Hard Flashcards
(256 cards)
1
Q
Abash
A
To make ashamed; to embarrass
2
Q
Abortive
A
Unsuccessful
3
Q
Abridge
A
Shorten; to condense
4
Q
Averse
A
Opposed to (averse to doing something)
5
Q
Affable
A
Friendly; easy to talk to
6
Q
Alacrity
A
Cheerful readiness
7
Q
Amenity
A
Pleasantness
8
Q
Apocryphal
A
Of dubious authenticity
9
Q
Arbiter
A
A judge; one who decides
10
Q
Arcane
A
Mysterious; hieroglyphic
11
Q
Artifice
A
Trickery
12
Q
Ascendancy
A
Supremacy; domination
13
Q
Attrition
A
Gradual wearing away; weakening or loss
14
Q
Austere
aw STEER
A
Unadorned; stern; forbidding; without excess
15
Q
Bane
A
Poison
16
Q
Bastion
A
A stronghold
17
Q
Beleaguer
A
To surround
18
Q
Beset
A
Harassed
19
Q
Blight
A
Plant disease
20
Q
Blithe
A
Carefree
21
Q
Broach
A
Open a (delicate) subject
22
Q
Burgeon
A
To flourish
23
Q
Burlesque
A
Ludicrous imitation
24
Q
Catharsis
A
Relieving purification
25
Catholic
Universal
26
Chagrin
Humiliation; embarrassed disappointment
27
Charlatan
Fraud
28
Chicanery
Trickery; deceitfulness; artifice
29
Chimera
An illusion; a foolish fantasy
30
Choleric
Hot-tempered
31
Clemency
Mercy; forgiveness
32
Cogent
Powerfully convincing
33
Collusion
A conspiracy
34
Compendium
Summary
35
Confluence
Flowing together
36
Congenial
Agreeably suitable; pleasant
37
Desecrate
To treat irreverently
38
Construe
Interpret
39
Convivial
Festive
40
Coup
Brilliant victory
41
Covet
To wish for enviously
42
Cynic
One who distrusts humanity
43
Debacle
Violent breakdown
44
Decimate
To kill a a large part of
45
Decorous
Proper
46
Deference
Respect; courtesy
47
Delude
To deceive
48
Dialectical
Relating to discussions
49
Dictum
An authoritative saying
50
Distend
To swell
51
Ebullient
Bubbling either excitement
52
Effusion
A pouring forth
53
Elliptical
Oval; elliptical
54
Encroach
To trespass
55
Endemic
Native
56
Enormity
An extreme evil
57
Epigram
Brief, witty saying
58
Epigraph
Apt quotation
59
Epitaph
Inscription on a grave
60
Epithet
Characterizing term, usually disparaging
61
Equanimity
Composure
62
Equitable
Fair
63
Equivocal
Intentionally confusing
64
Expatriate
To throw out of native land
65
Expedient
Immediately advantageous
66
Extol
To praise highly
67
Extricate
To free from difficulty
68
Exult
To rejoice; to celebrate
69
Facetious
Humorous; not serious; clumsily humorous
70
Facile
Superficially skillful
71
Farcical
Absurd; ludicrous
72
Fatuous
Foolish; silly; idiotic
73
Fetter
To restrain
74
Finesse
Skillful maneuvering
75
Flaunt
To show off
76
Flout
To disregard contemptuously
77
Foible
A minor character flaw
78
Forbear
To refrain from
79
Forgo
To do without
80
Fortuitous
Happening by chance; accidental
81
Founder
To fail; to collapse; to sink
82
Flounder
To move in confusion
83
Furtive
Secretive; sly
84
Garrulous
Chatty; talkative
85
Genteel
Refined; polite; aristocratic
86
Glut
A surplus; an over abundance
87
Grandiloquent
Pompous
88
Grandiose
Absurdly exaggerated
89
Gratuitous
Given freely (something bad); unjustified; unprovoked; uncalled for
90
Gregarious
Sociable; enjoying the company of others
91
Guile
Cunning; duplicity; artfulness
92
Hapless
Unlucky
93
Hermetic
Impervious to external influence
94
Histrionic
Overly dramatic; theatrical
95
Homily
A sermon
96
Impetuous
Impulsive; extremely impatient
97
Impugn
To attack the truth or integrity of something
98
Inane
Silly; senseless
99
Incense
To make very angry (in SENS)
100
Incisive
Cutting right to the heart of the matter
101
Incongruous
Not harmonious; not fitting in
102
Infatuated
Foolish; foolishly attracted
103
Injunction
A command or order, especially a court
104
Inordinate
Excessive; unreasonable
105
Insidious
Treacherous, sneaky
106
Insolent
Arrogant, insulting
107
Insular
Like an island, isolated
108
Intractable
Uncontrollable, stubborn, disobedient
109
Invective
(n.) insulting or abusive speech
110
Inveterate
Habitual, firm in habit, deeply rooted
111
Irascible
Easily angered or provoked
112
Itinerant
Moving from place to place, peripatetic
113
Latent
Present but not visible
114
Lethargy
Sluggishness; laziness; drowsiness
115
Levity
Lightness; frivolity; unseriousness
116
Litigate
To try in court
117
Loquacious
Talking a lot or too much
118
Lugubrious
Exaggeratedly mournful
119
Magnate
Rich business person
120
Malfeasance
Illegal act
121
Malinger
(muh LIN ger)
| To pretend to be sick in order to avoid work
122
Marshal
To arrange in order
123
Maudlin
Overly sentimental
124
Maxim
Fundamental principle
125
Mendacious
Lying
126
Mendicant
Beggar
127
Mercenary
Hired soldier, someone who will do anything for money
128
Mercurial
Emotionally unpredictable, capricious
129
Milieu
Environment
130
Mollify
To soften
131
Monolithic
Massive and unyielding
132
Morose
Gloomy, sullen
133
Munificent
Very generous, lavish
134
Nepotism
