Key Words in Context Flashcards
1
Q
MALINGERING
A
A common way to avoid the draft was by MALINGERING – pretending to be mentally or physically ill so as to avoid being taken by the Army
2
Q
IMERVIOUS
A
A good raincoat will be IMERVIOUS to moisture
3
Q
MITIGATE
A
A judge may MITIGATE a sentence if she decided that a person committed a crime out of need
4
Q
OCCULDED
A
A shadow is thrown across the earth’s surface during a solar eclipse, when the light from the sun is OCCULDED by the moon
5
Q
DESICCATED
A
After a few weeks of lying on the desert’s baking sands, the cow’s carcass became completely DESICCATED
6
Q
TORPOR
A
After surgery, the patient experienced TORPOR until the anesthesia wore off
7
Q
OPROBRIUM
A
After the scheme to embezzle the elderly was made public, the treasurer resigned in utter OPROBRIUM
8
Q
CONVOLUTED
A
Although many people brought A Brief History of Time, few could follow its CONVOLUTED ideas and theories
9
Q
TACIT
A
Although not a word had been said, everyone in the room knew that a TACIT agreement had been made about which course of action to take
10
Q
PROLIFERATED
A
Although she only kept two guinea pigs initially, the PROLIFERATED to such an extent that she soon had dozen
11
Q
CREDULOUS
A
Although some four year olds believe in the Easter Bunny, only the most CREDULOUS nine year olds still believe in him
12
Q
DISPARATE
A
Although the twins appear to be identical physically, their personalities are DISPARATE
13
Q
ELEGY
A
Although Thomas Gray’s ELEGY is about death and loss; it urges readers to endure this life and to trust in spirituality
14
Q
ABATED
A
As the hurricane’s force ABATED, the winds dropped and the sea because calm
15
Q
IRASCIBLE
A
Attila the Hun’s IRASCIBLE and violent nature made all who delt with him fear for their lives
16
Q
EQUIVOCAL
A
Asked a pointed question, the politician nevertheless gave an EQUIVOCAL answer
17
Q
PLETHROA
A
Assuming that more was better, the defendant offered the judge a PLETHROA of excuses
18
Q
ECLECTIC
A
Budapest’s architecture is an ECLECTIC mix of Eastern and Western styles
19
Q
DUPE
A
Bugs Bunny was able to DUPE Elmer Fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit
20
Q
DISSONANCE
A
Cognitive DISSONANCE is the inner conflict produced when long-standing beliefs are contradicted by new evidence
21
Q
DESULTORY
A
Diane had a DESULTORY academic record; she had changed majors 12 times in three years
22
Q
CHICANERY
A
Dishonest used car salespeople often use CHICANERY to sell their beat-up old cars
23
Q
CAUSTIC
A
Dorothy Parker gained her reputation for CAUSTIC wit from her cutting, yet clever, insults
24
Q
INIMICAL
A
Even though the children had grown up together, they were INIMICAL to each other at school
25
CORROBORATED
Fingerprints CORROBORATED the witness’s testimony that he saw the defendant in the victim’s apartment
26
AESTHETIC
Followers of the AESTHETIC movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art
27
DISABUSED
Galileo’s observations DISABUSED scholars of the notion that the Sun revolved around the Earth
28
AMALGAMATED
Giant industries AMALGAMATED with mega products to form giant-mega products incorporated
29
MALLEABLE
Gold is the most MALLEABLE of precious metals; it can be formed into almost any shape
30
NAÏVE
Having never traveled before, the elementary school students were more NAÏVE than their high school counterparts on the field trip
31
BANAL
He used BANAL phrases like “have a nice day” and “another day, another dollar”
32
ARCHAIC
Her ARCHAIC commodore computer could not run the latest software
33
AUDACIOUS
Her AUDACIOUS nature allowed her to fulfill her dream of skydiving
34
EULOGY
His best friend gave the EULOGY, outlining his many achievements and talents
35
SATIATE
His desire for power was so great that nothing less than complete control of the country could SATIATE it
36
ENGENDERED
His fear and hatred of clowns was ENGENDERED when he witnessed the death of his father at the hands of a clown
37
ICONOCLAST
His lack of regard for traditional beliefs soon established him as an ICONOCLAST
38
IMPLACABLE
