Vocabulary Flashcards: Key Words and Definitions for Language Learning

apathy - lack of emotion or interest

ambiguous - having more than one meaning; vague

fervent - passionate

vagrant - a wandering homeless person; a tramp

undermine - to weaken; to wear the foundation of

oblivious - unaware; unconscious

indifferent - not caring one way or the other; lacking a preference; neutral

obscure - unclear, clouded; partially hidden; hard to understand

objective - without bias (as opposed to subjective)

revere - to worship

discriminate - to differentiate; to make a clear distinction; to see the difference

embellish - to add details; to exaggerate

denounce - to speak out against; to condemn

innovate - to be creative; to introduce something new

stagnant - not moving

candid - honest; frank

impartial - unbiased; neutral

discern - to distinguish one thing from another

ostentatious - showing off

contentious - quarrelsome

reprove - to scold; to find fault with

pessimism - gloominess; belief that the bad guys always win

cursory - hasty; not thorough

profligate - extremely wasteful; wildly extravagant

miser - someone who hoards money

jocular - joking

fracas - uproar; brawl

caricature - a satiric portrait or representation

corroborate - to confirm

precarious - dangerously unstable

expository - explanatory

bolster - to support; to prop up

daunt - to intimidate; to discourage

inclined - tending toward one direction

uniform - constant; without variety

perceptive - having keen understanding; discerning

superficial - shallow; on the surface only

lucid - clear; easy to understand

immune - safe from harm; protected

aesthetic - concerned with art or beauty

prodigal - extravagant; wasteful

assess - to estimate the value of; to measure

deter - to prevent, especially by threatening

complacent - smug; self

satisfied; overly confident

contempt - disdain; hatred

eloquent - speaking well; articulate

virtue - moral excellence

vital - essential; necessary

guile - cunning; deceitfulness

biased - prejudiced; not neutral

censor - to delete objectionable material

vulnerable - capable of being harmed

hypocritical - insincere

eccentric - odd; unusual; quirky

disdain - contempt; intense dislike

abstract - theoretical; lacking substance

valid - founded on fact or evidence

subtle - not obvious; hard to spot

enigma - mystery

inevitable - unavoidable; bound to happen

inferred - derived by reasoning; implied

diverse - varied

articulate - speaking well

apprehensive - fearful; worried

benevolent - good; kind

hearted; generous

virulent - very harmful (like a virus)

pious (piety) - deeply religious

skeptical - doubting

provincial - narrow

minded; unsophisticated

resignation - acceptance of a situation

illuminate - to light up; make clear

resolution - determination; solving of a problem

servile - overly submissive; like a servant

diligent - hard

working

refute - to disprove

anarchy - lack of government; chaos

miser - one who saves greedily

discord - disagreement

monotonous - without variety; tiresome

trivial - unimportant; insignificant

apathy

lack of emotion or interest

ambiguous

having more than one meaning; vague

fervent

passionate

vagrant

a wandering homeless person; a tramp

undermine

to weaken; to wear the foundation of

oblivious

unaware; unconscious

indifferent

not caring one way or the other; lacking a preference; neutral

obscure

unclear, clouded; partially hidden; hard to understand

objective

without bias (as opposed to subjective)

revere

to worship

discriminate

to differentiate; to make a clear distinction; to see the difference

embellish

to add details; to exaggerate

denounce

to speak out against; to condemn

innovate

to be creative; to introduce something new

stagnant

not moving

candid

honest; frank

impartial

unbiased; neutral

discern

to distinguish one thing from another

ostentatious

showing off

contentious

quarrelsome