Comprehensive Vocabulary Study List

Flashcards generated from pages 1 through 28 of the vocabulary lecture transcript.

Abate

to lessen in intensity or degree.

Abstain

to choose not to do something.

Acumen

keen insight; shrewdness.

Adhere

to stick to a surface; to believe in and follow a set of beliefs.

Adversity

hardship; misfortune.

Aesthetic

concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.

Ambivalent

having mixed or contradictory feelings about something.

Amicable

friendly and agreeable.

Anachronistic

out of date; not in the correct historical period.

Assiduous

hardworking; diligent.

Benevolent

well-meaning and kindly.

Bolster

to support or strengthen.

Brittle

fragile; easily broken.

Camaraderie

trust and friendship among people who spend time together.

Capitulate

to surrender or give in.

Capricious

given to sudden changes of mood or behavior.

Censure

to express severe disapproval.

Clairvoyant

able to perceive events in the future.

Cognizant

being aware of or having knowledge of something.

Coherent

logical and consistent.

Collaborate

to work jointly on an activity.

Compassion

sympathetic pity and concern for others.

Compromise

an agreement reached by mutual concessions.

Condescending

having a superior attitude toward others.

Conformist

a person who conforms to accepted behavior.

Convergence

the process of coming together.

Corollary

a direct or natural consequence or result.

Deleterious

causing harm or damage.

Delirious

in a state of wild excitement or ecstasy.

Demagogue

a leader who seeks support by appealing to desires and prejudices.

Digression

a temporary departure from the main subject.

Diligent

showing care in one’s work.

Discredit

to harm the reputation of.

Disdain

to regard with scorn.

Divergent

tending to be different or develop in different directions.

Eclipse

a loss of significance, power, or prominence in relation to another; to overshadow.

Empathy

the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Emulate

to match or surpass by imitation.

Enervating

causing one to feel drained of energy.

Ephemeral

lasting for a very short time.

Erudite

having or showing great knowledge or learning.

Evanescent

quickly fading or disappearing.

Exemplary

serving as a desirable model.

Extenuating

serving to lessen the seriousness of an offense.

Florid

having a red or flushed complexion; elaborately intricate.

Fortuitous

happening by a lucky chance.

Frugal

sparing or economical with regard to money or food.

Furtive

attempting to avoid notice or attention, often because of guilt.

Galvanize

to shock or excite someone into taking action.

Hackneyed

lacking significance through overuse.

Haughty

arrogantly superior and disdainful.

Hedonist

a person who pursues pleasure as a goal.

Hypothesis

a proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence.

Impetuous

acting quickly without thought or care.

Impute

to attribute to someone.

Incendiary

tending to stir up conflict; designed to cause fires.

Incompatible

so opposed in character as to be unable to coexist.

Inconsequential

not important or significant.

Inevitable

certain to happen; unavoidable.

Integrity

honesty and strong moral principles.

Intrepid

fearless; adventurous.

Intuitive

based on what one feels to be true without reasoning.

Jubilation

a feeling of great happiness and triumph.

Latent

existing but not yet developed or visible; hidden.

Lethargic

sluggish and apathetic.

Lobbyist

a person who seeks to influence political events.

Longevity

long life.

Mundane

lacking interest or excitement; dull.

Nonchalant

feeling or appearing casually calm and relaxed.

Novice

a person new to or inexperienced in a field.

Ominous

giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen.

Opulent

wealthy and luxurious.

Orator

a skilled public speaker.

Ostentatious

characterized by vulgar display; designed to impress.

Parched

dried out with heat; extremely thirsty.

Perfidious

deceitful and untrustworthy.

Perturbed

greatly disturbed or anxious.

Precocious

having developed abilities at an earlier age than usual.

Pretentious

attempting to impress by affecting greater importance.

Procrastinate

to delay or postpone action.

Prosaic

lacking poetic beauty; commonplace.

Prosperity

the state of being prosperous; wealth.

Provocative

causing annoyance or strong reaction.

Prudent

acting with care and thought for the future.

Pungent

having a very strong taste or smell.

Querulous

complaining in a petulant manner.

Rancorous

characterized by bitterness or resentment.

Reclusive

avoiding the company of others; solitary.

Reconciliation

the restoration of friendly relations.

Resilient

able to recover quickly from difficult conditions.

Spurious

false or fake; not genuine.

Superfluous

unnecessary, especially through being more than enough.

Surreptitious

kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of.

Tactful

having or showing sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues.

Tenacious

persistent, determined.

Transient

temporary or short-lived; a person who stays only temporarily.

Transient (noun)

a person who stays only temporarily.

Venerable

accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character.

Vindicate

to clear someone of blame or suspicion.

Wary

feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems.