UWP

Vocab quiz

Articulate

To express an idea clearly and effectively in words.

Arms race

A competition in which rivals continually try to gain an advantage by developing more powerful tools, technology, or weapons.

At someone's disposal

Available for someone to use whenever needed.

At stake

In danger of being lost or affected; what is on the line.

Awkward

Uncomfortable, clumsy, unnatural, or not smoothly expressed.

Bargain

A trade-off or exchange where something is gained in return for something else.

Blithe

Casually unconcerned about something serious; carefree in a way that may seem insensitive.

Bougie

Informal term for fancy, affluent, or trying to appear high-class.

Cater to

To provide what a person or group wants or expects, often excessively.

Caught the world by storm

Became extremely popular or widespread very quickly.

Cognitive competence

The ability to think, reason, learn, understand, and solve problems effectively.

Cognitive degradation

A decline or weakening of mental abilities such as reasoning, memory, and critical thinking.

Complex (noun)

A persistent feeling, often of insecurity or inadequacy, resulting from past experiences.

Complex

Complicated or made up of many interconnected parts.

Cringe

To feel embarrassed, awkward, or uncomfortable.

Cultural dominance

When one culture's values, language, or customs are treated as the standard or superior.

Cultivate

To develop, improve, or strengthen something gradually through effort and practice.

Default

The automatic or standard option unless another choice is made.

Depleted

Reduced, drained, or used up.

Deliberation

Careful and thoughtful consideration before making a decision.

Demean

To lower the dignity or value of someone or something.

Disclaimer

A statement that limits responsibility or warns about possible limitations.

Dissonance

A conflict, inconsistency, or tension between ideas, beliefs, or experiences.

Embrace

To accept willingly and enthusiastically.

Eurocentric norms

Standards and values centered on European or Western perspectives.

Existential crisis

A period of questioning the meaning, purpose, or value of life.

Exploit

To use someone or something unfairly for personal gain.

Fall prey to

To become a victim of something harmful.

Fallout

The negative consequences or aftereffects of an event.

False premise

An incorrect assumption on which an argument is based.

Fraud

A person who is fake, dishonest, or pretending to be something they are not.

Ghetto

Historically, an area where a minority group was segregated; sometimes used informally (often offensively) to describe something associated with poverty or stereotypes.

Grapple

To struggle with or work hard to understand a difficult issue.

Hailed as

Praised or celebrated as something important or successful.

Hinged on

Depended on; was determined by.

Implicit

Suggested or understood without being directly stated.

Impulse

A sudden urge or desire to act.

Indicative

Serving as evidence of or suggesting something.

Inauthenticity

A lack of genuineness; not being true to oneself or reality.

Inference

A conclusion reached through evidence and reasoning.

Insecurity

A lack of confidence or a feeling of self-doubt.

Itching to

Very eager or impatient to do something.

Leave someone to their own devices

To let someone manage on their own without guidance or supervision.

Melting pot

A society where people from different cultures mix and blend together.

Obsolete

No longer useful or relevant because something newer has replaced it.

Oppression

Systematic and unfair treatment of a group through social, political, or economic power.

Ostracization

Being excluded, rejected, or ignored by a group.

Pander to

To please others in an excessive or insincere way to gain approval.

Paradoxical

Seemingly contradictory but possibly true.

People of color

A collective term for racial and ethnic groups that are not considered White.

Perfunctory

Done with little care, effort, or thought; superficial.

Pernicious

Harmful in a subtle, gradual, or hard-to-notice way.

Privilege

An advantage or benefit available to some people but not others.

Proliferated

Increased rapidly in number or spread widely.

Proliferation

The rapid increase or spread of something.

Race

A social category often based on physical traits such as skin color.

Racial imposter syndrome

The feeling that you do not truly belong to your racial group or are not "enough" of that race.

Rampant

Widespread and growing quickly, often in an uncontrolled way.

Render

To cause something to become a certain way.

Reverse psychology

A strategy that encourages someone to do the opposite of what is actually desired.

Sense of belonging

The feeling of being accepted, valued, and included in a group.

Social construct

An idea or category created and given meaning by society.

Sounding board

A person or tool used to discuss and develop ideas.

Status quo

The existing state of affairs; the way things currently are.

Subjected to

Forced to experience or undergo something.

Superiority

The state of being considered better or more important than others.

Taxing

Mentally, emotionally, or physically demanding.

The click of a button

Something done instantly and easily.

Transform the landscape of

To significantly change the way something operates or exists.

Uncivilized

Lacking qualities associated with a developed or socially acceptable society.

Undermine

To weaken, damage, or make something less effective.

Vernacular

The everyday language or way of speaking used by a particular group or region.

Water down

To make something weaker or less effective.

Wreak havoc

To cause a great deal of damage, destruction, or chaos