question

abate

answer

(v.) to reduce, lessen (The rain poured down for a while, then abated.)

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balk

answer

(v.) to stop, block abruptly (Edna's boss balked at her request for another raise.)

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calamity

answer

(n.) an event with disastrous consequences (The earthquake in San Francisco was a calamity worse than any other natural disaster in history.)

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debase

answer

(v.) to lower the quality or esteem of something (The large raise that he gave himself debased his motives for running the charity.)

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edict

answer

(n.) an order, decree (The ruler issued an edict requiring all of his subjects to bow down before him.)

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fallacious

answer

(adj.) incorrect, misleading (Emily offered me cigarettes on the fallacious assumption that I smoked.)

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genial

answer

(adj.) friendly, affable (Although he's been known to behave like a real jerk, I would say that my brother is an overall genial guy.)

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hapless

answer

(adj.) unlucky (My poor, hapless family never seems to pick a sunny week to go on vacation.)

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ignominious

answer

(adj.) humiliating, disgracing (It was really ignominious to be kicked out of the dorm for having an illegal gas stove in my room.)

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juxtaposition

answer

(n.) the act of placing two things next to each other for implicit comparison (The interior designer admired my juxtaposition of the yellow couch and green table.)

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laconic

answer

(adj.) terse in speech or writing (The author's laconic style has won him many followers who dislike wordiness.)

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maelstrom

answer

(n.) a destructive whirlpool which rapidly sucks in objects (Little did the explorers know that as they turned the next bend of the calm river a vicious maelstrom would catch their boat.)

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nadir

answer

(n.) the lowest point of something (My day was boring, but the nadir came when I accidentally spilled a bowl of spaghetti on my head.)

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oblivious

answer

(adj.) lacking consciousness or awareness of something (Oblivious to the burning smell emanating from the kitchen, my father did not notice that the rolls in the oven were burned until much too late.)

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palatable

answer

(adj.) agreeable to the taste or sensibilities (Despite the unpleasant smell, the exotic cheese was quite palatable.)

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quaint

answer

(adj.) charmingly old-fashioned (Hilda was delighted by the quaint bonnets she saw in Amish country.)

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rancor

answer

(n.) deep, bitter resentment (When Eileen challenged me to a fight, I could see the rancor in her eyes.)

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sagacity

answer

(n.) shrewdness, soundness of perspective (With remarkable sagacity, the wise old man predicted and thwarted his children's plan to ship him off to a nursing home.)

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tantamount

answer

(adj.) equivalent in value or significance (When it comes to sports, fearing your opponent is tantamount to losing.)

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ubiquitous

answer

(adj.) existing everywhere, widespread (It seems that everyone in the United States has a television. The technology is ubiquitous here.)

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vapid

answer

(adj.) lacking liveliness, dull (The professor's comments about the poem were surprisingly vapid and dull.)

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wallow

answer

(v.) to roll oneself indolently; to become or remain helpless (My roommate can't get over her breakup with her boyfriend and now just wallows in self-pity.)

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zephyr

answer

(n.) a gentle breeze (If not for the zephyrs that were blowing and cooling us, our room would've been unbearably hot.)

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abet

answer

(v.) to aid, help, encourage (The spy succeeded only because he had a friend on the inside to abet him.)

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bard

answer

(n.) a poet, often a singer as well (Shakespeare is often considered the greatest bard in the history of the English language.)

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camaraderie

answer

(n.) brotherhood, jovial unity (Camaraderie among employees usually leads to success in business.)

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decry

answer

(v.) to criticize openly (The kind video rental clerk decried the policy of charging customers late fees.)

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effrontery

answer

(n.) impudence, nerve, insolence (When I told my aunt that she was boring, my mother scolded me for my effrontery.)

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fecund

answer

(adj.) fruitful, fertile (The fecund tree bore enough apples to last us through the entire season.)

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grandiloquence

answer

(n.) lofty, pompous language (The student thought her grandiloquence would make her sound smart, but neither the class nor the teacher bought it.)

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haughty

answer

(adj.) disdainfully proud (The superstar's haughty dismissal of her costars will backfire on her someday.)

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impassive

answer

(adj.) stoic, not susceptible to suffering (Stop being so impassive; it's healthy to cry every now and then.)

