Quizlet Words I Should Know

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  1. abjure: (1) to renounce under oath; (2) to give up or abstain from
  2. ablution: a washing or cleansing of the body, especially as part of a religious rite
  3. abnegation: renunciation of your own interests in the favor of interests of others
  4. abstruse: not easily understood; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge (synonym recondite)
  5. accretion: growth or increase in size by gradual external addition, fusion, or inclusion
  6. allay: to reduce the intensity of; relieve
  7. ambit: a sphere of operation or influence; range; scope
  8. apocryphal: of questionable authorship or authenticity
  9. apotheosis: (1) a model of excellence or perfection of a kind; (2) the elevantion or exaltation of a person to the rank of god
  10. apposite: suitable; well-adapted; pertinent; relevant
  11. ardor: fiery intensity of feeling
  12. arrogate: to claim or seize without right or justification; to appropriate
  13. aspersion: a damaging or derogatory remark
  14. assay: an analysis or examination, especially of an ore or drug, to determine its components
  15. assiduous: constant in application or attention; persistent; diligent
  16. assignation: (1) the act of assigning, or something assigned; (2) an appointment or meeting between lovers
  17. atavistic: reverting to or suggesting the characteristics of a remote ancestor or primitive type
  18. auspicious: attended by favorable circumstances (synonym propitious)
  19. autodidact: a self-taught person
  20. aver: to affirm positively; declare
  21. avuncular: regarded as characteristic of an uncle, especially in benevolence or tolerance
  22. balustrade: a rail and the row of posts that support it
  23. bantam: (1) diminutive; miniature; (2) aggressive and spirited
  24. besot: to muddle or stupefy, as with alcohol or infatuation
  25. bilious: of, relating to, or containing bile; ill-humored
  26. bombastic: grandiloquent, pompous speech or writing
  27. braggadocio: (1) a braggart; (2) empty boasting; (3) a swaggering, cocky manner
  28. cadge: to beg or get by begging
  29. capitulate: to surrender under specified conditions; to give up all resistance or acquiesce (significantly different from recapitulate)
  30. caprice: (1) an impulsive change of mind, or an inclination towards such; (2) a sudden unpredictable action, change, or series of actions or changes
  31. casuistry: (1) specious reasoning intended to rationalize or mislead; (2) the determination of right and wrong in questions of moral conduct by analyzing cases that illustrate general ethical rules
  32. chicanery: the use of trickery to deceive
  33. chignon: a roll or knot of hair worn at the back of the head or especially at the nape of the neck
  34. choleric: easily angered; indicating or expressing anger
  35. clemency: an act of mercy
  36. concatenation: a series or order of things depending on each other, as if linked together; a chain or succession
  37. conciliation: the act of overcoming the distrust or hostility of; becoming agreeable or reconciled
  38. concupiscence: sexual desire; lust
  39. connubial: of or pertaining to marriage
  40. consign: to give over to the care of another
  41. corpus delicti: the material evidence in a crime showing that a crime has, in fact, been committed (e.g., a corpse in a homicide)
  42. coterie: a small, often select group of persons who associate with one another frequently
  43. crepuscular: of or like twilight; dim
  44. desiccated: dried out
  45. desideratum: something considered necessary or highly desirable
  46. desultory: moving or jumping from one thing to another; occurring haphazardly
  47. dialetheism: the belief that there are true contradictions, in opposition to the law of non-contradiction
  48. didactic: intended to teach or moralize excessively
  49. dilettante: (1) a dabbler or amateur; (2) an admirer or lover of the fine arts
  50. dispositive: providing a final resolution (as of an issue)
  51. dross: (1) waste matter; refuse; (2) worthless, commonplace, or trivial matter
  52. effete: (1) no longer capable of producing young; infertile; barren; (2) marked by self-indulgence, triviality, or decadence
  53. effluvium: a usually invisible emanation or exhalation, as of vapor or gas
  54. enervate: to weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of
  55. ennui: listlessness and dissatisfaction resulting from lack of interest; the feeling of being bored by something tedious
  56. ephemeral: lasting for a markedly brief time
  57. equivocal: open to two or more interpretations and often intended to mislead; of a doubtful or uncertain nature
  58. escarpment: a vertical fortification; a steep cliff-face
  59. exegesis: critical explanation or interpretation of a text or a portion of a text
  60. expeditious: characterized by speed and efficiency
  61. expiate: to make amends or reparations for; atone
  62. fastidious: (1) possessing or displaying careful, meticulous attention to detail; (2) difficult to please
  63. fatuous: vacuously, smugly, and unconsciously foolish
  64. feasance: the doing or performing of an act, as of a condition or duty
  65. feckless: (1) feeble or ineffective; (2) careless and irresponsible
  66. fecundity: the quality or power of producing abundantly; fruitfulness or fertility
  67. florid: very ornate; flowery
  68. fractious: inclined to make trouble; cranky
