj. having profound knowledge or wisdom
The erudite professor was extremely knowledgeable but difficult to understand in lectures.
Define:
espouse
(uh-spouz)
v. to give or take in matrimony
v. to take up or adopt (e.g., a cause)
Although she claims to be nonconformist, Becky merely espouses the same beliefs she has read about in various books and websites.
Define:
eradicate
(ih-rad-ih-kehyt)
v. to eliminate completely
The poison succeeded in eradicating all of the insects that had invaded the house.
Define:
estrange
(ih-strange)
v. to arouse hostility in
v. to remove from a group or relationship
A particularly mean-spirited remark from her stepmother finally estranged Maggie from her family, and she has not been home since.
Define:
evanescent
(ev-ih-ness-unt)
adj. tending to vanish
The evanescent beauty of cherry blossoms may have inspired the respect for short-lived pleasures evident in the Japanese psyche.
Define:
extrinsic
(ik-strin-zik)
adj. originating from the outside
The parents' cheers were useful for extrinsic motivation, but the coach told the team that the drive to win must come from inside themselves.
Define:
exult
(ig-zult)
v. to express joy or elation
The winning candidate's campaign team began to exult the moment they heard the news.
Define:
facetious
(fuh-see-shuss)
adj. humorous with a sarcastic tone
The student's facetious comments were seen as disrespectful by his professor.
Define:
facile
(fass-ul)
adj. done with ease
adj. shallow, uncomplicated
Though facile references to cooperation may inspire some workers, others remain unconvinced until their higher-ups go into specifics.
Define:
rectitude
(rek-tih-tood)
n. moral righteousness
n. the quality of being right
The priest praised him for his rectitude in the face of temptation.
Define:
crucible
(kroo-suh-buhl)
n. a metal container made of heat resistant material
n. a severe test
n. a place or time characterized by powerful forces
He was cast into the crucible of depression by his daughter's diagnosis.
Define:
ingenue
(an-je-noo)
n. a naive, innocent young woman
Do you take me for an ingenue who has never been to the city?
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. showing no emotion; stoic; unmoved
impassive
(im-pass-iv)
synonyms: apathetic, unfeeling
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. airtight, impervious to outside influence; isolated
hermetic
(hur-met-ik)
synonyms: impervious, shut, sealed
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a noisy fight or quarrel
fracas
(frey-kuhs)
synonyms: disturbance, fight, brawl
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a place of high rank
eminence
(em-ih-nunce)
synonyms: importance, authority
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a witty saying
epigram
(ep-ih-gram)
synonyms: quirk, joke
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a particularly worthy example of a class or type
epitome
(uh-pit-uh-mee)
synonyms: ideal, model
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. steadiness of mind
equanimity
(ek-wuh-nim-ih-tee)
synonyms: composure, poise
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. uncertain or open to interpretation
equivocal
(uh-kwiv-uh-kul)
synonyms: doubtful, questionable
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. having profound knowledge or wisdom
erudite
(air-ya-dahyt)
synonyms: educated, cultured, savvy
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to give or take in matrimony
v. to take up or adopt (e.g., a cause)
espouse
(uh-spouz)
synonyms: marry, engage; support, defend
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to eliminate completely
eradicate
(ih-rad-ih-kehyt)
synonyms: destroy, annihilate
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to arouse hostility in
v. to remove oneself from a group or relationship
estrange
(ih-strange)
synonyms: antagonize, disaffect; separate, disconnect
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. tending to vanish
evanescent
(ev-ih-ness-unt)
synonyms: transient, disappearing, vanishing
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. originating from the outside
extrinsic
(ik-strin-zik)
synonyms: foreign, acquired, alien, outward
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to express joy or elation
exult
(ig-zult)
synonyms: delight, jubilate
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. humorous with a sarcastic tone
facetious
(fuh-see-shuss)
synonyms: ironic, not serious
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. done with ease
adj. shallow, uncomplicated
facile
(fass-ul)
synonyms: effortless; simplistic
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. moral righteousness
n. the quality of being right
rectitude
(rek-tih-tood)
synonyms: decency, integrity; correctness
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a metal container made of heat resistant material
n. a severe test
n. a place or time characterized by powerful forces
crucible
(kroo-suh-buhl)
synonyms: vessel; calamity, trial
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a naive, innocent young woman
ingenue
(an-zhuh-noo)
synonyms: amateur, learner
Define:
cadge
(kadj)
v. to beg or ask for; to impose on another's generosity
The drunk was cadging cigarettes from strangers.
