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
Midterm Vocab Words
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Divulged | v. To tell; To reveal. The reporter was fired when she divulged information from a classified document. Syn: Expose, announce, share Ant: Hide |
| Temerity | n. Recklessness; a foolish disregard of danger. I couldn't believe that Bret had the temerity to bungee jump over a lake full of alligators Syn: Audacity, fearless Ant: Prudence |
| Meticulous | adj. Extremely, sometimes excessively, careful about small details; precise. With meticulous care, he crafted a miniature dollhouse for his daughter. Syn: Precise Ant: Sloppy, Messy |
| Anathema | n. 1.) A hated, repellent person or thing 2.) A formal curse 1.) Cannibalism is an anathema to almost every society on the planet. 2.) The prisoner spouted anathemas at the guards as they dragged him to the gallows. |
| Ignominy | n. Public shame, disgrace, or dishonor. The mayor fell from acclaim to ignominy in a week when her cocaine habit was discovered. Syn: Disgrace, infamy Ant: Renown, repute |
| Docile | adj. Easy to teach or manage. The poodle, usually docile, went made and attacked its owner. Ant: Unmanageable, willful |
| Castigate | v. To criticize or punish severely. The parson castigated the boy for noisily chewing gum in church. Syn: Reprimand,scold Ant: Praise |
| Avarice | n. Greed; desire for wealth. He became a doctor, not to save lives but to appease his avarice. |
| Copious | adj. Numerous; large in quantity. It is good to drink a copious amount of water before and after working out. Syn: Profuse Ant: Sparse |
| Irascible | adj. Easily angered. We walk on eggshells around Marty because he is so irascible. Syn: Irritable; ill-tempered Ant: Easygoing |
| Argot | n. Special words or phrases used by a specific group of people. Don't agree to "a trip to the East River" proposed by anyone speaking Mafia argot. |
| Chaos | n. Complete disorder. The new teacher was expected to end the chaos and restore order in the classroom. Syn: Confusion, jumble Ant: Order, Harmony |
| Augment | v. To enlarge; to increase in amount or intensity. I had to take a second job to augment my income after buying the new SUV. Syn: Expand, supplement Ant: Narrow, reduce |
| Expunged | v. To erase or eliminate. If Moni can stay out of trouble for one year, her criminal record will be expunged. Syn: Obliterate Ant: Add |
| Clement | adj. Merciful; lenient. Despite the abhorrent nature of the crime, the judge handed down a surprisingly clement sentence. Syn: Forbearing Ant: Harsh |
| Adamant | adj. Unyielding; firm in opinion. Despite the protests of the entire city council, the mayor remained adamant. Syn: Stubborn Ant: Flexible |
| Ostensible | adj. Professed but not necessarily true. The ostensible reason for inviting her up to his room was to show her his bottle cap collection. Syn: Supposed Ant: Actual |
| Disparity | n. Inequality; difference. My wife is twelve years older than I am, but we get along well despite the disparity in our ages. Syn: Gap Ant: Similarity |
| Nuance | n. A slight or subtle degree of difference. The sharpest listeners detected a nuance in the speaker's ton that revealed her opinion. Syn: Gradation; Shade |
| Connoisseur | n. An expert in matters of culture, food, or wine. The chef watched nervously as the connoisseur tasted the soup. |
| Enigma | n. A mystery; something seemingly inexplicable. Mona Lisa's smile is an enigma because no one knows the thoughts behind her inscrutable expression. Syn: Riddle, puzzle |
| Apathy | n. Lack of interest; state of not caring. The fund drive to raise money for a new gym failed because of student apathy. Syn: Indifference Ant: Interest; eagerness |
| Jaunty | adj. Having a buoyant, self-confident air, brisk and crisp. My three-year-old always walks in a jaunty manner when I put him in that sailor suit. Syn: Confident, poised |
| Credence | n. Belief or trust. Surprisingly, Shayna's teacher gave credence to her story about how she lost her homework. Syn: Faith; confidence Ant: Disbelief |
| Dilettante | n. One who merely dabbles in an art or science. The Dilettante felt that his superficial knowledge of art qualified him to judge the artist's work. Syn: Amateur Ant: Expert; Professional |
| Cult | n. An organized group of people with an obsessive devotion to a person or set of principles. To join the cult, recruits had to shave their heads and walk over burning coals. |
