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set11
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| abate [uh BATE] | v. To lessen in intensity. When this sitcom first came out, everyone loved it, but now enthusiasm for the show has started to abate. |
| abdicate [AB di kate] | v. To relinquish willingly. The queen’s subjects tried to persuade her not to abdicate the throne, but she felt that her son would do a better job of ruling now that she was old and unwell. |
| aberrant [uh BEAR unt] | a. Deviating from the norm. The school principal warned the unruly student that his suspension would become an outright expulsion if he kept up his aberrant behavior. |
| abrade [uh BRAID] | v. To rub away. Blowing sand had abraded the pyramid’s surface, removing its once smooth covering. |
| abridge [uh BRIDGE] | v. To condense. The author plans to make his novel into a film, but will have to abridge much of the story so that it can be told in less than two hours. |
| abscond [ab SKOND] | v. To flee secretly and hide. After absconding with the gem collection, the thief was never seen again. |
| abstract [AB stract] | a. Not easily understood. n. A summary. v. To remove. The poet’s interpretation of his own life was nearly as abstract as his work. |
| abstruse [ab STRUCE] | a. Hard to understand. Rasputin was so abstruse in his presentations that none of us learned anything. |
| academic [ak i DEM ik] | a. Scholarly, a. Theoretical and of little practical value. Our organization is concerned that much of the debate over famine relief has been entirely academic and has not addressed real-world issues. |
| accelerate [ak SELL i rate] | v. To speed up. The leader of the parade suddenly accelerated and the rest of us struggled to keep up. |
| accolade [ACK i laid] | n. Praise. (esp. recognition of an accomplishment). The honoree was showered with great accolades. |
| acerbic [uh SIR bick] | a. Sour or bitter tasting. a. Pertaining to a bitter temperament (ex: acerbic humor). [‘acerb’ is synonymous with ‘acerbic’]. Brandon is always ready with a joke, but sometimes his humor is so acerbic and cynical that it makes people uncomfortable. |
| acumen [uh CUE mun] | n. Insightfulness. The new head of research is known for her acumen in developing inexpensive but effective solutions. |
| acute [uh CUTE] | a. Sharp or severe (ex: pain), a. Keenly perceptive, a. Of great importance. This artist has such an acute sense of detail that some would mistake her paintings for photographs. |
| adaptation [ad ap TAY shun] | n. A change for a new situation. Native Americans living in the Amazon have undergone an adaptation in recent years as modern technology has made its way into the jungle. |
| adhere [ad HEAR] | v. To stick to something. v. To give allegiance or support. Joey’s mother unfortunately found that the sticky name tags not only adhered to cloth, but to polished wood furniture. |
| adherent [ad HEAR unt] | n. A supporter of a cause. Stewart was one of the mayor’s principal adherents and defended him against the corruption charges. |
| adhesion [ad HE shun] | n. Loyalty. n. The state of sticking to something. n. The fusing of normally separate body tissues. (esp. after an operation). Becky’s adhesion to her faith never wavered, even though she suffered greatly for it. |
| admonish [ad MON ish] | v. To caution. v. To reprimand mildly. The graduation speaker admonished the students not to take too much time off before going to graduate school or starting their careers. |
| adroit [uh DROIT] | a. Skillful. (esp. under adverse conditions). Sharon works well in the complaints department because she is adroit at calming angry people. |
| adulate [ADGE i late] | v. To praise excessively. Mel was quick to adulate his mentor and friend Mr. Pipkin. |
| aesthetic [es THET ik] | a. Artistic, a. Pertaining to beauty. Decadent Sensualists faced the coming of the twentieth century with a blend of aesthetic refinement and hi living. |
| affable [AF i bul] | a. Friendly and kind, a. Gentle. It is clear that Senator Murphy won the election because he is much more affable than his cranky and sour-faced opponent. |
| affinity [uh FIN i tee] | n. An attraction to. n. A similarity to. We have always felt an affinity for others who drive convertibles in the rain. |
| affluent [AF lou unt] | a. Wealthy. a. Abundant, a. Flowing freely. Stephen and his wife have tried to hide their humble origins by moving into an affluent neighborhood. |
