Vocabulary - Democracy in America

Vocabulary practice cards covering English terms, definitions, and German translations from the Democracy in America study list.

umber

brown

pensive

thinking deeply

nimble

able to move quickly and easily

consignment

Kommission

impeccable

perfect

striking

attractive in an unusual way

braced

prepared

MS

Multiple Sclerosis, a degenerative illness

garish

brightly coloured in an unpleasant way

unkempt

neglected, scruffy

to appall sb.

to shock sb.

dereliction

state of neglect

to ponder sth.

to reflect on sth.

to gauge sth.

to measure sth.

to cow sb.

to intimidate sb.

guileless

honest, innocent

to strive

to try very hard to achieve sth.

to cast sb. off as sth.

to put sb. in a role

coarseness

roughness

petty

geringfügig, kleinlich

detachment

distance

lever

Hebel

buoyant

successful, at a high level

obdurate

stubborn, refusing to change

tackiness (infml.)

bad taste

decay

gradual destruction

detention center

a prison for undocumented immigrants

intractable

very difficult to deal with

bleary

not clear, blurred

primal

ursprünglich, urzeitlich

innocuous

harmless-seeming

wan

pale and weak

bawdy

obscene

to catcall sb.

to harass sb. in public in a noisy way

liaison

(romantic) relationship

to waver

to become weak

stoicism

ability to endure sth. without complaining

unmoored

floating

mottled

marked with shapes of different colours without a regular pattern

creped

wrinkled

to sag

to hang down

to deem sth.

to judge sth.

burgeoning

starting to grow

vertigo

dizziness

to spike sth.

etw. aufspießen

homogenous

without differences

tack

way, direction

sooty

verrußt

affability

friendliness, likeability

shrewdness

cleverness

pollination

Bestäubung

sweep (n.)

Schornsteinfeger

to glean

to obtain information

palate

Gaumen

en route

on the way

drainpipe

Regenrohr

to flag

to become tired

to disenfranchise sb.

to take away sb.’s rights

to gloss over sth.

etw. Beschönigen, vertuschen

flash point

Krisenherd

GDP

Gross Domestic Product, Bruttoinlandsprodukt

beleaguered

surrounded by an enemy

botched

failed

noxious

harmful

to ricochet

to bounce off

at sb.’s behest

because sb. has requested it

ghoulish

ghostly, pale

to grind sth.

etw. mahlen

mellow

mild

sullen

in a bad mood

to writhe

to twist

viridescent

green, lush

sprawling

covering a large area

to lurch

to stagger, move in an unsteady way

to circumvent sb. (fml.)

to walk around sb.

volatile

unstable

bruised

hurt, offended

sloppy

showing a lack of effort

preeminent

outstanding

murky

cloudy, blurred

bonhomie

cheerful and friendly behaviour

headway

progress

to pledge allegiance to sb.

to support sb. loyally

itinerant

travelling

under the table (ifml.)

unofficially, illegally

ad hoc

not planned in advance

impediment

obstacle

contour

outline

loophole

Schlupfloch

mundane

dull, ordinary

ardent

passionate

chandelier

Kronleuchter

to heave

rising and falling movement

to brag

to boast

levelly

in a calm and steady way

gangly

tall, thin

radiant

beaming, very beautiful

gravelly

with a rough sound

smirk (n.)

unpleasant smile that shows that you know sth. that other people do not know

gumption

strength of mind