Vocabulary Practice Flashcards

A comprehensive list of vocabulary words and definitions compiled from the lecture transcript.

IMMINENT

about to happen

EXPLICIT

stated directly and with complete clarity

CONJECTURE

n., hypothesis; v., hypothesize

ABUNDANT

plentiful

IRREVOCABLE

permanent

GRAPPLE WITH

to try to deal with or understand a difficult problem

NEBULOUS

vague; undefined; synonym for "amorphous"

COLLABORATION

the act of working with another person or people

BOLSTER

to provide support for an argument

PRAGMATIC

practical

EQUITABLE

fair

MISCONSTRUE

to misunderstand

UNOBTRUSIVE

inconspicuous; not attracting attention

AESTHETIC

concerned with beauty or the appreciation of art

MERCURIAL

unpredictable; constantly shifting moods

PRECURSOR

a person or thing that precedes; a forerunner

EXORBITANT

extreme and excessive

DIVERGE

to move apart

INSURMOUNTABLE

too great to overcome

SURMISE

to assume; draw a conclusion without strong evidence

SYNCHRONIZE

to cause multiple events to occur at the same time

OUTSIZED

disproportionately large

AMBIGUOUS

unclear; open to more than one interpretation

COALESCE

to come together to form a single mass

ENGENDER

to cause or give rise to

PROFOUND

intellectually deep; extremely insightful

HAPHAZARD

random and disorganized

INCONGRUOUS

out of place; something that contrasts with its surroundings

RUMINATE ABOUT

to think deeply about; turn something over in one's mind

SKEPTIC

person who questions or doubts a claim

ANALOGY

a comparison intended to provide clarification

AUSTERE

very plain, without decoration

COMPRISE

to include, contain

DRACONIAN

excessively harsh laws, rules, and punishments

PROHIBITIVE

so high (a difficulty or price) that it prevents something from occurring

VINDICATE

to free from blame; prove correct

EPHEMERAL

very brief; short-lived

INDIGENOUS

native

EXCAVATION

the process of digging up, usually a historic site

AFFINITY

a strong attraction or liking

ABRUPT

sudden or unexpected

DEBACLE

a complete failure; fiasco

UBIQUITOUS

everywhere; synonym for "universal"

ENGULF

to overwhelm; surround completely

PROPONENT

person who supports a claim or course of action

LACONIC

using few words; brief and to-the-point

REBUT

to offer an argument against a claim believed to be false

COPIOUS

abundant; plentiful

ASSERT

to put forward an argument or state that something is true

PREDATORY

preying upon others

ERRATIC

unpredictable; not regular

ADAMANT

extremely stubborn; fixed in one's viewpoint

CREDULOUS

easily fooled

INTRICATE

very complex

THWART

to block or get in the way of something negative

ACCENTUATE

to make more noticeable or prominent

LUCRATIVE

very profitable

INELUCTABLE

inescapable; inevitable

DISCORD

general disagreement

AMBIVALENCE

having mixed feelings

CATALYZE

to cause or speed up a reaction

FOSTER

to encourage or promote something typically seen to be good

LEGACY

a long-lasting impact

MITIGATE

to make a problem less severe

ECLIPSE

to overshadow or block

PORTRAY

to depict or show in a specific way

EXPLOIT

to take advantage of

UNCLASSIFIABLE

unable to be assigned to a category

MUNDANE

dull; uninteresting

VALIDATE

to prove the accuracy of a claim; to confirm the truth of a claim

ANOMALY

deviation from the norm; atypical

PRESCRIBE

to lay down a rule; dictate

ADVANCE

to put forward a claim

SATIATE

to fully satisfy

SCRUTINIZE

to examine very closely and carefully

CONFINE

to restrict within a limited area

DETRACTOR

person who criticizes a claim or course of action

INFER

to deduce or conclude from evidence and reasoning

AUTONOMOUS

acting independently or having the freedom to do so

CITE

to quote or reference from a work to support an argument

RUDIMENTARY

limited to basic principles; elementary

IRREPROACHABLE

beyond criticism; faultless

EVINCE

to reveal or show one's feelings

PALPABLE

literally, touchable; often used to describe a very intense feeling

FRUITFUL/FRUITLESS

productive/unproductive

TENUOUS

very weak; connected only slightly

DISPARATE

very different

SUBSTANTIATE

to provide evidence to support or prove a claim

CONTRIVE

to think up

OVERSHADOW

to dominate; make someone or something seem unimportant

JUXTAPOSITION

placement of two things next to each other for contrast

EVADE

to escape or avoid

IMPECCABLE

faultless, spotless

MOBILIZE

to prepare a person or group for action

RECIPROCATE

to respond to an action by doing the same thing back to someone

SABOTAGE

to deliberately destroy or damage

PRETEXT

false excuse given to justify a course of action

NEFARIOUS

wicked and evil

UNRESOLVABLE

unable to be resolved or settled

ELUSIVE

difficult to find, catch, or achieve