High-frequency Words Flashcards
(27 cards)
Abstruse
Obscure; profound; difficult to understand.
Baffled by the abstruse philosophical texts assigned in class, Dave asked Lexy to explain Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason.
Acclaim
Applaud; announce with great approval.
The NBC sportscasters acclaimed every American victory in the Olympics and decried every American defeat.
Accolade
Award of merit.
In Hollywood; an “Oscar” is the highest accolade.
Acquiesce
Assent; agree without protesting.
Although she appeared to acquiesce to her employer’s suggestions, I could tell she had reservations about the changes he wanted made.
Acrid
Sharp; bitterly pungent.
The acrid odor of burnt gunpowder filled the room after the pistol had been fired.
Acrimonious
Bitter in words or manner.
The candidate attacked his opponent in highly acrimonious terms.
Adulation
Flattery; admiration.
The rock star thrived on the adulation of his groupies and yes men.
Adversary
Opponent.
The young wrestler struggled to defeat his adversary.
Adversity
Unfavorable fortune; hardship; a calamitous event.
According to the humorist Mark Twain, anyone can easily learn to endure adversity, as long as it is another man’s.
Affable
Easily approachable; warmly friendly.
Accustomed to cold, aloof supervisors, Nicholas was amazed at how affable his new employer was.
Affirmation
Positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath.
Despite Tom’s affirmations of innocence, Aunt Polly still suspected he had eaten the pie.
Alleviate
Relieve
This should alleviate the pain; if it does not, we shall have to use stronger drugs.
Altruistic
Unselfishly generous; concerned for others.
In providing tutorial assistance and college scholarships for hundreds of economically disadvantaged youths, Eugene Lang performed a truly altruistic deed.
Ambivalence
The state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes.
Torn between loving her parents one minute and hating them the next, she was confused by the ambivalence of her feelings.
Analogous
Comparable.
She called our attention to the things that had been done in an analogous situation and recommended that we do the same.
Anarchist
Person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority.
Denying she was an anarchist, Katya maintained she wished only to make changes in our government, not to destroy it entirely.
Antagonism
Hostility; active resistance.
Barry showed his antagonism toward his new stepmother by ignoring her whenever she tried talking to him.
Apathy
Lack of caring; indifference.
A firm believer in democratic government, she could not understand the apathy of people who never bothered to vote.
Appease
Pacify or soothe; relieve.
Tom and Jody tried to appease the crying baby by offering him one toy after another, but he would not calm down until the appeased his hunger by giving him a bottle.
Arbitrary
Capricious; randomly chosen; tyrannical
Tom’s arbitrary dismissal angered him; his boss had no reason to fire him. He threw an arbitrary assortment of clothes into his suitcase and headed off, not caring where he went.
Ascendancy
Controlling influence; domination.
Leaders of religious cults maintain ascendancy over their followers by methods that can verge on brainwashing.
Aspire
Seek to attain; long for.
Because he aspired to a career in professional sports, Philip enrolled in a graduate program in sports management.
Assiduous
Diligent.
He was assiduous, working at his task for weeks before he felt satisfied with his redults.
Astute
Wise; shrewd; keen
John made astute investments in land, shrewdly purchasing valuable plots throughout New York City.
