158 VOCABULARY FOR TOEFL iBT
poseur (poh·'zur) n. someone who takes on airs to impress others; a phony. My
first impression of the arrogant newcomer told me that he was a poseur; I just had a
hunch that he wasn’t what he seemed to be.
pragmatic (pra·'mat·ik) adj. practical, matter-of-fact; favoring utility. Because we
don’t have money or time to waste, I think we should take the most pragmatic
approach.
precarious (pri·'kair·ee·u ̆s) adj. 1. fraught with danger. 2. dangerously unsteady
or insecure. The crocodile hunter is constantly placing himself in very precarious
positions.
precept ('pree·sept) n. a rule establishing standards of conduct. The headmaster
reviewed the precepts of the school with the students.
precipitous (pri·'sip·i·tu ̆s) adj. 1. extremely steep, dropping sharply. 2. hasty,
rash, foolhardy. Driving through the state park, we spotted a grizzly bear on a pre-
cipitous cliff and wondered if he would fall.
pretentious (pri·'ten·shu ̆s) adj. showy, pompous, putting on airs. Hannah thinks
that being pretentious will make people like her, but she is sorely mistaken.
prevaricate (pri·'var· ̆·kayt) v. to tell lies, to stray from or evade the truth. Quit
prevaricating and tell me what really happened.
primeval (pr ̄·'mee·va ̆l) adj. ancient, original, belonging to the earliest ages. The
primeval art found in the caves was discovered by accident.
pristine ('pris·teen) adj. 1. in its original and unspoiled condition, unadulterated.- clean, pure, free from contamination. We were awed by the beauty of the pris-
tine forest in northern Canada.
prodigal ('prod· ̆·a ̆l) adj. 1. recklessly wasteful or extravagant, especially with
money. 2. given in great abundance, lavish or profuse. His prodigal actions led to
his financial ruin.
profligate ('prof·l ̆·it) adj. 1. recklessly wasteful or extravagant, prodigal. - lacking moral restraint, dissolute. The profligate man quickly depleted his fortune.
proletariat (proh·le ̆·'tair·ee·a ̆t) n. the working class, those who do manual labor
to earn a living. The proletariats demanded fewer hours and better wages.
propinquity (proh·'pin·kwi·tee) n. 1. proximity, nearness. 2. affinity, similarity
in nature. The propinquity of these two elements make them difficult to tell apart.
propitious (proh·'pish·u ̆s) adj. auspicious, presenting favorable circumstances.
These are propitious omens and foretell a good journey.