Day 2 Flashcards
(30 cards)
adulterate
render (something) poorer in quality by adding another substance, typically an inferior one.
“the meat was ground fine and adulterated with potato flour”
advocate
publicly recommend or support.
“they advocated an ethical foreign policy”
aggrandize
enhance the reputation of (someone) beyond what is justified by the facts.
“he hoped to aggrandize himself by dying a hero’s death”
alacrity
brisk and cheerful readiness.
“she accepted the invitation with alacrity”
ambivalent
having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.
“some loved her, some hated her, few were ambivalent about her”
ameliorate
make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better.
“the reform did much to ameliorate living standards”
amenable
(of a thing) capable of being acted upon in a particular way; susceptible to.
“the patients had cardiac failure not amenable to medical treatment”
(of a person) open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled.
“parents who have had easy babies and amenable children”
anachronistic
belonging to a period other than that being portrayed.
“‘Titus’ benefits from the effective use of anachronistic elements like cars and loudspeakers”
audacious
showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks.
“a series of audacious takeovers”
avaricious
having or showing an extreme greed for wealth or material gain.
“avaricious corporate bosses looking to maximize profits”
banal
so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring.
“songs with banal, repeated words”
benign
gentle and kindly.
“his benign but firm manner”
brazen
bold and without shame.
“he went about his illegal business with a brazen assurance”
calumny
the making of false and defamatory statements about someone in order to damage their reputation; slander.
“a bitter struggle marked by calumny and litigation”
candid
truthful and straightforward; frank.
“his responses were remarkably candid”
castigate
reprimand (someone) severely.
“he was castigated for not setting a good example”
caustic
able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action.
“a caustic cleaner”
construe
interpret (a word or action) in a particular way.
“his words could hardly be construed as an apology”
contrite
feeling or expressing remorse or penitence; affected by guilt.
“a broken and a contrite heart”
convoluted
(especially of an argument, story, or sentence) extremely complex and difficult to follow.
“its convoluted narrative encompasses all manner of digressions”
covet
yearn to possess or have (something).
“he covets time for exercise and fishing”
craven
contemptibly lacking in courage; cowardly.
“a craven abdication of his moral duty”
decorum
behavior in keeping with good taste and propriety.
“you exhibit remarkable modesty and decorum”
deft
neatly skillful and quick in one’s movements.
“a deft piece of footwork”
