Section 1
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travesty
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Last updated
6 years ago
Date created
Mar 14, 2020
Cards (200)
Section 1
(50 cards)
travesty
mockery
refractory
Stubbornly disobedient, hard to manage
deferential
respectful
pernicious
(adj.) extremely harmful; deadly, fatal
deleterious
(adj.) harmful, injurious
galvanize
To startle into sudden activity
ascetic
One who leads a life of self-denial and contemplation; absent of luxury
inimical
Hostile, adverse, harmful
specious
(adj.) deceptive, apparently good or valid but lacking real merit
inveterate
(adj.) firmly established, long-standing; habitual
mawkish
excessively sentimental
harangue
noisy, attacking speech
ephemeral
Lasting a short time
gall
rude, impertinent, bitter anger
recondite
Difficult to understand
precipitous
done in a hurry OR very steep
didactic
intended to teach; inclined to teach excessively
abstruse
difficult to understand; obscure
largess
generous giving (as of money) to others who may seem inferior
spurious
Not genuine; false
quotidian
occurring daily; commonplace
iconoclastic
attacking cherished traditions
intrepid
fearless
polemic
controversy; argument; verbal attack
gainsay
Declare false, deny; oppose
intransigent
Refusing to compromise
gossamer
(adj.) thin, light, delicate, insubstantial; (n.) a very thin, light cloth
torpor
extreme mental and physical sluggishness
provincial
Unsophisticated
dogmatic
dictatorial in one's opinions
reticent
Quiet
sycophant
a self-serving flatterer; yes-man
austere
severe or stern in appearance; undecorated
propitious
Favorable, giving good signs for the future, likely to work out; kind or forgiving
apochryphal
false, spurious, of doubtful origin
arcane
Known or understood by only a few
circumscribe
limit
soporific
causing sleep or lethargy
winsome
(adj.) charming, attractive, pleasing (often suggesting a childlike charm and innocence)
languid
(adj.) drooping; without energy, sluggish
pedestrian
Ordinary, dull, commonplace, lacking imagination
tortuous
Twisting, winding, complex; devious, not straightforward
equivocal
Ambiguous; intentionally misleading
querlous
complaining; grumbling
hegemony
the domination of one state or group over its allies
repudiate
To reject the validity of
pedantic
boringly scholarly or academic OR narrow focus on trivial
prescience
foreknowledge of events; knowing of events prior to their occurring
discrete
Distinct, separate
laconic
Using few words
Section 2
(50 cards)
nonplussed
bewildered
harried
To be troubled or bothered
prosaic
(adj.) dull, lacking in distinction and originality; matter-of-fact, straightforward; characteristic of prose, not poetic
turpitude
depravity, moral corruption
reprobate
A morally unprincipled person
posit
assume as fact
precipitate
to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation; hasty, rash
churlish
(adj.) lacking politeness or good manners; lacking sensitivity; difficult to work with or deal with; rude
fractious
unruly; rebellious
capricious
Changing one's mind quickly and often
chary
wary; cautious; sparing
beg
assume something is true
expansive
adjective: communicative, and prone to talking in a sociable manne
sedulous
(adj.) persistent, diligent
ponderous
Heavy and slow moving
erudite
Scholarly
perfunctory
done in a routine way; indifferent
limpid
clear, transparent
saturnine
gloomy; sluggish
arch
deliberately teasing
catholic
Universal, broad-minded
supercilious
Arrogant, disdainful
anathema
(n.) an object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denunciation (often used adjectivally without the article)
esoteric
Intended for or understood by only a small group
askance
look with suspicion, distrust, or disapproval
overweening
excessively arrogant; overbearing
untoward
not favorable, troublesome, unruly
exegesis
scholarly explanation or interpretation
factious
causing disagreement, dissension
vicissitude
a change or variation; ups and downs
nadir
Lowest point
feckless
adjective: lazy and irresponsible
depravity
moral corruption
efficacious
Effective, producing results
truculent
fierce and cruel; eager to fight
apostate
one who renounces a religious faith
choleric
Easily angered
indignant
Feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment
kowtow
verb: to bow or act in a subservient manne
attenuate
to reduce in force or degree; to weaken
propitiate
to conciliate; to appease
profuse
(adj.) very abundant; given or flowing freely
demure
(adj.) sober or serious in manner, modest
dilatory
intended to delay
alacrity
Cheerful or speedy willingness, eagerness
cow
to intimidate
arrant
(adj.) thoroughgoing, out-and-out; shameless, blatant
screed
noun: an abusive rant (often tedious)
mendacity
untruthfulness
byzantine
extremely intricate or complicated in structure.
Section 3
(50 cards)
benighted
unenlightened, ignorant
redoubtable
awe-inspiring; worthy of honor or fear
venial
easily excused; pardonable
excoriate
scold with biting harshness; censure strongly; strip the skin off
expurgate
(v.) to remove objectionable passages or words from a written text; to cleanse, purify
maunder
to talk or move aimlessly, mutter
primacy
The state of being first or most important
Pollyannaish
extremely optimistic
phantasmagorical
adjective: illusive; unreal
provident
providing for future need, frugal
tendentious
leaning toward a controversial view
palimpsest
the vague traces of previous something can be seen
apotheosis
elevation to divine status; the perfect example of something
impecunious
poor; having no money
protean
versatile
importune
ask urgently
sangfroid
composure or coolness, especially in trying circumstances
vituperate
to abuse verbally; berate
mettlesome
full of courage and fortitude
bilious
bad tempered; cross
remonstrate
(v.) to argue or plead with someone against something, protest against, object to
sartorial
pertaining to tailors
quixotic
idealistic, impractical
sybarite
Person devoted to pleasure and luxury
schadenfruede
taking pleasure in the pain of others
imbroglio
difficult or embarrassing situation
fell
adjective: terribly evil
sanguine
(adj) cheerfully optimistic, hopeful; reddish, ruddy (as in rosy-red cheeks indicating health or vitality)
jejune
immature OR lacking flavor
sententious
adjective: to be moralizing, usually in a pompous sense
mulct
verb: to defraud or swindle
raconteur
witty, skillful storyteller
hagiographic
adjective: excessively flattering toward someone's life or work
anodyne
something that calms or soothes pain; inoffensive
quisling
traitor
pyrrhic
A win that cost so much as to not even be worth it; an ancient Greek warlike dance.
execrate
curse; express abhorrence for; detest
cupidity
Greed
illustrious
(adj.) very famous, distinguished
approbatory
Expressing approval.
peremptory
Dictatorial
hedge
Avoid commitment by leaving provisions for withdrawal or changing one's mind; protect a bet by also betting on the other side
recapitulation
a summary
blinkered
adjective: to have a limited outlook or understanding, myopic
arriviste
noun: a person who has recently reached a position of power; a social climber
invective
abusive language
factitious
produced artificially; not genuine
histrionic
Overly dramatic, theatrical
parvenu
noun: a person who has suddenly become wealthy, but not socially accepted as part of a higher class
malapropism
a word humorously misused
Section 4
(50 cards)