Level 6 Flashcards
(52 cards)
- LEGERDEMAIN (LEJ-ur-duh-MAYN)
Sleight of hand; a cleverly executed trick or deception. Synonyms: magic, prestidigitation, thaumaturgy.
- PUERILE (PYOOR-ul or PYOO-ur-ul)
Childish, immature; hence, foolish, silly. Synonyms: (“childish or immature”) infantile, juvenile; (“foolish or silly”) inane; frivolous, asinine, fatuous, sophomoric, callow (Level 4, Word 30). Corresponding nouns: puerilism, a psychiatric term for the abnormal appearance of childish behavior in an adult; puerility, childishness, immaturity, or in civil law, the status of a child between infancy and puberty.
- COMPLICITY (kuhm-PLIS-i-tee)
Conspiracy, partnership in wrongdoing, criminal participation, direct association in guilt, the state of being an accomplice. N.B. This discussion distinguishes the words conspiracy, confederacy, collusion, and complicity, all of which refer to partnership or participation in disreputable or illegal activities. It also explores a usage problem concerning the words connivance, feigning ignorance of wrong doing, and connive, to feign ignorance of wrong doing.
- TRANSMUTE (tranz-MYOOT)
To transform; specifically, to change from one nature, form, or substance into another, especially to a higher, better, or more refined one.
- ABSTRUSE (ab-STROOS)
Difficult to understand, hard to grasp mentally, deep, profound, incomprehensible, unfathomable. Synonyms: inscrutable (Level 3, Word 48), esoteric (Level 5, Word 29), occult, cryptic, enigmatic, arcane, recondite, acroamatic. Antonyms: manifest, discernible (Level 3, Word 32), lucid (Level 3, Word 45), perspicuous.
- EDIFY (ED-i-fy)
To instruct, improve, teach, enlighten; especially, to instruct or improve intellectually, morally, or spiritually. Corresponding noun: edification, enlightenment; intellectual, moral, or spiritual improvement.
- SUPERCILIOUS (SOO-pur-SIL-ee-us)
Haughty, proud, scornful, contemptuous, disdainful.
- DISSEMBLE (di-SEM-buul)
To disguise; conceal under a false appearance; speak or behave hypocritically; cover up the facts or one’s true feelings or motives; mask under a pretense or deceptive manner. Synonyms: feign, affect, simulate, camouflage, equivocate, prevaricate.
- VACUOUS (VAK-yoo-us)
Empty, vacant; devoid of substance, interest, intelligence, expression, or meaning. Synonyms: blank, unintelligent, shallow, stupid, senseless, inane, fatuous. Corresponding noun: vacuity, emptiness, an absence of matter or intellectual content. Vacuous usually applies to a figurative lack of content, meaning, or interest: vacuous eyes, a vacuous discussion, a vacuous mind, a vacuous remark, a vacuous proposal.
- CAPACIOUS (kuh-PAY-shus)
Roomy, spacious, ample, able to contain or hold a great deal. Synonyms: When used literally, capacious is a synonym of spacious and roomy: a capacious house; their capacious office. When used figuratively, capacious is a synonym of broad and comprehensive: a capacious intellect; a capacious view; a capacious treatment of a subject.
- MNEMONIC (ne-MAHN-ik)
Helping or pertaining to the memory, assisting or improving the ability to recall. A mnemonic device is a memory-aid, something that helps one to remember. Mnemonics refers to any technique or system for improving the memory.
- SONOROUS (suh-NOR-us or SAHN-uh-rus)
Resonant; deep, full, and rich in sound; having, or capable of producing, a powerful, impressive sound.
- ADMONISH (ad-MANN-ish)
To warn or notify of a fault or error, especially in conduct or attitude; to criticize or reprove gently but earnestly. Synonyms: advise, counsel, caution, apprise, exhort, expostulate. Corresponding noun: admonishment, a gentle warning or mild criticism.
- PARADIGM (PAR-uh-dim or PAR-uh-dym)
An example, model, or pattern. Corresponding Adjective: paradigmatic, exemplary, typical, serving as a model or pattern.
