ELITE VOCABULARY 500-750 Flashcards
(250 cards)
0
Q
chaos
A
complete disorder
1
Q
correlate
A
to correspond; to be mutually related
2
Q
jest
A
to be playful in speech and actions; to joke
3
Q
pernicious
A
very harmful or destructive
4
Q
profess
A
to declare or claim openly
5
Q
edifice
A
a building; architectural monument
6
Q
cynical
A
distrusting others from a sense that everyone’s motives are selfish
7
Q
fray
A
a fight or brawl
8
Q
sadistic
A
getting pleasure from inflicting physical or psychological pain
9
Q
burnish
A
to polish
10
Q
epiphany
A
a sudden flash of understanding
11
Q
pauper
A
one who is extremely poor, esp. one living on public charity
12
Q
irk
A
to irritate or be wearisome
13
Q
deficient
A
lacking an essential quality; inadequate in amount or degree
14
Q
hearsay
A
rumor; gossip
15
Q
intercept
A
to stop something from reaching its intended destination
16
Q
dregs
A
the worst part; the sediment in a liquid
17
Q
orthodox
A
accepting the usual beliefs, esp. religious
18
Q
calumny
A
a false and malicious statement; slander
19
Q
ascetic
A
a person who denies him or herself luxuries and leads an austere life, esp. for religious reasons; characteristic of self-denial and self-discipline
20
Q
surfeit
A
an excess
21
Q
resolute
A
firmly determined
22
Q
petulant
A
impatient or irritable, esp. over a minor annoyance
23
Q
furtive
A
characterized by secretive behavior
24
obese
very fat
25
insolent
boldly disrespectful in speech or behavior; impertinent; impudent
26
benefactor
one who helps and supports others
27
quash
to suppress completely
28
profuse
giving or pouring forth freely; generous
29
ruthless
having no compassion or pity
30
primordial
living or existing at the very beginning
31
naive
simple; childlike; lacking worldly wisdom
32
mare
a female horse
33
despoil
to deprive something of value
34
teeming
overfilled; crowded; pouring out
35
glutton
one who eats too much
36
leeway
margin; room for freedom of action
37
martinet
one who is strict in discipline, and enjoys authority too much
38
paroxysm
a sudden convulsion or outburst; a fit
39
dally
to waste time; to loiter
40
concur
to agree
41
precept
a rule of action or conduct
42
spendthrift
one who spends money wastefully
43
diligent
painstaking and steady
44
exhume
to dig up out of the ground
45
querulous
inclined to find fault; complaining; full of complaint
46
impel
to push something into motion
47
overweening
excessively arrogant; overbearing
48
turbulence
commotion or wild disorder
49
eulogy
a speech or written tribute in praise of someone who has died
50
immaculate
perfectly clean
51
mogul
a rich or powerful person
52
inception
commencement; beginning; origin
53
defile
to corrupt; to desecrate or sully
54
ado
trouble; fuss
55
fauna
animals as group, esp. of a specified region or time
56
emanate
to send forth; to come forth
57
digest
a collection or previously published material, usually in condensed form
58
dour
stern and humorless; silently ill-humored
59
obstreperous
noisily and stubbornly defiant
60
hovel
a small,miserable dwelling
61
incredulous
disbelieving; skeptical
62
emaciated
made thin unnaturally; abnormally thin due to starvation
63
dirge
slow, sad music, esp. a funeral hymn
64
emancipate
to give freedom; to set loose
65
hoax
an act meant to trick or fool
66
destitution
the lack of any means of subsistence
67
laconic
brief in speech; using few words
68
compel
to cause to occur by pressure; to force
69
copious
very plentiful
70
altruistic
unselfish; benevolent; caring more for others than oneself
71
assail
to attack; to assault
72
conflagration
large, disastrous fire
73
incarcerate
to restrict by imprisonment; to keep in prison
74
inveterate
established for a long time; habitual
75
squalid
having dirty or lowly appearance
76
domineer
to rule over arbitrarily or tyrannically
77
courteous
polite and gracious; considerate toward others; well-mannered
78
inculcate
to teach or impress by frequent repetition; to instill
79
cavalier
casual, disdainful
80
painstaking
very thorough; careful
81
plebeian
common
82
glean
to gather bit by bit
83
liable
