english final 21-30

meticulous

very careful about details; fussy

mitigate

to make or to become milder or less severe; to moderate

morose

gloomy; bad tempered

nomenclature

a systematic naming in an art or science

nonchalance

carelessness; lack of interest or concern

obliterate

to blot out leaving no traces; to destroy

obscure

not clear or distinct; hidden; remote; not well known

obsolete

out

officious

meddling; giving unnecessary or unwanted advice or services

opportunist

one who takes advantage of any opportunity without regard for moral principles

opulent

wealthy; abundant

overt

not hidden; open

painstaking

very careful; diligent

pariah

an outcast

parsimonious

stingy, miserly; meager, poor, small

partisan

Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause

paucity

scarcity; smallness in number or amount

peerless

having no equal; better than the rest

perceptive

discerning; observant; sensitive

perfidy

treachery; betrayal of trust

peripheral

external; incidental; tangential

peruse

to read carefully; scrutinize

philistine

narrow

piety

devotion and reverence to God

pique

to hurt the feelings of or make resentful; to arouse or excite

placate

to appease, soothe, pacify

placid

outwardly calm or composed; self

plagiarize

steal another's ideas and pass them off as one's own

platitude

a thought or remark that is dull, trite, flat, or weak

pompous

self

poderous

very heavy; bulky; labored and dull or tiresome

pragmatic

practical; opinionated; concerned with actual practice rather than with theory or speculation

preclude

to make impossible, prevent, shut out

precocious

showing unusually early development (especially in talents and mental capacity)

prestigious

honored; having an illustrious name or reputation

pretentious

claiming or demanding a position of distinction or merit; showy; self

procrastinate

to put off until a later time

prodigious

enormous; extraordinary; marvelous

profane

secular; not holy; not connected with religion; irreverent

profusion

abundance; a great or generous amount; extravagance

prolific

producing many offspring; producing much; abundant

propensity

a natural inclination or tendency

provincal

having the ways and speech of a certain province; of or like country people as apart from a city of people; thinking in narrow ways.

prudent

careful or cautious in a sensible way; wise; frugal

pugnacious

eager and ready to fight; quarrelsome

quandary

condition of being doubtful or confused

querulous

peevish; faultfinding; expressing or suggestive of complaint

quixotic

idalistic and utterly impractical or ridiculous.

raconteur

a person skilled at telling stories or anecdotes

rancor

deep spite or malice; strong hate or bitter feeling

raze

to tear down completely; to destroy

rebuff

to refuse in a sharp or rude way; to snub; to drive or beat back

recalcitrant

refusing to obey rules or follow orders; unmanageably resistant

recluse

a person who lives alone, away from others

redundant

wordy; exceeding what is necessary or normal; lavish; overflowing

refurbish

to freshen or polish again; to make like new

rejuvenate

to make young or fresh again

relegate

to put in a less important position; to assign; to banish

relic

a thing or part that remains from the past; something kept as sacred because it belonged to a saint

remorse

Deep and painful regret for wrongdoing

repudiate

to reject; to refuse to recognize, acknowledge or pay; to divorce or discard

repugnant

disgusting; loathsome; objectionable; incompatible

rescind

to cancel; to repeal; to set aside

residual

Left over; remaining

resillient

able to recover quickly

respite

a temporary cessation or postponement, usually of something disagreeable; interval of rest

reticent

not saying much, especially about one's thoughts

retract

to draw back or draw in; to take back a statement; to promise or to offer

ruthless

merciless; cruel; heartless

sagacious

very wise or shrewd

salutary

healthful; useful or helpful; remedial

sanction

authorized approval or permission; support or encouragement; something that gives binding force to a law

saturate

to soak through and through; to fill completely

savory

pleasing to the taste or smell; pleasant; morally attractive

scapegoat

one taking the blame for the mistakes and crimes of others

scoff

to mock or jeer at; to make fun of

scrupulous

very honest and conscientious; careful about details; exact

scrutinize

to examine closely

sectarian

pertaining to a group within a larger group that is limited by common beliefs or interests; narrow

sequester

to hide or keep away from others; to withdraw into seclusion; to confiscate; to segregate

serene

unruffled; tranquil; unclouded

skeptical

not easily persuaded or convinced; doubting the fundamental doctrines of religion

sobriety

seriousness, gravity, or solemnity; absence of alcoholic intoxication

solemn

observed or done according to ritual or tradition; formal; serious or earnest; arousing feelings of awe; very impressive

soporific

causing sleep; drowsy

sporadic

occurring irregularly

spurious

lacking authenticity or validity; false; counterfeit

squalid

dirty or wretched in appearance; morally repulsive; sordid

stagnate

to lie inactive, to stay in one place

stoic

indifferent to pleasure or pain; impassive

stringent

rigidly controlled or enforced; severe; strict

stultifying

rendering useless or ineffectual; causing to appear stupid or ridiculous

substantiate

to support with proof or evidence; verify

succinct

clearly expressed in a few words; to the point

sullen

silent and keeping to oneself because one feels angry, bitter or hurt; resentful; morose; sulky

sumptuous

lavish; costly; extravagantly or luxuriously dressed

supercilious

proud and contemptuous; showing scorn because of a feeling of superiority

superficial

concerned only with what is on the surface or obvious; shallow

superfluous

exceeding what is sufficient or required, excess

surmise

to imagine or infer on slight grounds