Elite Vocab Set 551-575
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Created by:
tatztastic on July 22, 2009
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50 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 diffident | adj. lacking self-confidence; timid; shy |
| muse | v. to meditate; to consider thoughtfully |
| condone | v. to pardon or overlook voluntarily |
| covert | adj. concealed or disguised; not openly practiced |
| adulterate | v. to make impure |
| ethereal | adj. delicate; soft; airy; intangible |
| anthropology | n. study of the origin, behavior, and culture of human beings |
| extant | adj. currently or actually existing |
| blandishment | n. a flattering act or remark; allurement; enticement |
| unpretentious | adj. modest; not showy |
| weather | v. to survive |
| conundrum | n. a riddle or puzzle, esp. one without a solution |
| colloquial | adj. appropriate to spoken, as opposed to written, language; informal |
| lethargic | adj. dull; sluggish; moving slowly |
| insensible | adj. not able to feel or perceive; unresponsive |
| commensurate | adj. equal in proportion; having the same size, duration, etc. |
| hyperbole | n. exaggeration |
| proletariat | n. the working class |
| dupe | v. to deceive; to trick; n. a person easily tricked |
| fruitless | adj. without results; unprofitable |
| parody | n. a humorous and ridiculous imitation |
| traction | the ability (as of a tire or wheel) to stay on a surface without sliding; the act of pulling (esp. as a medical treatment) |
| trauma | n. serious physical or emotional injury |
| salient | adj. important, prominent, most noticeable |
| exemplary | adj. worthy to serve as a model |
| recidivist | n. one who returns to criminal habits |
| hysteria | n. a sudden outburst of uncontrolled emotion such as fear, excitement, etc. |
| discrete | adj. individually distinct or separate |
| venal | adj. capable of being bribed or corrupted |
| palliate | v. to lessen the pain or severity |
| avert | v. to turn away |
| lacuna | n. an empty space or missing portion |
| opine | v. to express an opinion |
| firebrand | n. one who stirs up trouble or revolt |
| jeremiad | n. an elaborate and lengthy tale of sadness |
| metaphysical | adj. highly abstract or teoretical; lacking physical form |
| contempt | adj. a feeling that something is low or disgusting |
| petty | adj. having secondary rank or importance |
| feign | v. to pretend; to fake |
| reproach | v. to express disapproval for a fault, usu. out of sense of disappointment |
| largess | n. generosity in giving gifts |
| martyr | n. one who chooses to die rather than to give up religious beliefs, or who suffers greatly to further a cause |
| disheveled | adj. disarranged; untidy; rumpled |
| ephemeral | adj. lasting for a short time; fleeting |
| igonminy | n. shame; dishonor |
| dote | v. to show excessive love or fondness |
| devour | v. to eat up greedily |
| meander | v. to follow a winding course; to wander without any fixed destination |
| pandemic | n. general, widespread, oft. of disease |
| haven | n. a safe place |
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