| Officious | adj. Excessively eager to deliver unasked-for or unwanted help. I wish my officious sister would stop telling me how to run my life. Syn: Meddlesome; Interfering |
| Cynical | adj. Doubtful or distrustful of the goodness or sincerity of human motives. Keith made the cynical observation that Jamie's new girlfriend was probably just interested in his money. Syn: Skeptical Ant: Idealistic; Optimistic |
| Ambivalent | adj. Having opposing attitudes or feelings toward a person, thing, or idea; unable to decide. Doug felt ambivalent about his job; although he hated the pressure, he loved the challenge Syn: Uncertain, wavering Ant: Certain |
| Demagogue | n. A leader who appeals to citizens' emotions to obtain power. The demagogue evoked the sympathy of the public to justify his crimes in office. Syn: Rabble-Rouser |
| Demure | adj. Quiet and modest; reserved Her demure behavior was really a ruse to cover up her criminal nature. Syn: Prim Ant: Indiscreet |
| Intrepid | adj. Without fear; brave The intrepid warrior did not even flinch when the tiger leapt from the tree. Syn: Bold; Fearless Ant: Cowardly |
| Destitute | adj. Extremely poor; lacking necessities like food and shelter. Because they had no insurance, they were left destitute when their house burned down. Syn: Impoverished; Penniless |
| Dilemma | n. A choice between two unpleasant or difficult options. Whether to repair my old car or purchase a new one was a real dilemma. |
| Erudite | adj. Scholarly; learned Not much of a scholar, Justin was intimidated by his erudite girlfriend. Syn: Educated Ant: Unlettered; illiterate |
| Decorum | n. Conformity to accepted standards of conduct; proper behavior. The usually restless toddler surprised everyone with his decorum during the ceremony Syn: Propriety Ant: Inappropriateness |
| Extrovert | n. One who is outgoing; one who is energized rather than drained by interactions with others. As an extrovert, Liz loved parties and preferred entertaining to spending a quiet night alone. |
| Duplicity | n. Intentional deceit in speech or conduct. His duplicity became obvious when he absent-mindedly arranged to meet both his wife and his mistress at the same restaurant. Syn: Deception Ant: Straightforwardness |
| Droll | adj. Amusing in an odd or whimsical way. Xander had a droll manner of telling stories that kept everyone entertained. |
| Effigy | n. A crude dummy or image representing a hated person or group. The repressed people burned an effigy of their tyrannous dictator. |
| Doled | v. To Distribute; to give out sparingly At the crowded Red Cross shelter, food was doled out carefully to the earthquake victims. Ant: Hoard |
| Emulate | v. To strive to be equal to; to imitate. Jonas emulated his older brother by pursuing a career in the same business. Syn: Copy |
| Enhance | v. To increase the value or beauty of something. The soft, shimmering moonlight enhanced the beauty of the sparkling lake. Syn: Improve, heighten Ant: Decrease, Diminish |
| Magnanimous | adj. Noble; generous in forgiving; free from petty feelings or acts. Allowing the man who had insulted him to stay for dinner was a magnanimous gesture on Robert's part. Syn: Generous Ant: Petty; Mean |
| Impound | v. To confine; to retain in legal custody. The police impounded Dave's car after they found traces of cocaine on the upholstery. Syn: Confiscate Ant: Release |
| Evoke | v. To summon forth. The comedian was unable to evoke much of a response from the crowd. Syn: Conjure up |
| Dour | adj. Stern and ill-humored. The librarian's dour expression and stereotypical bifocals contradicted her tattoos and noisy motorcycle. Syn: Forbidding Ant: Pleasant |
| Omniscient | adj. Having unlimited knowledge; all-knowing. Dad described Santa Claus as an omniscient old man who knew whether we had been bad or good this year. |
| Acrimony | n. Ill-natured, bitter hostility. Because of his acrimony, the old man found himself lonely and friendless. Syn: Animosity Ant: Frendliness |
| Fiasco | n. A complete, ridiculous failure. Our first fate was a fiasco; I lost a contact lens, we got mugged, and a child threw up on Amber's shoes in the subway. Syn: Disaster Ant: Success |
| Incognito | adj. Disguised; pretending not to be oneself. To avoid clamoring fans, the actor donned a disguise and traveled incognito. |
| Dolorous | adj. Exhibiting sorrow or pain. |
| Sycophant | n. A flatterer; one who fawns on others in order to gain favor. |
| Gadfly | n. An irritating and persistent person. |
Created by:
amarciano05
Popular English Vocabulary sets