  69. fulsome: offensive from excess of praise
  70. garrulous: given to excessive and often trivial or rambling talk (see also loquacious; antonym laconic)
  71. gauche: lacking social polish; tactless; awkward
  72. glabrous: without hairs or projections; smooth (antonym: hirsute)
  73. halcyon: calm and tranquil; prosperous and golden
  74. hector: (n) a bully; (v) to intimidate or dominate in a blustering way
  75. hirsute: covered with hair (antonym: glabrous)
  76. imbroglio: a complicated and embarrassing state of things
  77. implacable: incapable of being pacified
  78. imprecation: the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult)
  79. inchoate: (1) in an initial or stage; incipient; (2) imperfectly formed or developed
  80. incipient: beginning to exist or appear
  81. inculcate: to teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions
  82. indemnification: compensation for loss
  83. ineffable: incapable of being expressed; indescribable or unutterable
  84. inimitable: defying imitation; matchless
  85. insipid: lacking qualities that excite, stimulate, or interest; dull
  86. insouciance: blithe lack of concern; nonchalance
  87. interstice: (1) a space between things or parts, especially a space between things closely set; (2) an interval of time
  88. invective: denunciatory or abusive expression or discourse
  89. inveterate: firmly established by long persistance; of long standing
  90. invidious: tending to provoke envy or ill will
  91. itinerant: traveling from place to place
  92. ken: (1) perception; understanding; knowledge; (2) view; sight
  93. kitsch: sentimentality or vulgar, often pretentious bad taste, especially in the arts
  94. laconic: marked by the use of few words; terse or concise (antonym garrulous or loquacious)
  95. lacuna: an empty space or a missing part
  96. lambent: softly bright or radiant
  97. languor: lack of energy or vitality
  98. largess: generous giving (as of gifts or money), often accompanied by condescension
  99. legerdemain: sleight of hand; deceitful cleverness
  100. lemma: a subsidiary proposition that is assumed to be true in order to prove another proposition
  101. licentious: amoral; lewd and lacivious
  102. loquacious: very talkative (see also garrulous; antonym laconic)
  103. lugubrious: mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree
  104. majuscule: a large letter, as in a capital
  105. maladroit: an inept person
  106. malaise: a vague feeling of bodily discomfort, as at the beginning of an illness
  107. maquillage: cosmetic or theatrical makeup
  108. mawkish: excessively or objectionably sentimental; sickening or insipid in taste
  109. mealymouthed: indirect in speech; evasive
  110. mendicancy: the practice of begging; depending on alms for a living
  111. miasma: a harmful or corrupting atmosphere or influence
  112. milieu: environment or setting
  113. mordant: biting; caustic; sarcastic
  114. moribund: approaching death; about to die
  115. muslin: sturdy cotton fabric of plain weave, used especially for sheets
  116. nacreous: resembling mother-of-pearl; lustrous
  117. nascent: coming into existence; emerging
  118. nescience: lack of knowledge or awareness
  119. obdurate: (1) stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing; (2) showing unfeeling resistance to tender feelings
  120. obsequious: (1) characterized by or showing servile complaisance or deference; (2) attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
  121. obstreperous: (1) noisily and stubbornly defiant and unruly; (2) noisy, clamorous, or boisterous
  122. officious: volunteering one's services when they are neither asked for nor needed; meddlesome
  123. onanism: (1) masturbation; (2) coitus interruptus
  124. opprobrium: disgrace; infamy; reporach mingled with contempt
  125. otiose: ineffective; lazy; idle
  126. pabulum: (1) a substance that gives nourishment; (2) insipid intellectual nourishment
  127. pallor: extreme or unnatural paleness
  128. panoply: a splendid or impressive array
  129. paramour: an illicit lover (esp. of a man)
  130. parlance: a particular manner of speaking
  131. paroxysm: (1) a sudden outburst of emotion or action; (2) a spasm or fit; a convulsion
  132. pastiche: a dramatic, literary, or musical piece openly imitating the works of other artists, often with satirical intent
  133. patina: a superficial layer or exterior
  134. perfidious: treacherous
  135. perfunctory: (1) performed merely as a routine duty; hasty and superficial; (2) lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; indifferent or apathetic
  136. peripatetic: walking or traveling about; itinerant
  137. petulant: moved to or showing sudden, impatient irritation, especially over some trifling annoyance; unreasonably ill-tempered or irritable
  138. philander: to engage in many love affairs, especially with a frivolous or casual attitude (used of a man)
  139. philistine: a person who is lacking in or hostile or smugly indifferent to cultural values, intellectual pursuits, aesthetic refinement, etc. or is contentedly commonplace in ideas and tastes
  140. piebald: (1) having spots and patches of black and white, or other colors; mottled; (2) mixed; composed of incongruous parts
  141. pique: (v) to provoke or arouse; (n) a state of vexation caused by a perceived slight or indignity; a feeling of wounded pride
  142. pith: the essential or central part
  143. placate: to allay the anger of, especially by making concessions
