English Vocabulary Cards

Exemple: “The idea was still inchoate.”

Synonymes: incipient, early

pellucid

/pəˈluːsɪd/

Exemple: “Her explanation was pellucid.”

Synonymes: clear, limpid, luculent

prevaricate

/prɪˈværɪkeɪt/

Exemple: “He began to prevaricate when questioned.”

Synonymes: palter, equivocate, tergiversate

recondite

/ˈrekənˌdaɪt/

Exemple: “The lecture was recondite but fascinating.”

Synonymes: esoteric, deep, abstruse

vicissitude

/vɪˈsɪsɪtuːd/

Exemple: “He accepted life’s vicissitudes calmly.”

trenchant

/ˈtren tʃənt/

Exemple: “She offered trenchant criticism.”

Synonymes: distinct, clear, intelligent

taciturn

/ˈtæsɪtɝːn/

Exemple: “He is taciturn in public.”

Synonymes: reticent, buttoned-up, untalkative

Antonymes: voluble

supercilious

/ˌsuːpərˈsɪliəs/

Exemple: “His supercilious tone annoyed people.”

Synonymes: snide, haughty, proud

stultify

/ˈstʌltɪfaɪ/

Exemple: “Too many rules can stultify innovation.”

soliloquy

/səˈlɪləkwɪ/

Exemple: “The actor delivered a powerful soliloquy.”

Synonymes: monologue

sanguine

/ˈsæŋɡwɪn/

Exemple: “She is sanguine about the outcome.”

Synonymes: ruddy, optimistic, rubicund

recalcitrant

/rɪˈkælsɪtrənt/

Exemple: “A recalcitrant client refused to cooperate.”

Synonymes: defiant, intractable, refractory

quixotic

/kwɪkˈsɑːtɪk/

Exemple: “It was a quixotic attempt to change everything overnight.”

Synonymes: impractical, wild-eyed, romantic

proclivity

/prəˈklɪvəti/

Exemple: “He has a proclivity for risk-taking.”

Synonymes: propensity, leaning

perspicacious

/ˌpɝːspɪˈkeɪʃəs/

Exemple: “A perspicacious investor asked tough questions.”

Synonymes: sagacious, discerning, sapient

perfunctory

/pərˈfʌŋktəri/

Exemple: “He gave a perfunctory apology.”

Synonymes: cursory, casual, careless

obfuscate

/ˈɑːbfəskeɪt/

Exemple: “Don’t obfuscate—state the facts.”

Antonymes: elucidate, clarify, clear up

mellifluous

/məˈlɪfluəs/

Exemple: “She has a mellifluous voice.”

Synonymes: dulcet, sweet, mellisonant

laconic

/ləˈkɑːnɪk/

Exemple: “His response was laconic.”

Synonymes: terse, crisp, concise

intransigent

/ɪnˈtrænzɪdʒənt/

Exemple: “They remained intransigent during talks.”

Synonymes: inexorable, adamant, adamantine

interlocutor

/ˌɪntərˈlɑːkjətər/

Exemple: “She listened carefully to her interlocutor.”

Synonymes: middleman, conversational partner

inscrutable

/ɪnˈskruːtəbəl/

Exemple: “His expression was inscrutable.”

Synonymes: cryptic, incomprehensible, inexplicable

incorrigible

/ɪnˈkɔːrɪdʒəbəl/

Exemple: “He is an incorrigible optimist.”

Synonymes: depraved, delinquent, uncontrollable

Antonymes: corrigible

iconoclast

/aɪˈkɑːnəklæst/

Exemple: “She is an iconoclast in her field.”

Synonymes: image breaker

harangue

/həˈræŋ/

Exemple: “He launched into a harangue about discipline.”

Synonymes: rant, ranting

garrulous

/ˈɡærələs/

Exemple: “A garrulous speaker filled the room.”

Synonymes: loquacious, voluble, chatty

fastidious

/fæˈstɪdiəs/

Exemple: “He is fastidious about details.”

Synonymes: meticulous, dainty, exacting

Antonymes: unfastidious

excoriate

/ɪkˈskɔːrieɪt/

Exemple: “The press excoriated the policy.”

Synonymes: condemn, decry, objurgate

esoteric

/ˌesəˈterɪk/

Exemple: “The book is full of esoteric terms.”

Synonymes: cryptic, recondite, mystical

Antonymes: exoteric

equivocate

/ɪˈkwɪvəkeɪt/

Exemple: “Don’t equivocate—answer directly.”

Synonymes: prevaricate, palter, tergiversate

ephemeral

/ɪˈfemərəl/

Exemple: “Fame can be ephemeral.”

Synonymes: transient, transitory, fugacious

enervate

/ˈenərveɪt/

Exemple: “Long meetings can enervate the team.”

Synonymes: unnerve, unsettle, faze

egregious

/ɪˈɡriːdʒəs/

Exemple: “That was an egregious mistake.”

Synonymes: conspicuous, flagrant, obvious

effulgent

/ɪˈfʌldʒənt/

Exemple: “The sunrise was effulgent.”

Synonymes: bright, radiant, beaming

dissemble

/dɪˈsem bəl/

Exemple: “He tried to dissemble his disappointment.”

Synonymes: affect, sham, act

diaphanous

/daɪˈæfənəs/

Exemple: “A diaphanous curtain covered the window.”

Synonymes: gossamer, vaporous, thin

deleterious

/ˌdelɪˈtɪriəs/

Exemple: “Noise can have deleterious effects on health.”

Synonymes: harmful, noxious, injurious

contumacious

/ˌkɑːntuˈmeɪʃəs/

Exemple: “He was punished for contumacious behavior.”

Synonymes: insubordinate

conundrum

/kəˈnʌndrəm/

Exemple: “Funding is a conundrum for many startups.”

Synonymes: brain-teaser, enigma, riddle

conflagration

/ˌkɑːnfləˈɡreɪʃən/

Exemple: “A conflagration destroyed the old building.”

Synonymes: inferno

circumspect

/ˈsɝːkəmspekt/

Exemple: “Be circumspect when sharing personal data.”

Synonymes: prudent, discreet

capricious

/kəˈprɪʃəs/

Exemple: “The weather here is capricious.”

Synonymes: arbitrary, whimsical, impulsive

assiduous

/əˈsɪdʒuəs/

Exemple: “Her assiduous work impressed everyone.”

Synonymes: diligent, sedulous

apotheosis

/əˌpɑːθiˈoʊsɪs/

Exemple: “The finale was the apotheosis of the show.”

Synonymes: paragon, exaltation, nonpareil

antediluvian

/ˌænti dɪˈluːviən/

Exemple: “Their process is antediluvian.”

Synonymes: archaic, antiquated, old

ameliorate

/əˈmiːljəreɪt/

Exemple: “New policies may ameliorate the situation.”

Synonymes: improve, meliorate, better

Antonymes: decline, exacerbate, aggravate

alacrity

/əˈlæk rɪ ti/

Exemple: “She accepted the challenge with alacrity.”

Synonymes: briskness

acrimonious

/ˌækrɪˈmoʊniəs/

Exemple: “Their negotiations became acrimonious.”

Synonymes: resentful, bitter

abrogate

/ˈæbrəɡeɪt/