Vocabulary Flashcards

A comprehensive collection of vocabulary terms and their definitions directly from pages 1 through 10 of the lecture transcript.

Abate

to become less active, less intense, or less in amount

Abrupt

sudden and unexpected

Abstract

existing purely in the mind; not representing actual reality

Abysmal

extremely bad

Adept

having knowledge or skill, usually in a particular area

Adhere

to stick to or follow closely

Advent

the arrival or creation of something

Aggravate

to worsen or intensify

Allude

to make a secretive or indirect mention of something

Ambiguity

uncertainty or multiple interpretations

Ambivalence

mixed or conflicting feelings

Ameliorate

to improve or make better

Analogous

similar but not identical

Anomaly

something different from the norm

Antagonistic

showing hostility or opposition

Antecedent

a preceding event or condition

Antipathy

a strong feeling of dislike

Apex

the highest point of something

Arcane

mysterious or known by few

Arduous

difficult and requiring effort

Austere

extremely plain; stern and forbidding; relating to self-denial

Buttress

to support or strengthen

Calibrate

to adjust for precision

Candid

direct and blunt

Circumvent

to find a way around

Compelling

captivating or persuasive

Complementary

enhancing or completing another

Concede

to admit or yield

Conflated

combined in a misleading way

Consensus

general agreement

Conspicuous

easily noticed or standing out

Contentious

causing disagreement or debate

Contingent

dependent on something else

Corroborate

to provide evidence for; to back up a claim

Corrosive

gradually destructive or harmful

Counteract

to work in opposition to

Defunct

no longer existing or functional

Demarcate

to set boundaries or distinguish

Desultory

lacking a clear plan or enthusiasm

Deviate

to move away from a set path or norm

Disconcerting

causing discomfort or confusion

Disparage

to belittle or speak negatively about

Disparate

essentially different or unconnected

Eclipse

to overshadow or surpass

Eloquent

having refined or expressive communication skills

Elusive

hard to find or understand

Exacerbate

to make a problem worse

Exactitude

the quality of being precise or accurate

Exemplify

to serve as a typical example

Exhaustive

thorough and complete

Exploit

to take advantage of something unfairly

Extraneous

unrelated or unnecessary

Fabricate

to invent or create, often dishonestly

Foster

to encourage or promote development

Fruitless

failing to achieve desired results

Grapple

to struggle or wrestle with something

Haphazard

lacking organization or planning

Hinder

to obstruct or slow progress

Homogeneous

uniform or similar throughout

Imminent

about to happen soon

Impartial

fair and not biased

Impenetrable

impossible to pass through

Imperceptible

very slight or difficult to notice

Implicit

implied rather than stated directly

Incite

to encourage or stir up

Indisputable

unable to be challenged or denied

Ineffectual

not producing the desired effect

Inevitable

certain to happen; unavoidable

Inexplicable

unable to be explained

Inhibit

to hinder or restrain

Innocuous

harmless or inoffensive

Intangible

not able to be touched or measured

Interject

to insert a comment abruptly

Intricate

very detailed or complicated

Intriguing

arousing curiosity or interest

Invalidate

to make something void or null

Latent

present but not active

Legitimate

lawful or valid

Localized

restricted to a particular area

Mandatory

required or obligatory

Misanthropic

disliking people or society

Misrepresent

to give a false impression

Multifaceted

having many aspects or features

Nuanced

having subtle differences

Obscure

not easily understood or seen

Obsolete

no longer used; rare or uncommon

Offhand

done without preparation or thought

Omnipotent

almighty and all-powerful

Onset

the beginning or early stages

Oust

to remove or force out, usually from a position

Outstrip

to surpass or exceed

Overshadow

to be more important than something else

Overtly

openly and clearly

Paramount

predominant, superior, most important

Paucity

a scarcity or lack

Peripheral

on the edge or outer part of something

Perpetual

continuing forever or indefinitely

Postulate

to assume or propose a theory

Pragmatic

practical and realistic

Precarious

uncertain or unstable