Vocab 11 Flashcards
canard
(N) a deliberately misleading story
syn: lie; pretense; sham
ant: fact; truth; reality
The thief used thecanard of his car’s being broken down to lure victimes into the alley.
wont
(Adj) likely
syn: accustomed
ant: none
be careful; that dog is wont to bite strangers.
etymology
(N) the history of a word; the study of word origins
syn: none
ant: none
if you trace the etymology of the word “khaki,” you will find that it comes from the Persian word for “dust”
cortege
(N) a group of attendants; a retinue
syn: entourage; followers; posse
ant: none
The royal cortege filled every room of a hotel floor during the queen’s visit.
solecism
(N) a deviation or error in speech, manners, or deeds
syn: mistake; faux pas; blunder
ant: none
Using the work “less” instead of “fewer” when referring to individual items is a common solecism.
demotic
(Adj) relating to ordinary people
syn: colloquial; common
ant: formal; elevated
The nuclear physicist had trouble explaining his theories in demotic language.
simian
(Adj) related to or resembling an ape or monkey
syn: none
ant: none
The photograph of the alleged Bigfoot showed a simian creature walking upright through the forest.
impresario
(N) an entertainment producer or manager
syn: organizer; proprietor
ant: none
The impresario of the concert hall had to book the famous soloist two years in advance.
requisite
(Adj) required; necessary
syn: imperatie; needed; important
ant: incidental; nonessential
Glenn’s loan application was rejected because he omitted some requisite information.
bulwark
(N) a defensive wall or embankment
syn: fortification; barrier
ant: none
Residents constructed a bulwark of sandbags to protect the town from the rising tide.
malaise
(N) vague bodily or emotional discomfort or uneasiness
syn: illness; distress; discontent
ant: comfort; relief; peace
Tina could tell by her own malaise that she had contracted her daughter’s cold.
disingenuous
(Adj) insencere; calculating
syn: duplicitous; cunning; shifty
ant:honest; sencere; candid
The disingenuous used car salesman pointed out the car’s new paint job, but not that the car had been a taxicab.
crescendo
(N) a gradual increase in intensity, force,or volume
syn: increase; buildup
ant:decrease; waning
The two-week city police strike resulted in a crescendo of crime.
intransigent
(Adj) uncompromising; refusing to moderate
syn: determined; immovable; obdurate
ant: flexible; yielding
The intrasigent man would rather go to prison than pay income tax.
dogged
(Adj) unrelenting; persistent
syn: driven; steadfast; unwavering
ant: hesitating; vacillating
Obsessed with his experiment, the dogged scientist locked himself in his laboratory and worked for three days with little rest.
