Term
|
Definition
suspended action or temporary disuse
"The child's surgery was in abeyance until the hospital could reach her parents" |
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Term
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Definition
sparing in eating and drinking
"His parents were concerned about his abstemious vegan diet" |
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Term
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Definition
Cheerful promptness; eagerness
"She accepted his proposal with alacrity" |
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Term
|
Definition
combine; unite in one body
"Small companies can amalgamate during a merger" |
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Term
|
Definition
improve (such as living conditions)
"The renovations at the nursing home ameliorated the living standards" |
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Term
|
Definition
something or someone misplaced in time
"Back to the Future was a movie about placing anachronisms in previous years" |
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Term
|
Definition
aversion, dislike
"Some of Liam's antipathies are stickers and loud noises" |
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Term
|
Definition
inform (tell) someone
"It is only right to apprise your spouse of any misconduct or issues" |
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Term
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Definition
approval
"Teens frequently look to their peers for approbation" |
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Term
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Definition
without guile; open and honest; without skill or finesse
"an artless, naive girl" OR "her awkward artless prose" |
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Term
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Definition
exercising self-discipline from all forms of indulgence, especially for religious reasons
"Monks live an ascetic life of prayer and fasting" |
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Term
|
Definition
diligent; showing great care and perseverance
"Being a PhD student involves a lot of assiduous researching" |
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Term
|
Definition
forbiddingly stern; severely simply & unornamented; plain or bare
"an austere man, with a rigidly puritanical outlook" |
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Term
|
Definition
assert confidently or declare; in law, state formally in fact
"he averred that he was innocent of the allegations" |
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Term
|
Definition
hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality
"The movie was banal, with the common storybook ending" |
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Term
|
Definition
rude, insensitive, rough and bad-mannered
"the goon was very boorish when it came to relationships" |
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Term
|
Definition
discordant; inharmonious
"Karaoke singing is very cacophonous" |
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Term
|
Definition
unpredictable; fickle
"Blacksburg has a very capricious climate" |
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Term
|
Definition
punishment, severe criticism
"He received castigation for not setting a good example" |
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Term
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Definition
trickery, deception
"Madoff used the Ponzi scheme to perform financial chicanery" |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
|
Definition
| brief but comprehensive gathering of info on one subject |
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Term
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Definition
confuse, puzzle
"The rise in prices confounded everyone's expectations." |
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Term
|
Definition
claim, heated disagreement
"His drinking was a subject of contention in the marriage" |
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Term
|
Definition
quarrelsome
"the socioeconomic plan had been the subject of contentious debate" |
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Term
|
Definition
Feeling or expressing remorse or penitence; feeling guilt
"He felt contrite after being expelled for cheating" |
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Term
|
Definition
cowardly
"The scarecrow was craven in the Wizard of Oz" |
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Term
|
Definition
humble submission and respect
"he addressed her with the deference due to age" |
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Term
|
Definition
portray, depict, sketch
"the law should delineate and prohibit abhorrent behavior"
"the map delineated the exact location of the border" |
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Term
|
Definition
blacken, tarnish, ruin (as in reputation)
"There is a tendency to denigrate the poor" |
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Term
|
Definition
ridicule, make fun of
"critics derided the proposals as clumsy attempts to find a solution." |
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Term
|
Definition
aimless, haphazard, digressing at random
"the desultory conversation faded." |
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Term
|
Definition
bitter scolding, invective verbal attack
"a diatribe against the Roman Catholic Church" |
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Term
|
Definition
split; branching into two parts
"There is a rigid dichotomy between science and religion." |
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Term
|
Definition
shyness due to lack of confidence
"I say this with some diffidence." |
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Term
|
Definition
Persuade someone that idea/belief is mistaken
"he quickly disabused me of my fanciful notions" |
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Term
|
Definition
basically different; unrelated
"they inhabit disparate worlds of thought." |
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Term
|
Definition
disguise; pretend
"she smiled, dissembling her true emotion." |
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Term
|
Definition
discord; opposite of harmony
"dissonance between campaign rhetoric and personal behavior." |
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Term
|
Definition
strip; deprive
"men are unlikely to be divested of power without a struggle" |
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Term
|
Definition
opinionated, arbitrary, doctrinal
"he gives his opinion without trying to be dogmatic." |
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Term
|
Definition
showing excitement, overflowing with enthusiasm
"she sounded ebullient and happy." |
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Term
|
Definition
impudence; sheer nerve, shameless boldness; presumptuousness
"one juror had the effrontery to challenge the coroner's decision" |
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Term
|
Definition
poem/song expressing lamentation
"The elegy at his funeral was sang by his wife and friends" |
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Term
|
Definition
weaken, lack energy and vitality
"the enervate slightness of his frail form" |
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Term
|
Definition
cause; produce
"the issue engendered continuing controversy." |
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Term
|
Definition
short-lived; fleeting
"fashions are ephemeral." |
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Term
|
Definition
composure; calmness of temperament
"he accepted both the good and the bad with equanimity ." |
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Term
|
Definition
lie, deceive; attempt to conceal the truth
"Just say it already - don't equivocate with me!" |
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Term
|
Definition
learned, scholarly
"his prose was entertaining AND erudite" |
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Term
|
Definition
urgent situation; pressing needs/demands
"There was exigency in her condition when she passed out" |
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Term
|
Definition
brainless, innane, foolish
"He nervously gave a fatuous comment to the girl he liked" |
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Term
|
Definition
suitably expressed; well-chosen, pleasing and fortunate
"His loving speech was very felicitous at their wedding." |
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Term
|
Definition
droop, grow feeble; tired; weaker; less enthusiastic
"her flagging career"
"if you begin to flag, there is an excellent café to revive you." |
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Term
|
Definition
reject, mock, show contempt for
"these same companies still flout basic ethical practices."
