SAT Vocabulary-- The P-Words

English 11 AP Literature with Romine at Blackford High School

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By: Brett Romine
Created: 2012-04-23
Size: 88 flashcards
Views: 161

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Palatable

agreeable to the taste or one's sensibilities; suitable for consumption. "Despite the unpleasant smell, the exotic cheese was quite _______________________."

Palliate

to make something seem less serious, to gloss over, to make less severe or intense. "The doctor trusted that the new medication would _______________ her patient's discomfort."

Pallid

Lacking color; dull. "Dr. Van Helsing feared that Lucy's _________________ complexion was due to an unexplained loss of blood."

Panacea

A remedy for all ills. "Doctors wish there was a single ____________________ for every disease, but sadly there is not."

Paradigm

a shared mindset that represents a fundamental way of thinking about, perceiving and understanding the world. "Because the new SUV was so popular, it became the __________________________ upon which all others were modeled."

Paradox

A statement that seems to contradict itself but may none the less by true. "The diplomat refused to acknowledge the ___________________ that negotiating a peace treaty would demand more resources than waging a war."

Paragon

a model of excellence or perfection. "The mythical Helen of Troy was considered a ________________________ of female beauty."

Paramount

more important than anything; supreme. "It was __________________ that the bomb squad disconnect the blue wire before removing the fuse."

Pariah

An outcast or reject. "Following the discovery of his plagiarism, Professor Hurley was made a __________________ in all academic circles."

Parody

a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing: "A hush fell over the classroom when the teacher returned to find Deborah acting out a ____________________ of his teaching style."

Parsimony

n. extreme unwillingness to spend resources or money. "Many relatives believed that my aunt's wealth resulted from her ______________________."

Partisan

A committed supporter of a political party: seeing issues from the point of view of a single party. "The king did not believe that his rival could round up enough ____________________ to overthrow the monarchy."

Patent

evident obvious. "The reason for Jim's abdominal pain was made _________ after the doctor performed a sonogram."

PATHOLOGY

_{-the branch of medicine dealing with the essential nature of disease, especially changes in body tissues and organs that cause or are caused by disease.}

_{-the structural and functional manifestations of disease. "Dr. Hastings had difficulty identifying the precise nature of Brian's _________________________."}

Pathos

an emotion of sympathy. "Martha filled with ____________________ upon discovering the scrawny, shivering kitten at her door."

Paucity

Smallness in number; scarcity. "Gilbert lamented the _________ of 20th century literature courses available at the college."

Pejorative

A word or phrase that expresses contempt or disapproval; derogatory term. "The evening's headline news covered an international scandal caused by a ___________________ statement the famous senator had made in reference to a foreign leader."

Pellucid

transparent, easy to understand, limpid or lucid. "Wishing his book to be ______________ to the common man, Albert Camus avoided using complicated grammar when composing The Stranger."

Penchant

Strong inclination, taste, or liking for something. "Jill's dinner parties quickly became monotonous on account of her ______________ for Mexican dishes."

Penitent

showing or feeling regret for wrongdoing, repentant. "The jury's verdict may have been more lenient if the criminal had appeared __________________ for his gruesome crimes."

Penultimate

Second from the last; next to last. "Having smoked the _________________ cigarette remaining in the pack, Cybil discarded the last cigarette and resolved to quit smoking."

Penurious

Stingy; Relating to great poverty. "Stella complained that her husband's _________________ ways made it impossible to live the lifestyle she felt she deserved."

Perfidious

Deceitful and untrustworthy. "After the official was caught selling government secrets to enemy agents, he was executed for his ________________ ways."

Perfunctory

acting routinely with little interest or care. "The radio broadcaster announced the news of the massacre in a surprisingly ____________________ manner."

Permeate

v. To penetrate through spaces; to spread throughout. "Mrs. Huxtable was annoyed that the wet dog's odor had ____________________ the furniture's upholstery."

Pernicious

Extremely Harmful; potentially causing death. "The new government feared that the Communist sympathizers would have a __________________ influence on the nation's stability."

Perplex

confuse thoroughly; puzzle; bewilder. "Brad was __________________ by his girlfriend's suddenly distant manner."

Perspicacity

keenness in observing and understanding. "The detective was too humble to acknowledge that his ______________ was the reason for his professional success."

Pert

(adj) to free in speech or action; bold; saucy; impertinent. "My parents forgave Sandra's ____________ humor at the dinner table because it had been so long since they had last seen her."

PERTINACIOUS

(adj) Very persistent; holding firmly to a course of action or a set of beliefs;
hard to get rid of, refusing to be put off or denied . "Harry's parents were frustrated with his _____________ insistence that a monster lived in his closet. Then they opened the closet door and were eaten."

Perusal

The process of examining carefully. "The actor agreed to accept the role after a two-month _________________________ of the movie script."

PERVASIVE

adj. spread throughout every part. "Stepping off the plane in Havana, I recognized the _____________________ odor of sugar cane fields on fire."

Petulance

unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered; peevish

contemptuous in speech or behavior. "The Nanny resigned after she could no longer tolerate the child's ________________."

Philanthropic

Humanitarian; benevolent; relating to monetary generosity. "Many people felt that the billionaire's decision to donate her fortune to house the homeless was the ultimate ___________________________ act."

Phlegmatic

slow-moving, sluggish; unemotional. "Monique feared her dog was ill after the animal's ________________ response to his favorite chew toy."

Pillage

To rob of goods by open force. "Invading enemy soldiers ____________ the homes scattered along the country's border."

a lofty peak. "Book reviewers declared that the author's new novel was extraordinary and probably the _________________ of Western literature."

Pithy

brief and full of meaning and substance; concise. "My father's long-winded explanation was a stark contrast to his usually ________________ statements."

Pittance

A meager portion of anything, especially an allowance or salary. "Josh complained that he was paid a _________________ for the great amount of work he did at the firm."

Placate

To calm; to pacify; to appease. "The man purchased a lollipop to ____________________ his irritable son."

Placid

Calm or quiet; undisturbed. "The ______________ lake surface was as smooth as glass."

Platitude

n- a trite or banal remark, expressed as if it were original, a cliche. "After reading over her paper, Helene concluded that what she thought were profound insights were actually just cheap ___________________."

Plaudits

an enthusiastic expression of approval. "The controversial new film received ____________ from even the harshest critics."

Plausible

Apparently trustworthy; superficially true or reasonable. "He studied all the data and then came up with a ________________ theory that took all the factors into consideration."

Plenitude

the quality or state of being full: completeness a great sufficiency: abundance. "My grandmother was overwhelmed by the _____________ of tomatoes her garden yielded this season."

Plethora

excess, overabundance. "The wedding banquet included a ___________ of oysters piled almost three feet high."

Pliable

flexible; not stubborn. "Aircraft wings are designed to be somewhat ______________ so they do not break in heavy turbulence."

Poignant

deeply moving; strongly affecting the emotions. "My teacher actually cried after reading to us the ___________________ final chapter of the novel."

Polemic

A strong verbal or written attack on someone or something. "My brother launched into a __________________ against my arguments that capitalism was an unjust economic system."

Portent

A warning sign; omen. "When a black cat crossed my sister's path while she was walking to schyool, she took it as a ______________ that she would do badly on her vocabulary test."

Potable

Safe to drink. "During sea voyages it is essential that ships carry a abundant supply of _________________ water because salty ocean water makes anyone who drinks it sick."

Potentate

One who has the power and position to rule over others. "All the villagers stood along the town's main road to observe as the _________________ procession headed towards the capital."

Pragmatic

practical rather than idealistic. "The politican argued that while increased security measures might not fit with the lofty ideals of the nation, they were a ______________________ necessity to ensure everyone's safety."

cliff, crag, bluff, promontory, ledge. "The mountain climber hung from a _______________ before finding a handhold and pulling himself up."

Preclude

to prevent; to make impossible; to shut out. "My grandfather's large and vicious guard dog ____________________ anyone from entering the yard."

Precocious

Exhibiting unusually early intellectual aptitude or maturity. "Derek was so academically ____________________ that by the time he was 10 years old, he was already in the ninth grade."

Predilection

a disposition in favor of something; preference. "Frank has a ________________________ for eating scrambled eggs withy ketchup, though I prefer to eat eggs without any condiments."

Preponderance

Superiority in weight, power, importance, or strength. "Britain's _________________ of naval might secured the nation's role as a military power."

Prepossessing

prepossessing (adj.) occupying the mind to the exclusion of other thoughts or feelings "His _______________ appearance made it impossible for me to think of anything else."

Presage

something that foreshadows a future event; foreknowledge of the future. "When my uncle's old war injury ached, he interpreted it as a ________________ of bad weather approaching."

Prescient

Having knowledge of things before they happen. "Questioning the fortune cookie's prediction, Ray went in search of the old hermit who was rumored to be ____________________."

Presumptuous

Overbearing, presuming that better than you, condescending. "The princess grew angry after the ________________________ noble tried to kiss her, even though he was far below her in social status."

Pretense

Act of giving a false appearance. "Though he actually anted to use his parents' car to go on a date, Nick borrowed his parents' car under the ___________________ of attending a group study session."

Primeval

Pertaining to the world's first ages; primitive. "The first primates to walk on two legs, called Australopithecus, were the _________________ descendants of modern man."

the lack of basic necessity or comfort of life. "After decades of rule by an oppressive government that saw nothing wrong with stealing from its citizens, the recent drought only increased the people's ______________."

Probity

The quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency. "Because he was never viewed as a man of great ___________________ no one was surprised by Mr. Samson's immoral behavior."

Proclivity

A natural inclination; a tendency. "In a sick twist of fate, Harold's childhood _________________ for torturing small animals grew into a desire to become a surgeon."

Procure

To get by special effort; obtain or acquire. "He managed to ______________ the supplies for construction."

Profane

showing contempt towards sacred things. "Jacob's ___________________ act of urinating in the holy water in the chapel at his boarding school resulted in his dismissal from the school."

Profligate

Wasteful, reckless, corrupt; one who is wildly extravagant. "The ___________________ gambler loved to drink, spend money, steal, cheat, and hang out with prostitutes."

Profuse

Extravagantly abundant, flowing freely. "The fans were _________________ in their cheers for the star basketball player."

Promulgate

to make known by open declaration. "The film professor ___________________ that both in terms of sex appeal and political intrigue, Sean Connery's James Bond was superior to Roger Moore's."

PROPAGATE

multiply, spread, produce. "Rumors of Paul McCartney's demise _________________ like wildfire thoughout the world."

PROPENSITY

n. inclination; tendency. "Dermit has a _________________ for dangerous activities, such as bungee jumping, bull riding, and sky diving."

Propitious

presenting favorable circumstances. "The dark storm clouds visible on the horizon suggested that the weather would not be _____________ for sailing."

Propriety

Appropriateness, compatibility, legitimacy, order, pleasantness, properness. "Erma's old-fashioned parents believed that her mini-skirt lacked the ______________________ expected of a 'nice' girl."

Prosaic

dull; commonplace. "Heather's ____________ recital of the poem bored the audience."

Proscribe

to condemn, outlaw. "The town council voted to ____________ the sale of alcohol on weekends."

Prowess

Superior ability or skill. "The musician had never taken a guitar lesson in his life, making his _______________ with the instrument even more incredible."

Prudence

Wisdom, caution, or restraint. "After losing a fortune in the stock market crash, my father vowed to practice greater ___________________ in future investments."

Prurient

having or encouraging excessive interest in sexual matters. "David's mother was shocked by the discovery of _______________ reading material hidden beneath her son's mattress."

Puerile

Foolish for a grown person to say or do; childish. "The judge demanded order after the lawyer's _________________ attempt to object by stomping his feet on the courtroom floor."

Pugnacious

inclined to quarrel or fight readily; quarrelsome; belligerent; combative. "Aaron's _______________ nature led him to start several barroom brawls each month."

Pulchritude

pulchritude (n.) physical beauty. "Several of Shakespeare’s sonnets explore the ___________________ of a lovely young man."

Punctilious

adj., marked by or concerned about precise accordance with the details of codes or conventions. "_______________________ Bobby, hall monitor extraordinaire, insisted that his peers follow all the rules."

Pungent

sharp smell or taste. "The ________________ odor in the classroom made Joseph lose his concentration during the test."

Punitive

(adj.) inflicting or aiming at punishment. "If caught smoking th the boys' room, the _________________ result is immediate expulsion from school."

Putrid

Decomposed, rotten, and foul-smelling. "Those rotten eggs smell __________________."

About this deck

By: Brett Romine
Created: 2012-04-23
Size: 88 flashcards
Views: 161

About StudyBlue

“I have been getting MUCH better grades on all my tests for school. Flash cards, notes, and quizzes are great on here. Thanks!”
Kathy