A/B 876-950
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- macabre
- suggesting the horror of death
- bona fide
- genuine
- ruminate
- to ponder at length
- unscathed
- unharmed
- jetsam
- cargo or equipment thrown overboard to lighten a ship in distress; discarded material washed ashore
- desultory
- lacking a plan or purpose; unmethodical
- suffrage
- the right to vote
- pariah
- a social outcast
- oratory
- public speaking, esp. marked by pompous rhetoric
- impetuous
- characterized by sudden emotion, energy, etc.; impulsive and passionate
- feisty
- irritable; quarrelsome; full of spirit
- probity
- complete and confirmed honesty
- ingenuous
- innocent; naive
- exult
- to rejoice greatly
- postulate
- to assume as true, esp. as a precondition in a chain of reasoning
- heady
- intoxicating; exhilarating
- debacle
- an overwhelming defeat or rout
- leviathan
- something enormous and powerful; a sea monster
- flabbergast
- to overcome with astonishment
- iconoclast
- one who attacks and seeks to destroy widely accepted ideas
- obliging
- ready to do favors; helpful; courteous
- requisite
- needed; necessary
- cistern
- a large receptacle for storing water, oft. underground
- mortify
- to humiliate; to fill with embarrassment
- contravene
- to act counter to; violate
- foreboding
- a sense of impending evil, esp. one without definite cause
- mishap
- an unlucky or unfortunate accident
- mollify
- to soothe the temper; pacify; appease
- auspicious
- marked by favorable circumstances
- fetter
- to confine, to restrain, or keep down; n. chains; shackles
- embellish
- to decorate; to add ornamental or fictitious details to
- itinerary
- a route or proposed route for a journey
- bilk
- to swindle; to cheat
- tautology
- needless repetition of an idea in different words (e.g., "widow woman")
- presumptuous
- excessively forward or overconfident
- forestall
- to prevent or delay beforehand
- adhere
- to stick to; to be a firm follower
- swagger
- to walk in an arrogant manner
- scrupulous
- conscientious and exact; having principles
- rout
- a disorderly retreat or flight following a defeat; an overwhelming defeat; v. to defeat overwhelmingly
- epigram
- a short, cleverly-worded statement
- insouciant
- calm and untroubled; carefree; indifferent
- convalesce
- to recover from illness; to recuperate
- accost
- to approach and speak to, usually aggressively
- acclimate
- to make comfortable in a new environment; to adapt to
- anterior
- placed before or in front; earlier
- brawn
- muscles; strength
- fulsome
- disgusting because excessive or insincere; repulsive
- intrinsic
- relating to the essential nature of a something
- eccentric
- unconventional; odd
- gambit
- a calculated, risky opening move
- endorse
- to give approval or support to
- prevaricate
- to avoid telling the truth
- alchemy
- medieval chemistry, esp. the attempt to change common metals into gold
- precursor
- someone or something that comes before another and announces or suggests what is to come
- upshot
- the decisive or final result
- infer
- to reason or conclude from evidence
- obituary
- a newspaper account of a person's death, usually including biographical information
- minuscule
- very small
- farce
- a comedy based on crudely humorous, unlikely situations; something absurd or ridiculous, as an obvious pretense
- predilection
- a preference
- advent
- a coming or an arrival, esp. of something very important
- concurrent
- happening at the same time; acting together
- charisma
- a quality of leadership that inspires great devotion in one's followers; personal magnetism or charm
- vignette
- a small design or portrait; a brief scene (as from a movie) or literary sketch
- impasse
- a dead-end
- acquiesce
- to agree without protest
- esoteric
- known by or confined to a small number of people
- implore
- to ask for urgently; to beg
- apotheosis
- the ideal example; the elevation of a person to the rank of a god
- bereaved
- suffering the loss of a loved one
- verisimilitude
- resemblance to the truth
- progeny
- children or descendants
- verbose
- wordy
- defunct
- having ceased to exist or live
- passé
- old fashioned; out-of-style
- grueling
- exhausting
- transcend
- to exceed; to go beyond or above the limits
- expanse
- a large amount of something spread out
- diatribe
- prolonged and bitter speech or writing
- flotsam
- wreckage of a ship or its cargo found floating on the sea
- entreaty
- an earnest plea or request
- dint
- power; effort
- estrange
- to make hostile or indifferent, usu., between two persons
- counsel
- advice or guidance; v. to give guidance to
- affront
- an open insult openly, usually intentional
- predatory
- characterized by robbing or exploiting others; living by capturing and feeding on other animals
- fidelity
- strict faithfulness to vows or promises; exact correspondence with fact
- reluctant
- unwilling; disinclined
- displace
- to take the place of
- drone
- to make a continuous, low buzzing or humming sound; to speak monotonously
- hyperbole
- exaggeration
- obscene
- offensive to accepted standards of decency or modesty
- ascendant
- in a position of power or superiority
- threadbare
- old and worn out
- meritorious
- deserving reward or praise
- incisive
- keen or penetrating in thought or expression
- sedentary
- sitting down most of the time
- scourge
- a cause of widespread suffering
- diaphanous
- of transparent or translucently fine texture; delicate and insubstantial
- eminent
- outstanding, distinguished, towering above others
- lurid
- causing shock or horror; tastelessly vivid; glowing like fire through a haze
- mesmerize
- to hypnotize or spellbind
- impregnable
- invincible; unconquerable
- dichotomy
- division into two contradictory parts
- inaugurate
- to formally bring into office at the beginning of a term
- lukewarm
- mildly warm; lacking enthusiasm
- circumlocution
- an indirect or wordy way of expressing an idea
- glean
- to gather bit by bit
- proficient
- very skillful, esp. through training
- shoddy
- inferior or cheap
- effusive
- overflowing; excessively emotional
- criterion
- a measurable value; a standard for judging
- diligent
- painstaking and steady
- laggard
- a slow person; loiterer
- onerous
- burdensome, hard to bear
- watershed
- a critical point that marks a division
- mortal
- subject to death; causing death
- tacit
- unspoken but understood; silent
- buttress
- to prop up or support
- indoctrinate
- to teach to accept a belief uncritically
- pernicious
- very harmful or destructive
- litany
- a long, repetitive recitation
- supercilious
- feeling or showing proud contempt
- aberration
- a departure from what is right, true, correct
- prodigy
- one with exceptional talents
- allude
- to refer to indirectly
- incense
- to make angry; to enrage
- barb
- a cutting or biting remark
- eloquent
- articulate; convincing and effective in speech
- reiterate
- to repeat
- prodigal
- exceedingly or recklessly wasteful
- echelon
- a level within an organization
- didactic
- intended to teach; inclined to teach excessively
- synthesis
- the combination of separate parts into a unified whole
- hamper
- to keep from moving or acting freely
- marquee
- a sign over the entrance to a public building
- manifesto
- a public declaration of principles, often political
- prodigious
- wonderful; amazing; very big
- covert
- concealed or disguised; not openly practiced
- unscrupulous
- proceeding ruthlessly; without regard for right or wrong
- peremptory
- having the nature of a command; permitting no denial
- manifold
- of many kinds; numerous and varied
- incandescent
- shining; glowing from within
- hobbyhorse
- a favorite pastime; a topic with which one is obsessed
- idiom
- a style or manner of expression peculiar to an individual or group; an expression that cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its words (e.g., "keep tabs on")
- tourniquet
- a device, usu. an encircling bandage, used to cut off the flow of blood
- appropriate
- to set apart for a specific use; to take possession of, often without permission
- translucent
- letting light through, but no visual details
- renege
- to fail to carry out a promise