P Flashcards
(265 cards)
0
Q
Paean
A
Song of praise or joy
1
Q
Pacify
A
To calm down
2
Q
Palatable
A
Pleasant to the taste
3
Q
Palatial
A
Magnificent
4
Q
Paleontology
A
Study of prehistoric life
5
Q
Pall
A
Something that covers or conceals (n); to become wearisome or unpleasant (v)
6
Q
Palliate
A
To ease; to lessen
7
Q
Pallid
A
Pale; dull
8
Q
Palpable
A
Obvious; capable of being touched or felt
9
Q
Palsy
A
Muscle paralysis
10
Q
Paltry
A
Trivial; worthless
11
Q
Panacea
A
A cure-all; an answer for all problems
12
Q
Panache
A
Self-confidence; a showy manner
13
Q
Pandemonium
A
Wild disorder; confusion
14
Q
Panegyric
A
An expression of praise
15
Q
Pang
A
A sharp pain
16
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Panoply
A
Suit of armor; any protective covering
17
Q
Parable
A
A simple story giving a moral or religious lesson
18
Q
Paradigm
A
A model; an example
19
Q
Paradox
A
A statement that seems contradictory, but is probably true
20
Q
Paragon
A
A model of excellence or perfection
21
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Paramount
A
Chief; supreme
22
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Paraphernalia
A
Personal belongings; equipment
23
Q
Parched
A
Dried up; extremely thirsty
24
Pariah
An outcast
25
Parity
Equality; similarity
26
Parley
Discussion; conference
27
Parlous
Dangerous
28
Parochial
Local; narrow; limited
29
Paroxysm
A sudden outburst; a fit
30
Parry
To avoid something such as a thrust or blow
31
Parsimonious
Stingy; miserly
32
Partisan
A strong supporter of a cause
33
Passé
Old fashioned; out-of-date
34
Pastoral
Pertaining to the country; rural
35
Patent
A government protection for an inventor (n); evident or obvious (adj)
36
Pathos
Pity; deep feeling
37
Patriarch
An early biblical person regarded as one of the fathers of the human race
38
Patrician
Aristocratic
39
Patrimony
Inherited right; heritage
40
Patronage
The control of power to make appointments to government jobs
41
Patronize
To be a customer; to talk down to
42
Paucity
Scarcity; lack
43
Peccadillo
A minor offense
44
Pectoral
Pertaining to the chest
45
Peculate
To steal; to embezzle
46
Pecuniary
Pertaining to money
47
Pedantic
Tending to show off ones learning
48
Pedestrian
One who walks (n); ordinary or dull (adj)
49
Peerless
Without equal; unmatched
50
Peevish
Hard to please; irritable
51
Pejorative
Having a negative effect; insulting
52
Pellucid
Transparent; clear
53
Pelt
Skin of a fur-bearing animal (n); to throw things at (v)
54
Penchant
A strong liking for; an inclination
55
Penitent
Expressing sorrow for sin or wrongdoing
56
Penury
Extreme poverty
57
Peon
Common worker
58
Perdition
Damnation; ruin; he'll
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Peregrinate
To travel from place to place
60
Peremptory
Decisive; final; not open to debate
61
Perennial
Lasting for a long time; perpetual
62
Perfidious
Deceitful; treacherous; unfaithful
63
Perforce
Of necessity
64
Perfunctory
Done without care; routine
65
Perigee
Point in an orbit nearest to the earth
66
Perilous
Dangerous; risky
67
Periphrastic
Said in a roundabout way
68
Perjury
Making a false statement under oath
69
Pernicious
Deadly; destructive
70
Peroration
The concluding part of a speech
71
Perpetrate
To do something evil; to be guilty of
72
Perpetuate
To cause to continue
73
Perquisite
Something additional to regular pay
74
Perspicacity
Keenness of judgment
75
Perspicuity
Clearness, as of a statement
76
Pert
Bold; saucy
77
Pertinent
