Vocabulary Flashcards: Advanced Words and Definitions for Students

imprecation (d)

a curse

imprecation (s)

Jennifer was so angry, she pronounced an ____ on him, his family and all of his friends.

panegyric (d)

an expression of praise

panegyric (s)

The ancient Greeks gave ______ and crowns of ivy in tribute to their heroes.

nebulous (d)

hazy; vague; uncertain

nebulous (S)

He had a _____ feeling of fear all day, but he didn't understand why until the thunder started.

Bowdlerize (d)

to remove offensive passages of a play, novel, etc.

bowdlerize (s)

If the editors ____ much more of the book, there won't be anything left to read.

fop (d)

an excessively fashion-conscious man

fop (s)

When he came in wearing a bow tie, a diamond pinky ring, and carrying a pearl-handled cane, we knew he was a _____.

elegy (d)

a sad or mournful poem

elegy (s)

The reading of the _____ brought tears during the funeral.

deference (d)

respect; consideration

deference (s)

In ______ to the young widow, we moved quietly aside and allowed her to leave first.

pedantic (d)

tending to show off one's learning

pedantic (s)

After one year of college, Tom lost all of his friends because of his ____ behavior.

non sequitur (d)

something that does not logically follow

non-sequitur (s)

That he would not be a good mayor because he can't control his own family is a ______.

sanguine (d)

cheerful; optimistic

sanguine (s)

Sally's _____ personality made everyone in her company pleased to be with her.

impair (d)

to weaken; to cause to become worse

impair (s)

Mother used to say that reading in poor light could ____ your vision.

quandary (d)

a puzzling situation; a dilemma

quandary (s)

John was in a _____ deciding what his major should be.

ebullient (d)

enthusiastic

ebullient (s)

The _____ crowd cheered as the royal family appeared.

carnal (d)

relating to physical appetite, especially sexual

carnal (s)

After receiving complaints, the town council decided to remove the ___ statue from the park area.

rakish (d)

dashingly stylish and confident

rakish (s)

Wanting to look ______ for his job interview, Jeremy shined his shoes and pressed razor-sharp into his shirt and slacks.

elucidate (d)

to make clear

elucidate (s)

To ______ his theory, he drew a large diagram on the board.

banal (d)

common, ordinary

banal (s)

His ____ remarks quickly bored the entire class.

imminent (d)

likely to happen; threatening

imminent (s)

Though the danger was ____, the crew seemed quite relaxed.

antipathy (d)

an intense dislike

antipathy (s)

So great was her feeling of ____ that she was afraid that it showed in her face.

scurrilous (d)

(adj.) coarsely abusive, vulgar

scurrilous (s)

The ____ patrons of the saloon were often seen shouting and fighting.

bedlam (d)

a noisy uproar; a scene of wild confusion

bedlam (s)

The concert hall was sheer _____ until the rock star appeared.

amoral (d)

lacking a sense of right and wrong

amoral (s)

The ____ henchmen obeyed all of the boss's orders, no matter how despicable.

sedulous (d)

hard working; diligent

sedulous (s)

Everyone knew Jason would get ahead in the world because he was _____ in all he undertook.

obdurate (d)

stubborn, hardhearted

obdurate (s)

The young boy was _____ in his refusal to make any trade.

peruse (d)

to read carefully; scrutinize

peruse (s)

Bob _____ the classified ads every day to try to find a part-time job.

affluence (d)

wealth; richness

affluence (s)

Paul earned his fortune without relying on the ____ of his family.

parody (d)

a work that imitates another in a ridiculous manner

parody (s)

Joan's ____ of the English teacher was funny to everyone but the English teacher

onerous (d)

burdensome; heavy; hard to endure

onerous (s)

The doctor had the ____ job of informing the family of the child's death.

eschew (d)

to keep away from; to avoid; to shun

eschew (s)

The minister advised the congregation to _____ temptation.

denouement (d)

an outcome; result

denouement (s)

The novel would have been exciting if it were not for the boring ________.

bovine (d)

pertaining to cows or cattle

bovine (s)

The large animal figures in the cave drawing depicted _______ creatures.

callow (d)

young and inexperienced

callow (s)

The ____ boy left for the war, but a cynical man returned.

peccadillo (d)

a minor offense; a misdeed

peccadillo (s)

Stealing tips from tables was a ________ in Bill's mind, but a major offense in the minds of the waiters.

dichotomy (d)

a division into two parts

dichotomy (s)

Disagreements among board members created a _______ in the charitable organizations.

macroscopic (d)

visible to the naked eye

macroscopic (s)

On a clear night, the Milky way appears ______.

rationalize (d)

to make an excuse for

rationalize (s)

The boy tried to ______ his absence from school.

patent (d)

evident or obvious

patent (s)

When the electronics store saw the _____ abuse of the game system, they refused to grant a refund.

knell (d)

a sound made by a bell, often rung slowly for a death or funeral

knell (s)

The ___ of a church bell told the town that Gertrude had passed away.

ferret (D)

to search or drive out

ferret (S)

John knew the answer was in the text, but he just couldn't ______ it out.

fatuous (d)

foolish; inane

fatuous (s)

Her _____ simpering began to grate on our nerves.

adroit (d)

skillful; clever

adroit (s)

He was not an ____ speaker but he was a genius with numbers.

affectation (d)

a phony attitude; pose

affectation (s)

Ginger could not stand the _____ of the girls in the fashion clique.

laconic (D)

using few words; short; concise

laconic (s)

He was a ______ man who was always brief when giving instructions.

quiddity (d)

an essential quality

quiddity (s)

Patience is the ____ of a good teacher

sagacious (d)

wise; having keen perception and sound judgement

sagacious (s)

The _____ old man always had the answers to moral problems.