Studied by 37 people
rebarbitive
(adj) disgusting/offensive
miscreant
(n) a vicious person
cosmopolitan
(adj) worldly; sophisticated
provincial
(adj) limited in knowledge of the world; narrow-minded
trepidation
(n) a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen
machination
(n) a crafty, scheming, or underhanded action designed to accomplish some (usually evil) end
redress
(v) to set right, remedy; relief from wrong or injury
dotage
(n) the period of life in which a person is old and weak
fop
(n) an excessively fashion-conscious person/a foolish/silly person
halcyon
(adj) calm, peaceful
penury (adj: penurious)
(n) extreme poverty
chicanery
(n) deception by means of craft or guile
subterfuge
(n) an excuse or trick for escaping or hiding something
importune
(v) beg persistently and urgently
sophistry
(n) a deliberately deceptive or misleading argument
jubilant
(adj) extremely joyful, happy
incubus
(n) a male demon believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women
succubus
(n) a female demon believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping men
specious
(adj) deceptively attractive
internecine
(adj) mutually destructive; characterized by great slaughter and bloodshed
oeillade
(n) an amorous glance; ogle
ribald
(adj) humorous in a vulgar way
sine qua non
(n) an essential or indispensable element or condition
oeuvre
(n) the life work of an artist, composer, or writer
pernicious
(adj) extremely harmful; deadly, fatal
circumspect
(adj) careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences
peccadillo
(n) a slight offense; a minor sin
sartorial
(adj) of/relating to clothes
probity
(n) adherence to the highest principles & ideals
catharsis (adj: cathartic)
(n) purification/purgation of the emotions (as pity & fear), primarily through art
turgid
(adj) excessively embellished in style/language
surfeit
(n) an overabundant supply
arriviste
(n) one that is a new and uncertain arrival (up-and-coming)
kibitz
(v) look on and offer unwelcome advice ("backseat drivers")
caprice
(n) a sudden change in mood/behaviour
ductile
(adj) easily persuaded
complaisant
(adj) marked by an inclination to please or oblige
mien
(n) air or bearing especially as expressive of attitude or personality
pique
multi def
(n) a transient feeling of wounded vanity (hurt ego)
(v) to arouse/excite thru provocation
(v) having pride in oneself
celerity
(n) rapidity of motion or action; swift
condescension
(n) an affability to one's inferiors w/ courteous disregard of difference of rank/position
tete-a-tete
(n) a private conversation between two people
hauteur
(n) arrogance, haughtiness
panegyric
(n) a eulogistic oration or writing; formal or elaborate praise
hackneyed
(adj) lacking freshness or originality
assiduous
(adj) marked by careful unremitting [means never relaxing] attention or persistent application
officious
(adj) volunteering one's services where they are neither asked nor needed; meddlesome
profligacy (adj: profligate)
(n) extravagantly wasteful
obeisance
(n) acknowledgment of another's superiority/importance; a movement of the body expressing deep respect;
prepossessing
(adj) tending to create a favorable/attractive impression
chagrin
(n) distress of mind caused by humiliation, disappointment, or failure (can be a verb too)
dissipation
(n) excessive drinking
rectitude
(n) moral integrity [sim. to probity]
dilatory
(adj) tending/intending to cause delay; chrtzd by procrastination
obtrude
(v) to force or impose (as oneself or one's ideas) without warrant or request
sanguine
(adj) optimistic, confident, or cheerful
decamp
(v) to depart suddenly
licentious
lacking legal/moral restraints; disregard of rules
invective
(n) an abusive expression or speech
repair
(v) to betake oneself, as in go to a place
affable
(adj) being pleasant and at ease in talking to others; characterized by ease and friendliness
petulant
(adj) characterized by temporary or capricious ill humor [crankiness]
repine
(v) to feel/express discontent; longing for something
sagacious (n: sagacity)
(adj) having or showing keen perception or discernment and sound judgment, foresight
purport
(v) to have the often specious appearence of being, intending, or claiming ("his letter was purported to be about his mom")
denouement
(n) the final outcome of a literary work.complex sequence events
gauche
(adj) lacking social experience/grace; clumsy; or means rude
nascent
(adj) coming/having recently into existence
philistine
(n) a person who is guided by materialism and is disdainful of intellectual or artistic values
supercilious
(adj) coolly and patronizingly haughty; someone who looks down on others
expurgate (syn: bowdlerize)
(v) to cleanse of smth. morally harmful, offensive, or erroneous; esp. to expunge objectionable parts from before publication or presentation (editing offensive text out of books)
bowdlerize (syn: expurgate)
(v) to expurgate (such as a book) by omitting or modifying parts considered vulgar; to modify by abridging, simplifying, or distorting in style or content
raconteur (raconteuse)
(n) a person who excels in telling anecdotes
epithet
- (n) a characterizing word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a person or thing
- (n) a disparaging or abusive word or phrase
fait accompli
(n) a thing accomplished and presumably irreversible
histrionic(s)
(adj) deliberately affected: overly dramatic or emotional: in a THEATRICAL manner
[plural] (n) deliberate display of emotion for effect
perfidy/perfidious (adj)
(n) the quality or state of being faithless or disloyal
harbinger
(n) one that presages/foreshadows what is to come
reconnoitre
(v) to engage in reconnaissance
saturnine
(adj) of a gloomy/surly disposition
taphonomy
(n) the study of decay/burial
weltanschauung
(n) a comprehensive conception or apprehension of the world especially from a specific standpoint : WORLDVIEW
sybarite
(n) a person devoted to luxury/pleasure
wunderkind
(n) one who succeeds in some field @ an early age [esp. at a younger age]
sepulchre
(n) a place of burial
enfant terrible
(n) a usually young and successful person who is strikingly unorthodox, innovative, or avant-garde
numinous
(adj) filled with a sense of the presence of divinity; holy
avant garde
(n) an intelligentsia that develops new or experimental concepts especially in the arts
vitriolic
(adj) extremely sharp/caustic/scathing; bitterly ill-natured/malignant
clandestine
(adj) marked by/held-in/conducted w/ secrecy
Machiavellian
(adj) marked by cunning, duplicity, or bad faith
lauche
(adj) not reputable/decent
cupidity
(n) inordinate desire for wealth; greed
zeiteist
(n) the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era
effete
(adj) having lost character, vitality, or strength
baroque
(adj) characterized by grotesqueness, extravagance, complexity, or flamboyance
salubrious
(adj) favorable to or promoting health or well-being
panache
(n) dash or flamboyance in style and action
resplendent
(adj) shining brilliantly; characterized by a glowing splendor
redolent
(adj) exuding fragrance/strongly reminiscent or suggestive of.
Note 
Flashcard (52)