Define:
flout
(flahwt)
v. to demonstrate contempt for; to mock with disdain
v. to disregard, to disobey
She flouted convention with her bizarre style of dress.
Define:
ennui
(ahn-wee)
n. dissatisfaction and restlessness due to boredom or apathy
Go Fish could not cure our rainy-day ennui.
Define:
urbanity
(ur-ban-ih-tee)
n. refinement and elegance of manner; polished courtesy
It was difficult not to be captivated by the palpable urbanity in everything she said.
Define:
vicissitude
(vih-siss-ih-tood)
n. a sudden, unexpected change, as in one's life
John found inner strength and confronted the vicissitudes of a troubled life admirably.
Define:
hubris
(hyoo-bris)
n. arrogant presumption, excessive pride
The president's hubris led to the desertion of many of his erstwhile friends who missed the humble and prudent politician they once knew.
Define:
fallow
(fal-owe)
adj. undeveloped (often despite the potential to be used)
In the United States, some farmers are paid to leave parts of their land fallow in order to limit agricultural output.
Define:
fathom
(fath-um)
v. to calculate the depth of
v. to comprehend
I cannot even fathom the idea of giving up my child for adoption.
Define:
fatuous
(fach-oo-us)
adj. inanely foolish
Most of his peers and relations thought his dream of becoming both a doctor and astronaut was fatuous at best.
Define:
ferment
(v. fur-ment; n. fur-ment)
v. to process sugar into alcohol organically
v. to work up
n. a state of excitement or turbulence
The ferment into which Watson and Crick's discovery of DNA thrust the world of evolutionary biology was slow to die down.
Define:
fervent
(fur-vent)
adj. filled with strong emotion
Her fervent desire to help others led her to start her own charity organization with her inheritance.
Define:
fetter
(fet-er)
n. a restraint
v. to restrict or restrain
The designer felt his creativity was fettered by his client's demands.
Define:
garrulous
(gair-uh-luss)
adj. overly talkative (esp. about unimportant topics)
The woman's garrulous nature annoyed most of her coworkers.
Define:
gauche
(goash)
adj. unsophisticated; lacking manners
Linda kept to herself at her boss's cocktail party, lest she say something gauche and embarrass herself.
Define:
germane
(djer-mehyn)
adj. relevant to the matter at hand
Kevin had a hard time finding materials that were actually germane to his project and not just tangentially related.
Define:
glib
(glihb)
adj. spoken in a smooth, unconcerned manner
adj. informal to the point of being insincere
The politician annoyed many journalists with his glib responses.
Define:
glutton
(glut-un)
n. a person who eats to excess
Johnny got in trouble so often that his professors began asking if he was a "glutton for punishment".
Define:
grandiloquent
(gran-dill-ih-kwunt)
adj. extravagant and pompous in speech
The grandiloquent speech did not have much substance, leaving the audience confused about its purpose.
Define:
gratuitous
(gruh-too-ih-tuss)
adj. unwarranted or unnecessary
The movie disgusted her due to its gratuitous violence, which served no plot function so far as she could tell.
