Section 1
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acumen John's business ACUMEN, along with his computer skills, made him an asset to the software company.
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Date created
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Cards (309)
Section 1
(50 cards)
acumen John's business ACUMEN, along with his computer skills, made him an asset to the software company.
mental keenness; shrewdness
desultory "The students were confused by the teacher's DESULTORY lecture which seemed to have no real focus."
wandering from subject to subject
ameliorate Tylenol is the medication I take to AMELIORATE leg pain.
to make better or more tolerable
ancillary The ANCILLARY teacher is in the classroom to help the lead teacher meet the needs of all the students.
serving as an aid or accessory
alleviate "Take an aspirin to ALLEVIATE your headache."
to relieve, make more bearable
alacrity Having studied really hard last night, the student took the exam with ALACRITY.
cheerful willingness
aesthetic Because Henry could see both the mountains and the ocean from his hotel room, he really enjoyed the AESTHETIC view.
dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful
dissolution "The DISSOLUTION of the ice made a large puddle in the playground."
the breaking up into parts; termination of a legal bond or contract
admonish I hope my boss does not ADMONISH me for being late
Express disapproval; give a mild warning
abstruse "When my uncle talks too fast, he can be quite ABSTRUSE."
difficult to understand
accrete "The room hadn't been cleaned for years and showed several ACCRETIONS of dirt and dust."
gradual increase
acerbic "My mother-in-law tries to hide the fact she does not like me by using ACERBIC comments"
bitter in nature; sour
castigation "The teacher's verbal CASTIGATION of the student was harsh but needed since he refused to do any work."
severe criticism or punishment
fastidious "He was FASTIDIOUS in his preparation for the big day."
very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail
abeyance "The project is being held in ABEYANCE until agreement is reached on funding it."
Temporary inactivity
aggregate In AGGREGATE, we raised $1000 in funds by selling Girl Scout Cookies
Gross amount; whole mass; sum
crescendo "The storm's noisy CRESCENDO meant it was getting closer to our home."
a gradual increase in intensity, particularly in music
antipathy "After serving in the war, he developed an ANTIPATHY to guns."
Habitual aversion; intense dislike; natural repugnance
churlish "Melissa decided not to accept Freddie's offer to escort her to the party because she knew he became churlish if he had more than two beers."
boorish, vulgar, loutish; difficult and intractable
Adulteration Although it happened unintentionally, the ADULTERATION of the drinking water in Flint, Michigan occurred when lead mixed into the supply.
dilution or degradation by adding inferior or tainted substances
impute "It was wrong of me to IMPUTE you for the failure of the dinner party when I was the one who did not properly plan the event."
attribute or credit to
cozen "Scammers sent out thousands of fake tax notices trying to COZEN naïve people into sending them cash in the mail."
deceive, beguile. hoodwink
acquiescence "Nodding her head in sullen ACQUIESCENCE, Fran agreed to watch the action fill even though she wanted to see a chick flick."
agreement with; assent
adroit The butler was ADROIT at running a large household.
Having skill or resourcefulness in coping with situations
meticulous "Because Haley is a METICULOUS cleaner, every inch of her house is spotless."
extremely careful; particular about details
anomalous "My sister was pretending to act normal after breaking up with her boyfriend, but her ANOMALOUS activities that strayed from the routine proved she was just faking it."
Deviating from the norm
anachronism Since there were not laptop computers during the Civil War, the presence of a portable computer in the history film is a definite ANACHRONISM.
Something chronologically out of place something that doesn't fit its time period
aberration "She is normally calm and level headed, so this outburst is an ABERRATION."
Departure from the norm
adulation The ADULATION and applause from the crowd made the former president smile.
excessive admiration
accolade "During the monthly meeting, the company president will present an ACCOLADE to the employee of the month."
recognition of achievement; honor; award
Antagonism "The ANTAGONISM between the two presidential candidates made for a very heated debate."
active hostility or opposition
choleric "Even the slightest noise would disturb the CHOLERIC man and send him into a rage."
tending toward anger
atypical
not typical, abnormal
austere "The headmaster's AUSTERE demeanor tended to scare off the more timid students, who never visited his study willingly"
severe or strict in manner, attitude, or appearance
Abstemious "Gerald was ABSTEMIOUS at dinner and only ate a little of food on his plate."
sparing in eating and drinking
corrigible "We were relieved when the doctor said our daughter's CORRIGIBLE heart defect could be fixed."
capable of being set right, correctable, reparable
occlude "It is quite dangerous when blood clots OCCLUDE the flow of oxygen in the human body."
to obstruct or block
Secularize "He claims that Western SECULARIZED society makes it difficult to live as a Christian."
Dissociate or separate from religious or spiritual concerns
clangorous "The clangorous warning bells are hard to miss."
making a loud, resonant sound
Allusion "The beginning of the book has an ALLUSION which hints at how the book ends."
indirect reference
amalgamate Because of budget cuts, the two schools were forced to AMALGAMATE into one building.
unite in one body
analogous Because my teacher is ANALOGOUS to my mother, I have accidentally called her, "mom."
showing a likeness or similarity
amenable Even though these budget cuts are necessary, I know most of the staff will not be AMENABLE to the cutbacks.
Able to be affected; readily managed or willing to be led; legally answerable
abjure "He ABJURED his allegiance to his former country."
renounce upon oath; abstain from
abrogate "Our city needs to ABROGATE outdated laws."
put an end to; abolish by an authoritative action
chic
stylish and fashionable
perfunctory "Because Anne has done the same tasks at work for many years, she does them in a PERFUNCTORY way."
acting routinely with little interest or care
abate "The storm suddenly ABATED."
to lessen in intensity or degree
avarice "Motivated by AVARICE, the employee stole thousands of dollars from the company vault."
extreme greed for wealth or material gain
apathy "Because of voter APATHY, there is a very short line at the polls today."
Lack of concern, especially about things that others find important
Section 2
(50 cards)
mitigate "The doctor gave me a prescription to mitigate MITIGATE the pain."
make less severe, serious, or painful
eloquence "The debutante's ELOQUENCE was shown during her speech to the club due to her numerous lessons in public speaking."
fluent or persuasive speaking or writing
attrition "Unfortunately, budget cuts are worsening the fire department's attrition problem."
gradual decrease in numbers
precipitate "The witch got people to purchase her magic potion by telling them the liquid would PRECIPITATE true love."
To cause something to happen very quickly or suddenly
abreast "I often go online to keep ABREAST of what my favorite celebrities are doing. "
Up to date with the latest news, ideas, or information
equivocal "Although I watched the entire film, I was still confused by the movie's EQUIVOCAL ending that contained many unanswered questions."
Not easily understood or explained
aptitude "Even as a toddler, Henry showed a remarkable APTITUDE for the piano and played music even professionals could not perform."
a natural ability to do something
volatile "Sending the police inside will only make the hostage situation more VOLATILE."
Likely to change rapidly and unpredictably
apposite "My daughter and I usually disagree about which clothing items are APPOSITE for school."
appropriate; fitting
lassitude "After the long race, Jack experienced a feeling of LASSITUDE"
a state of physical or mental weariness; lack of energy
touted "All doctors TOUT the benefits of eating nutritiously and exercising regularly."
publicly praised
corroboration "During the trial, the judge asked for CORROBORATION from anyone with proof that the defendant had stolen things in the past."
Evidence which confirms or supports a statement
auspicious "With such favorable weather conditions, it seemed a particularly auspicious moment to set sail."
favoring success; promising well for the future
ambidextrous One advantage of being an AMBIDEXTROUS tennis player is that if your right hand gets tired, you can just switch your racquet to your left hand.
able to use the left hand or the right equally well
profligate "Since she is a PROFLIGATE spender, Jill buys tons of items she never uses."
spending resources recklessly or wastefully
arduous "Last semester was a piece of cake, but taking seven classes along with an internship this semester is going to be ARDUOUS!"
Laborious; difficult
invigorate "Hopefully the energy drink will invigorate me so I can work all night on my paper."
give strength or energy to
lucid "When a person's temperature gets too high, he or she may not be LUCID and may have difficulty thinking."
easy to understand, clear; rational, sane
asperity "My mother spoke to me with asperity when I failed all of my classes."
harshness of manner
precursor "A movie preview is a standard PRECURSOR before the presentation of a feature film."
that which comes before; forerunner
enervate "The alcohol appeared to ENERVATE Jason's ability to focus at work."
