This site is 100% ad supported. Please add an exception to adblock for this site.

Andrew Vocab

Terms

undefined, object
copy deck
prescient
having or showing knowledge of events before they take place
paramour
a lover, especially the illicit partner of a married person
prevaricate
speak or act in an evasive way

"he seemed to prevaricate when journalists asked pointed questions"

pedagogy
the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept:
"the relationship between applied linguistics and language pedagogy"
apotheosis
the highest point in the development of something; culmination or climax:
"his appearance as Hamlet was the apotheosis of his career"
bricolage
construction or creation from a diverse range of available things:
"the chaotic bricolage of the novel is brought together in a unifying gesture"
itinerant
traveling from place to place:
"itinerant traders"
screed
a long speech or piece of writing, typically one regarded as tedious
accretion
the process of growth or increase, typically by the gradual accumulation of additional layers or matter:
"the accretion of sediments in coastal mangroves"
ineffable
too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words:
"the ineffable natural beauty of the Everglades"
quiescent
in a state or period of inactivity or dormancy:
"strikes were headed by groups of workers who had previously been quiescent"
blasé
unimpressed or indifferent to something because one has experienced or seen it so often before:
"she was becoming quite blasé about the dangers"
pedagogue
a teacher, especially a strict or pedantic one.
genteel
polite, refined, or respectable, often in an affected or ostentatious way.
tautological
the saying of the same thing twice in different words, generally considered to be a fault of style (e.g., they arrived one after the other in succession).
askance
with an attitude or look of suspicion or disapproval:
"the reformers looked askance at the mystical tradition"
obeisance
deferential respect:
"they paid obeisance to the prince"
imperious
assuming power or authority without justification; arrogant and domineering:
"his imperious demands"
sanguine
optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation:
"he is sanguine about prospects for the global economy"
Zeitgeist
The Zeitgeist is the intellectual fashion or dominant school of thought that typifies and influences the culture of a particular period in time.
n.b.
nota bene
observe carefully or take special notice (used in written text to draw attention to what follows).
putative
generally considered or reputed to be:
"the putative father of a boy of two"
accoutrement
additional items of dress or equipment, or other items carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity:
"the accoutrements of religious ritual"
salutary
(especially with reference to something unwelcome or unpleasant) producing good effects; beneficial:
"a salutary reminder of where we came from"
plenary
unqualified; absolute:
"crusaders were offered a plenary indulgence by the pope"
panacea
solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases:
"the panacea for all corporate ills
contemporaneous
existing or occurring in the same period of time:
"Pythagoras was contemporaneous with Buddha"
obviate
remove (a need or difficulty):
"the Venetian blinds obviated the need for curtains"
supersessionism
Supersessionism, also called replacement theology or fulfillment theology, is a Christian theological view on the current status of the church in relation to the Jewish people and Judaism. It holds that the Christian Church has replaced the Israelites as God's chosen people and that the New Covenant has replaced or superseded the Mosaic covenant.
invective
insulting, abusive, or highly critical language:
"he let out a stream of invective"
tranche
a portion of something, especially money:
"they released the first tranche of the loan"
panopticon
a circular prison with cells arranged around a central well, from which prisoners could at all times be observed.
arrears
money that is owed and should have been paid earlier:
"he was suing the lessee for the arrears of rent"
insouciant
showing a casual lack of concern; indifferent:
"an insouciant shrug"
maladroit
ineffective or bungling; clumsy.
desultory
lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm:
"a few people were left, dancing in a desultory fashion"
oeuvre
the works of a painter, composer, or author regarded collectively:
"the complete oeuvre of Mozart"
champerty
an illegal agreement in which a person with no previous interest in a lawsuit finances it with a view to sharing the disputed property if the suit succeeds.
usury
the illegal action or practice of lending money at unreasonably high rates of interest.
mercurial
(of a person) subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind:
"his mercurial temperament"
interregnum


a period when normal government is suspended, especially between successive reigns or regimes.
an interval or pause:
"the interregnum between the discovery of radioactivity and its detailed understanding"



dubitably
(of a belief, conclusion, etc.) open to doubt.
imbroglio
an extremely confused, complicated, or embarrassing situation:
"the Watergate imbroglio"
perseverate
repeat or prolong an action, thought, or utterance after the stimulus that prompted it has ceased.
denouement
the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.
synonyms: finale · final scene · epilogue · coda · end · ending · [more]

the climax of a chain of events, usually when something is decided or made clear:
"I waited by the eighteenth green to see the denouement"



quixotic
exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical:
"a vast and perhaps quixotic project"
prolix
extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy.
(of a person) given to speaking or writing at great or tedious length.


rapacious
aggressively greedy or grasping:
"rapacious landlords"
avaricious
having or showing an extreme greed for wealth or material gain:
"a corrupt and avaricious government"
egress
the action of going out of or leaving a place:
"direct means of access and egress for passengers"
anachronistic


belonging to a period other than that being portrayed:
"'Titus' benefits from the effective use of anachronistic elements like cars and loudspeakers"
belonging or appropriate to an earlier period, especially so as to seem conspicuously old-fashioned:
"she is rebelling against the anachronistic morality of her parents"




mordantly
(especially of humor) having or showing a sharp or critical quality; biting:
"a mordant sense of humor"
scion
a person who was born into a rich, famous, or important family
cavalcade
a formal procession of people walking, on horseback, or riding in vehicles
rancor
bitterness or resentfulness, especially when long-standing:
"he spoke without rancor"
dissemble
conceal one's true motives, feelings, or beliefs:
"an honest, sincere person with no need to dissemble"
fettle
condition:
"the aircraft remains in fine fettle"
jeremiad
a long, mournful complaint or lamentation; a list of woes.
provenance
the place of origin or earliest known history of something:
"an orange rug of Iranian provenance"
inveigh
speak or write about (something) with great hostility:
"nationalists inveighed against those who worked with the British"
In flagrante delicto
In flagrante delicto or sometimes simply in flagrante is a legal term used to indicate that a criminal has been caught in the act of committing an offence (compare corpus delicti). The colloquial "caught in the act" or "caught red-handed" are English equivalents
animus
hostility or ill feeling:
"the author's animus toward her"
demagogue
A leader who obtains power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace.
impetus
the force or energy with which a body moves:
"hit the booster coil before the flywheel loses all its impetus"
billet
a place, usually a civilian's house or other nonmilitary facility, where soldiers are lodged temporarily.
milquetoast
a person who is timid or submissive:
"a soppy, milquetoast composer"
specious
superficially plausible, but actually wrong:
"a specious argument"
sacrosant
(especially of a principle, place, or routine) regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with:
"the individual's right to work has been upheld as sacrosanct"
facile
(especially of a theory or argument) appearing neat and comprehensive only by ignoring the true complexities of an issue; superficial.
garrulous
excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters:
"Polonius is portrayed as a foolish, garrulous old man"
anathema
something or someone that one vehemently dislikes:
"racial hatred was anathema to her"
leitmotif
a recurrent theme throughout a musical or literary composition, associated with a particular person, idea, or situation.
abeyance
a state of temporary disuse or suspension:
"matters were held in abeyance pending further inquiries"
vociferous
(especially of a person or speech) vehement or clamorous:
"he was a vociferous opponent of the takeover"
probity
the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency:
"financial probity"
apostasy
the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief.
couture
fashionable made-to-measure clothes:
"they were dressed in size eight printed-silk couture"
punctilious
showing great attention to detail or correct behavior:
"he was punctilious in providing every amenity for his guests"
acrimonious
typically of speech or a debate) angry and bitter:
"an acrimonious dispute about wages"
redound
contribute greatly to (a person's credit or honor):
"his latest diplomatic effort will redound to his credit"
polity


a form or process of civil government or constitution.
an organized society; a state as a political entity.


mendacity


untruthfulness:
"people publicly castigated for past mendacity"


cavil
make petty or unnecessary objections:
"they caviled at the cost"
haecceity
that property or quality of a thing by virtue of which it is unique or describable as “this (one).”

the property of being a unique and individual thing.

