Miller Analogies Test (MAT) Terms and Figures (Kaplan & Barron)

burlesque

A ludicrous or mocking imitation; a travesty; a literary or dramatic work that makes fun of something, often by means of outlandish exaggeration; a variety show.

execration

a curse; something that is cursed or loathed. anathema.

palaver

banter Idle chatter

percipient

canny perceptive; insightful

assonance

resemblance in sound, esp. in vowel sounds; partial rhyme.

bellicose

warlike, aggressive

chary

watchful, cautious, extremely shy

apothegm

a short instructive saying. adage.

upbraid

admonish. to scold sharply

diaphanous

allowing light to show through; delicate.

droll

amusing in a wry, subtle way

choler

anger, irritability. acrimony.

pelagic

aquatic. Portion of marine or freshwater ecosystem that occurs in open water away from the shore.

direful

atrocious dreadful; terrible

dictum

authoritative statement; popular saying

rapacity

avarice Inordinate greed

aslant

awry at an angle or in a sloping position

anathema

ban, curse; so,thing shunned or disliked.

ululate

bay (v.) to howl; to wail.

benighted

being in a state of intellectual darkness; ignorant; unenlightened

blandish

cajole Flattery intended to persuade

lambaste

castigate To berate, criticize, or reprimand harshly

purgation

catharsis the process of getting rid of impurities

alacrity

cheerful readiness, promptness in response.

oracular

clairvoyant Prophetic

cosset

coddle to pamper; treat with great care

connubial

conjugal Relating to marriage

consonant (adj.)

consistent with, in agreement with

factious

contumacious, rebellious

somatic

corporeal. of or relating to the body, especially as distinct from the mind.

shillelagh

cudgel of oak

diurnal

daily

paucity

dearth A scarcity or shortage of something

philippic

diatribe A bitter verbal attack

jeremiad

diatribe A long, mournful complaint or lamentation; a list of woes.

fulmination

diatribe bitter protest

assiduous

diligent, persistent, hard-working

threnody

dirge a funeral song

antipathy

dislike, hostility, extreme opposition or aversion

derogate

disparage to belittle

ignominy

disrepute deep disgrace

expostulate

dissent. demur. (v.) To attempt to dissuade someone from some course or decision by earnest reasoning

remonstrate

dissent. demur. (v.) to argue or plead with someone against something, protest against, object to

pertinacious

dogged Holding firmly, even stubbornly, to a belief

doctrinaire

dogmatic rigidly devoted to theories without regard for practicality; dogmatic

risible

droll hilarious, provoking laughter

cozen

dupe (v) to trick; to cheat or swindle

gull

dupe easily cheated or fooled

choleric

easily angered, short-tempered

temerity

effrontery (n.) rashness, boldness

manumit

emancipate free from slavery or servitude

didactic

excessively instructive

calumny

false and malicious accusation, misrepresentation, slander

chimerical

fanciful, imaginary, visionary, impossible

dirge

funeral hymn

cupidity

greed. avarice.

nocent

harmful, deleterious

nocuous

harmful, deleterious

pernicious

harmful, deleterious

deleterious

harmful, often in a subtle or unexpected way.

baleful

harmful, with evil intensions

asperity

harshness of tone or manner. acrimony.

auspicious

having favorable prospects, promising

spleen

ill temper. acrimony.

effrontery

impudent boldness, audacity

capricious

impulsive, whimsical, without much thought

contumelious

insolently abusive and humiliating. brazen.

churlish

marked by a lack of civility or graciousness

bourgeois

middle-class, conventional, capitalist

arch (adj.)

mischievous, roguish

elegy

mournful poem, usually about the dead

discursive

moving from topic to topic without order

impudent

offensively bold or disrespectful; insolent or impertinent.

aphorism

old saying or short, pithy statement.

anachronistic

outdated.

bucolic

pastoral, rural

procacious

petulant, forward, saucy. contumelious.

dulcet

pleasant sounding, soothing to the ear

approbation

praise, distinction. accolade.

antediluvian

prehistoric, ancient beyond measure.

fomenter

rabble-rouser. demagogue.

doleful

sad, mournful

ascetic

self-denying, abstinent, astute, abstemious

diffidence

shyness, lack of confidence

dilatory

slow, tending to delay

coterie

small group of people with a similar purpose.

celerity

speed, swiftness, alacrity

contumacious

stubbornly disobedient

dyspeptic

suffering from indigestion; gloomy and irritable

dour

sullen and gloomy, stern and severe.

succor

to aid. abet.

arrogate

to demand, claim arrogantly

decamp

to depart secretly. abscond.

abash

to embarrass

demur

to express doubts or objections.

embroil

to involve in; cause to fall into disorder

ameliorate

to make better, improve.

amalgamate

to mix, combine.

dissemble

to pretend, disguise one's motives

denigrate

to slur or blacken someone's reputation