His rage at the betrayal was so great that he remained IMPLACABLE for weeks
39
VOLATILE
His VOLATILE personality made it difficult to predict his reaction to anything
40
WAVER
If you WAVER too long before making a decision about which testing site to register for, you may not get your first choice
41
VENERATE
In a traditional Confucian society, the young VENERATE their elders, deferring to the elders’ wisdom and experience
42
CHAOS
In many religious traditions, God created an ordered universe from CHAOS
43
ANALOGOUS
In the Newtonian construct for explain the existence of God, the universe is ANALOGOUS to a mechanical timepiece, the creation of a divinely intelligent clockmaker
44
STIGMA
In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne was required to wear a letter A on her clothes as a public STIGMA for her adultery
45
PARADOX
It is a PARADOX that those most in need of medical attention are often those least able to obtain it
46
DISCERN
It is easy to DISCERN the difference between butter and butter-flavored topping
47
IMPETUOUS
It is not good for an investment broker to be IMPETUOUS since much though should be given to all the possible outcomes
48
EXACERBATE
It is unwise to take aspirin to try to relive heartburn; instead of providing relief, the drug will only EXACERBATE the problem
49
DILETTANTES
Jerry’s friends were such DILETTANTES that they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week
50
RHETORIC
Lincoln’s talent for RHETORIC was evident in his beautifully expressed Gettysburg Address
51
DOGMA
Linus’s central DOGMA was that children who believed in the Great Pumpkin would be rewarded
52
CASTIGATE
Many Americans are amazed at how harshly the authorities in Singapore CASTIGATE perpetrators of what would be considered minor crimes in the United States
53
QUISCENT
Many animals are QUISCENT over the winter months, minimizing activity in order to conserve energy
54
DIRGE
Melville wrote the poem “A DIRGE for James McPherson” for the funeral of a Union general who was killed in 1864
55
ENUMERATED
Moses returned from the mountain with tablets on which the commandments were ENUMERATED
56
ESTIMABLE
Most people consider it ESTIMABLE that Mother Teresa spent her life helping the poor of India
57
PHILANTHROPY
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art owes much of its collection to the PHILANTHROPY of private collectors who willed their estates to the museum
58
TIRADE
Observers were shocked at the manager’s TIRADE over such a minor mistake
59
ESOTERIC
Only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the ESOTERIC world of particle physics
60
LAUD
Parades and fireworks were staged to LAUD the success of the rebels
61
RETICENT
Physically small and RETICENT in her speech, Joan Didion often went unnoticed by those upon whom she was reporting
62
CAPRICIOUS
Queen Elizabeth I was quite CAPRICIOUS; her courtiers could never be sure which of their number would catch her fancy
63
PREVARICATED
Rather than admit that he had overslept again, the employee PREVARICATED and claimed that heavy traffic had prevented him from arriving at work on time
64
FRUGALITY
Scrooge Muck’s FRUGALITY was so great that he accumulated enough wealth to fill a giant storehouse with money
65
ASSUAGE
Serena used aspirin to ASSUAGE her pounding headache
66
ABSTAINED
She ABSTAINED from choosing a mouthwatering dessert from the tray
67
ZEAL
She brought her typical ZEAL to the project, sparking enthusiasm in the other team members
68
VERACITY
She had a reputation for VERACITY, so everyone trusted her description of events
69
ARTICULATE
She is such an ARTICULATE defender of labor that unions are among her strongest supporters
70
PARAGON
She is the PARAGON of what a judge should be: honest, intelligent, hardworking and just
71
LAVISHED
She LAVISHED the puppy with so many treats that it soon became overweight and spoiled
72
LACONIC
She was a LACONIC poet who build her reputation on using words as sparingly as possible
73
LOQUACIOUS
She was naturally LOQUACIOUS, which was a problem in situations in which listening was more important than talking
