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146 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abstruse
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hard to understand
The assigned text was so abstruse that I have no idea how I'll pass the test |
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acquiesce
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to submit without protest
Jeff rarely stands up to his demanding wife; he pathetically acquiesces to her every whim. |
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adroit
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expert,skilled,or nimble
Timothy is a talented violinist; he makes all of us sound like beginners. |
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advocate
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to speak or write n favor of
A group of nurses joined together to advocate patient privacy on the local and national levels. |
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affluence
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abundance of wealth
The suspects affluence disallowed the myriad excuses for gross negligence and passivity. |
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allude
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to refer to casually or indirectly.
Lets not allude to their inappropriate choices and poor judgment of charachter last year. |
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antagonistic
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acting in oppostion to another.
Shane has an antagonistic streak; he's always picking on someone. |
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apprehensive
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uneasy or fearful
Ned always feels apprehensive before a big test. |
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appropriated
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to take possession of
The detective appropriated my car to chase the criminals down the freeway. |
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assertion
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a statement of declaration,often without reasoning or support.
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assuage
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to make milder or less severe
To assuage his guilt about forgetting her birthday,Bob bought his girl a lot of flowers. |
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astute
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having practical intelligence
The detectives astute observations helped solve the crime. |
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banal
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lacking orginality
Watching scary movies on Halloween is too banal; let's hang out at the graveyard. |
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belabor
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to explain or work at something beyond what is necessary
We all heard her say not to drink grape juice on the couch,but she belabored the point for an hour. |
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bleak
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bare and desolate
The bleak landscape was depressing,so we closed the curtains. |
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cacophony
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harsh,loud,discordant sounds
For several months,the hospital administration fed the trusting employee a cacophony of lies. |
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cantankerous
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disagreeable to deal with
Grandma's cantankerous outbursts make it difficult for us to have a peaceful visit. |
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capricious
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subject to or led by whim
Candy's capricious behavior keeps even her best friends guessing. |
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cavalier
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showing aarrogant disregard
Lisa's cavalier attitude about the group project frustrated her classmates |
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coerce
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use of force or intimidation to get results
The class bully coerced Dan into writing his research paper for him again. |
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cohesive
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united,integrated,or unified
After we worked out our differences,we were once again a cohesive group. |
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complacement
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pleased with oneself
After testifying against the defendents,Natasha coiffed her hair and gave herself a complacent smile. |
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comprehensive
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of large scope
The course offers a comprehensive study of the history of rock and roll. |
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concede
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to acknowledge as true or proper
Behind the scenes,the office conceded that Vanessa was the best provider in their medical group. |
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consecration
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dedication to the service or worship of god.
The clergy recited a consecration prayer on the feast of the Sacred Heart. |
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contentious
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tending to argument or conflict
The contentious brothers were constantly arguing and fighting. |
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contrite
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showing sincere remorse.
His contrite attitude did not persuade the judge to reduce his punishment. |
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convoluted
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intricately involved
Maria's convoluted explanation of inaccurate facts left the court even more confused. |
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credulous
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willing to believe or trust to readily
Joseph isso credulous; he believes everything he reads on the internet. |
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culpable
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deserving blame
The man culpable of the robbery was never caught or charged. |
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cultivate
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to develop through education or training.
Lucy cultivated her singing ability through years of intense training. |
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cynical
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distrusting the motives of others
Janet is cynical about the Internet dating after her last disastrous relationship. |
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dearth
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an inadequate supply
There's a dearth of water in the desert. |
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deferential
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showing deference or respect
The office often gave deferential treatment to wealthy patients and neglected the poor. |
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deleterious
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harmful or injurious
Working in hostile environment can have deleterious effects on emplyees. |
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denuded
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to make naked or bare
Since our state's water shortage has essentially denuded our yard,we're putting in a rock garden |
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deplore
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to regret deeply or strongly
Patrick deplores reality tv,but I secretyly like it. |
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deprecate
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to express disapproval of
Emily's self-deprecating jokes were more sad than funny. |
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despondent
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proundly hopeless
Elizabeth was despondent over dropping her engagement ring in the sewer. |
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diatribe
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a bitter attack or criticism
After reading our essays,our teacher went on a diatribe about verb tense |
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didactic
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inclined to teach or lecture too much
the teachers didactic speaking style put the class to sleep |
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diffident
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lacking self confidence
Pams diffident demeanor is charachterized by her shuffling walk and lack of eye contact. |
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diligent
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attentive and persistent
Chelseas diligent record keeping always helps when she's ready to prepare her tax return |
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discern
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to perceive or recognize
I couldn't discern the point of the book, even after reading it twice. |
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discord
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lack of harmony
Conversations between Maria and her staff often trun from peace to discord without warning. |
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disdain
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a feeling of contempt or scorn
Four-year-old Annie shows her disdain for veggies by tossing them off her plate. |
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disparage
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to belittle; to bring reproach or discredit upon.
