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SAT VOCAB > Week 5 > Flashcards

Week 5 Flashcards

(108 cards)

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1
Q

frivolous

A

not having any serious purpose or value.

they needed new laws to end frivolous lawsuits

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2
Q

frill

A

an unnecessary extra feature or embellishment.

it was a simple apartment with no frills

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3
Q

protract

A

prolong

he had certainly taken his time, even protracting the process

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4
Q

compendious

A

containing or presenting the essential facts in a comprehensive but concise way.
he conducted a compendious study

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5
Q

contentious

A

likely to cause an argument, controversial

he brought up a contentious issue

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6
Q

acclimate

A

become accustomed to

he acclimated to the new conditions

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7
Q

indelible

A

not able to be forgotten or removed

his story made an indelible impression on me

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8
Q

perturbation

A

anxiety, uneasiness

he could sense her perturbation

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9
Q

calamity

A

an event causing a great amount of damage and distress

she has survived more calamities in the past three months than most people experience in a lifetime

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10
Q

monolithic

A

massive and uniform

they lived in a monolithic society

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11
Q

welter

A

to roll, toss, or heave, as waves or the sea
the pigs weltered in the mud
also a jumble or a confused mass
he found around him a welter of anxious faces

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12
Q

bewail

A

to express regret or disappointment over something

he bewailed the fact that he had to stay up all night because of hw

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13
Q

lampoon

A

publicly ridicule or criticize through irony or sarcasm

the comedian lampooned government officials

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14
Q

profuse

A

abundant, exuberantly plentiful

I offered profuse apologies

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15
Q

pliable

A

easily bent or influenced

teenage minds are pliable

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16
Q

perfunctory

A

carried out with minimale effort

he gave a perfunctory nod

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17
Q

verbose

A

using or expressing more words than needed

much academic language is obscure and verbose

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18
Q

diffuse

A

spread over a wide area, also lacking clarity or conciseness
his second paragraph was diffuse

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19
Q

goad

A

provoke or annoy someone so as to stimulate an action or reaction
he goaded her into telling him more about the story

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20
Q

pragmatic

A

of or relating to a practical point of view or practical considerations
he took a pragmatic approach to the project