74
GREGARIOUS
She was so GREGARIOUS that when she found herself alone, she felt quite sad
75
INGENUOUS
She was so INGENUOUS that her friends feared that her innocence and trustfulness would be exploited when she visited the big city
76
PRISTINE
Since concerted measures had been taken to prevent looting, the archeological site was still PRISTINE when researchers arrived
77
GUILE
Since he was not fast enough to catch the roadrunner on foot, the coyote resorted to GUILE in an effort to trap his enemy
78
RAREFIES
Since the atmosphere RAREFIES as altitudes increase, the air at the top of very tall mountains is too thin to breathe
79
ARBITRATE
Since the couple could not come to an agreement, a judge was forced to ARBITRATE their divorce proceedings
80
INNOCUOUS
Some snakes are poisonous, but most species are INNOCUOUS and pose no danger to humans
81
CONDONING
Some theorists believe that failing to prosecute minor crimes is the same as CONDONING an air of lawlessness
82
ENIGMA
Speaking in riddles and dressed in old robes, the artist gained a reputation as something of an ENIGMA
83
DIFFIDENT
Steve’s DIFFIDENT manner during the job interview stemmed from his nervous nature and lack of experience in the field
84
COGENT
Swayed by the COGENT argument of the defense, the jury had no choice but to acquit that defendant
85
ALLEVIATE
Taking aspirin helps to ALLEVIATE a headache
86
PERFIDIOUS
The actress’s PERFIDIOUS companion revealed all of her intimate secrets to the gossip columnist
87
EXCULPATE
The adversarial legal system is intended to convict those who are guilty and to EXCULPATE those who are innocent
88
ANACHRONISTIC
The aged hippie used ANACHRONISTIC phrases like groovy and far out that had not been popular for years
89
ERUDITE
The annual meeting of philosophy professors was a gathering of the most ERUDITE, well-published individuals in the field
90
ANTIPATHY
The ANTIPATHY between the French and the English regularly erupted into open warfare
91
APATHY
The APATHY of voters is so great that less than half the people who are eligible to vote actually bother to do so
92
PROPRIETY
The aristocracy maintained a high level of PROPRIETY adhering to even the most minor social rules
93
ONEROUS
The assignment was so extensive and difficult to manage that it proved ONEROUS to the team in charge of it
94
CHAUVINISTS
The attitude that men are inherently superior to women and therefore must be obeyed is common among male CHAUVINISTS
95
DERIDED
The awkward child was often DERIDED by his cooler peers
96
WHIMSICAL
The ballet was WHIMSICAL, delighting the children with its imaginative characters and unpredictable sets
97
ATTENUATED
The Bill of Rights ATTENUATED the traditional power of governments to change laws at will
98
PLACATE
The burglar tried to PLACATE the snarling dog by saying “nice doggy: and offering it a treat
99
MISANTHROPE
The character Scrooge in A Christmas Carol is such a MISANTHROPE that even the sight of children singing makes him angry
100
ADULTERATING
The chef made his ketchup last longer by ADULTERATING it with water
101
ANTAGONIZE
The child discovered that he could ANTAGONIZE the cat by pulling its tail
102
LAMENT
The children continued to LAMENT the death of the goldfish weeks after its demise
103
HOMOGENEOUS
The class was fairly HOMOGENEOUS, since almost all of the students were senior journalism majors
104
LETHARGIC
The clear was so LETHARGIC that, even when the store was slow, he always had a long line in front of him
105
TACITURN
The clerk’s TACITURN nature earned him the nickname Silent Bob
106
PRUDENCE
The college student exhibited PRUDENCE by obtaining practical experience along with her studies, which greatly strengthened her resume
107
GULLIBLE
The con man pretended to be a bank officer so as to fool GULLIBLE bank customers into giving him their account information
108
DILATORY
The congressman used DILATORY measures to delay the passage of the bill
109
IMPERTURBABLE
The counselor had so much experience dealing with distraught children that she seemed IMPERTURBABLE, even when faced with the wildest tantrums
