Advanced Vocabulary Development Flashcards

These flashcards cover advanced vocabulary terms valuable for ages 16 and up, including those relevant for PSAT, SAT, and GRE preparations.

Alacrity

eagerness; enthusiasm; quickness

Burgeon

grow; flourish; put forth new shoots

Deleterious

harmful

Euphemism

a polite phrase to cover something unpleasant

Hypocritical

insincere

Lethargic

tired; without energy

Ogle

stare at; observe in an obvious manner

Postulate

hypothesize; propose

Robust

strong; healthy; tough

Tractable

obedient; dutiful; polite

Alchemy

medieval chemistry; attempt to change base metal into gold

Burnish

polish

Deliberate

to think over deeply

Euphony

pleasant sounds

Iconoclast

person who opposes orthodoxy

Levity

flippancy; joking about serious matters

Olfactory

concerned with the sense of smell

Potable

suitable for drinking

Rotund

round

Tranquil

peaceful

Alibi

an excuse that shows someone was not at a crime scene

Buttress

strengthen; support

Delineation

demarcation; explanation; definition; outlining

Evacuate

vacate; empty; abandon

Idiosyncrasy

a personal peculiarity; something unique to an individual

Libertarian

someone who opposes tyranny

Ominous

threatening

Potent

powerful; compelling; strong

Ruminate

think over something; ponder

Transcribe

copy

Allay

to lessen

Byline

the line that tells you who wrote an article

Demur

hesitate; refuse

Exacerbate

make worse

Ignominious

shameful

Liniment

soothing lotion

Omnipotent

all-powerful

Pragmatic

practical

Ruse

trick; stratagem

Transgress

go astray; disobey; commit a sin

Alleviate

make less severe

Cacophony

discordant loud noises

Denounce

condemn; speak out against

Exasperated

frustrated; annoyed

Ignominy

shame

Lithe

flexible; supple

Omniscient

all-knowing

Pragmatist

practical person; one who is concerned with usefulness

Saccharin

falsely sweet

Transient

short-lived; ephemeral

Aloof

distant; detached; cold

Cajole

coax

Deplete

use up; lessen

Exceptionable

very bad (something which we should object to)

Illuminate

to light up or make clear

Livid

very angry

Onerous

burdensome; hard to undertake

Preamble

introductory material

Sacrosanct

very holy; inviolable

Traverse

to move across

Altruism

putting others first; being self-sacrificing

Caldron

huge cooking pot

Deplore

regret

Exculpate

free someone from blame; pardon; acquit

Illusory

deceptive; false; misleading

Lobbyist

person who tries to persuade someone to support a particular cause

Onus

burden

Precarious

unstable; risky

Sagacious

wise

Trepidation

fear

Amass

accumulate

Callow

immature

Depravity

moral corruption

Execrable

very, very bad

Immoderate

excessive; extreme

Lofty

snooty; arrogant; haughty

Opaque

does not let light through

Precedent

a previous occurrence used as a guide

Sage

a wise person

Trinket

something of little value; knick-knack

Ambiguity

uncertainty; vagueness

Candid

frank; honest

Deprecate

criticize; denounce

Exegesis

scholarly explanation or interpretation

Immutable

unchanging; permanent

Longevity

long life

Opulent

wealthy; rich; magnificent

Precept

guiding principle

Salacious

lecherous; erotic

Trite

unoriginal; dull

Ambiguous

unclear in meaning; can be interpreted in different ways

Candor

frankness; openness

Deride

ridicule; make fun of; mock

Exemplary

outstandingly good; setting a fine example

Impartial

unbiased; neutral

Loquacious

talkative

Ordain

1. destine; 2. confer holy orders on a priest

Precinct

district of a city

Sallow

yellowish

Trivial

unimportant