Not Mastered Flashcards
(244 cards)
1
Q
parsimonious
A
extremely frugal; miserly
2
Q
extant
A
still in existence (usually refers to documents)
3
Q
anomalous
A
not normal
4
Q
demur
A
to object or show reluctance
5
Q
enervate
A
to sap energy from
6
Q
profligate
A
spending resources recklessly or wastefully
7
Q
calumny
A
to make a false statement to hurt someone’s rep
eg. Since it’s election season, we will begin to experience the calumny of politicians
slander, defamation of character
8
Q
ingenuous
A
to be naive and innocent
eg. Betty quickly changed from an ingenuous country girl when she came to Manhattan
9
Q
censure
A
to express strong disapproval
eg. After his affair, the church censured the pastor
10
Q
mercurial
A
prone to unexpected and unpredictable changes in mood
eg. Brandon’s moods were as mercurial as the weather in London
11
Q
ambivalent
A
having mixed or conflicting emotions about something
eg. Jack was ambivalent about his manager resigning
12
Q
iconoclast
A
someone who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions
eg. Joe is an iconoclast for questions the long standing traditions in his family
critic, skeptic, non-conformist
13
Q
auspicious
A
signaling future success
14
Q
capricious
A
changing suddenly and often
15
Q
congenial
A
friendly, pleasant
16
Q
disparage
A
to criticize
17
Q
erudite
A
learned, well-educated, well-read
18
Q
eschew
A
to deliberately avoid using or partaking in
19
Q
garrulous
A
extremely talkative
20
Q
melliflous
A
having a pleasant and flowing sound
21
Q
ostentatious
A
intended to attract notice and impress others
22
Q
pseudonym
A
fake name especially one used by an author or artist
23
Q
reticent
A
reluctant to reveal one’s thoughts or feelings
24
Q
taciturn
A
not talkative
25
terse
using few words, especially to the point of rudeness
26
altruistic
unselfishly concerned with the wellbeing of others
27
extemporaneous
done without preparation
28
euphony
the quality of being pleased to the ear
29
cacophony
a harsh and unharmonious mix of sounds
30
penury
poverty
31
largesse
generous giving of money
32
quiescence
inactivity
33
avarice
greed
34
affectation
speech or conduct not natural to self
35
artifice
clever trick, stunning strategy
36
idiosyncrasy
a strange or unusual habit
peculiar or distinctive feature
37
anachronism
an error in chronology
38
alacrity
cheerful readiness
39
animus
hostility
40
prosaic
unimaginative
41
pendantic
describes someone who annoys others by correcting minor details
42
chicanery
trickery, deception
43
antipathy
strong dislike, hostility
44
comity
social harmony
45
probity
honesty and integrity
46
fecund
fruitful, fertile
47
abets
encourages
48
coalesce
unite
49
attenuates
weaken
50
ascetic
practicing self denial, simple and plain
51
diffident
shy
52
byzantine
overly complicated, operating in a devious way
53
recondite
known by few people, difficult to understand
54
schism
split/division
55
harbinger
a person or thing that announces the approach of another
56
phlegmatic
unemotional and calm
57
precocious
mature or advanced for ones age
58
restive
restless
59
soporific
sleep-inducing
60
polemical
strongly attacking or defending an opinion
61
tendentious
intending to promote a particular POV, particularly a controversial one
62
benign
harmless
63
impugn
to attack as false or questionable
64
vituperation
angry and abusive criticism
65
diatribes
angry, critical speeches
66
equanimous
calm and composed
67
ephemeral
lasting for a short time
68
quotidian
everyday, commonplace
69
trite
overused
70
tyro
beginner
71
mawkish
sentimental
72
cloying
overly sentimental
73
coterie
exclusive and like-minded
74
perfunctory
not thorough
75
tacit
implied
76
preclude
prevent from happening
77
antedated
came before
78
venal
susceptible to bribery
79
disavowing
denying responsibility for or acceptance of
80
prolix
long-windedness
81
discursiveness
rambling
82
transient
lasting a short time
83
bashful
shy
84
dearth
inadequate supply
85
paucity
scarcity
86
profusion
large quantity
87
surfeit
excessive amount of something
88
salable
able to be sold
89
bellicosity
demonstrating willingness to fight
89
bridle
impediment
90
truculence
eager to argue or fight
91
improvident
not seeing or providing for the future
92
clandestine
secretive
93
surreptitious
secretive
94
prodigious
great in extent
95
incongurous
not in harmony with
96
commensurate
equivalent
97
propitiate
win or regain the favor of a god or deity
98
presage
warning of future events
99
occlude
obstruct
100
anomalous
differentiating from normal
101
dilatory
slow to act
102
egalitarian
believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities
103
plutocratic
government by wealthy people
104
inordinate
exceeding reasonable limits
105
cavalier
having a dismissive attitude and regarding others as inferior
106
recalcitrant
having an uncooperative attitude toward authority
107
recapitulate
summarize
108
repudiate
to reject
109
facetious
to be sarcastic
110
patent
obvious, apparent
111
painstaking
careful
112
arcane
only known to a few
113
spurious
false or inauthentic
114
munificent
generous
115
mendacity
dishonesty
116
prevarication
avoidance of truth
117
baseness
morally low, having bad character
118
specious
plausible but wrong, misleading
119
fortuitious
lucky
120
inalienable
unable to be taken away from
121
exigent
pressing, urgent
122
extraneous
irrelevant or unrelated to the subject being dealt with
123
indefatigable
tireless
124
benign
gentle and kindly
125
inadvertent
not deliberate, unintentional
126
erstwhile
former
127
inscrutable
impossible to understand
128
repudiate
refuse to accept
129
indolence
laziness
130
eclectic
varied
131
judicious
done with good judgement
132
jettison
get rid of
133
intelligble
capable of being understood
134
germane
relevant to the subject matter
135
ahistorical
lacking historical perspective / context
136
irascible
easily angered
137
pugnacious
wanting to start an argument or fight
138
