Magoosh Common Words 5 and 6 Flashcards
arbitrary
based on a random, groundless choice rather than by reason
e.g. “For the tabular presentation, we used arbitrary cut-off values.”
Synonyms: accidental, haphazard, stray, sporadic
repudiate
refuse to accept; reject
e.g. “She has repudiated policies associated with previous party leaders”
Synonyms: abandon, recant, repeal, rescind, retract
prolific
present in large numbers or quantities; plentiful
e.g. “Mahogany was once prolific in the tropical forests.”
Synonyms: plentiful, abundant, bountiful, profuse, copious, fecund
haphazard
marked by great carelessness; characterized by chance
e.g. “The music business works in a haphazard fashion”
Synonyms: aimless, arbitrary, careless, random, slipshod, slapdash
scrupulous
(of a person or process) careful, thorough, and extremely attentive to details
e.g. “The research has been carried out with scrupulous attention to detail”
Synonyms: meticulous, painstaking, thorough, assiduous, sedulous
accolade
an award or privilege granted as a special honor
e.g. “She has sold millions of records and earned numerous awards and accolades over a 30-year career.”
Synonyms: distinction, award, laurels
resurgent
rising; brought up again to new life
e.g. “The resurgent Thai cinema is in love with a golden age that never really existed.”
Synonyms: renascent, revived, invigorated, reestablished, refreshed, returned
lionize
- treat as a celebrity
- give a lot of public attention and approval to (someone)
e.g. “Modern sportsmen are lionized and feted”
Synonyms: celebrate, fete, glorify, honor, exalt, acclaim
tempered
moderate in effect
act as a neutralizing or counterbalancing force to (something)
e.g. “The display is a single sheet of glass, tempered for strength”
Synonyms: moderate, mitigate, palliate, alleviate, allay, assuage
admonish
warn or reprimand someone firmly
e.g. “She admonished me for appearing at breakfast unshaven”
Synonyms: reprimand, rebuke, scold, reprove, upbraid, chastise, chide, censure, castigate, lambast, berate, reproach
ravenous
extremely hungry
e.g. “They fell on the food like a pack of ravenous wolves”
Synonyms: insatiable, rapacious, voracious
circumscribe
restrict (something) within limits
e.g. “The minister’s powers are circumscribed both by tradition and the organization of local government”
Synonyms: hamper, limit, confine, restrain.
sycophant
a person who pleases a lot in order to gain an advantage
e.g. “Because he is high-ranking, he’s surrounded by sycophants”
Synonyms: fawner, flatterer, bootlicker
gauche
unsophisticated and socially awkward
e.g. “We’re all a bit gauche when we’re young.”
Synonyms: awkward, gawky
pedestrian
lacking inspiration or excitement; dull
e.g. “disenchantment with their pedestrian lives”
Synonyms: dull, turgid, monotonous, mundane, unremarkable, insipid, humdrum
taciturn
(of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech
e.g. “One is more taciturn, accepting what goes on with a shrug.”
Synonyms: reticent, unresponsive, antisocial
constituent
- an abstract part of something
e.g. “the constituent minerals of the rock”
Synonyms: component, integral, elemental, essential, inherent, integrant
- being a voting member of an organization and having the power to appoint or elect.
e.g. “the constituent body has a right of veto”
hegemony
leadership or dominance, especially by one state or social group over others
e.g. “Under this strategy they are going to bring the whole world under their hegemony.”
Synonyms: leadership, dominance, dominion, supremacy, ascendancy, sovereignty
insolent
showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect
e.g. “She hated the insolent tone of his voice”
Synonyms: impertinent, impudent, ill-mannered
subversive
seeking or intending to subvert an established system or institution
e.g. “He has even banned subversive activities such as opera, ballet and the circus.”
Synonyms: riotous, insurgent, seditious, disruptive
myriad
countless or extremely great in number
e.g. “He gazed at the myriad lights of the city”
Synonyms: innumerable, countless, infinite
ostracize
exclude from a society or group
e.g. “She was ostracized from the scientific community for many years because of her radical political beliefs.”
Synonyms: blacklist, exclude, excommunicate, expel, shun
antithetical
directly opposed or contrasted
e.g. “There are people whose religious beliefs are antithetical to mine”
Synonyms: contradictory, contrasting, polar, opposing
sporadic
occurring at irregular intervals or only in a few places; scattered or isolated
e.g. “The situation is easing, although sporadic fresh outbreaks are still occurring.”
Synonyms: occasional, infrequent, irregular, desultory, intermittent, capricious, unpredictable
trite
- repeated too often
- (of a remark or idea) lacking originality or freshness
e.g. “Children need to be aware of the real world, not force-fed trite fairytales.”
Synonyms: hackneyed, banal, clichéd, platitude, vapid
reverent
feeling or showing deep and solemn respect
e.g. “They called him Uncle, their attitude reverent yet familiar.”
Synonyms: venerate, dutiful, deferential
rescind
revoke, cancel, or repeal (a law, order, or agreement)
e.g. “The navy rescinded its ban on women sailors.”
Synonyms: abolish, abrogate, annul, revoke, dismantle
irrevocable
not able to be changed, reversed, or recovered
e.g. “They are spending a fortune preparing for this irrevocable step.”
Synonyms: immutable, irreversible, permanent
inveterate
having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established
e.g. “One of the pleasures of the TV show, The Simpsons is Homer’s inveterate stupidity.”
Synonyms: ingrained, deep-seated, deep-rooted, entrenched
arcane
understood by few; mysterious or secret
e.g.
Synonyms: covert, clandestine, enigmatic, recondite, esoteric
obsequious
obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree
e.g. “Barrow was positively obsequious to me until he learned that I too was the son of a laboring man.”
Synonyms: ingratiating, unctuous, sycophantic, fawning, toadying
tractable
(of a person) easy to control or influence
e.g. “She has always been tractable and obedient, even as a child”
Synonyms: malleable, governable, yielding, amenable, complaisant, compliant
winsome
charming in an innocent, child-like way
e.g. “This last one, in particular, wasn’t much heeded by the program’s winsome presenter.”
Synonyms: appealing, captivating
audacity
- a willingness to take bold risks
e.g. “He whistled at the sheer audacity of the plan”
- rude or disrespectful behavior; impudence
e.g. “She had the audacity to suggest I’d been carrying on with him”
intrepid
fearless
e.g. “An intrepid adventurer will persist all the way to the end of the line.”
Synonyms: dauntless, fearless, courageous
sanction
- official permission or approval for an action.
e.g. “he appealed to the bishop for his sanction”
- a threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule.
e.g. “a range of sanctions aimed at deterring insider abuse”
prodigious
remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree
e.g. “The stove consumed a prodigious amount of fuel”
Synonyms: enormous, huge, colossal, immense
brazen
bold and without shame; unphased
e.g. “He went about his illegal business with a brazen assurance”
Synonyms: presumptuous, brash, gutsy, insolent
poignant
emotionally touching
e.g. “He gave a poignant cry of despair.”
Synonyms: touching, moving
austere
- severe or strict in manner or attitude
e.g. “he was an austere man, with a rigidly puritanical outlook”
Synonyms: exacting, forbidding, formal, rigid, stringent
- (of living conditions or a way of life) having no comforts or luxuries
e.g. “conditions in the prison could hardly be more austere”
Synonyms: frugal, spartan, ascetic
- having a plain and unadorned appearance
e.g. “the cathedral is impressive in its austere simplicity”
Synonyms: sober, subdued
