VOCAB4 Flashcards
(225 cards)
1
Q
epigram
A
- witticism, quip, joke
2. a short poem, especially a satirical one, having a witty or ingenious ending.
2
Q
atavistic
A
relating to or characterized by reversion to something ancient or ancestral.
3
Q
proximate
A
- (especially of the cause of something) closest in relationship; immediate.
- nearly accurate; approximate.
4
Q
avert
A
- turn away (one’s eyes or thoughts).
2. prevent or ward off (an undesirable occurrence).
5
Q
rescind
A
revoke, cancel, or repeal (a law, order, or agreement).
6
Q
protract
A
prolong.
7
Q
malady
A
a disease or ailment.
8
Q
emend
A
make corrections and improvements to (a text).
9
Q
allay
A
- diminish or put at rest (fear, suspicion, or worry).
2. relieve or alleviate (pain or hunger).
10
Q
edify
A
instruct or improve (someone) morally or intellectually.
11
Q
peremptory
A
(especially of a person’s manner or actions) insisting on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way.
12
Q
toothsome
A
tasty
13
Q
insularity
A
ignorance of or lack of interest in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one’s own experience.
14
Q
profundity
A
deep insight; great depth of knowledge or thought.
15
Q
iota
A
an extremely small amount.
16
Q
veneer
A
surface apprearance
17
Q
iniquity
A
immoral or grossly unfair behavior.
18
Q
misogyny
A
dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women.
19
Q
lionize
A
give a lot of public attention and approval to (someone); treat as a celebrity.
20
Q
impugn
A
dispute the truth, validity, or honesty of (a statement or motive); call into question.
21
Q
waggish
A
humorous in a playful, mischievous, or facetious manner.
22
Q
malefaction
A
an evil deed, crime
23
Q
trespass
A
a sin or offense
24
Q
embezzle
A
steal or misappropriate (money placed in one’s trust or belonging to the organization for which one works).
25
pilferer
a person who steals things of little value or in small quantities, especially from the place where they work.
26
casuistic
practicing clever but unsound reasoning
27
imposing
grand and impressive in appearance.
28
hypochondriac
a person who is abnormally anxious about their health
29
temerity
excessive confidence or boldness; audacity.
30
georgic
rustic, plain
31
natty
smart and fashionable
32
reduce sb to near
bring someone or something to (a lower or weaker state, condition, or role).
33
penury
extreme poverty; destitution
34
malaise
a general feeling of discomfort, illness, or uneasiness whose exact cause is difficult to identify.
35
runic
relating to runes (= magic marks or letters, especially the letters of an ancient alphabet cut into stone or wood in the past)
36
sartorial
relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress.
37
costiveness
The state or quality of being costive; constipation. (obsolete) Inability to express oneself; stiffness
38
bathos
(especially in a work of literature) an effect of anticlimax created by an unintentional lapse in mood from the sublime to the trivial or ridiculous.
39
convalescence
time spent recovering from an illness or medical treatment; recuperation.
40
sagacity
wisdom, intelligence
41
deluge
a severe flood
42
flagitious
criminal; villainous.
43
antediluvian
1. of or belonging to the time before the biblical Flood.
| 2. ridiculously old-fashioned.
44
dissuade
discourage, prevent, deter
45
dictate
utter, say outloud, speak
46
sordid
1. involving ignoble actions and motives; arousing moral distaste and contempt.
2. dirty and squalid
47
animadversion
criticism or censure.
48
glib
fluent and voluble but insincere and shallow.
49
peevish
easily irritated, especially by unimportant things.
50
condign
appropriate, deserved
51
dub
name, label
52
sparse
scanty, thinly dispersed or scattered.
53
cognoscenti
people who are considered to be especially well informed about a particular subject.
54
fledgling
a person or organization that is immature, inexperienced, or underdeveloped.
55
neophyte
beginner, a person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief.
56
fungible
able to replace or be replaced by another identical item; mutually interchangeable.
57
heteromorphic
exhibiting a plurality of forms
58
cult
a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing.
59
imperilment
to expose to peril; the state of not being protected from injury, harm, or evil.
60
uninitiated
without special knowledge or experience.
61
proscribe
forbid, especially by law; denounce
62
tenuousness
1. Weak or insubstantial; flimsy
| 2. precarious, insecure
63
equalet
an ornamental shoulder piece on an item of clothing, especially on the coat or jacket of a military uniform.
64
laxity
lack of strictness, looseness, leniency
65
stray
move away aimlessly from a group or from the right course or place.