chicanery
the use of trickery to achieve a political, financial, or legal purpose:
"an underhanded person who schemes corruption and political chicanery behind closed doors"
depredation
an act of attacking or plundering:
"protecting grain from the depredations of rats and mice"
bereft
deprived of or lacking something, especially a nonmaterial asset:
"her room was stark and bereft of color"
gadfly
an annoying person, especially one who provokes others into action by criticism.
pernicious
having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way:
"the pernicious influences of the mass media"
nocuous
noxious, harmful, or poisonous.
vexatious
causing or tending to cause annoyance, frustration, or worry:
"the vexatious questions posed by software copyrights"
pecuniary
of, relating to, or consisting of money:
"he admitted obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception"
vacuous
having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless:
"a vacuous smile"
facetious
treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant.
inerrant
incapable of being wrong.
fulminate
express vehement protest
"all fulminated against the new curriculum"
coruscating
flashing, sparkling
"a coruscating kaleidoscope of colors"
mordant
sharply caustic or sarcastic, as wit or a speaker

largesse
generosity in bestowing money or gifts upon others
"dispensing his money with such largesse"
elision
the omission of a sound or syllable when speaking (as in I'm, let's)
verisimilitude
the appearance of being true or real
"the detail gives the novel some verisimilitude"
ebullient
cheerful and full of energy
"she sounded ebullient and happy"
interlocutor
a person who takes part in a dialogue or conversation.
trenchant
vigorous or incisive in expression or style:
"she heard angry voices, not loud, yet certainly trenchant"
inexorable
impossible to stop or prevent
"the seemingly inexorable march of new technology"
abrogate
repeal or do away with, evade
""we believe the board is abrogating its responsibilities to its shareholders"
bellicose
demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight:
"a group of bellicose patriots"
Pyrrhic
(of a victory) won at too great a cost to have been worthwhile for the victor
palliative
relieving pain or alleviating a problem without dealing with the underlying cause:
"short-term, palliative measures had been taken"
aver
state or assert to be the case:
"he averred that he was innocent of the allegations"
harangue
a lengthy and aggressive speech
blithe
showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper:
"a blithe disregard for the rules of the road"
admonition
the act or action of admonishing:
"the old judge's admonition to the jury on this point was particularly weighty"
voluble
characterized by a ready and continuous flow of words; fluent; glib; talkative:
"a voluble spokesman for the cause"
remunerate
pay (someone) for services rendered or work done:
"they should be remunerated fairly for their work"
puerile
childishly silly and trivial:
"you're making puerile excuses"
canard
an unfounded rumor or story:
"the old canard that LA is a cultural wasteland"
enmity
the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something:
"enmity between Protestants and Catholics"
cogent
(of an argument or case) clear, logical and convincing
erstwhile
former:
"his erstwhile rivals"
salubrious
health-giving, healthy:
"salubrious weather"
stolid
(of a person) calm, dependable and showing little emotion or animation
apposite
apt in the circumstances or in relation to something:
"an apposite quotation"
elide
omit (a sound or syllable when speaking:
"the indication of elided consonants or vowels"
join together; merge:
"whole periods of time are elided into a few seconds of screen time"


inveterate
having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change:
"he was an inveterate gambler"
calumny
the making of false and defamatory statements in order to damage someone's reputation; slander
ignominy
public shame or disgrace:
"the ignominy of being imprisoned"
inure
accustom (someone) to something, especially something unpleasant:
"these children have been inured to violence"
vacuity
lack of thought or intelligence; empty-headedness:
"full of excitement I listened to my first student sermon - only to be taken aback by its vacuity
eponymous
(of a person) giving their name to something:
"the eponymous hero of the novel"
(of a thing) named after a particular person:
"Roseanne's eponymous hit TV series"


amenable
(of a person) open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled:
"parents who have had easy babies and amenable children"
(of a thing) capable of being acted upon in a particular way; susceptible to:
"the patients had cardiac failure not amenable to medical treatment"


