Vocabulary Flashcards: Advanced English Words and Definitions

surreptitious

in secret

Antecedent

A thing or event that existed before

Perpetual

Never ending

Prudently

Cautious

Overtly

Excessive

Cordially

Warm and friendly

Inadvertently

Accidentally

lugubrious

mournful-gloomy in an exaggerated way

fanciful

unrealistic ideas from imagination

blithe

cheerful, joyous

lethargic

sluggish, lazy

steadfastness

resilient-firm and consistent even with challenges

prudence

govern oneself with reason

mirth

gladness & laughter

conjecture

conclusion based on incomplete evidence

nadir

lowest point

ebullience

cheerful, enthusiastic

exacerbate

make a bad situation worse

divisive

causes disagreement, separating

exorbitant

excessively high demands or amounts

destitute

extreme poverty

picayune

insignificant

dubiousness

doubtful

Diaphanous

Very thin and delicate

Passivity

Inactive, lacking initiative

Myopia

Blurry

amalgamation

proceed of merging things into one

obfuscating

deliberately making something unclear or confusing

contentious

likely to cause a heated argument

salient

prominent

sentient

feeling something subjectively and based on own feelings and emotions

buttress

wooden structure

disseminate

to spread/disperse ideas

preclude

rule out

vitality

strong, energetic

aquiescence

accepting reluctantly

haphazard

disorganized

spurious

not true

implausible

farfetched

arduous

great effort

Reticent

Reserved and quiet

ambivalent

Having mixed feelings

indifferent

Having no preference

pragmatic

practical

precarious

Dangerous; risky; lacking in security or stability

tenable

capable of being held or defended

gregarious

outgoing; sociable

vapid

dull

stark

harsh

exploit

to take advantage of

Contempt

Hate

quixotic

overly idealistic; impractical

misanthropic

hating mankind

Earnest

Serious and sincere

Ambiguous

unclear or doubtful in meaning

contentious

argumentative

pugnacious

eager to fight

disparate

different

succicnt

brief and clear

tenuous

very weak or slight

vicarious

experiencing through another

mitigate

to make less severe

arid

dry

aboreal

living in trees

brevity

shortness/breifness

fastidousness

care and attention to details

galvanize

to excite or arouse action

arduous

hard to do, requiring much effort

tedious

boring

disparate

different

apprehensive

fearful or anxious, especially about the future

trite

overused

novel

new and different

aprocryphal

of questionable authenticity, but widely believed

efficacy

effectiveness

paucity

scarcity; lack

capricious

impulsive and unpredictable

polarizing

separating into two extremes

rudimentary

basic

notional

existing only in theory

Diatribes

a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something

accolades

approval and praise

complacencies

a feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger, trouble, or controversy

untenable

indefensible

capricious

impulsive and unpredictable

innocuous

harmless

abhorrent

Very repugnant; hateful.

innocuous

harmless

disparate

different

ambivalent

Having mixed feelings

desultory

jumping from one thing to another; disconnected

tenable

defensible

subversive

intended to undermine or overthrow

apprehensive

fearful or anxious, especially about the future

acquiescent

reluctantly agreeable; compliant

ubiquitous

present or existing everywhere

conspicuous

Easily seen or noticed

deleterious

harmful

meager

a small amount