Word Meanings Flashcards
(417 cards)
1
Q
Incredulous
A
skeptical; disbelieving
‘an incredulous gasp’
2
Q
blasé
A
unimpressed; indifferent; nonchalant
‘The consumer has now become very blasé about the food he buys and expects to be able buy strawberries in December.’
3
Q
Prescient
A
foreknowing; clairvoyant
‘Little could he know how prescient his comment would be’
4
Q
Irascible
A
ill-tempered; showing irritability
‘An irascible action
5
Q
pugnacious
A
naturally aggressive or hostile
‘But fierce competition and the pugnacious attitude of the bombs have squeezed providers’
6
Q
bellicose
A
refers to aggressive action or behavior that are likely to start an argument or a fight.
‘He expressed alarm about the government’s increasingly bellicose statements.’
7
Q
languid
A
lethargic or indifferent
‘We sat about languidly after dinner.’
8
Q
phlegmatic
A
unemotional; indifferent; cold; refers to someone who stays clam when upsetting or exciting happen.
‘Of course it is easier to be phlegmatic for a less important match against a superior team.’
9
Q
denunciation
A
- condemnation; criticism
- act to reporting someone who has broken rule or law to authorities
‘He has been scathing in his denunciation of corrupt and incompetent politician.’
10
Q
hedonist
A
someone who believes that having pleasure is the most important thing in the life.
‘The life style is more suited young hedonist than families.’
11
Q
get one’s just desserts
A
receive what one deserves
‘Those who cause great torment to others rarely got their just desserts.’
12
Q
aberrant
A
unusual; not socially acceptable
‘the aberrant titans’
13
Q
abhorrent
A
if something is abhorrent to you, you hate it very much or consider it unacceptable.
‘There are many people who still find the act of abortion abhorrent.’
14
Q
alacrity
A
eager; enthusiastically
‘This was not done with sufficient alacrity, enabling him to flee to germany.’
15
Q
approbation
A
praise; approval of something
‘Everybody seemed to be waiting for him to speak, looking at him to speak, looking at him for approbation.’
16
Q
hubristic
A
prideful and arrogant
The hubristic lure of approbation is what got me in the end.’
17
Q
assuage
A
- alleviate
‘The announcement appeared designed to assuage concerns at home and abroad.’ - satisfy; appease; to pacify
‘The meat they managed to procure assuaged their hunger.’
18
Q
austere
A
without adornment; simple
‘It is a place of austere but majestic beauty.’
19
Q
axiomatic
A
if something is axiomatic, it seems to be obviously true; self-evident
‘I abandoned reason : whatever bronwen did was right; that was axiomatic.’
20
Q
canonical
A
if something has a canonical status, it is accepted as having all the qualities that a thing of its kind should have; traditional standards
‘The white lettering on brown background is standard for tourist signs, used worldwide to identify canonical sites of scenic and historic interest.’
21
Q
capricious
A
inclined to change ones mind impulsively; erratic; unpredictable
‘Both sides were troubled throughout by a capricious wind.’
22
Q
censure
A
strongly disapprove of something ; officially rebuke
‘I would not presume to censure Osborne for hating his mother.’
23
Q
disabuse
A
enlighten; correct; if disabuse someone; you tell or persuade them that what they believe is in fact untrue.
‘Goodness only knew how she was going to disabuse his mind of the erroneous assumption now clearly fixed in it.’
‘They thought country people liked to please strangers. I did not disabuse them of this notion.
23
Q
chicanery
A
using cleverness to trick people.
‘I will therefore engineer, via chicanery a meeting between Andy and Marks.
24
convoluted
complex; complicated
'Despite its length and convoluted plot, this is a rich and rewarding read,'
25
discordant
1. strange or unpleasant as it does not fit with other things
'His agenda is discordant with ours.'
2. dissonant or harsh in sound
'There will be many more discordant notes played before this game of musical chairs comes to an end.'
26
disparate
fundamentally distinct or dissimilar
'scientists are trying to pull together disparate ideas in astronomy.'
27
effrontery
Audacity
behavior that is bold, rude or disrespectable; presumptuous
'One could only gasp at the sheer effrontery of the man.'
28
presumptuous
judgemental
29
execrable
downright detestable; disgusting
'Accusing us of being disloyal to cover his own sorry behavior is truly detestable.'
30
prolific
present in large number of quantities; plentiful
'a prolific writer produces a large number of works.'
31
harrowing
extremely disturbing; frightening
'We ask that everyone respects our need for privacy at this harrowing time.'
32
allude
if you allude to something, you mention it in an indirect way
33
elude
if something eludes you, you fail to obtain it.
34
sidereal
relating to stars
'It also fixed the number of days in the month which previously varied by year with the sidereal zodiac.'
35
etiolated
weakened; no longer at full strength
'Her voice was thinner than I recall, etiolated, drained of energy.'
36
prodigious
something very large or impressive; extraordinary
'She ate prodigiously.'
37
commensurate
proportionate; more quantitative than analogous
'Managers saw commensurate fall in their revenue.'
38
enervate
to deprive in strength or vitality; debilitate
It's crushed leaves and stem are used to enervate bees while gathering honey.'
39
ennui
feeling of being tired, bored or dissatisfied
'A brief surge of pure joy was quickly supplanted by his more usual ennui.'
40
equivocate (n); equivocal (adj)
deliberately use vague in order to deceive people or avoid speaking the truth; to evade
'Hoping he did not mean what I feared he meant, I attempted to equivocate'
41
exculpate
to exonerate; clear of blame
'The court exculpated him after two years of unjust imprisonment.'
42
exigent
urgent or pressing
'He rushed up here and searched the house without a warrant because he had established exigent circumstances.'
43
filibuster
a long slow speech made up to use time so that a vote cannot be taken and a law cannot be passed.