| affront [uh FRONT] | v. To insult openly. The graffiti artist intended her work to be an ironic commentary on racism, but managed to affront the very people she was trying to empower. |
| aggrandize [uh GRAN dize] | v. To make greater or exaggerate. v. To increase the scope of. Mother says that, in her experience, Father aggrandizes everything from the size of the fish he catches to the take-home amount of each Friday’s paycheck. |
| aggregate [AG ruh git] | a. Gathered together into one mass. n. The total amount. The aggregate student body numbered well over 1,500, including students who did not live °n campus. |
| agrarian [uh GRARE ee un] | a. Pertaining to agricultural or rural matters. Farmer Brown loved to keep himself busy with agrarian matters, like baling hay and milking cows. |
| alacrity [uh LACK ri tee] | n. Eagerness. After a day of fishing, the boys cooked and ate their catch with alacrity. |
| alchemy [AL kuh me] | n. The study of how to turn lead into gold. (esp. during the Middle Ages). As obscure and superstitious as it may seem to us, alchemy laid the foundations for modern chemistry. |
| allege [uh LEDGE] | v. To assert without proof. Stanley alleged that the goblets were broken when he received them, a statement that was especially doubtful since there was no broken glass in the box. |
| allude [uh LEWD] | v. To refer to indirectly. (noun form is ‘allusion’). Herb alluded to the fact that he was broke just about the time the waitress dropped off the check. |
| altruism [AL true iz urn] | n. Selflessness. Janine was recognized for her many acts of altruism and her unlimited generosity to others. |
| ambivalence [am BIV i lunce] | a. Mixed feelings. I must confess a certain ambivalence toward him, and I don’t know whether to include him on the list. |
| amble [AM bul] | v. To walk slowly. Grandma refused to be helped by the nurse and ambled over to us on her own. |
| ameliorate [uh MEAL yuh rate] | v. To improve. Most of us agree that Polly’s condition ameliorated soon after her parents brought in her pet cats, Freda and Harriet. |
| amenable [uh MEN i bul] | a. Open to suggestions. a. Accountable. After long hours of negotiation and argument, Paul declared that he was at last amenable to Heather’s ideas. |
| anachronism [uh NACK ruh niz um] | n. Something considered out of date. (ex: an idea). n. Something mistakenly placed in the wrong time period. The writers tried to point out to the producer that it was an anachronism to show Robin Hood firing a pistol, but he said it would add excitement |
| analgesic [AN ul gee zick] | n. A medication for reducing pain. To doctor warned that the analgesic, though effective, could cause liver problems if taken in large doses. |
| analogous [uh NAL i gus] | a. Alike in a certain way. Bryan found that the surplus of potatoes in Idaho was analogous to the excess of corn in Indiana. |
| analogy [uh NAL i gee] | n. A likeness drawn between dissimilar objects. The physics teacher drew an analogy between nuclear fission and a line of falling dominoes. |
| anatomy [uh NAT i me] | n. The study of the structure of plants and animals. Physical anthropologists must study anatomy extensively to enable them to identify the tiniest bone fragments. |
| anecdote [AN ik dote] | n. A brief story of an amusing incident. His speech was filled with hilarious anecdotes of his adventures, but offered very little in the way of useful information. |
| annul [uh NULL] | v. To invalidate. (esp. legally). Since Henry VIII could not have his marriages annulled, he simply had his wives killed. |
| anomalous [uh NOM i lus] | a. Abnormal. a. Having a contradiction. In a few anomalous cases patients who took the medication noticed no significant improvement in their condition. |
| anthology [an THOL i gee] | n. A collection of short literary works. (ex: poems). Virginia’s greatest accomplishment in life was having her essay published in a small anthology. |
| antipathy [an TIP i thee] | n. A strong feeling of dislike. Karen couldn’t explain her excessive antipathy to Jill’s boyfriend, nor could she do much to hide it. |
| apathetic [ap i THET ik] | a. Indifferent; not interested or concerned. (noun form is ‘apathy’). Some of Mr. Conway’s students were so apathetic about history that they didn’t even bother to come to class, let alone do their homework. |
| approbate [AP nih bate] | v. To sanction; to authorize. Judge Henry approbated the proceedings with the authority of the state. |
