Essential Vocabulary for CU-TEP 80+

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions from the CU-TEP 80+ essential vocabulary list.

abduct

kidnap

abrasive

rubbing away, tending to grind down

abridge

shorten, limit

accede

comply with, consent to

accessory

additional object, useful but not essential thing

acrid

sharp, bitter, foul smelling

adulterate

corrupt, debase, or make impure

adversary

an enemy, foe

affluence

abundance, wealth, prosperity

alacrity

quickness and eagerness

alleviate

lessen or make easier

allude

refer indirectly to something

ambiguous

having a double meaning

anecdote

a short account of happenings

apposite

suitable, apt, relevant

arable

suitable (as land) for plowing

arduous

laborious, difficult, strenuous

aseptic

germ free

autocrat

an absolute ruler

benevolent

kind, generous

brevity

briefness, shortness

calamity

disaster

cessation

ceasing, a stopping

circumspect

considering all circumstances

coerce

force somebody to do something that they do not want to do

commiserate

feel or express pity or sympathy for

concise

in few words, brief, condensed

confiscate

seize, take possession of (private property) by official order

contravene

act contrary to, oppose or contradict

corroborate

confirm the validity

dearth

scarcity, shortage

delusion

a false belief or opinion

denounce

speak out against, condemn

deplete

reduce, empty, exhaust

depreciate

lessen the worth of

disparate

unequal, dissimilar, different

dubious

uncertain about an outcome or conclusion

eccentric

odd, peculiar, strange

eminent

easy to see or notice

evoke

call forth, provoke

expedite

hasten the action of

feasible

reasonable, practical

feign

pretend

frugality

thrift; economical use or expenditure

gauche

awkward, lacking social grace

haphazard

random, by chance, happening in an unplanned manner

implicit

understood but not plainly stated, without doubt

incipient

being, in an early stage

indigence

the condition of being poor

inept

unsuited, inappropriate, lacking skill, incompetent

inert

inactive

infamous

having a bad reputation, notorious

intangible

incapable of being touched, immaterial

judicious

showing good judgment, sensible, prudent

lavish

liberal, wasteful, abundant, profuse

lithe

easily bent, pliable, supple

lucrative

profitable

malfeasance

wrongdoing, misconduct (by a public official)

malleable

easy to shape or bend, pliable

meager

scanty, inadequate

minatory

menacing, threatening

mitigate

alleviate, lessen, soothe

mores

conventions, moral standards, moral customs

nebulous

unclear or vague

negligible

insignificant

noisome

harmful to health, having a foul odor

obliterate

destroy completely

obstinate

stubborn, refusing to change

odious

hateful, disgusting

omniscient

having knowledge of all things

opulence

wealth, fortune

palliate

mitigate, alleviate, ease

paradox

a tenet seemingly contradictory or false, but actually true

pariah

social outcast

paucity

scarcity

perceptible

noticeable

permeate

spread into every part of

perquisite

perks, something that one gets from his work in addition to his wages such as free meals or a car

phobia

morbid fear

plenary

full, entire, complete

pragmatic

matter-of-fact, practical

precarious

depending upon another, risky, uncertain

prolific

fruitful

quandary

dilemma

quell

stop

ratify

make valid, confirm

raze

scrape or shave off, obliterate or tear down completely

redundant

wordy, repetitive, unnecessary to the meaning

reiterate

repeat again

relinquish

let go, abandon

remiss

negligent, careless about a duty

repel

force or keep back in a manner, physically or mentally

reprove

speak showing disapproval of something they have done

revoke

repeal

rigor

severity

rudimentary

unsophisticated, elementary

ruminate

consider carefully

rustic

plain and unsophisticated, living in the country

satire

ridicule

shrewd

clever