Define:
gregarious
(grih-gair-ee-us)
adj. outgoing and friendly
adj. tending to live in communities
This gregarious species of bird may be found in flocks of up to one hundred individuals.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to beg or ask for; to impose on another's generosity
cadge
(kadj)
synonyms: hawk, mooch
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to demonstrate contempt for; to mock with disdain
flout
(flahwt)
synonyms: deride, mock, ridicule
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. dissatisfaction and restlessness due to boredom or apathy
ennui
(ahn-wee)
synonyms: tedium, weariness, disinterest
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. refinement and elegance of manner; polished courtesy
urbanity
(ur-ban-ih-tee)
synonyms: elegance, charming
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a sudden, unexpected change, as in one's life
vicissitude
(vih-siss-ih-tood)
synonyms: alteration, hardship, adversity
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. arrogant presumption, excessive pride
hubris
(hyoo-bris)
synonyms: brass, conceitedness, nerve
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. undeveloped (often despite the potential to be used)
fallow
(fal-owe)
synonyms: neglected, inactive, vacant
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to calculate the depth of
v. to comprehend
fathom
(fath-um)
synonyms: measure; understand
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. inanely foolish
fatuous
(fach-oo-us)
synonyms: silly, frivolous
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to process sugar into alcohol organically
v. to work up
n. a state of excitement or turbulence
ferment
(v. fur-ment, n. fur-ment)
synonyms: disturb, agitate; agitation, uprising, excitement
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. filled with strong emotion
fervent
(fur-vent)
synonyms: ardent, zealous, impassioned
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a restraint
v. to restrict or restrain
fetter
(fet-er)
synonyms: tie up, bind
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. overly talkative (esp. about unimportant topics)
garrulous
(gair-uh-luss)
synonyms: babbling, chatty, verbose
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. unsophisticated; lacking manners
gauche
(goash)
synonyms: tactless, crude
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. relevant to the matter at hand
germane
(djer-mehyn)
synonyms: appropriate, applicable, befitting
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. spoken in a smooth, unconcerned manner
adj. informal to the point of being insincere
glib
(glihb)
synonyms: nonchalant, fluent, thoughtless
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a person who eats to excess
glutton
(glut-un)
synonyms: gorger, hog
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. extravagant and pompous in speech
grandiloquent
(gran-dill-ih-kwunt)
synonyms: self-important, lofty
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. unwarranted or unnecessary
gratuitous
(gruh-too-ih-tuss)
synonyms: unneeded, wanton
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. outgoing and friendly
adj. tending to live in communities
gregarious
(grih-gair-ee-us)
synonyms: affable, cordial; sociable
Define:
guile
(gahyl)
n. trickery or duplicity
His offer was free of guile and meant only to be helpful.
Define:
hyperbole
(hahy-pur-buh-lee)
n. exaggeration
The statement that "I'm so hungry, I could eat a cow," is hyperbole and not meant to be taken literally.
Define:
iconoclast
(eye-con-uh-klast)
n. one who challenges generally accepted beliefs and traditions
The iconoclasts who upended Britain's post-war consensus took a much harder line against unions than had been the norm.
Define:
idiosyncrasy
(id-ee-owe-sing-kruh-see)
n. a peculiar way of behaving or thinking
His obsession with removing his shoes the moment they got wet was one of his many idiosyncrasies.
Define:
idyll
(ahyd-ul)
n. a scene of simple and tranquil nature
n. a short poem about such a scene
Her favorite poems are idylls about the joys of life in the country.
Define:
immutable
(ih-mew-tuh-bull)
adj. not susceptible to change
The actors knew that once the director made a decision about a scene, it was immutable and not open to debate.
Define:
imperious
(im-peer-ee-us)
adj. proud and arrogant
The actress replied to her manager's concerns with an imperious wave of her hand.
Define:
impetuous
(im-pech-oo-us)
adj. hasty and lacking in thought
His impetuous and eager nature led him to take on more projects than he could realistically complete.
Define:
impetus
(im-pih-tuss)
n. a force that encourages or pushes forward a certain activity
n. a force that moves an object
The sudden publicity around the violence in India gave impetus to the campaign to end the conflict through international mediation.
Define:
implacable
(im-plack-ih-bull)
adj. impossible to calm or satisfy
According to my mother, I was an implacable baby who often kept her up through the night.
Define:
inert
(in-urt)
adj. not able to move
adj. having no energy or interest
adj. chemically inactive
After hours at the gym, Luke could only lie about the house, inert and exhausted.
Define:
infallible
(in-fal-ih-bull)
adj. incapable of error
Many of the actor's fans considered him infallible, so it was shocking when his latest film was widely panned.
Define:
ingenuous
(in-djehn-you-us)
adj. unable to mask feelings
adj. lacking worldliness; innocent and unsuspecting
Kate was too ingenuous to realize that accepting a ride from a stranger might be a bad idea.
Define:
iniquitous
(ih-nick-wih-tuss)
adj. wicked or unjust
The villain's iniquitous plan was fortunately foiled again by the hero.
Define:
innocuous
(ih-nock-you-us)
adj. not likely to injure or harm
adj. not controversial
adj. uninspiring or uninteresting
This insect looks dangerous and frightening but is actually innocuous.
Define:
inoculate
(ih-nock-yuh-late)
v. to vaccinate; to introduce an idea/attitude into the mind of
In most states, children must be inoculated against common diseases before they enter public school.
Define:
insolence
(in-suh-lunce)
n. rudeness; a lack of respect
When she could no longer stand the child's insolence, the babysitter called his parents to complain.
