Random Encounters Flashcards
Master these words encountered from readings, articles, books, etc.
1
Q
Tumultuous
ex. Exploring the pangs of this tumultuous relationship is what most attracted Kent to this project.
A
- Making a loud, confused noise, uproarious
2. Excited, confused, or disorderly
2
Q
Underscore
ex: They underscore the extent to which our ideas of normality are tied closely to socioeconomic status.
A
Verb:
- to mark with a line or lines underneath; underline, as for emphasis.
- to stress; emphasize:
Noun:
- a line drawn beneath something written or printed.
- music for a film soundtrack; background for a film or stage production.
3
Q
Providental
ex: Many readers understood all manner of news in providential terms.
A
- of, relating to, or resulting from divine providence:
providential care. - opportune, fortunate, or lucky:
a providential event.
4
Q
Prevarication
A
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
5
Q
Histrionics
A
Theatrics
6
Q
Labyrinthine
A
a good word to describe a place that feels like an enormous maze.
7
Q
Contemporary
A
Modern and relates to present time
8
Q
Terse
A
Brief and unfriendly
9
Q
Ignominy
A
Shame or public disgrace
10
Q
Notion
A
Idea or belief
11
Q
Paucity
A
Not enough of
12
Q
Subsume
A
Included with or absorbed into
13
Q
Belie
A
Hide, disguise
14
Q
Mercurial
A
Frequently change
15
Q
Torrid
A
Extremely hot and dry
16
Q
Overstates
A
Describing in a way to make it seem more important
17
Q
Furtively
A
In secret
18
Q
Volatile
A
Liable to change rapidly and unpredictability
19
Q
Incendiary
A
Causing likely to make people upset and create conflict
20
Q
Astute
A
Ability to assess situations and people
21
Q
Abrogate
A
Repeal, overturn
22
Q
Promulgate
A
Publicly declare
23
Q
Verisimilitude
A
Appearance of truth
24
Q
Subvert
A
Destroy, cause downfall of
25
Inured
Cause to accept or become hardened to, habituate
26
Stultified
Limited in growth
27
Assuaged
Placated, make less angry
28
Galvanized
Excite someone into taking action
29
Schmooze
Talk intimately and cozily
30
Machinate
Engage in plots and intrigues
31
Hobnob
Mix socially
32
Cravenness
Cowardiness
33
Eclectic
Drawn from a variety of sources
34
Recondite
Knowledge very few people know
35
Ephemeral
Short-lived
36
Prosaic
Dull, unoriginal
37
Topical
Relevant
38
Protracted
Lengthy
39
Sordid
Disgraceful and scandalous
40
Ambivalent
Mixed feelings
41
Pauper
Poor person
42
Curmudgeon
Grumpy person
43
Steadfast
Loyal
44
Brusque
Rude
45
Perfunctory
Going through the motions, routine
46
Muted
Quiet
47
Abstract
Vaque
48
Polemical
Passionate verbal attack
49
Timorous
Fearful, timid
50
Bellicose
Aggressive and eager to start fights/wars
51
Vigorous
Full of physical strength or energy
52
Accommodate
Provide for
53
Circumscribe
Restrict, confine
54
Aberrant
Different from normal
55
Slight
Insult
56
Hauteur
Arrogant
57
Vitriol
Harsh, bitter criticism
58
Dash
Flair
59
Misanthropic
Ill-will towards humanity
60
Garruity
Talkativeness
61
Obsequiousness
Fawning
62
Perennial
Occurs over the seasons, constant throughout the years
63
Lachrymose
Sad, tearful
64
Penurious
Having no money
65
Vernacular
Language, or dialect spoken by a population
66
Lexicon
Vocabulary of a person
67
Novelties
New or original
68
Debate
Formal discussion
69
Zeitgeist
The defining spirit or mood of a particular time in history as shown by ideas and beliefs
70
Reticent
Reserved, restrained to act
71
Affable
Friendly and good natured
72
Guarded
Cautious, careful to avoid danger
73
Amiable
Friendly and pleasant
74
Contentious
More focused, certain of your argument
75
Equivocation
Intentionally vague or ambiguous
76
Candor
Honest, straightforward
77
Glibness
Smooth talker
78
Stridency
Timbre of a loud high-pitched sound
79
Brazenness
bold and shameless behavior
80
Abstruse
incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding
81
Pedantic
Narrow focus
82
Largesse
Gift or money given
83
Stricture
Criticism
| Abnormal Narrowing of a bodily canal
84
Nonplussed
Mystery or bewildering
| Surprise, Confusion
85
Imperil
Pose a threat
86
Peripheral
On, near edge
87
Marginalized
Relegate to lower/outer edge
88
Forlorn
Very sad
89
Arbitrary
Random, without purpose
90
Ostentatious
Showing off
91
Exaltation
Praise
92
Gregarious
Social
93
Edifice
Large Imposing Building
94
Melancholia
Sad
95
Stopgap
Measure, substitute
96
Desultory
Random, unplanned
97
Fortuitous
Happening by accident, usually pleasant
98
Churlishly
Rude, unmannered
99
Hapless
Unfortunate
100
Sycophantic
Kissing up
101
Preeminent
Foremost, top
102
Congenial
Friendly
103
Ostensibly
Apparently
104
Disenfranchised
deprive of right to vote
105
Openhanded
Giving free, generous
106
Garrulous
Talkative
107
Parsimonious
Not generous
108
Tactless
Doesn't behave appropriately
109
Admonitory
Warn or caution
110
Immutable
Fixed
111
Tantamount
Equal
112
Shiftless
Doesn't change
113
Fertile
Give rise to
114
Plastic
Not fixed, changeable
115
Consummate
Highly accomplished
116
Amalgam
Mixture or blend
117
Caricature
Poking fun at
118
Repudiation
Denial
119
Implacable
Unable to make less angry, not affected
120
Intransigent
Impervious to pleas and request
121
Debonair
Charming, cheerful, self-confident
122
Stolid
Revealing little emotions
123
Libertine
Unrestrained by morals
124
Presumptuous
Excessively forward