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latent

answer

(adj.) hidden, but capable of being exposed (Sigmund's dream represented his latent paranoid obsession with other people's shoes.)

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malleable

answer

(adj.) capable of being shaped or transformed (Maximillian's political opinions were so malleable that anyone he talked to was able to change his mind instantly.)

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negligent

answer

(adj.) habitually careless, neglectful (Jessie's grandfather called me a negligent fool after I left the door to his apartment unlocked even though there had been a recent string of robberies.)

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obstinate

answer

(adj.) not yielding easily, stubborn (The obstinate child refused to leave the store until his mother bought him a candy bar.)

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panacea

answer

(n.) a remedy for all ills or difficulties (Doctors wish there was a single panacea for every disease, but sadly there is not.)

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quixotic

answer

(adj.) idealistic, impractical (Edward entertained a quixotic desire to fall in love at first sight in a laundromat.)

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raze

answer

(v.) to demolish, level (The old tenement house was razed to make room for the large chain store.)

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sanctimonious

answer

(adj.) giving a hypocritical appearance of piety (The sanctimonious Bertrand delivered stern lectures on the Ten Commandments to anyone who would listen, but thought nothing of stealing cars to make some cash on the side.)

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tenable

answer

(adj.) able to be defended or maintained (The department heads tore down the arguments in other people's theses, but Johari's work proved to be quite tenable.)

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undulate

answer

(v.) to move in waves (As the storm began to brew, the placid ocean began to undulate to an increasing degree.)

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venerable

answer

(adj.) deserving of respect because of age or achievement (The venerable Supreme Court justice had made several key rulings in landmark cases throughout the years.)

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wily

answer

(adj.) crafty, sly (Though they were not the strongest of the Thundercats, wily Kit and Kat were definitely the most clever and full of tricks.)

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abjure

answer

(v.) to reject, renounce (To prove his honesty, the President abjured the evil policies of his wicked predecessor.)

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behemoth

answer

(n.) something of tremendous power or size (The new aircraft carrier is among several behemoths that the Air Force has added to its fleet.)

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capacious

answer

(adj.) very spacious (The workers delighted in their new capacious office space.)

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deferential

answer

(adj.) showing respect for another's authority (His deferential attitude toward her made her more confident in her ability to run the company.)

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fetid

answer

(adj.) having a foul odor (I can tell from the fetid smell in your refrigerator that your milk has spoiled.)

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grievous

answer

(adj.) injurious, hurtful; serious or grave in nature (Electrocuting the inmate without being sure of his guilt would be a truly grievous mistake.)

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imperious

answer

(adj.) commanding, domineering (The imperious nature of your manner led me to dislike you at once.)

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lenient

answer

(adj.) demonstrating tolerance or gentleness (Because Professor Oglethorpe allowed his students to choose their final grades, the other teachers believed that he was excessively lenient.)

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maudlin

answer

(adj.) weakly sentimental (Although many people enjoy romantic comedies, I usually find them maudlin and shallow.)

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nomadic

answer

(adj.) wandering from place to place (In the first six months after college, Jose led a nomadic life, living in New York, California, and Idaho.)

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officious

answer

(adj.) offering one's services when they are neither wanted nor needed (Brenda resented Allan's officious behavior when he selected colors that might best improve her artwork.)

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paramount

answer

(adj.) greatest in importance, rank, character (It was paramount that the bomb squad disconnect the blue wire before removing the fuse.)

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partisan

answer

(n.) a follower, adherent (The king did not believe that his rival could round up enough partisans to overthrow the monarchy.)

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reciprocate

answer

(v.) to give in return (When Steve gave Samantha a sweater for Christmas, she reciprocated by giving him a kiss.)

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scintillating

answer

(adj.) sparkling (The ice skater's scintillating rhinestone costume nearly blinded the judges.)

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tirade

answer

(n.) a long speech marked by harsh or biting language (Every time Jessica was late, her boyfriend went into a long tirade about punctuality.)

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utopia

answer

(n.) an imaginary and remote place of perfection (Everyone in the world wants to live in a utopia, but no one can agree how to go about building one.)

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abrogate

answer

(v.) to abolish, usually by authority (The Bill of Rights assures that the government cannot abrogate our right to a free press.)

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abstruse

answer

(adj.) hard to comprehend (Everyone else in the class understood geometry easily, but John found the subject abstruse.)