66
pigue
a feeling of irritation or resentment resulting from a slight, especially to one's pride.
67
crescendo
the highest point reached in a progressive increase of intensity.
68
euphony
the quality of being pleasing to the ear, especially through a harmonious combination of words.
69
woebegone
sad or miserable in appearance.
70
effulgent
shining brightly; radiant.
| (of a person or their expression) emanating joy or goodness.
71
haggard
looking exhausted and unwell, especially from fatigue, worry, or suffering.
72
ethereal
extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.
73
shelling
the heavy fire of artillery to saturate an area rather than hit a specific target.
74
nugatory
of no value or importance.
75
sumptuous
splendid and expensive-looking.
76
magisterial
having or showing great authority
77
jocund
cheerful and lighthearted.
78
letup
abatement, a pause or reduction in the intensity of something dangerous, difficult, or tiring.
79
haste
hurry, excessive speed or urgency of movement or action; hurry.
80
bop
move or travel energetically
81
traipse
walk casually or needlessly
82
circumambulate
walk all the way around (something).
83
sidle
walk in a furtive, unobtrusive, or timid manner, especially sideways or obliquely.
84
reconnoiter
survey, explore: make a military observation of (a region).
85
commodious
roomy and comfortable.
86
propinquity
the state of being close to someone or something; proximity.
87
crotchet
a perverse (unreasonable, illogical) or unfounded belief or notion.
88
apogee
the highest point in the development of something; a climax or culmination.
89
awl
a hole-punching tool
90
opus
musical or literary composition
91
abettor
a person who encourages or assists someone to do something wrong, in particular to commit a crime.
92
mendicant
given to begging.
93
rube
a country bumpkin.
94
break away
sudden attack or forward movement; divergence
95
gaunlet
open challenge
96
fortitude
courage in pain or adversity.
97
patois
dialect
98
equanimity
mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.
99
consternation
feelings of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected.
100
disportment
amusement; diversion from work or serious matters; recreation
101
egalitarian
relating to or believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.
102
pith
the essence of something.
103
supine
passive, apathetic
104
superfluous
redundant, surplus
105
wheedling = cajoling
using flattery or coaxing in order to persuade someone to do something or give one something.
106
freewheeling
characterized by a disregard for rules or conventions; unconstrained or uninhibited.
107
abdicate
1. renounce one's throne.
| 2. fail to fulfill or undertake (a responsibility or duty).
108
mar
spoil, ruin, impair
109
frisson
a sudden strong feeling of excitement or fear; a thrill.
110
panegyric
a public speech or published text in praise of someone or something.
111
murmur
a mumbled or private expression of discontent.
112
cunning
having or showing skill in achieving one's ends by deceit or evasion
113
infighting
hidden conflict or competitiveness within an organization.
114
ennui
lethargy, boredom, lassitude
115
opulence
great wealth or luxuriousness
116
truculence
belligerent, aggressively self-assertive
117
virtuoso
a person highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit.
118
inane
silly; stupid
119
inept
having or showing no skill; clumsy.
120
ingenuity
the quality of being clever, original, and inventive.
121
forsake
abandon, giveup
122
brook
tolerate or allow
123
beset
1. be covered or studded with.
| 2. (of a problem or difficulty) trouble or threaten persistently.
124
cull
1. select from a large quantity; obtain from a variety of sources.
2. a selective slaughter of wild animals.
125
raconteur
a person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way.
126
droll
funny, humorous
127
unbecoming
inappropriate
128
elude
1. evade or escape from (a danger, enemy, or pursuer), typically in a skillful or cunning way.
2. difficult to grasp, understand
129
evince
reveal the presence of (a quality or feeling); demonstrate
130
best
defeat, outwit or get the better of (someone).
131
doggerel
verse or words that are badly written or expressed.
132
repartee
conversation or speech characterized by quick, witty comments or replies.
133
as often as not
quite frequently or commonly.
134
mettlesome
full of spirit and courage.
135
heady
having a strong or exhilarating effect.
136
kinshio
blood relationship
137
largess
generousity, donation
138
backpedal
reverse one's previous action or opinion.
139
ostensible
stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so.
140
plutocracy
government by the wealthy
141
bugaboo
an object of fear or alarm; a bugbear; annoying
142
recalcitrant
difficult to manage and control
143
compunction
scrupple
144
pedestrian
lacking inspiration or excitement; dull.
145
monolithic
large, powerful, and intractably indivisible and uniform.