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21
Q

venal

A

susceptible to bribery

the venal judge often accepted bribes

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22
Q

mercenary

A

concerned with making money over at the expense of ethics

he was a mercenary busienssman

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23
Q

scrupulous

A

principled, knowing right from wrong

he was scrupulous in defending human rights

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24
Q

ingenuous

A

innocent and naive, unsuspecting

the ingenuous victim had no idea the robber was waiting to kill him

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25
heinous
odious or wicked | the group committed heinous crimes
26
iniquitous
grossly unfair and morally wrong | the iniquitous tax
27
reprehensible
deserving censure or condemnation- needed to be reprimanded | his reprehensible mood needed to be fixed
28
nuance
subtle details and differences in shade of meaning | small nuances in facial expressions can greatly change the way one looks
29
gradation
a scale or a series of successive changes, stages, or degrees there was a big change in gradation of distance as the object fell
30
nicety
fine, intricate details | she never cared about the niceties of Greek and Latin
31
officious
assertive of authority in an annoying way | the officious cop told them to move, even though they weren't doing anything
32
overt
done or shown openly | an overt act of aggression
33
paragon
a perfect example of a particular quality | it would've taken a paragon of patience not to hit him in the face
34
travesty
a false, absurd, or distorted representation of something | his lenient sentence is a travesty of justice
35
dearth
scarcity or lack of | a dearth of evidence
36
pedestrian
dull, boring, tedious | he led a pedestrian life
37
perpetuate
to make something continue indefinitely, or protect from extinction the law perpetuated the interests of the rich
38
pervasive
spreading widely throughout an area or group of people | agism is pervasive and entrenched in our society
39
pithy
concise and forcefully expressive | he made a pithy observation
40
polemical
involving strongly critical, controversial, or disputatious writing or speech a polemical essay
41
stilted
stiff, self-conscious, and unnatural | they made stilted conversation
42
ponderous
slow and clumsy because of great weight | her footsteps were heavy and ponderous
43
precarious
not held securely, dangerously likely to collapse. also dependent on luck, uncertain a precarious ladder, a precarious career
44
smorgasbord
a wide range of something, a variety | the album is a smorgasbord of different musical styles
45
disavow
deny responsibility or support for | he disavowed his past
46
gimmick
a trick or device intended to draw attention, publicity or business the scandal was all a huge gimmick
47
avuncular
of or relating to an uncle | he saw his godfather as an avuncular figure
48
mimetic
relating to or practicing mimesis (imitation) | there were mimetic patterns in the butterflies
49
covetous
having or showing desire to posses something | he gazed at the shoes covetously
50
stoic or stoical
enduring pain and hardship without showing one's feelings or complaining he taught a stoical acceptance of suffering
51
mercurial
subject to unpredictable change in mood | he had a mercurial temperament
52
congenial
pleasant because of personality and qualities that are similar to one's own he needed some congenial company
53
recant
say that one no longer holds an opinion or belief, especially one considered heretical heretics were burned if they didn't recant
54
inauspicious
not conductive to success | they had an inauspicious start to their journey
55
prodigious
remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree. | The stove consumed a prodigious amount of fuel
56
coerce
persuade through force or threats | they were coerced into lying
57
bemuse
puzzle, confuse, or bewilder | he was bemused by the injustice
58
cavort
jump around or dance excitedly | spider monkeys leap and cavort in their branches
59
contrive
create or bring about an object or situation with skill and artifice his opponents contrived for him a crisis
60
brisk
active, fast, and energetic. sharp and stimulating | they had a good, brisk walk
61
cacophonous
involving or producing discordant mixtures of sounds | the casino had too many cacophonous slot machines
62
therapeutic
relating to the healing of diseases | the herb had therapeutic effects
63
consternation
feelings of anxiety or distress at something | much to the consternation of my neighbors, I had parties every week
64
implore
to beg earnestly or desperately | he implored her not to leave
65
tantamount
equivalent in seriousness | his crimes were tantamount to first degree murder
66
bellicose
demonstrating agression and willingness to fight- war like | bellicose rebels
67
belligerent
hostile and aggressive
68
belletristic
fine, light, and elegant, especially in literature | it was a belletristic work
69
ramifications
consequences or implications, esp. negative | his decision had many negative ramifications on his future
70
cogent
clear, logical, convincing | he made a cogent argument
71
prodigal
reckless with money | don't be so prodigal spending my money!
72
profusion
abundance or large quantity the stars lit up the night sky in profusion lavish expenditure she tried to win friends by her profusion in throwing parties
73
proliferation
rapid increase in numbers | get-rich-quick schemes encountered rapid proliferation during the recession
74
prolific
highly productive | he was a prolific writer
75
parochial
having a limited or narrow outlook or scope | his worldview was naive and parochial
76
quandary
state of perplexity or uncertainty; a difficult situation | she was in a quandary
77
predicament
difficult, unpleasant, or bad situation | the club had a financial predicament
78
rancor
lasting resentment or bitterness | although they were enemies, they spoke without rancor
79
declaim
to utter or deliver in a passionate, rhetorical way | she declaimed her beliefs
80
clamor
loud and confused noise | the never-ending questions by the reporters turned into clamor
81
grandiloquent
pompous or extravagant | the Spanish celebrate holidays grandiloquently
82
corroborate
confirm or give support to | the mother corroborated the boys statement, as she was a witness of the fight
83
repudiate
to refuse to be associated with, or to deny | he repudiated her daughter, disinheriting her
84
regimen
systematic program or plan | he prepared for a marathon by following a strict regimen
85
reprove
scold in a gentle manner | he was reproved by the teacher for not paying attention
86
rescind
to make an act or contract void | they rescinded the law proposal
87
exacting
demanding skill, attention, or other resources | it was difficult to live up to his dad's exacting standards
88
pundit
an expert in a subject or field often called to give opinions the news company called for a financial pundit to make a prediction on what would happen next
89
savant
a learned person (esp. scientist) | Einstein was one of the most notable savants in history
90
staunch
loyal and committed in attitude | he was a staunch supporter of the proposal
91
stock (adj.)
trite | avoid giving stock answers at job interviews
92
dwindle
diminish gradually in size | the traffic dwindled as it became late
93
ebb
to gradually lessen or reduce | his enthusiasm began to ebb away
94
surreptitious
done by stealth | gov't agents use surreptitious methods to spy on terrorists
95
impressionable
easily influenced bc of a lack of critical ability | teenagers are highly impressionable
96
taciturn
disinclined to talk | he was a taciturn soul- he would only answer yep or nope
97
laconic
using few words, terse | his laconic response showed his disinterest in the topic
98
trepidation
nervous apprehension- anxiety | she felt trepidation about her interview
99
tumultuous
excited, confused, disorderly | they found themselves amidst a tumultuous crowd
100
usurp
seize another's power, rank, or authority | judges often usurp the power of legislators by making law rather than merely interpreting it.
101
oscillate
waver or hesitate when making a decision or choosing an opinion he oscillated when asked his opinion on the subject
102
venerate
regard with esteem | the people of Tibet still venerate the traditional spiritual leader: the Dalai Lama.
103
vestigial
relating to small remnants left by something of the past that was larger or more noticeable he saw a vestigial flicker of anger from last night in his eyes
104
residual
remaining after the greater or larger quantity has gone, or left after things have been subtracted the troop was one of the few residual forces left in Iraq; their residual income- after taxes and mortgage- was actually pretty small
105
virulent
extremely severe or hostile the case of measles turned virulent quickly she became virulent on the subject of abortion
106
noxious
harmful, poisonous, or unpleasant | they were overcome by noxious fumes
107
volatile
tending to explode into violence or change unexpectedly | her temper was extremely volatile
108
zealot
a person who shows excessive religious or political fervor | He was a political zealot- he tried to turn all his friends into hardcore conservatives

SAT VOCAB (7 decks)

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