Princeton Vocab list Flashcards
(251 cards)
1
Q
candid
A
honest, straightforward
2
Q
conjecture
A
guess, inference
3
Q
didactic
A
teaching tone
4
Q
Euphemism
A
mild term for something harsh
5
Q
Extrapolate
A
known evidence –> inference
6
Q
incoherent
A
doesn’t fit together, lacks connection
7
Q
Insinuate
A
communicating something negative without explicitly stating it
8
Q
Lucid
A
easily understood, clear
9
Q
Rhetoric
A
art of speaking persuasively and effectively
10
Q
Acumen
A
quick, accurate, keen insight and judgement
11
Q
Adroit
A
dexterous, skillful
12
Q
Astute
A
shrewd, clever
13
Q
Perspicacious
A
shrewd, clear-sighted
14
Q
Circumspect
A
careful, prudent, discreet
15
Q
Disseminate
A
to scatter widely
16
Q
Erudition
A
deep extensive learning
17
Q
Ascertain
A
to fight out by investigation
18
Q
Husbandry
A
principles of agriculture
19
Q
Pedantic
A
concerned with book learning and formal rules
20
Q
Pragmatic
A
practical
21
Q
precocious
A
exhibiting unusually early intellectual aptitude and maturity
22
Q
prospectus
A
formal proposal
23
Q
rudimentary
A
basic, elementary, earliest stage of development
24
Q
Abstruse
A
difficult to understand (lecture)
25
Inscrutable
difficult to fathom or understand, impenetrable (bad handwriting)
26
Convoluted
intricate, complex (directions-->lost)
27
Enigma
puzzle, mystery, riddle
28
Callous
emotionally hardened; no feelings (hurt someone's feelings)
29
Staid
unemotional, serious (calm when everyone celebrates victory)
30
Reticent
inclined to keep silent; reserved
31
Arcane
known/understood by a few
32
Assimilate
to absorb /be absorbed, to become similar
33
Autonomy
independence, self-determination
34
Cosmopolitan
worldly, self-determination
35
Derivative
something that comes from a source
36
Entourage
group of associates surrounding an important person
37
Esoteric
intended for only a few to understand
38
gaffe
clumsy social error
39
idiosyncrasy
characteristic peculiar to an individual
40
Insular
isolated
41
orthodox
traditional
42
potentate
one who has the power and position to rule over others, monarch
43
Castigate
to scold, rebuke, or harshly criticize
44
Censure
to issue official blame
45
Denounce
to condemn openly
46
Reclusive
seeking or preferring seclusion or isolation
47
relinquish
to retire from, give up or abandon
48
renounce
to give up (a title, ex) especially by formal announcement
49
Vituperative
marked by harshly abusive condemnation
50
circumscribe
draw a circle around; restrict
51
Contiguous
sharing an edge or boundary
52
conciliatory
appeasing, soothing, showing willingness to reconcile (argue with parents --> peaceful)
53
credible
cable of being believed, plausible
54
Exonerate
free from blame (court)
55
Incontrovertible
indisputable
56
indict
to officially charge with wrongdoing or a crime (Nixon with Watergate scandal)
57
litigious
prone to engage in lawsuits (sue dog)
58
partisan
devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or clause
59
parity
equality (olympics judge)
60
rectitude
moral uprightness; righteousness
61
remiss
lax in attending to duty, negligent
62
repudiate
reject the authority of
63
sanctimonious
feigning piety or righteousness (pharisees)
64
Scrupulous
principled, having a strong sense of right and wrong, conscientious and exacting
65
solicitous
concerned
66
sophistry
plausible but misleading or fallacious argument
67
substantiate
to support with proof or evidence; verify
68
veracity
adherence to the truth; truthfulness
69
vindicate
to free from blame
70
Cajole
to urge with repeated appeals, teasing, or flattery (see movie for the 10th time)
71
Chicanery
trickery
72
Obsequious
fawning (exaggerated flattery) and servile (willing to please)
73
sycophant
insincere, obsequious flatterer
74
altruism
unselfish concern for the welfare of others, selflessness
75
eminent
distinguished, prominent
76
empathetic
understanding other's situation feelings, and motives
77
extol
to praise highly
78
laudatory
full of praise
79
magnanimous
courageously or generously noble in mind and heart
80
philanthropic
humanitarian; benevolent; relating to monetary generosity
81
reciprocate
to mutually take or give; to respond in kind
82
defunct
no longer existing or functioning (theory that world = flat)
83
eradicate
