Princeton Review Vocabulary Hit Parade Flashcards
(312 cards)
1
Q
Abscond
A
to depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide
2
Q
Adversity
A
hardship or difficulty; opposition
3
Q
Aggravate
A
to worsen or intensify
4
Q
Arduous
A
strenuous; taxing; requiring significant effort
5
Q
Belie
A
to give a false impression of; to misrepresent
6
Q
Bombast
A
self-important or pompous writing or speech
7
Q
Cacophony
A
harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance
8
Q
Castigation
A
severe criticism or punishment
9
Q
Censure
A
to criticize severely; to officially rebuke
10
Q
Chicanery
A
trickery or subterfuge
11
Q
Coercive
A
serving or intended to compel by force or authority
12
Q
Condemn
A
to blame or denounce
13
Q
Conspire
A
to secretly work together with the intent to commit a wrong
14
Q
Covert
A
hidden; clandestine
15
Q
Cower
A
to shrink in fear; to cringe
16
Q
Craven
A
contemptibly fainthearted; lacking any courage
17
Q
Denigrate
A
to blacken; to belittle; to sully; to defame; to disparage
18
Q
Denounce
A
to publicly condemn or criticize
19
Q
Derision
A
scorn; ridicule; contemptuous treatment
20
Q
Diatribe
A
a harsh denunciation
21
Q
Discomfort
A
to defeat; to put down
22
Q
Disingenuous
A
insincere; lacking honesty or frankness
23
Q
Dissemble
A
to disguise or conceal; to mislead
24
Q
Exacerbate
A
to make worse or more severe; to increase in violence
25
Fraud
deliberate deceit with the goal of gaining an unlawful advantage
26
Furtive
marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious
27
Garrulous
pointlessly talkative; talking too much
28
Harangue
to deliver a pompous speech or tirade
29
Impudent
saucy; impertinent; bold and disrespectful
30
Inopportune
ill-timed; unsuitable; inappropriate
31
Irascible
easily agreed; prone to temperamental outbursts
32
Malevolent
having or showing often vicious ill-will, spite or hatred
33
Martial
associated with war and the armed forces
34
Misanthrope
one who hates all other humans
35
Morose
sad; sullen; melancholy
36
Obdurate
unyielding; hardhearted; intractable
37
Obsequious
exhibiting a fawning attentiveness
38
Obstinate
stubborn; hardheaded; uncompromising
39
Onerous
troubling; burdensome
40
Opprobrium
disgrace; contempt; scorn
41
Pedantic
the parading of learning; excessive attention minutiae and formal rules
42
Perjury
the purposeful giving of false or misleading testimony while under oath
43
Provoke
to incite anger, resentment, or exasperation
44
Recalcitrant
obstinately defiant of authority; difficult to manage
45
Secrete
to ensconce, conceal or stow
46
Specious
seeming true, but actually being fallacious; misleadingly attractive
47
Spurious
lacking authenticity or validity; false; counterfeit
48
Squander
to waste by spending or using irresponsibly
49
Tirade
a long and extremely critical speech; a harsh denunciation
50
Vexation
annoyance or irritation
51
Amalgamate
to combine several elements into a whole
52
Assuage
to ease or lessen; to appease or pacify
53
Bolster
to provide support or reinforcement
54
Burgeon
to grow rapidly or flourish
55
Buttress
a support or prop, often an external prop used to bolster a wall
56
Capricious
inclined to change one's mind impulsively; erratic; unpredictable
57
Catalyst
a person or thing that causes change
58
Caustic
burning or stinging; causing corrosion
59
Centrifuge
a machine that spins very swiftly about a central axis, and, using centrifugal force, separates disparate substances
60
Converge
to tend toward the same spot or outcome; to incline to join at an intersecting point
61
Conversion
the act or process of transforming to another form, state, or product
62
Corrosion
act or process of causing deterioration; a wearing away, especially of metals
63
Decibel
unit used in measuring the intensity of a sound, usually in related to another sound
64
Desiccate
to dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull
65
Distill
to purify or concentrate through a process of vaporization and concentration
66
Divest
to remove or strip, especially of clothing
67
Enervate
to weaken; to reduce in vitality
68
Ephemeral
brief; fleeting
69
Eradicate
to remove completely; to annihilate; to pull out by the roots
70
Expel
to force out;to discharge
71
Extend
to lengthen or stretch out
72
Facilitate
to aid by making easier
73
Implode
to abrupt and violently collapse inward
74
Inchoate
in an initial stage; not fully formed
75
Incubation
the act of sitting on or otherwise warming eggs in order to keep them at a temperature favorable for hatching
76
Infuse
to imbue; to pour in; to introduce; to instill
77
Intransigent
refusing to compromise
78
Inundate
to flood or overwhelm
79
Invigoration