Favoritism, especially in business or politics
135
Novel
Original, new
136
Opulent
Luxurious
137
Officious
Annoyingly helpful
138
Oblivion
Forgetfulness
139
Parochial
Narrow in point of view
140
Partisan
Supporter of a cause; or biased
141
Paltry
Insignificant, worthless
142
Penchant
String liking
143
Paucity
Scarcity, dearth
144
Pernicious
Deadly
145
Peripatetic
Wandering, itinerant
146
Perfunctory
Unenthusiastic
147
Peremptory
Final, categorical, didactic
148
Placate
To soothe/pacify
149
Petulant
Rude
150
Philistine
Singly ignorant person
151
Plaintive
Expressing sadness
152
Platitude
Trite remark
153
Plebeian
Low class
154
Poignant
Painfully emotional; sharp or astute
155
Polemic
A powerful refutation
156
Ponderous
Massive and clumsy
157
Portentous
Ominous
158
Precept
Rule to live by
159
Precipitate
To cause to happen abruptly
160
Precipitous
Steep
161
Preeminent
Outstanding, the best in the field
162
Preempt
To seize by prior right
163
Premise
Assumption
164
Prepossess
To preoccupy
165
Prerogative
A right or privilege connected exclusively with a group or classification
166
Unprepossessing
Unimpressive
167
Prodigal
Wastefully extravagant
168
Profligate
Extravagantly wasteful
169
Profuse
Flowing
170
Proliferate
To spread or grow rapidly
171
Prolific
Abundantly productive
172
Promulgate
To proclaim
173
Propitious
Marked by favorable signs
174
Propriety
Good manners
175
Prosaic
Dull
176
Protract
To prolong
177
Provident
Preparing for the future; frugal
178
Putative
Commonly accepted
179
Querulous
Complaining
180
Quixotic
Foolishly romantic
181
Rapacious
Greedy
182
Rebut
To contradict
183
Recant
To publicly take back and deny; to openly confess error
184
Recondite
Hard to understand; over one's head
185
Recrimination
A bitter counteraccusation.
186
Redolent
Fragrant (redolent of)
187
Remonstrate
To argue against
188
Reprisal
An act of revenge
189
Ruminate
To ponder; to contemplate
190
Preclude
To prevent
191
Largesse
Generosity in bestowing money or gifts upon others
192
Jettison
To throw or drop (something) from an aircraft or ship; to abandon or discard.
193
Progenitor
An ancestor or parent
194
Innuendo
An oblique remar or hint, typically a suggestive or disparaging one.
195
Subterfuge
Deceit used in order to achieve one's goal
196
Acme
Climax, zenith
197
Unpalatable
Not pleasant to taste
198
Sacrilege
A violation of something sacred; blasphemy
199
Sacrosanct
Sacred; held to be inviolable
200
Sage
Wise from experience or learning (also noun)
201
Salutary
Healthful; remedial; curative
202
Sanguine
Cheerful; optimistic; hopeful
203
Sardonic
mocking; scornful
204
Scintillate
to sparkle, either literally or figuratively
205
Sentient
able to perceive by the senses; conscious
206
Sequester
to set or keep apart
207
Serendipity
accidental good fortune
208
Servile
submissive
209
Slavish
extremely subservient
210
Sloth
laziness
211
Solicitous
eager and attentive, often to the point of hovering; anxiously caring or attentive
212
Solvent
not broke or bankrupt
213
Soporific
sleep inducing
214
Sordid
vile; filthy; squalid
215
Spawn
to produce a large number; to bring forth
216
Specious
deceptively plausible
217
Spurious
false; fake
218
Staunch
firmly committed
219
Steadfast
firmly committed; staunch
220
Stigmatize
to place a mark of disgrace upon
221
Stricture
a restriction; a limitation; a negative criticism
222
Strife
bitter conflict
223
Stringent
Strict
224
Stymie
to hinder
225
Insubordinate
not respectful of authority
226
Subversive
corrupting; overthrowing; undermining
227
Surfeit
excess; excess or overindulgence in eating or drinking
228
Surrogate
substitue
229
Sycophant
one who sucks up to others
230
Tacit
implied; not spoken
231
Taciturn
naturally untalkative
232
Tangential
not deeply relevant
233
Tantamount
equivalent to
234
Tautological
redundant
235
Tenable
defensible
236
Tenuous
flimsy
237
Terse
without unnecessary words
238
Torpor
Sluggishness
239
Tirade
bitter speech; harangue
240
Touchstone
standard; a test of authenticity or quality
241
Unconscionable
Unscrupulous
242
Unwitting
Unintentional; ignorant; not aware
243
Urbane
poised; sophisticated; refined; genteel
244
Utilitarian
Pragmatic
245
Vapid
boring, dull
246
Venal
capable of being bribed; willing to do anything for money; corrupt
247
Verisimilitude
similarity to reality; the appearance of truth; looking like the real thing
248
Viable
Capable of living; workable
249
Vicarious
experienced through someone else
250
Vilify
to say vile things about
251
Vindictive
seeking revenge (adj.)
252
Virulent
extremely poisonous; malignant; full of hate
253
Vitriolic
caustic; full of bitterness
254
Volition
will; conscious choice
255
Wanton
malicious; unjustifiable; unprovoked; egregious
256
Wistful
yearning; sadly longing
