Difficult Flashcards
(185 cards)
1
Q
aphoristic
aphorism
A
something that is concise and instructive of general truth/principle
short instructive saying about a general truth
2
Q
apostate
A
person who has abandoned a religious faith/cause
3
Q
anathema
A
detested person; source of somebody’s hate
4
Q
arrant
A
complete and wholly (usu modifying a noun with negative connotation)
5
Q
arriviste
A
person who has recently reached a position of power; social climber
6
Q
arch
A
to be deliberately teasing
7
Q
apotheosis
A
exaltation to divine status
highest point of development
8
Q
anemic
A
lacking energy and vigor
9
Q
anodyne
A
something that soothes/relieves pain
inoffensive
10
Q
approbatory
A
expressing praise/approval
11
Q
asperity
A
harness of manner
12
Q
apposite
A
remarkedly appropriate
13
Q
antic
A
ludicrously odd
14
Q
appurtenant
A
supplying added support
15
Q
artifice
A
cunning tricks used to deceive others
16
Q
arrogate
A
seize and control without authority
17
Q
apothegm
A
short, pithy instructive saying = aphorism
18
Q
atavism
A
reappearance of an earlier characteristic
throwback
19
Q
aplomb
A
great coolness and composure under strain
20
Q
byzantine
A
intricate and complex
21
Q
benighted
A
fallen into a state of ignorance
22
Q
bowdlerize
A
edit by omitting/modifying parts considered indelicate
23
Q
brook
A
put up with something/somebody unpleasant
24
Q
baleful
A
threatening/foreshadowing evil/tragic developments
25
bristle
react in an offended/angry manner
26
besotted
strongly affectionate towards
very drunk
27
browbeat
be bossy towards; discourage/frighten with threats/domineering manner
28
bridle
act of restraining power/action/limiting excess
to react with anger/to take offense
29
chastise
to reprimand harshly
30
contrive
pull off a plan/scheme, usu through skill/trickery
31
contingent
gathering of person's representative of some larger group
dependent on
32
contrition
feeling of remorse/guilt that comes from doing something bad
33
corroborate
to confirm/lead support to
34
collusion
agreement on a secret plot
35
connive
taking part in immoral and unethical plots
36
cavalier
given to haughty disregard of others
37
consecrate
to make holy/set apart for a high purpose
38
carping
persistently petty and unjustified criticism
39
chary
cautious, suspiciously reluctant to do something
40
cupidity
greed for money
41
curmudgeon
grouchy, surly person
42
charlatan
flamboyant deceive; one who attracts customers with tricks/jokes
43
cosset
treat with excessive indulgence
44
corollary
practical consequence that follows naturally
45
chagrin
strong feeling of embarrassment
cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of
46
chimera
something desired/wished for but is only an illusion and impossible to achieve
47
coterminous
being of equal extent/scope/duration
48
chauvinism
fanatical patriotism; belief that one's group/cause is superior to all other groups
49
canard
deliberately misleading fabrication
50
concomitant
describing an event/situation that happens at the same time as or in connection with another
51
disaffected
discontented as toward authority
52
duress
compulsory force/threat
53
demure
to be modest and shy
54
desecrate
to willfully violate/destroy a sacred place
55
destitute
poor enough to need help from others
completely wanting/lacking
56
dilapidated
in terrible condition
57
defray
to help pay the cost of, either in part/full
58
derelict
not doing one's duties
abandoned
59
dispensation
an exemption from a rule/obligation
60
debonair
having a sophisticated charm
61
doughty
brave, bold, courageous
62
desiccated
uninteresting, lacking vitality
63
despot
a cruel and oppressive dictator
64
dissipate
squander/spend money frivolously
to disperse/scatter
65
doctrinaire
seeking to impose a doctrine in all circumstances without regard to practical considerations
= dogmatic, rigid, inflexible; uncompromising, unyielding
66
eminence
fame/recognized superiority, esp within a particular sphere/profession
67
errant
to be wandering; not sticking to a circumscribed path
68
exasperate
to irritate intensely
69
exegesis
critical explanation/analysis, esp of a text
70
execrate
to curse and hiss at
71
expurgate
to remove objectionable material
72
excoriate
to criticize very harshly
73
ersatz
not real/genuine
| phony
74
evanescent
tending to vanish like vigor
= vanishing; disappearing
75
exiguity
quality of being meager
76
eponym
name derived from a person
| the person for whom something is named
77
flounder
behave awkwardly; having difficulties
78
factious
produced by, or characterized by internal dissension
=state of faction = divided; discordant; conflicting
79
fractious
irritable and is likely to cause disruption
80
factitious
artificial; not natural
81
gall
trait of being rude and impertinent
feeling of deep, bitter anger and ill-will
82
gossamer
characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy
83
gambit
a maneuver/risk in a game/conversation, designed to secure an advantage
84
gumption
resourcefulness and determination
85
graft
corruption, usu. through bribery
86
hegemony
dominance over certain area
87
hagiographic
excessively flattering toward someone's life/work
88
hubris
overbearing pride/presumption
89
halcyon
idyllically calm and peaceful; suggesting happy tranquility; marked by peace and prosperity
90
incorrigible
impervious (impermeable; unable to be affected by) to correction by punishment