| appropriate [uh PRO pre ate] | v. To take (esp. without permission). v. To set aside (for a specific purpose). A major portion of the proceeds from the concert has been appropriated to help the homeless. |
| arable [AIR i bul] | a. Fit for cultivation. Farmers are worried that, if the drought continues much longer, their land will no longer be arable. |
| arbiter [ARE biter] | n. An arbitrator. (someone selected to resolve a dispute). In matters of controversy among siblings, mothers make the best arbiters. |
| arcane [are CANE] | a. Secret and mysterious. (often in an occult manner). Computer buffs like to confuse non-computer users with arcane jargon and terminology. |
| archaic [are KAY ik] | a. Ancient or characteristic of the past. Lester’s prose was littered with archaic expressions that sounded as if Shakespeare had written them. |
| archetype [ARE ki type] | n. A prototype. n. A typical example. Before construction was underway, the developers designed an archetype of the finished product. |
| ardor [ARE der] | n. A great emotional warmth. Before the accident, Nathan was known for his friendliness and ardor; now, however, he is quite bitter and cold. |
| arduous [AR jew us] | a. Difficult. a. Laborious. After passing out at work, Donna realized that her assembly line job was too arduous for her |
| aria [ARE ee uh] | n. A solo vocal in opera. (with instrumental accompaniment). Although much of an opera is dedicated to drama and spectacle, arias provide opportunities for the characters to stop and reveal their inner feelings. |
| arid [AIR id] | a. Dry (not much rainfall), a. Boring. People in desert cities may be wasting water by trying to grow lush, green lawns in spite of the arid climate. |
| aristocracy [air i STOCK nih see] | n. The hereditary upper-classes. n. Governmental rule by the aristocracy. Starting in the late Middle Ages, wealthy members of the middle class began to challenge the power of the aristocracy. |
| artisan [ARE ti zun] | n. A craftsman. The market was crowded with food vendors and artisans selling hand-made goods. |
| artless [ART liss] | a. Simple and natural. a. Without guile or deceit. a. Crude; poorly made. [‘artful’ is the antonym of ‘artless’]. Ms. Novak thought George’s stage play to be artless and slow, and therefore not suited for her theater. |
| ascendant [uh SEN dent] | a. Rising. a. Superior. n. A state of dominance. Free market reforms in China have led to the ascendant power of capitalism there. |
| ascetic [uh SET ik] | a. Self-denial of life’s pleasures. n. One who does this. (esp. for religious purposes). The ascetic monks that lived in St. George’s often locked themselves in closets for days at a time. |
| ascribe [uh SCRIBE] | v. To attribute. The success of the plan may be ascribed to hard work or perhaps to luck. |
| assiduous [uh SIDGE ooh us] | a. Diligent and persistent. The list was long, but Santa made his way through it assiduously. |
| assimilate [uh SIM I late] | v. To absorb. Joseph rapidly assimilated many facts into an extensive body of information. |
| assuage [uh SWAGE] | v. To soothe. Uncle Jack assuaged Linda’s hurt feelings with tender words and a dozen roses. |
| astute [uh STEWT] | a. Shrewd. (showing keen judgement). Bill was an astute judge of character and was often asked to assist with the interviews of job applicants. |
| atrophy [AT rub fee] | n. A wasting away. (esp. from lack of use). Vincent’s weeks in bed have caused atrophy in his leg muscles. |
| audacious [aw DAY shus] | a. Unrestrained by propriety. Maggie is so audacious that she approached the director and demanded to be given an audition. |
| austere [aw STEER] | a. Plain; unadorned. The clothing of the Amish is as austere as their lifestyle. |
| autocracy [aw TOCK nih see] | n. Governmental rule by one person with unlimited authority. Although the dictator maintains that his country is a democracy, critics have denounced his government as an autocracy. |
| autonomous [aw TAWN i mus] | a. Independent. Several autonomous hubs maintain the network so that it can keep running even if part of it is disrupted. |
| avarice [AVE i nis] | a. Greed. Non-profit organizations are intended to operate with social consciousness and without avarice. |
| aver [uh VUR] | v. To affirm. After hearing Margaret’s presentation, everyone had to aver that her ideas were sound and innovative. |
