Deck 8 Flashcards
(130 cards)
1
Q
slough
A
verb: to discard; to ignore
noun: a swamp
2
Q
monolithic
A
adjective: massive and uniform
3
Q
truculent
A
adjective: aggressively defiant or hostile
4
Q
bromidic
A
adjective: dull, unoriginal
5
Q
philander
A
verb: to have amorous affairs
6
Q
litigate
A
verb: to engage in legal proceedings
7
Q
arrogate
A
verb: to claim or take without right
8
Q
turbid
A
adjective: muddy, cloudy
9
Q
expurgation
A
noun: the removal of indecent passages from a text
10
Q
cavil
A
verb: to raise trivial objections, to bicker
11
Q
nullify
A
verb: to declare invalid
12
Q
cajole
A
verb: to persuade someone to do something they might not want to do, by pleasant talk and (sometimes false) promises
13
Q
adept
A
adjective: very skilled or proficient at something
14
Q
agog
A
adjective: very eager or curious to hear or see something
15
Q
annul
A
verb: declare invalid
16
Q
arbiter
A
noun: a person who settles a dispute or has ultimate authority in a matter
17
Q
artless
A
adjective: without guile or deception
18
Q
blight
A
noun: a thing that spoils or damages something
19
Q
blithe
A
adjective: showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper
20
Q
blowhard
A
noun: person who blusters and boasts in an unpleasant way
21
Q
deign
A
verb: do something that one considers to be beneath one’s dignity
22
Q
docile
A
adjective: ready to accept control or instruction; submissive
23
Q
doff
A
verb: remove (an item of clothing)
24
Q
dote
A
adjective: be extremely and uncritically fond of, adore, love dearly, be devoted to
25
facetious
adjective: treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor
26
faction
noun: a small, organized, dissenting group within a larger one, especially in politics
27
fallow
adjective: iactive, dormant, quiet, slack
28
flail
verb: flounder; struggle uselessly
29
fortuitous
adjective: happening by a lucky chance, fortunate, advantageous, opportune
30
fringe
noun: the unconventional, extreme, or marginal wing of a group or sphere of activity
31
ingrate
noun: an ungrateful person
32
lax
adjective: not sufficiently strict, severe, or careful
33
listless
adjective: (of a person) lacking energy or enthusiasm; lethargic, enervated, lackadaisical
34
livid
adjective: furiously angry
35
lurid
adjective: presented in vividly shocking or sensational terms; melodramatic, exaggerated, overdramatized
36
mar
verb: impair the quality or appearance of; spoil, ruin, damage
37
mince
verb: use polite or moderate expressions to indicate disapproval
38
minion
noun: a follower or underling of a powerful person
39
mirth
noun: amusement, especially as expressed in laughter
Synonyms: merriment, high spirits
40
overwrought
adjective: (of a piece of writing or a work of art) too elaborate or complicated in design or construction; overblown, contrived, exaggerated
41
pyre
noun: a heap of combustible material, especially one for burning a corpse as part of a funeral ceremony
42
quack
noun: a person who dishonestly claims to have special knowledge in some field; swindler, fraud, charlatan
43
rue
verb: bitterly regret (something one has done or allowed to happen)
44
ruminate
verb: think deeply about something; contemplate, consider, mull over
45
strut
verb: walk with a stiff, erect, and apparently arrogant or conceited gait; swagger, prance, parade
46
syncopation
noun: a displacement of the beat or accents in (music or a rhythm) so that strong beats become weak and vice versa
47
taunt
noun: a remark made in order to anger, wound, or provoke someone; jeer, gibe, sneer
48
terse
adjective: sparing in the use of words; curt, brusque, abrupt
49
tome
noun: a book, especially a large, heavy, scholarly one; volume, work, opus
50
torrid
adjective: full of difficulty or tribulation
51
vapid
adjective: offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging; bland; insipid, uninspired, uninteresting
52
vestige
noun: a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists; remnant, remainder, fragment
53
waffle
noun: lengthy but trivial or useless talk or writing
Synonyms: prattle, hot air, drivel
54
wanton
adjective: (of a cruel or violent action) deliberate and unprovoked; malicious, malevolent, spiteful
55
whitewash
verb: deliberately attempt to conceal unpleasant facts about (a person or organization); cover up, sweep under the carpet
56
whittle
verb: reduce something in size, amount, or extent by a gradual series of steps; erode, wear away, diminish
57
wry
adjective: using or expressing dry, especially mocking, humor; ironic, sardonic, satirical
58
abasement
noun: the action or fact of abasing or being abased; humiliation or degradation; belittlement, disgrace
59
accession
noun: the action or process of formally joining an association or institution; joining, signing up, enrollment
60
acolyte
noun: a person assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession; assistant, helper, follower
61
apostle
noun: a vigorous and pioneering advocate or supporter of a particular cause; proponent, promoter, propagandist
62
barrage
noun: a concentrated outpouring, as of questions or blows; abundance, mass, profusion
63
bevy
noun: a large group of people or things of a particular kind; group, crowd, cluster
64
boor
noun: an unrefined, ill-mannered person; lout, oaf, ruffian
65
canonical
adjective: established, authoritative
66
circumspect
adjective: wary and unwilling to take risks; cautious, wary, careful
67
coffer
noun: the funds or financial reserves of a group or institution; resources, money, finances
68
diatribe
noun: a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something; tirade, harangue, onslaught
69
dictum
noun: a short statement that expresses a general truth or principle; saying, maxim, axiom
70
discordant
adjective: disagreeing or incongruous; divergent, opposing, clashing
71
divest