To weaken; to sap energy from
ascetic "The ASCETIC man gave away his fortune and moved into a tiny one-bedroom apartment."
one who practices self-denial; abstainer
antidote "Because he was bit by a snake, they had to give him the ANTIDOTE so he would survive."
medicine used against a poison or a disease
apocryphal "The old man often shared APOCRYPHAL ghost stories with anyone who would listen"
Not authentic; invented rather than true
catalyst "Pete and Linda hoped their son's death would be the CATALYST for gun reform."
an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action
assiduous "The ASSIDUOUS students chose to work on their term paper instead of going out to play."
diligent; persistent
audacity "Only Frank had the AUDACITY to call our boss a bully."
Rash boldness; willingness to take risks; impudence; daring
astringent "Lemon has an astringent quality that makes my lips pucker when I taste it."
Harshly biting; slightly acidic or bitter
apprise "The caring manager was not happy to APPRISE his employees that their jobs were in jeopardy."
make aware of
assuage "In an effort to ASSUAGE angry customers, the store issued everyone a full refund."
Relieve or reduce in intensity; lessen pain
archaic "When I mentioned to my children that I still had videotapes, they were unfamiliar with the archaic movie format."
Characteristic of an earlier or more primitive time
braggart When the BRAGGART in our neighborhood got a sports car, he kept driving around so everyone would see his vehicle.
someone who boasts
congruities "Consulting the puzzle box for help, the boy figured out how the CONGRUITY of pieces were placed to make a complete picture."
A point of agreement
Appropriation
Taking possession of something for one's own use
approbation "With my mother's APPROBATION, I can sleep over at your house."
approval
contingent "The job offer was CONTINGENT upon the return of a clean background review."
Subject to chance; dependent on; representative group that makes up part of a gathering
arcane "This argument may seem ARCANE to those not closely involved in the world of finance."
Known only to the initiated; secret; mysterious
veracious ""Honest" Abraham Lincoln was known as a VERACIOUS president who stood for truth."
truthful
erudite "The room was full of erudite scholars who made the discussion on astronomy fun and interesting."
having or showing great knowledge or learning
articulate "A polished speaker, Jenna was able to ARTICULATE her points during any discussion."
Express coherently in words
gerontocracy "The aging Soviet leadership led to its being described as a GERONTOCRACY."
government ruled by old people
aspersion "After Helen was dumped by her boyfriend, she went online and posted an aspersion about him."
slanderous remark
attenuate "Doctors claim taking the flu vaccine will ATTENUATE the effects of the illness."
to weaken or lessen the severity, intensity, or value of something
apostate "When John challenged his church's views, the leaders began to see him as an APOSTATE."
one who abandons his or her religious faith or political beliefs
adorn George likes to ADORN his office with expensive paintings so that everyone knows how wealthy he is.
to add beauty; to decorate
autocratic "The AUTOCRATIC dictator ordered the deaths of people who opposed him
having absolute, unchecked power; dictatorial.
mendacity
deception
cacophony "Because the band had not practiced enough, their arrangement came across as a CACOPHONY instead of entertaining music."
a harsh, unpleasant combination of sounds or tones
atrophy "According to researchers, the lack of exercise causes muscles to ATROPHY and become feeble."
to waste away
assymetrical
not identical on both sides of a central line
Section 3
(50 cards)
bowdlerize "The writer has to BOWDLERIZE his offensive article if he wants it published in the Christian magazine."
expurgate by omitting portions considered vulgar; censor
cant "The CANT of hypocrites." "The older woman did not understand the modern CANT spoken by her grandchildren."
insincere expressions of piety; terminology of a particular class or profession
chasten "As a parent, I don't feel spanking is a good way to CHASTEN your kids."
correct by punishment or scolding
bode Does the high rate of unemployment BODE poorly for the economy?
be an omen of; foreshadow
chauvinist "A CHAUVINIST cannot recognize any faults in his or her country, no matter how obvious they may be."
a blindly devoted patriot
cabal "Hundreds of workers formed a CABAL to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the firm's healthcare plan"
small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interests
Clemency "In their letter to the governor, the victim's family asked him not to give CLEMENCY to their son's murderer."
Disposition to be lenient, especially to ease the severity of punishment.
brook "The dean would BROOK no interference with his disciplinary actions."
put up with; tolerate
carp "The company has a high turnover rate because the managers CARP and fault-find with all of the hourly employees."
complain petulantly, often about trivial points; grumble
Categorical "Though the captain claimed he was never, never sick at sea, he finally qualified his CATEGORICAL denial; he was 'hardly ever' sick at sea."