"the women pointed and flouted at her" |
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Term
|
Definition
stir up; instigate
"rumors fomented trouble within the school club" |
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Term
|
Definition
loquacious, wordy, talkative (esp. on trivial matters)
"The drunks at the party were very garrulous" |
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Term
|
Definition
urge on; provoke
"he goaded her on to more daring revelations" |
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Term
|
Definition
pompous, bombastic, using high-sounding language
"He tried to speak in a grandiloquent manner to impress his new boss" |
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Term
|
Definition
without deceit
"if he is guileless, the jury will not find him guilty" |
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Term
|
Definition
long, passionate and vehement speech
"activists tend to harangue total strangers about their issue" |
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Term
|
Definition
attacking cherished traditions
"The narrow-minded naive American was very iconoclastic toward the Indians" |
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Term
|
Definition
without feeling, stoical; imperturbable
"impassive passersby ignore the performers." |
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Term
|
Definition
incapable of being pacified
"he was an implacable enemy of Ted's." |
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Term
|
Definition
recently begun; rudimentary; elementary
"a still inchoate democracy." |
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Term
|
Definition
lazy
"the couch potato was very indolent" |
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Term
|
Definition
harmless
"an occasional glass of wine is innocuous" |
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Term
|
Definition
dull; lacking in flavor
"mugs of insipid coffee." |
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Term
|
Definition
isolation, narrow-mindedness
"there was insularity in the Englishmen's thoughts about the natives" |
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Term
|
Definition
unruly, stubborn, unyielding
"Liam is very intractable about making his bed" |
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Term
|
Definition
refusal of any compromise
"He was very intransigent when it came to his morals" |
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Term
|
Definition
accustomed, hardened
"The tropical student became very inured to the Blacksburg weather" |
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Term
|
Definition
irritable, easily angered
"Girls are very irascible one week per month" |
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Term
|
Definition
weak, uncertain how to act
"a leader should never be irresolute" |
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Term
|
Definition
brief and to the point
"his laconic reply suggested a lack of interest in the topic" |
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Term
|
Definition
languour, weariness
"I finally succumbed to my lassitude and laid down for a nap" |
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Term
|
Definition
praise
"his efforts to repair the economy are laudable" |
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Term
|
Definition
lack of seriousness or steadiness
"he showed levity at the funeral by giggling and telling jokes" |
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Term
|
Definition
talkative
"She was nervously loquacious, trying to meet new people by talking a lot" |
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Term
|
Definition
generous
"her large donation to the charity was very magnanimous" |
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Term
|
Definition
one who feigns illness to escape duty
"The soldier was a malingerer, trying to escape deployment by shooting his foot" |
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Term
|
Definition
|
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Term
|
Definition
lying, habitually dishonest
"Presidential debates are only mendacious propaganda" |
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Term
|
Definition
one who hates mankind
"The misanthrope enjoyed lived in the mountains away from everyone and everything" |
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Term
|
Definition
lessen in intensity; moderate; appease
"green energy can mitigate global warming" |
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Term
|
Definition
soothe
"he tried to mollify his girlfriend after their argument" |
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Term
|
Definition
sullen; melancholy, ill-humored
"She was very morose after their break up" |
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Term
|
Definition
slavishly attentive, servile; sychophanatic (to gain advantage)
"they were served by obsequious waiters"
"the obsequious and sycophantic interview" |
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Term
|
Definition
make unnecessary, get rid of
"the Venetian blinds obviated the need for curtains"
"a parachute can be used to obviate disaster" |
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Term
|
Definition
meddlesome, excessively pushy in offering one's services
"I used to be very officious, in offering advice to strangers"
"a policeman came to move them on, an officious, spiteful man." |
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Term
|
Definition
infamy, vilification, public disgrace
"the opprobrium of being closely associated with thugs and gangsters."
