Most frequent A-Z Flashcards
(263 cards)
0
Q
abjure
A
to reject, renounce
1
Q
abet
A
to aid, help, encourage
2
Q
abrogate
A
to abolish, usually by authority
3
Q
absolution
A
freedom from blame, guilt, sin
4
Q
accost
A
to confront verbally
5
Q
accretion
A
slow growth in size or amount
6
Q
adamant
A
impervious, immovable, unyielding
7
Q
adumbrate
A
to sketch out in a vague way
8
Q
affront
A
an insult
9
Q
agnostic
A
believing that the existence of God cannot be proven or disproven
10
Q
alias
A
a false name or identity
11
Q
allay
A
to soothe, ease
12
Q
allege
A
to assert, usually without proof
13
Q
altercation
A
a dispute, fight
14
Q
amenity
A
an item that increases comfort
15
Q
analgesic
A
something that reduces pain
16
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anathema
A
a cursed, detested person
17
Q
antecedent
A
something that came before
18
Q
apocryphal
A
fictitious, false, wrong
19
Q
approbation
A
praise
20
Q
arbitrary
A
based on factors that appear random
21
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arcane
A
obscure, secret, known only by a few
22
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arrogate
A
to take without justification
23
Q
aspersion
A
a curse, expression of ill-will
24
atone
to repent, make amends
25
avarice
excessive greed
26
balk
to stop, block abruptly
27
bane
a burden
28
bard
a poet, often a singer as well
29
bereft
devoid of, without
30
beseech
to beg, plead, implore
31
bilk
cheat, defraud
32
blandish
to coax by using flattery
33
boon
a gift or blessing
34
brazen
excessively bold, brash
35
buffet
to strike with force
36
calibrate
to set, standardize
37
callous
harsh, cold, unfeeling
38
calumny
an attempt to spoil someone else's reputation by spreading lies
39
canny
shrewd, careful
40
capacious
very spacious
41
capitulate
to surrender
42
carp
to annoy, pester
43
caucus
a meeting usually held by people working toward the same goal
44
circumspect
cautious
45
cleave
to divide into parts; to stick together firmly
46
coalesce
to fuse into a whole
47
cobbler
a person who makes or repairs shoes
48
cogent
intellectually convincing
49
collateral
secondary
50
collusion
secret agreement, conspiracy
51
commensurate
corresponding in size or amount
52
commodious
roomy
53
complacency
self-satisfied ignorance of danger
54
complicit
being an accomplicr in a wrongful act
55
compunction
distress caused by feeling guilty
56
conciliatory
friendly, agreeably
57
concomitant
accompanying in a subordinate fashion
58
confection
a sweet, fancy food
59
confidant
a person entrusted with secrets
60
construe
to interpret
61
contrite
penitent, eager to be forgiven
62
contusion
bruise, injury
63
counteract
to neutralize, make ineffective
64
coup
a brilliant, unexpected act
65
cupidity
greed, strong desire
66
debauch
to corrupt by means of sensual pleasure
67
decorous
socially proper, appropriate
68
deface
to ruin or injure something's appearance
69
deferential
showing respect for another's authority
70
demarcation
the marking of boundaries or categories
71
deplore
to feel or express sorrow, disapproval
72
derelict
abandoned, run-down
73
desiccated
dried up, dehydrated
74
diffident
shy, quiet, modest
75
dirge
a mournful song, especially for a funeral
76
disaffected
rebellious, resentful of authority
77
discomfit
to thwart, baffle
78
discursive
rambling, lacking order
79
distend
to swell out
80
dither
to be indecisive
81
duress
hardship, threat
82
effrontery
impudence, nerve, insolence
83
effulgent
radiant, splendorous
84
elegy
a speech given in honour of a dead person
85
emollient
soothing
86
emote
to express emotion
87
enamor
to fill with love, fascinate, usually used in passive form followed by "of" or "with"
88
entail
to include as a necessary step
89
epistolary
relating to or contained in letters
90
equanimity
composure
91
equivocal
ambiguous, uncertain, undecided
92
ethereal
heavenly, exceptionally delicate or refined
93
etymology
the history of words, their origin and development
94
evince
to show, reveal
95
exculpate
to free from guilt or blame, exonerate
96
execrable
loathsome, detestable
97
exigent
urgent, critical
98
expunge
to obliterate, eradicate
99
expurgate
to remove offensive or incorrect parts, usually of a book
100
extant
existing, not destroyed or lost
101
exult
to rejoice
102
fatuous
silly, foolish
103
fecund
fruitful, fertile
104
fetid
having a foul odor
105
fetter
to chain, restrain
106
flaccid
limp, not firm or strong
107
flout
to disregard or disobey openly
108
foil
to thwart, frustrate, defeat
109
forbearance
patience, restraint, toleration
110
fortuitous
happening by chance, often lucky or fortunate
111
fractious
troublesome or irritable
112
gratuitous
uncalled for, unwarranted
113
hallowed
revered, consecrated
114
hapless
unlucky
115
hardy
robust, capable of surviving through adverse conditions
116
hiatus
a break or gap in duration or continuity
117
idolatrous
excessively worshipping one object or person
118
ignominious
humiliating, disgracing
119
impecunious
poor
120
imperious
commanding, domineering
121
impervious
impenetrable, incapable of being affected
122
impetuous
rash; hastily done
123
impudent
casually rude, insolent, impertinent
124
impute
to ascribe, blame
125
inane
silly and meaningless
126
incarnate
existing in the flesh, embodied
127
incendiary
a person who agitates
128
inchoate
unformed or formless, in a beginning stage
129
incumbent
one who holds an office
130
indefatigable
incapable of defeat, failure, decay
131
indigent
very poor, impoverished
132
inexorable
