Flashcards in Group 13 Deck (50)
1
precarious
adj. uncertain, unstable; dependent on chance //__ living as a writer]
2
volatile
adj. unpredictable; tense; evaporative
3
impasse
n. deadlock, a situation in which no progress is possible esp bc of disagreement [the current political __]
4
countenance
n. face, appearance; v. tolerate// it would ___ the acceptance of policies and practices contrary to the natural moral law
5
placate
v. pacify, mollify, appease [they attempted to __the students]
6
tout
v. peddle; solicit; recommend, attempt to sell something, typically by pestering people boldly
7
flummox
v. perplex, bewilder, confound [___by the question]
8
ensconced
v. plonk, nestle, settle smne in comfortable/secret place
9
rapacious
adj. aggressively greedy or predatory [___ lending]
10
cavalier
adj. arrogant, haughty, snobbish, off hand, showing lack of proper concern
11
ornery
adj. bad-tempered, stubborn, vile
12
rudimentary
adj. basic, fundamental
13
truculent
adj. belligerent, eager to argue, fight, aggressively defiant
14
irascible
adj. cantankerous, feisty, irritable, easily made angry
15
scurvy
adj. contemptible, mean //__ trick
16
craven
adj. cowardly, contemptibly lacking in courage
17
vacuous
adj. empty, mindless, unintelligent [a ___ smile]
18
wanton
adj. extravagant; malicious; reckless [__vandalism]
19
sardonic
adj. grimly mocking or cynical
20
churlish
adj. grumpy, surly, rude in a mean-spirited [it seems __ to complain]
21
sordid
adj. ignoble, vile. filthy. squalid
22
impervious
adj. immune, unable to be affected by
23
promiscuous
adj. indiscriminately sexually active
24
lecherous
adj. lewd, having or showing excessive or offensive sexual desire
25
anomic
adj. loner, hermit. n. absence of social norms/values as in the case of uprooted people// Americans in other words, aren't suffering from _ie.
26
malevolent
adj. malicious, wicked[ ______ eyes]
27
specious
adj. misleading, seeming right but lacking merit
28
atavistic
adj. primitive, relating to reversion to something ancient or ancestral [___fears and instincts]
29
amorous
adj. romantic , erotic
30
dastardly
adj. rotten, cowardly, mean, sneaking
31
impertinent
adj. rude; irrelevant
32
lascivious
adj. salacious, lewd, inclined to lust, arousing
33
obtuse
adj. slow, dense, dumb, insensitive
34
meretricious
adj. tawdry, flashy, seeming to have value, but not
35
unwitting
adj. unintentional, inadvertent, not fully aware of facts
36
apocryphal
adj. unsubstantiated, questionable, of doubtful authorship or authenticity
37
ribald
adj. vulgar, coursely irreverent, scurrilous
38
nefarious
adj. wicked or criminal
39
rancor
n. bitterness, enmity, hatefulness, acrimony
40
mendacity
n. deceit, untruthfulness
41
sadism
n. deliberate cruelty, the tendency to derive pleasure, esp sexual gratification, from inflicting sufferingon others
42
snit
n. fit of irritation, a sulk [he withdrew in a __]
43
enmity
n. hatred, animosity, a condition or feeling of hostility. [___ towards bad people]
44
voyeur
n. peeping tom
45
schadenfreude
n. pleasure derived by somone from another person's misfortune
46
subterfuge
n. ploy, ruse, sham, cheating
47
verisimilitude
n. realism, believability, lifelikeness [the _ of her performance is gripping]
48
derision
n. ridicule, mockery// the inept performance elicited __ from the audience
49
stature
n. standing, distinction, level of importance gained by ability [an architect of international ___]
50