"She had to wear a Scarlet Letter 'A' as an opprobrium" |
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Term
|
Definition
model of perfection
"she is always pointed out as a paragon of virtue and beauty" |
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Term
|
Definition
scarcity
"There is a paucity of information in emerging research fields." |
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Term
|
Definition
showing off learning; bookish (pedagogue: teacher)
"many of the essays are long, dense, and too pedantic to hold great appeal." |
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Term
|
Definition
strong inclination
"he has a penchant for adopting stray dogs" |
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Term
|
Definition
severe poverty, stinginess
"e died in a state of virtual penury." |
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Term
|
Definition
treacherous, disloyal, untrustworthy
"a perfidious lover."
"Snowden is considered a perfidious American citizen by many" |
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Term
|
Definition
superficial, not thorough; lacking interest, care, enthusiasm
"he gave a perfunctory nod" |
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Term
|
Definition
practical, concerned with practical worth of something
"it is difficult to find a pragmatic approach to understanding philosophical views" |
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Term
|
Definition
lie
"he seemed to prevaricate when journalists asked pointed questions, as if he were hiding something." |
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Term
|
Definition
uprightness; incorruptibility
"Arvind Kerjiwal shows political probity in his leadership" |
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Term
|
Definition
appease
"He tried to propitiate his wife with flowers after forgetting their anniversary" |
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Term
|
Definition
fitness, correct conduct; conforming to accepted standards
"he always behaved with the utmost propriety." |
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Term
|
Definition
ostracize, banish, outlaw
"certain practices that the Catholic Church proscribed, such as polygyny and divorce." |
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Term
|
Definition
rest, dormant; temporarily inactive
"the cancer went undiagnosed for a long time due to the quiescent symptoms" |
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Term
|
Definition
made less dense [of a gas], i.e. the atmosphere
"The air at the tops of mountains is very rarefied" |
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Term
|
Definition
unruly, obstinately stubborn; resists authority
"The teacher struggled with a class of recalcitrant fifteen-year-olds" |
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Term
|
Definition
profound, abstruse, secret or hidden
"the book is full of recondite information." |
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Term
|
Definition
stubborn, unmanageable
"the pony was refractory and could not be trained"
"He had MRSA, a refractory systemic infection" |
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Term
|
Definition
disprove
"a spokesman totally refuted the allegation of bias." |
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Term
|
Definition
banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign
"they aim to prevent women from being relegated to a secondary role." |
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Term
|
Definition
express disapproval or disappointment
"he gave her a look of reproach when she failed to complete the task" |
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Term
|
Definition
person hardened in sin, devoid of a sense of decency
"He was considered a reprobate by the church after divorcing his wife and being charged of stealing money from the offerings" |
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Term
|
Definition
disown, disavow
"he repudiated his Catholic faith" |
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Term
|
Definition
reserved, uncommunicative, inclined to silence
"we are extremely reticent about our personal affairs." |
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|
Term
|
Definition
healthful
"I love the salubrious weather of spring and summer because of the melatonin I produce from the sunshine" |
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Term
|
Definition
approve, ratify, penalty for disobeying
"The country was sanctioned due to it's war crimes" |
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Term
|
Definition
worried, concerned
"the employer was solicitous about the health of the skilled employees because replacements were hard to find" |
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Term
|
Definition
sleep-causing
"My class is so boring and soporific" |
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Term
|
Definition
seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (intentionally)
"Just because you say houses and birds both have wings, to say they can both fly is a specious statement to make" |
|
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Term
|
Definition
be thrifty, set limits
"because we are college students, we don't stint on wining and dining."
"to avoid having to stint yourself, budget in advance." |
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Term
|
Definition
dull, calm, dependable, showing little/no animation
"her stoid facade is somewhat unnerving" |
|
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Term
|
Definition
understood; not put into words
"your silence may be taken to mean tacit agreement." |
|
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Term
|
Definition
thin; rare; slim
"the tenuous connection was a like a thread ready to break at any moment" |
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Term
|
Definition
lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy
"the feeling of torpor after final exams lingered for weeks" |
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Term
|
Definition
winding, full of curves
"Highway 16 to Tazewell is very tortuous and nauseating" |
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Term
|
Definition
docile; easily managed
"A well-trained dog is very tractable and good for kids" |
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Term
|
Definition
eager/quick to argue/fight; aggressiveness; ferocity
"The fugitive's days of truculent defiance were over" |
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Term
|
Definition
revere
"Mother Teresa is venerated as a saint." |
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Term
|
Definition
truthful
"My boyfriend is very veracious and open about everything" |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
bitter and abusive; scolding
"the criticism soon turned into a vituperative attack." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
turmoil; bewildering, jumble
"there's such a welter of conflicting rules." |
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Term
|
Definition
fanatic
"York was too much of a zealot for the party to endorse seriously." |
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