Vocab List 12 Flashcards
(100 cards)
1
Q
abstruse
A
hard to understand
2
Q
abysmal
A
wretched, bottomless
3
Q
advocate
A
a person who argues in favor of a position
4
Q
aesthetic
A
artistic
5
Q
amass
A
to accumulate; to pile up
6
Q
ambience
A
atmosphere, mood
7
Q
apartheid
A
racial oppression, prejudice
8
Q
apathy
A
lack of interest
9
Q
archetype
A
original model
10
Q
archipelago
A
a large group of islands
11
Q
attest
A
to give proof of; to give testimony
12
Q
attribute
A
to credit to; to assign; to ascribe
13
Q
baroque
A
extravagantly ornate
14
Q
barrage
A
a concentrated outpouring of artillery fire
15
Q
bombast
A
pompous or pretentious speech or writing
16
Q
bon vivant
A
a person who enjoys luxurious living
17
Q
calamity
A
a disaster
18
Q
callous
A
emotionally insensitive
19
Q
cerebral
A
brainy
20
Q
chaff
A
worthless stuff
21
Q
cliche
A
overused saying
22
Q
climatic
A
having to do with the climate
23
Q
comprise
A
to consist of; made of
24
Q
compromise
A
a settlement of differences
25
consensus
unanimity
26
conservatory
a green house; a music or drama school
27
corporeal
tangible; material; having substance
28
correlation
mutual relation
29
curtail
to shorten
30
cynic
one who distrusts humanity
31
delineate
to describe accurately
32
delinquent
neglecting a duty or law; late in payment; derelict
33
dialectical
relating to discussions
34
diatribe
a bitter, abusive denunciation
35
dispassionate
unaffected by passion; impartial; tranquil
36
disperse
to scatter; to spread widely; to disseminate
37
draconian
harsh; severe; cruel
38
droll
humorous; amusing in an odd way
39
embargo
a government order suspending foreign trade
40
embellish
to adorn; to beautify by adding ornaments; to add fanciful or fictitious
41
epilogue
an afterword; a short concluding chapter of a book; a short speech at the end of a play
42
epithet
a characterizing term
43
existential
having to do with existence
44
exodus
a mass departure or journey away
45
fastidious
hard to please; finicky
46
fatalist
one who believes in fate
47
forbear
to refrain from
48
forebear
ancestor
49
genre
type of art
50
genteel
refined; polite; aristocratic
51
histrionic
overly dramatic
52
hoary
gray or white with age; ancient; stale
53
implication
something implied or suggested; ramification
54
imply
to hint at
55
indignant
angry
56
indolent
lazy
57
insipid
dull; bland; banal
58
insolent
arrogant; insulting
59
iridescent
displaying glowing, changing colors
60
ironic
meaning other than what's said
61
licentious
lascivious; lewd; promiscuous; amoral
62
limpid
transparent; clear; lucid
63
maverick
nonconformist
64
mawkish
overly sentimental; maudlin
65
motif
a recurring theme or idea
66
motley
extremely varied or diverse; heterogeneous; multicolored
67
oblivion
forgetfulness
68
obscure
hard to understand
69
palpable
obvious; tangible
70
paltry
insignificant; worthless
71
pedestrian
unimaginative; banal
72
pejorative
negative; disparaging
73
plausible
believable; convincing
74
plebeian
low class; vulgar
75
preempt
to seize by prior right
76
pregnant
highly significant; overflowing
77
propagate
to reproduce; to multiply; to spread or disseminate
78
propensity
natural inclination
79
qualify
to modify or restrict
80
qualitative
having to do with quality
81
reclusive
hermitlike
82
recondite
hard to understand
83
reprisal
retaliation; revenge; counterattack
84
reproach
to scold
85
saccharine
sweet
86
sacrilege
blasphemy; violating a sacred object
87
sequester
to set apart
88
serendipity
accidental good fortune
89
spurn
to reject with disdain; scorn
90
squander
to waste
91
succinct
brief and to the point
92
succumb
to yield
93
temerity
boldness
94
temperate
mild
95
trenchant
concise; effective; caustic; sarcastic
96
trepidation
fear
97
venerate
to revere
98
veracity
truthfulness
99
waft
to carry lightly or smoothly through the air or over water
100
waive
to refrain from claiming or insisting on; give up