THe athlete disparaged his entire sport with his blatant abuse of performance-enhancing drugs. |
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dispassionate
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devoid of feeling or bias
The dispassionate judge heard the case without becoming emotional. |
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dispel
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to drive off; to eliminate
Michaels changed appearance made it impossible for him to dispel the rumors of plastic surgery. |
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disseminate
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to scatter or spread widely
The news of the tradgedy was immediately disseminated by every major news network. |
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divergent
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moving apart from a common point.
There were three divergent paths,so we each followed one to see where they went |
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dogmatic
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asserting opinions in an arrogant manner
Eva's dogmatic political speeches turned some supporters against her. |
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dormant
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inactive,as if asleep
The dormant volcano hasn't erupted in more than a century. |
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ebullient
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overflowing with excitement
The ebullient crowd went crazy when Manuel took the stage. |
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elicit
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to draw out or bring forth
The cheerleaders had a hard time eliciting cheers from the bored audience. |
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eminent
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high in station or rank
Airports and streets close with the arrival of eminent politicans. |
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empirical
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provable from experiment or experience.
Without empirical evidence,no one believed there was a UFO |
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entrenched
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firmly established or set
Entrenched in his work,Aaron didnt even notice it was time to go home |
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enumerate
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to number or list
I'll enumerate the reasons I love you |
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equivocal
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doubtful;uncertain
Victor gave an equivocal answer when asked if he liked Betsy's new dress. |
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equivocal
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doubtful;uncertain
Victor gave an equivocal answer when asked if he liked Betsys new dress. |
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evoke
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to call up or produce
Disco music evokes memories of polyster leisure suits. |
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excoriate
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to criticize or berate severely
The fraternity's hazing actions were excoriated in local and national news. |
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exonerate
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to clear from guilt or blame
Peter was exonerated after he proved someone else stole the cookies. |
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exorbitant
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highly excessive
We spent an exorbitant amount of money on plane fare to Fiji |
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facetious
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not meant seriously or literally
I was being facetious when I said I liked your acid washed jeans |
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fallacy
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a deceptive or false notion
It's fallacy that butter heals a burn |
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flippant
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frivoulously disrespectful
Sandys flippant comments covered up her disappointment. |
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gaffe
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a social blunder
Anita made the empbarrssing gaffe of publicly mispronouncing the directors name. |
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hypothesis
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an explanation for the occurence of a process or event
The chemistry final required us to prove or disprove a given hypotheesis. |
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idiosyncratic
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belonging to ones particular character.
Ursula's idiosyncratic movements got her kicked off the drill team. |
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impartial
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not biased
None of the judges of the talent show were impartial; each had a clear favorite. |
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imperturbable
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incapable of being upset or agitated.
Regardless of how much noise we make,my dad is imperturbable when he's reading |
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implacable
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not to be appeased or pacified
An implacable opponent, Bobby was aggressive even after the match. |
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licentous
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unrestrained by law or morality.
The licentious sheriff chased women and broke all of his own laws. |
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loquacious
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tending to talk too freely or too much.
Loquacious Lucy purchased a big cell phone plan. |
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mediocrity
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the state of being average or unremarkable
Impatient with mediocrity,the coach pushed his team to be champions. |
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mercenary
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motivated purely by money.
The mercenary corporation bought rival businesses and fired all the employees. |
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mollify
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to soften in feeling or temper
In order to mollify her, Karen's mom baked a pie for her |
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mundane
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uninteresting; common
Tired of the same mundane chores every week, I offered to rake leaves |
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munificent
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great generosity in giving
The munificent CEO gave raises to all his employees |
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nebulous
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hazy,vague,or indistinct
The decision to lay in that nebulous area between wrong and right |
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negligible
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not important; of little consequence;trifling
The money I spend on gum is negligible and not worth including in the budget. |
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nihilism
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total rejection of laws or institutions.
Mich's philosophy of nihilism keeps her from caring about rules and laws. |
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novelty
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state of being new or unique
Oscar enjoys his toys untill the novelty wears off. |
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obfuscate
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to confuse,bewilder,or stupefy
The message was obfuscated by his use of mixed metahpors |
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obliterate
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to destroy completely
A week of sunny days can obliterate all traces of snow. |
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obscure
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unclear;hard to perceive or understand.
Karen is always making obscure references to Star Trek episodes |
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obstinate
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adhering to ones opinion or course.
Kendra can be obstinate,refusing to follow rules she doesnt like. |
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onerous
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Causing hardship
Lance's onerous debt caused him and his family continual stress |
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obstentatious
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intended to attract notice
The wedding decorations were so ostentatious that we almost overlooked the bride. |
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overt
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open to view; not concealed
In an overt attempt to cheat, Sarah wrote the answes on the back of her hand. |
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paragon
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a model or pattern of excellence
Though Selden is a nice guy, Lily doesnt see him as a paragon of virtue |
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partisan
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influenced or controlled by a certain group
The journalists partisan politics kept him from reporting the election rules objectively. |
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patronizing
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in an offensively,condescending manner.