Relevant; to the point
78
Perturb
To unsettle; to disturb
79
Peruse
To read carefully
80
Pervade
To spread throughout; to pass through
81
Perverse
Contrary: cranky
82
Pervert
To lead astray; to corrupt
83
Petrify
To turn to rock; to paralyze with fear
84
Petrology
Study of rocks
85
Petulant
Irritable; rude
86
Phalanx
Closely massed body of persons
87
Phenomenon
Extraordinary person, thing, or event
88
Philander
To engage in various love affairs
89
Philately
Stamp collecting
90
Philippic
A bitter verbal attack
91
Philistine
Uncultured (adj); common; one who is uncultured or common (noun)
92
Phlegmatic
Unemotional; cool; not easily excited
93
Phoenix
A bird that symbolizes immortality
94
Picaresque
Pertaining to an adventurous wanderer
95
Piddling
Trifling; petty
96
Piecemeal
Bit by bit; gradually
97
Pied
Many-colored; variegated
98
Piety
Reverence; devotion
99
Pilgrimage
A journey to a holy place
100
Pillage
To rob by violence
101
Pillory
To expose to public ridicule or abuse
102
Pious
Religious
103
Piquant
Stimulating to the taste; exciting interest
104
Pique
To irritate or annoy
105
Piscine
Of or like a fish
106
Pitfall
Unexpected difficulty; a trap
107
Pithy
Concise; to the point
108
Pittance
Small share or amount
109
Pivotal
Central; crucial
110
Placate
To soothe; to calm
111
Placid
Calm
112
Plague
A Contagious disease (n); to torment; to trouble (v)
113
Plaintive
Sorrowful; sad
114
Platitude
A dull or trite remark
115
Plaudit
Applause; any expression of approval
116
Plebeian
Pertaining to a member of the lower classes
117
Plenary
Full; complete; absolute
118
Pliant
Easily bent; adaptable
119
Plight
A sad or dangerous situation
120
Ploy
A gimmick; a trick
121
Pluck
To pull at (v); courage (n)
122
Plumb
To test; to measure
123
Plunder
To rob; to take by force
124
Plutocracy
Rule by the wealthy class
125
Poach
To trespass or steal
126
Poignant
Keenly distressing; affecting the emotions
127
Polarize
To separate into opposing groups
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Polemic
A controversy or argument
129
Poltroon
A coward
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Polychromatic
Many-colored
131
Polyglot
Speaking or writing several languages
132
Polymorphic
Having many forms
133
Pomp
Brilliant show or display
134
Ponderous
Heavy; burdensome
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Porcine
Of or like a pig
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Portentous
Warning; foreshadowing
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Portly
Stout; large
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Posterity
Future generations
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Posthumous
Occurring after death
140
Postulate
To assume without proof; to take for granted
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Potable
Drinkable
142
Potent
Powerful; strong
143
Potentate
Ruler; monarch
144
Potpourri
A mixture
145
Pragmatic
Practical
146
Prate
To talk extensively and pointlessly; to babble
147
Precarious
Uncertain; dangerous; risky
148
Precede
To be, come, or go before
149
Precedent
An act that may be used an example in the future
150
Precept
A rule of conduct
151
Precipice
Cliff
152
Precipitate
To bring about an action suddenly
153
Precipitous
Extremely steep
154
Précis
Brief summary
155
Preclude
To prevent; to shut out
156
Precocious
Prematurely developed
157
Precursor
A forerunner; predecessor
158
Predatory
Living by plunder, exploitation, etc.