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carouse

answer

(v.) to party, celebrate (We caroused all night after getting married.)

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caucus

answer

(n.) a meeting usually held by people working toward the same goal (The ironworkers held a caucus to determine how much of a pay increase they would request.)

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delegate

answer

(v.) to hand over responsibility for something (The dean delegated the task of finding a new professor to a special hiring committee.)

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elucidate

answer

(v.) to clarify, explain (I didn't understand why my friend was so angry with me, so I asked Janine to elucidate her feelings.)

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impinge

answer

1. (v.) to impact, affect, make an impression 2. (v.) to encroach, infringe (1. The hail impinged the roof, leaving large dents.) (2. I apologize for impinging upon you like this, but I really need to use your bathroom. Now.)

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paucity

answer

(adj.) small in quantity (Gilbert lamented the paucity of twentieth century literature courses available at the college.)

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redoubtable

answer

1. (adj.) formidable 2. (adj.) commanding respect (1. The fortress looked redoubtable set against a stormy sky.) (2. The audience greeted the redoubtable speaker with a standing ovation.)

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semaphore

answer

(n.) a visual signal (Anne and Diana communicated with a semaphore involving candles and window shades.)

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acclaim

answer

(n.) high praise (Greg's excellent poem won the acclaim of his friends.)

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accost

answer

(v.) to confront verbally (Though Antoinette was normally quite calm, when the waiter spilled soup on her for the fourth time in 15 minutes she stood up and accosted the man.)

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cerebral

answer

(adj.) related to the intellect (The books we read in this class are too cerebral—they don't engage my emotions at all.)

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chide

answer

(v.) to voice disapproval (Lucy chided Russell for his vulgar habits and sloppy appearance.)

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demagogue

answer

(n.) a leader who appeals to a people's prejudices (The demagogue strengthened his hold over his people by blaming immigrants for the lack of jobs.)

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embezzle

answer

(v.) to steal money by falsifying records (The accountant was fired for embezzling $10,000 of the company's funds.)

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implicit

answer

(adj.) understood but not outwardly obvious, implied (I know Professor Smith didn't actually say not to write from personal experience, but I think such a message was implicit in her instruction to use scholarly sources.)

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penitent

answer

(adj.) remorseful, regretful (The jury's verdict may have been more lenient if the criminal had appeared penitent for his gruesome crimes.)

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regurgitate

answer

1. (v.) to vomit 2. (v.) to throw back exactly (1. Feeling sick, Chuck regurgitated his dinner.) (2. Margaret rushed through the test, regurgitating all of the facts she'd memorized an hour earlier.)

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serendipity

answer

(n.) luck, finding good things without looking for them (In an amazing bit of serendipity, penniless Paula found a $20 bill in the subway station.)

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torrid

answer

(adj.) giving off intense heat, passionate (I didn't want to witness the neighbor's torrid affair through the window.)

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acrimony

answer

(n.) bitterness, discord (Though they vowed that no girl would ever come between them, Biff and Trevor could not keep acrimony from overwhelming their friendship after they both fell in love with the lovely Teresa.)

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adept

answer

(adj.) extremely skilled (Tarzan was adept at jumping from tree to tree like a monkey.)

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berate

answer

(v.) to scold vehemently (The angry boss berated his employees for failing to meet their deadline.)

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circuitous

answer

(adj.) roundabout (The bus's circuitous route took us through numerous outlying suburbs.)

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circumvent

answer

(v.) to get around (The school's dress code forbidding navel-baring jeans was circumvented by the determined students, who were careful to cover up with long coats when administrators were nearby.)

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denigrate

answer

(v.) to belittle, diminish the opinion of (The company decided that its advertisements would no longer denigrate the company's competitors.)

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elated

answer

(adj.) overjoyed, thrilled (When she found out she had won the lottery, the writer was elated.)

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figurative

answer

(adj.) symbolic (Using figurative language, Jane likened the storm to an angry bull.)

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heterogeneous

answer

(adj.) varied, diverse in character (I hate having only one flavor so I always buy the swirled, or should I say heterogeneous, type of ice cream.)

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inane

answer

(adj.) silly and meaningless (Some films are so inane that the psychology of the characters makes absolutely no sense.)

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meager

answer

(adj.) deficient in size or quality (My meager portion of food did nothing to satisfy my appetite.)