'The senator has threatened a filibuster to block the bill.'
44
fulminate
criticize angrily; loudly attack or denounce
'They all fulminated against the new curriculum.'
45
ingenuous
naive; frank; honest; straight forward
46
ingenuous vs innocent
1. both describe lack of malice or deceit
2. ingenuous emphasizes on honesty and sincerity (positive connotation)
3. innocence emphasizes lack of guilt or harm (neutral or negative connotation.
47
ingenuous vs ingenious
1. describe something that shows childlike innocence & candidness.
2. describes people who are unusually inventive or clever.
48
artless
naive
49
lucid
clear and easy to understand.
'He wasn't very lucid, he didn't quite know where he was.'
50
magnanimity
kindness and generosity towards someone especially after defeating them or being treated badly by them.
'The father of one victim spoke with remarkable magnanimity.'
51
nebulous
vague, cloudy; not clearly defined
'Can such as mysterious, nebulous concept as innovation be taught ?
52
intransigence
refusal to behave differently or to change their attitude to something
'Our efforts at compromise have instead been met with a brick wall of intransigence.
53
comportment
demeanor; the way one carries themselves
'They are reserved in their comportment as well as their appearance.
54
balk
resist
'Even biology undergraduates balk at animal experiments.'
55
pragmatic
practical; sensible
'Robbin took a pragmatic look at situation'
56
ineluctable
something that cannot be stopped, escaped or ignored; inevitable
'Learning the English language becomes an ineluctable imperative in the 21st century.'
57
invidious
1) unpleasant; causing resentment
2) unfair
'invidious task'
'invidious comparison'
58
plangent
something resonant or resounding
'A plangent victory.'
59
antediluvian
old or old fashioned
'As far as he was concerned all animal products were organic - an attitude that Nadia found hopelessly antediluvian.'
60
Pedantic
Someone who is too concerned with unimportant details or traditional rules, especially in connection with academic subjects.
‘He was so pedantic and uninteresting.’
61
Pusillanimous
Showing a lack of courage or determination, timid
62
Jejune
Simple; silly; dull
“They were of great service in correcting my jejune generalisations.”
63
Acrimonious
Angry or bitter, typically of speech or discussion
“An acrimonious dispute about wages.”
64
Benignant
1- Kindly or gracious; sometimes in a patronizing way
2- benign
65
Astute
Intelligent; bright; sharp
“ She offers many snippets of keen and astute observation.”
66
Intractable
Very difficult to control or influence
“The economy still faces intractable problems.”
67
Predilection
Having a strong liking for something
“His predilection to fast cars and fast horses.”
68
Decorous
Behave in a respectable, calm and polite manner
“He sipped his drink decorously.”
69
Inveterate
Deep rooted; entrenched; ingrained
“an inveterate gambler”
70
Timorous
Timid; nervous; shy
“He is a reclusive, timorous creature.”
71
Cowed
Intimated and frightened
“His face was white and he looked about him with cowed, angry eyes.”
72
Turgid (3)
1- swollen and distended
“The first half was a turgid, disjointed affair.”
2- bombastic, pompous; grandiloquent
3- too serious and difficult to understand
“ He used to make terribly dull, turgid and frankly awful speeches.”
73
Interdict
Prohibit; ban
“ Troops could be ferried in, to interdict the drug shipments.”
74
Expurgate
Censor; cut; clean up
“He heavily expurgated the work in it’s second edition.”
75
Denizen
A person, animal or plant that lives or is found in a particular place.
“denizens of field and forest.”
76
Lachrymose
Inducing tears; sad
“ a lachrymose children’s classic”
77
Harangue
To speak to someone or a group of people, often for a long time in a forceful and sometimes angry way, especially to persuade them.
“A drunk in the station was haranguing passers-by.”
78
Esoteric
Intended for of likely to be understood only by a small number of people with a specific knowledge or interest
79
Polemical
A piece of writing or speech strongly attacking or defending a particular opinion, person, idea or set of beliefs.
80
Concomitant
Naturally accompanying or associated
“ She loved travel, with all its concomitant worries.”
“ He sought promotion without the necessary concomitant of hard work.”
81
Didactic
Same as pedantic
Instructional; intended to teach, especially in a way that is too determined or eager, and often fixed and unwilling to change.
“ a didactic approach to teaching”
82
Ambivalent
Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone
“ Some loved her, some hated her, few were ambivalent about her.”
83
Neologism
A new word or expression in a language; or new meaning for an existing word or expression
“ The newspaper used the neologism-DINKS- Dual Income No Kids.”
84
Noxious
Harmful; injurious; unpleasant
“Many household products give off noxious fumes.”
85
Obtuse (2)
1- lacking sharpness of intellect
“I have been waiting for you to ask me about it yourself, but you were being so obtuse and slow about it.”
2- not clear or precise in thought or expression
86
Obviate
To anticipate and make unnecessary
“The use of a lawyer trained as a mediator would obviate the need for legal advice.”
87
Onerous
Troubling; hard; taxing; demanding
“Parents who have the onerous task of bringing up a very difficult child.”
88
Paean
A song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving; an ode to; a tribute
“Here is an unashamed paean of praise for the world’s most successful nation.”
89
Perfidy / perfidious
Intentional breach of faith; treachery
“When people have wronged someone, they often hate them for reminding them, by their presence, of their own perfidy.”
90
Perfunctory
Offhand; routine; done without care or interest
“She gave the list inly a perfunctory glance.”
91
Perspicacious
Acutely perceptive; sharp judgement
“The perspicacious fireman quickly detected the cause of the fire.”
92
Prattle
Talking a lot without saying anything important
“ Lou prattled on about various trivialities, till I wanted to scream.”
