Define:
mendacious
(men-dey-shuhs)
adj. dishonest
Phyllis is mendacious yet entertaining; she is fun to talk to at a party, but I wouldn't believe a word she says.
Define:
consequential
(kon-suh-kwen-shuhl)
adj. important
adj. pompous, self-important
I am not prepared to accept such consequential airs from a journalist 20 years my junior.
Define:
tremulous
(trem-yuh-luhs)
adj. trembling, timid, fearful
He signed the contract with a tremulous hand.
Define:
mendicant
(men-dih-kuhnt)
n. a beggar, a supplicant
There was a large number of mendicants stalking the street.
Define:
egress
(n. ee-grehss; v. ih-grehss)
n. exit
v. to exit
It was thought that the prisoner, seeking egress from his cell before the spreading fire consumed it, had managed to slip out between the warping floorboards.
Define:
preternatural
(pree-ter-nach-er-uhl)
adj. beyond what is normal or natural
Occasionally, people with mental illnesses also exhibit preternatural abilities in mathematics or memorization.
Define:
fulminate
(fuhl-muh-neyt)
v. to verbally attack
v. to explode
The crotchety old fool fulminated about every sort of modern improvement while we listened, too stunned to interrupt him.
Define:
gull
(guhl)
v. to fool or deceive
They gulled Akiko so well that she walked right into her own surprise party without suspecting a thing.
Define:
rebus
(ree-buhss)
n. a riddle in which words are represented by pictures
Pictures of bees and eyes are commonly used in a rebus to symbolize the words "be" and "I".
Define:
pedestrian
(puh-dess-tree-uhn)
adj. commonplace, trite, unremarkable
Timothy's dissertation was lengthy but pedestrian.
Define:
distrait
(diss-trey)
adj. distracted as a result of anxiety
The distrait teacher kept pausing mid-sentence to look out the window.
Define:
nefarious
(nih-fair-ee-uhs)
adj. vicious, evil
The nefarious conspirators left nothing in the poor woman's house.
Define:
factious
(fak-shuhss)
adj. inclined to make arguments, divisive, contentious
Many networks purposely select factious personalities to appear in their reality T.V. shows in the hopes that their bickering will attract viewers.
Define:
ignoble
(ig-noh-buhl)
adj. dishonorable, disgraceful
The ignoble act of profiteering at someone else's expense is not to be condoned.
Define:
epithet
(epp-ih-thet)
n. a characterizing phrase
n. a disparaging word or phrase
Ivan the Terrible's name was one epithet I do not envy.
Define:
anodyne
(ann-uh-dahyn)
adj. pain-relieving, soothing; bland
n. a distress-reliever
She tried to keep the conversation as anodyne as possible
Define:
jejune
(djih-djoon)
adj. uninteresting, dull
adj. immature
adj. lacking in nutrition
It may be said that her verse is jejune, but I happen to find a sage sensibility in her later poems.
Define:
conciliatory
(kuhn-sill-ee-uh-tawr-ee)
adj. agreeable; overcoming distrust or hostility
Karen's conciliatory attitude helped her to move up in the business.
Define:
diaspora
(dahy-ass-per-uh)
n. a dispersion of people from their homeland (esp. Jews)
n. a community of dispersed people
The African diaspora throughout the world has settled into certain traditions, some of which are not actually African in origin.
Define:
welter
(well-ter)
v. to writhe, toss about; to be in turmoil
The lake weltered in the storm, tossing the boat all over.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. dishonest
mendacious
(men-dey-shuhs)
synonyms: deceptive, false
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. important
adj. pompous, self-important
consequential
(kon-suh-kwen-shuhl)
synonyms: significant, considerable; egotistic
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. trembling, timid, fearful
tremulous
(trem-yuh-luhs)
synonyms: quivering, cowardly, nervous
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a beggar, a supplicant
mendicant
(men-dih-kuhnt)
synonyms: panhandler, pauper
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. exit
v. to exit
egress
(n. ee-grehss; v. ih-grehss)
synonyms: departure, escape, withdrawal
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. beyond what is normal or natural
preternatural
(pree-ter-nach-er-uhl)
synonyms: anomalous, irregular, bizarre
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to verbally attack
v. to explode
fulminate
(fuhl-muh-neyt)
synonyms: berate, condemn; blast, blow up
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to fool or deceive
gull
(guhl)
synonyms: mislead, hoodwink, dupe
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a riddle in which words are represented by pictures
rebus
(ree-buhss)
synonyms: puzzle, enigma
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. commonplace, trite, unremarkable
pedestrian
(puh-dess-tree-uhn)
synonyms: everyday, dull, uninteresting
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. distracted as a result of anxiety
distrait
(diss-trey)
synonyms: preoccupied, engrossed, scatterbrained
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. vicious, evil
nefarious
(nih-fair-ee-uhs)
synonyms: atrocious, malevolent
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. inclined to make arguments, divisive, contentious
factious
(fak-shuhss)
synonyms: conflicting, warring, belligerent
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. dishonorable, disgraceful
ignoble
(ig-noh-buhl)
synonyms: corrupt, lewd, petty
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a characterizing phrase
n. a disparaging word or phrase
epithet
(epp-uh-thet)
synonyms: nickname, title, designation
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. pain-relieving, soothing; bland
n. a distress reliever
anodyne
(ann-uh-dahyn)
synonyms: curative, dull, toothless
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. uninteresting, dull
adj. immature
adj. lacking in nutrition
jejune
(dji-djoon)
synonyms: empty, banal, childlike
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. agreeable; overcoming distrust or hostility
conciliatory
(kuhn-sill-ee-uh-tawr-ee)
synonyms: appeasing, pacifying
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a dispersion of people from their homeland (esp. Jews)
n. a community of dispersed people
diaspora
(dahy-ass-per-uh)
synonyms: dispersion, exodus
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to writhe, toss about; to be in turmoil
welter
(well-ter)
synonyms: commotion, tumble, sway
Define:
ruminate
(roo-muh-neyt)
v. to meditate at length; to muse
v. to chew cud
The monk ruminated over the moral dilemma.
Define:
maudlin
(mawd-lin)
adj. overly sentimental
The teacher insisted on taking a maudlin picture with each one of her students every year.
Define:
convoke
(kuhn-vohk)
v. to convene or call together
He convoked a meeting of the nation's top CEOs and Vice Presidents.
Define:
effluence
(eff-loo-uhns)
n. the act of flowing out
n. something that flows out
An effluence of people from the stadium crowded the streets.
Define:
eschew
(ess-choo)
v. to shun or avoid
Most vegetarians eschew fur coats as well as consuming meats.
Define:
ambulatory
(am-byuh-luh-tawr-ee)
adj. of walking, adapted for walking
The ambulatory excursion drew few people because of the poor weather.
Define:
rigmarole
(rig-muh-rohl)
n. an extremely tedious and complicated process
The rigmarole I am subjected to every time I visit the DMV would be funny were it not so depressing.
Define:
forswear
(fuhr-swair)
v. to renounce, disavow, repudiate
The young nation forswore entangling alliances.
Define:
gastronomy
(gahss-trawn-uh-mee)
n. the science of good eating or cooking
n. cooking particular to a region
Jim was studying Japanese gastronomy along with his mandatory classes.
Define:
jibe
(jahyb)
v. to be in accord; to agree; to suddenly shift from one side to another
His story jibed with mine.
Define:
stentorian
(sten-tawr-ee-uhn)
adj. extremely loud and powerful
Even without a microphone, the principal's stentorian voice filled the auditorium and commanded everyone's attention.
Define:
lachrymose
(lak-rih-mowss)
adj. sad, tearful
The opera's lachrymose final scene has tested the dramatic range of generations of sopranos.
Define:
abrogate
(ab-ruh-geyt)
v. to abolish or annul by authority
The court ruling abrogated his rights to any profits.
Define:
bemuse
(bih-myooz)
v. to puzzle or confuse
The bemused expression on his face was priceless.
Define:
expurgate
(ek-spurr-gehyt)
v. to censor, esp. obscenity
The expurgated version of the album had a more family-friendly rating.
Define:
tumid
(too-mid)
adj. swollen
The river banks were tumid from the spring rain.
Define:
natty
(nah-tee)
adj. trim, neat, or tidy
She was a natty dresser, with never a seam out of place.
Define:
sentinel
(sehn-tih-null)
n. one who keeps guard
v. to watch over
The sentinel at the city gates watched over the city.
Define:
winsome
(win-suhm)
adj. charming, happy, engaging
Mei's winsome smile won her many friends.
Define:
reconnoiter
(ree-kuh-noy-ter)
v. to engage in reconnaissance, to make a preliminary inspection of
We sent him to reconnoiter the party before we arrived, in case it turned out to be a dud.
Define:
malfeasance
(mal-fee-zuhnss)
n. misconduct or wrongdoing (esp. by a public official)
Joel was studying malfeasance in the Panamanian government.
Define:
halcyon
(hal-see-uhn)
adj. calm and peaceful, prosperous
The halcyon days of summer are here again.
Define:
plenipotentiary
(plen-ih-poh-ten-shee-air-ee)
adj. representing a country or other body with complete authority to act as its proxy
The ambassador is plenipotentiary; he does not need to consult with his home country to sign accords on its behalf.
Define:
filch
(filch)
v. to steal, esp. something unimportant
The girl was caught filching chalk from all the classrooms but would not say why she had done it.
Define:
fastness
(fast-niss)
n. a safe, fortified place
The guerrillas retreated to their mountain fastness in order to regroup and consolidate their battered forces.
Define:
bellwether
(bell-weth-ur)
n. an indicator, esp. one that predicts future outcomes
The Midwest is considered a bellwether for the political tide of the nation, since trends often become apparent there sooner than in other states.
Define:
camarilla
(kam-uh-rill-uh)
n. a group of counselors to a leader, esp. ones who plot or connive
The dictator was obsessed with the possibility of foreign attack, but it was his own disgruntled camarilla of aides who did him in in the end.
Define:
interregnum
(in-tur-reg-num)
n. the interval of time between the reign of a ruler and that of his successor; the time between two leaders' tenures
The interregnum that followed the king's deposition ended only when one of the warlords grew strong enough to control the entire nation.
Define:
malinger
(muh-ling-gur)
v. to pretend to be sick
Souheila was known to malinger on test days, so her father insisted on taking her temperature before he would let her stay home from school.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to meditate at length; to muse
v. to chew cud
ruminate
(roo-muh-neyt)
synonyms: think, ponder; chew, gnaw
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. overly sentimental
maudlin
(mawd-lin)
synonyms: overemotional, gushing, mushy
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to convene or call together
convoke
(kuhn-vohk)
synonyms: assemble, gather, summon
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. the act of flowing out
n. something that flows out
effluence
(eff-loo-uhns)
synonyms: outpouring, discharge, gushing
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to shun or avoid
eschew
(ess-choo)
synonyms: abandon, abstain
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. of walking, adapted for walking
ambulatory
(am-byuh-luh-tawr-ee)
synonyms: roaming, afoot, vagrant
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. an extremely tedious and complicated process
rigmarole
(rig-muh-rohl)
synonyms: red tape, tedium
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to renounce, disavow, repudiate
forswear
(fuhr-swair)
synonyms: abandon, deny, reject
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. the science of good eating or cooking
n. cooking particular to a region
gastronomy
(gahss-strawn-uh-mee)
synonyms: cooking, culinary science
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to be in accord; to agree; to suddenly shift from one side to another
jibe
(jahyb)
synonyms: agree, correspond
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. extremely loud and powerful
stentorian
(sten-tawr-ee-uhn)
synonyms: blaring, booming
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. sad, tearful
lachrymose
(lak-rih-mowss)
synonyms: tearful, weepy, mournful
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to abolish or annul by authority
abrogate
(ab-ruh-geyt)
synonyms: cancel, dissolve, negate
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to puzzle or confuse
bemuse
(bih-myooz)
synonyms: addle, bewilder, perplex
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to censor, esp. obscenity
expurgate
(ek-spurr-gehyt)
synonyms: clean up, screen, whitewash
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. swollen
tumid
(too-mid)
synonyms: bloated, enlarged
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. trim, neat, or tidy
natty
(nah-tee)
synonyms: classy, clean
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. one who keeps guard
v. to watch over
sentinel
(sehn-tih-null)
synonyms: watchman, guard, lookout
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. charming, happy, engaging
winsome
(win-suhm)
synonyms: alluring, appealing, pleasing
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to engage in reconnaissance, to make a preliminary inspection of
reconnoiter
(ree-kuh-noy-ter)
synonyms: examine, inspect, scout
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. misconduct or wrongdoing (esp. by a public official)
malfeasance
(mal-fee-zuhnss)
synonyms: impropriety, delinquency
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. calm and peaceful, prosperous
halcyon
(hal-see-uhn)
synonyms: gentle, happy, harmonious
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. representing a country or other body with complete authority to act as its proxy
plenipotentiary
(plen-ih-poh-ten-shee-air-ee)
synonyms: authoritative, competent to represent
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to steal, esp. something unimportant
filch
(filch)
synonyms: take, pilfer
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a safe, fortified place
fastness
(fast-niss)
synonyms: stronghold, bunker
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. an indicator, esp. one that predicts future outcomes
bellwether
(bell-weth-ur)
synonyms: prognosticator, sign
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a group of counselors to a leader, esp. ones who plot or connive
camarilla
(kam-uh-rill-uh)
synonyms: conspiracy, cabal
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. the interval of time between the reign of a ruler and that of his successor; the time between two leaders' tenures
interregnum
(in-tur-reg-num)
synonyms: hiatus, interruption
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to pretend to be sick
malinger
(muh-ling-gur)
synonyms: evade, play hooky