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perfunctory

answer

(adj.) showing little interest or enthusiasm (The radio broadcaster announced the news of the massacre in a surprisingly perfunctory manner.)

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remiss

answer

(adj.) negligent, failing to take care (The burglar gained entrance because the security guard, remiss in his duties, forgot to lock the door.)

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sobriety

answer

(n.) sedate, calm (Jason believed that maintaining his sobriety in times of crisis was the key to success in life.)

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transgress

answer

(v.) to violate, go over a limit (The criminal's actions transgressed morality and human decency.)

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verdant

answer

(adj.) green in tint or color (The verdant leaves on the trees made the world look emerald.)

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adroit

answer

(adj.) skillful, dexterous (The adroit thief could pick someone's pocket without attracting notice.)

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advocate

answer

1. (v.) to argue in favor of something 2. (n.) a person who argues in favor of something (Arnold advocated turning left at the stop sign, even though everyone else thought we should turn right.)

question

cleave

answer

1. (v.) to divide into parts 2. (v.) to stick together firmly (1. Following the scandalous disgrace of their leader, the entire political party cleaved into warring factions.) (2. After resolving their marital problems, Junior and Rosa cleaved to one another all the more tightly.)

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coagulate

answer

(v.) to thicken, clot (The top layer of the pudding had coagulated into a thick skin.)

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deprecate

answer

(v.) to belittle, depreciate (Always over-modest, he deprecated his contribution to the local charity.)

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emote

answer

(v.) to express emotion (The director told the actor he had to emote, or else the audience would have no idea what his character was going through.)

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florid

answer

(adj.) flowery, ornate (The writer's florid prose belongs on a sentimental Hallmark card.)

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incessant

answer

(adj.) unending (We wanted to go outside and play, but the incessant rain kept us indoors for two days.)

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licentious

answer

(adj.) displaying a lack of moral or legal restraints (Marilee has always been fascinated by the licentious private lives of politicians.)

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perspicacity

answer

(adj.) shrewdness, perceptiveness (The detective was too humble to acknowledge that his perspicacity was the reason for his professional success.)

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repentant

answer

(adj.) penitent, sorry (The repentant Dennis apologized profusely for breaking his mother's vase.)

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solvent

answer

1. (n.) a substance that can dissolve other substances 2. (adj.) able to pay debts (1. Water is sometimes called the universal solvent because almost all other substances can dissolve into it.) (2. Upon receiving an unexpected check from her aunt, Annabelle found herself suddenly solvent.)

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vicissitude

answer

(n.) event that occurs by chance (The vicissitudes of daily life prevent me from predicting what might happen from one day to the next.)

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affinity

answer

(n.) a spontaneous feeling of closeness (Jerry didn't know why, but he felt an incredible affinity for Kramer the first time they met.)

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anachronistic

answer

(adj.) being out of correct chronological order (In this book you're writing, you say that the Pyramids were built after the Titanic sank, which is anachronistic.)

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bilk

answer

(v.) cheat, defraud (The lawyer discovered that this firm had bilked several clients out of thousands of dollars.)

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compress

answer

(v.) to apply pressure, squeeze together (Lynn compressed her lips into a frown.)

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constrain

answer

(v.) to forcibly restrict (His belief in nonviolence constrained him from taking revenge on his attackers.)

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disclose

answer

(v.) to reveal, make public (The CEO disclosed to the press that the company would have to fire several employees.)

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erudite

answer

(adj.) learned (My Latin teacher is such an erudite scholar that he has translated some of the most difficult and abstruse ancient poetry.)

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incontrovertible

answer

(adj.) indisputable (Only stubborn Tina would attempt to disprove the incontrovertible laws of physics.)

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litigant

answer

(n.) someone engaged in a lawsuit (When the litigants began screaming at each other, Judge Koch ordered them to be silent.)

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notorious

answer

(adj.) widely and unfavorably known (Jacob was notorious for always arriving late at parties.)

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pervasive

answer

(adj.) having the tendency to spread throughout (Stepping off the plane in Havana, I recognized the pervasive odor of sugar cane fields on fire.)

question

pretense

answer

(n.) an appearance or action intended to deceive (Though he actually wanted to use his parents' car to go on a date, Nick borrowed his parents' car under the pretense of attending a group study session.)

question

reprieve

answer

(n.) a temporary delay of punishment (Because the governor woke up in a particularly good mood, he granted hundreds of reprieves to prisoners.)

question

speculative

answer

(adj.) not based in fact (Sadly, Tessa was convicted on merely speculative evidence.)

