Vocabulary Flashcards: Key Words and Definitions for Advanced English

badinage (d)

playful, teasing talk

badinage (s)

What began as __________ quickly escalated to cutting insults.

debauchery (d)

corruption; self-indulgence

debauchery (s)

Sam was once wealthy, but a life of gambling and __________ left him with nothing.

necromancy (d)

magic, especially that practiced by a witch

necromancy (s)

Puritans often executed people who had supposedly practiced _________.

blandishment (d)

flattery

blandishment (s)

The salesman's ___________ did not convince me to buy the expensive watch.

fastidious (d)

hard to please; fussy

fastidious (s)

My neighbor is a _________ housekeeper.

halcyon (d)

calm; pleasant

halcyon (s)

The severe windstorm interrupted the otherwise _______ week.

malapropism (d)

a word humorously misused

malapropism (s)

He used a __________ when he said "conspire" in place of "inspire".

garner (d)

to gather; to acquire

garner (s)

During the fall harvest, extra workers were hired to _______ the crops.

kismet (d)

destiny; fate; fortune (one's lot in life)

kismet (s)

She thought it was ______ for her to be a veterinarian until she failed her biology lab.

hegira (d)

flight, escape

hegira (s)

The flooding caused a mass ____ from the city.

paradigm (d)

a model; an example

paradigm (s)

The class regarded Kate as a ____ of good manners.

ambiance (d)

the mood or quality of

ambiance (s)

The _____ of the Alaskan cabin inspired the poet much more than his cramped apartment in town did.

regress (d)

to move backward

regress (s)

If he took the job offer, Tim felt that his career might _______ rather than move forward.

bilious (d)

bad tempered; cross

bilious (s)

No one could stand being in the same room with Sam when was in a _____ mood.

gumption (d)

courage and initiative; common sense

gumption (s)

It takes a lot of _____ to succeed in his fast-paced society.

salutary (d)

healthful; wholesome

salutary (s)

The country air had a ______ influence on the child's chronic cough.

empathy (d)

an understanding of another's feelings

empathy (s)

The same thing happened to me once, so I felt _______ for the person whose car broke down on the interstate.

redundant (d)

repetitious; using more words than needed

redundant (s)

Saying that a person is a rich millionaire is ________.

impinge (d)

to encroach; to trespass

impinge (s)

Do not ______ on your neighbors by walking in uninvited.

brevity (D)

briefness; short duration

brevity (s)

the _______ of the candidate's speech surprised everyone.

nirvana (d)

a condition of great peace or happiness

nirvana (s)

After work, Irene sought ____ through meditation

animosity (d)

hatred

animosity (s)

There was more _____ between the opposing teams' fans than between the teams themselves.

despicable (d)

contemptible; hateful

despicable (s)

Only a _____cad would behave so horribly.

harlequin (d)

a clown

harlequin (s)

The king summoned the ________ to entertain the dinner guests.

savant (d)

a person of extensive learning; an eminent scholar

savant (s)

Einstein was a _______ who will always be remembered for E=mc^2.

obsequious (d)

excessively submissive or overly attentive

obsequious (s)

The waiter's ________ behavior annoyed the patrons at the expensive restaurant.

offal (D)

garbage; waste parts

offal (s)

No one wanted the task of carrying the _____ from the butcher shop to the trash container.

hoi polloi (d)

the common people; the masses

hoi polloi (s)

The ______ of ancient Rome loved to watch the Christians fight the lions.

lascivious (d)

lustful or lewd

lascivious (s)

His ______ smile disgusted the other people the room

cataract (d)

a large waterfall

cataract (s)

Because of the _______ in that part of the river, you can't put a canoe in the water.

recoil (d)

to retreat; to draw back

recoil (s)

Liz _______ from the harsh words as though she had be struck.

orthography (d)

correct spelling

orthography (s)

Anne's excellent spelling grades are testament to her grasp of _________.

endemic (d)

confined to a particular country or area

endemic (s)

Once it had been _______ to Africa, but now it is becoming a world-wide epidemic.

aggrandize (d1)

to increase the range of; to expand

aggrandize (d2)

to make appear larger

aggrandize (s)

Much of what they did was not intended to aid their country, but to ________ their own positions.

saturnine (d)

gloomy; sluggish

saturnine (s)

The hostess's _________ attitude caused the party to end early.

paleontology (d)

a science dealing with prehistoric life through the study of fossils

paleontology (s)

The expert in _________ dated the skeleton to 2000 BC.

shibboleth (d)

a word or pronunciation that distinguishes someone as of a particular group

shibboleth (s)

Pronouncing "creek" and "crick" is a ______ of people in mid-Atlantic states.

bombast (d)

impressive but meaningless language

bombast (s)

Please, professor, spare the ______; just give me the facts.

panache (d)

self-confidence; a showy manner

panache (s)

The actor always exhibited great _______, so his first appearance on the talk show didn't make him the least bit nervous.

mendacious (d)

lying; false; deceitful

mendacious (s)

Everyone knew the politician was ________, yet the voters kept re-electing him.

obviate (d)

to prevent; to get around

obviate (s)

The delayed the release of the film in order to ______ a barrage of criticism.

paroxysm (d)

a sudden outburst; a fit

paroxysm (s)

The class stopped its ________ of laughter and went silent as soon as the principal walked into the room.

deign (d)

to lower oneself before an inferior

deign (s)

"After what she did to me, I would not ______ to say hello to her," said Mary about her former best friend.

flaunt (d)

to show off

flaunt (s)

Some people ______ their wealth by buying islands.

elicit (d)

to draw forth; to call forth

elicit (s)

The attorney tried to ______ a response from his client, but the man remained silent.