Flashcards in Word List 8 Deck (81):
self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies
an instance of usually unaware or uninformed self-satisfaction
e.g. a momentary complacency that was quickly dispelled by the shock of cold reality
marked by an inclination to please or oblige
tending to consent to others' wishes
e.g. The goddess was complaisant, granting exactly what they wished for.
ready or disposed to comply; submissive
conforming to requirements
e.g. a corrupt regime aided by a compliant press
compliant with the latest standards
an expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration, especially an admiring remark
(pl.) best wishes; regards
to express esteem, respect, affection, or admiration to
to present with a token of esteem
e.g. complimented her on her election victory
uttering or given to censure; containing or characterized by verbal abuse
e.g. the type of provocative magazine article that is guaranteed to engender vituperative threats of subscription cancellations
free from agitation; calm, especially self-possessed
e.g. They tried to remain composed throughout the ordeal.
characterized by refusal to compromise or to abandon an extreme position or attitude; uncompromising
e.g. He has remained intransigent, refusing all suggestions for improvement of the process.
to drive or beat back; repel
to repel by discourtesy, coldness, or denial
to cause repulsion in
e.g. I was repulsed by the movie's violence.
anxiety arising from awareness of guilt
distress of mind over an anticipated action or result
a twinge of misgiving; scruple
e.g. compunctions of conscience
showed no compunction in planning devilish engines of destruction
to link together in a series or chain
e.g. The movie actually concatenates into one extended narrative several episodes from various books in the series.
to grant as a right or privilege
to accept as true, valid, or accurate
to accept grudgingly or hesitantly
to relinquish grudgingly or hesitantly
e.g. I concede that the work has been slow so far.
a result of mental activity; thought
excessive appreciation of one's own worth or virtue
e.g. His conceit has earned him many enemies.
to make rare, thin, porous, or less dense; to expand without the addition of matter
to make more spiritual, refined, or abstruse
to gain (as goodwill) by pleasing acts
to make compatible; reconcile
e.g. The company's attempts to conciliate the strikers have failed.
of, relating to, or being a polemic; controversial
engaged in or addicted to polemics; disputatious
e.g. an unnecessarily polemical look at the supposed incompatibility between science and religion
a private secret meeting
of, relating to, or being a conclusion
putting an end to debate or question especially by reason of irrefutability
e.g. the archaeological discovery was conclusive proof that the Vikings had indeed settled in North America around 1000 A.D.
accompanying especially in a subordinate or incidental way
e.g. an improvement in the facilities led to a concomitant improvement in morale
a state of agreement; harmony
e.g. living in concord with people different races and religions
to cause loss or damage to
to secure against hurt, loss, or damage
to make compensation to for incurred hurt, loss, or damage
e.g. The company generously indemnifies workers who are injured on the job.
calm expression; mental composure
face, visage, especially the face as an indication of mood, emotion, or character
bearing or expression that offers approval or sanction; moral support
e.g. The photograph showed his somber countenance.
He countenanced the delays and inconveniences of travelling by air with good grace.
to descend to a less formal or dignified level; unbend
to waive the privileges of rank
to assume an air of superiority
e.g. I will not condescend to answer the sore loser's charge that I cheated in order to win the race.
to regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless
e.g. a government accused of condoning racism
condone corruption in politics
tending to promote or assist
e.g. an atmosphere conducive to education
a large pipe for fluids
e.g. a conduit for illicit payments
a conduit of information
any kind of candy or other sweet preparation
any of an order of mostly evergreen trees and shrubs having usually needle-shaped or scalelike leaves and including forms with true cones and others with an arillate fruit
a league or compact for mutual support or common action; alliance
a combination of persons for unlawful purposes; conspiracy
e.g. a confederacy of native tribes
to compare views or take counsel; consult
to bestow from or as if from a position of superiority
to give (as a property or characteristic) to someone or something
e.g. The lawyer and judge conferred about the ruling.
conferred an honorary degree on her
A reputation for power will confer power.
to declare or admit openly or freely; affirm
to declare in words or appearances only; pretend, claim
to confess one's faith in or allegiance to
e.g. He professes confidence in his friend.
to have confidence; trust
to show confidence by imparting secrets
to tell confidentially
to give to the care or protection of another; entrust
e.g. He confided that he was very unhappy with his job.
confide in a friend
The local SPCA was looking for homes for a number of exotic animals confided to its care.
the way the parts of something are arranged
e.g. The basic configuration of the building is that of a geodesic dome.
to seize as forfeited to the public treasury
to seize by or as if by authority
of or relating to taxation, public revenues, or public debt
of or relating to financial matters
e.g. the fiscal health of the university
fire, especially a large disastrous fire
e.g. The treaty is the latest attempt to resolve the ten-year conflagration.
to cause to deflagrate
to burn rapidly with intense heat and sparks being given off
to bring together; fuse
e.g. Be careful not to conflate gossip with real news.
The movie conflates documentary footage and dramatized reenactments so seamlessly and ingeniously that viewers may not know what is real and what is not.
to be in accord; agree
to put to shame; discomfit
e.g. The complicated directions confounded him.