Absolute and explicit; without exceptions; unconditional
burgeon When the new factory is built, job opportunities are expected to BURGEON in our community.
develop rapidly; flourish
avid "Both Kate and Prince William are AVID tennis fans who have attended Wimbledon over the years."
enthusiastic; eager
bellicosity "Wakefulness, watchfulness, and BELLICOSITY make a good hunter."
natural inclination to fight
cajole "Diane tried to CAJOLE her father into letting her drive the family car."
persuade in the face of reluctance
belie "Janice hoped her smile would BELIE the sadness she felt."
give a false impression; contradict; disagree with
cavalier "Bryan will regret his CAVALIER attitude about studying when he fails to graduate on time."
Casual and offhand; arrogant
bane "Uncle Floyd always told us that he was a rascal as a kid, and the BANE of his mother's existence."
cause of ruin or misery
circumscribe "As soon as the dictator got into power, he immediately began to CIRCUMSCRIBE the rights of the people."
limit narrowly in range or activity
cardinal "If you want to increase your word power, the CARDINAL rule of vocabulary building is to read."
primary; main
charlatan "The CHARLATAN pretended to be a doctor so he could go into the hospital and steal prescription drugs."
Someone who pretends to have knowledge or an ability that he or she actually lacks; fraud
canon
collection or authoritative list of books; principle, frequently religious
betoken In college, a sock wrapped around the door knob serves to BETOKEN a roommate has a guest and does not wish to be disturbed.
be evidence of; indicate
bolster If I want to feel better about myself, I need to BOLSTER my self-esteem.
reinforce; strengthen
Aver "During the interrogation, the suspect did nothing but AVER his innocence."
assert confidently; affirm
Catharsis "Spokesperson for the TV industry discount the idea that viewing violence on television has a negative effect on behavior; some even suggest that, instead of stimulating violence, television programs may reduce it by providing a CATHARSIS that can purge viewers of their violent impulses"
Releasing and relieving (pent up emotions); cleansing; purgation
Chary "School districts are incredibly CHARY about hiring people with criminal backgrounds."
Prudently cautious; hesitant and watchful; sparing and restrained about giving
byzantine As Kyle walked through the BYZANTINE maze, he became more and more confused.
devious and complex
broach Candace was afraid to BROACH the subject of divorce to her abusive husband.
mention or make known for the first time; introduce
banal "While Carol's husband is a flashy dresser, she tends to be somewhat BANAL in her clothing choices."
lacking originality
chimerical "Although my grandfather was never in the military, he enjoys telling CHIMERICAL stories about his many wartime battles."
fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic
bombastic "If you want to sell your energy drink, then you must use BOMBASTIC claims in your commercials."
pretentious and long-winded; using inflated language
axiom "Unfortunately, the dictator runs his country on the AXIOM 'might makes right'"
Rule or principle accepted as true
caustic "The chemical was so CAUSTIC that it ate through the pipe."
Able to burn, dissolve, or corrode by chemical action; bitingly sarcastic
coalescence "Disappointed by the COALESCENCE among the union members, the boss demanded that they disband their group and get back to work."
joining together to form a whole
balk "Because Colleen will always BALK at commitment, I'm afraid she's always going to be single."
stop short, as if faced by an obstacle, and refuse to continue
blatant When the judge heard the defendant's BLATANT lie, he became very angry.
extremely obvious
Beneficence The starting of the college scholarship fund was an expression of BENEFICENCE by the generous giver.
active doing of good works; generosity
burnish "The maid BURNISHed the brass fixtures until they gleamed in the lamplight."
make shiny by rubbing; polish
buttress "To BUTTRESS his lecture, Dr. Wren prepared a PowerPoint presentation of fifty slides."
shore up with a support; increase the strength of or justification for
autonomous "Teachers aim to help children become AUTONOMOUS learners."
Politically or personally independent
belabor "If the author hadn't taken up so much space to BELABOR his viewpoint on the politics of the time, the novel would have been shorter and easier to read."
explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree
Cavil "Since my boss does not like me, he is always looking for a reason to CAVIL about my work."
Find unnecessary fault with; be picky about
capricious "Since he started taking the medication, Henry has been less CAPRICIOUS."
impulsive and unpredictable
chicanery "You can smell the CHICANERY from a dishonest politician."
trickery to deceive someone
candor "When Terri asked Tom how she looked, she was hoping for compliments, not CANDOR."
open honesty; frankness
circumlocution "To sell his company's products, the sly salesman used CIRCUMLOCUTION to avoid directly answering the woman's questions."
unnecessarily wordy and indirect speech
blithe The rebellious teenager was BLITHE about her failing grades.
merry in disposition; free of anxieties; carefree
baleful "When we approached the frightened dog, it gave us a BALEFUL growl."
threatening harm or misfortune; having a malign influence; deadly; ominous
charismatic "Because the traveling salesman was very charismatic, he could always persuade people to purchase his goods."
Compellingly charming
calumny "Although Charles does not personally like Henry, he is not the type of person to spread a CALUMNY about his enemy."
malicious misrepresentation; slander; defamatory statement
Section 4
(50 cards)
curmudgeon My neighbor is a CURMUDGEON who keeps the soccer balls that accidentally come into his yard.
bad-tempered, grouchy individual
concerted "Because of the CONCERTED effort of the allied forces, the war quickly came to an end."
mutually agreed on; done together
Profane "Because the comic's jokes were PROFANE and offensive to our religion, we left the show early."
vulgar and inappropriate
Countenance "Her father won't countenance her marrying a foreigner."
put up with
contrite "Miss Post recommends that, in writing a note of apology, one should sound properly CONTRITE."
deeply sorry
Coda "Because it is the concluding passage of the speech, the CODA is the most well-remembered part."
concluding section of a musical or literary composition; something that rounds out, summarizes, or concludes
decorum "As a boy, the butler attended an etiquette school so he would know the decorum used by society's upper class."
appropriateness in behavior; orderliness and good taste in manner
cogency "The attorney argues with a COGENCY that could convince any jury of his client's innocence."
quality of being clear, logical, and persuasive
convention "Young people often kick against CONVENTION."
social or moral custom; established practice
affectation "My mother does not realize buying a pricey new dress to attend a party is an AFFECTATION to impress strangers."
fake or artificial behavior, often meant to impress or conceal the truth
Commodious "After sleeping in small roadside cabins that had barely room for their backpacks, they found their hotel suite quite COMMODIOUS."
spacious and comfortable
tawdry "Although Aunt Eloise had lots of money, she always wore such tawdry jewelry."
cheap and poor in appearance or quality
complaisant "During the flight, I was lucky enough to have an attendant who was friendly and COMPLAISANT and made sure all my needs were met."
eager to please
abscond "The greedy accountant was caught at the airport before he could ABSCOND with the company's profits."
escape into hiding; to leave quickly and hide to avoid punishment
bucolic "Even though I was born in the city, I still prefer the quiet of a small bucolic village any day."
pastoral, rustic, countryfied
consistency His views lack consistency: one day he's a conservative, the next he's a liberal.
absence of contradictions
cursory "He signed with only a cursory glance at the report."
hastily done; not thorough
Complement Because Jim is a serious man who always thinks before he acts, he is the perfect COMPLEMENT for Lisa who lives by her impulses."
provide something lacking for completion
condone "While we CONDONE free speech, we do not condone slander."
treat as if harmless or unimportant
daunt "Although we thought the amount of work left to do might DAUNT her, she refused to be come discouraged and resolutely settled down to complete the job."
dishearten, intimidate
aggrandize "The dictator sought to AGGRANDIZE himself by new conquests."
make great or greater in power, rank, honor, or wealth; increase
deleterious "Because I know alcohol is deleterious, I rarely drink more than one glass of wine."
injurious to health
definitive "As soon as the doctor gave a definitive diagnosis, the nurse began the patient's treatment"
providing a final complete answer
convoluted "I had a hard time understanding the movie's CONVOLUTED plot."
highly complex
Commensurate "A punishment of 10 years in prison with hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread is not COMMENSURATE with the crime."
corresponding in extent, degree, amount, etc.
ailurophile "The neighborhood children only saw the ailurophile as a nutty cat lady."
a person who loves cats
compliant (2) "If your restaurant does not become COMPLIANT with the health department codes, it will be closed down."
conforming to requirements; meeting official obligations
connoisseur "Louis is a CONNOISSEUR of fine art and rarely misses an exhibit at the art museum."
person competent to act as a judge of art, etc.; person with discriminating taste
abscission "ABSCISSION of leaves occurs during autumn, before winter sets in."