Define:
insular
(in-suh-lurr)
adj. limited in outlook
adj. physically or emotionally removed from others
Having grown up in a small, insular town her whole life, Linda longed to move to a big city.
Define:
intractable
(in-track-tuh-bull)
adj. not easily managed or governed
adj. not easily manipulated or molded
adj. not easily treated
The horse was too intractable to be used in the race.
Define:
laconic
(luh-con-ik)
adj. brief and direct, often to the point of seeming rude
Kevin's laconic response was unfortunately perceived as a rebuff and he was not invited to any more gatherings.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. trickery or duplicity
guile
(gahyl)
synonyms: slyness, deceit, cunning
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. exaggeration
hyperbole
(hahy-pur-buh-lee)
synonyms: exaggeration, embellishment
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. one who challenges generally accepted beliefs and traditions
iconoclast
(eye-con-uh-klast)
synonyms: detractor, cynic, dissenter
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a peculiar way of behaving or thinking
idiosyncrasy
(id-ee-owe-sing-kruh-see)
synonyms: oddity, quirk
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a scene of simple and tranquil nature
n. a short poem about such a scene
idyll
(ahyd-ul)
synonyms: ballad, lyric
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. not susceptible to change
immutable
(ih-mew-tuh-bull)
synonyms: unchangeable, constant
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. proud and arrogant
imperious
(im-peer-ee-us)
synonyms: haughty, domineering
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. hasty and lacking in thought
impetuous
(im-pech-oo-us)
synonyms: hasty, rash, unplanned
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a force that encourages or pushes forward a certain activity
n. a force that moves an object
impetus
(im-pih-tuss)
synonyms: driving force, push, incentive
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. impossible to calm or satisfy
implacable
(im-plack-ih-bull)
synonyms: ruthless, unappeasable, unbending
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. not able to move
adj. having no energy or interest
adj. chemically inactive
inert
(in-urt)
synonyms: lifeless, still, inactive, dormant
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. incapable of error
infallible
(in-fal-ih-bull)
synonyms: absolute, certain, definite
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. unable to mask feelings
adj. lacking worldliness; innocent or unsuspecting
ingenuous
(in-djehn-you-us)
synonyms: direct, genuine; naive
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. wicked or unjust
iniquitous
(ih-nick-wih-tuss)
synonyms: immoral, evil, corrupt
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. not likely to injure or harm
adj. not controversial
adj. uninspiring or uninteresting
innocuous
(ih-nock-you-us)
synonyms: harmless; drab
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to vaccinate; to introduce an idea/attitude into the mind of
inoculate
(ih-nock-yuh-late)
synonyms: inject, immunize
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. rudeness; a lack of respect
insolence
(in-suh-lunce)
synonyms: nerve, impudence
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. limited in outlook
adj. physically or emotionally removed from others
insular
(in-suh-lurr)
synonyms: narrow-minded, limited; exclusive, unfriendly
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. not easily managed or governed
adj. not easily manipulated or molded
adj. not easily treated
intractable
(in-track-tuh-bull)
synonyms: unresponsive, refractory
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. brief and direct, often to the point of seeming rude
laconic
(luh-con-ik)
synonyms: concise, cogent
Define:
lampoon
(lam-poon)
n. a sharp satire mocking a person or group through an artistic medium
v. to satirize or attack in such a style
Many modern comedies focus solely on lampooning typical films from a variety of genres.
Define:
latent
(lehy-tent)
adj. present or existing but not currently visible
The doctor explained that she had died of a latent heart condition that was not detected until it was too late to treat.
Define:
lattice
(lat-is)
n. a pattern consisting of, or resembling, an interwoven frame made by crisscrossing strips
The back of the antique mirror was made of a lattice of rich, dark wood.
Define:
laud
(lawd)
v. to praise or glorify
When he returned home, his relatives and friends lauded him for his bravery on the battlefield.
Define:
leaven
(lev-un)
v. to have an enlivening or lightening influence
The few jokes he threw in did nothing to leaven his grim sermon.
Define:
lethargic
(luh-thar-djick)
adj. physically or mentally slow
Although I have gotten over the worst of my illness, I am still too lethargic to do anything but stay in bed.
Define:
levy
(lev-ee)
v. to impose and collect
n. a charge imposed
The government decided that the best way to deal with the problem was to levy a new tax on the ownership of pets.