to get rid as if by tearing it up by the roots; abolish (turnips)
84
expurgate
to remove objectionable content before publication or release (movie, internet)
85
extirpate
to destroy (termites with wood)
86
quell
to put down forcibly; suppress(riots)
87
raze
to level to the ground; demolish (take down building)
88
squelch
to crush as if by trampling, squash (an idea)
89
supplant
to usurp, especially through underhanded tactics
90
stymie
to thwart or stump (puzzle)
91
Abase
to lower in rank, prestige, or esteem
92
Deride
to mock contemptuously
93
derogatory
insulting
94
disparage
to belittle, speak negatively of
95
effrontery
brazen boldness, presumptuousness
96
ignominy
great personal dishonor or humiliation, disgraceful conduct
97
impugn
to attack as false or questionable
98
mar
to damage, especiall in a disfiguring way
99
pejorative
disparaging, belittling, insulting
100
vex
to annoy or bother, to perplex
101
vindictive
revengeful; spiteful
102
bombastic
given to pompous speech or writing
103
ebullience
intense enthusiasm
104
exorbitant
exceeding all bounds, as of custom or fairness (price of dress)
105
exuberant
unrestrained enthusiasm or joy
106
embellish
to ornament or decorate, to exaggerate (Don quixote's stories)
107
Flagrant
extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable
108
gratuitous
given freely; unearned; unnecessary (violence in movie)
109
lavish
extravagant
110
lugubrious
mournful/gloomy in an exaggerated or ludicrous tone
111
opulent
displaying great wealth
112
ornate
elaborately decorated
113
penchant
srong inclination or liking
114
redundant
needlessly repetitive
115
ubiquitous
omnipresent
116
vicarious
felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience of another
117
vignette
a short scene or story
118
amalgam
a combination of diverse elements; a mixture
119
inundate
to overwhelm as if with a flood, to swamp
120
multifarious
diverse, various
121
multiplicity
state of being various or manifold; a great number
122
alleviate
to ease pain/burden
123
ameliorate
to make better/improve
124
beneficial
helpful
125
curative
able to heal or cure
126
palliative
relieving or soothing the symptoms of a disease without giving a cure
127
therapeutic
having healing powers
128
complement
something that completes, goes with, or brings perfection to
129
epitome
a representative or example of a type
130
felicitous
admirably suited; apt
131
belie
to misrepresent
132
debunk
to expose untruths, shams, or exaggerated claims
133
dubious
doubtful; of unlikely authenticity
134
duplicitous
deliberately deceptive
135
fabricate
to make up in order to deceive
136
fallacy
false notion
137
mendacious
lying, untruthful
138
specious
having a right of truth or plausibility but actually false
139
ambiguous
has more than one interpretation
140
ambivalent
simultaneously feeling opposite feelings, uncertain
141
apathetic
feeling or showing little emotion
142
capricious
impulsive and unpredictable
143
equivocal
two interpretations that mislead
144
erratic
markedly inconsistent
145
impetuous
suddenly and forcefully energetic or emotional, impulsive and passionate
146
impetus
an impelling force or stimulus
147
sporadic
occurring at irregular intervals, having no pattern or order in time
148
vacillate
to sway from one side to another; oscillate
149
whimsical
characterized by whim; unpredictable
150
flag (v)
to decline in vigor or strength
151
jaded
worn out, wearied
152
Ingenuous
lacking in cunning, guilde, or worldliness (easy for friends to deceive her)
153
subterfuge
a deceptive stratagem or device (undercover cops)
154
surreptitious
secretive, sneaky
155
dearth
scarce supply; lack (dearth of money in piggybank)
156
modicum
small, moderate, or token amount
157
paucity
smallness in number; scarcity
158
squander
to spend wastefully
159
temperate
moderate; restrained (temperate climates)
160
tenuous
having little substance or strength; shaky (grandfather)
161
diligent
hardworking
162
maverick
one who is independent and resists adherence to a group (Tom Cruise breaks rules)
163
mercenary
motivated solely by a desire for money
164
obstinate
stubbornly attached to an opinion or course of action (parents = obstinate, refuse to buy an Xbox)
165
proliferate
to grow or increase rapidly (cell phones proliferated)