| axiom [ACK see urn] | n. An accepted principle. Most scientists and philosophers operate according to the axiom called “Occam’s Razor”: that a simple explanation is to be preferred over a complicated one. |
| bacterium [back TIER ee urn] | n. A microscopic organism. Microbiologists have announced the discovery of a bacterium that is one of the most aggressive and menacing known to date. |
| ballad [BAL ud] | n. A simple poem. (typically sung, of folk origin, and telling a story). Despite her perky humor and energetic manner, Jane said the songs she preferred most were ballads that chronicled tragic romance. |
| base [BASE] | a. Having low morals. a. Of inferior quality. His base character was evident in the lack of regard he had for other people. |
| bask [BASK] | v. To lie in a pleasant warmth. (ex: to expose oneself to approval or sunshine). Every morning the cat waited for its owners to raise the blinds so that it could bask near the window. |
| befriend [bi FRIEND] | v. To act as a friend to. Although he had just started performing in public, Buddy was pleased to find himself befriended by many of the older musicians. |
| belie [bi LIE] | v. To misrepresent. v. To prove false. v. To leave unfulfilled. Mother’s actions belied her statement that she was neither angry nor hurt, especially when she burst out crying and threw a glass of water against the wall. |
| benevolent [buh NEV i lunt] | a. Helpful. The school offered benevolent assistance to those families who could not afford tuition. |
| benign [bi NINE] | a. Kind, a. Mild or harmless. Though Mr. Evans was actually a supervisor who had come to do an evaluation, Melinda felt that his presence in the classroom was benign. |
| bent [BENT] | n. A natural ability. n. A fondness for. Dan was able to make beautiful vases after only a few pottery lessons, proving that he had a true bent for working with clay. |
| berate [hi RATE] | v. To scold harshly. Jnnifer continually berates her employees for their tardiness, so they were all surprised when she arrived late to the staff meeting. |
| bibliography [bib lee OG nih fee] | n. A list of books written by a certain author. n. A list of references cited in an article or book. I didn’t like this book very much, but it has a very thorough bibliography that will help me find sources for my paper. |
| bleach [BLEECH] | v. To whiten. The dentist displayed as much interest in bleaching stained teeth as he did in filling cavities. |
| blithe [BLYTH] | a. Cheerful and carefree. In spite of the bad news, Earl remained blithe and invited us all out to dinner. |
| bolster [BOLE stur] | v. To support. Holly bolstered the morale of the troops by doing a number she had sung on Broadway years ago. |
| bombastic [born BAS tick] | a. Pompous. The general waved his arms around and puffed out his chest in a bombastic manner, not realizing how pompous it made him look. |
| bouquet [boo KAY] | n. A cluster of cut flowers. n. The fragrance of a wine. In the days before wine bottles had labels, one examined the cork not to smell the wine’s bouquet, but to read the name printed on it. |
| bourgeois [boor SHWAH] | n. A member of the middle class. (esp. with conventional ideas). Belle was content with a bicycle and claimed that cars were the vehicles of the bourgeois. |
| brief [BRIEF] | n. A summary. (esp. of the main points of a law case). As the lawyer presented his client’s demands, he glanced down at a brief to cite supporting evidence. |
| brood [BREWED] | n. A group of offspring (esp. young birds). v. To worry. My father was the youngest of the brood, the last of fifteen children. |
| burgeon [BUR jun] | v. To grow. The burgeoning cloud of pesticide quickly enveloped our street, then moved to the next block as the truck turned the corner. |
| burnish [BUR fish] | v. To polish a surface. n. A glossy appearance. The statue has been touched so many times on the head that years of tourism have burnished it to a fine yellow gold. |
| buttress [BUT ris] | n. A support. v. To support or encourage. Numerous community members buttress the library by donating books. |
| by-line [BY line] | n. A printed line naming the author of an article. Jenny’s excitement at being published was somewhat diminished when she discovered her name was misspelled in the by-line. |
| cacophony [kuh KOF i nee] | n. Harsh sounds. Schroder’s first composition was a cacophony of sounds that would have made even a deaf person wince. |