=not able to be corrected, improved, reformed
91
indict
to formally charge/accuse of wrong-doing
92
inundate
to flood/overwhelm
93
indigent
poor; having very little
poor/needy person
94
invective
abusive/denunciatory (public condemnation of someone/thing) language
95
imbroglio
a confusing and potentially embarrassing situation
96
impecunious
lacking money; poor
97
insouciance
lack of concern
98
inure
to make accustomed to something unpleasant
99
ineffable
too sacred to be uttered; defying expression/description
= too great/extreme to be expressed/described in words
100
inanity
total lack of meaning/ideas
101
impugn
attack as false/wrong
102
impervious
not admitting of passage/capable of being affecting
= unable to be affected by
103
junta
an aggressive takeover by a group
the group that executes such a takeover
104
jejune
dull; lacking flavor
immature; childish
105
juggernaut
force that cannot be stopped
106
lascivious
lecherous; sexually perverted
107
litany
any long and tedious account of something
108
lugubrious
excessively mournful
109
lachrymose
showing sorrow
110
macabre
suggesting the horror of death and decay; gruesome
111
maxim
short saying expressing a general truth
112
miscreant
person who breaks the law
113
malfeasance
misconduct/wrongdoing
114
mettlesome
filled with courage/valor
115
maudlin
overly emotional and sad
116
mulct
to defraud/swindle
117
martinet
strict disciplinarian
118
moribund
being on the point of death; declining rapidly losing all momentum in progress
119
magisterial
offensively self-assured/given to exercising unwarranted power
=showing great authority, domineering, dictatorial
120
mendicant
a pauper (poor person) who lives by begging
121
malingerer
someone shirking (avoid/neglect) their duty by pretending to be sick/incapacitated
122
obstreperous
noisily and stubbornly defiant; willfully difficult to control
123
objurgate
express strong disapproval of
124
officious
intrusive in a meddling/offensive manner
125
pundit
someone who has been admitted to membership in a scholarly field
126
pejorative
expressing disapproval
127
posit
assume as fact
128
pertinent
having precise/logical relevance to the matter at hand
=relevant/applicable to a particular matter
129
piquant
having an agreeably pungent taste
130
perquisite
a right reserved exclusively by a particular person/group
131
provisional
under terms not final/fully worked out/agreed upon
132
penurious
lacking money, poor
miserly
133
picayune
trifling/petty
| =unimportant/trivial
134
phantasmagorical
illusive; unreal
135
peremptory
bossy and domineering
136
pyrrhic
describing a victory that comes at such a great cost that the victory is not worthwhile
137
palimpsest
something that has been changed numerous times but on which traces of former iterations can still be seen
138
parvenu
person who has suddenly become wealthy, but not socially accepted as part of a higher class
139
prognostication
a statement made about the future
140
portentous
ominously prophetic
=done in a pompously/overly solemn manner so as to impress
141
puerile
of or characteristic of a child; displaying/suggesting a lack of maturity
142
presentiment
feeling of evil to come
143
puissant
powerful
144
philistine
smug and ignorant towards artistic and cultural values
145
pontificate
talk in a dogmatic and pompous manner
146
panegyric
formal expression of praise
147
pillory
ridicule/expose to public scorn
148
promulgate
state/announce
149
palaver
speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly
150
qualm
uneasiness about the fitness of an action
151
quixotic
wildly idealistic; impractical
152
quisling
a traitor
153
quail
draw back, as with fear/pain
154
reprobate
person without morals who is disapproved of
155
raft
larger number of something
156
raffish
marked by a carefree unconventionality/disreputableness
157
respite
a pause from doing something
158
renege
fail to fulfill a promise/obligation
159
remonstrate
to make objections while pleading
| = protest
160
recrudesce
to break out/happen again
161
reprisal
a retaliatory action against on enemy in wartime
162
rapprochement
the reestablishing of cordial relations
163
raillery
light teasing
164
wanton
without check/limitation
| showing no moral restraints to one's anger, desire, appetites
165
screed
an abusive rant
166
schadenfreude
joy from watching the suffering of others
167
sybarite
person who indulges in luxury
168
sangfroid
calmness/poise in different situations
169
sartorial
related to fashion/clothes
170
sinecure
an office that involves minimal duties
171
solecism
socially awkward/tactless act
172
subterfuge
something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an activity
173
simulacrum
representation of a person
bad imitation
174
umbrage
a feeling of anger caused by being offended
175
unpropitious
with little chance of success
176
unprepossessing
creating an unfavorable/neutral first impression
177
untrammeled
not confined/limited
178
unstinting
very generous
179
unassailable
immune to attack; without flaws
180
venial
easily excused/forgiven; pardonable
181
vituperate
to criticize hardly; to berate
182
vitriolic
vitriol
harsh/corrosive in tone
abusive/venomous language used to express blame/bitter deep-seated ill-will
183
vaunted
highly/widely praised/boasted about
184
verisimilitude
the appearance of truth
185
veritable
truthfully, without a doubt