166
tenacity
persistence
167
vigilant
on the alert; watchful
168
extraneous
irrelevant, inessential
169
juxtapose
to place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast
170
superfluous
extra, unnecessary
171
synergy
combined action or operation (H+0 = water)
172
Tangential
merely touching or slightly connected, only superficially relevant (thesis tangential to the proof)
173
aesthetic
relating to appreciation of beauty
174
aural
of or related to the ear or the sense of hearing
175
cacophony
discordant, unpleasant noise
176
dirge
funeral hymn or lament
177
eclectic
made up of a variety of sources or styles
178
incongruous
lacking in harmony; incompatible (chicken and jello soup)
179
sonorous
producing a deep or full sound (sonorous snoring)
180
strident
loud, harsh, grating, or shrill (strident shouting)
181
debacle
disastrous or ludicrous defeat or failure; fiasco
182
debilitate
impair the strength of; weaken
183
tumultous
noisy and disorderly
184
anachronistic
something in the wrong time period
185
archaic
old, characteristic of an earlier time
186
dilatory
habitually late
187
ephemeral
lasting for only a brief time
188
redolent
fragrant, aromatic, suggestive over time
189
temporal
of, relating to, or limited by time
190
onerous
troublesome or oppressive; burdensome
191
portent
omen
192
prescience
knowing actions/events before they occur
193
austere
without decoration, strict (gray walls make austere setting)
194
banal
drearily commonplace; predictable; trite
195
hackneyed
worn out through overuse; trite
196
insipid
uninteresting, unchallenging, lacking taste or savor (insipid movie is to predictable)
197
prosaic
unimaginative, dull
198
soporific
inducing or tending to induce sleep (soporific lecture)
199
vapid
lacking liveliness, animation, or interest; dull
200
brevity
state of being brief in duration
201
expedient
convenient, speedy, appropriate to purpose
202
transient
passing quickly in time or space
203
augment
to make greater in size, extent, or quantity, supplement
204
bolster
to hearten, support, or prop up
205
burgeon
to grow and flourish
206
copious
plentiful, having a large quantity
207
distend
to swell out or expand from internal pressure (balloon)
208
grandiose
great in scope or intent, grand
209
prodigious
enormous
210
profundity
great depth of intellect, feeling, or meaning
211
redouble
to double
212
scintillating
brilliant
213
averse
strongly disinclined
214
conspicuous
easy to notice; obvious
215
demure
modest and reserved
216
diffidence
timidity or shyness
217
docile
submissive to instruction; willing to be taught
218
innocuous
having no adverse effect; harmless
219
placid
calm or quiet, undisturbed
220
quiescent
quiet, still, or at rest; inactive
221
concord
agreement
222
discord
disagreement
223
concur
to agree
224
dogmatic
stubbornly attached to insufficiently proven beliefs
225
fastidious
carefully attentive to detail, difficult to please
226
intransigence
refusal to moderate a position or to compromise
227
jocular
characterized by or given to joking
228
meticulous
extremely careful and precise
229
affable
easy-going, friendly
230
alacrity
promptness in response; cheerful readiness, eagerness
231
amiable
friendly, agreeable, good-natured
232
benign
kind and gentle
233
sanguine
cheerfully confident; optimistic
234
belligerent
eager to fight; hostile or aggressive
235
byzantine
extremely complicated or devious
236
cantankerous
ill-tempered and quarrelsome; disagreeable
237
contentious
quarrelsome
238
deleterious
having a harmful effect
239
exacerbate
to aggravate, to increase the severity, violence, or bitterness of
240
flippant
disrespectfully humorous or casual
241
insolent
insulting in manner or speech
242
nefarious
flagrantly wicked; vicious
243
pernicious
extremely or irrevocably harmful; deadly
244
rancorous
marked by bitter, deep-seated ill will
245
repugnant
arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive
246
tawdry
gaudy and cheap
247
arboreal
relating to or resembling a tree or trees
248
invocation
call for assistance, support, or inspiration (upon higher power)
249
stratify
to layer or separate into layers
250
variegated
having streaks, marks or patches of a different color or colors
251
verdant
green with vegetation
