Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Challenge Words
Mr. D's Challenge Words
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Arbitrary (Ar-Bit-Rare-E) | based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system. |
| Aesthetic (Eh-Stetik) | concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty. |
| Acuity (Uh-Kyoo-Itty) | sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing. |
| Allusion (Uh-Loo-zhun) | an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect reference. |
| Blasé (Blah-Zay) | indifference due to over-familiarity to something. |
| Blatant (Blay-Tint) | very obvious; lacking in subtlety. |
| Derogatory (Der-Ah-Gi-Tore-E) | showing a disrespectful attitude toward something. |
| Discretion (Disk-Reshin) | behaving to avoid offense/revealing private information; the freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation |
| Eclectic (Eh-Klek-tik) | deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources. |
| Egregious (Egg-Reej-us) | outstandingly bad; shocking. |
| Epitome (Eh-Pit-O-Me) | a thing that perfectly represents a particular quality or type. |
| Esoteric (Eh-So-Tare-Ik) | intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge/interest. |
| Euphemism (You-Fem-izm) | a milder/indirect word or phrase substituted for one considered to be too harsh when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing. |
| Excessive (Ek-Sess-Iv) | an overabundance of something; more than necessary. |
| Fallacious (Fuh-Lay-Shiss) | based on a mistaken belief; pertaining to a fallacy. |
| Facetious (Fuh-See-Shiss) | treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant. |
| Lexicon (Lex-Ik-On) | the vocabulary of a person, language, or branch of knowledge. |
| Intangible (In-Tanj-Ible) | having no physical aspect; impossible to grasp/understand. |
| Intuitive (In-Too-It-Iv) | understandable through common sense. |
| Inundated (In-Un-Dated) (Verb/Adj.) | Overwhelm with things or people to be dealt with. |
| Inquisitive (In-Quiz-It-Iv) | Curious or inquiring; seeking answers. |
| Irreverent (Ih-Rev-Er-Int) | Showing a lack of seriousness/respect toward something. |
| Meta (Meh-Tuh / Metal without the L) | (Of a creative work) referring to itself or to the conventions of its genre; self-referential. |
| Nuance (Noo-Awns / almost sounds like New Aunts) | A subtle difference, advanced insight, or fresh take. |
| Obligatory (Ob-Lig-Uh-Tore-E) | Required by a legal, moral, or other rule; compulsory; expected. |
| Sardonic (Sar-Don-Ick) | Grimly mocking or cynical; possessing a dark sense of humor. |
| Pervasive (Pur-Vase-Iv) | Especially of an unwelcome influence; spreading widely throughout an area/group. |
| Plausible (Plozz-Uh-Bull) | (Of an argument or statement) seemingly reasonable or probable. |
| Proverbial (Pruh-Ver-Bee-Ull) (Adj.) | (Of a word or phrase) referred to in a proverb or idiom; well known especially so as to be stereotypical. |
| Semantic (Seh-Man-Tik / almost like Cement) | Pertaining to the use of words; relating to the meaning of language or words. |
| Suboptimal (Sub-Op-Tim-Ull) | Of less than the highest standards or quality. |
| Sufficient (Suh-Fish-Int) (Adj.) | Good enough; adequate. |
| Superfluous (Sup-Er-Floo-Us) | Profoundly unnecessary; profusely more than enough. |
| Ubiquitous (Yoo-Bik-Wit-Iss) | Present, appearing, or found everywhere; known to all. |
| Etymology (Eh-Tim-All-Uh-Gee) | The study of the origin and change in meaning of words throughout history. |
| Epistemological (Eh-Pist-Em-O-Loj-Ikal) | the study/theory of knowledge and how it is validated. |
| Archetypal (Ark-Uh-Tip-Ull) | see epitome: very typical of a certain kind of person or thing |
| Profane (Pro-Fayn) | related to that which is not scared; not respectful toward a system of belief; of uncouth language. |
| Plethora (Pleh-Thor-Uh) | a large or excessive amount of something; plenty. |
| Myriad (Meer-E-Ad) | a countless or extremely great number: a unit of ten thousand in classical history. |
| Pariah (Pur-I-Uh) | an outcast; one shunned from a group. |
| Substantial (Sub-Stan-Shull) | see sufficient; enough or having provided enough substance, material, or evidence. |
| Heretical (Hair-Uh-Tik-Ull) | holding an opinion that is at odds/opposed to what is generally accepted. |
| Anomaly (Uh-Nom-Uh-Lee) | something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected. |
| Cacophony (Kuh-Koff-Uh-Nee / Think Cocoon Cough a Knee) | a tumult; a harsh discordant mixture of sounds. |
| Capricious (Kuh-Prish-Us) | prone to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior. |
| Vehemently (Vee-Hem-Ent-Lee) | in a forceful, passionate, or intense manner; with great feeling. |
| Hors d'oeuvre (Or-Derv / Tricky French words!!) | a small savory dish, typically one served as an appetizer at the beginning of a meal. |
| Erroneously (Air-Own-E-Us-Lee) | done mistakenly; in error. |
| Posthumously (Posst-Hyoom-Us-Lee) (Adj.) | after the death of the originator/author; relating to an award given after the life of a writer/actor/etc.. |
| Litigious (Lit-Ij-Us) | unreasonably prone to go to law to settle disputes. Sue-happy. |
| Magnanimous (Mag-Nam-Im-Us) | generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or less powerful person; Latin-derived: great (magnus) soul (animus). |