fitfully
sporadically
139
debased
reduced in quality or value
140
modish
following what is fashionable
141
equivocal
not clear and seeming to have two opposing meanings, or confusing and able to be understood in two different ways
142
sanguine
optimistic
143
pernicious
having a harmful effect
144
salubrious
healthy
145
florid
overly decorated, reddish
146
timorous
timid
147
calumnious
slanderous
148
inveigling
persuade someone to do something
149
cajole
persuade someone to do something
150
wheedle
use flattery to convince someone to do something
151
evanescent
short-lived
152
recrudescent
reactivating
153
inimical
unfriendly/hostile
154
interminable
never ending
155
malign
evil
156
impolitic
unwise
157
exposition
setting forth the meaning of a writing or observation
158
objurgation
to reprimand harshly
159
nettles
irritates
160
antithetical
contradictory
161
portentuous
acting too serious to impress others
162
banal
overused, unoriginal
163
elusive
hard to capture / understand
164
vestigal
remaining
165
nascenting
just beggining, forming
166
disinterested
unbiased
167
flaccid
soft and limp
168
supine
failing to act due to moral weakness
169
pejorative
a word or phrase that has negative connotations
170
misnomer
naming something incorrectly
171
magnanimity
generous
172
disquietude
state of uneasiness or anxiety
173
aplomb
confidence
174
unintelligible
not easy to understand
175
portend
be a sign or warning that (something, especially something momentous or calamitous) is likely to happen.
176
supplication
the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly
177
entreaty
an earnest or humble request.
178
willfulness
the determined desire to do what you want without caring what other people want or feel
179
cogency
the quality of being clear, logical, and convincing
180
indignant
feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment
181
nugatory
of no value or importance
182
ersatz
(of a product) made or used as a substitute, typically an inferior one, for something else.
183
solipsistic
extremely selfish or self-centered
184
sophomoric
conceited and overconfident of knowledge but poorly informed and immature;
lacking in maturity, taste, or judgment.
185
quixotic
exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
186
suffrage
the right to vote in political elections
187
run the gauntlet
go through an intimidating or dangerous crowd or experience in order to reach a goal
188
ran the gamut
cover a whole range
189
ape
imitate the behavior or manner of (someone or something), especially in an absurd or unthinking way.
190
ponderous
of very great weight
unwieldy or clumsy because of weight and size
oppressively or unpleasantly dull
191
cabal
a secret political clique or faction.
192
hoi-polloi
the masses; the common people.
193
incendiary
(of a device or attack) designed to cause fires.
194
parochial
having a limited or narrow outlook or scope.
195
predilection
a preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something.
196
dulcet
(especially of sound) sweet and soothing.
197
facile
not needing any effort
198
urbane
courteous and refined in manner
199
presumptuous
overstepping due bounds
200
baneful
harmful or destructive
201
stolid
having or expressing little or no sensibility : unemotional.
202
whimsical
A whimsical person or idea is unusual, playful, and unpredictable, rather than serious and practical
203
officious
assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering way
204
paean
a thing that expresses enthusiastic praise.
205
faculties
an inherent mental or physical power.
206
poultices
a soft, moist mass of material applied to the body to relieve soreness and inflammation
207
foibles
a minor weakness or eccentricity in someone's character
208
mores
customs or traditions
209
aptitudes
natural ability
210
peccadilloes
a small, relatively unimportant offense or sin.
211
quaint
having an old-fashioned attractiveness or charm; oddly picturesque
212
lascivious
feeling or revealing an overt and often offensive sexual desire
213
preternatural
beyond what is normal or natural
214
preposterous
contrary to reason or common sense; utterly absurd or ridiculous
215
pithy
concise
216
lionize
give a lot of public attention and approval to (someone); treat as a celebrity.
217
indemnify
compensate (someone) for harm or loss.
218
acerbic
sharp and forthright, sarcastic
219
doyenne
a woman who is the most respected or prominent person in a particular field
220
caustic
marked by incisive sarcasm
221
progeny
a descendant or the descendants of a person, animal, or plant; offspring
222
vicissitude
a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant
223
serendipity
the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way
224
askance to
with an attitude or look of suspicion or disapproval
225
mercenary
primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics
226
lackey
behave in a servile way toward (someone
227
dissolute
lacking restraint
228
pallid
lacking sparkle or liveliness
deficient in color
229
aghast
filled with horror or shock
230
impecunious
having little or no money.
231
enigmatic
difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious
232
quixotic
foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals
233
grandiloquent
pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner, especially in a way that is intended to impress
234
posit
assume as a fact; put forward as a basis of argument
235
panned
criticize (someone or something) severely
236
insouciance
lighthearted unconcern
237
profundity
intellectual depth
238
listlessly
characterized by lack of interest, energy, or spirit
239
catharsis
the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions
240
purgation
the purification or cleansing of someone or something
241
coda
a concluding part of a literary or dramatic work
242
homily
a religious discourse that is intended primarily for spiritual edification rather than doctrinal instruction
243