Define:
mean
(meen)
adj. low in status or quality
n. a point between two extremes
Ali is a moderate, preferring to choose the mean when faced with extreme leftist and rightist arguments.
Define:
meander
(mee-an-dur)
v. to wander in a leisurely manner
I have a tendency to meander about my large garden when I'm bored.
Define:
medley
(med-lee)
n. a mixture of dissimilar things
n. a musical composition of melodies from different songs
The local singing group is renowned for their medley of popular Beatles songs.
Define:
melancholy
(mel-un-kol-ee)
n. a feeling of deep sadness
adj. sad, dejected
After her husband's departure, she spent months wallowing in melancholy.
Define:
mercurial
(mur-cure-ee-ul)
adj. subject to sudden changes in mood
adj. lively and quick
My mother's mercurial temperament makes it impossible to predict how she will react to bad news.
Define:
monotonous
(muh-not-ih-nuss)
adj. tedious, repetitive
adj. characterized by a tone of unvarying pitch
My new job consists of putting letters into envelopes, organizing files in alphabetical order, and other monotonous tasks.
Define:
moratorium
(more-uh-tore-ee-um)
n. suspension of activity
Failing to secure the necessary signatures for a referendum, the group tried to secure a moratorium on gay marriages while their challenge was heard by the courts.
Define:
mores
(more-ehyz)
n. the accepted customs of a particular group
She went against the mores of her community when she decided to keep her maiden name.
Define:
morphology
(more-fol-uh-djee)
n. the study of form or structure
Her interest in drawing bushes and flowers logically led her to read up on plant morphology.
Define:
muse
(mewz)
v. to reflect deeply on a subject
The students mused over the message of the teacher's final lecture well after the class had ended.
Define:
nadir
(nehy-dur)
n. the lowest point
Stevenson has said that the weather is generally the "very nadir" of interesting conversational topics.
Define:
nascent
(neyss-unt)
adj. just coming into existence
The nascent after-school program was already attracting the interest of a lot of parents and students.
Define:
nebulous
(neb-yuh-luss)
adj. unclear or vague
Their plans for the new student center were as yet too nebulous to take to the board of directors for approval.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a sharp satire mocking a person or group through an artistic medium
v. to satirize or attack in such a style
lampoon
(lam-poon)
synonyms: parody, satire
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. present or existing but not currently visible
latent
(lehy-tent)
synonyms: hidden, invisible
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. a pattern consisting of, or resembling, an interwoven frame made by crisscrossing strips
lattice
(lat-is)
synonyms: mesh, filigree, net, grid
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to praise or glorify
laud
(lawd)
synonyms: acclaim, celebrate, flatter
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to have an enlivening or lightening influence
leaven
(lev-un)
synonyms: raise, lighten
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. physically or mentally slow
lethargic
(luh-thar-djick)
synonyms: lazy, sluggish
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to impose and collect
n. a charge imposed
levy
(lev-ee)
synonyms: demand, exact; tax, fee
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. low in status or quality
n. a point between two extremes
mean
(meen)
synonyms: base, common, inferior; average, halfway
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to wander in a leisurely manner
meander
(mee-an-dur)
synonyms: drift, ramble, traipse
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a mixture of dissimilar things
n. a musical composition of melodies from different songs
medley
(med-lee)
synonyms: assortment, patchwork
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a feeling of deep sadness
adj. sad, dejected
melancholy
(mel-un-kol-ee)
synonyms: dejected, downcast, sad
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. subject to sudden changes in mood
adj. lively and quick
mercurial
(mur-cure-ee-ul)
synonyms: flighty, fluctuating; buoyant
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. tedious, repetitive
adj. characterized by a tone of unvarying pitch
monotonous
(muh-not-ih-nuss)
synonyms: droning, unchanging
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. suspension of activity
moratorium
(more-uh-tore-ee-um)
synonyms: adjournment, break, delay
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. the accepted customs of a particular group
mores
(more-aze)
synonyms: codes, ways, etiquette, ritual
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. the study of form or structure
morphology
(more-fol-uh-djee)
synonyms: study of form, study of structure
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to reflect deeply on a subject
muse
(mewz)
synonyms: contemplate, ponder
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. the lowest point
nadir
(nehy-dur)
synonyms: bottom, floor, lowest point
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. just coming into existence
nascent
(neyss-unt)
synonyms: developing, beginning
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. unclear or vague
nebulous
(neb-yuh-luss)
synonyms: obscure, indistinct