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tremulous

answer

(adj.) fearful (I always feel a trifle tremulous when walking through a graveyard.)

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vindictive

answer

(adj.) vengeful (The vindictive madman seeks to exact vengeance for any insult that he perceives is directed at him, no matter how small.)

question

aggregate

answer

1. (n.) a whole or total 2. (v.) to gather into a mass (1. The three branches of the U.S. Government form an aggregate much more powerful than its individual parts.) (2. The dictator tried to aggregate as many people into his army as he possibly could.)

question

arbiter

answer

(n.) one who can resolve a dispute, make a decision (The divorce court judge will serve as the arbiter between the estranged husband and wife.)

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boisterous

answer

(adj.) loud and full of energy (The candidate won the vote after giving several boisterous speeches on television.)

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concise

answer

(adj.) brief and direct in expression (Gordon did not like to waste time, and his instructions to Brenda were nothing if not concise.)

question

contemporaneous

answer

(adj.) existing during the same time (Though her novels do not feature the themes of Romanticism, Jane Austen's work was contemporaneous with that of Wordsworth and Byron.)

question

desecrate

answer

(v.) to violate the sacredness of a thing or place (They feared that the construction of a golf course would desecrate the preserved wilderness.)

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discretion

answer

(n.) the quality of being reserved in speech or action; good judgment (Not wanting her patient to get overly anxious, the doctor used discretion in deciding how much to tell the patient about his condition.)

question

enamor

answer

(v.) to fill with love, fascinate, usually used in passive form followed by "of" or "with" (I grew enamored of that boy when he quoted my favorite love poem.)

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ethereal

answer

(adj.) heavenly, exceptionally delicate or refined (In her flowing silk gown and lace veil, the bride looked ethereal.)

question

forbearance

answer

(n.) patience, restraint, toleration (The doctor showed great forbearance in calming down the angry patient who shouted insults at him.)

question

indefatigable

answer

(adj.) incapable of defeat, failure, decay (Even after traveling 62 miles, the indefatigable runner kept on moving.)

question

meritorious

answer

(adj.) worthy of esteem or reward x (Though he was widely respected for his mathematical proofs, the mercurial genius was impossible to live with.)

question

oration

answer

(n.) a speech delivered in a formal or ceremonious manner (The prime minister was visibly shaken when the unruly parliament interrupted his oration about failed domestic policies.)

question

proclivity

answer

(n.) a strong inclination toward something (In a sick twist of fate, Harold's childhood proclivity for torturing small animals grew into a desire to become a surgeon.)

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repudiate

answer

(v.) to reject, refuse to accept (Kwame made a strong case for an extension of his curfew, but his mother repudiated it with a few biting words.)

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stingy

answer

(adj.) not generous, not inclined to spend or give (Scrooge's stingy habits did not fit with the generous, giving spirit of Christmas.)

question

vituperate

answer

(v.) to berate (Jack ran away as soon as his father found out, knowing he would be vituperated for his unseemly behavior.)

question

agriculture

answer

(n.) farming (It was a huge step in the progress of civilization when tribes left hunting and gathering and began to develop more sustainable methods of obtaining food, such as agriculture.)

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anathema

answer

(n.) a cursed, detested person (I never want to see that murderer. He is an anathema to me.)

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arcane

answer

(adj.) obscure, secret, known only by a few (The professor is an expert in arcane Lithuanian literature.)

question

brazen

answer

(adj.) excessively bold, brash (Critics condemned the novelist's brazen attempt to plagiarize Hemingway's story.)

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condolence

answer

(n.) an expression of sympathy in sorrow (Brian lamely offered his condolences on the loss of his sister's roommate's cat.)

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contusion

answer

(n.) bruise, injury (The contusions on his face suggested he'd been in a fight.)

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despot

answer

(n.) one who has total power and rules brutally (The despot issued a death sentence for anyone who disobeyed his laws.)