legally obligated; likely
84
confound
to mix up or lump together indiscriminately; to confuse
85
soliloquy
a dramatic speech delivered by a character to himself or herself
86
didactic
intended to teach; inclined to teach excessively
87
fodder
feed for livestock; a resource
88
genre
a kind, or type
89
benevolent
characterized by doing good
90
ornate
highly, often excessively decorated
91
phase
a stage in a process of change or development
92
morose
sour tempered and inclined to be silent
93
oaf
a stupid, clumsy person
94
sybarite
one devoted to luxury
95
savant
a well-educated person; a scholar
96
ritual
a ceremonial act; a customary procedure
97
medley
a mixture; an arrangement of songs performed together
98
smirk
to smile in a self-satisfied or artificial way
99
sloth
laziness
100
stationary
not moving
101
shambles
utter disorder
102
oracle
a person thought to be a source of wisdom or prophecy
103
eddy
a current, as of water or air, moving contrary to the direction of the main current, esp. in a circular motion
104
unseemly
not decent or proper
105
conception
formation an idea in the mind; the start of a pregnancy
106
reverberate
to reecho
107
disabuse
to free from error or falsehood
108
deem
to have as an opinion; to consider
109
captious
tending to notice and point out trivial mistakes or faults; intended to trap or confuse
110
crass
dull-witted; unrefined
111
pugilist
a boxer
112
cite
to refer to or quote
113
bungle
to handle badly; to botch or mess up
114
subsequent
happening afterward; following in order
115
impertinent
rude
116
gambit
a calculated, risky opening move
117
lucid
easily understood, clear
118
exorbitant
excessive
119
desideratum
something needed and wanted
120
circumspect
showing discretion and careful judgement
121
macabre
suggesting the horror of death
122
disciple
a follower of another who helps to spread teachings
123
ewe
a female sheep, esp. when full grown
124
incipient
beginning to appear or be noticed
125
lament
to grieve; to regret deeply;a mournful song
126
vocation
a regular occupation, esp. one for which a person is particularly suited
127
weather
to survive
128
collateral
parallel; serving to support; of a secondary nature
129
affected
behaving in an artificial way to impress people
130
obstinate
unreasonably stubborn
131
colloquial
appropriate to spoken, as opposed to written, language; informal
132
foible
a minor weakness of character
133
tract
an area of land or water; a brief written work, usually on a religious or political topic
134
distraction
mental distress; that which amuses or entertains
135
paucity
smallness of number; scarcity
136
proletariat
the working class
137
anachronism
something not belonging to a certain time period
138
insensible
not able to feel or perceive unresponsive
139
salutary
beneficial; favorable to health
140
just
honorable and fair; consistent with what is right
141
exemplary
worthy to serve as a model
142
salient
important, prominent, most noticeable
143
blandishment
a flattering act or remark; allurement; enticement
144
malady
a disease; illness; sickness
145
capitulate
to surrender under specific conditions; to give up all resistance
146
groggy
confused, sluggish, or dizzy, as from lack of sleep or drunkenness
147
venue
the location where something takes place, esp. a trial
148
lionize
to look upon or treat as a celebrity
149
excruciating
severely painful
150
frugal
careful in spending money or resources
151
husband
to use sparingly; to conserve
152
bourgeoisie
the middle class
153
collage
an assembly of diverse elements
154
deride
to ridicule
155
ubiquitous
present everywhere
156
schism
a division; a split; a break
157
attract
to pull towards; to stimulate interest
158
temperate
consistent; moderate; without extremes
159
forthright
direct and without evasion; honest
160
hyperbole
exaggeration
161
disparate
entirely unlike
162
fervid
extremely emotional; passionate
163
anecdote
a brief story, often humorous
164
dredge
to clean, deepen, or widen a waterway; to come up with or unearth
165
commensurate
equal in proportion; having the same size, duration, etc.
