Word Knowledge Flashcards
(222 cards)
1
Q
Abase
A
To lower in rank, prestige, or esteem
2
Q
Abstruse
A
Difficult to understand
3
Q
Abundant
A
Marked by great plenty (as of resources)
4
Q
Acumen
A
Quickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgment of insight
5
Q
Adroit
A
Dexterous; deft
6
Q
Affable
A
Easygoing; friendly
7
Q
Alacrity
A
Cheerful willingness; eagerness
8
Q
Alleviate
A
To ease a pain or a burden
9
Q
Altruism
A
Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness
10
Q
Amalgam
A
A combination of diverse elements; a mixture
11
Q
Ambiguous
A
Open to more than one interpretation
12
Q
Ambivalent
A
Simultaneously feeling opposing feelings; uncertain
13
Q
Amiable
A
Friendly and agreeable in disposition; good-natured and likable
14
Q
Apparel
A
Clothing; something that covers or adorns
15
Q
Arboreal
A
Relating to or resembling a tree
16
Q
Arcane
A
Known or understood by only a few
17
Q
Archaic
A
Characteristic of an earlier period; old-fashioned
18
Q
Ascertain
A
To discover with certainty, as through examination or experimentation
19
Q
Astute
A
Shrewd; clever
20
Q
Augment
A
To make (something already developed or well under way) greater, as in size
21
Q
Aural
A
Of, relating to, or perceived by the ear
22
Q
Austere
A
Without decoration; strict
23
Q
Autonomy
A
Independence; self-determination; self-government or the right of
24
Q
Averse
A
Strongly disinclined; reluctant
25
Banal
Drearily commonplace and often predictable; trite
26
Belie
To picture falsely; misrepresent
27
Belligerent
Inclined or eager to fight; hostile or aggressive
28
Benefactor
Someone who takes care of or gives money to another person
29
Benign
Kind and gentle
30
Bolster
To buoy up or hearten; to support or prop up
31
Bombastic
Given to pompous speech or writing
32
Brevity
The quality or state of being brief in duration
33
Burgeon
To grow and flourish; to put forth new buds, leaves, or greenery; to sprout
34
Cacophony
Jarring, discordant sound; dissonance
35
Cajole
To urge with gentle and repeated appeals, teasing, or flattery
36
Callous
Emotionally hardened; unfeeling
37
Candid
Characterized by openness and sincerity of expression; unreservedly straightforward
38
Capricious
Impulsive and unpredictable
39
Castigate
To inflict severe punishment on
40
Cathartic
Causing relaxation after an emotional outburst
41
Censure
To criticize severely; to blame
42
Chicanery
A trick; deception by trickery
43
Circumscribe
To draw a circle around; to restrict
44
Circumspect
Heedful of circumstances and potential consequences; prudent
45
Clandestine
Done secretively, especially to deceive; surreptitious
46
Commodity
Something brought or sold
47
Conciliatory
Appeasing; soothing; pleasant
48
Conform
To act in accordance with prevailing standards or customs
49
Conjecture
Inference or judgment based on inconclusive or incomplete evidence
50
Contentious
Quarrelsome
51
Contradiction
A situation in which two things do not make sense together
52
Contrary
Opposite; disagreeing
53
Convoluted
Intricate; complex
54
Copious
Plentiful; having a large quantity
55
Cordial
Hearty; sincere; warm; affectionate
56
Cosmopolitan
So sophisticated as to be at home in all parts of the world of conversant with
57
Credible
Capable of being believed; plausible
58
Cultivate
To help something grow
59
Curative
Something that cures; a remedy
60
Cynical
Distrustful of people's motives
61
Dearth
A scarce supply; a lack
62
Debacle
A sudden, disastrous collapse, downfall, or defeat; a rout
63
Debilitate
To sap the strength or energy of; to enervate
64
Debunk
To expose or ridicule falseness, shams, or exaggerated claims
65
Defunct
Having ceased to exist or live
66
Deleterious
Having a harmful effect
67
Deliberate
To think deeply about
68
Demure
Modest and reserved in manner or behavior
69
Denounce
To condemn openly as being evil or reprehensible
70
Depict
To represent by, or as if by, a picture; to describe
71
Deride
To speak of or treat with contemptuous mirth (amusement, expressed in laughter)
72
Derivative
A by-product
73
Derogatory
Tending or intending to belittle (make someone seem unimportant)
74
Devise
To imagine or create
75
Didactic
Intended to instruct