the natural shedding of parts of a plant
Accede "Because Jack wants to make his wife happy on their anniversary, he will ACCEDE to wear a tuxedo for their dinner date."
to agree with someone or give in to his or her wish
abase "I will not remain married to a man who tries to ABASE me in order to make me feel worthless!"
behave in a way that belittles or degrades someone
sanguine "Despite the fact the soldiers have not been home in eight months, they are still sanguine about seeing their families soon."
optimistic, hopeful, or confident about the future
Correlation "Studies have shown there is a strong CORRELATED between cancer and smoking"
mutual or reciprocal relationship
picayune "While twenty dollars may seem like a picayune sum to you, it is a fortune to a starving person."
insignificant; small
Sagacious "I saw this sagacious dog on television that could add and subtract numbers!"
intelligent; showing good judgement
concurrent "Since my anniversary and my mother-in-law's birthday are both on August 12, the two events are CONCURRENT."
taking place at the same time
Converge "Every year, my family chooses to CONVERGE in Georgia from all around the United States for our family reunion."
come together
confound "If the nurse does not read the labels, she will confound the medications and possibly harm patients."
confuse
Cognizant "Since you have never had a baby, there is no way you could be COGNIZANT of labor pains."
aware of
contention When the seniors could not decide on a venue for the prom, their contention had to be moderated by a faculty advisor.
point argued in a debate; struggle
abdicate "The young prince became king after his older brother decided to ABDICATE the throne."
to give up a position, right, or power
anoint "Using holy oil, the pastor placed his hands on the woman's head in order to ANOINT her."
to choose for a particular office or position; to use oil on a person in a religious ceremony
craven "Josh is such a CRAVEN individual that he did not bother to stand up for his wife when a stranger attacked her."
contemptibly cowardly
compliant (1) "The teacher was shocked when her normally rebellious class became COMPLIANT."
willing to obey
ludicrous "The gigantic yellow hat looked LUDICROUS on the man's tiny head."
something viewed as humorous because of its ridiculousness
compendium "The book is nothing more than a compendium of the author's rants against the government."
comprehensive though brief summary of a larger work
contentious "As a rule, I tend to avoid CONTENTIOUS topics of conversation which might lead to arguments"
involving argument or strife
Renege "Although my father made a promise to extend my curfew, he later decided to RENEGE upon his word and ordered me home by eleven."
to not fulfill a promise
comprise "Women and children COMPRISE seventy percent of the hospital's patients"
be made up of
Credulity "Tom's astounding credulity led him to believe that the world really is flat."
readiness to believe on the basis of weak or uncertain evidence
Section 5
(50 cards)
diffidence "Because Sarah had never sung in public before, she was diffident about trying out for the talent show."
lack of self-confidence
dissonance
jarring, inharmonious sound
divine
perceive intuitively or through an insight
allay "A good teacher will work hard to allay the concerns of a new student."
to lessen the intensity of; to calm; to quench, particularly in terms of thirst
dogmatic "Because he refused to listen to others, everyone considered the politician to be too DOGMATIC."
positive in asserting one's opinion (especially when it is unwarranted)
efficacy "Because the drug is new and untried on humans, volunteers are being recruited to test its EFFICACY."
power to bring about a desired effect
abhor "We ABHOR violence against others and respect everyone, regardless of a person's race, color and creed."
to find repugnant, or to shrink back with dislike or horror
duplicity "Because Amanda is such a good liar, it is always hard to recognize her duplicity."
dishonest behavior that is intended to trick someone
acme "At her ACME, the singer was making over thirty million dollars a year."
the highest peak that is reachable
eclectic "The restaurant's menu was ECLECTIC and included foods from a number of ethnic groups and cultures."
composed of elements drawn from a variety of sources
ersatz "The dishonest street vendor tried to pass off his ersatz purses as designer goods"
serving as a substitute; synthetic; artificial
Derisive "The bully let out a DERISIVE laugh when mocking his classmate's nerdy glasses."
scornfully mocking
harangue "The candidate's speech was nothing but a HARANGUE against his opponent."
lecture (someone) at length in an aggressive and critical manner
disinterested
without any selfish motive or interest
deride "Because the book was written so poorly, the critic had no choice but to DERIDE the book's author in the review."
express contempt for; ridicule.
ebullient "Charlie's EBULLIENT attitude made him a favorite in the office"
overflowing with high spirits; showing excitement
canard "In order to sell magazines, the tabloid will knowingly print a canard that is not supported by facts."