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disheartened

answer

(adj.) feeling a loss of spirit or morale (The team was disheartened after losing in the finals of the tournament.)

question

enfranchise

answer

(v.) to grant the vote to (The Nineteenth Amendment enfranchised women.)

question

evince

answer

(v.) to show, reveal (Christopher's hand-wringing and nail-biting evince how nervous he is about the upcoming English test.)

question

fortitude

answer

(n.) strength, guts (Achilles' fortitude in battle is legendary.)

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inquisitor

answer

(n.) one who inquires, especially in a hostile manner (The inquisitor was instructed to knock on every door in town in order to find the fugitive.)

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interminable

answer

(adj.) without possibility of end (The fact that biology lectures came just before lunch made them seem interminable.)

question

moderate

answer

1. (adj.) not extreme 2. (n.) one who expresses moderate opinions (1. Luckily, the restaurant we chose had moderate prices; none of us have any money.) (2. Because he found both the liberal and conservative proposals too excessive, Mr. Park sided with the moderates.)

question

plausible

answer

(adj.) believable, reasonable (He studied all the data and then came up with a plausible theory that took all factors into account.)

question

resolve

answer

1. (v.) to find a solution 2. (v.) to firmly decide (1. Sarah and Emma resolved their differences and shook hands.) (2. Lady Macbeth resolved to whip her husband into shape.)

question

strident

answer

(adj.) harsh, loud (A strident man, Captain Von Trapp yelled at his daughter and made her cry.)

question

allay

answer

(v.) to soothe, ease (The chairman of the Federal Reserve gave a speech to try to allay investors' fears about an economic downturn.)

question

animated

answer

(adj.) lively (When he begins to talk about drama, which is his true passion, he becomes very animated.)

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arid

answer

(adj.) excessively dry (Little other than palm trees and cacti grow successfully in arid environments.)

question

buttress

answer

1. (v.) to support, hold up 2. (n.) something that offers support (1. The column buttresses the roof above the statue.) (2. The buttress supports the roof above the statues.)

question

cogent

answer

(adj.) intellectually convincing (Irene's arguments in favor of abstinence were so cogent that I could not resist them.)

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convivial

answer

(adj.) characterized by feasting, drinking, merriment (The restaurant's convivial atmosphere put me immediately at ease.)

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dialect

answer

(n.) a variation of a language (In the country's remote, mountainous regions, the inhabitants spoke a dialect that the country's other inhabitants had difficulty understanding.)

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ennui

answer

(n.) boredom, weariness (I feel such ennui that I don't look forward to anything, not even my birthday party.)

question

fractious

answer

(adj.) troublesome or irritable (Although the child insisted he wasn't tired, his fractious behavior—especially his decision to crush his cheese and crackers all over the floor—convinced everyone present that it was time to put him to bed.)

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indolent

answer

(adj.) lazy (Why should my indolent children, who can't even pick themselves up off the couch to pour their own juice, be rewarded with a trip to the mall?)

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intrepid

answer

(adj.) brave in the face of danger (After scaling a live volcano prior to its eruption, the explorer was praised for his intrepid attitude.)

question

morass

answer

(n.) a wet swampy bog; figuratively, something that traps and confuses (When Theresa lost her job, she could not get out of her financial morass.)

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pillage

answer

(v.) to seize or plunder, especially in war (Invading enemy soldiers pillaged the homes scattered along the country's border.)

question

protean

answer

(adj.) able to change shape; displaying great variety (Among Nigel's protean talents was his ability to touch the tip of his nose with his tongue.)

question

revoke

answer

(v.) to take back (After missing the curfew set by the court for eight nights in a row, Marcel's freedom of movement was revoked.)

question

submissive

answer

(adj.) easily yielding to authority (In some cultures, wives are supposed to be submissive and support their husbands in all matters.)

question

wrath

answer

(n.) vengeful anger, punishment (Did you really want to incur her wrath when she is known for inflicting the worst punishments legally possible?)

question

aloof

answer

(adj.) reserved, distant (The scientist could sometimes seem aloof, as if he didn't care about his friends or family, but really he was just thinking about quantum mechanics.)

question

anonymous

answer

(adj.) being unknown, unrecognized (Mary received a love poem from an anonymous admirer.)

question

ascertain

answer

(v.) to perceive, learn (With a bit of research, the student ascertained that some plants can live for weeks without water.)

question

colloquial

answer

(adj.) characteristic of informal conversation (Adam's essay on sexual response in primates was marked down because it contained too many colloquial expressions.)