| Mnemonic (Neh-Maw-Nik) | a device such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations that assists in remembering something, for example Roy G. BIV for the colors of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). |
| Obscure (Ub-Skyer/Ub-Skyoor) (Verb/Adj.) | Not discovered or known about; uncertain. keep from being seen; conceal. See esoteric. |
| Cognate (Cog-Nate) | a word in two languages that share a similar meaning, spelling, and pronunciation. |
| Impetus (Im-Peh-Tis) | the cause of something; the force or energy with which something moves. |
| Petulant (Petch-You-Lint) | (of a person or their behavior) childishly sulky or bad-tempered. |
| Pedantic (Peh-Dan-Tick) | of or like a pedant (one who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules or with displaying academic learning). |
| Ennui (On-Wee) | a feeling of boredom and dissatisfaction caused by a lack of excitement or overfamiliarity. |
| Platitude (Pl-attitude) | a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful. |
| Idiosyncratic (Idio-Sink-Rat-Tick) | relating to/described as a peculiar trait or habit unique to an individual. |
| Ostensible (Aw-Sten-Sa-Bull) | stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so. |
| Clandestine (Clan-Deh-Steen) | kept secret or done secretively. |
| Microcosm (Micro-Cause-Um) | a community, place, or situation regarded as encapsulating/representing (in miniature) the characteristic qualities or features of something much larger. |
| Rhetorical (Reh-Tore-Ick-Al) | (of a question) asked in order to produce an effect or to make a statement rather than to elicit information/response. |
| Comeuppance (Come-Up-Inss) | a punishment or fate that someone deserves. |
| Precocious (Preh-Kosh-Iss) | (of a child) having developed certain abilities or knowledge at an earlier age than usual. |
| Deceitful (Dee-Seat-Full) | guilty of or involving deceit; deceiving or misleading others; hiding ones true motives often to hide negative behavior. |
| Vapid (Vapp-Id) | offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging. |
| Spontaneous (Spawn-Tayn-E-Us) | occurring without apparent cause; spur of the moment. |
| Affinity (Uh-Fin-It-E) | A love, fondness, or affection for some thing; a proclivity towards. |
| Rigmarole (Rig-Uh-Muh-Roll) | Any long complicated procedure; a set of incoherent or pointless statements; garbled nonsense. |
| Lethargic (Leh-Thar-Jick) | Sluggish and apathetic; lacking energy. |
| Apathy (App-Uh-Thee) | Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern. |
| Enticing (En-Tai-Sing) (Adj.) | Strongly attractive or alluring. |
| Naïve (Nai-Eev) | (Of a person/action) displaying a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgement; innocent to a fault. |
| Compulsory (Com-Pulse-or-E) | Required or compelled by law : mandatory, obligatory. |
| Faux pas (Fo-Paw / (Tricky French words!!)) | An embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation; posting cringe. |
| Deficit (Deff-Uh-Sit) | The amount by which something, especially a sum of money, is too small. |
| Imperative (Im-Pare-Uh-Tiv) | Of vital importance; crucial; essential. |
| Erratic (E-Rat-Tick) | Moving or behaving in a way that is not regular, certain, or expected. |
| Benign (Be-9) | Kind, gentle, or meek; (of a disease) not harmful in effect. |
| De Facto (Dee-Fact-O) | In fact, or in effect, whether by right or not; effectively. |
| Zeitgeist (Zite-Guy-St) | The defining spirit/mood of a period of history; predominant ideas and beliefs of the time. |
| Concise (Cons-Ice) | Minimal words; maximal info. |
| Delusional (Dee-Loo-Zhun-L) | Holding false beliefs or judgements despite irrefutable evidence to the contrary. |
| Niche (Neesh) | A comfortable or suitable position in life or employment; a specialization of a person/animal. |
| Self-Indulgent (Self-In-Dull-Jint) | Unrestrained gratification of one's desires/appetite. |
| Ludicrous (Loo-Duh-Kris) (Not to be confused with rapper Ludacris) | So foolish/unreasonable or out of place, so as to be amusing; ridiculous. |
| Unfathomable (Un-Fath-Um-Uh-Bull) | Incapable of fully being understood/comprehended. |
| Ominous (Om-In-Us) | Having a menacing or threatening presence or aspect; unsettling. |
| Malicious (Muh-Lish-Iss) (rhymes with Delicious) | Full of malice; intending to do harm. |
| Colloquialism (Kuh-Low-Key-Uh-Lizm) | An informal word/phrase used regionally or by a specific group; slang. |
| Eccentric (Ek-Sent-Rick) (Adj.) | (Of a person or their behavior) unconventional/unusual and slightly strange (not necessarily negative). |
| Exploit (Eks-Ployt) (Noun/Verb) | Make use of a source, often maliciously or by breaking rules/taking advantage of a system. |
| Gestalt (Gesh-Stalt) (German word) (Adj.) | An organized whole seen as more than the sum of its parts. |
| Mischievous (Miss-Chi-Viss) (Adj.) | (Of a person, animal, or their behavior) causing or showing a fondness for causing trouble in a playful way. |
| Ambiguous (Am-Big-You-Us) (Noun) | Unclear or open to multiple interpretations. |
| Livid (Lih-Vid) | Seething; furiously angry; outraged. |
| Extrapolate (X-Trap-O-Late) (Verb) | Using prior knowledge to an unknown situation by assuming that similar methods or trends apply. |
Created by:
user-1743806
Popular English Vocabulary sets