Vocab 1-20 Flashcards
Detriment/detrimental
Noun
Injury, damage, or something that causes it, disadvantage
-skipping meals can be a detriment to your health
Ameliorate
Verb
To become better; to make better; to improve or enhance
-we expect business conditions to ameliorate but they worsened
Exotic
Adjective
1) introduced from another country; foreign
2) strikingly unusual, strange, or different.
1- the chrysanthemum, an exotic plant, was brought from the Far East
2- this wall paper has an exotic charm
Folly
Noun
Lack of good sense, a filling action or undertaking, mistake
- it is a folly to begin a long drive. With a nearly empty gas tank
Impediment
Noun
Something that hinders or obstructs;an obstacle that gets in the way of something
-a persons lack of education can be an impediment to career advancement
Indolent
Adjective
Lazy; idle; lethargic
-I was so comfortable on the couch that I became a indolent and did not study
Parsimonious
Adjective
Unusually sparing in the spending of money; stingy; cheap
-the town was generous in its funding of road improvement, but too parsimonious in financing education
Raze
Verb
Destroy utterly by tearing down; demolish; level
- the building was so badly damaged by the fire that it has to be razed
Reticent
Adjective
Inclined to be silent or secretive; uncommunicative; reserved
- have you ever noticed that people who boast about their successes are reticent about their failures.
Retort
Verb
To reply in a quick, witty, or sharp manner
- “giving up?” She asked. “Absolutely not!” I retorted.
Subvert
Verb
Overturn or over throw from foundation; undermine or go against (damaging something that took time to build up)(defeating the purpose)
- we we are subverting our fuel conservation efforts when we heat rooms that are not occupied
Tractable
Adjective
Easily led, taught, or controlled; yielding; docile; gullible like a child
- a child who misbehaves may be more tractable in a large one
Despise/ despicable
Verb
Look down upon with contempt or disgust; loathe; regarded as inferior
Adjective
Worthy of contempt, contemptible
- the world admires heroes and despises cowards
Ebullient
Adjective
Overflowing with enthusiasm; exuberant; high spirited; vivacious
- thousands of ebullient fans gathered at the airport to greet the new champions
Gall
Verb
To make sore; to irritate; to annoy
Noun
Brazen boldness; nerve
- Charles had the gall to yell at Mama after 30 years of not speaking
Inane
Adjective
Lacking significance of sense; pointless; silly
- the useless busy work the teacher gave was the most inane part of my day
Indemnify
Verb
Compensate for loss, damage, or injury; reimburse; to repay
- mr. And mrs. White were indemnified for the loss of their house from the fire
Peruse
Verb
Read; look at fairly attentively; study
- you should peruse the newspaper each day to stay in touch with current events
Spurn
Verb
To thrust aside with hatred or contempt; to reject
- we wanted to assist, but they spurned all offers of aid
Tepid
Adjective
Moderately warm, lukewarm
- I always let the shower water run until it reaches a comfortable, tepid temperature
“Rub someone the wrong way”
To do something that irritates or annoys
-the quickest way to rub someone the wrong way is to give him or her a dirty look
“Straight from the shoulder”
In a direct, open way
-I decided to confront John and told him straight to the shoulder that I thought he was wrong
“A pretty kettle of fish”
A messy or difficult situation; a problem
-when Steve backed his truck into a police car, he knew it would be a pretty kettle of fish
“Eat humble pie”
To admit your error and apologize
- after his candidate lost the election, the boastful campaign manager had to eat humble pie
“A flash in the pan”
Something that is promising at the start, but then disappointing
- the rookie hit many home runs during spring training, but turned out to be just a flash in the pan
“Build upon sand”
To have poor or insufficient preparation
- because the campaign managers failed to plan carefully, the entire campaign was built upon sand and failed miserably
” bolt from the blue”
A great surprise
- the news of the attack was a bolt from the blue
“Wet blanket”
One who spoiled the fun
- everyone wanted the party to go on, but Ronnie, was being a wet blanket and decided to go home to bed
“Crocodile tears”
Insincere/ false tears
When the football player broke his leg, his substitute wept crocodile tears
” throw down the gauntlet”
To challenge someone
- the principal of our rival school threw down the gauntlet, and we had no choice but to accept the challenge
“Worth ones weight in gold”
Extremely valuable; very useful
- the coach said that the new star player was worth his weight in gold
” on pin and needles”
To be on the edge, jumpy ; nervous; anxious
- he was on pins and needles while he was waiting to go into the principals office
” through thick and thin”
In spite of all sorts of difficulties
-true friends will stay by you through thick and thin
“Maintain the status quo”
To keep things as they are
- you were right when you said we ought to maintain the status quo and not change things too drastically
“Red letter day”
A day of happiness, time for rejoicing
- my read letter day came when I was chosen as sophomores class president
“Let sleeping dogs lie”
To leave alone; avoid stirring up old hostilities
-the lawyer wanted to open up the old case, but his partner advised him to let sleeping dogs lie
“Get up on the wrong side of the bed”
To be in a bad mood
- when his mother yelled at him about his messy room, he accused her of getting up on the wrong side of bed
“By hook or by crook”
Anyway at all; at any cost
- because his car gave him nothing but problems, he decided to get rid of it by hook or by crook
“Off the beaten path”
Not usual; out of the ordinary
- the teachers ideas were sometimes off the beaten path, but seemed to keep the students engaged
“In sevenths heaven”
The highest happiness is delight
- Amanda was in seventh heaven when her mother let her go to the party