76
Diffidence
Timidity or shyness
77
Dilatory
Habitually late
78
Diligent
Careful and steady in application to one's work or duties
79
Diminish
To decrease in size, extent, or range; to lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of
80
Dirge
A funeral hymn or lament
81
Disparage
To speak of in a slighting way or negatively; to belittle
82
Disseminate
To scatter widely, as in sowing seed
83
Distend
To swell out or expand from or as if from internal pressure
84
Distinguish
To perceive a difference in
85
Docile
Ready and willing to be taught; teachable
86
Dogmatic
Stubbornly adhering to insufficiently proved beliefs
87
Dubious
Doubtful; of unlikely authenticity
88
Duplicitous
Given to or marked by deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech
89
Ebullience
Intense enthusiasm
90
Eclectic
Made up of a variety of sources or styles
91
Effrontery
Brazen boldness; presumptuousness
92
Effusive
Showing excessive emotion; overflowing
93
Embellish
To make beautiful by ornamenting; to decorate
94
Eminent
Distinguished; prominent
95
Enact
To order by virtue of superior authority
96
Enclosed
Closed in or surrounded or included within
97
Enigma
One that is puzzling, ambiguous, or inexplicable; a riddle
98
Ephemeral
Lasting for only a brief time
99
Epitome
A representative or example of a class or type
100
Equivocal
Open to two or more interpretations and often intended to mislead
101
Eradicate
To get rid of as if by tearing it up by the roots; to abolish
102
Erratic
Having no fixed or regular course; wandering
103
Erudition
Deep, extensive learning
104
Esoteric
Intended for or understood by only a particular group especially in mental aptitude
105
Euphemism
The act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one
106
Evident
Obvious; easily seen or understood
107
Exacerbate
To increase the severity, violence, or bitterness of; to aggravate
108
Exasperation
The state of being annoyed or irritated
109
Excavation
Digging
110
Exonerate
To free from blame
111
Exorbitant
Exceeding all bounds, as of custom or fairness
112
Expedient
Appropriate to a purpose; speedy
113
Extol
To praise highly
114
Extraneous
Irrelevant
115
Extrapolate
To infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information
116
Exuberant
Full of unrestrained enthusiasm or joy
117
Fabricate
To make in order to deceive
118
Fallacy
A false notion
119
Fastidious
Possessing careful attention to detail; difficult to please
120
Feasible
Capable of being accomplished; possible
121
Felicitous
Admirably suited; apt
122
Flagrant
Extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable
123
Flippant
Marked by disrespectful levity or casualness; pert
124
Gaffe
A clumsy social error; a faux pas (embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation)
125
Grandiose
Characterized by greatness of scope or intent; grand
126
Gratuitous
Given freely; unearned; unwarranted
127
Hackneyed
Worn-out through overuse; trite
128
Idiosyncrasy
A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group
129
Ignominy
Great personal dishonor or humiliation
130
Impetuous
Characterized by sudden and forceful energy or emotion
131
Impetus
An impelling force; an impulse
132
Indict
To accuse of wrongdoing; to charge
133
Insinuate
To introduce or otherwise convey gradually and insidiously
134
Insipid
Uninteresting; unchallenging
135
Insular
Suggestive of the isolated life of an island; narrow or provincial
136
Inundate
To overwhelm as if with a flood; to swamp
137
Invocation
To call on (a higher power) for assistance, support, or inspiration
138
Jocular
Characterized by or given to joking
139
Juxtapose
To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast
140
Litigious
Tending to engage in lawsuits
141
Loquacious
Very talkative
142
Lugubrious
Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree
143
Magnanimous
Courageously noble in mind and heart
144
Mendacious
Lying; untruthful
145
Mercenary
(adj.) Motivated solely by a desire for monetary or material gain; (n.) a professional
146
Meticulous
Extremely careful and precise
147
Modicum
A small, moderate, or token amount
148
Multifarious
Having great variety; diverse
149