110
DECORUM
The countess complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the DECORUM appropriate for a visit to the palace
111
CRESCENDO
The CRESCENDO of tension became unbearable as Evel Knievel prepared to jump his motorcycle over the school buses
112
INSIPID
The critic claimed that the painting was INSIPID, containing no interesting qualities at all
113
VACILLATED
The customer held up the line as he VACILLATED between ordering chocolate chip or rockery road ice cream
114
DOGMATIC
The dictator was DOGMATIC – he and only he was right
115
AMBIGUOUS
The directions she gave were so AMBIGUOUS that we disagreed on which way to turn
116
AMELIORATE
The doctor was able to AMELIORATE the patient’s suffering using painkillers
117
EFFICACY
The EFFICACY of penicillin was unsurpassed when it was first introduced; the drug completely eliminated almost all bacterial infections for which it was administered
118
LUCID
The explanations were written in a simple and LUCID manner so that students were immediately able to apply what they learned
119
FERVID
The fans of Maria Callas were unusually FERVID, doing anything to catch a glimpse of the great opera singer
120
EXONERATED
The fugitive was EXONERATED when another criminal confessed to committing the crime
121
EUPHEMISM
The funeral director preferred to use the EUPHEMISM “sleeping” instead of the word “dead”
122
GARRULOUS
The GARRULOUS parakeet distracted its owner with its continuous talking
123
ELOQUENT
The Gettysburg Address is moving not only because of its lofty sentiments but also because of its ELOQUENT words
124
PEDANT
The graduate instructor’s tedious and excessive commentary on the subject soon grained her a reputation as a PEDANT
125
EMULATE
The graduate student sought to EMULATE his professor in every way, copying not only how she taught but also how she conducted herself outside of class
126
ENERVATE
The guerrillas hoped that a series of surprise attacks would ENERVATE the regular army
127
OPAQUE
The heavy buildup of dirt and grime on the windows almost made them OPAQUE
128
INCHOATE
The ideas expressed in Nietzche’s mature work also appear in an INCHOATE form in his earliest writing
129
CATALYST
The imposition of harsh taxes was the CATALYST that finally brought on the revolution
130
CACOPHONY
The junior high orchestra created an almost unbearable CACOPHONY as they tried to tune their instruments
131
AUSTERE
The lack of decoration makes military barracks seem AUSTERE to the civilian eye
132
EPHEMERAL
The lives of mayflies seem EPHEMERAL to use, since the flies average life span is a matter of hours
133
PERFUNCTORY
The machinelike bank teller processed the transaction and gave the waiting customer a PERFUNCTORY smile
134
PROPITATED
The management PROPITATED the irate union by agreeing to raise wages for its members
135
METAPHOR
The METAPHOR a sea of troubles suggests a lot of troubles by comparing their number to the vastness of the sea
136
PERMEATE
The miraculous new cleaning fluid is able to PERMEATE strains and dissolved them in minutes
137
MONOTONY
The MONOTONY of the sound of the dripping faucet almost drove the research assistant crazy
138
SOPORIFIC
The movie proved to be so SOPORIFIC, that soon loud snores were heard throughout the theater
139
SUBLIME
The music was so SUBLIME that it transformed the rude surroundings into a special place
140
ANOMALY
The near boiling river in Peru called Shanay-timpishka is geologically ANOMALY; it is the only naturally healed body of water that is not heated by its proximity to a volcano
141
PLASTIC
The new material was very PLASTIC and could be formed into product of vastly different shapes
142
OBSEQUIOUS
The OBSEQUIOUS new associate made sure to compliment her supervisor’s tie and agree with him on every issue
143
CANDID
The observations of a child can be charming since they are CANDID and unpretentious
144
OBSTINATE
The OBSTINATE child could not be made to eat any food that he disliked
145
VEXED