| cajole [kuh JOLE] | v. To coax. (with flattery or promises). Grandpa Jones cajoled Minnie into another round of the song, promising to let her buy a new hat if she would lead. |
| calibrate [KAL i brate] | v. To adjust the scale of a measuring device. The monitor calibrated the scales, then asked all the new dieters to step forward with their record books. |
| camouflage [KAM i flozh] | v. To disguise. n. A concealment. Zebras are camouflaged by the their stripes when standing in tail grasses. |
| canny [CAN ee] | a. Shrewd and cautions. It was an important deal, so the company sent Marcus, their canniest negotiator. |
| cantankerous [can TANG kur us] | a. Quarrelsome; ill-natured. The secret to waiting tables is to not let cantankerous customers spoil your day. |
| capacious [kuh PAY shus] | a. Spacious. (able to contain a large quantity). Guests new to the movie star’s home were awed by its capacious entry hail, which featured a waterfall coursing down into a goldfish pond the size of a small lake. |
| capitulate [kuh PITCH i late] | v. To surrender. After hours of pleading, Father finally capitulated and gave me the car keys. |
| caprice [kuh PREEZE] | n. A sudden change. We were unable to reach Velma and Lorene on their road trip because they changed their destination on a caprice, without letting anyone know where they were going. |
| caricature [CARE i kuh chur] | n. A picture of someone that exaggerates certain features for comic effect. The magazine’s cover featured a caricature of Richard Nixon which exaggerated his trademark jowls. |
| carp [KARP] | v. To find fault with and complain constantly. n. A type of fish. The front pages of the controversial magazine feature several letters that carp about its political views. |
| cascade [ka SKADE] | n. A waterfall. n. Anything that falls like one. Decorations for the homecoming game included cascades of fabric in the school’s colors which rippled down the bleachers. |
| castigate [CAST i gate] | v. To criticize severely. v. To punish. Because no one would confess to pulling the fire alarm, the school disciplinarian decided to castigate the entire school by canceling recess for a whole week. |
| catalyst [CAT i list] | n. Something that causes a reaction. (esp. a chemical reaction). The jury ierdict was a catalyst for the hysteria and chaos that swept the city. |
| caustic [KAW stick] | a. Corrosive, a. Harshly sarcastic. Rodney’s caustic humor was enough to make the more gentle members of the audience wince. |
| cavalier [kay i LEER] | a. Arrogant. Christian’s cavalier attitude got him into trouble when he tried it on a highway patrolman. |
| censure [SEN shur] | n. An expression of strong disapproval. v. To find fault with, Richardson was able to keep his job after the scandal but earned a censure that remained on his permanent record. |
| centrifuge [SIN truh fewdg] | n. A device that separates substances of different densities. Professor Bundy used a centrifuge to separate the chemicals in the mixture |
| chauvinism [SHOW vuh niz um] | n. Biased devotion. I feel that Grandpa’s complaints about the modern world amount to little more than chauvinism for the “good old days” of his youth. |
| chimera [ide MERE uh] | n. An imaginary monster. n. A foolish idea. Dana’s brother plans to get rich quick by raising emus for their meat, selling Martian real estate, and other such chimeras. |
| choreographer [core ee OG nih fer] | n. A dance director in a performance. (esp. ballet). After talking the dancers through the steps several times, the choreographer sat back and watched to see if they had learned them. |
| chronology [huh NOL i gee] | n. The order in which things occur. In the study of history, few things are as important as chronology. |
| churl [CHURL] | n, A rude person. n. A stingy person. How often do you try to change lanes on the highway only to be cut off by some churl who speeds up once you start to move over? |
| circuitous [sir CUE i tus] | a. Roundabout. Bruce often accused Amy of using circuitous reasoning to confuse the issues. |
| circumscribe [SIR come scribe] | v. To encircle or confine. The battle lines were drawn and the territories circumscribed on the map. |
| circumspect [SIR come spect] | a. Watchful and discreet. The doorman was always keenly alert and circumspect when on duty. |
| circumvent [sir kum VENT] | v. To get around something. Inside ties with corrupt officials allowed the Mafia to circumvent the authorities on numerous occasions. |
