Sets 1 - 6

180 flashcardsby Miles
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1
abound
exist in large numbers or amounts.
2
amorphous
without a clearly defined shape or form.
3
belie
1. (of an appearance) fail to give a true impression of (something).
2. fail to fulfill or justify (a claim or expectation).
4
capricious
given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior.
5
cerebral
1. of the cerebrum of the brain.
2. intellectual rather than emotional or physical.
6
congenial
1. (of a person) pleasing or liked on account of having qualities or interests that are similar to one's own.
2. (of a thing) pleasant or agreeable because suited to one's taste or inclination.
7
conspicuous
1. clearly visible.
2. attracting notice or attention.
8
cursory
hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed.
9
daunting
seeming difficult to deal with in prospect; intimidating.
10
deify
worship or regard as a god.
11
didactic
in the manner of a teacher, particularly so as to appear patronizing.
12
disseminate
spread (something, especially information) widely.
13
feasible
possible to do easily or conveniently.
14
flout
openly disregard (a rule, law, or convention)
15
homogeneous
of the same kind; alike.
16
humdrum
lacking excitement or variety; boringly monotonous.
17
insipid
1. lacking flavor; weak or tasteless.
2. lacking vigor or interest.
18
loquacious
tending to talk a great deal; talkative.
19
misanthropic
having or showing a dislike of other people; unsociable.
20
misnomer
a wrong or inaccurate name or designation.
21
negligent
failing to take proper care over something.
22
obsequious
obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
23
placate
make (someone) less angry or hostile.
24
proclivity
a tendency to choose or do something regularly; an inclination or predisposition towards a particular thing.
25
puerile
childishly silly and immature.
26
quixotic
extremely idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
27
spendthrift
a person who spends money in an extravagant, irresponsible way.
28
taciturn
(of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.
29
wary
feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems.
30
austere
1. Strict in manner
2. Lack of comforts or luxuries
31
adulterate
render (something) poorer in quality by adding another substance.
32
advocate
a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy.
33
aggrandize
increase the power, status, or wealth of.
34
alacrity
brisk and cheerful readiness.
35
ambivalent
having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.
36
ameliorate
make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better.
37
amenable
open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled.
38
anachronistic
belonging to a period other than that being portrayed.
39
audacious
1. showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks.
2. showing an impudent lack of respect.
40
avaricious
having or showing an extreme greed for wealth or material gain.
41
banal
so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring.
42
benign
1. gentle and kind.
2. not harmful to the environment.
43
brazen
bold and without shame.
44
calumny
the making of false and defamatory statements about someone in order to damage their reputation; slander.
45
candid
truthful and straightforward; frank.
46
castigate
reprimand (someone) severely.
47
caustic
1. sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way.
2. able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action.
48
construe
interpret (a word or action) in a particular way.
49
contrite
feeling or expressing remorse at the recognition that one has done wrong.
50
convoluted
1. (especially of an argument, story, or sentence) extremely complex and difficult to follow.
2. intricately folded, twisted, or coiled.
51
covet
yearn to possess (something, especially something belonging to another).
52
craven
contemptibly lacking in courage; cowardly.
53
decorum
behaviour in keeping with good taste and propriety.
54
deft
neatly skilful and quick in one's movements.
55
demur
raise objections or show reluctance.
56
derivative
1. something which is based on another source.
2. imitative of the work of another artist, writer, etc., and usually disapproved of for that reason.
57
desiccate
remove the moisture from (something); cause to become completely dry.
58
diatribe
a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something.
59
incredulous
(of a person or their manner) unwilling or unable to believe something.
60
ingenuous
(of a person or action) innocent and unsuspecting.
61
abate
(of something unpleasant or severe) become less intense or widespread.
62
abjure
solemnly renounce (a belief, cause, or claim).
63
anomalous
deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected.
64
antipathy
a deep-seated feeling of aversion.
65
arcane
understood by few; mysterious or secret.
66
arduous
involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring.
67
artless
without effort or pretentiousness; natural and simple.
68
ascetic
characterized by severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.
69
assuage
make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense.
70
betray
1. unintentionally reveal; be evidence of.
2. expose (one's country, a group, or a person) to danger by treacherously giving information to an enemy.
71
bucolic
relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life.
72
burgeon
begin to grow or increase rapidly; flourish.
73
cacophonous
involving or producing a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
74
canonize
1. place in or regard as belonging to a canon of literary or artistic works.
2. (in the Roman Catholic Church) officially declare (a dead person) to be a saint.
75
censure
express severe disapproval of (someone or something), especially in a formal statement.
76
chicanery
the use of deception or subterfuge to achieve one's purpose.
77
coalesce
come together to form one mass or whole.
78
cogent
(of an argument or case) clear, logical, and convincing.
79
compelling
evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way.
80
contend
1. compete with others in a struggle to achieve (something).
2. assert something as a position in an argument.
81
copious
abundant in supply or quantity.
82
cosmopolitan
1. including people from many different countries.
2. (of a plant or animal) found all over the world.
83
deference
polite submission and respect.
84
desultory
lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm.
85
diffident
modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence.
86
dilatory
1. slow to act.
2. intended to cause delay.
87
equivocate
use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself.
88
polarize
divide or cause to divide into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs.
89
prodigal
1. spending money or using resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.
2. having or giving something on a lavish scale.
90
verbose
using or expressed in more words than are needed.
91
abstain
1. restrain oneself from doing or enjoying something.
2. formally decline to vote either for or against a proposal or motion.
92
approbation
approval or praise.
