Vocabulary Word List

A set of vocabulary flashcards featuring terms and concise definitions directly extracted from the lecture notes.

abase

To humiliate, degrade

abate

To reduce, lessen

abdicate

To give up a position, usually one of leadership

abstruse

Hard to comprehend

accolade

High praise, special distinction

acerbic

Biting, bitter in tone or taste

adroit

Skillful, dexterous

alacrity

Eagerness, speed

anachronistic

Being out of correct chronological order

anathema

A cursed, detested person

antediluvian

Ancient

antipathy

A strong dislike, repugnance

arrogate

To take without justification

ascetic

Practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious

assiduous

Hard-working, diligent

banal

Dull, commonplace

beguile

To trick, deceive

cacophony

Tremendous noise, disharmonious sound

cajole

To urge, coax

capricious

Subject to whim, fickle

circumlocution

Indirect and wordy language

clemency

Mercy

cogent

Intellectually convincing

conflagration

Great fire

dearth

A lack, scarcity

debacle

A disastrous failure, disruption

demagogue

A leader who appeals to a people's prejudices

desiccated

Dried up, dehydrated

diaphanous

Light, airy, transparent

ebullient

Extremely lively, enthusiastic

egregious

Extremely bad

ephemeral

Short-lived, fleeting

erudite

Learned

esoteric

Understood by only a select few

fastidious

Meticulous, demanding, having high and often unattainable standards

garrulous

Talkative, wordy

grandiloquence

Lofty, pompous language

hackneyed

Unoriginal, trite

iconoclast

One who attacks common beliefs or institutions

impudent

Casually rude, insolent, impertinent

ineffable

Unspeakable, incapable of being expressed through words

juxtaposition

The act of placing two things next to each other for implicit comparison

laconic

Terse in speech or writing

maelstrom

A destructive whirlpool which rapidly sucks in objects

nefarious

Heinously villainous

obdurate

Unyielding to persuasion or moral influences

panacea

A remedy for all ills or difficulties

quagmire

A difficult situation

recalcitrant

Defiant, unapologetic

sacrosanct

Holy, something that should not be criticized

truculent

Ready to fight, cruel

ubiquitous

Existing everywhere, widespread

vacillate

To fluctuate, hesitate

winsome

Charming, pleasing

zealous

Fervent, filled with eagerness in pursuit of something

zenith

The highest point, culminating point