Word List 33-35
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- obstreperous
- boisterous; noisy and uncontrollable
- obtuse
- blunt; not sharp; stupid; slow in understanding
- obviate
- make unnecessary; get rid of; Ex. obviate the need
- occult
- mysterious; secret; supernatural; beyond human comprehension; CF. mysterious to human ?; OP. bare
- odious
- arousing strong dislike; hateful(causing hatred); vile
- odium
- detestation; quality of being odious; hatefulness; disrepute (resulting from hateful conduct)
- odyssey
- long, eventful, adventurous journey
- offhand
- casual; done without prior thought or preparation
- officious
- meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services; overly eager in offering unwanted services or advices; Ex. officious bellboy
- oligarchy
- government by a privileged few
- ominous
- threatening; of an evil omen
- opprobrium
- infamy; disgrace arising from shameful conduct; vilification(slander); scorn; contempt; Ex. opprobrium hurled against him; ADJ. opprobrious: expressing contempt; shameful or infamous
- ordain
- decree or command; grant holy orders; predestine; install as a minister, priest, or rabbi; N. ordainment; CF. ordination
- ordeal
- severe trial or affliction; difficult experience; trial(test of patience or endurance); affliction
- ordinance
- decree; authoritative order
- ornithologist
- scientific student of birds; N. ornithology: scientific study of birds
- orthography
- correct spelling; CF. ortho-: straight; correct; Ex. orthodontics
- osseous
- made of bone; bony
- ostensible
- apparent; appearing as such; professed(pretended); pretended; Ex. ostensible purpose of the expedition
- ostentatious
- showy; trying to attract attention; pretentious; N. ostentation: showy display
- ostracize
- banish from a group; exclude from public favor; ban; Ex. His friends ostracized him. N. ostracism
- outspoken
- candid; blunt
- outstrip
- outrun; surpass; outdo
- overbearing
- bossy; domineering and arrogant; decisively important; Ex. overbearing manner/importance; V. overbear: dominate
- overt
- open to view; public; not secret; CF. covert
- overweening
- arrogant; presumptuous
- overwrought
- nervous or excited; extremely agitated; hysterical; wrought-up; CF. wrought: made or done
- paean
- song of praise or joy; Ex. paeans celebrating the victory
- palatial
- of or suitable for a palace; magnificent
- palimpsest
- parchment or piece of writing material used for second time after original writing has been erased
- pall
- become boring; grow tiresome
- pallet
- small poor bed; Ex. straw pallet
- palliate
- ease pain (without curing); make less severe or offensive (a crime or illness)
- pallid
- pale; wan; Ex. pallid complexion
- palpitate
- throb; beat rapidly; flutter; tremble; Ex. Her heart began to palpitate.
- paltry
- insignificant; petty; trifling; contemptible; Ex. paltry sum; CF. trash
- pan
- criticize harshly
- panacea
- cure-all; remedy for all diseases
- pandemonium
- wild tumult(commotion); wild noisy disorder; CF. Paradise Lost
- pander
- cater to (the low desires of others)
- panegyric
- formal praise; encomium; Ex. I don't deserve such panegyrics.
- pantomime
- acting without dialogue; V.
- paradigm
- model; example that serves as a model; pattern; list of all the inflectional forms of a word
- paragon
- model of perfection; Ex. paragon of virtue
- paramour
- illicit lover
- paraphernalia
- equipment; odds and ends used in a particular activity; personal belongings; Ex. photographic paraphernalia; CF. married woman's property exclusive of her dowry
- parched
- extremely dry; very thirsty; V. parch: make or become extremely dry (by exposure to heat)
- parity
- equality; close resemblance; CF. disparate
- parlance
- language; manner of speaking; idiom; Ex. in legal/common parlance
- parley
- conference (between opponents); CF. speak
- parochial
- narrow in scope or outlook; provincial; related to parishes
- paroxysm
- fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage; sudden outburst
- parquet
- floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaic like matter; CF. strip: long narrow piece
- parry
- ward off a blow; deflect; Ex. He parried the unwelcome question very skillfully; N.
- pass\'e
- old-fashioned; past the prime
- pastiche
- imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing; work of art openly imitating the works of other artists
- patent
- obvious; easily seen; open for the public to read; of or protected by a patent; Ex. patent to everyone; N.
- pathos
- tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings; Ex. pathos that runs through the novel
- patina
- green crust on old bronze works or copper; tone slowly taken by varnished painting
- patois
- local or provincial dialect
- paucity
- scarcity; dearth
- pauper
- very poor person
- peccadillo
- slight offense or fault; CF. sin
- pecuniary
- pertaining to money
- pedagogue
- teacher; CF. child leader
- pedant
- scholar who overemphasizes book learning, trivial details of learning, or technicalities
- pedestrian
- ordinary; dull; unimaginative(lacking in imagination); going on foot; Ex. pedestrian prose; N.
- pedigree
- ancestry; lineage
- penance
- self-imposed punishment for sin; Ex. do penance for one's sins; CF. penitent
- penchant
- strong inclination; strong liking (esp. for something that is disapproved of by other people); Ex. penchant for fast cars
- penury
- extreme poverty; stinginess; ADJ. penurious: very poor; stingy
- peregrination
- journey; V. peregrinate
- peremptory
- demanding and leaving no choice; imperative; Ex. peremptory decree/knock
- perfunctory
- done routinely and with little care; superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; Ex. perfunctory kiss
- peripatetic
- walking about from place to place (to work); moving; Ex. peripatetic school of philosophy
- perjury
- false testimony while under oath; V. perjure oneself: testify falsely under oath
- pernicious
- very harmful; deadly; very destructive; Ex. pernicious effect/anemia
- peroration
- conclusion of an oration; perorating; V. perorate: conclude a speech; speak at great length
- perpetrate
- commit an offense; do (something wrong)
- perquisite(perk)
- any gain above stipulated salary; Ex. perquisites such as free meals and a car
- perspicacious
- (of someone) having insight; penetrating; astute
- perspicuity
- clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity
- perspicuous
- (of something) plainly expressed; easy to understand; Ex. perspicuous comments
- pert
- (esp. of a girl or young woman) impertinent; forward; trim; jaunty; Ex. pert young miss/hat
- pertinacious
- holding tenaciously to an action; stubborn; persistent
- pestilential(pestilent)
- causing plague; tending to cause death; baneful; N. pestilence: fatal epidemic disease (esp. bubonic plague)
- petrify
- turn to stone; cause to become stonelike; stun or paralyze
- petulant
- touchy; peevish; ill-tempered
- pharisaical
- pertaining to the Pharisees, who paid scrupulous attention to tradition; self-righteous; hypocritical
- pestle
- tool for mashing or grinding substances in a hard bowl or mortar