The school's team confounded all predictions and won the game.
to change from a fluid to a solid state by or as if by cold
to make viscid or curdled; coagulate
to make rigid, fixed, or immobile
having the same nature, disposition, or tastes; kindred
existing or associated together harmoniously
pleasant, especially agreeably suited to one's nature, tastes, or outlook
e.g. congenial companions
The town is a congenial place for raising children.
a congenial host
e.g. a dour expression
the dour mood of the crowd
to gather into a mass or coherent whole
e.g. Over the years, the town's discarded junk conglomerated at the bottom of the river.
superposable so as to be coincident throughout
e.g. His personal goal is not congruent with the goals of the team.
a theory congruent with the known facts of the case
inference from defective or presumptive evidence
to arrive at or deduce by surmise or guesswork; guess
to make conjectures
e.g. The biography includes conjectures about the writer's earliest ambitions.
scientists conjecturing that a disease is caused by a defective gene
to join together (as separate entities) for a common purpose
- the act or an instance of conjoining; the state of being conjoined; combination
occurrence together in time or space; concurrence
the act or an instance of enjoining; order, admonition
a writ granted by a court or equity whereby one is required to do or to refrain from doing a specified act
e.g. The group has obtained an injunction to prevent the demolition of the building.
to charge or entreat earnestly or solemnly
to summon by or as if by invocation or incantation
to affect or effect by or as if by magic; imagine, contrive
to bring to mind
to use a conjurer's tricks; juggle
e.g. I conjure you to hear my plea.
We conjure up our own metaphors for our own needs.
words that conjure pleasant images
to renounce upon oath
to reject solemnly
to abstain from; avoid
e.g. abjure extravagance
to pretend ignorance of or fail to take action against something one ought to oppose
to be indulgent or in secret sympathy; wink
to cooperate secretly or have a secret understanding
e.g. The government connived in the rebels' military buildup.
The principal connived at all the school absences that were recorded on the day of the city's celebration of its Super Bowl victory.
accused his opponents of conniving to defeat the proposal
a person who knows a lot about something; an expert in a particular subject
the suggestive of a meaning by a word apart from the thing its explicit names or describes; implication
e.g. the connotations of comfort that surrounded that old chair
governed by or conforming to the dictates of conscience; scrupulous
e.g. He was conscientious about following the doctor's orders.
to enroll into service by compulsion; drat
e.g. conscripted into the army
a conclusion derived from logic; inference
something produced by a cause or necessarily following from a set of conditions
importance with respect to power of producing an effect
e.g. a mistake of no consequence
of the nature of a secondary result; indirect
having significant consequences; important
e.g. There have been several consequential innovations in their computer software.
a greenhouse for growing or displaying plants
a school specializing in one of the fine arts
to give over to another's care
to commit especially to a final destination or fate
to send or address to an agent to be cared for or sold
e.g. She consigned the painting to an auction house.
a writer consigned to oblivion
a combination of readouts or displays and an input device (as a keyboard or switches) by which an operator can monitor and interact with a system
a small storage cabinet
to alleviate the grief, sense of loss, or trouble of; comfort
e.g. the military officer who must console the bereaved at a soldier's funeral
being in agreement or harmony; free from elements making for discord
e.g. His gentle behavior is consonant with his expressed belief in pacifism.
obvious to the eye or mind
attracting attention; striking
marked by a noticeable violation of good taste
e.g. conspicuous changes
a conspicuous success
of acute mental vision or discernment; keen
characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood
e.g. a mercurial temper
amazement or dismay that hinders or throws into confusion
e.g. The candidate caused consternation among his supporters by changing positions on a key issue.
a member of a constituency
an essential part; component, element
e.g. Many senators have received calls from constituents who want them to vote in favor of the law.
The company can be separated into several constituent parts.
to appoint to an office, function, or dignity
set up, establish
make up, form, compose
e.g. He was constituted treasurer.
Imports constitute a challenge to local goods.
Women constitute 70 percent of the student population at the college.
relating to, inherent in, or affecting the constitution of body or mind
of, relating to, or entering into the fundamental makeup of something; essential
e.g. Constitutional symptoms of the disease include headache and fever.
the constitutional guarantee of free speech
to analyze the arrangement and connection of words in (a sentence or sentence part)
to understand or explain the sense or intention of usually in a particular way or with respect to a given set of circumstances
e.g. The way the court construes various words has changed over time.
He construed my actions as hostile.
an official appointed by a government to reside in a foreign country to represent the commercial interests of citizens of the appointing country
complete in every detail; perfect
extremely skilled and accomplished
of the highest degree
finish, complete; to make perfect; achieve
e.g. Consummate cabinet-makers, they produced desks and chests of drawers that are now regarded as masterpieces of American furniture.
The bargaining process went on for a few days, but the deal was never consummated.
being in actual contact; touching along a boundary or at a point, adjacent
next or near in time or sequence
touching or connected throughout in an unbroken sequence
e.g. Connecticut and Massachusetts are contiguous states.
to think about intently
the act of despising; the state of mind of one who despises; disdain
lack of respect or reverence for something
willful disobedience to or open disrespect of a court, judge, or legislative body
e.g. speak with contempt
a profound contempt for her opponents
respect and esteem due to a superior or an elder; also affected or ingratiating regard for another's wishes
(in deference to: in consideration of)
e.g. He is shown much deference by his colleagues.
She returned early in deference to her parents' wishes.
capable of being estimated
worthy of esteem
e.g. an estimable adversary/colleague
manifesting, feeling, or expressing deep hatred or disapproval; feeling or showing contempt
e.g. loutish tourists who are contemptuous of the ways and traditions of their host countries