  144. plinth: the lowest part of the base of an architectural column; a usually square block serving as a base
  145. pratfall: (1) a fall in which one lands on the buttocks, often regarded as comical or humiliating; (2) a humiliating blunder or defeat
  146. precipitous: done with very great haste and without due deliberation
  147. prestidigitation: sleight of hand (synonym legerdemain)
  148. probity: complete and confirmed integrity
  149. profundity: (1) great depth; (2) depth of intellect, feeling, or meaning
  150. prolegomenon: a preliminary discussion; an introductory essay, as prefatory matter in a book
  151. propitiation: the act of placating and overcoming distrust and animosity (synonym conciliation); the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing (especially appeasing a deity)
  152. propitious: presenting favorable circumstances (synonym auspicious)
  153. prosaic: lacking in imagination and spirit; dull
  154. provenance: origin; source
  155. prurient: inordinately interested in matters of sex
  156. puissant: powerful; mighty; potent
  157. pusillanimous: cowardly; fainthearted
  158. putative: generally regarded as such; supposed
  159. putrefaction: decomposition of organic matter, especially protein, by microorganisms, resulting in production of foul-smelling matter
  160. qua: in the capacity or character of; as
  161. querulous: apt to find fault; habitually complaining
  162. quixotic: idealistic without regard to practicality
  163. quotidian: everyday; commonplace
  164. rarefy: to make thin, less compact, or less dense
  165. ratiocination: act of drawing conclusions from premises
  166. recapitulate: to repeat in concise form; to make a summary (signficantly different from capitulate)
  167. recondite: not easily understood; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge (synonym abstruse)
  168. recriminate: to counter one accusation with another
  169. redolent: (1) having or emitting fragrance; aromatic; (2) suggestive or reminiscent
  170. risible: (1) exciting or provoking laughter; laughable; amusing; (2) capable of laughing; disposed to laugh
  171. rococo: having excessive asymmetrical ornamentation
  172. salacious: lustful or bawdy
  173. sallow: of a sickly yellowish hue or complexion
  174. salvo: (1) a mental provision or reservation; (2) an expedient for protecting one's reputation or soothing one's conscience; (3) a simultaneous discharge of firearms, or something resembling such
  175. sartorial: of or relating to clothes, or style or manner of dress
  176. scabrous: (1) having or covered with scales or small projections and rough to the touch; (2) dealing with scandalous or salacious material
  177. scion: a descendent; an heir
  178. screed: a long monotonous speech or piece of writing
  179. scrofulous: morally degenerate; corrupt
  180. sepia: (1) a dark brown ink or pigment; (2) a photograph in brown tint
  181. settee: a small or medium-sized sofa
  182. simulacrum: (1) an image or representation; (2) an unreal or vague semblance
  183. solicitous: anxious or concerned
  184. soporific: sleep-causing
  185. sotto voce: under the breath; in an undertone
  186. spate: a sudden flood, rush, or outpouring
  187. specious: having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious
  188. stanch: to stop or check the flow of
  189. stentorian: extremely loud
  190. stochastic: involving or containing a random variable or variables
  191. stolid: having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
  192. sui generis: being the only example of its kind; unique
  193. supercilious: disdainfully arrogant; haughty
  194. supine: (1) lying on the back (opposite prostrate); (2) marked by or showing lethargy, passivity, or blameworthy indifference
  195. surfeit: (n) an excessive amount; (v) to feed or supply to excess, satiety, or disgust
  196. surreptitious: marked by quiet, caution, and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed
  197. susurrus: the indistinct sound of people whispering
  198. swan song: a final or farewell appearance, action, or pronouncement
  199. sycophant: a servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people
  200. syncretic: characterized or brought about by the combination of different forms of belief or practice
  201. tendentious: having an aim; designed to further a cause
  202. thrombosis: the formation, presence, or development of a thrombus, a fibrinous clot formed in a blood vessel or a chamber of the heart
  203. tonsure: the part of a monk's head that has been shaved
  204. transom: a small hinged window above a door or another window, or the horizontal crosspiece between the two
  205. turpitude: depravity, baseness
  206. vagary: an extravagant, erratic, or unpredictable notion, action, or occurrence
  207. venal: capable of being bought; corruptible
  208. ventral: situated on or close to the abdomen
  209. verisimilitude: the quality of seeming to be true, or something that has that quality
  210. vicissitude: one of the sudden or unexpected changes or shifts often encountered in one's life, activities, or surroundings (often used in the plural)
  211. wainscot: the lower part of an interior wall when finished in a material, usually wood, different from that of the upper part
  212. wan: unnaturally pale, as from physical or emotional distress; suggestive or indicative of weariness, illness, or unhappiness
  213. yen: a strong desire or inclination