Vocab 2 Flashcards
(216 cards)
1
Q
Pulchritudinous
A
Physically beautiful/attractive
2
Q
Incontrovertible
A
Indisputable; irrefutable; undeniable
3
Q
Ignominy
A
Public shame; humiliation
Eg; “the ignominy of being imprisoned”
4
Q
Decadent
A
(n. ) Describes someone who is luxuriously self-indulgent
(adj. ) Describes state of moral/cultural decline
5
Q
Cadaver
A
A corpse
6
Q
Penury
A
Extreme poverty; destitution
7
Q
Peruse
A
Carefully read or study something
8
Q
Adulterate
A
Vitiate something by adding another substance; contaminate
9
Q
Assuage
A
Alleviate; abate; appease; mitigate; mollify; relieve; palliate
Eg; “The letter assuaged the fears of most members”
10
Q
Desiccate
A
Remove moisture from something and cause dryness; dehydrated
Eg; “The vegetation was desiccated by months of sun”
11
Q
Engender
A
Cause or give rise to a feeling, situation, or condition
Eg; “Acts of prejudice engenders animosity”
12
Q
Ephemeral
A
Lasting for a short-time; fleeting; transient
13
Q
Erudite
A
Having great knowledge or learning; scholarly
14
Q
Fervid
A
Extreme enthusiasm or passion
Eg; “The fervid fans chanted his name”
15
Q
Laudable
A
Something praiseworthy and commendable
Eg; “There were laudable efforts to help the homeless”
16
Q
Loquacious
A
Talkative; garrulous; voluble
17
Q
Pedant
A
Formalist; doctrinaire;
Person overly concerned with trivial details
18
Q
Placate
A
Make someone less angry; calm; appease; pacify
19
Q
Pragmatic
A
Practical/sensible approach to problems rather than theoretical
20
Q
Propriety
A
Conforming to conventional standards of behaviour/morals; courtesy; decency; orthodoxy
Eg; “Behave with the upmost propriety”
21
Q
Vacillate
A
To be indecisive; dither
22
Q
Zeal
A
Great enthusiasm and dedication for a particular cause/objective
Eg; “His zeal for homeless rights”
23
Q
Volatile
A
Liable to rapid and unpredictable change, typically negative
Substance that easily evaporates at normal temperatures
24
Q
Consummate
A
“Mate” (adj.) Showing high degree of skill and flair; complete; perfect; proficient; quintessential
“Met” (v.) Making relationship complete by having sex
25
Succinct
Briefly and clearly expressed; laconic; terse
Eg; "Use short, succinct sentences"
26
Bellicose
Combative; pugnacious; belligerent
27
Blithe
Showing casual and cheerful indifference; improper behaviour
Eg; "A blithe disregard for the driving rules"
28
Treachery
Betrayal of trust; perfidy (deceitfulness)
Eg; “His abandonment was seen as an act of treachery”
29
Voluble
Talkative; loquacious; verbose
Eg; "We had an exciting and voluble discussion"
30
Despot
Cruel or oppressive dictator
31
Indignation
Feeling or showing anger at unfair treatment; resentful
32
Munificent
A gift or sum of money larger or more generous than usual/necessary
Eg; "A munificent gesture"
33
Clandestine
Covert/surreptitious actions, typically illicit
34
Nugatory
Of no value/importance; trivial
35
Mendacious
Lying; deceitful; dishonest; dissemble
36
Ersatz
Artificial; counterfeit; substitute; spurious; fake
Eg; "She has an ersatz eye"
37
Ingenuity
Quality of being clever, original, and inventive
38
Iteration
Repetition of a process/utterance
New version of a piece of computer hardware/software
39
Arresting
Conspicuous; striking or eye-catching
Eg; "At 6ft 6in he was an arresting figure"
40
Undue
Extreme; fulsome; superfluous; unbecoming
Eg; "Undue delays in the hospital is dangerous"
41
Solipsism/Solipsistic
Theory that only the self exists and external world is unsure; extreme ego-centrism
42
Sophomoric
Pretentious and juvenile behaviour
43
Gamut
Complete range/spectrum of something
Eg; "The whole gamut of emotions"
44
Ape
(v.) To absurdly imitate a behavior or manner
45
Purport
(n. ) Meaning/substance of something; essence; gist; implication
(v. ) Falsely claim/appear; profess; pretend
Eg1; "I do not understand the purports of your remark"
Eg2; "She's not the person she purports to be"
46
Baser
Describes one's actions/feelings as dishonorable and selfish; immoral; ignoble; sordid
Eg; "Trumps baser instincts of greed and selfishness"
47
Cabal
A secret political clique or small group of people seeking power through intrigue
48
Intrigue
Make secret plans to do something illicit or detrimental to someone
49
Hoi Polloi
The public; common people
50
Dulcet
Sweet-sounding; mellifluous
51
Parochial
Limited and narrow-minded
Eg; "This worldview seems naive and parochial"
52
Urbane
A man who is suave, courteous, and refined in manner; sophisticated; elegant
53
Baneful
Harmful or destructive
Eg; "the baneful effects of envy and jealousy"
54
Officious
Domineering authority, esp with petty/trivial matters; overbearing
Eg; "The security people were very officious"
55
Stolid
Showing little emotion/excitement; phlegmatic
56
Whimsical
Acting or behaving capriciously; fanciful
57
Outstrip
Move faster than and surpass someone; overtake
58
Paean
Song of praise or triumph
59
Peccadilloes
A minor, relatively unimportant offense; misdemeanor
60
Faculty
Inherent mental/physical ability; potential
Eg; "She still holds her faculties in poetry"
61
Poultice
Moist plant spread on cloth - applied to body to relieve soreness/inflammation
Eg; "He poulticed the wound"
62
Mores
Social norms in a particular society/culture
63
Puerile
Immature and trivial; jejune; fatuous; asinine
Eg; “you’re making puerile excuses”
64
Abound
Abundant; plentiful; prolific; munificent
Eg; "The ocean is abound in fish"
65
Insipid
Lacking flavour or vigor/interest; boring; bland
66
Humdrum
Routine and dull - mundane; banal; trite
67
Flout
Disregard or defy a law/convention
Eg; “these companies still flout basic ethical practices”
68
Taciturn
(Adj) Reserved; reticent; quiet
69
Amorphic
Lacking a defined shape/form
70
Misanthropic
Hatred for humankind; cynicism
71
Deify
Worship; revere; extol; exalt; lionize
72
Abhor
Regard with disgust and hatred; loathe; despise
Eg; “They abhorred such trivial arguments”
73
Turgid
1. Pompous (arrogant) and Bombastic (showy but meaningless) style or language; inflated
2. Swollen and congested/distended
74
Tortuous
Full of twists and turns
75
Sedulous
Assiduous; attentive; diligent; meticulous; scrupulous; laborious; industrious; punctilious
NOT salacious
76
Granularity
Characterizes level of detail or specificity
77
Bravado
Bold manner/style intended to impress or intimidate; swagger
78
Herald
Person/thing viewed as a sign that something is about to happen; harbinger
79
Progeny
A descendant of something; offspring
80
Indigent
Poor; needy; impecunious
Eg; “A charity for the relief of indigent students”
81
Autocratic
Domineering; despotic; oppressive; peremptory; tyrannical
Eg; “an autocratic management style”
82
Assiduous
Diligent; meticulous; sedulous; punctilious
Eg; “She was assiduous in pointing out every feature”
83
Conspicuous
Attracting attention; clear; visible
84
Derivative
Unoriginal; banal; trite; hackneyed; imitative
Eg; "That artist is not in the slightest bit derivative"
85
Ornate
Describes something excessively intricate/complex; adorned; embellished; rococo
86
Specious
Superficially plausible but wrong; fallacious; misleading
87
Astute
Shrewd; canny; cunning; intuitive; perspicacious; judicious
Eg; “He’s an astute businessman who knows how to take advantage of situations”
88
Scrupulous (2)
1. Attentive; diligent; meticulous; punctilious; sedulous
| 2. Honest; moral; honorable
89
Unscrupulous
Dishonest; unethical; immoral
90
Sullen
Bad-tempered and sulky; gloomy; surly; morose
Eg; “He gave a sullen pout”
91
Elated
Happy; thrilled; exhilarated
92
Tranquil
Free from disturbance; calm; peaceful
93
Rapacious
Acquisitive; avaricious; insatiable; voracious
94
Credulous/Credulity
Gullible; naive; impressionable; trusting
95
Heretofore
Before now
96
Pedestrian
Lacking excitement; dull; mundane; humdrum; tedious; monotonous
97
Enthrall
To captivate/fascinate one’s attention; charm
Eg; “She was so enthralled by the movie she didn’t notice her wallet fell”
98
Prosaic
1. Lacking poetic beauty; dull; humdrum
2. Commonplace; ordinary; conventional
Eg; “Prosaic language can’t convey the experience”
99
Vacillate
To be indecisive; dither
100
Colloquial
Informal, everyday language; unpretentious; idiomatic; demotic; vernacular
101
Cloy
Disgust from excessive sweetness, richness, or sentiment; saccharine; nauseating
Eg; "It was a romantic, rather cloy story"
102
Acerbic
Sharp/sarcastic style of speaking
Eg; “His acerbic wit”
Tasting sour or bitter
103
Sardonic
Disdainfully humorous; caustic; cynical; mocking; sarcastic; satirical; taunting
104
Decry
Publicly denounce; condemn; criticize; censure
105
Ephemeral
Lasting for a short time; fleeting
106
Avarice
Extreme greed for wealth/material gain; acquisitive
107
Frivolous
Trivial; impractical; facetious paltry; superficial
Eg; “Do not engage in frivolous arguments"
108
Providence
Protective care of God/nature as a spiritual power
Eg; “They found their trust in divine providence to be a source of comfort”
109
Fiscal
Relating to government revenue, especially taxes
110
Parsimony
Miserliness; stringiness; illiberality
Eg; “We’re shattered by government parsimony”
111
Tawdry
Flashy but cheap and poor quality; vulgar; paltry; garish; meretricious
112
Vulgar
1. Lacking sophistication or good taste; unrefined
| 2. Making explicit/offensive references to sex; indecent; rude
113
Zenith
Time of peak power/success; acme; apex; prime
114
Ebb
1. Movement of tide out to sea; receding; retreat
2. Gradually fade or reduce (emotion/quality)
Eg; "My enthusiasm was ebbing away"
115
Venerate
Regard with great respect; reverence
116
Candor
Honesty; frankness; unreserved; bluntness
117
Self-effacing
Diffident; reticent; inconspicuous; unpretentious; humble
Eg; “His demeanor was self-effacing and polite”
118
Garrulous
Loquacious; voluble; verbose; discursive; prolix
119
Forsake
Abandon; repudiate; renounce; forgo
120
Promulgate
Announce; declare; disseminate; promote; proclaim
Eg; "These ideas must be promulgated within the company"
121
Sycophant
Someone who acts obsequiously to gain advantage; fawner
122
Divest - 2 synonyms
Deprive someone of something; despoil; reave
123
Judicious
Astute; shrewd; canny; sagacious; prudent
124
Brevity
Laconic; terse; succinct; economy
125
Imprudent
Lacking judgment; rash; injudicious; improvident
126
Discreet
Circumspect in one’s speech/action, especially to gain an advantage or avoid an offence
127
Extol
Praise enthusiastically; acclaim; laud
128
Artifice
Deceit; duplicity; chicanery; guile; trickery
Eg; "Our thoughts are influenced by the artifice of social media"
129
Chicanery
Deception; duplicity; sophistry; subterfuge; guile
130
Sovereign(ty)
A supreme power/authority; jurisdiction; supremacy
Authority of state to govern itself; autonomy
131
Digress
To deviate from the subject of attention
132
Confer (2 defs)
1) Consult; discuss; exchange opinions
| 2) Grant/bestow a title, benefit, or right
133
Rebuff
Abrupt and ungracious rejection; disdain; repudiate
Eg; "My proposal was rebuffed"
134
Monastic
Monks/nums (living under religious vows/buildings)
135
Vernacular
Casual, everyday language (culture specific); localism; idiolect; colloquial
136
Insular
Blinkered; parochial; provincial; intolerant; illiberal
137
Amiable
Affable; friendly and pleasant manner
138
Hypochondriac
Describes someone excessively alarmed by minor physical/psychological symptoms
139
Orator
A skilled/eloquent public speaker
140
Fervent
Fervid; ardent; earnest; sincere; impassioned; vehement; zealous
141
Prose
Ordinary speech; prosaic; unpoetic
142
Felicitous
1. Apposite; apt; pertinent; germane
| 2. Advantageous; favorable; fortunate
143
Apt (2 defs)
1. Appropriate; apposite; suitable; felicitous
| 2. Tendency to do something; disposed; predisposed; prone
144
Tenacity (tenacious)
Persistence; perseverance; assiduity; diligence; resolve
145
Deprecate
Abhor; censure; condemn, deplore; denounce; detest; disparage; execrate
Eg; "What I deprecate is uncontrolled indulgence"
146
Revere
Deep respect or admiration for something
147
Pithy
Concise; laconic; terse; taciturn; succinct
148
Florid
Elaborately/excessively intricate or complicated; ornate; fancy
Red/flushed complexion
149
Foolhardy
Reckless/rash; injudicious; imprudent; improvidence; heedless
150
Postulate
Assume; presuppose; presume; predicate; posit
151
Vaunt
Excessively boast/praise; acclaim; extol; flaunt
Eg; "He was initially vaunted by the West for his leadership of the country"
152
Obtuse
Annoyingly insensitive or imperceptive/unintelligent
Eg; “Are you being deliberately obtuse?”
153
Inordinate
Disproportionately large/excessive
Eg; “The case has taken up an inordinate amount of time”
154
Inadvertent
Unintentional; accidental; unplanned
155
Disquiet
Anxiety; distress; trepidation
156
Elegiac
Characteristic of an elegy; mournfulness; sorrowful tone
Eg; "Haunting and elegiac poems"
157
Renegade
(n. ) Traitor; turncoat; defector; deserter
| (adj. ) Treacherous; perfidious; disloyal
158
Craven
Lacking courage; cowardly; timorous
159
Laggard
Person who makes slow progress and falls behind others; straggler
160
Vanity
Arrogance; pride; haughtiness; conceited; narcissism
161
Sedulous
Attentive; assiduous; diligent; meticulous; punctilious; scrupulous
162
Genial
Friendly and cheerful; affable; amiable; congenial
163
Gluttonous
Excessively greedy and insatiable
164
Deplorable
Disgraceful; shameful; contemptible
165
Petulant
Childish/bad-tempered; choleric; captious; fractious; splenetic; querulous
Eg; "He was moody and petulant"
166
Credulity
To be gullible/naive
167
Irascible
Irritable and bad-tempered; surly
168
Disdain
Unworthy of respect; contempt; condescension; derision
Eg "Her upper lip curled with disdain"
169
Fervor
Ardor; enthusiasm; vehemence; zeal
170
Disrepute
State of being shamed by the public; disgrace; ignominy; infamy; notoriety
171
Disparage
Belittle; opprobrious; denigrate; deprecate; decry; revile
Eg; "He always disparaged his competition"
172
Eclectic
Comprehensive; diverse; extensive; multifaceted; miscellaneous
Eg; “Universities offer an eclectic mix of course”
173
Iridescent
Shimmering; scintillating, lustrous; opalescent (multicolored)
Eg; "The surface had an iridescent purple sheen"
174
Regime
A system or set of rules/norms that regulate the operation of a government and its society
Eg; “the detention centre has a tough physical regime”
175
Cursory
Performed quickly and carelessly; not thorough or detailed
176
Solicitous
Attentive; mindful; thoughtful; concerned; anxious
Eg; "She was always solicitous about the welfare of her students"
177
Perfunctory
Carried out with minimum effort; cursory; desultory; hasty
Eg; "He gave a perfunctory nod"
178
Soporific
Calmative; sedative; tranquillizer
179
Moribund
In terminal decline; lacking vigor; stagnating; decaying; obsolescent
180
Heathen
Label for someone who does not belong to religion; nonbeliever
181
Portent
Omen; herald; harbinger; presage
182
Rococo
Ornamental/theatrical style of architecture, art, and decoration
183
Peril
(N.) Currently in or experiencing immediate danger/harm
184
Irresolute
Indecisive; hesitant; tentative; uncertain; vacillating
185
Curio
Rare/unusual object of little value; trinket; knickknack; ornament
186
Relegate
To be downgraded to a lower rank/position
187
Sublimate
Divert/modify an impulse into a socially acceptable activity
188
Zealot
Person who is fanatical and rigid in the pursuit of their religious/political beliefs; radical
189
Braggart
Describes person who boasts about achievements
190
Founder
1. Fill with water and sink
| 2. Action/plan that fails miserably
191
Mollify
Appease; alleviate; assuage; pacify; placate
192
Plebiscite
A vote by the people of a country to decide on a particular proposal/issue
193
Epitaph
Short dirge honoring a deceased; elegy; lament
NOT eulogy (speech celebrating deceased)
194
Lapsed
No longer valid; expired
195
Consign
To send goods to a person/company to sell
196
Avarice
Greed for wealth or material gain; acquisitive
197
Baseness
Immorality; iniquity; corruption; dissolution; depravity
198
Iniquity
Baseness; immorality; impropriety; obscenity
199
Mendacity
Untruthfulness; dishonesty; deception
200
Meager
Inadequate; scanty; paltry; miserly
201
Nice
Fine or subtle; accurate; meticulous; scrupulous
Eg; "That's a nice description"
202
Boor
Unrefined, ill-mannered person; philistine; vulgarian; rowdy
Eg; "He's a big obnoxious boor"
203
Sodden
Soaked; saturated; drenched
Eg' "His clothes were sodden"
204
Fine or subtle; accurate; meticulous; scrupulous
Nice
205
Unrefined, ill-mannered person; philistine; vulgarian; rowdy
Boor
206
Soaked; saturated; drenched
Sodden
207
Convoke
Call together; convene; summon
Eg; "She sent messages convoking her group of friends"
208
Commodious
Roomy and comfortable; spacious; capacious; ample
Eg; "This house is far more commodious than the last"
209
Maculate
Dirty; stained; spotted; impure
Eg; "The used apron appeared maculate"
210
Immaculate
Clean; spotless; pristine; pure; flawless
Eg; "The view was immaculate"
211
Aspersion
Condemnation; defamation; denigration; vituperation
Eg; "I don't think anyone is casting aspersions on you"
212
Call together; convene; summon
Convoke
213
Roomy and comfortable; spacious; capacious; ample
Commodious
214
Dirty; stained; spotted; impure
Maculate
215
Clean; spotless; pristine; pure; flawless
Immaculate
216
Condemnation; defamation; denigration; vituperation
Aspersion