- CIRCUITOUS (sur-KYOO-i-tus)
Roundabout, indirect, not straightforward, following a roundabout and often extended course. Synonyms: devious, meandering, sinuous, tortuous, serpentine, labyrinthine (like a labyrinth or maze).
- VINDICATE (VIN-di-kayt)
To clear from blame, free from suspicion of wrongdoing or dishonor; uphold or maintain the truth or innocence of something or someone in the face of criticism or imputations of guilt. Corresponding noun: vindication. N.B. This discussion distinguishes the verbs vindicate, exonerate, and acquit, which mean to free from blame.
- BUCOLIC (byoo-KAHL-ik)
Rural, rustic, of or pertaining to country life. Synonyms: pastoral, provincial, agrarian, idyllic, Arcadian. Antonyms: urban, municipal, civic, metropolitan, cosmopolitan.
- OSTRACIZE (AHS-truh-syz)
To banish, send into exile, expel from a place; to bar, exclude, or reject from a group or from acceptance by society. Corresponding noun: ostracism, banishment. Ostracism and petalism were forms of banishment employed by the ancient Greeks. Ostracism was practiced by the ancient Athenians; citizens would vote by writing the name of the person to be expelled on a potsherd or earthenware tablet, and banishment was for ten years.
- PLETHORA (PLETH-uh-ruh)
An excess, surplus, overabundance, oversupply. Synonyms: superabundance, profusion, superfluity, surfeit (Level 8, Word 49). Antonyms: scarcity, insufficiency, dearth (Level 3, Word 12), paucity (Level 10, Word 2). Corresponding adjective: plethoric.
- PROCLIVITY (pro-KLIV-i-tee)
An inclination, liking, leaning; a strong natural bent or tendency, often toward something disagreeable, objectionable, or wicked. Synonyms: partiality, penchant (Level 3, Word 9), predisposition, predilection (Level 8, Word 42), propensity.
At this point in the program there is a discussion of several interesting and useful words derived from Greek names and Greek place names:
- Procrustean: producing conformity by cruel or violent means. To place someone on a Procrustean bed means to use ruthless measures to make the person conform. 2. draconian: ruthlessly severe. 3. epicure: a person with fastidious tastes, especially in food or wine; also, someone devoted to sensual pleasure. The adjective epicurean means devoted to or appreciating the comforts of life, especially good food and drink. The doctrine of epicureanism is distinguished from hedonism, the pursuit of self-indulgent pleasure-colloquially, “living for the moment.” Additional useful phrase: summum bonum, (Latin) “greatest good.” 4. Pyrrhonism: absolute skepticism, universal doubt. 5. Pyrrhonist: a person who doubts everything. 6. Boeotian: (noun) a dull, ignorant person; (adjective) stupid, boring, obtuse. Boeotian ears: ears unable to appreciate music or rhetoric. 7. Arcadian: of or pertaining to the simplicity and innocence of rustic life. 8. solecism: a gross grammatical error or a social impropriety. 9. Laodicean: (noun) an indifferent or complacent person; (adjective) indifferent or lukewarm, especially in matters of religion.
- COMMENSURATE (kuh-MEN-shur-it)
Proportionate, corresponding in amount, measure, or degree; also, equal, of the same size or extent.
- INCESSANT (in-SES-int)
Constant, uninterrupted, continuous, unceasing. Synonyms: interminable, relentless, unremitting, continuous. Antonyms: occasional, irregular, intermittent, incidental, sporadic, fitful, erratic. N.B. This discussion distinguishes the words continuous and continual, Continual means happening again and again at short intervals: continual reminders, continual attempts, continual laughter, the continual ringing of the telephone. Continuous means uninterrupted or unbroken: continuous noise, continuous rain, a continuous effort, the continuous rotation of the earth.
- SYCOPHANT (SIK-uh-fint)
A flatterer, parasite, toady, fawning follower, hanger-on. Corresponding adjective: sycophantic (SIK-uh-FAN-tik).