159
Predicate
To declare; to assert
160
Predilection
A liking; preference; inclination
161
Predispose
To make susceptible
162
Preeminent
Standing out above all others
163
Preen
To dress oneself carefully or smartly
164
Prehensile
Adapted for seizing or grasping something
165
Prelude
An introduction
166
Premeditate
To plan beforehand
167
Premier
First in importance or time
168
Premise
Statement from which a conclusion is drawn
169
Preponderance
Superiority in quantity or power; dominance
170
Prescience
Knowledge of things before they happen
171
Presentiment
Anticipation, especially of something evil
172
Presumptuous
Boldly assuming
173
Pretentious
Showy; putting on airs
174
Preternatural
Abnormal; beyond what is natural
175
Pretext
A false reason or motive; an excuse
176
Prevaricate
To lie
177
Prim
Formal; proper
178
Primeval
Of the earliest times or ages
179
Primogeniture
State of being the firstborn
180
Primordial
First; original
181
Primp
To dress up in a fussy way
182
Prismatic
Many-colored
183
Pristine
Uncorrupted; in its original state
184
Privation
Loss or lack of something essential
185
Privy
Having knowledge of something private or secret
186
Probe
To investigate; to examine
187
Probity
Honesty; integrity
188
Proclivity
Inclination; tendency
189
Procreate
To beget or produce
190
Procrustean
Designed to get conformity at any cost
191
Procure
To obtain; to secure
192
Prod
To urge; to poke or jab
193
Prodigal
Wasteful
194
Prodigious
Enormous; vast
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Profane
Showing disrespect for sacred things
196
Profess
To acknowledge; to admit frankly
197
Proffer
To offer
198
Profligate
Shamelessly immoral; extremely wasteful
199
Profound
Very deep
200
Profuse
Abundant
201
Progeny
Descendants
202
Prognosticate
To predict; to foretell
203
Proletarian
One who belongs to the working class
204
Proliferate
To expand; to increase
205
Prolific
Productive; fertile
206
Prolix
Tediously long and wordy
207
Prologue
Introduction
208
Promenade
A stroll or walk; an area used for walking
209
Promontory
Piece of land that juts out
210
Promulgate
To announce; to advocate
211
Prone
Reclining; lying flat; inclined
212
Propensity
Inclination; tendency
213
Prophetic
Predicting
214
Propinquity
Nearness; closeness
215
Propitious
Favorable
216
Proponent
A person who supports a cause or doctrine
217
Propriety
Conformity; appropriateness
218
Prosaic
Dull; commonplace; unimaginative
219
Proscribe
To denounce: exile
220
Proselyte
A person who has changed from one religion to another; a convert
221
Prospectus
A report describing a forthcoming project
222
Prostrate
Lying flat; thrown or fallen to the ground
223
Protagonist
Main character
224
Protean
Changeable; variable
225
Protege
One who has been guided or instructed by another
226
Prototype
The original; first of its kind; a model
227
Protract
To draw out: to prolong
228
Protrude
To stick out; to project
229
Proverbial
Well-known
230
Provident
Having foresight
231
Provincial
Countrified; narrow; limited
232
Provisional
Temporary
233
Proviso
A condition; a stipulation
234
Prowess
Skill; strength; daring
235
Prude
An overly proper person
236
Prudence
Caution; good judgment
237
Prune
To cut off or lop off, such as twigs, branches, or roots
238
Prurient
Lustful; obscene; lewd
239
Pseudonym
A fake or assumed name
240
Psyche
The human soul or spirit
241
Puerile
Childish; immature
242
Pugilist
A boxer
243
Pugnacious
Eager to fight; quarrelsome
244
Puissant
Powerful; strong
245
Pulchritude
Beauty
246
Pulverize
To crush or grind into powder; totally destroy
247
Pummel
To beat or thrash with the fists
248
Punctilious
Very exact; precise
249
Pundit
A learned man; an expert or authority
250
Pungent
Having a sharp taste or smell; severely critical or sarcastic
251
Punitive
Pertaining to punishment
252
Puny
Weak; inferior
253
Purge
To cleanse: to purify
254
Puritanical
Strict; rigid; harsh
255
Purloin
To steal
256
Purport
To claim to be
257
Purvey
To furnish; to supply
258
Pusillanimous
Cowardly; fearful
259
Putative
Supposed; believed
260
Putrefy
To rot; to decay
261
Pyre
A funeral fire in which the corpse is burned
262
Pyretic
Pertaining to fever
263
Pyromaniac
One who like to start fires; arsonist
264
Pyrrhic victory
Success gained at too high a cost