| cleave [KLEEV] | v. To cut forcefully. v. To be faithful to. v. To bond to emotionally. Joyce has had such a miserable life that she cleaves to anyone who expresses any sort of kindness to her. |
| cloister [CLOY stur] | v. To seclude. n. A place devoted to religious seclusion. During her youth, Nora’s privileged lifestyle kept her cloistered from the cares of the outside world. |
| coagulate [koe AG yuh late] | v. To clot. (esp. blood). Mere minutes after the injury, the blood on the victim had begun to coagulate. |
| coalesce [koe i LESS] | v. To come together into a single group. The different factions within the group coalesced to oppose their common enemy. |
| code [CODE] | n. A collection of rules or principles. n. Instructions in a computer program. The officials of the military school were especially concerned that new students act according to the school code. |
| cogent [KOE junt] | a. Believable, a. Relevant. This procedure was developed for a different purpose, but is entirely cogent to our own study. |
| cognition [kog NISH un] | n. The act of thinking. Some linguists believe that language can best be understood by looking at the processes of cognition itself. |
| cohere [koe HERE] | v. To be consistent. v. To stick together (esp. similar particles). Satisfied that the data from Group A cohered with that of Group B, the scientists proceeded to the next step of the experiment. |
| collage [koe LAZH] | n. A composite made from odd parts. Alan’s shrine to Elvis was a collage of magazine photos, plastic toys, and colored ribbons. |
| colloquial [kuh LOW kwee ul] | a. Conversational, a. Pertaining to informal speech. My grammar teacher tried for years to eliminate colloquial expressions from my Wfltiflg. |
| collusion [kuh LUE shun] | n. A conspiracy. After intense debate, we decided the perpetrator acted alone, rather than in collusion with another person. |
| commodity [kuh MOD i tee] | n. Anything bought and sold regularly. n. Something useful. Gold, corn and lumber are some of the commodities that are traded at the New York Stock Exchange. |
| complacent [come PLAY sunt] | a. Contented. (without concern for improvement). High pay and little supervision had resulted in complacent and unproductive workers. |
| complaisant [come PLAY sunt] | a. Agreeable. It is always easy to make plans with Dave because he is complaisant to any suggestions we have. |
| concise [kun SICE] | a. Brief and comprehensive. In journalism, concise articles are valued more than wordy, flashy ones. |
| congregate [KONG gri gate] | v. To gather together. Rescue workers had trouble getting through to the scene of the accident because of the crowd of onlookers that had congregated there. |
| conjecture [kun JECK chur] | n. Guesswork. Until the Cassini probe arrives, our concept of what lies below the clouds of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, will be based mostly on conjecture. |
| consternation [con stur NAY shun] | n. A state of paralyzing dismay. Much to the chairperson’s consternation, the nomination for candidacy was unexpectedly withdrawn, construct [kun STRUCT] |
| construct [kun STRUCT] | n. Something fabricated. n. An image or theory (esp. a simple one). Gladys believes that holidays such as Grandmother’s Day are just constructs intended to get people to buy more flowers and greeting cards. |
| consummate [CON suh mate] | v. To complete. a. Perfect; supreme. After a wonderful date, Hal and Kim consummated the evening with a goodbye kiss at her front door. |
| contention [kun TEN shun] | n. A point put forward in a debate. n. A conflict. Lincoln’s contention was that no form of human bondage, however handled, could be called humane. |
| contrite [kun TRITE] | a. Remorseful. Hanna’s apology was simple and contrite, and most of us found it easy to forgive her. |
| conundrum [kuh NUN drum] | n. A problem without a suitable solution. n. A riddle whose answer is a play on words. Casey was in a conundrum; it seemed that no matter what he decided to do, the consequences would be dire. |
| convalesce [con vuh LESS] | v. To recuperate. The nurse suggests that Mary convalesce for six weeks to recover from her surgery. |
| correlate [CORE i late] | v. To establish a reasonable connection. In a trial, the job of the defense is to correlate all known facts into a plausible, exonerating string of events,. |
| corroborate [kuh ROB i rate] | v. To confirm. Since the houseguest had no one to corroborate his story, he was left looking guilty of the theft. |