question

confidant

answer

(n.) a person entrusted with secrets (Shortly after we met, she became my chief confidant.)

question

coronation

answer

(n.) the act of crowning (The new king's coronation occurred the day after his father's death.)

question

diffuse

answer

1. (v.) to scatter, thin out, break up 2. (adj.) not concentrated, scattered, disorganized (1. He diffused the tension in the room by making in a joke.) (2. In her writings, she tried unsuccessfully to make others understand her diffuse thoughts.)

question

epistolary

answer

(adj.) relating to or contained in letters (Some people call me "Auntie's boy," because my aunt and I have such a close epistolary relationship that we write each other every day.)

question

frugal

answer

(adj.) thrifty, economical (Richard is so frugal that his diet consists almost exclusively of catfish and chicken liver—the two most inexpensive foods in the store.)

question

inept

answer

(adj.) not suitable or capable, unqualified (She proved how inept she was when she forgot three orders and spilled a beer in a customer's lap.)

question

inveterate

answer

(adj.) stubbornly established by habit (I'm the first to admit that I'm an inveterate coffee drinker—I drink four cups a day.)

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mundane

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(adj.) concerned with the world rather than with heaven, commonplace (He is more concerned with the mundane issues of day-to-day life than with spiritual topics.)

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ostensible

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(adj.) appearing as such, seemingly (Jack's ostensible reason for driving was that airfare was too expensive, but in reality, he was afraid of flying.)

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poignant

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(adj.) deeply affecting, moving (My teacher actually cried after reading to us the poignant final chapter of the novel.)

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profuse

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(adj.) plentiful, abundant (The fans were profuse in their cheers for the star basketball player.)

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rescind

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(v.) to take back, repeal (The company rescinded its offer of employment after discovering that Jane's resume was full of lies.)

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surmise

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(v.) to infer with little evidence (After speaking to only one of the students, the teacher was able to surmise what had caused the fight.)

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ambivalent

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(adj.) having opposing feelings (My feelings about Calvin are ambivalent because on one hand he is a loyal friend, but on the other, he is a cruel and vicious thief.)

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anthology

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(n.) a selected collection of writings, songs, etc. (The new anthology of Bob Dylan songs contains all his greatest hits and a few songs that you might never have heard before.)

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aspire

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(v.) to long for, aim toward (The young poet aspires to publish a book of verse someday.)

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commendation

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(n.) a notice of approval or recognition (Jared received a commendation from Linda, his supervisor, for his stellar performance.)

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confound

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(v.) to frustrate, confuse (MacGuyver confounded the policemen pursuing him by covering his tracks.)

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cosmopolitan

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(adj.) sophisticated, worldly (Lloyd's education and upbringing were cosmopolitan, so he felt right at home among the powerful and learned.)

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dirge

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(n.) a mournful song, especially for a funeral (The bagpipers played a dirge as the casket was carried to the cemetery.)

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divisive

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(adj.) causing dissent, discord (Her divisive tactics turned her two friends against each other.)

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expedient

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(adj.) advisable, advantageous, serving one's self-interest (In his bid for reelection, the governor made an expedient move by tabling all controversial legislation.)

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infusion

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(n.) an injection of one substance into another; the permeation of one substance by another (The infusion of Eastern religion into Western philosophy created interesting new schools of thought.)

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nurture

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(v.) to assist the development of (Although Serena had never watered the plant, which was about to die, Javier was able to nurture it back to life.)

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potentate

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(n.) one who has great power, a ruler (All the villagers stood along the town's main road to observe as the potentate's procession headed towards the capital.)

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pungent

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(adj.) having a pointed, sharp quality—often used to describe smells (The pungent odor in the classroom made Joseph lose his concentration during the test.)

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ruminate

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(v.) to contemplate, reflect (Terry liked to ruminate while sitting on the banks of the river, staring pensively into the water.)

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sycophant

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(n.) one who flatters for self-gain (Some see the people in the cabinet as the president's closest advisors, but others see them as sycophants.)

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amiable

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(adj.) friendly (An amiable fellow, Harry got along with just about everyone.)

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assuage

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(v.) to ease, pacify (The mother held the baby to assuage its fears.)

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compensate

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(v.) to make an appropriate payment for something (Reginald bought Sharona a new dress to compensate her for the one he'd spilled his ice cream on.)

