reverse common words - 2 Flashcards
(50 cards)
noun: a statement which is considered meaningless and boring because it has been made many times before in similar situations.
The professor argued that many statements regarded as wise in previous times, such as the Golden Rule, are now regarded as mere platitudes.
platitude
adjective: expecting unquestioning obedience; characteristic of an absolute ruler
The coach was dictatorial in his approach: no players could ever argue or question his approach.
dictatorial
noun: an excessive supply
The Internet offers such a glut of news related stories that many find it difficult to know which story to read first.
verb: supply with an excess of
In the middle of economic crises, hiring managers find their inboxes glutted with resumes.
glut
verb: keep from happening or arising; make impossible
The manager specified that all other gates be locked, to preclude the possibility of persons without tickets entering the arena undetected.
preclude
noun: the power to foresee the future
- Baxter’s warnings about investing in technology stocks seemed like an act of prescience after the whole market declined significantly.
- the prescience of her remarks
prescience
adjective: showing respect
If you ever have the chance to meet the president, stand up straight and be deferential.
deferential
adjective: serving no useful purpose
How can we hope to stay open if we don’t eliminate all superfluous spending, like catered meetings and free acupuncture Tuesday?
adjective: more than is needed, desired, or required
The third paragraph in your essay is superfluous and can be deleted.
superfluous
verb: avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of
Politicians are the masters of eschewing morals; academics are the masters of eschewing clarity.
eschew
adjective: highly opinionated, not accepting that one’s own beliefs may not be correct
Bryan is dogmatic in his belief that the earth is flat, claiming that all pictures of a spherical earth are computer generated.
dogmatic
noun: a state of guilt
- Since John had left his banana peel at the top of the stairwell, he accepted culpability for Martha’s broken leg.
- The Army denied any culpability, but later compensated owners.
culpability
adjective: habitually complaining
The querulous old woman was beginning to wear down even the happier members of the staff with her ceaseless complaining.
querulous
noun: inactivity resulting from lethargy and lack of vigor or energy
After work, I was expecting my colleagues to be enthusiastic about the outing, but I found them in a state of complete torpor.
torpor
adjective: impossible to stop or prevent
- The rise of the computer was an inexorable shift in technology and culture.
- the inexorable progress of science
inexorable
noun: the trait of being rude and impertinent
The speeding car had the gall to switch five lanes at once, run through a red light, and then cut off a police car before finally coming to a stop in front of a sea of flashing red lights.
noun: feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
In an act of gall, Leah sent compromising photos of her ex-boyfriend to all his co-workers and professional contacts.
verb: to strongly bother, vex, annoy, exasperate
I try to look for the best in Gwendolyn, but her bad attitude really galls me.
gall
adjective:
1) Something that is didactic is intended to teach people something, especially a moral lesson.
2) Someone who is didactic tells people things rather than letting them find things out or discussing things.
- In totalitarian societies, art exists for didactic purposes.
- He is more didactic in his approach to the learning process.
didactic
adjective: boring, ordinary, and not original:
The professor used such banal expression that many students in the class either fell asleep from boredom or stayed awake to complete his sentences and humor friends.
banal
adjective: conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry
- In giving Marcia a particular vociferous response, Paul caused people at every other table in the restaurant to turn around and look at them angrily.
- vociferous objections
vociferous
noun: one who professes great sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature
A true aesthete, Marty would spend hours at the Guggenheim Museum, staring at the same Picasso.
aesthete
noun: a strong liking
Monte had a predilection for the fine things in life: Cuban cigars, 200 dollar bottles of wine, and trips to the French Riviera.
predilection
adjective: having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
- The detective’s
incisive questioning quickly exposed the inconsistencies in the suspect’s alibi. - Her incisive wit often left opponents speechless.
incisive
adjective: concerned with the appreciation of beauty
The director, not known for his aesthetic sensibilities, decided not to use costumes at all, and put on the play in everyday clothing.
noun: a set of principles underlying and guiding the work of a particular artist or artistic movement.
The artist operated according to a peculiar aesthetic, not considering any photograph to be worth publishing unless it contained a marine mammal.
aesthetic
adjective: areas of knowledge or learning are difficult to understand, and not many people know about them.
I found Ulysses recondite and never finished the book, waiting instead to read it with someone else so we could penetrate its meaning together.
recondite
adjective: characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy
The gossamer wings of a butterfly, which allow it to fly, are also a curse, so delicate that they are often damaged.
gossamer
verb: reach the highest or most decisive point
Beethoven’s musical genius culminated in the 9th Symphony, which many consider his greatest work.
culminate in/with something
: If an event or series of events culminates in something, it ends with it, having developed until it reaches this point:
- My arguments with the boss got worse and worse, and finally culminated in my resignation.
culminate
