Word Knowledge Flashcards

1
Q

Abase

A

To lower in rank, prestige, or esteem

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2
Q

Abstruse

A

Difficult to understand

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3
Q

Abundant

A

Marked by great plenty (as of resources)

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4
Q

Acumen

A

Quickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgment of insight

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5
Q

Adroit

A

Dexterous; deft

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6
Q

Affable

A

Easygoing; friendly

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7
Q

Alacrity

A

Cheerful willingness; eagerness

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8
Q

Alleviate

A

To ease a pain or a burden

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9
Q

Altruism

A

Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness

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10
Q

Amalgam

A

A combination of diverse elements; a mixture

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11
Q

Ambiguous

A

Open to more than one interpretation

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12
Q

Ambivalent

A

Simultaneously feeling opposing feelings; uncertain

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13
Q

Amiable

A

Friendly and agreeable in disposition; good-natured and likable

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14
Q

Apparel

A

Clothing; something that covers or adorns

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15
Q

Arboreal

A

Relating to or resembling a tree

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16
Q

Arcane

A

Known or understood by only a few

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17
Q

Archaic

A

Characteristic of an earlier period; old-fashioned

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18
Q

Ascertain

A

To discover with certainty, as through examination or experimentation

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19
Q

Astute

A

Shrewd; clever

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20
Q

Augment

A

To make (something already developed or well under way) greater, as in size

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21
Q

Aural

A

Of, relating to, or perceived by the ear

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22
Q

Austere

A

Without decoration; strict

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23
Q

Autonomy

A

Independence; self-determination; self-government or the right of

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24
Q

Averse

A

Strongly disinclined; reluctant

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25
Q

Banal

A

Drearily commonplace and often predictable; trite

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26
Q

Belie

A

To picture falsely; misrepresent

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27
Q

Belligerent

A

Inclined or eager to fight; hostile or aggressive

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28
Q

Benefactor

A

Someone who takes care of or gives money to another person

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29
Q

Benign

A

Kind and gentle

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30
Q

Bolster

A

To buoy up or hearten; to support or prop up

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31
Q

Bombastic

A

Given to pompous speech or writing

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32
Q

Brevity

A

The quality or state of being brief in duration

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33
Q

Burgeon

A

To grow and flourish; to put forth new buds, leaves, or greenery; to sprout

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34
Q

Cacophony

A

Jarring, discordant sound; dissonance

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35
Q

Cajole

A

To urge with gentle and repeated appeals, teasing, or flattery

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36
Q

Callous

A

Emotionally hardened; unfeeling

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37
Q

Candid

A

Characterized by openness and sincerity of expression; unreservedly straightforward

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38
Q

Capricious

A

Impulsive and unpredictable

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39
Q

Castigate

A

To inflict severe punishment on

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40
Q

Cathartic

A

Causing relaxation after an emotional outburst

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41
Q

Censure

A

To criticize severely; to blame

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42
Q

Chicanery

A

A trick; deception by trickery

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43
Q

Circumscribe

A

To draw a circle around; to restrict

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44
Q

Circumspect

A

Heedful of circumstances and potential consequences; prudent

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45
Q

Clandestine

A

Done secretively, especially to deceive; surreptitious

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46
Q

Commodity

A

Something brought or sold

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47
Q

Conciliatory

A

Appeasing; soothing; pleasant

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48
Q

Conform

A

To act in accordance with prevailing standards or customs

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49
Q

Conjecture

A

Inference or judgment based on inconclusive or incomplete evidence

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50
Q

Contentious

A

Quarrelsome

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51
Q

Contradiction

A

A situation in which two things do not make sense together

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52
Q

Contrary

A

Opposite; disagreeing

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53
Q

Convoluted

A

Intricate; complex

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54
Q

Copious

A

Plentiful; having a large quantity

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55
Q

Cordial

A

Hearty; sincere; warm; affectionate

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56
Q

Cosmopolitan

A

So sophisticated as to be at home in all parts of the world of conversant with

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57
Q

Credible

A

Capable of being believed; plausible

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58
Q

Cultivate

A

To help something grow

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59
Q

Curative

A

Something that cures; a remedy

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60
Q

Cynical

A

Distrustful of people’s motives

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61
Q

Dearth

A

A scarce supply; a lack

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62
Q

Debacle

A

A sudden, disastrous collapse, downfall, or defeat; a rout

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63
Q

Debilitate

A

To sap the strength or energy of; to enervate

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64
Q

Debunk

A

To expose or ridicule falseness, shams, or exaggerated claims

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65
Q

Defunct

A

Having ceased to exist or live

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66
Q

Deleterious

A

Having a harmful effect

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67
Q

Deliberate

A

To think deeply about

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68
Q

Demure

A

Modest and reserved in manner or behavior

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69
Q

Denounce

A

To condemn openly as being evil or reprehensible

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70
Q

Depict

A

To represent by, or as if by, a picture; to describe

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71
Q

Deride

A

To speak of or treat with contemptuous mirth (amusement, expressed in laughter)

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72
Q

Derivative

A

A by-product

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73
Q

Derogatory

A

Tending or intending to belittle (make someone seem unimportant)

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74
Q

Devise

A

To imagine or create

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75
Q

Didactic

A

Intended to instruct

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76
Q

Diffidence

A

Timidity or shyness

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77
Q

Dilatory

A

Habitually late

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78
Q

Diligent

A

Careful and steady in application to one’s work or duties

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79
Q

Diminish

A

To decrease in size, extent, or range; to lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of

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80
Q

Dirge

A

A funeral hymn or lament

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81
Q

Disparage

A

To speak of in a slighting way or negatively; to belittle

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82
Q

Disseminate

A

To scatter widely, as in sowing seed

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83
Q

Distend

A

To swell out or expand from or as if from internal pressure

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84
Q

Distinguish

A

To perceive a difference in

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85
Q

Docile

A

Ready and willing to be taught; teachable

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86
Q

Dogmatic

A

Stubbornly adhering to insufficiently proved beliefs

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87
Q

Dubious

A

Doubtful; of unlikely authenticity

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88
Q

Duplicitous

A

Given to or marked by deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech

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89
Q

Ebullience

A

Intense enthusiasm

90
Q

Eclectic

A

Made up of a variety of sources or styles

91
Q

Effrontery

A

Brazen boldness; presumptuousness

92
Q

Effusive

A

Showing excessive emotion; overflowing

93
Q

Embellish

A

To make beautiful by ornamenting; to decorate

94
Q

Eminent

A

Distinguished; prominent

95
Q

Enact

A

To order by virtue of superior authority

96
Q

Enclosed

A

Closed in or surrounded or included within

97
Q

Enigma

A

One that is puzzling, ambiguous, or inexplicable; a riddle

98
Q

Ephemeral

A

Lasting for only a brief time

99
Q

Epitome

A

A representative or example of a class or type

100
Q

Equivocal

A

Open to two or more interpretations and often intended to mislead

101
Q

Eradicate

A

To get rid of as if by tearing it up by the roots; to abolish

102
Q

Erratic

A

Having no fixed or regular course; wandering

103
Q

Erudition

A

Deep, extensive learning

104
Q

Esoteric

A

Intended for or understood by only a particular group especially in mental aptitude

105
Q

Euphemism

A

The act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one

106
Q

Evident

A

Obvious; easily seen or understood

107
Q

Exacerbate

A

To increase the severity, violence, or bitterness of; to aggravate

108
Q

Exasperation

A

The state of being annoyed or irritated

109
Q

Excavation

A

Digging

110
Q

Exonerate

A

To free from blame

111
Q

Exorbitant

A

Exceeding all bounds, as of custom or fairness

112
Q

Expedient

A

Appropriate to a purpose; speedy

113
Q

Extol

A

To praise highly

114
Q

Extraneous

A

Irrelevant

115
Q

Extrapolate

A

To infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information

116
Q

Exuberant

A

Full of unrestrained enthusiasm or joy

117
Q

Fabricate

A

To make in order to deceive

118
Q

Fallacy

A

A false notion

119
Q

Fastidious

A

Possessing careful attention to detail; difficult to please

120
Q

Feasible

A

Capable of being accomplished; possible

121
Q

Felicitous

A

Admirably suited; apt

122
Q

Flagrant

A

Extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable

123
Q

Flippant

A

Marked by disrespectful levity or casualness; pert

124
Q

Gaffe

A

A clumsy social error; a faux pas (embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation)

125
Q

Grandiose

A

Characterized by greatness of scope or intent; grand

126
Q

Gratuitous

A

Given freely; unearned; unwarranted

127
Q

Hackneyed

A

Worn-out through overuse; trite

128
Q

Idiosyncrasy

A

A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group

129
Q

Ignominy

A

Great personal dishonor or humiliation

130
Q

Impetuous

A

Characterized by sudden and forceful energy or emotion

131
Q

Impetus

A

An impelling force; an impulse

132
Q

Indict

A

To accuse of wrongdoing; to charge

133
Q

Insinuate

A

To introduce or otherwise convey gradually and insidiously

134
Q

Insipid

A

Uninteresting; unchallenging

135
Q

Insular

A

Suggestive of the isolated life of an island; narrow or provincial

136
Q

Inundate

A

To overwhelm as if with a flood; to swamp

137
Q

Invocation

A

To call on (a higher power) for assistance, support, or inspiration

138
Q

Jocular

A

Characterized by or given to joking

139
Q

Juxtapose

A

To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast

140
Q

Litigious

A

Tending to engage in lawsuits

141
Q

Loquacious

A

Very talkative

142
Q

Lugubrious

A

Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree

143
Q

Magnanimous

A

Courageously noble in mind and heart

144
Q

Mendacious

A

Lying; untruthful

145
Q

Mercenary

A

(adj.) Motivated solely by a desire for monetary or material gain; (n.) a professional

146
Q

Meticulous

A

Extremely careful and precise

147
Q

Modicum

A

A small, moderate, or token amount

148
Q

Multifarious

A

Having great variety; diverse

149
Q

Nefarious

A

Infamous by way of being extremely wicked

150
Q

Onerous

A

Troublesome or oppressive; burdensome

151
Q

Opulent

A

Exhibiting a display or great wealth

152
Q

Ornate

A

Elaborately decorated

153
Q

Palliative

A

Relieving or soothing the symptoms of a disease or disorder without dealing with the underlying cause

154
Q

Parity

A

Equality, as in amount, status, or value (antonym: disparity)

155
Q

Partisan

A

Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause

156
Q

Patron

A

One who uses wealth or influence to help a cause

157
Q

Pedantic

A

Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning

158
Q

Pejorative

A

Describing words or phrases that belittle or speak negatively of someone

159
Q

Penchant

A

A definite liking; a strong inclination

160
Q

Pernicious

A

Tending to cause death or serious injury; deadly

161
Q

Persist

A

To continue

162
Q

Pictorial

A

Consisting of pictures

163
Q

Pilfer

A

To steal (a small amount)

164
Q

Pitiful

A

Eliciting compassion

165
Q

Placid

A

Calm or quiet; undisturbed by tumult or disorder

166
Q

Portent

A

An indication of something important or calamitous (disastrous) about to occur

167
Q

Precocious

A

Manifesting or characterized by unusually early development or maturity

168
Q

Profundity

A

Great depth of intellect, feeling, or meaning

169
Q

Proliferate

A

To grow or increase rapidly

170
Q

Prominence

A

The state of being noticeable

171
Q

Prosaic

A

Unimaginative; dull

172
Q

Prose

A

Words in sentences and paragraphs, as opposed to poetry

173
Q

Quarrel

A

A usually verbal conflict between antagonists

174
Q

Quell

A

To put down forcibly; to suppress

175
Q

Quiescent

A

Being quiet, still, or at rest; inactive

176
Q

Rancorous

A

Hateful; marked by deep seated ill-will

177
Q

Rectitude

A

Moral uprightness; righteousness

178
Q

Redolent

A

Having or emitting fragrance; aromatic; suggestive; reminiscnet

179
Q

Refute

A

To disprove

180
Q

Relinquish

A

To retire from; to give up or abandon

181
Q

Remiss

A

Lax in attending to duty; negligent

182
Q

Repudiate

A

To reject the validity or authority of

183
Q

Repugnant

A

Arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive

184
Q

Reticent

A

Inclined to keep one’s thoughts, feelings, and personal affairs to oneself

185
Q

Rile

A

To irritate or stir up

186
Q

Rudimentary

A

Of or relating to basic facts or principles; elementary; being in the earliest stages

187
Q

Sanctimonious

A

Feigning piety or righteousness

188
Q

Sanguine

A

Of a healthy reddish color; ruddy; cheerfully confident; optimistic

189
Q

Scintillating

A

Brilliant

190
Q

Soporific

A

Inducing or tending to induce sleep

191
Q

Sporadic

A

Occurring at irregular intervals; having no pattern or order in time

192
Q

Squelch

A

To crush by or as if by trampling; to squash

193
Q

Staid

A

Unemotional; serious

194
Q

Stupor

A

Mental confusion; daze

195
Q

Stymie

A

To thwart; to stump

196
Q

Substantiate

A

To support with proof or evidence; to verify

197
Q

Subterfuge

A

A deceptive stratagem or device

198
Q

Sufficient

A

Enough

199
Q

Supercilious

A

Disdainful; haughty; arrogant

200
Q

Surreptitious

A

Done by secretive means

201
Q

Sycophant

A

A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people

202
Q

Tangential

A

Merely touching or slightly connected; only superficially relevant

203
Q

Tenuous

A

Having little substance or strength; shaky

204
Q

Therapeutic

A

Having or exhibiting healing powers

205
Q

Transient

A

Passing away with time; passing from one place to another

206
Q

Tumultuous

A

Noisy and disorderly

207
Q

Turmoil

A

A state or condition of extreme confusion, agitation, or commotion

208
Q

Ubiquitious

A

Being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent

209
Q

Unscrupulous

A

Without honor or morals

210
Q

Vacillate

A

To sway from one side to the other; to oscillate

211
Q

Validity

A

Truth; correctness

212
Q

Vapid

A

Lacking liveliness, animation, or interest; dull

213
Q

Variegated

A

Having streaks, marks, or patches of a different color or colors; varicolored

214
Q

Veracity

A

Adherence to the truth; truthfulness

215
Q

Vex

A

To annoy or bother, to perplex

216
Q

Vicarious

A

Felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another

217
Q

Vignette

A

A short scene or incident, as from a movie

218
Q

Vindicate

A

To free from blame

219
Q

Vindictive

A

Disposed to seek revenge; revengeful; spiteful

220
Q

Vital

A

Important, necessary

221
Q

Vituperative

A

Using, containing, or marked by harshly abusive censure

222
Q

Whimsical

A

Subject to erratic behavior; unpredictable