93
Precipitate
(Verb) to cause or happen before anticipated or required
“The killings in Vinius have precipitated the worst crisis yet.”
(Adj) act with excessive haste or impulse
“ I don’t think we should make precipitate decision.”
94
Prevaricate
Beat around the bush
Same as equivocate
Evade; lie; shift
“She saw no reason to prevaricate.”
95
Recant
To retract a previously held belief
“A man who refused after torture to recant his heresy.”
96
Consummate
A perfect example of something
“a consummate liar”
97
Relegate
Demote; Degrade
“Military hero’s are relegated to the status of ordinary citizens.”
98
Reticent
Taciturn
Reserved; quite
“She is so reticent about her achievements.”
99
Solicitous
Concerned, caring, attentive
“He was so solicitous of his guests.”
100
Sordid
Dirty; sleazy; immoral
“He sat with his head on his hand while his sordid double life was unravelled.”
101
Sporadic
Occasional; Intermittent
“She claims she had a sporadic contact with her alleged father.”
102
Squander
Waste; spend irresponsibly
“Hobbs didn’t squander his money on flashy cars or other vices.”
103
Tortuous
Winding; twisting; excessively complicated
“A tortuous mountain route.”
“Long and tortuous negotiations are aimed at ending conflicts.”
104
Truculent
Eager or quick to argue or fight
Bad tempered; aggressive; hostile
“What do you want ? She asked with her usual truculence.”
105
Veracity
Truthfulness; credibility
“We have a total confidence in the veracity of our research.”
106
Virulent
Vicious; vindictive; hostile; deadly; lethal
“Now he faces virulent attack from the Italian media.”
107
Voracious
Having an insatiable appetite for something.
“A voracious reader.”
108
Stymie
Hands are tied
If you are stymied by something, you find it very difficult to take action or to continue what you are doing.
“Companies have been stymied by the length of time it takes to reach an agreement.”
109
Abate
To lessen in intensity or degree
“The storms abated by the time they rounded cape horn.”
110
Adulation
Admiration
Excessive praise; intense adoration
“The book was received with adulation by the public.”
111
Ameliorate
Alleviate
To make better or more tolerable.
“He expected me to do something to ameliorate the depression.”
112
Ascetic
One who practices rigid self denial especially as an act of religious devotion.
“He left the luxuries of the court for the life of an ascetic.”
113
Avarice
Greed; strong desire for money and possessions
“He paid a month’s rent in advance, just enough to satisfy the landlords avarice.”
114
Burgeon
Grow rapidly or flourish
“Plants burgeon from every available space.”
115
Bucolic
Relating to the countryside
“The anxiety and intensity jarred with the bucolic riverside setting.”
116
Cacophony
A loud unpleasant mixture of sounds.
“The cacophonous beat of pop music”
117
Canon
A established set of principles or code of law, often religious in nature.
“A canon of established literary texts.”
118
Castigation
Severe criticism or punishment.
“Max never missed an opportunity to castigate colonialism.”
119
Caustic
1. Burning or stinging; causing corrosion
2. Caustic remark - extremely cruel, critical or bitter
“His abrasive wit and caustic comments were an interviewer’s nightmare.”
120
Chary
Wary or cautious
“I am chary of making too many idiotic mistakes.”
121
Cogent
Something strong and convincing
“Every decision has to be backed up by rational and cogent arguments.”
122
Complaisance vs complacence
1. Solicitous; Accommodating, obliging, willingly to please others
2. State of being self satisfied and content to the point of being unaware of the need of change.
123
Contrite
Regretful; sorry
“She was instantly contrite, “oh! I am sorry, please forgive me.”
124
Culpable
Deserving blame
Their decision to do nothing, makes them culpable.
125
Dearth
Scarcity or lack of something
“The dearth of information only adds to the distress.”
126
Demur
To object or refuse
“The doctor demurred but the patient was persistent.”
127
Dogmatic
Expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or unprovable principles.
“Bennet wanted this list of book to be imposed dogmatically on the nation’s universities.”
128
Ebullience
Same as alacrity
High spirits; lively or enthusiastic
“His voice was low, missing its usual ebullience.”
129
Eclectic
Diverse; varied; board
“An eclectic mix”
130
Elegy vs euology
1. A mournful poem, lamenting the death
2. A tribute that praises the life and achievements or someone who died
131
Emollient
A cream or liquid one applies on the skin to make it softer and reduce the pain.
132
Empirical
Based on observations or experiments.
133
Enigma/ Enigmatic
Mysterious and difficult to understand
“She is starred in one of the wells most enigmatic films.”
134
Ephemeral
Short lived; fleeting
“He talked about the country’s ephemeral unity shattered by the defeat.
135
Facetious
If someone is being facetious, they are making humorous remarks in a situation where they ought to be serious.
136
Furtive
Sly; secretive; wanting to keep something hidden
With a furtive glance over her shoulder, she unlocked the door and entered into the house.
137
Gregarious
Outgoing; friendly
“From a relatively quiet upbringing, an extraordinarily gregarious and confident person emerged.”
138
Heretical
Violating accepted dogma or convention.
“I made the then heretical suggestions it might be cheaper to design new machines.”
139
Hyperbole
Exaggeration, hype
“- the hyperbole that portrays one of the greatest visionaries in the world.”
140
Impecunious
Poor, broke; lacking funds
“They provide access to justice for the impecunious claimant with a valid claim.”
141
Incipient
Initial; nascent
Beginning; starting; developing
“- an incipient economy recovery”
142
Innocuous
Harmless; causing no damage
“Both mushrooms looks innocuous but are in fact deadly.”
143
Inveigle
To obtain by deception or flattery
“She inveigles Paco into a plot to swindle Tania out of her savings.”
144
Odious
Evoking intense aversion or dislike
“The judge described the crime as odious.”
145
Penury/ Penurious
Lacking money or means
“The lands of Abbey had shrunken and chipped away over the years by penurious owners.”
146
Pernicious
Extremely harmful in a way that is not very apparent
“Parents are blaming not only peer pressure but also the pernicious influence of the internet.”
147
Peruse
Examine with great care.
“We perused the company’s financial statements over the last five years.”
148
Precursor
One that precedes and indicate another.
“He said that the deal should not be seen as a precursor to mergers.”
149
Preen
To dress-up; to groom oneself with elaborate care.
“Birds preen their feathers everyday.”
150
Putrefy
To rot/decay; giving off a fowl smell
“The meat in all of the open flasks putrefied.”
151
Quaff
Drink a lot in a short time.
“He quaffed many a glass of vintage champagne in his time.”
152
Redoubtable
Formidable; worthy of honour
“He is a redoubtable fighter.”
153
Satire
“A literary work that ridicules or criticises a human vice through humour.”
154
Squalid
Wretched and dirty from neglect.
“The early industrial were squalid and unhealthy places.”
155
Supplant
Supersede; replace; oust
“He may be supplanted by a younger man.”
156
Torpid / torpor
Inactive; lazy ; sluggish; languid
Here, even the air was torpid, heavy with sediment, thickened with sludge.
157
Ubiquitous
Ever present; all over; widespread
Sugar is ubiquitous in the diet.
158
Urbane
Sophisticated; cultured; polished; civil
In conversation, he was suave and urbane.
159
Vilify
Defame; criticise harshly
His lawyer was vilified for representing him.
160
Apportion
To distribute or allocate proportionally
“Both defeats could have been apportioned to immaturity
161
Hysteria
Unmanageable fear or outburst of emotion.
“A shock can spark off a wave of hysteria.”
162
Dementia
It is a term used to describe a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities.
163
Depredate
to plunder or destroy; pillage
Many types of predators depredate bird nests.
164
Stigmatized
shamed, disgraced, humiliated, discredited
“It is stigmatised illness.”
165
Autodidact
a person who is self-taught
All architects must be autodidacts to keep up to date with new standards, new regulations, or new methods.
166
Recidivists
someone who has committed crimes in the past and has begun to commit crimes again, for example after a period in prison.
Six prisoners are still at large along with four dangerous recidivists.
167
Libertines
Womaniser, seducer
As a reaction against his strict upbringing as a youth he adopted a libertine lifestyle.
168
myrmidon
a follower or henchman; someone who does whatever his leader says
Under the watchful eye of their superior military leader, every myrmidon followed his first request.
169
Presage
Precursor
If something presages a situation or event, it is considered to be a warning or sign of what is about to happen.
...the dawn's loud chorus that seemed to presage a bright hot summer's day.
170
Deified
To worship them; idealise; exalt someone in a extreme manner
“At the end, she deified them.”
171
Ruminate
Ponder
Think deeply about something.
“We often ruminate about our life at midnight”
172
Defer
Postpone; delay
I'm not going to defer decisions just because they are not immediately politically popular.
173
Inform **
To give substance, character or distinction to; influence
If a situation or activity is informed by an idea or a quality, that idea or quality is very noticeable in it.
All great songs are informed by a certain sadness and tension.
174
Contortion
a twisted or bent condition, state, or form.
“their facial contortions are hilarious"
“Ethical contortion”
175
Archaically
Extremely old or old fashioned
Archaic practices such as these are usually put forward by people of limited outlook.
176
Deftly
Skillful and quickly
With a deft flick of his foot, Mr Worth tripped one of the raiders up.
177
Unbeknownst
If something happens unbeknownst to you or unbeknown to you, you do not know about it.
I am appalled that children can mount up debts unbeknownst to their parents.
178
Probity
the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency.
“They should always behave with probity and integrity.”
179
Consanguineous
having the same ancestor; closely related
Consanguineous marriages are not new; ask our own royal family.
180
Deluge
a severe flood.
“this may be the worst deluge in living memory"
181
Tremulous
Trembling
If someone's voice, smile, or actions are tremulous, they are unsteady because the person is uncertain, afraid, or upset.
She fidgeted in her chair as she took a deep, tremulous breath.
182
Unconscionable
Not right or reasonable.
“I apologise for having taken such an unconscionable time in doing so.”
183
Coltish
energetic but awkward in one's movements or behaviour.
"long, lean, coltish women"
184
Scrupulous
careful, thorough, and extremely attentive to details; honest
"the research has been carried out with scrupulous attention to detail"
185
Beguiled/ Enamoured
Charm, please, attract
We are beguiled by the country's beauty and its magnificent cultural past.
186
Preposterous
contrary to reason or common sense; utterly absurd or ridiculous.
“A preposterous suggestion.”
187
Sentries
a soldier who guards a camp or a building.
Aren't you supposed to be on sentry duty?
188
Sycophants
yes man, toady, slave
…a dictator surrounded by sycophants, frightened to tell him what he may not like.
189
Pithy
1. (of a fruit or plant) containing much pith.
2. terse, succinct
“his characteristically pithy comments"
190
Insidious
proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects.
"sexual harassment is a serious and insidious problem"
191
Fecund
Fertile
The pampas are still among the most fecund lands in the world.
192
Efficacious
Effective
The nasal spray was new on the market and highly efficacious.
193
Imperious
Arrogant and domineering
- his imperious demands
194
Harbingers
Sign, indication
The November air stung my cheeks, a harbinger of winter.
195
Forebears
Ancestors
I'll come back to the land of my forebears.
196
Omnipotent
Almighty, supreme, invincible
Doug lived in the shadow of his seemingly omnipotent father.
197
Addled / addlepated
Riddled.
Unable to think clearly; confused
"this might just be my addled brain playing tricks"
198
Acerbic
1. sharp and forthright.
“His acerbic wit”
2. Tasting sour or bitter
199
Herald
Indicate, promise, precede
Their discovery could herald a cure for some forms of impotence.
200
Doyenne (feminine form)
the oldest, most experienced and skilled
201
Misanthropy
A general dislike of people, Cynicism, scepticism
The power of misanthropy in our culture is underrated.
202
Desuetude
the condition of not being in use or practice; disuse; discontinuance from use or exercise
those ceremonies had fallen into desuetude
203
Debauchment
Corrupt, destroy and debase the moral purity of
There is no more certain way of creating such a crisis than by debauching the currency.
204
Lackadaisical
lacking enthusiasm and determination
“taking a lackadaisical approach can jeopardize the success of a project"
205
Puissant
Having great power or influence
The king introduced some of his most significant reforms as an advertisement of his own ever more puissant authority.
206
Restive
impatient, bored, or dissatisfied
The audience grew restive.
207
Blithe
Heedless, casual , reckless
It does so with blithe disregard for best scientific practice.
208
Serendipity
the fact of finding interesting or valuable things by chance.
“Sometimes we stay in luxurious hotels, but often we'll take a chance on serendipity and go somewhere simple.
209
Sanguine
If you are sanguine about something, you are cheerful and confident that things will happen in the way you want them to.
He's remarkably sanguine about the problems involved.
210
High- handed
Dictatorial, domineering
He wants to be seen as less bossy and high-handed.
211
Salubrious
Pleasant and Healthy
...your salubrious lochside hotel.
212
Peccadilloes
small, unimportant sins or faults; misdeeds; errors
People are prepared to be tolerant of extra-marital peccadilloes by public figures.
213
Incendiary
Inflammatory, provocative
Five incendiary devices were found in her house.
214
Potable
Safe to drink
215
Risible
Ridiculous, laughable
This is why the failure tag is so risible.
216
Vicissitude
a favorable or unfavorable event or situation that occurs by chance; ups and downs; ordeal; misfortune
“The vicissitudes of life strike us all.”
217
Cursory
Brief, passing, rapid, perfunctory
Burke cast a cursory glance at the menu, then flapped it shut.
218
Akimbo
with hands on the hips and elbows turned outwards; flung out widely or haphazardly.
"he collapsed on the bed, legs akimbo"
219
Arch**
1. Principle or chief; extreme
Arch rival, archbishop ; archconservative
2. marked by a deliberate and often forced playfulness, irony, or impudence.
"known for her arch comments"
220
Abreast
Up to date
alongside or level with something.
"the path was wide enough for two people to walk abreast"
221
Banal
Unoriginal, ordinary
Bland, banal music tinkled discreetly from hidden loudspeakers.
222
Subservient
prepared to obey others unquestioningly
“she was subservient to her parents"
223
Verdant
Green, lush, leafy
...a small verdant garden with a view out over Paris.
224
Deposed
Oust, overthrow
Mr Ben Bella was deposed in a coup in 1965.
225
Askance
with an attitude or look of suspicion or disapproval; doubtful
“Many critics have looked askance at the proposal.”
226
Facile
Simplistic, effortless
This subject is admittedly too complex for facile summarization.
227
Amicable
Friendly, kindly, civil
The meeting ended on reasonably amicable terms.
228
Dulcet
Sweet, pleasing, musical, charming
Quickly, in her dulcet voice, Tamara told him what had happened.
229
Doctrinaire
If you say that someone is doctrinaire or has a doctrinaire attitude, you disapprove of them because they have fixed principles which they try to force on other people.
He is firm but not doctrinaire.
230
Convivial
Sociable, friendly, lively
The atmosphere was quite convivial.
231
Modish
Fashionable, current, smart
...modish young women from London society.
232
Motley
Miscellaneous, mixed, varied
...a motley collection of vans, old buses, cattle-trucks, and even a fire engine.
233
Variegated
Consisting of many different parts or types; divided
The leaves are a variegated red.
234
Infidelity
Unfaithfulness, cheating, adultery
George ignored his partner's infidelities.
235
Bereaved
Mourning, suffering, grieving
Mr Dinkins visited the bereaved family to offer comfort.
236
Mirth
Merriment, amusement, fun
That caused considerable mirth amongst pupils and sports masters alike.
237
Deification
If you talk about the deification of someone or something, you mean that they are regarded with very great respect and are not criticized at all.
238
Excoriate
Criticise severely in public
He proceeded to excoriate me in front of the nurses.
239
Calumnies
the malicious utterance of false charges or misrepresentation; slander; defamation
The 'arguments' comprise bogus demographics, calumnies against the victims, xenophobia and fabrication.
240
Obloquies/ obloquy
defamatory or censorious statements
Obloquy still pursued him, and more than once he contemplated legal proceedings against his detractors.
241
Artifices
clever use of tricks and devices.
Weegee's photographs are full of artfulness, and artifice.
242
Parsimony
Frugality, penny- pinching
Due to official parsimony, only the one machine was built.
243
Pulchritude
Physical beauty
The self-confidence, pulchritude and sheer numbers of the females on display left me breathless.
244
Minutiae
Small, precise or trivial details of something
Much of his early work is concerned with the minutiae of rural life.
245
Lofty
Noble, grand, distinguished
Amid the chaos, he had lofty aims.
246
Enthralled
Fascinated
247
Quixotic
Unrealistic, idealistic, romantic
He has always lived his life by a hopelessly quixotic code of honour.
248
Apologist
Who speaks or write in defence of something or someone controversial.
“critics said he was an apologist for colonialism”
249
Lackey
a servant
“lackeys were waiting to help them from the carriage"
250
Lulled
Respite, pause, quite, silence
There was a lull in political violence after the election of the current president.
251
Whitewash
Conceal; to make something bad seem acceptable by hiding the truth.
“the opposition called the report ‘a whitewash’"
252
Lacunae
An unfilled space or gap; flaw
That said, there are clear lacunae in the programme set out so far.
253
Taciturn
reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.
"after such gatherings she would be taciturn and morose"
254
Profligate
Same as squander
1. Someone who is profligate spends too much money or uses too much of something.
2. Behaving in a way that is bad or morally wrong.
...the most profligate consumer of energy in the world.
255
Dissolute
overindulging in sensual pleasures.
"unfortunately, his heir was feckless and dissolute"
256
Dumbfounded
greatly astonished or amazed.
“he was utterly dumbfounded"
257
Seraphs
a kind of angel
These particular angels were called seraphs.
258
Mores
customs and habits of a particular place or group.
...the accepted mores of British society.
259
Turbid
cloudy, opaque, or thick with suspended matter.
"the turbid estuary"
260
Tepid
only slightly warm; lukewarm.
261
Virtue
behaviour showing high moral standards.
262
Ethicist
An ethicist is a person who specializes in ethics.
263
Utilitarian
designed to be useful or practical rather than attractive.
"a utilitarian building"
264
Prejudice
an unfair feeling of dislike for a person or group because of race, sex, religion, etc
“She criticized the government for trying to whip up anti-German prejudice.”
265
Guise
an external form, appearance, or manner of presentation, typically concealing the true nature of something.
"he visited in the guise of an inspector"
266
Emblematic
serving as a symbol of a particular quality or concept; representation
"this case is emblematic of a larger problem"
267
Grandiloquent
pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner, especially in a way that is intended to impress.
"a grandiloquent celebration of Spanish glory"
268
Posit
put forward as fact or as a basis for argument.
"the Confucian view posits a perfectible human nature"
269
Cajole
to do something by sustained coaxing or flattery.
"he hoped to cajole her into selling the ho
270
Warily
cautiously; carefully.
271
Mendaciously
Habitual liar
telling lies, especially habitually; dishonest; lying; untruthful
“Instead of giving me another mendacious story, just be honest for once.”
272
Roundly
In a vehement or emphatic manner; strongly and clearly
"the latest attacks have been roundly condemned by campaigners for peace"
273
Panned
criticize severely.
"the movie was panned by the critics"
274
Venerated
Regard with great respect
"Philip of Beverley was venerated as a saint"
275
Brusque
Terse and abrupt
276
Inundated
overwhelm (someone) with things or people to be dealt with.
"we've been inundated with complaints from listeners"
277
Catharsis
the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.
"music is a means of catharsis for them"
278
Coda
a concluding part of a literary or dramatic work.
279
Anachronistically
the action of attributing something to a period to which it does not belong.
280
Simpatico
agreeable, likeable; being on the same wavelength
“Still, I felt a small tug of pride that I had spent so many hours with this powerful and wealthy man, and had been told we were simpatico.”
281
Providential
occurring at a favourable time; opportune.
“We had made a providential escape.”
282
Effusive
showing or expressing gratitude
“They offered effusive thanks for our help.”
283
Maudlin
highly sentimental.
"a maudlin jukebox tune"
284
Syncopated
a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of rhythm
having a rhythm in which strong notes are not on the beat.
“They were playing syncopated things that were meshing with the snare drum.”
285
Amortised
reduce or pay off (a debt) with regular payments.
"eighty percent of the proceeds has been used to amortize the public debt"
286
Platitude
a remark or statement that may be true but is boring and has no meaning because it has been said so many times before.
"he masks his disdain for her with platitudes about how she should believe in herself more"
287
Paradigms
a very clear or typical example used as a model
“His ruthless accumulation of wealth stands as a paradigm of greed in the business world.”
288
Quagmire (2)
1. कीचड़
2. A sticky situation; an awkward, complex, or hazardous situation; swamp
"torrential rain turned the building site into a quagmire"
289
Nepenthe
a drug used as a means of forgetting grief or trouble
A cure all
290
benevolence
the quality of being well meaning; kindness.
"The company has a record of benevolence to good causes."
291
precocity
Mature for their age
exceptionally early or premature development.
"For all his precocity, he still has a lot of growing up to do."
292
ignobility
1. dishonorable; base; despicable
2. of low birth or origins; humble; common
3. of low quality; inferior
"an ignoble episode from their country's past."
293
antipathy
Hostility; aversion
"a deep antipathy between the groups."
294
prepossess (2)
1. to preoccupy or engross mentally.
2. to influence in advance for or against a person or thing; prejudice; bias.
"His countenance wore a reckless look that did not serve to prepossess him with the people at whose mercy he stood."
295
pervasive
Lingering ubiquitous
spread throughout so thoroughly as to be seen or felt everywhere.
"there was a pervasive smell of cooking in the entrance hall"
296
fiasco/ debacle
a complete failure, especially a ludicrous or humiliating one.
"his plans turned into a fiasco"
297
florid
1. having a red or flushed complexion.
"a stout man with a florid face"
2. excessively intricate or elaborate
"a florid, baroque building"
298
inept
Lacking the skills; clumsy
"He is inept at mechanical tasks."
299
maladroit
inefficient; inept
300
physiognomy
a person's facial features or expression, especially when regarded as indicative of character or ethnic origin.
301
choleric
bad-tempered or irritable.
"he was a choleric, self-important little man"
302
humor
a mood or state of mind.
"her good humor vanished"
303
Ignominious
Shameful; making you feel embarrassed
The team was ignominiously disbanded.
304
Peddle
1. to go from place to place selling something
2. to illegally sell stolen goods or drugs
3. to spread an idea in order to get people to accept it
305
Steward
a person who helps to organize a large public event, for example a race
306
Upend
Turn something upside down
He upended the can, and swallowed.
307
Husband
Conserve, budget
Husbanding precious resources was part of rural life
308
Galley (3)
1. Drafts of a book about to be published ( proof his own galleys)
2. A type of ship
3. The kitchen in a ship
The galley kitchen is a bit cramped.
309
Vacillating
Ambivalent/ Indecisive
She said nothing for a moment -- vacillating perhaps -- then she shook her head.
310
Fallacy
A fallacy is an idea which many people believe to be true, but which is in fact false because it is based on incorrect information or reasoning.
It's a fallacy that the affluent give relatively more to charity than the less prosperous.
311
Indefatigable
very determined and does not give up easily.
She is very tenacious and will work hard and long to achieve objectives.
312
Dialectical
To come to a common consensus disputation or debate, esp intended to resolve differences between two views rather than to establish one of them as true
Examples of dialectics-
“I want to be loud and you need me to be quiet”
“Things are very different now from a year ago and every day feels the same”
313
Altruism
Selflessness, charity
Taking all this trouble to build such a sympathetic environment was not done out of pure altruism but to improve the organisation.
314
Ombudsman
An official who investigates complaints against businesses and public entities.
The insurance company's ombudsman was able to resolve the problem.
315
Lobbyist
A lobbyist is someone who tries actively to persuade a government or council that a particular law should be changed or that a particular thing should be done.
Neither officials nor lobbyists can reduce that uncertainty
316
Philippic
a bitter rant against someone or something
impassioned philippic condemning your parents' midnight curfew rule only resulted in you being grounded for a week.
317
Tirade/ diatribe
A tirade is a long angry speech in which someone criticizes a person or thing.
She launched into a tirade against the policies that ruined her business.
318
Panacea
A cure-all
The proposal is not a panacea for Britain's economic problems
319
Flagging
weakening or drooping
- flagging economy
320
Lissome/ lithe
Supple, agile, flexible
The lissome blonde has been flitting through the gossip columns for three decades.
321
Paucity
Scarcity, lack of
Even the film's impressive finale can't hide the first hour's paucity of imagination.
322
Olio
1. a dish of many different ingredients
2. a miscellany or potpourri
323
Mélange
Mixture, assortment
..a wonderful melange of flavours.
324
Pilfering
Steal, rob
Staff were pilfering behind the bar.
325
Bald
Plain, direct, simple, blatant
The bald truth is he's just not happy.
326
Tacit
Implicit; Implied; understood
The question was a tacit admission that a mistake had indeed been made
327
Overt
Open, obvious, plain
Although there is no overt hostility, Black and White students do not mix much.
328
Priggish
Self- righteous, smug
The clergyman looked priggish in his efforts not to do so
329
Impious
a lack of respect for religious things; sacrilegious; irreverent
At any moment, he thought, he would be recognized as an outsider, an impious interloper with no business here.
330
Punctillious
Particular, careful, strict, exact
He was punctilious about being ready and waiting in the entrance hall exactly on time
331
Equable
Even tempered, calm, composed
He was a man of the most equable temper.
332
Bootless
of little or no use; vain; fruitless
a bootless search
333
Feckless
Irresponsible, useless, hopeless
He regarded the young man as feckless and irresponsible.
334
Amalgamate/ amalgamation
Merge; To combine several elements into a whole
The firm has amalgamated with an American company.
335
Aver
To state as a fact
He avers that chaos will erupt if he loses.
336
Bolster
Boost; To provide support and reinforcement
...a number of measures intended to bolster morale
337
Diatribe
Harshly denounce
The book is a diatribe against the academic left.
338
Dissemble
To disguise or conceal; bluff
Henry was not slow to dissemble when it served his purposes.
339
Endemic
Localised epidemic
characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region,
or people
Polio was then endemic among children my age.
340
Evanescent
Ephemeral
Tending to disappear like vapour
...the evanescent scents of summer herbs.
341
Exacerbate
To make worse or more severe
Longstanding poverty has been exacerbated by racial divisions.
342
Fervent/ fervor
Enthusiasm
greatly emotional or zealous
She’s a fervent believer in women’s rights
343
Fortuitous
Happening by accident or chance
Their success is the result of a fortuitous combination of circumstances.
344
Germane
relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter
...the suppression of a number of documents which were very germane to the case.
345
Hackneyed
Clichéd; no longer likely to interest, amuse, or affect people because it has been used, seen, or heard many times before.
Power corrupts and absolute power absolutely corrupts. That's the old hackneyed phrase, but it's true.
346
Halcyon
Calm and peaceful
It was all a far cry from those halcyon days in 1990, when he won three tournaments on the European tour.
347
Hegemony
Domination; the consistent dominance of one state or group over others
The apparent hegemony of any political party is always largely illusory.
348
Iconoclast
Rebel; radical; one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions
They often identify as outsiders, as iconoclasts, as someone who doesn't quite fit.
349
Idolatrous/ idolatry
having or showing excessive admiration or devotion
He has called capitalism 'an economy of exclusion by an idolatrous system of money'.
350
Impassive
Revealing no emotion
She continued examining the documents with an impassive face.
351
Imperturbable
Calm and cool
Thomas, of course, was cool and aloof and imperturbable
352
Implacable
Intransigent
not capable of being appeased or significantly changed
...the threat of invasion by a ruthless and implacable enemy
353
Impunity
Immunity from punishment or penalty
Experts said that fraudsters were acting with virtual impunity.
354
Inchoate
1) recent or new
2) vague or not yet properly developed
His dreams were senseless and inchoate.
355
Infelicitous
Unfortunate
The style is engaging, but the choice of words is sometimes infelicitous.
356
Gird
1) prepare oneself for something difficult or challenging.
"they are girding themselves for the upcoming court case"
2) encircle
“a young man was to be girded with the belt of knighthood"
357
Acumen
keen, accurate judgement or insight
"she hides a shrewd business acumen"
358
insipid
lacking in quality that interest, stimulate, or challenge
"many artists continued to churn out insipid, shallow works"
359
loquacious
extremely talkative
"The normally loquacious Mr. O'Reilly has said little."
360
obdurate
intransigence
unyielding, hardhearted; intractable (stubborn)
"I argued this point with him, but he was obdurate"
361
obsequious/ingratiating/unctuous
Chamchagiri
Exaggerated flattery or admiration
exhibiting a fawning attentiveness
"they were served by obsequious waiters"
362
Impassive vs passive
Impassive- lack of emotion
Passive - lack of action
363
occlude
to obstruct or to block
"thick make-up can occlude the pores"
364
opprobrium
disgrace; contempt; scorn; criticize
"the critical opprobrium generated by his films"
365
pedagogy
the profession or principles of teaching or instructing
"this was a new approach to pedagogy"
366
pine
to yearn intensely; to languish; to lose vigor
367
profuse
given or coming forth abundantly; extravagant
"a profuse harvest."
368
querulous
prone to complaining or grumbling; peevish
"she became querulous and demanding"
369
rancorous/rancor
characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment
"sixteen miserable months of rancorous disputes"
370
recalcitrant
obstinately defiant of authority; difficult to manage
"a class of recalcitrant fifteen-year-olds"
371
repudiate
to refuse to have anything to do with; to disown
"she has repudiated policies associated with previous party leaders"
372
rescind
to invalidate; to repeal; to retract
"Union leaders have demanded the government rescind the price rise."
373
rhetoric vs rhetorical question
1. the art or study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion
2. If you ask a rhetorical question it means you don't necessarily expect an answer
374
specious
seeming true, but actually being fallacious; misleading attractive; plausible but false
"a specious argument"
375
spurious
lacking authenticity or validity; false; counterfeit
"separating authentic and spurious claims"
376
subpoena
a court order requiring appearance and/or testimony
"a subpoena may be issued to compel their attendance"
377
superfluous
exceeding what is sufficient or necessary
"the purchaser should avoid asking for superfluous information"
378
surfeit
an overabundant supply; excess; to feed or supply to excess
"a surfeit of food and drink"
379
tenuous
having little substance or strength; flimsy; weak
"A person with a tenuous hold on his sanity should be watched carefully.”
380
aggrandize
to increase in intensity, power, influence, or prestige
"an action intended to aggrandize the Frankish dynasty"
381
amendable
agreeable; responsive to suggestion; capable of being corrected by additions.
“an amendable flaw”
382
astringent
having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe.
"an astringent skin lotion"
383
contiguous
sharing a border; touching; adjacent
"The bruising was not contiguous to the wound."
384
derision/derisive(adj.)/deride(verb)
scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment
"my stories were greeted with derision and disbelief"
385
desiccate
to dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull
"both the older growth and the new vegetation were desiccated by months of relentless sun"
386
dilettante
one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge
387
disparage
to slight or belittle
"he never missed an opportunity to disparage his competitors"
388
divulge
to disclose something secret.
"I do not want to divulge my plans at the moment"
389
flout
Openly disregard
to refuse to obey or accept something
"the advertising code is being flouted"
390
garrulous
pointlessly talkative.
"a garrulous cab driver"
391
glib
marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial
‘A glib salesman’
392
imminent
about to happen; impending
"A strike is imminent."
393
immutable
not capable to change
"an immutable fact"
394
impetuous
hastily or rashly energetic
"she might live to rue this impetuous decision"
(rue - regret)
395
inimical
damaging; harmful; injurious
"the policy was inimical to Britain's real interests"
396
intrepid
steadfast and courageous
"An intrepid person acts in a brave way."
397
laconic
using few words; terse
"his laconic reply suggested a lack of interest in the topic"
398
mercurial/capricious
characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood
"his mercurial temperament"
399
mollify
to calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity
"nature reserves were set up around the power stations to mollify local conservationists"
400
neophyte
a recent convert; a beginner; a novice
"four-day cooking classes are offered to neophytes and experts"
401
obfuscate
to deliberately obscure; to make confusing
"the spelling changes will deform some familiar words and obfuscate their etymological origins"
402
proclivity/propensity/penchant
a natural predisposition or inclination
"a proclivity for hard work"
403
prosaic
Unimaginative
dull; lacking in spirit or imagination
“prosaic language can't convey the experience"
404
quotidian
occurring or recurring daily; commonplace
"the car sped noisily off through the quotidian traffic"
405
recondite/abstruse
hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure
"the book is full of recondite information"
406
refulgent
radiant; shiny; brilliant
"refulgent blue eyes"
407
renege
to fail to honor a commitment; to go back on a promise
"they have reneged on their promises to us"
408
sedulous
diligent; persistent; hardworking
"a sedulous student"
409
soporific
causing drowsiness
"the motion of the train had a somewhat soporific effect"
410
trenchant
sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating
"a trenchant view of current conditions"
411
unfeigned
genuine; not false or hypocritical
"a broad smile of unfeigned delight"
412
untenable
indefensible
"this argument is clearly untenable"
413
vexation
Frustration
annoyance; irritation
"Jenna bit her lip in vexation"
414
vituperate
to use harsh condemnatory language; to abuse
"While the buyers are apt to vituperate the workmen, in too many cases they are the culprits."
415
Indictment
A formal charge or accusation of a serious crime.
"an indictment for conspiracy"
416
Taciturn
Reticent; quiescent
