Lesson 01 Flashcards
(15 cards)
adroit
(adj.) skillful, clever
Everyone knew that he was adroit with figures, but he lacked the facility for public speaking.
syn: dexterous; apt
ant: clumsy, awkward
adulterate
(verb) to make impure, to contaminate
(adj. ) impure
The fumes from the automobiles adulterate the air.
The police were concerned about all the adulterated drugs on the street.
ant: refine, refined
adventitious
(adj.) accidental; nonessential
The scientists announced the breakthrough at a press conference and admitted that it had been an adventitious outcome.
syn: incidental
aegis
(noun) a shield; protection; sponsorship
The candidate felt he had a chance in the election because of the aegis of a former officeholder.
syn: backing
aesthetic
(adj.) pertaining to beauty
The house was a bargain financially, but it lacked any aesthetic quality.
syn: artistic
affectation
(noun) a phony attitude; pose
John felt that the outspoken Ruth was the only girl there who did not have any affectations.
syn: insincerity; sham
ant: sincerity, genuineness
affinity
(noun) an attraction to
The young man had an affinity for fast cars and easy money.
syn: partiality, fondness
ant: aversion
affluence
(noun) wealth; richness
Although Paul’s family had much affluence, he was content to make do without their help.
syn: abundance
ant: impoverished, destitute
agape
(adj.) open-mouthed; surprised; agog
Even the judge was agape when the witness told the ridiculous story in court.
syn: awe-stricken
aggrandize
(verb) to enlarge; to expand
Much of what they did was not to aid their country but to aggrandize their own positions.
syn: increase, augment, enrich
ant: decrease, diminish
altruism
(noun) a concern for others; generosity
Ben’s altruism was apparent as he stopped at the scene of the accident to offer his assistance.
syn: unselfishness, magnanimity
ant: selfishness, egoism
ambiguous
(adj.) open to more than one interpretation
The candidate’s ambiguous comments tended to confuse the issue even more.
syn: unclear, uncertain, vague
ant: explicit, definite
amoral
(adj.) lacking a sense of right and wrong
Although a greedy man, he was not amoral; there were some things he would not do for money.
amorphous
(adj.) shapeless, formless, vague
Although the essay was due in two days, John couldn’t get a handle on the topic, which remained amorphous in his mind.
animosity
(noun) hatred
There was a general feeling of animosity toward the judge for giving the boys such a harsh sentence.
syn: ill-will, hostility
ant: friendliness, congeniality