| couch [COUCH] | v. To express. (esp. using words of a certain kind). Len couched his request for raise in terms he hoped would make him appear deserving, but not needy’ countenance [KOUN tuh nunce] |
| countenance [KOUN tuh nunce] | n. A look of approval or support. n. Composure. n. Appearance. (esp. the expression on ones face). Jane’s countenance fell when Rochester announced that he was already married. |
| coup [KU] | n. A brilliant, sudden action. n. A sudden overthrow of a government. The opposition leaders tried to carry out a coup by storming the presidential palace, but it ended in tragedy for all. |
| covert [KOE vurt] | a. Concealed. n. A hiding place. The public was shocked to discover that the corporation had carried out covert tests of the drug on unwitting subjects. |
| crass [CRASS] | a. Crude and insensitive. His crass remarks to’ the women in the roam were especially offensive, considering that he was supposed to be conducting a course in sesitivity training. |
| craven [KRAY vun] | a. Cowardly. In the storybooks, the fiercest villains often turn out to be craven beasts who are afraid of their own shadows. |
| credence [CREED ens] | n. Acceptance of something as true. We choose to remain silent rather than lend credence to the foolish rumors. |
| credulous [KREDGE i lus] | a. Gullible. Shane trusted everyone until his credulousness got him into trouble. |
| crescendo [kru SHEN doe] | n. A gradual increase in intensity. (esp. in music). This movement begins softly, but goes through a gradual crescendo to a roaring finale. |
| culpable [KUL puh bul] | a. Deserving blame. If you are found culpable in the death of the women, you will face penalties far harsher than any you have ever faced before. |
| debase [di BASE] | v. To degrade or lower in value. (‘abase’ is synonymous with ‘debase’) If you hang around with low characters,” said mother, “you will become debased yourself. |
| decadent [DECK i dunt] | a. Decaying (esp. a society). a. Self-indulgent. Oscar’s drunken parties shocked his puritan neighbors, who predicted that he would come to a bad end because of his decadent ways. |
| decorous [di CORE us] | a. Conforming to prevailing customs. Martha never seemed to care what others thought; she always did as she pleased and was hardly ever decorous. |
| decorum [di CORE um] | n. Proper behavior. (that conforms to prevailing customs). Following the rules of decorum, I introduced the mayor to the audience as “The Honorable David Frostberg, Mayor of Dallas.” |
| decry [di CRY] | v. To condemn or belittle publicly. Representatives hoping to curry favor with their constituents have decried the waste in government spending. |
| deed [DEED] | n. A conspicuous act. n. A document of ownership. Samantha gave a generous donation to the school, but concealed the deed by requesting that she remain anonymous. |
| defer [di FUR] | v. To postpone. v. To yield to another. (noun form is ‘deference’), Bill deferred to his wife to respond to the question because she was more qualified to answer. |
| deleterious [deli TIER ee us] | a. Harmful. Even though his doctor told him smoking was deleterious to his health, Harold did not quit until just before he died. |
| demagogue [DIM i gog] | n. Someone who gains power by arousing an audience’s emotions. The audience erupted in cheers as the demagogue shouted his assurances that the enemy would be destroyed. |
| denigrate [DEN i grate] | v. To defame. We choose not to denigrate those who disagree with us and instead offer only the statement that all are entitled to their own misguided opinions. |
| denote [di NOTE] | v. To indicate. The red stickers are used to denote only those pages which require a signature. |
| deposition [dep i ZISH un] | n. A statement made under oath. n. Being deposed from power. n. Being deposited (cx: sediment). Mario was out of the country, so the judge accepted his deposition on videotape and played it for the jury. |
| deride [di RIDE] | v. To mock. The host was prone to deride the guests and goad them into ridiculous arguments. |
| derision [di RISH un] | n. Scorn; ridicule. Julie was so insecure in her talents that the derision of one single critic caused her to break down and cry. |
| desiccate [des i KATE] | v. To dry out. v. To make lifeless. It seems as though Mary is constantly buying new plants to replace the ones that she absent-mindedly desiccates, despond [di SPOND] |