a false or baseless, usually derogatory story, report, or rumor.
ardor "Even though I enjoy playing tennis, I do not have the ardor for it that would lead me to play the sport professionally."
great warmth of feeling; passion
impugn "An atheist is quick to IMPUGN the concept of a higher power."
dispute the truth, validity, or honesty of (a statement or motive); call into question
dormant
marked by a lack of activity; temporarily quiet, as if sleeping
embellish "The costume designer EMBELLISHED the leading lady's ball gown with yards and yards of ribbon and lace."
make more beautiful; make a story more interesting by adding (generally fictitious) details
excoriate "The church elders have no choice but to publicly EXCORIATE the young minister who was convicted of selling drugs."
censure or criticize severely.
actuate "To ACTUATE the marathon, the race supervisor will fire the starting gun."
to trigger a movement or action
diatribe "Even though Janice tried to control her temper in court, she found herself unable to hold in a DIATRIBE about her spouse."
a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something
acclivity "We scrambled up the acclivity to view the setting sun."
an upward slope
histrionic "Whenever the spoiled toddler does not get her way, she begins to yell in a HISTRIONIC manner."
overly dramatic or emotional
agile "Since the thief was so AGILE, it made it difficult to track his movements."
able to move quickly and easily
gainsay "It is impossible to GAINSAY the importance of a good education in today's competitive job market."
to declare to be untrue or invalid; contradict; oppose
abet "The photo editing software is sure to ABET my odds of winning the photo competition."
to encourage or support a behavior or action
dichotomy "Nature or nurture is a dichotomy which has long been debated by scholars."
branding into two parts (especially contradictory or mutually opposed parts)
arraign "His lawyer was not present when the suspect was set to arraign."
to command a prisoner or free person accused of a crime to appear in court to answer a charge
elicit "The photographer made funny faces in an attempt to ELICIT a smile from his shy subject."
draw out (a response or reaction
affray "What began as a simple squabble between friends turned into an affray among several people."
a disruptive fight
dissemble "The con man did his best to dissemble his real motives from the wealthy widow."
to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression
atone "Maggie is trying to ATONE for her bad behavior last night by acting like an angel today."
make amends or reparation
disabuse
free someone from an erroneous belief or false impression
Denigrate "Because Kate is jealous of Marie's popularity with the boys, she often attempts to DENIGRATE Marie by spreading false rumors."
attack the reputation of or deny the importance of
equivocate "When things are not going Margie's way, she will often twist the truth and equivocate to put things in her favor."
to use unclear language especially to deceive or mislead someone
distend
expand; swell out
effrontery "When his boss told Frank that she was firing him for laziness and insubordination, he had the EFFRONTERY to ask for a letter of recommendation."
shameless boldness
affinity "Phil and Beatrice displayed an AFFINITY for one another, making us suspect that they would eventually marry."
a natural liking or attraction for someone or something
disparage "As a middle school teacher, I witness students verbally DISPARAGE each other on a daily basis."
regard or represent as being of little worth; belittle
derivative "Because the film is a derivative of a novel, it cannot be entered into the original screenplay competition."
lacking in originality; an object or idea that is produced from something else
disparate
fundamentally different; entirely unlike
desiccate "The old sailor's skin has desiccated from years of being out in the sun and the wind."
remove the moisture from (something); cause to become completely dry
edify "According to my therapist, the best way for me to EDIFY my mind is by spending a small portion of my day in personal reflection."
instruct in moral matters; benefit spiritually
dilatory
tending to procrastinate or cause delay
didactic "The purpose of the didactic presentation was to teach us all about the dangers of cigarette smoking."
intended to teach or convey information
abash "The officer tried to ABASH the inmates, humiliating them and treating them like dogs."
to humiliate someone and make them feel embarrassed or ashamed
decry "In the movie, the minister took every opportunity to DECRY dancing and loud music and eventually both activities were banned in the town"
publicly denounce as damaging or bad
Section 6
(50 cards)
tyro "You may be a TYRO at golf now, but with time and practice, you will master the sport."
a beginner
emulate "I would rather you find your own voice and not emulate your favorite singer."
attempt to equal or outdo
exigency
pressing needs or demands; state of requiring immediate attention
empirical "Our data is based on empirical evidence collected in numerous studies."
