Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

New Revision April 29 > English vocab > Flashcards

English vocab Flashcards

(103 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

Zenith

A

Highest point, top,

Example: at the zenith of his powers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Zeal

A

Passion; Fervor

example: they took office with an undisguised zeal to do everything differently

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

wane

A

dwindle

example: the scandal caused her popularity to wane

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Wistful

A

Yearning tinged with melancholy; pensive

example: a wistful glance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Whet

A
  1. to sharpen something by rubbing on or with something
  2. to make keen or more acute; excite; stimulate

example1: whet a knife
example 2: whet the appetite; whetted her curiosity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Wastrel

A

one who expends resources foolishly or self-indulgently;

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Wanton

A

(of a cruel or violent action) deliberate and unprovoked; unrestrained

example: sheer wanton vandalism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Phrase: White elephant

A

something that is expensive to maintain or difficult to dispose of

example: a huge white elephant of a house that needed ten thousand spent on it

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

wreathe

A

encircle something

example: he sits wreathed in smoke

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

writhe

A

to move or proceed with twists and turns

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

venerate

A

regard with great respect; revere

example: Philip was venerated as a saint

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

vacillate

A

be indecisive

example: I vacillated between teaching and journalism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

verdant

A

green with grass or rich vegetation

example: verdant valleys

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Vestige

A

a trace or remnant of something that is disappearing or no longer exists

example: the last vestiges of colonialism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Victuals

A

food provisions

example: the navy was clothed and victualled by the Crown

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Voluble

A

talkative; talking fluently or incessantly

example: a voluble game show host

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Twain

A

two

synonyms: couple, duo, twosome

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Thespian

A

Dramatic / actor,actress

eg: Despite his accomplishments, he still thinks of himself as a young thespian hoping to get his first break

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Tete-a-tete

A

A private conversation between two persons

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Tacit

A

Understood without being openly expressed;silent;unspoken

eg: tacit approval; tacit prayer; tacit partner

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Umbrage

A

Offense; annoyance; displeasure; suspicion

eg: took umbrage at the speaker’s remarks

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Tumid

A

Swollen; pompous or inflated

eg: tumid belly

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Truculent

A

aggressively hostile; harsh; cruel; savage

eg: truculent criticism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Tremulous

A

Affected by trembling; tremors; shaken

eg: a tremulous smile

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Transient
Not permanent; fleeting; brief eg: transient guests
26
transgress
violate a law, moral code etc; to offend; to sin eg: to transgress the will of god
27
tortuous
full of bends, twists,; crooked; not straightforward eg: a tortuous path tortuous negotiations lasting for months
28
temerity
reckless boldness eg: she had the temerity to call me a liar
29
taciturn
temperamentally disinclined to talk eg: He is a reserved taciturn person
30
teetotaler
person who abstains from alcohol
31
Turncoat
person who changes to the opposite party or faction; reverses principles etc
32
Uxorious
affectionately submissive towards one's wife eg: he was a famously uxorious husband
33
verbose
characterized by use of too many words; wordy eg: a verbose reply
34
Abash
make someone feel embarrassed or ashamed e.g. Her elder cousins abashed her by commenting on her shyness
35
Abject
Utterly hopeless, miserable, humiliating or wretched despicable e.g. abject poverty, abject coward
36
Abject synonyms
Miserable, vile , low, degrading
37
Ablution
Act of washing oneself (sometimes in religious context)
38
Abridge
To shorten by emission while retaining basic concepts
39
Abridge synonyms
summarize, digest, condense
40
Abridge antonyms
lengthen, expand
41
Abscond
to depart in sudden and secret manner, esp to avoid capture and legal prosecution e.g. the cashier absconded with the money
42
Abscond synonym
bolt, decamp
43
Stenographer
person who writes in shorthand
44
Stoic
a person who can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining
45
Somniloquist
one who talks in sleep
46
somnambulist
sleep walker
47
Soliloquy
act of speaking aloud by oneself
48
Sadistic
deriving pleasure from inflicting pain
49
stupor
state of near-unconsciousness or insensibility eg: a drunken stupor
50
Sinecure
a position requiring little to no work but giving the holder status or financial benefit eg: political sinecures for the supporters of ministers
51
Sanatorium
a hospital for the treatment of chronic diseases, as tuberculosis or various nervous or mental disorders.
52
spendthrift
person who spends money in extravagant irresponsible ways
53
Sycophancy
behavior in which someone praises powerful or rich people in a way that is not sincere, usually in a way to get advantage from them
54
Surly
Bad-tempered and unfriendly
55
superannuated
old, and almost no longer suitable for work or use eg: superannuated scheme
56
strumpet
a woman who has many casual sexual encounters or relationships
57
Sordid
dirty, filthy, immoral
58
servile
having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others
59
sedulous
diligent, dedicated
60
scintillating
sparkling or shining brightly
61
salubrious
health-giving; healthy
62
swarthy
dark-complexion
63
stratagem
carefully planned way of achieving or dealing with something, often involving a trick eg: he was a master of stratagem
64
stolid
calm, dependable, and showing little emotion or animation
65
squalid
dirty and unpleasant
66
spurious
false or fake eg: separating authentic and spurious claims
67
somnolent
almost sleeping or causing sleep eg somnolent summer's afternoon
68
slovenly
untidy and dirty eg a slovenly appearance
69
scurrilous
making or spreading scandalous claims about someone with the intention of damaging their reputation eg a collection of scurrilous writings
70
rapture
feeling of intense pleasure or joy eg she listened with rapture
71
rueful
expressing sorrow or regret
72
rubicund
reddish; rosy eg he was more than a little rubicund
73
rife
(usually something undesirable) of common occurrence; widespread eg: male chauvinism was rife in medicine
74
resplendent
having a very bright or beautiful appearance eg the queen's resplendent purple robes
75
pugnacious
eager or quick to argue, quarrel or fight eg: his public statements became increasingly pugnacious
76
proliferate
increase rapidly in number; multiply eg: small businesses have proliferate in the last ten years
77
prodigious
remarkably great in ability, amount, or strength eg: she wrote a truly prodigious number of novels
78
prodigal
spending or using large amounts of money, time, energy, etc esp in a way that is not very wise eg: there have been rumours that he has been prodigal with company funds
79
predilection
a preference or special liking for something eg: my predilection for korean food
80
ponderous
slow and awkward because of being very heavy or large eg: he had a slow and ponderous manner
81
perspicuity
the quality of being clear and easy to understand eg: lack of perspicuity made the mayor's speech confusing
82
penurious
extremely poor eg: the sums were showered in a plentiful rain upon the evil and the good, upon the wealthy and the penurious
83
pensive
thinking in a quiet way, often with a serious expression on your face eg: she became withdrawn and pensive
84
peevish
easily annoyed eg: a peevish bad-tempered person
85
pedantic
excessively concerned with minor details or rules eg: they were being unnecessarily pedantic by insisting that Berry himself, and not his wife, should have made the announcement
86
paucity
the presence of something in only small or insufficient quantities eg: a paucity of information
87
parochial
showing interest only in a narrow range of matters, especially those that directly affect yourself, your town, or your country eg: although its just a local paper, it somehow manages not to be too parochial in its outlook
88
paramount
more important than anything else; supreme eg: the interests of the child are of paramount importance
89
quixotic
extremely idealistic, unrealistic and impractical eg: a vast and perhaps quixotic project
90
quiescent
temporarily quiet and not active eg: the political situation was now relatively quiescent
91
punctilious
showing great attention to detail or correct behavior eg: he was punctilious in providing every amenity for his guests
92
puerile
childishly silly and immature eg: a puerile argument
93
progeny
offspring; descendent
94
proclivity
a tendency to choose or do something regularly eg: a proclivity for hard work
95
prevaricate
speak or act in an evasive way eg: he seemed to prevaricate when journalists asked pointed questions
96
Abstruse
difficult to understand
97
acrimony
bitterness or ill feeling
98
alacrity
brisk and cheerful readiness eg she accepted the invitation with alacrity
99
allay
diminish eg the report attempted to educate the public and allay fears
100
august
respected and impressive eg: she was in august company
101
beseech
ask someone urgently and fervently to do something eg: they beseeched him to stay
102
cajole
persuade someone to do something by flattery or coaxing eg: he hoped to cajole her into selling the house
103
circumspect
weary and unwilling to take risks eg the officials were very circumspect in their statements

New Revision April 29 (39 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions