Words of the Day Flashcards
(58 cards)
1
Q
Somnolent
A
- sleepy or sleep inducing
2
Q
Edify
A
- to educate or enlighten
- to improve the knowledge or morals of somebody
3
Q
Obseqious
A
- excessively eager to please or to obey all instruction
4
Q
sycophant
A
- fawning flatterer
- someone who obsequiously flatters a powerful person for personal gain
5
Q
portend
A
- indicate or signify the arrival of something, usually in the context of an omen
6
Q
Bloviator
A
- someone who speaks excessively pompously and usually loudly
- also someone who forcefully expresses their opinions on topics which they are uninformed but pretend are experts
7
Q
Inimical
A
- unfavourable for something
- showing hostility towards something
8
Q
Vapid
A
- unstimulating and challenging
- lacking strength taste or flavour
9
Q
Nadir
A
- lowest point possible
10
Q
Dilettante
A
- somebody who dabbles in knowledge
- somebody who is interested in an art or a specialized area of knowledge but only has a very superficial understanding of it
11
Q
gobsmacked
A
- shocked, stunned, utterly astonished
12
Q
Resplendent
A
- dazzling and very impressive in appearance
13
Q
Fulgent
A
- having an intense shine or gleam
14
Q
Trite
A
- boring, uninteresting, and lacking originality as a result of overuse; cliche
15
Q
opprobrium
A
- contempt, disgrace, and disgust directed at someone because of bad behaviour
- very harsh criticism directed at someone
16
Q
Obloquy
A
- very strong public criticism or verbal abuse aimed at a person
- public contempt, disgrace, and vilification towards someone
17
Q
Risible
A
- ridiculous and ludicrous
- causing or capable of causing laughter
18
Q
forlorn
A
- miserable and lonely, isolated, desolate and abandoned
19
Q
Ex Post Facto
A
- applied retroactively
- applying to events that have already occurred
20
Q
Dishevel
A
- to mess something up, usually with respect to someones hair or clothing
21
Q
Cornucopia
A
- abundance
- a large abundance of something
22
Q
Contretemps
A
- a mishap; an unfortunate occurrence or event which is usually embarrassing or uncomfortable
23
Q
Incorrigible
A
- impossible to change, correct, or reform
24
Q
Blithe
A
- happy, cheerful, and carefree
25
Lewd
- indecent
- having a very strong interest in sex or sexual excitement
26
Lugubrious
- very gloomy
- having a very mournful, sad, gloomy, or pessimistic outlook
27
Pollyanna
- eternal optimist
- someone who is continuously and unrealistically optimistic
28
denouement
- final revelation or endgame
- the ending in which everything is made clear and no questions or surprises remain
29
antediluvian
- very old fashioned or out of date
- from a time before the biblical flood
30
anachronism
- something out of time, a person, thing, idea, or custom that seems to belong to a different period in history
31
Plutocracy
- a society ruled by the rich and wealthy
32
Nepotism
- favouritism shown by a person in power to their relatives (and friends)
33
Tendentious
- trying to influence opinion
34
Bowdlerize
- a form of censorship pertaining to literature
- to remove parts of a literary work considered objectionable
35
Retinue
- a group of advisors, assistants, or attendants that accompany an important person
36
cogent
- logical, rational, and persuasive
- convincing because it is appealing to intellect and reason
37
erstwhile
- former: someone who was something in the past, a friend for example
38
mea culpa
- expression of guilt or fault
- used to express an admission of your own guilt
39
penult
- second last
- the second last item in a group or series of things
40
nascent
- just starting to develop
- the early stages of emerging or developing
41
contrite
- very sorry
- genuinely and deeply remorseful and sorry about something
42
concomitant
- occurring or happening at the same time
- happening or existing with something else
43
Unctuous
- excessively ingratiating
- attempting to charm or convince somebody in an unpleasing smug way
44
Assiduous
- extremely careful
- showing great care or thoroughness
45
moribund
- dying or nearly dead
- stagnant, having lost vitality and purpose
46
Persona non grata
- an unacceptable or unwelcome person
47
Obdurate
- stubborn
- not easily persuaded or hard headed
- not influenced by emotion
48
Temerity
- boldness
- reckless confidence that might be offensive
49
Acrimonious
- resentful and angry
- full of anger
50
abstemious
- moderate
- a person who does not engage in excess such as alcohol or eating
51
evanescent
- soon passing out of sight, memory or existence
- fading away or quickly disappearing
52
entreaty
- a humble and earnest request
53
mountebank
- deceiver or swindler
- somebody who is deceptive and misleads others
- a fake healer
54
odious
- hateful or extremely unpleasant
- inspiring hatred, contempt, and disgust
55
jeremiad
- a long complaint
56
supercilious
- contemptuously indifferent
- full of contempt and arrogance
57
equanimous
- calmness, balanced, calm temperament, even under stressful conditions
58
rapacious
- greedy
- willing to do unscrupulous means to obtain what is desired
- destructive and vicious