based on experience; verifiable by experiment or observation
extrapolation
inference based on known facts
ephemeral "Because of her ephemeral memory, she forgets things all the time!"
lasting only a short time
sonorous "I wear earplugs so my husband's SONOROUS snoring does not keep me awake at night."
producing a deep or full sound
arrant "All of the rumors that are being spread about Chloe are nothing but arrant rubbish"
complete, total, or utter
chaos
condition of confusion or unpredictability
euphemism "Although Jim used a euphemism to disguise his thoughts on his wife's adultery, everyone still knew exactly what he meant."
mild expression in place of an unpleasant one
anathema "He was an ANATHEMA to his entire town once it was revealed that he had been a secret police informant."
something that is strongly disliked or disapproved; someone who is cursed or shunned
boisterous "If these boisterous dogs do not settle down and stop barking so much, I will send them to the pound."
loud, noisy, rough, lacking restraint
auspice "As long as we were working under the auspices of the local authorities, the villagers were extremely cooperative; once we headed out on her way, however, we found that no one wanted to talk to us."
protection or support; patronage
engender "Some people believe violent video games engender feelings of hostility in young people."
cause to exist
endemic "While malaria is rarely seen in the United States, it is endemic to several tropical countries."
prevalent in a particular region or among a particular group
arabesque "The arabesque stone monument was crafted with graceful, intricate designs."
complex, ornate design
august "Everyone wanted the chance to dine with the AUGUST president."
majestic
exemplar
ideal model
epitome "Because our mayor is the epitome of a good citizen, he has been in office for over ten years."
perfect example or embodiment
equanimity "His equanimity allowed him to keep a clear head and escape the burning building."
calmness of temperament
beatify "She was described in such a glowing way; every single quality she possessed was BEATIFIED."
to make blissfully happy
exact "In feudal times, landowners EXACTED heart payments from their peasants in both goods and labor."
call for or demand, often forcibly
exacerbate "If you do not take your medicine, you condition will exacerbate, and you will feel worse."
increase or intensify the severity of
alloy "Alloy wheels are made from a mixture of other metals, making them tougher."
mix
bent "Mike's BENT for self-destructive behavior worries his friends."
tendency
artless "After dancing ballet for twenty years, the artless grace from the veteran ballerina was done with ease on the stage."
simple and natural
antithetical "The bill has not passed parliament because the conservative party is antithetical to the liberal party's proposal."
in direct contrast to an idea; in opposition of
augury "The gloomy music in the movie scene was an augury of an upcoming tragedy."
an omen or prophecy
bridling
to control or hold back, restrain
blandish
to coax by using flattery
exonerate
clear from blame
cadge
sponge, beg, or mooch
bedizen
adorn, especially in a cheap, showy manner
Apotheosis "When she walked down the aisle in her wedding gown, everyone thought she was the apotheosis of beauty."
perfect example of something
boor
a rude or insensitive person
exegesis "After listening to the author's exegesis of his latest book, I realized I had completely missed the theme of the novel."
critical interpretation, especially of biblical passages
Encomium "After William wrote an encomium applauding all the improvements that the principal had made at the school, he offered to read it to the crowd at the retirement party."
high praise; formal tribute
exculpate
clear from blame
adumbrate "With assistance from the victim, the sketch artist will adumbrate a picture of the robbery suspect."
to foreshadow vaguely; outline sketchily
eulogize "Ashley thought it a great idea to eulogize her heroic uncle with a poem."
praise highly; give or write a laudatory speech
arrest "Sometime I think my brother's emotional development was ARRESTED at a young age; he often acts like a five year old."
to suspend; to engage
esoteric "Eric made an esoteric joke that only he and his brother understood."
known only to the chosen few (and therefore mysteries)
causality
the relationship between cause and effect
censure
criticize severely; officially rebuke
carnality
pertaining to or characterized by the flesh or the body
apogee "The hikers reached the APOGEE of the mountain at sunset and were glad to start descent the following day."
the highest point
alchemy "In the story the fairy godmother used ALCHEMY to turn the pumpkin into a fine carriage."
a magical or wonderful transformation
canny
careful, cautious, knowing
anodyne "Don't you agree that nothing is quite so ANODYNE as a long soak in a bubble bath?"
soothing
enumerate "Huck hung his head in shame as Miss Watson ENUMERATED his many faults."
mention one by one; spell out
Section 7
(9 cards)