146
conflagration
an extensive fire which destroys a great deal of land or property.
147
scintilla
a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling.
148
surfeit
an excessive amount of something.
149
pernicious
having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.
150
rankle
cause annoyance or resentment that persists.
151
latency
tension, the state of existing but not yet being developed or manifest; concealment.
152
disincentive
a factor, especially a financial disadvantage, that tends to discourage people from doing something.
153
countermand
revoke (an order)
154
iniquitous
grossly unfair and morally wrong.
155
halcyon
calm, serene
156
stratify
form or arrange into strata.
157
philological
the study of language, especially its history and development
158
provenance
the place of origin or earliest known history of something
159
bane
a cause of great distress or annoyance.
160
plumb
measure and test
161
deceleration
reduction in speed or rate.
162
glut
an excessively abundant supply of something.
163
timbre
sound, voice, tone
164
clangor
a continuous loud banging or ringing sound.
165
auspicious
conducive to success; favorable.
166
noisome
1. having an extremely offensive smell.
| 2. disagreeable, unpleasant
167
undulating
having a smoothly rising and falling form or outline.
168
erstwhile
former
169
unremitting
relentless
170
covetuous
having or showing a great desire to possess something belonging to someone else.
171
hack
a dull, unoriginal writer
172
credulity
tendency to believe people easily
173
lackluster
dull, lacking in vitality, force, or conviction; uninspired or uninspiring.
174
ascendant
rising in power or influence.
175
unflagging
tireless; persistent.
176
defunct
no longer existing or functioning
177
sate
satisfy (a desire or an appetite) to the full.
178
invective
insulting, abusive, or highly critical language.
179
inveigle
wheedle, cajole
180
needle
provoke or annoy (someone) by continual criticism or questioning.
181
rant
speaking at length in an angry and impassioned way.
182
homeage
special honor or respect shown publicly.
183
fealty
formal acknowledgement of loyalty to a lord.
184
protege
student, trainee - a person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person.
185
vassal
a holder of land by feudal tenure on conditions of homage and allegiance. --> servant
186
vanguard
a group of people leading the way in new developments or ideas.
187
precursor
a person or thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner.
188
mulishness
unreasonably and inflexibly obstinate.
189
cerebration
the working of the brain; thinking.
190
banishment
1. the punishment of being sent away from a country or other place.
2. the action of getting rid of something unwanted.
191
mien
a person's look or manner, especially one of a particular kind indicating their character or mood.
192
prognosis
a forecast of the likely course of a disease or ailment or a forecast of the likely outcome of a situation.
193
poised
having a composed and self-assured manner.
194
heterogeneous
diverse in character or content.
195
fretful
feeling or expressing distress or irritation.
196
looming
emerging, appear as a shadowy form, especially one that is large or threatening.
197
revolting
1. causing intense disgust; disgusting.
| 2. engage in revolt, against the government
198
outclass
be far superior to
199
sap
gradually weaken or destroy (a person's strength or power)
200
libelous
defamatory, disparaging
201
ulterior
existing beyond what is obvious or admitted; intentionally hidden; undisclosed, secondary
202
pathological
1. involving, caused by, or of the nature of a physical or mental disease.
2. compulsive; obsessive
203
recrimination
an accusation in response to one from someone else.
204
insolence
rude and disrespectful behavior.
205
epitome
1. a person or thing that is a perfect example of a particular quality or type.
2. a summary of a written work; an abstract.
206
hubristic
excessively proud or self-confident.
207
exalted
1. held in high regard.
| 2. in a state of extreme happiness.
208
pretension
ostenstatiousness
209
liberality
the quality of being open to new ideas and free from prejudice.
210
unwholesome
not characterized by or conducive to health or moral well-being.
211
truculent
aggressive
212
intuit
understand or work out by instinct.
213
codify
arrange according to a plan or system.
214
officiate
perform, take charge
215
conciliatory
intended or likely to placate or pacify.
216
malfeasance
wrongdoing, especially by a public official
217
ramification
a consequence of an action or event, especially when complex or unwelcome.
218
habiliment
clothing
219
vestige
a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.
220
transcendent
beyond or above the range of normal or merely physical human experience.
221
iridescent
showing luminous colors that seem to change when seen from different angles.
222
drab
lacking brightness or interest; drearily dull.
223
denigrate
criticize unfairly; disparage.
224
divest
deprive (someone) of power, rights, or possessions.
225
overweening
excessive, conceited