the quality of being energized or filed with liveliness
80
Lackluster
dull; lacking vitality or luminosity
81
Lethargic
lacking energy; sluggish or sleepy
82
Luminous
characterized by brightness and the emission of light
83
Obviate
to anticipate and make unnecessary
84
Pervasive
having the tendency to permeate or spread throughout
85
Placate
to appease; to calm by making concessions
86
Plod
to trudge; to move slowly and heavily
87
Plummet
to plunge or drop straight down
88
Precipitate
to act with excessive haste or impulse
89
Precursor
one that precedes and indicates or announces another
90
Proliferate
to grow or increase swiftly and abundantly
91
Propagate
to cause to spread, multiply, or reproduce
92
Prune
to cut back or clip branches or other parts of a plant; especially parts that are unnecessary
93
Rarefy
to make or become thin, less dense; to refine
94
Rectify
to make right or fix; to correct
95
Retard
to slow, delay, or hamper
96
Saturate
to fill until there is no further capacity for absorbance; to soak
97
Sever
to remove or separate by cutting off
98
Stimulant
an invigorating substance that excites mental or physical activity
99
Synthesis
the combination of parts to make a whole
100
Tentative
not definite; uncertain; experimental
101
Vigor
active bodily or mental strength or energy; force
102
Viscous
thick; sticky
103
Vital
essential for or relating to life; necessary
104
Vitality
vigor; ability to live or grow; energy
105
Volatile
readily changing to a vapor; changeable; fickle; explosive
106
Waver
to move to and fro; to sway; to be unsettled in decision
107
Aberrant
deviating from the norm
108
Ambiguous
unclear; open to more than one potential meaning
109
Anachronistic
belonging to another time; removed form natural chronological context
110
Anomalous
abnormal; deviating from the common or general type
111
Anomaly
deviation form the normal order, form or rule; abnormality
112
Archaic
outdated; associated with an earlier, perhaps more primitive time
113
Ascetic
one who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion
114
Banal
lacking originality; commonplace
115
Brilliance
extreme brightness; possessing luminosity or genius
116
Camouflage
a means of disguising people or things to make them blend din with their surroundings
117
Commensurate
matching; corresponding or proportionate in degree, size or amount
118
Conspicuous
easily visible; obvious
119
Derivative
unoriginal; obtained from another source
120
Deviance
departure or wandering away from the accepted standard
121
Deviation
departure or wandering away from the accepted standard
122
Discrete
distinct; individual
123
Diffuse
dispersed or scattered; not centralized
124
Digress
to stay away from the point; to go off on a tangent
125
Discordant
conflicting; dissonant or harsh in sound
126
Disinterest
lack of bias or involvement; impartiality
127
Disinterested
uninvolved; free from self-interest
128
Dispersed
spread out or scattered
129
Distention
the state or act of extending or being swollen out of shape
130
Eccentric
departing from norms or conventions
131
Eclectic
culled from many sources
132
Emulate
to imitate with the goal of rivaling or surpassing
133
Enigmatic
mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand
134
Esoteric
intended for or understood by a small, specific group
135
Flamboyant
Ostentatious or showy; flashy
136
Florid
Flowery; ruddy; ornate
137
Heretical
unorthodox; iconoclastic; dissenting from established dogma
138
Hierarchy
a system in which individuals or things are ranked in a particular order
139
Homogeneous
made up of elements that are similar in nature or kind; uniform
140
Iconoclastic
attacking cherished beliefs; heretical; heterodox
141
Idiosyncrasy
a quirk particular to a group or individual
142
Imperturbable
marked by extreme calm, impassivity, and steadiness
143
Innocuous
harmless; causing no damage
144
Marginal
related to or at an edge or boundary; minimal
145
Maverick
an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party
146
Mitigate
to make or become less severe or intense; to moderate
147
Monotonous
dull and without variety; tedious
148
Mundane
of the world; typically of or concerned with the ordinary
149
Ostracism
the act of casting out or excluding an individual from a society or group; banishment
150
Perennial
recurrent through the year or many years; happening repeatedly
151
Recluse
one who avoids social contact and lives in seclusion
152
Scarce
rare and insufficient
153
Sporadic
occurring only occasionally, or in scattered instances
154
Superfluous
exceeding what is sufficient or necessary
155
Symmetry
the quality of being evenly balanced; the possession of perfect correspondence between sides or parts
