English Flashcards

sycophant (n)

1. one who is eager to please for personal gain; or more informally, a suck-up or brown-noser ie. glazer

lugubrious (adj.)

extremely sad, gloomy, or mournful

pernicious (adj)

1. causing great harm & destruction, wicked

insouciant (adj)

1.  unconcerned or unworried, often to the point of arrogance

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ubiquitous (adj)

present everywhere at all times

non sequitur (n)

(non-sequential) statement not related to one that follows.

restive (adj)

uneasy, agitated; having little patience; unwilling to be controlled (short-tempered)

diatribe (n)

1. A bitter verbal or written attack on someone or something

   • Think:

     • dialogue

jingoistic (adj)

extremely fervent and patriotic - to an extreme level.

think: any indian politician

implacable (adj)

1. not easily calmed or pacified; impossible to change or move

ie. stubborn

hirsute (adj)

extremely hairy

affinity (n)

natural liking or inclination towards something

accede (v)

1.  to give consent or agreement to something

bonhomie (n)

1. easy & good-humored friendliness

quotidian (adj)

1. ordinary & commonplace, particularly because it occurs on a daily basis

coquette (n)

1. a flirt

harangue (v)

1. to criticize or question somebody in an angry way

bovine (adj)

1. displaying the slowness regarded as being typical of cattle

facetious (adj)

1. intended to be humorous, not to be taken seriously

inchoate (adj)

1.  just beginning to develop, only partly formed (said: “in-co-hit”)

contrite (adj)

Feeling or expressing remorse or penitence; affected by guilt.

erudite (adj)

having great knowledge gained from study & reading

anomaly (n)

something that deviates from the norm or expectations

cantankerous (adj)

easily angered & difficult to get along with

coterie (n)

a small, exclusive group of people who share the same interests

deride (v)

to ridicule/insult someone or something

feckless (adj)

1. lacking the thought or organization necessary to succeed, incompetent due to an inability to do anything useful

excoriate (v)

1. to criticize and/or scold somebody very strongly 

debacle (n)

1. something that becomes a defeat or humiliating failure

temerity (n)

1. reckless confidence that might be offensive

penury

state of extreme poverty

vituperation (noun)

outburst of abusive language

supercilious (adj)

overly boiling with arrogance

gambol (verb)

playful skipping

folderol (noun)

silly nonsense

ennui (noun)

boredom in regards to life

curmudgeon (noun)

disagreeable person

sojourn (noun)

short trip/stay

truculent (adj)

displaying great agression

gregarious (adj)

friendly

augment (verb)

to increase in size, intensity, etc

insidious (adj)

slowly, subtly harmful

kismet (noun)

think kismat; fate or destiny

enmity (n)

extreme hatred

denizen (noun)

1. a regular to a place

fallacious (adj)

1. deceptive AND liable to mislead people because of a mistaken belief or idea

obfuscate (verb)

to make something confusing

malaise (noun)

general feeling of worry/depression

peculate (verb)

1. to get money or property by embezzlement or theft

efficacious(adj)

1. having the power to produce the desired result

exonerate (verb)

to free someone from blame

altruism (noun)

way of being unselfish with others

ignominy (noun)

total loss of dignity in a public setting

soporific (adj)

causing sleep / drowsiness as being dull or boring

enigma (noun)

something that is not easily explained

dilatory (adj)

tending to waste time or move slowly;

myopic (adj)

 short sighted, both literally and figuratively

moribund (adj)

nearly dead

alacrity (noun)

eager and speedy readiness

surfeit (noun)

an excess number or quantity of something

galvanize (verb)

arouse into awareness or action

largess (noun)

generous giving to others

gauche (adj)

without social refinement

jocular (adj)

playful, humourous

zenith (noun)

the peak/highest pt

impunity (noun)

exemption from punishment

bellicose (adj)

ready to fight/go to war

maladroit (adj)

insensitive / clumsy in speech or behaviour

futile (adj)

useless

ruminate (verb)

to think carefully, at length about something

acrimony

resentment in tone/behaviour

solace

anything that provides comfort at time of sadness

exhorbitant

far greater than reasonable (amount)

censure (verb or noun)

verb: to express condemnation

noun: an expression of condemnation

reprimand(v)

to punish

lackadaisical (adj)

without much enthusiasm, energy, or effort

insipid (adj)

lacking lively qualities

archaic (adj)

ancient; of a time long past

punctilious (adj)

showing great attention to detail or correct behavior; very careful about how you do things.

irreverent (adj)

showing a lack of respect

aspersion (noun)

act of defaming someone

candid (adj)

direct honesty

capricious (adj)

tending to make sudden changes

despot (noun)

1. a tyrant

diaphanous (adj)

so delicate it is transparent

detritus (noun)

debris

equivocate (verb)

to speak vaguely to mislead

iconoclast (noun)

someone who challenges norms

mendicant (noun)

poor person, beggar

pedestrian (adj)

unimaginative, ordinary, boring

visceral

caused by instinct

ostentatious

pretentious about wealth, flaunting it to impress people.

nascent

just coming into existence; emerging

loquacious

tending to talk a great deal; talkative.

inept

having or showing no skill

derivative

originating from something else.

accolade

expression of high praise of achievements

indigent

impoverished

mitigate

make something less serious

perfidy

deceit, betrayal