verb: rid oneself of something that one no longer wants or requires, such as a business interest or investment
72
droll
adjective: curious or unusual in a way that provokes dry amusement; funny, humorous, amusing
73
eddy
verb: (of water, air, or smoke) move in a circular way; swirl, whirl, spiral
74
errant
adjective: erring or straying from the proper course or standards; offending, guilty, culpable
75
extol
verb: praise enthusiastically; go wild about, wax lyrical about
76
fetid
adjective: smelling extremely unpleasant; stinking, smelly, foul-smelling
77
florid
adjective: adjective, using unusual words or complicated rhetorical constructions; extravagant, grandiloquent
78
forestall
verb: prevent or obstruct (an anticipated event or action) by taking action ahead of time; pre-empt, get in before, get ahead of
79
gambit
noun: a device, action, or opening remark, typically one entailing a degree of risk, that is calculated to gain an advantage; plan, scheme, strategy
80
gouge
verb: overcharge; swindle
81
grandiloquent
adjective: pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner; pompous, bombastic, magniloquent
82
grouse
verb: complain pettily; grumble; moan, groan, protest
83
imbue
verb: inspire or permeate with a feeling or quality; saturate, fill, suffuse
84
impasse
noun: a situation in which no progress is possible, especially because of disagreement; deadlock, dead end, stalemate
85
leery
adjective: cautious or wary due to realistic suspicions
Synonyms: careful, circumspect, on one's guard
86
limpid
adjective: (especially of writing or music) clear and accessible or melodious; lucid, plain, understandable
87
mire
verb: involve someone or something in (a difficult situation); entangle, tangle up, embroil
88
natty
adjective: (of a person or an article of clothing) smart and fashionable; stylish, dapper, debonair
89
nexus
noun: a connection or series of connections linking two or more things; union, link
90
opine
verb: hold and state as one’s opinion; suggest, say, declare
91
parry
verb: answer (a question or accusation) evasively; evade, sidestep, avoid
92
stipulate
verb: demand or specify (a requirement), typically as part of a bargain or agreement; set down, set out, lay down
93
subpoena
noun: a writ ordering a person to attend a court; summons, mandate, court order
94
tenet
noun: a principle or belief; doctrine, precept, creed
95
verbose
adjective: using or expressed in more words than are needed; wordy, loquacious, long-winded
96
catharsis
noun: the process of releasing and providing relief from strong or repressed emotions; emotional release, relief
etymology: katharsis "purging, cleansing," from stem of kathairein "to purify, purge," from katharos "pure, clear of dirt, clean, spotless; open, free; clear of shame or guilt; purified"
97
cloture
noun: (in a legislative assembly) a procedure for ending a debate and taking a vote
98
conscript
verb: enlist (someone) compulsorily; draft, recruit, call up
99
cosset
verb: Care for and protect in an overindulgent way; indulge, pander to
100
daguerreotype
noun: a photograph taken by an early photographic process employing an iodine-sensitized silvered plate and mercury vapor
101
diurnal
adjective: (of animals) active in the daytime; daily, everyday
102
dyspeptic
adjective: of or having indigestion or consequent irritability or depression; bad-tempered, short-tempered, irritable
103
ebullient
adjective: cheerful and full of energy; exuberant, buoyant, joyful
104
egress
noun: the action of going out of or leaving a place; departure, exit, withdrawal
105
euphony
noun: the quality of being pleasing to the ear; melodiousness, musicality
106
expiate
verb: atone for (guilt or sin); make amends for, make up for
107
fussilade
noun: a series of shots fired or missiles thrown all at the same time or in quick succession; salvo, volley, bombardment
108
gerontocracy
noun: a state, society, or group governed by old people
109
incubus
noun: a cause of distress or anxiety
110
lacuna
noun: an unfilled space or interval; a gap; interval, gap
111
larceny
noun: theft of personal property; stealing, robbery, pilfering
112
lugubrious
adjective: looking or sounding sad and dismal; mournful, gloomy, sad
113
malapropism
noun: the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with unintentionally amusing effect; misuse, solecism, blunder
114
noisome
adjective: having an extremely offensive smell; irritating, disagreeable, unpleasant
115
paean
noun: a song of praise or triumph; song of praise, hymn, alleluia
116
panoply
noun: a complete or impressive collection of things; array, range, collection
117
pastiche
noun: an artistic work consisting of a medley of pieces taken from various sources; mixture, blend, medley
118
phalanx
noun: a body of troops or police officers standing or moving in close formation
119
précis
noun: a summary or abstract of a text or speech; synopsis, summation
120
prosaic
adjective: commonplace; unromantic; ordinary, everyday
121
puerile
adjective: childishly silly and trivial; immature, babyish, infantile
122
quiescence
noun: a state or period of inactivity or dormancy; inactivity, inertia, latency
123
repast
noun: a meal; feast, banquet
124
ribald
adjective: Referring to sexual matters in an amusingly rude or irreverent way; bawdy, indecent, risqué
125
scintilla
noun: a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling; particle, iota, smidgen
126
supine
adjective: Failing to act as a result of moral weakness or indolence; weak, spineless
127
truculent
adjective: eager or quick to argue or fight; defiant, aggressive
128
tyro
noun: a beginner or novice; learner, neophyte, newcomer
129
umbrage
noun: offense or annoyance; insult, affront
130
virulent
adjective: extremely severe or harmful in its effects; toxic, deadly, destructive
related words: virus
