C Flashcards
camaraderie
(noun) a spirit of friendship.
Spending long days and nights together on the road, the members of a traveling theater group develop a strong sense of camaraderie.
candor
(noun) openness, honesty, frankness.
In his memoir about the Vietnam War, former defense secretary McNamara described his mistakes with remarkable candor.
candid (adjective)
capricious
(adjective) unpredictable, whimsical.
The pop star Madonna has changed her image so many times that each new transformation now appears capricious rather than purposeful.
caprice (noun)
carnivorous
(adjective) meat-eating.
The long, dagger-like teeth of the Tyrannosaurus make it obvious that this was a carnivorous dinosaur.
carnivore (noun)
carping
(adjective) unfairly or excessively critical; querulous.
New York is famous for its demanding critics, but none is harder to please than the carping John Simon, said to have single-handedly destroyed many acting careers.
carp (verb)
catalytic
(adjective) bringing about, causing, or producing some result.
The conditions for revolution existed in America by 1765; the disputes about taxation that arose later were the catalytic events that sparked the rebellion.
catalyze (verb)
caustic
(adjective) burning, corrosive.
No one was safe when the satirist H. L. Mencken unleashed his caustic wit.
censure
(noun) blame, condemnation.
The news that the senator had harassed several women brought censure from many feminists.
censure (verb)
chaos
(noun) disorder, confusion, chance.
The first few moments after the explosion were pure chaos: no one was sure what had happened, and the area was filled with people running and yelling.
chaotic (adjective)
circuitous
(adjective) winding or indirect.
We drove to the cottage by a circuitous route so we could see as much of the surrounding countryside as possible.
circumlocution
(noun) speaking in a roundabout way; wordiness.
Legal documents often contain circumlocutions that make them difficult to understand.
circumscribe
(verb) to define by a limit or boundary.
Originally, the role of the executive branch of government was clearly circumscribed, but that role has greatly expanded over time.
circumscription (noun)
circumvent
(verb) to get around.
When James was caught speeding, he tried to circumvent the law by offering the police officer a bribe.
clandestine
(adjective) secret, surreptitious.
As a member of the underground, Balas took part in clandestine meetings to discuss ways of sabotaging the Nazi forces.
cloying
(adjective) overly sweet or sentimental.
The deathbed scenes in the novels of Dickens are famously cloying: as Oscar Wilde said, “One would need a heart of stone to read the death of Little Nell without dissolving into tears . . . of laughter.”
cogent
(adjective) forceful and convincing.
The committee members were won over to the project by the cogent arguments of the chairman.
cogency (noun)
cognizant
(adjective) aware, mindful.
Cognizant of the fact that it was getting late, the master of ceremonies cut short the last speech.
cognizance (noun)
cohesive
(adjective) sticking together, unified.
An effective military unit must be a cohesive team, all its members working together for a common goal.
cohere (verb)
cohesion (noun)
collaborate
(verb) to work together.
To create a truly successful movie, the director, writers, actors, and many others must collaborate closely.
collaboration (noun)
collaborative (adjective)
colloquial
(adjective) informal in language; conversational.
Some expressions from Shakespeare, such as the use of thou and thee, sound formal today but were colloquial English in Shakespeare’s time.
competent
(adjective) having the skill and knowledge needed for a particular task; capable.
Any competent lawyer can draw up a will.
competence (noun)
complacent
(adjective) smug, self-satisfied.
Until recently, American auto makers were complacent, believing that they would continue to be successful with little effort.
complacency (noun)
composure
(noun) calm, self-assurance.
The company’s president managed to keep his composure during his speech even when the teleprompter broke down, leaving him without a script.
composed (adjective)
conciliatory
(adjective) seeking agreement, compromise, or reconciliation.
As a conciliatory gesture, the union leaders agreed to postpone a strike and to continue negotiations with management.
conciliate (verb)
conciliation (noun)