incapable of being persuaded or placated
133
ingenuous
not devious; innocent and candid
134
inimical
hostile, enemylike
135
iniquity
wickedness or sin
136
injunction
an order of official warning
137
innocuous
harmless, inoffensive
138
innuendo
an insinuation
139
insolent
rude, arrogant, overbearing
140
instigate
to urge, goad
141
insular
separated and narrow-minded; tight-knit, closed off
142
insurgent
one who rebels
143
intimation
an indirect suggestion
144
intransigent
refusing to compromise, often on an extreme opinion
145
intrepid
brave in the face of danger
146
inure
to cause someone ir something to become accustomed to a situation
147
invective
an angry verbal attack
148
inveterate
stubbornly established by habit
149
irrevocable
incapable of being taken back
150
knell
the solemn sound of a bell, often indicating a death
151
laconic
terse in speech or writing
152
laceration
to cut, tear
153
larceny
obtaining another's property by theft or trickery
154
liability
something for which one is legally responsible, usually involving a disadvantage or risk
155
licentious
displaying a lack of moral or legal restraints
156
limpid
clear, transparent
157
malevolent
wanting harm to befall others
158
maudlin
weakly sentimental
159
maverick
an independent, nonconformist person
160
mawkish
characterized by sick sentimentality
161
modulate
to pass from one state to another, especially in music
162
mores
the moral attitudes and fixed customs of a group of people
163
nadir
the lowest point of something
164
neophyte
someone who is young or inexperienced
165
nominal
trifling, insignificant
166
noxious
harmful, unwholesome
167
oblique
diverging from a straight line or course, not straightforward
168
obstreperous
noisy, unruly
169
officious
offering one's services when they are neither wanted nor needed
170
onerous
burdensome
171
oscillate
to sway from one side to the other
172
paragon
a model of excellent or perfection
173
patent
readily seen or understood, clear
174
pathology
a deviation from the normal
175
pejorative
derogatory, uncomplimentary
176
penitent
remorseful, regretful
177
penultimate
next to last
178
pernicious
extremely destructive or harmful
179
pert
flippant, bold
180
perusal
a careful examination, review
181
petulance
rudeness, irritablity
182
pithy
concisely meaningful
183
pittance
a very small amount, especially relating to money
184
plaudits
enthusiastic approval, applause
185
plenitude
an abundance
186
potable
suitable for drinking
187
precipice
the face of a cliff, a steep or overhanging place
188
preclude
to prevent
189
precocious
advanced, developing ahead of time
190
preponderance
superiority in importance or quantity
191
presage
an omen
192
presumptuous
disrespectfully bold
193
pretense
an appearance or action intended to deceive
194
profane
lewd, indecent
195
profligate
dissolute, extravagant
196
promulgate
to proclaim, make known
197
propagate
to multiply, spread out
198
propitious
favourable
199
protean
able to change shape; displaying great variety
200
prurient
eliciting or possessing an extraordinary interest in sex
201
puerile
juvenile, immature
202
pulchritude
physical beauty
203
quaint
charmingly old-fashioned
204
rail
to scold, protest
205
rapport
mutual understanding and harmony
206
raze
to demolish, level
207
recalcitrant
defiant, unapologetic
208
rectitude
uprightness, extreme morality
209
redoubtable
formidable, commanding respect
210
relegate
to assign to the proper place
211
remiss
negligent, failing to take care
212
repentant
penitent, sorry
213
reprobate
evil, unprincipled
214
reprove
to scold, rebuke
215
respite
a break, rest
216
resplendent
shiny, glowing
217
restitution
restoration to the rightful owner
218
restive
resistant, stubborn, impatient
219
rhapsodize
to engage in excessive enthusiasm
220
ribald
coarsely, crudely humourous
221
saccharine
sickeningly sweet
222
sacrosanct
holy, something that should not be criticized
223
salient
significant, conspicuous
224
salve
a soothing balm
225
scathing
sharp, critical, hurtful
226
scurrilous
vulgar, coarse
227
semaphore
a visual sign
228
sensual
involving sensory gratification, usually related to sex
229
sinuous
lithe, serpentine
230
sobriety
sedate, calm
231
solipsistic
believing that oneself is all that exists
232
stalid
sedate, serious, self-restrained
233
stolid
expressing little sensibility, unemotional
234
surmise
to infer with little evidence
235
surreptitious
stealthy
236
swarthy
of dark colour or complexion
237
tantamount
equivalent in value or significance
238
temerity
audacity, recklessness
239
tenuous
having little substance or strength
240
tome
a large book
241
torrid
giving off intense heat, passionate
242
transgress
to violate, go over a limit
243
transmute
to changr or alter in form
244
travesty
a grossly inferior imitation
245
trenchant
effective, articulate, clear-cutt
246
truculent
ready to fight, cruel
247
turgid
swollen, excessively embellished in style or language
248
ubiquitous
existing eberywhere, widespread
249
umbrage
resentment, offense
250
uncanny
of supernatural character or origin
251
undulate
to move in waves
252
veneer
a superficial or deceptively attractive appearance, facade
253
vicissitude
event that occurs by chance
254
villify
to lower in importance, defame
255
vitriolic
having a caustic quality
256
vituperate
to berate
257
wanton
undisciplined, lewd, lustful
258
wily
crafty, sly
259
wizened
dry, shrunken, wrinkled
260
wrath
vengeful anger, punishment
261
yoke
to join, link
262
zenith
the highest point, culminating point