Nefarious
Infamous by way of being extremely wicked
150
Onerous
Troublesome or oppressive; burdensome
151
Opulent
Exhibiting a display or great wealth
152
Ornate
Elaborately decorated
153
Palliative
Relieving or soothing the symptoms of a disease or disorder without dealing with the underlying cause
154
Parity
Equality, as in amount, status, or value (antonym: disparity)
155
Partisan
Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause
156
Patron
One who uses wealth or influence to help a cause
157
Pedantic
Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning
158
Pejorative
Describing words or phrases that belittle or speak negatively of someone
159
Penchant
A definite liking; a strong inclination
160
Pernicious
Tending to cause death or serious injury; deadly
161
Persist
To continue
162
Pictorial
Consisting of pictures
163
Pilfer
To steal (a small amount)
164
Pitiful
Eliciting compassion
165
Placid
Calm or quiet; undisturbed by tumult or disorder
166
Portent
An indication of something important or calamitous (disastrous) about to occur
167
Precocious
Manifesting or characterized by unusually early development or maturity
168
Profundity
Great depth of intellect, feeling, or meaning
169
Proliferate
To grow or increase rapidly
170
Prominence
The state of being noticeable
171
Prosaic
Unimaginative; dull
172
Prose
Words in sentences and paragraphs, as opposed to poetry
173
Quarrel
A usually verbal conflict between antagonists
174
Quell
To put down forcibly; to suppress
175
Quiescent
Being quiet, still, or at rest; inactive
176
Rancorous
Hateful; marked by deep seated ill-will
177
Rectitude
Moral uprightness; righteousness
178
Redolent
Having or emitting fragrance; aromatic; suggestive; reminiscnet
179
Refute
To disprove
180
Relinquish
To retire from; to give up or abandon
181
Remiss
Lax in attending to duty; negligent
182
Repudiate
To reject the validity or authority of
183
Repugnant
Arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive
184
Reticent
Inclined to keep one's thoughts, feelings, and personal affairs to oneself
185
Rile
To irritate or stir up
186
Rudimentary
Of or relating to basic facts or principles; elementary; being in the earliest stages
187
Sanctimonious
Feigning piety or righteousness
188
Sanguine
Of a healthy reddish color; ruddy; cheerfully confident; optimistic
189
Scintillating
Brilliant
190
Soporific
Inducing or tending to induce sleep
191
Sporadic
Occurring at irregular intervals; having no pattern or order in time
192
Squelch
To crush by or as if by trampling; to squash
193
Staid
Unemotional; serious
194
Stupor
Mental confusion; daze
195
Stymie
To thwart; to stump
196
Substantiate
To support with proof or evidence; to verify
197
Subterfuge
A deceptive stratagem or device
198
Sufficient
Enough
199
Supercilious
Disdainful; haughty; arrogant
200
Surreptitious
Done by secretive means
201
Sycophant
A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people
202
Tangential
Merely touching or slightly connected; only superficially relevant
203
Tenuous
Having little substance or strength; shaky
204
Therapeutic
Having or exhibiting healing powers
205
Transient
Passing away with time; passing from one place to another
206
Tumultuous
Noisy and disorderly
207
Turmoil
A state or condition of extreme confusion, agitation, or commotion
208
Ubiquitious
Being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent
209
Unscrupulous
Without honor or morals
210
Vacillate
To sway from one side to the other; to oscillate
211
Validity
Truth; correctness
212
Vapid
Lacking liveliness, animation, or interest; dull
213
Variegated
Having streaks, marks, or patches of a different color or colors; varicolored
214
Veracity
Adherence to the truth; truthfulness
215
Vex
To annoy or bother, to perplex
216
Vicarious
Felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another
217
Vignette
A short scene or incident, as from a movie
218
Vindicate
To free from blame
219
Vindictive
Disposed to seek revenge; revengeful; spiteful
220
Vital
Important, necessary
221
Vituperative
Using, containing, or marked by harshly abusive censure
222
Whimsical
Subject to erratic behavior; unpredictable