commodious
(especially of furniture or a building) roomy and comfortable
effusive
Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression, profuse, overflowing
venerable
accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom or character:
"a venerable statesman"
proclivity
a tendency to choose or do something regularly; an inclination or predisposition toward a particular thing:
"a proclivity for hard work"
laconic
(of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words:
"his laconic reply suggested a lack of interest in the topic"
indelible
not able to be forgotten or removed:
"his story made an indelible impression on me"
convivial
(of an atmosphere or event) friendly, lively, and enjoyable
exegesis
critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture:
"the task of biblical exegesis"
internecine
destructive to both sides in a conflict:
"the region's history of savage internecine warfare"
nascent
(especially of a process or organization) just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential:
"the nascent space industry"
vicissitude
a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant:
"her husband's sharp vicissitudes of fortune"
surfeit
an excessive amount of something:
"a surfeit of food and drink"
regnant
reigning; ruling:
"a queen regnant"
paean
a song of praise or triumph; a thing that expresses enthusiastic praise:
"his books are paeans to combat"
foible
a minor weakness or eccentricity in someone's character:
"they have to tolerate each others little foibles"
acerbic
(especially of a comment or style of speaking) sharp and forthright:
"his acerbic wit"
execrable
extremely bad or unpleasant:
"execrable cheap wine"
deign
do something that one considers to be beneath one's dignity:
"she did not deign to answer the maid's question"
recalcitrant
having an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority or discipline:
"a class of recalcitrant fifteen-year-olds"
mammon
money or material wealth, greedy pursuit of gain
rectitude
morally correct behavior or thinking; righteousness:
"Maddie is a model of rectitude"
louche
disreputable or sordid in a rakish or appealing way:
"the louche world of the theater"
magnanimous
very generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself
veracity
conformity to facts; accuracy:
"officials expressed doubts concerning the veracity of the story"
immiseration
economic impoverishment
apocryphal
(of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true:
"an apocryphal story about a former president"
portentous
done in a pompously or overly solemn manner so as to impress:
"the author's portentous moralizings"
avoidant
relating to or denoting a type of personality or behavior characterized by the avoidance of intimacy or social interaction:
"he was also anxious, avoidant, and unable to manage conflict"
ideologue
an adherent of an ideology, especially one who is uncompromising and dogmatic:
"a conservative ideologue"
aureate
denoting, made of, or having the color of gold
evince
reveal the presence of (a quality or feeling):
"his letters evince the excitement he felt at undertaking this journey"
prolifigate
recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources:
"profligate consumers of energy"
surreptitious
1.
obtained, done, made, etc., by stealth; secret or unauthorized; clandestine:
a surreptitious glance.
2.
acting in a stealthy way.
3.
obtained by subreption; subreptitious.







saccharine
excessively sweet or sentimental
churlish
rude in a mean-spirited and surly way:
"it seems churlish to complain"
mellifluous
(of a voice or words) sweet or musical; pleasant to hear:
"the voice was mellifluous and smooth"
petard
a kind of firework that explodes with a sharp report
incorrigible
bad beyond correction or reform, uncontrollable
immiserate
to make miserable, impoverish
imprimatur
a person's acceptance or guarantee that something is of a good standard:
"the original LP enjoyed the imprimatur of the composer"
obdurate
stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action
svelte
(of a person) slender and elegant.
elegiac
(especially of a work of art) having a mournful quality:
"the movie score is a somber effort, elegiac in its approach"
Etiology
the study of causation or origination
efficacious
(typically of something inanimate or abstract) successful in producing a desired or intended result; effective:
"the vaccine has proved both efficacious and safe"
pillory
attack or ridicule publicly:
"he found himself pilloried by members of his own party"
ennui
a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement
liminal
occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold
promulgate
promote or make widely known (an idea or cause):
"these objectives have to be promulgated within the organization"
mendacious
not telling the truth; lying:
"mendacious propaganda"
impecunious
having little or no money:
"a titled by impecunious family"
vainglory
inordinate pride in oneself or one's achievements; excessive vanity
precocious
unusually advanced or mature in development, especially mental development:
"a precocious child"
factitious
artificially created or developed:
"a largely factitious national identity"
peripatetic
traveling from place to place, especially working or based in various places for relatively short periods:
"the peripatetic nature of military life"

Deck Info

186

aklotz33

permalink