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covert

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(adj.) secretly engaged in (Nerwin waged a covert campaign against his enemies, while outwardly appearing to remain friendly.)

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dispel

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(v.) to drive away, scatter (She entered the office as usual on Monday, dispelling the rumor that she had been fired.)

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excavate

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(v.) to dig out of the ground and remove (The pharaoh's treasures were excavated by archeologists in Egypt.)

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hypothetical

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(adj.) supposed or assumed true, but unproven (Even though it has been celebrated by seven major newspapers, that the drug will be a success when tested in humans is still hypothetical.)

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inimical

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(adj.) hostile, enemy like (I don't see how I could ever work for a company that was so cold and inimical to me during my interviews.)

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irreverence

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(n.) disrespect (The irreverence displayed by the band that marched through the chapel disturbed many churchgoers.)

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antithesis

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(n.) the absolute opposite (Your values, which hold war and violence in the highest esteem, are the antithesis of my pacifist beliefs.)

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atrophy

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(v.) to wither away, decay (If muscles do not receive enough blood, they will soon atrophy and die.)

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complicit

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(adj.) being an accomplice in a wrongful act (By keeping her daughter's affair a secret, Maddie became complicit in it.)

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culmination

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(n.) the climax toward which something progresses (The culmination of the couple's argument was the decision to divorce.)

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disseminate

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(v.) to spread widely (The politician disseminated his ideas across the town before the election.)

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exhort

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(v.) to urge, prod, spur (Henry exhorted his colleagues to join him in protesting against the university's hiring policies.)

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innocuous

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(adj.) harmless, inoffensive (In spite of their innocuous appearance, these mushrooms are actually quite poisonous.)

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placate

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(v.) to ease the anger of, soothe (The man purchased a lollipop to placate his irritable son.)

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puerile

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(adj.) juvenile, immature (The judge demanded order after the lawyer's puerile attempt to object by stomping his feet on the courtroom floor.)

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appalling

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(adj.) inspiring shock, horror, disgust (The judge found the murderer's crimes and lack of remorse appalling.)

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congruity

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(n.) the quality of being in agreement (Bill and Veronica achieved a perfect congruity of opinion.)

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curtail

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(v.) to lessen, reduce (Since losing his job, he had to curtail his spending.)

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dour

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(adj.) stern, joyless (The children feared their dour neighbor because the old man would take their toys if he believed they were being too loud.)

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exult

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(v.) to rejoice (When she found out she won the literature prize, Mary exulted by dancing and singing through the school's halls.)

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insipid

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(adj.) dull, boring (The play was so insipid, I fell asleep halfway through.)

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precocious

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(adj.) advanced, developing ahead of time (Derek was so academically precocious that by the time he was 10 years old, he was already in the ninth grade.)

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restive

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(adj.) resistant, stubborn, impatient (The restive audience pelted the band with mud and yelled nasty comments.)

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approbation

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(n.) praise (The crowd welcomed the heroes with approbation.)

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consign

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(v.) to give something over to another's care (Unwillingly, he consigned his mother to a nursing home.)

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cunning

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(adj.) sly, clever at being deceitful (The general devised a cunning plan to surprise the enemy.)

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dynamic

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(adj.) actively changing (The parents found it hard to keep up with the dynamic music scene with which their children had become very familiar.)

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extant

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(adj.) existing, not destroyed or lost (My mother's extant love letters to my father are in the attic trunk.)

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insurgent

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(n.) one who rebels (The insurgent snuck into and defaced a different classroom each night until the administration agreed to meet his demands.)

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audacious

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(adj.) excessively bold (The security guard was shocked by the fan's audacious attempt to offer him a bribe.)

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dissuade

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(v.) to persuade someone not to do something (Worried that he would catch a cold, she tried to dissuade him from going out on winter nights.)

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presage

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(n.) an omen (When my uncle's old war injury ached, he interpreted it as a presage of bad weather approaching.)

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truculent

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(adj.) ready to fight, cruel (This club doesn't really attract the dangerous types, so why was that bouncer being so truculent?)

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austere

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(adj.) very bare, bleak (The austere furniture inside the abandoned house made the place feel haunted.)

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propitious

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(adj.) favorable (The dark storm clouds visible on the horizon suggested that the weather would not be propitious for sailing.)

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