Barrons Flashcards
(215 cards)
1
Q
disseminate
A
v. distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds).
2
Q
discerning
A
adj. mentally quick and observant; having insight
3
Q
duplicity
A
double-dealing; hypocrisy
4
Q
disdain
A
v. view with scorn or contempt
5
Q
divergent
A
adj. differing; deviating
6
Q
discordant
A
adj. not harmonious; conflicting
7
Q
eclectic
A
adj. composed of elements drawn from disparate sources
8
Q
disinclination
A
n. unwillingness
9
Q
disperse
A
v. scatter
10
Q
diminution
A
n. lessening; reduction in size
11
Q
dogmatic
A
adj. opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal
12
Q
discrepancy
A
n. lack of consistency; difference
13
Q
elusive
A
adj. evasive; baffling; hard to grasp
14
Q
disparage
A
v. belittle
15
Q
eloquence
A
n. expressiveness; persuasive speech
16
Q
dismiss
A
v. put away from consideration; reject
17
Q
embellish
A
v. adorn; ornament
18
Q
disparity
A
n. difference; condition of inequality
19
Q
miserly
A
adj. stingy; mean
20
Q
oblivion
A
n. obscurity; forgetfulness
21
Q
mundane
A
adj. worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday
22
Q
meticulous
A
adj. excessively careful; painstaking
23
Q
nurture
A
v. nourish; educate; foster
24
Q
morose
A
adj. ill-humored; sullen; melancholy
25
materialism
n. preoccupation with physical comforts and things
26
notoriety
n. disrepute; ill-fame
27
mitigate
v. appease; moderate
28
cryptic
adj. mysterious; hidden; secret
29
deterrent
n. something that discourages; hindrance
30
criterion
n. standard used in judging
31
despondent
adj. depressed; gloomy.
| n. despondency
32
cursory
adj. casual; hastily done
33
digression
n. wandering away from the subject.
| v. digress
34
consensus
n. general agreement
35
decorum
n. propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners.
| adj. decorous
36
conviction
n.judgement that someone is guilty of a crime; strongly held belief
37
depravity
n. extreme corruption; wickedness
38
constraint
n. compulsion; repression of feelings
| v. constrain
39
corroborate
v. confirm; suport
40
deprecate
v. express disapproval of; protest against; belittle
41
immutable
adj. unchangeable
42
ephemeral
adj. short-lived; fleeting
43
homogeneous
adj. of the same kind
44
emulate
v. imitate; rival
45
impair
v. injure; hurt
46
equivocal
adj. ambiguous; intentionally misleading
47
hypocritical
adj. pretending to be virtuous; deceiving
48
enhance
v. increase; improve
49
impede
v. hinder; block; delay
50
erudite
adj. learned; scholarly
51
hypothetical
adj. based on assumptions or hypotheses; supposed
52
enigma
n. puzzle; mystery
53
contentious
adj. quarrelsome
54
denounce
v. condemn; criticize
| n. denunciation
55
credulity
n. belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naiveté
56
deride
v. ridicule; make fun of
| n. derision
57
censorious
adj. critical
58
commemorate
v. honor the memory of
59
concise
adj. brief and compact
60
censure
v. blame; criticize
61
compliance
n. readiness to yield; conformity in fulfilling requirements
62
condone
v. overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse
63
coercion
n. use of force to get someone to obey
64
conciliatory
adj. reconciling; soothing
65
conflagration
n. great fire
66
incongruous
adj. not fitting; absurd
67
euphemism
n. mild expression in place of an unpleasant one
68
incite
v. arouse to action
69
eulogy
n. expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death
70
inane
adj. silly; senseless
71
esoteric
adj. hard to understand; known only to the chosen few
72
heresy
n. opinion contrary to popular belief; opinion contrary to accepted religion
73
hamper
v. obstruct
74
gravity
n. seriousness
75
hedonist
n. someone who believes that pleasure is the sole aim in life
76
guile
n. deceit; duplicity; wiliness; cunning
77
garrulous
adj. loquacious; wordy; talkative
| n. garrulity
78
hierarchy
n. arrangement by rank or standing; authoritarian body divided into ranks
79
haughtiness
n. pride; arrogance
80
gregarious
adj. sociable
81
explicit
adj. totally clear; definite; outspoken
82
exhaustive
adj. thorough; comprehensive
83
extricate
v. free; disentangle
84
expedient
adj. suitable; practical; politic
85
exemplary
adj. serving as a model; outstanding
86
extraneous
adj. not essential; superfluous
87
exonerate
v. acquit; exculpate
88
exacerbate
v. worsen; embitter
89
extol
v. praise; glorify
90
fanaticism
n. excessive zeal; extreme devotion to a belief or cause
91
exuberance
n. overflowing abundance; joyful enthusiasm; flamboyance; lavishness
92
fallacious
adj. false; misleading
93
fervor
n. glowing ardor; intensity of feeling
94
frugality
n. thrift; economy
| adj. frugal
95
flagrant
adj. conspicuously wicked; blatant; outrageous
96
furtive
adj. stealthy; sneaky
97
fastidious
adj. difficult to please; squeamish
98
frivolous
adj. lacking in seriousness; self-indulgently carefree; relatively unimportant
99
listless
adj. lacking in spirit or energy
100
laud
v. praise
101
ironic
adj. resulting in an unexpected and contrary outcome
102
levity
n. lack of seriousness; lightness
103
lethargic
adj. drowsy; dull
104
malicious
adj. hateful; spiteful
| n. malice
105
instigate
v. urge; start; provoke
106
inundate
v. overwhelm; flood; submerge
107
intrepid
adj. fearless
108
indict
v. charge
109
induce
v. persuade; bring about
| n. inducement
110
incorrigible
adj. not correctable
111
inherent
adj. firmly established by nature or habit
112
innovation
n. change; introduction of something new
| v. innovate
113
ingenious
adj. clever; resourceful
114
innocuous
adj. harmless
115
innate
adj. inborn
116
insipid
adj. lacking in flavor; dull
117
pessimism
n. belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess
118
partisan
adj. one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party
119
opulence
n. extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance
| adj. opulent
120
pervasive
adj. pervading; spread throughout every part
121
pacifist
n. one opposed to force; antimilitarist
122
opportunist
n. individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of cirumstances
123
peripheral
adj. marginal; outer
124
ostentatious
adj. showy; pretentious; trying to attract atteniton
125
opaque
adj. dark; not transparent
126
philanthropist
n. lover of mankind; doer of good
127
placate
v. pacify; conciliate
128
piety
n. religious devotion; godliness
129
prodigal
adj. wasteful; reckless with money.