The way my grandmother still pinches my cheek is so patronizing. |
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pensive
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dreamily thoughtful
Felling pensive,Andrea spent the afternoon writing in her journal. |
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perfidy
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deliberate breach of trust
Jason's perfidy was obvious when he was caught driving his fathers car without permission. |
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perfunctory
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peformed merely as a routine
A perfunctory kiss accompanied the deliverence of his diploma at the commencement exersises. |
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perusal
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a survey or reading
After a quick perusal of the magazine, Cary decided to buy a subscription. |
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pious
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having a spirit or reverence for God
Because of his pious nature, Bob prayed before every meal,every test, and every game. |
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placid
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pleasently calm or peaceful
The placid lake was perfect for waterskiing |
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plasticity
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capacity for being molded or shaped
Silly Puttys most important quality is its plasticity. |
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plausible
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appearing truthful or reasonable.
Her excuse for being late didn't sound plausible. |
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polemical
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involving dispute or controversy
The polemical discussion about adopting shool uniforms went on for hours. |
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portend
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to indicate in advance
Dark clouds portend bad weather |
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potentate
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a person who possesses great power; a ruler
The queen, a gentle potentate, called for an end to the beheadings |
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pretension
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an attitude of dignity or importance
The family's air of pretension is so false its rediculous. |
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prevalent
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widespread
Mosquitoes are prevalent in swampy areas |
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prodigious
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extrodinary in size,amount or degree.
Nate's prodigious bacdkpack rose well over his head when he put in on. |
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prolific
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producing abundantly
Don is a prolific author,publishing a book a year |
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prohetic
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having the abilities of a prophet to predict what will happen.
I had a prophetic dream that i'd one day become a nurse. |
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prosaic
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commonplace or dull
Dolores uses prosaic passwords, so it's easy to hack into her email accounts. |
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provident
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providing carefully for the future
A provident homeowner, Jessica stores extra food and waterin case of emergencies. |
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provincial
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belonging to a particular area
The provincial newspaper rarely discussed events beyond the neighborhood |
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querulous
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full of complaints
The querulous group of ladies made it hard for us to enjoy the concert. |
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quiescence
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the quality of being at rest
The quiescence of the morning was shattered by the arrival of a frieght train. |
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reclusive
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living apart from society
Many famous writers are reclusive and wary of personal publicity |
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recrimination
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a retaliatory accusation; a charge made in retaliation for an accusation
Accusations and recriminations passed back and forth between the divorcing couple. |
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refute
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to prove wrong
The senator tried to refute the accusation that he took bribes. |
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remonstrate
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to say or plead in protest or disapproval
The student body remonstrated against the proposed shortened lunch hour. |
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resolute
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firmly determined
Bill is resolute in his decision never to marry |
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respite
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a delay or temporary rest
The movie provided a respite from our long day of studying. |
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reticent
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reserved or reluctant
Though she's outgoing at home,Tanya is reticent about talking in class |
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retribution
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something given as repayment,often punishment
The criminal sought retribution against the informant who turned him in |
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reverent
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having or showing respect.
The pastor always spoke in a reverent tone of voice |
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sagacious
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having keen practical sense
The sagacious attorney built a strong case to defend her client. |
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salutary
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promoting health or some beneficial purpose.
The health spa boasted a nutritious and salutary cuisine. |
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satire
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The use of ridicule to point out weaknesses.
The candidate was a frequent object of satire on late night comedy shows. |
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scathing
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bitterly severe
The mean girls shouted scathing insults at each other. |
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sensationalistic
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meant to produce startling or thrilling impressions.
Sesationalisic stories about aliens and UFO's are popular in tabloids. |
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serville
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slavishly submissive
Erica's boyfriend follows her everywhere, hoping she'll drop something so he can pick it up. |
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spurious
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not genuine, authentic,or true
Joe's spurious remark did not fool the police officer. |
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squander
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to spend or use wastefully
Because Danny squanders every penny he earns, he has no retirement savings. |
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stringent
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extremely strict or severe
The stringent rules were difficult for the rowdy children to follow. |
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superflous
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more than sufficient or required.
The streamers were superflous to the overly decorated party. |
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supplant
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to replace one thing with another
The republican nominee wants to supplant the incumbant Democrat. |
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tenaious
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holding fast; stubborn
The team was tenacious,finally defeating its opponent in double overtime. |
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torpor
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sluggish inactivity or indifference.
After he ate three helpings of turkey,Wendalls torpor was understandable. |
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tractable
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easily managed or controlled
The tractable group of teens was talked into staying out after curfew. |
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uniformity
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the state of being the same or homogenous
School dress cods are meant to encourage uniformity. |
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veiled
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covered or concealed as if by a veil.
Andrea asked to borrow my phone in a veiled attemt to get seths number. |
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venerable
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demanding respect due to dignity or age
Many cultures see the elderly as wise and venerable |
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vignette
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a mall,pleasing sketch or view.
Selena took a few moments to write a vignette about Paris in the spring. |
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voicferous
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crying out loudly
Martha shouted vociferously for her friend to meet her across the street. |
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volatile
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threatening to break out into violence.
Howies volatile temper makes other uncomfortable. |
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wary
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on guard against danger
Im wary of sales pitches that sound too good to be true. |