166
alchemy
medieval chemistry, esp. the attempt to change common metals into gold
167
ocular
relating to the eye or sense of sight
168
adulterate
to make impure
169
trauma
serious physical or emotional injury
170
olfactory
relating to the sense of smell
171
vie
to compete
172
pathetic
arousing pity; arousing scornful pity
173
extract
to remove, esp. with effort
174
palatable
pleasant or acceptable to the taste
175
credit
to believe; to trust
176
endemic
native to a particular country
177
accrue
to come as a gain; to increase
178
parody
a humorous and ridiculous imitation
179
subordinate
occupying a lower position
180
taut
tense; very tight
181
vindicate
to clear of blame with supporting arguments or proof
182
crestfallen
feeling disappointment; feeling shame or humiliation
183
belated
delayed; postponed; detained
184
mean
lowly, insignificant, petty
185
retract
to take back; to pull back
186
maelstrom
a violently confused state; a very large whirlpool
187
diffident
lacking self confidence; timid; shy
188
cavort
to leap about in a lively manner; to have lively or boisterous fun
189
sensuous
appealing to the senses, esp. those involved in appreciating beauty
190
alacrity
cheerful willingness; swiftness
191
arable
suitable for growing crops
192
duress
strain or hardship, often illegally applied
193
precipitate
moving rapidly and without caution
194
lopsided
larger or shaped differently on one side than on another
195
manumit
to grant freedom to slaves; to emancipate
196
genealogy
the science or study of family descent
197
dowdy
lacking in neatness or style; shabby
198
retire
to retreat, as from battle
199
contract
to reduce in size by drawing together
200
muse
to meditate; to consider thoughtfully
201
epigram
a short, cleverly worded statement
202
repertoire
the range of pieces an artist is prepared to perform
203
gustatory
relating to the sense of taste
204
unpretentious
modest; not showy
205
legerdemain
trickery, deception; sleight of hand
206
protract
to extend the duration of; to prolong
207
quotidian
daily; customary
208
table
to postpone consideration of
209
garrulous
talking too much, esp. about trivial things
210
hedonist
someone who seeks only pleasure
211
lethargic
dull; sluggish; moving slowly
212
embezzle
to take money for one's own use, in violation of a trust
213
conundrum
a riddle or puzzle, esp. one without a solution
214
posthumous
done or occurring after death
215
audible
able to be heard
216
acrid
harsh; sarcastic; bitter to the taste
217
sediment
a residue that settles in the bottom of something
218
insular
narrow in outlook; provincial
219
collude
to plot secretly for a deceitful or illegal purpose
220
repel
to drive or force back; to drive off
221
condone
to pardon or overlook voluntarily
222
flighty
unstable or easily excited
223
anthropology
study of the origin, behavior, and culture of human beings
224
dupe
to deceive; to trick; a person easily tricked
225
hangar
a structure used for housing aircraft
226
covert
concealed or disguised; not openly practiced
227
junta
a group of military officers ruling a country after seizing power
228
impute
to assign credit, often of guilt or blame
229
dismal
causing gloom or depression
230
till
to prepare the soil for planting
231
canon
a law or body of laws, esp. religious; an established principle or basis for judgement; the works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic
232
bellow
to yell very loudly; to shout
233
taboo
something forbidden or prohibited
234
ethereal
delicate; soft; airy; intangible
235
traction
the ability to stay on a surface without sliding; the act of pulling
236
wax
to become larger
237
ludicrous
ridiculous or exaggerated as to cause or deserve laughter; absurd
238
inundate
to flood
239
gestate
evolve, as in prenatal growth
240
diffuse
to spread around or scatter; widely scattered
241
tactile
of or related to the sense of touch
242
quail
to draw back in fear; to lose heart or courage
243
extant
currently or actually existing
244
archive
records or documents of a government or institution; the place where such records are kept
245
berserk
dangerously destructive; frenzied
246
culminate
to reach the highest point
247
noisome
disgustingly offensive; foul
248
callous
lacking pity or mercy; unfeeling
249
fruitless
without results; unprofitable