125
Intrepid
Invulnerable to fear or intimidation
126
Capricious
Unpredictable
127
Soporific
Sleep-inducing
128
Plodding
Slow and laborious
129
Ascendancy
Position of power over another
130
Primacy
First in importance
131
Sullen
Depressed, sulky
132
Truculence
Aggressiveness
133
Retiring
Reluctant to draw attention to oneself
134
Pugnacity
Natural disposition to be hostile
135
Spuriously
In way that is false or counterfeit
136
Spasmodically
Irregularly
137
Carousing
Engaging in merryment, revelry
138
Singular
Great, outstanding
139
Galvanize
Excite someone into action
140
Serendipitous
Occuring by chance in a beneficial way
141
Effect
Act so as to bring into a existence
142
Poignant
Arousing effect, emotionally touching
143
Impugn
Attack as false or wrong, dispute truth
144
Equivocal
Open to question, questionable, not clear
145
Incontrovertible
Impossible to deny
146
Diminutive
Smalless
147
Deferential
Showing respect, submission
148
Sacerdotal
Associated with priesthood
149
Languishing
Lacking of vigor or spirit
150
Ebb
Flow back, recede, decline
151
Ameliorate
To make better
152
Restiveness
Anxious, agitation
153
Jingoism
Patriotism
154
Euphoria
Great elation
155
Cupidity
Greed for material wealth
156
Contrive
Make a plan
157
Coda
Closing section to musical composition
158
Capriciously
Unpredictability
159
Brio
Liveliness, vigorous movement
160
Ponderously
Moving with great difficulty
161
Crony
Close friend, accomplice
162
Untenable
Incapable of being defended
163
Chums
Close friends
164
Contemporaries
People living at the same time
165
Erudite
Scholarly, great knowledge
166
Fastidious
Careful attention to detail
167
Querulous
Habitually complaining
168
Petulant
Easily annoyed
169
Legion
Vast multitude
170
Thoroughgoing
Performed completely
171
Hyperbole
Exaggerate
172
Untoward
Unexpected, not keeping with standard
173
Capitulation
Act of surrendering
174
Calumny
Abusive attack in a person's character
175
Magnanimous
Generous, understanding
176
Docilely
Submissive
177
Logorrhea
Out pouring of words
178
Perfunctory
Through the motions
179
Cursory
Done in superficial manner, not detailed done hastily
180
Onerous
Burdensome
181
Irate
Really angry
182
Sanguine
Optimistic, positive
| Bloody
183
Quotidian
Occuring everyday, daily
184
Enfranchised
Give the right to vote
185
Supplanted
Replace
186
Inimical
Hostile, difficult
187
Permissive
Allow
188
Eclectic
a person who derives ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources
189
Subsumes
Contain or include
190
Genial
Friendly and cheerful
191
Diffidence
Lack of self-confidence
192
Myopic
Nearsighted, lack of imagination
193
Harried
Trouble persistently
194
Epigrammatic
Clever, concise, amusing
195
Apogee
Final climatic stage
196
Precocity
Intelligence achieved far ahead of normal development
197
Nadir
Extreme state of adversity
198
Persnickety
Excessive precision and attention to detail
199
Platitudes
Canned phrases, lacking expression
200
Pejorative
Words with strong negative connotations
201
Sartorial
Relating to clothing
202
Inchoate
Barely formed, embryonic
203
Hackneyed
Overused and trite
204
Insidious
Hidden but harmful
205
Smattering
Small number of, slight knowledge
206
Paucity
Not enough of
207
obsequious
obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
208
Machiavellian
cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous
209
behooves
duty or responsibility for someone to do something
210
incumbent
resting as a duty or obligation
211
impugning
call into question
212
lambasted
criticize (someone or something) harshly
213
commensurate
To reduce to a common measure, to adapt
214
undergird
provide support or a firm basis for
215
quixotic
idealistic
216
prolix
really wordy
217
inscrutable
really difficult to understand
218
raconteur
A story-teller
219
dissembler
One who dissembles; one who conceals his opinions or dispositions under a false appearance; a hypocrite
220
maverick
independent thinker
221
unequivocally
very clearly, with no room for doubt
222
categorically
very clear and direct/explicit
223
quotidian
daily, routine
224
prosaic
Ordinary or commonplace
225
benighted
lacking enlightenment or knowledge or culture
226
arcane
requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
227
egregious
Huge, monstrous, astonishing
228
uncanny
Eery; weird; mysterious; apparently not of this world
229
gratuitous
Unwarranted, unnecessary
230
supercilious
haughty and arrogant
231
understated
not drawing attention
232
eponym
A name of a place, people, or period derived from that of a person
233
verbose
using or expressed in more words than are needed.
234
contrivance
pull off something in an artificial or unnatural manner
235
vituperative
bitter and abusive.
236
poring
be absorbed in the reading or study of.
237
scrupulous
diligent, thorough, and extremely attentive to details
238
enjoining
instruct or urge (someone) to do something
| Prohibit
239
exhorting
strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something.
240
protean
taking on many different forms, highly adaptable
241
besotted
in love with somebody or something
242
pedantic
focus on trivial academic points
243
eclectic
drawn from a variety of sources
244
austerity
extreme plainness and simplicity of style or appearance
245
Pared down
whittling away, stripping down