156
Tangential
touching only briefly upon the topic at hand; irrelevant
157
Temper
to moderate or soothe
158
Temperate
moderate; marked by restraint and a lack pf extremes
159
Admonish
to reprove; to express warning or disapproval
160
Advocate
to champion or support; to argue in favor of
161
anthology
a collection of literary works by various authors
162
Apprise
to give notice to; to inform
163
Approbation
an expression of approval or praise
164
Articulate
well-spoken; coherent
165
Aver
to state as a fact; to confirm or support
166
Brevity
shortness of briefness, especially in time
167
Candor
honesty; frankness; sincerity
168
Circumspect
discreet; prudent; careful
169
Cogent
appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
170
Corroborate
to confirm; to provide additional support; to verify
171
Diffident
reserved, shy, or unassuming; lacking in self confidence
172
Disabuse
to undeceive; to set right
173
Discourse
lecture or discussion; conversation
174
Discretion
cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions
175
Dissertation
a long and formal written thesis or treatise, usually written by a doctoral candidate to meet a degree requirement
176
Elegy
a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead
177
Eloquent
well-spoken; expressive; articulate
178
Enumerate
to list or count off individually
179
Equivocate
to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent
180
Eulogy
a speech honoring the dead
181
Euphemism
a mild replacement for a harsher or more offensive term
182
Exculpate
to exonerate; to clear of blame
183
Extemporaneous
improvised; done without preparation
184
Fawn
to flatter or praise excessively
185
Glib
marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial
186
Goad
to prod or drive forward; to urge on; to incite
187
Implicit
implied but not directly stated; tacit
188
Impose
to compel or require; to push one's views or authority upon others
189
Inquisitive
questioning; curious
190
Laconic
using few words; terse
191
Laud
to praise highly
192
Loquacious
extremely talkative
193
Lucid
clear; easily understood
194
Mollify
to calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity
195
Parody
a humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic effect, especially in literature and art
196
Pertinent
relevant; germane
197
Platitude
a superficial remark, especially one offered as meaningful
198
Propitiate
to appease; to conciliate
199
Rescind
to invalidate; to repeal; to restrict
200
Rhetoric
the art or study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion
201
Sanction
authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance
202
Shrill
loud and high-pitched; screeching
203
Soliloquy
a speech made to oneself; a monologue
204
Stanza
a group of two or more verses or lines that make up a division in a poem and correspond in rhyme, meter, and length
205
Subpoena
a court order requiring appearance and/or testimony
206
Subtle
to obvious; elusive; difficult to discern
207
Succinct
brief and concise
208
Tacit
Implied; not explicitly stated
209
Taciturn
not talkative; reserved; uncommunicative
210
Tact
discerning and sensitive use of speech; diplomacy
211
Tout
to publicly praise or promote
212
Validity
soundness or truthfulness
213
Veracity
truthfulness; honesty
214
Wheedle
to coax; to persuade, often through the use of flattery or smooth talk
215
anesthetic
a substances that causes insensibility and removes pain
216
Antipathy
Aversion; dislike
217
Arbitrary
subject to chance or individual whim; without definite reason
218
Astrologer
a person who believes that stars and planets influence human activity and attempts to predict the future by studying their positions
219
Aversion
an intense feeling of dislike or disgust
220
Banal
lacking originality; commonplace
221
Bent
an inclination or tendency
222
Compensation
payment given for services rendered or for loss
223
Compliant
yielding or submissive; amenable
224
Condone
to approve tacitly by overlooking or excusing; to allow or forgive
225
Convention
a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude
226
Correspond
to exist in agreement or conformity; to harmonize
227
Defer
to yield; to submit; to bow
228
Dogma
doctrine or set of religious principles
229
Ensure
to guarantee to make certain
230
Equivocal
ambiguous; doubtful or uncertain
231
Extraneous
not vital or pertinent; irrelevant
232
Fortuitous
happening by fortunate accident or chance
233
Frugality
thriftiness; economy; prudence in financial matters
234
Illusory
deceptive; based upon a false belief or impression
235
Indifferent
having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice
236
Insipid
