Art of War

Sim Nik (Australia)
50 words 19 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. approbation
    official acceptance or agreement
    “Perhaps,” he said, “painting him was one way of trying to elicit more love and approbation.” New York Times (Apr 14, 2012)
  2. emolument
    compensation received by virtue of holding an office
    Emoluments were falling off and obligations could not be met. Joyce, Herbert
  3. abate
    become less in amount or intensity
    As recent years have proved, the fight shows no sign of abating.
  4. betoken
    be a signal for or a symptom of
    His arms, twisted and rigid, betokened the intensity of his dying agony. Sue, Eug?ne
  5. parlous
    fraught with danger
    Humor aside, the parlous condition of roadways is likely to get worse. BusinessWeek (Feb 11, 2011)
  6. cajole
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
    Her voice is rising, half cajoling, half threatening.
  7. shirk
    avoid one's assigned duties
    Put bluntly, these are not households shirking their tax liabilities.
  8. desultory
    marked by lack of definite plan, purpose, or enthusiasm
    After the desultory loss in Utah, everything heated up.
  9. treatise
    a formal text that treats a particular topic systematically
    Sun Yat-sen died without writing the treatise he had planned. Linebarger, Paul Myron Anthony
  10. consternation
    sudden shock or dismay that causes confusion
    There is even greater consternation about who will hire the auditors in future.
  11. repudiate
    refuse to acknowledge, ratify, or recognize as valid
    Changing course often meant repudiating his own work.
  12. victuals
    a source of food or nourishment
    Let them chew whatever solid Victuals they eat, very carefully. Tissot, S. A. D. (Samuel Auguste David)
  13. celerity
    a rate that is rapid
    Cloud helps in several ways, including the increased celerity noted above. Forbes (Sep 11, 2012)
  14. precipice
    a very steep cliff
    “I feel like I’m on a precipice, jumping off for good,” Mr. Krasinski said.
  15. axiom
    a proposition that is not susceptible of proof or disproof
    This axiom is needed several times in geometry. Smith, David Eugene
  16. surreptitiously
    in a secretive manner
    It can be surreptitiously squeezed away until what's left barely matters any longer.
  17. ignominy
    a state of dishonor
    Had he not just come in time to save her from ignominy? Jones, P.
  18. desultory
    marked by lack of definite plan, purpose, or enthusiasm
    Still the enemy kept up a desultory engagement. Headley, Joel Tyler
  19. destitute
    poor enough to need help from others
    But these positions are not going to the destitute! Salon (Oct 10, 2012)
  20. cognizant
    having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization
    But she's cognizant of time having gone by. Seattle Times (Aug 16, 2012)
  21. opprobrium
    a state of extreme dishonor
    But moral opprobrium has a way of getting under one’s skin.
  22. eschew
    avoid and stay away from deliberately
    His school would eschew rote learning and foster “an atmosphere of living aspiration.”
  23. palliate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
    He palliates his ignorance by pretending that his taste lies another way. ?sop
  24. felicitous
    exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style
    But the current talks on unity have hardly been felicitous. New York Times (Mar 28, 2012)
  25. armistice
    a state of peace agreed to between opponents
    Both countries are still technically at war after the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice.
  26. indignant
    angered at something unjust or wrong
    He gawps at its tangled skull wires and indignant beige lips.
  27. covet
    wish, long, or crave for
    Flacco is not the most coveted pitchman in professional athletics.
  28. beset
    assail or attack on all sides
    In America, beset by worries about lawsuits, such an approach is rare and risky.
  29. maxim
    a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits
    I walked in and blew the meeting, violating every sales maxim I had developed over time.
  30. vacillation
    indecision in speech or action
    But there was no vacillation in the direction of our march. Crane, Stephen
  31. discern
    perceive, recognize, or detect
    Just how helpful low interest rates were for economic growth is hard to discern.
  32. foray
    a sudden short attack
    The Foundation has made forays into improving Americans' health in the past.
  33. miser
    a stingy hoarder of money and possessions
    You marry a miser who grew up watching his parents spend money unwisely.
  34. choleric
    characterized by anger
    The choleric governor swears that he will now hew in pieces the pestilent, ranting Quakers. Kennedy, W. Sloane
  35. facile
    arrived at without due care or effort; lacking depth
    His facile talent adapted itself to every style in turn. Gozzi, Carlo
  36. vexation
    anger produced by some annoying irritation
    Mr. Henry moved to the door in vexation. Wood, Mrs. Henry
  37. ardor
    feelings of great warmth and intensity
    The eyes are as penetrating, as full of ardor, as ever. Various
  38. docile
    easily handled or managed
    In Weldon's world, women are not docile, domestic creatures but angry and implacable.
  39. covetous
    immoderately desirous of acquiring something
    For generations England had cast covetous eyes at South Africa and South America. Dawson, Thomas C.
  40. apophthegm
    a short pithy instructive saying
    Such sententious remarks as “Knowledge is Power” are apophthegms. Various
  41. congenial
    suitable to your needs
    Mr. Murray had warm friends in Boston and felt himself in congenial surroundings. Stark, James H.
  42. substratum
    any stratum or layer lying underneath another
    The underlying substratum which supports the qualities cannot be perceived. Stace, W. T. (Walter Terence)
  43. spurious
    plausible but false
    Wearing a spurious official-looking cap, he was trying to interest tourists in some scam.
  44. intemperate
    excessive in behavior
    Stroke, greatly accelerated by intemperate habits, was the medical verdict. Mitford, Bertram
  45. pang
    a sudden sharp feeling
    Every mother can sympathize with the pang she then experienced. Morgan, Louisa
  46. disheveled
    in disarray; extremely disorderly
    As soon as I saw him, disheveled and looking like he had not seen sunlight in weeks, I knew something was wrong. Forbes (Nov 15, 2012)
  47. lout
    an awkward, foolish person
    The lout yelled with rage, and flew at Ransey stick in hand. Stables, Gordon
  48. dissuade
    turn away from by persuasion
    But haughty talk may not dissuade Italians from following their former leader.
  49. ruminate
    reflect deeply on a subject
    For a long time he lay with closed eyes, ruminating his humiliation. Huxley, Aldous
  50. flummox
    be a mystery or bewildering to
    While movie buffs will be fascinated, casual film goers may be flummoxed.
Created on Mon Feb 04 22:17:27 EST 2013 (updated Sun Feb 10 03:03:40 EST 2013)

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