UNIT 4 Flashcards
(20 cards)
Raison d’etre
Noun
Reason or justification for being or existence
Apocryphal
Adjective
Of questionable authorship or authenticity
artifice
noun
clever trickery or deception (don’t use with “an”)
Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon
Noun
A series of experiences in which an idea you just learned out about seems to appear everywhere (aka frequent illusion)
Discombobulated
adjective
confused or disconcerted; upset; frustrated
dubious
adjective
unsettled in opinion; thoughtful; questionable.
Facade
Noun
A superficial appearance or Illusion of something; in architecture, the decorative front of a building
Feign
Verb
to give a false appearance of
Indubitable
Adjective
too evident to be doubted
Obfuscate
Verb
to make unclear or confusing
Paragon
Noun
a model of excellence, often used with of
Pretext
Noun
an excuse
Quixotic
Adjective
extravagantly romantic; impractical and it’s grandice or idealism
Semblance
Noun
Outward aspect or appearance; an assumed or unreal appearance
snake oil
Noun
a concoction of questionable medical value that is sold as an all-purpose curative
Soothsayer
Noun
a person who professes to foretell events
Spurious
Adjective
Counterfeit; not genuine, authentic, or true
uncanny
Adjective
seeming to have a supernatural basis; beyond the ordinary or normal
Verisimilitude
Noun
the appearance of truth or realism; seems legit, but it’s possible not true
Gaslight
Verb
To deliberately manipulate someone into questioning their own sanity; to subtly drive someone into madness