| n. someone who is also ^
130
ponderous
adj. weighty; unwieldy
131
preclude
v. make impossible; eliminate
132
pragmatic
adj. practical; concerned with the practical worth or impact of something
133
precocious
adj. advanced in development
134
predecessor
n. former occupant of a post
135
presumptuous
adj. overconfident; impertinently bold; taking liberties
136
relegate
v. banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign
137
quandary
n. dilemma
138
prevalent
adj. widespread; generally accepted
139
pretentious
adj. ostentatious; pompous; making unjustified claims; overly ambitious
140
prudent
adj. cautious; careful
| n. prudence
141
profound
adj. deep, not superficial; complete
142
prolific
adj. abundantly fruitful
143
refute
v. disprove
144
brevity
n. conciseness
145
proliferation
n. rapid growth; spread; multiplication
| v. proliferate
146
zealot
n. fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal
147
recluse
n. hermit; loner
148
redundant
adj. superfluous; repetitious; excessively wordy
149
sycophant
n. servile flatterer; boot-licker; yes-man
150
taciturn
adj. silent; talking little
151
ascetic
adj. practicing self-denial; austere
| also n.
152
surreptitious
adj. secret; furtive; sneaky; hidden
153
transient
adv. momentary; temporary; staying for a short time
154
turbulence
n. state of violent agitation
155
terse
adj. concise; abrupt; pithy
156
acclaim
v. applaud; announce with great approval
| also n.
157
austere
adj.forbiddingly stern; severely simple
158
astute
adj. wise; shrewd; keen
159
apathy
n. lack of caring; indifference
160
altruistic
adj. unselfishly generous; concerned for others
161
alleviate
v. relieve
162
ambiguous
adj. unclear or doubtful in meaning
163
benevolent
adj. generous; charitable
164
belie
v. contradict; give a false impression
165
autonomous
adj. self-governing
| n. autonomy
166
profusion
n. overabundance; lavish expenditure
167
venerate
v. revere
168
verbose
adj. wordy
169
vilify
v. slander
170
adversary
n. opponent
171
reticence
n. reserve; uncommunicativeness; inclination to silence
172
reprehensible
adj. deserving blame
173
repudiate
v. disown; disavow
174
rancor
n. bitterness; hatred
175
superfluous
adj. unnecessary; excessive; overabundant
176
superficial
adj. trivial; shallow
177
surpass
v. exceed
178
usurp
v. seize another's power or rank
179
vacillate
v. waver; fluctuate
180
undermine
v. weaken; sap
181
abstract
adj. theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational
182
arbitrary
adj. capricious; randomly chosen; tyrannical
183
advocate
v. urge; plead for
184
affirmation
n. positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath
185
virtuoso
n. highly skilled artist
186
volatile
adj. changeable; explosive; evaporating rapidly
187
rhetorical
adj. pertaining to effective communication; insincere in language
188
retract
v. withdraw; take back
189
rebuttal
n.refutation; response with contrary evidence
190
adulation
n. flattery; admiration
191
profane
v. violate; desecrate; treat unworthily
192
adversity
n. poverty; misfortune
193
ascendancy
n. controlling influence; domination
194
aesthetic
adj. artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciation of the beautiful
n. aesthete
195
abridge
v. condense or shorten
196
articulate
adj. effective; distinct
197
sanction
v. approve; ratify
198
ambivalence
n. the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes
199
anarchist
n. person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority
200
capricious
adj. unpredictable; fickle
201
cajole
v. coax; wheedle; convince
202
proximity
n. nearness
203
rectify
v. set right; correct
204
reprimand
v. reprove severely; rebuke
| also n.
205
reprove
v. censure; rebuke
206
renounce
v. abandon; disown; repudiate
207
satirical
adj. mocking
208
scrupulous
adj. conscientious; extremely thorough
209
scrutinize
v.examine closely and critically
210
skeptic
n. doubter; person who suspends judgement until the evidence supporting a point of view has been examined
n. skepticism
211
somber
adj. gloomy; depressing; dark; drab
212
servile
adj. slavish; cringing; obsequious
213
succint
adj. brief
214
stagnant
adj. motionless; stale; dull
215
substantiate
v. establish by evidence; verify; support
