Week 18 Flashcards
Abortive
Fruitless*, useless, failing
The divers made an abortive attemp to rescue the dog from the murky* waters.
Modify
To change
Because Phil refused to modify his philosophy, the directors were forced to invalidate* his appointment.
Accommodate
To make fit, adjust to
A quarrel was percipitated* when the dietician refused to accommodate the patient’s special needs.
Spontaneous
Without preparetion, unrehearsed
My English teacher admonished* me: “ I realize that the speech was to be spontaneous, but it was not supposted to be incoherent* or fraught* with fallacious* statements.”
Innate
Natural
His innate cunning allowed him to see through the spy’s subterfuge*.
Veneer
Thin covering
The lieutenant confessed to a veneer of ignorance in order to properly evaluate* his corporal’s resourcefulness*.
Myriad
Countless number
Once the hoax* had been concocted*, a myriad of problems arose.
Urbane
Polished, witty
By embellishing* her work with urbane humor, the sophisticated playwirhgt succeeded on Broadway.
Crave
To desire
Why did Silas Marner crave wealth and practice cupidity*?
Irrelevant
Not related to the subject
The defendant was alleged* to have been an army deserter, but the judge said that was irrelevant to the case.
Deem
Believe, to judge
Whom do you deem to be the bulwalk* of the Republican party?
Inherent
Inborn
Certain mice have an inherent alertness that enables them to conquer the researchers’ labyrinth.
Buff
A fan, follower
The firemen did not have to cajole* the enthusiatic buff into helping them extinguish the blaze.
Romp
To move in a lively manner
When the intercity competition began, our team was supposed to romp over our hapless* rivals.
Latent
Lying hidden
At the age of 42, the artist first became cognizant* of his latent genuis.