The old man who loved his peace and quiet was VEXED by his neighbor’s loud music
146
REPUDIATED
The old woman’s claim that she was Russian royalty was REPUDIATED when DNA tests showed she was of no relation to them
147
OSTENTATION
The OSTENTATION of the Sun King’s court is evident in the lavish decoration and luxuriousness of his palace at Versailles
148
EXPLICIT
The owners of the house left a list of EXPLICIT instructions detailing their house sitter’s duties, including a schedule for watering the house plants
149
FLORID
The palace had been decorated in a FLORID style; every surface had been carved and gilded
150
LUMINOUS
The park was bathed in LUMINOUS sunshine, which warmed the bodies and the souls of the visitors
151
EXIGENT
The patient was losing blood so rapidly that it was EXIGENT to stop the source of the bleeding
152
ASCONDED
The patron ASCONDED from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door
153
ERRATIC
The pilot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of ERRATIC turns that surprised the audience
154
BOLSTERED
The presence of giant footprints BOLSTERED the argument that Sasquatch was in the area
155
OBDURATE
The president was completely OBDURATE on the issue, and no amount of persuasion would change his mind
156
STOLID
The prisoner appeared STOLID and unaffected by the judge’s harsh sentence
157
PRODIGAL
The PRODIGAL son quickly wasted all of his inheritance on a lavish lifestyle devoted to pleasure
158
INTRANSIGENT
The professor was INTRANSIGENT on the deadline, insisting that everyone turn the assignment in at the same time
159
VERBOSE
The professor’s answer was so VERBOSE that his student forgot what the original question had been
160
FOMENT
The protesters tried to FOMENT feeling against the war through their speeches and demonstrations
161
BOMBASTIC
The ranting of the radio talk show host was mostly BOMBASTIC; his boasting and outrageous claims had no basis in fact
162
TRANSITORY
The reported lived a TRANSITORY life, staying in one place only long enough to cover the current story
163
DEFERENCE
The respectful young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justice with the utmost DEFERENCE
164
OBVIATED
The river was shallow enough to wade across at many points, which OBVIATED the need for a bridge
165
PUNGENT
The smoke from the burning tires was extremely PUNGENT
166
FANATICAL
The stormtroopers were FANATICAL in their devotion to the emperor, readily sacrificing their lives for him
167
SPECIOUS
The student’s SPECIOUS excuse for being late sounded legitimate but was proved otherwise when her teacher called her home
168
ABYSS
The submarine dove into the ABYSS to chart the previously unseen depths
169
AGGRANDIZE
The supervisor sought to AGGRANDIZE herself by claiming that the achievements of her staff were actually her own
170
INUNDATED
The tidal wave INUNDATED Atlantic, which was lost beneath the water
171
DIATRIBE
The trucker bellowed a DIATRIBE at the driver who had cut him off
172
FAWNED
The understudy FAWNED over the director in hopes of being cast in the part of a permanent basis
173
ADVOCATED
The vegetarian ADVOCATED a diet containing no meat
174
DISSEMBLE
The villain could DISSEMBLE to the police no longer – he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the body of the old man
175
MOLIFY
Their argument was so intense that it was difficult to believe any compromise would MOLIFY them
176
METICULOUSLY
To find all the clues at the crime scene, the investigation METICULOUSLY examined every inch of the area
177
PRECIPITATE
Upon learning that the couple married after knowing each other for only two months, friends and family members expected such a PRECIPITATE marriage to end in divorce
178
EQUIVOCATED
When faced with criticism of her policies, the politician EQUIVOCATED and left all parties thinking she agreed with them
179
DILATE
When you enter a darkened room, the pupils of your eyes DILATE to let in more light
180
PRAGMATIC
While daydreaming gamblers think they can get rich by frequenting casinos, PRAGMATIC gamblers realized that the odds are heavily stacked against them