93
cherish
1. protect and care for (someone) lovingly.
2. keep (a hope or ambition) in one's mind.
94
corroborate
confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding).
95
disparate
essentially different in kind; not able to be compared.
96
emulate
match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by imitation.
97
enervate
make (someone) feel drained of energy or vitality.
98
ephemeral
lasting for a very short time.
99
fervid
intensely enthusiastic or passionate, especially to an excessive degree.
100
garrulous
excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
101
incendiary
1. tending to stir up conflict.
2. (of a device or attack) designed to cause fires.
102
inimical
tending to obstruct or harm.
103
intimate
1. closely acquainted; familiar.
2. state or make known.
104
invigorate
give strength or energy to.
105
mitigate
make (something bad) less severe, serious, or painful.
106
obsolete
no longer produced or used; out of date.
107
opaque
1. not able to be seen through; not transparent. 2. (especially of language) hard or impossible to understand.
108
paradigmatic
1. serving as a typical example of something.
2. of or denoting the relationship between a set of linguistic items that form mutually exclusive choices in particular syntactic roles.
109
pedantic
excessively concerned with minor details or rules; overscrupulous.
110
placid
1. not easily upset or excited.
2. calm and peaceful, with little movement or activity.
111
polemical
of or involving strongly critical or disputatious writing or speech.
112
precipitate
cause (an event or situation, typically one that is undesirable) to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely.
113
profundity
great depth of insight or knowledge.
114
prophetic
accurately predicting what will happen in the future.
115
prudent
acting with or showing care and thought for the future.
116
punctilious
showing great attention to detail or correct behavior.
117
recondite
(of a subject or knowledge) little known; abstruse.
118
scrupulous
(of a person or process) careful, thorough, and extremely attentive to details.
119
tranquil
free from disturbance; calm.
120
vacillate
waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive.
121
aloof
not friendly or forthcoming; cool and distant.
122
clangor
a continuous loud banging or ringing sound.
123
conventional
1. based on or in accordance with what is generally done or believed.
2. (of a bid) intended to convey a particular meaning according to an agreed convention.
124
debunk
expose the falseness or hollowness of (an idea or belief).
125
diminutive
1. extremely or unusually small.
2. (of a word, name, or suffix) implying smallness, either actual or imputed to convey affection,scorn etc.
126
discernible
able to be discerned; perceptible.
127
enigmatic
difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious.
128
estranged
(of a person) no longer close or affectionate to someone; alienated.
129
extravagant
lacking restraint in spending money or using resources.
130
fanciful
1. over-imaginative and unrealistic.
2. highly ornamental or imaginative in design.
131
frivolous
not having any serious purpose or value.
132
heterogeneous
diverse in character or content.
133
imperious
arrogant and domineering.
134
impertinent
1. not showing proper respect; rude.
2. not pertinent to a particular matter; irrelevant.
135
invasive
tending to spread very quickly and undesirably or harmfully.
136
irresolute
showing or feeling hesitancy; uncertain.
137
laudable
(of an action, idea, or aim) deserving praise and commendation.
138
lax
1. not sufficiently strict, severe, or careful.
2. (of the limbs or muscles) relaxed.
139
marginalize
treat (a person, group, or concept) as insignificant or peripheral.
140
panache
flamboyant confidence of style or manner.
141
plodding
slow-moving and unexciting.
142
prosaic
having or using the style or diction of prose as opposed to poetry; lacking imaginativeness or originality.
143
remedial
giving or intended as a remedy or cure.
144
restive
(of a person) unable to remain still, silent, or submissive, especially because of boredom or dissatisfaction.
145
sporadic
occurring at irregular intervals or only in a few places; scattered or isolated.
146
stigmatize
describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval.
147
undermine
1. lessen the effectiveness, power, or ability of, especially gradually or insidiously.
2. erode the base or foundation of (a rock formation).
148
utterly
completely and without qualification; absolutely.
149
weary
feeling or showing extreme tiredness, especially as a result of excessive exertion.
150
zealous
having or showing zeal.
151
admonish
warn or reprimand someone firmly.
152
aesthetic
concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.
153
affectation
behavior, speech, or writing that is pretentious and designed to impress.
154
alleviate
make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe.
155
analogous
comparable in certain respects, typically in a way which makes clearer the nature of the things compared.
156
bolster
support or strengthen.
157
chauvinistic
feeling or displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism.
158
connoisseur
an expert judge in matters of taste.
159
dissemble
conceal or disguise one's true feelings or beliefs.
160
dogged
having or showing tenacity and grim persistence.
161
dupe
deceive; trick.
162
empirical
based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic.
163
engender
cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition).
164
entitled
believing oneself to be inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment.
165
pertinacious
holding firmly to an opinion or a course of action.
166
presumptuous
(of a person or their behaviour) failing to observe the limits of what is permitted or appropriate/overconfident
167
probity
the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency.
168
proliferate
increase rapidly in number; multiply.
169
specious
superficially plausible, but actually wrong.
170
spurious
not being what it purports to be; false or fake.
171
subjective
based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.
172
subvert
undermine the power and authority of (an established system or institution).
173
timorous
showing or suffering from nervousness or a lack of confidence.
174
tortuous
1. full of twists and turns.
2. excessively lengthy and complex.
175
tractable
easy to control or influence.
176
transient
lasting only for a short time; impermanent.
177
ubiquitous
present, appearing, or found everywhere.
178
underscore
emphasize.
179
venal
showing or motivated by susceptibility to bribery; corrupt.
180
venerate
regard with great respect; revere.
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