accustomed to accepting something undesirable
237
Miser
an individual who lives poorly in order to hoard money; a person who is stingy
238
Nonplused
Baffled; in quandary; at a loss of what to say or do
239
Penchant
strong inclination; liking
240
Penury
poverty; destitution
241
Plethora
an overabundance; a surplus
242
Preempt
to replace; to supersede; to appropriate
243
Presumption
the act of making an assumption or taking something for granted
244
Prodigal
recklessly wasteful; extravagant; profuse; lavish
245
Prone
naturally inclined; tending; likely
246
Propensity
a natural inclination or tendency; penchant
247
Qualms
misgivings; reservations; causes for hesitancy
248
Quiescence
stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest
249
Reconciliation
the act of reestablishing harmony or friendly interactions
250
Repudiate
to refuse to have anything to do with; to disown
251
Restitution
the act of returning something to its proper owner, or of compensating the owner for the loss of such an item; reparation
252
Savor
to enjoy in a thorough manner; to relish; to fully appreciate
253
Serenity
tranquility; peacefulness
254
Solvent
able to meet financial obligations; able to dissolve another substance
255
Stint
to restrain; to be sparing or frugal
256
Subjective
not objective; based upon internal perceptions rather than upon unprejudiced fact
257
Superfluous
exceeding what is sufficient or necessary
258
Tranquil
peaceful; calm
259
Tranquility
calmness; serenity; peacefulness
260
Trivial
unimportant; lacking value
261
Veneration
extreme respect and reverence; worship
262
Audacious
daring and fearless; recklessly bold
263
Authoritarian
characterized by a preference for complete obedience to authority
264
Beneficent
charitable and kind in action
265
Blithe
carefree; merry
266
Brittle
apt to break or crack due to a lack of elasticity; fragile
267
Burnish
to polish; rub to a shine
268
Calibrate
to inspect, determine, or correct the graduations of an instrument by comparing it to a standard
269
Connoisseur
an informed an astute judge in matters of taste; expert
270
Consternation
dismay; startling; distressing fear or shock that results in complete confusion
271
Convoluted
complex or complicated
272
Cultivation
the act or preparing or working land in order to grow crops
273
Cultured
possessing education, refinement and taste; polished
274
Cynicism
an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness
275
Deference
a courteous and respectful yielding to the will of another
276
Dogmatic
stubbornly opinionated
277
Effrontery
boldness; impudence; arrogance
278
Endemic
restricted or peculiar to a particular region; indigenous
279
Epitome
embodiment; quintessence
280
Erudite
very learned; scholarly
281
Extravagance
lavishness; an unnecessary or unrestrained spending, especially of funds
282
Facetious
playful; humorous
283
Fatuous
silly; inanely foolish
284
Fidelity
faithfulness; loyalty
285
Implacable
not capable of being appeased or significantly changed
286
Ingenuity
cleverness or inventiveness
287
Intemperance
excessive indulgence of appetite or passion; especially in regard to alcohol; constraint
288
Intrepid
steadfast and courageous
289
Magnanimity
the quality of being generously noble in mind and heart, especially in forgiving
290
Membrane
a thin, flexible film of tissue of that covers or lines an organ
291
Meticulous
characterized by extreme care and precision; attentive to detail
292
Perfunctory
cursory; done without care or interest
293
Plasticity
pliability; malleability; flexibility
294
Porous
full of tiny openings able to absorb fluid or gas; permeable
295
Pragmatic
practical rather than idealistic
296
Presumptuous
assuming an unauthorized right or or responsibility; overly forward and arrogant
297
Pristine
pure; uncorrupted; clean
298
Probity
adherence to the highest principles; up-tightness
299
Prodigious
abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary
300
Prudent
wise and careful; showing good judgement
301
Rigidity
the quality or state of being unyielding or stiff
302
Slight
small; lacking substance in degree, amount or size
303
Solicitous
concerned and attentive; eager
304
Somber
dark and depressing; mournful
305
Superficial
lacking depth; existing on or near the surface
306
Synthetic
man-made; artificial; relating to or involving the combination of parts to make a whole
307
Tortuous
winding; twisting; excessively complicated
308
Tractable
docile; obedient; easily led
309
Treacherous
lacking faithfulness or loyalty; traitorous; unstable
310
Unfeigned
genuine; not false or hypocritical
311
Unfettered
not tied down; unrestrained
312
Warranted
called for; authorized; justified