| despond [di SPOND] | v. To lose hope. The loss of Chad’s dog made him despond, and no number of kind words could make him feel better. |
| despot [DES put] | n. A ruler with absolute power. With his cruel slaying of innocent children, King Herod proved himself to be the cruelest of the Biblical despots. |
| desultory [DES ul tore ee] | a. Occurring haphazardly. A glitch in the printing software causes even the most orderly page of text to appear desultory on the page. |
| diatribe [DIE i tribe] | n. A bitter criticism. Andrew’s diatribe weakened markedly once he realized the group he was criticizing was there to award him a sizable grant. |
| dichotomy [die COT i me] | n. A distinct division into two parts. For years the formative processes which shape a person’s behavior have been reduced to the dichotomy of nature vs. nurture. |
| didactic [die DAK tick] | a. Excessively instructive. Harlan found his supervisor’s manner didactic because she insisted on providing a detailed explanation of even the simplest task. |
| diffident [DIF i dunt] | a. Lacking self-confidence. Byron has started taking guitar lessons but is too diffident to think that he will succeed. |
| diffuse [di FEWS] | v. To spread out, a. Spread out; not concentrated (esp. light). a. Wordy and not sticking to the point. (esp. a speech). When a beam of light hits a prism, it diffuses, scattering in every direction. |
| digress [die GRES] | v. To depart from the main subject. The poet’s responses to her interviewer stayed to the point at first, but started to digress as she hit upon her favorite topics. |
| dilapidated [di LAP i date id] | a. Ruined by neglect. The old house was dilapidated after many years of neglect. |
| dilate [DIE late] | v. To become wider or larger. v. To speak at great length about something. The doctor used a drug to dilate the pupil of Ben’s damaged eye, so that it could be readily examined. |
| dilettante [DILL i toot] | n. An amateur. n. A person who enjoys the arts. The cooking school offered classes for dilettantes as well as professional chefs. |
| diminutive [di MIN yuh tiv] | a. Tiny. n. A small person or thing. n. A word indicating smallness (ex: booklet). Although diminutive in stature, Stan was a fierce fighter. |
| dirge [DURGE] | n. A mournful song. (esp. lamenting the dead). Even before we saw the funeral procession, we could hear a dirge wafting through the alleys of the little town. |
| disabuse [dis i BEWS] | v. To free from deception or misconception. Before truly productive dialogue can begin, each side must disabuse itself of the prejudices it has against the other. |
| disaffect [dis i FECT] | v. To cause someone to lose feelings of loyalty or affection. Sarah’s constant whining was beginning to disaffect her friends. |
| discern [di SURN] | v. To perceive. (to see clearly). Visitors to the Louvre might find it difficult to discern the enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa because the painting is behind glass and is lit only for short intervals. |
| discomfit [dis KUM fit] | v. To make uneasy. v. To thwart. It was obvious to all that the policeman’s appearance in the courtroom discomfited the thief. |
| discord [DIS cord] | n. Strife (lack of hannony). n. A harsh mix of musical tones. A mediator was called in to soften the discord between the conflicting sides. |
| discourse [DIS course] | n. Communication. n. The formal discussion of a subject. (cx: a sermon). Always eager to hear himself talk, Tim never hesitated to engage in a discourse with anybody on any topic. |
| discrete [di SCREET] | a. Separate (individually distinct). (do not confuse with ‘discreet’). As we traveled further along the caravan route the shimmering smudge on the horizon resolved into the discrete figures of seven horsemen. |
| disdain [dis DANE] | n. Scorn. v. To reject as unworthy. Michelle looked at the offering with disdain and turned away immediately. |
| disparage [di SPARE ige] | v. To belittle. v. To discredit. Christina’s mother does not complain overtly, but disparages anything that’s not to her liking in subtle ways. |
| disparate [di SPARE it] | a. Entirely different. (disparity - noun - A lack of similarity), It was hard for most of us to imagine how anyone could bring the disparate arguments together into an effective defense. |
| dispassionate [dis PASH i nit] | a. Impartial. (free from bias). Sure, Mr. Peabody claimed to be a dispassionate judge, but how could anyone explain his daughter winning all seven awards? |
| disposed [di SPOZED] | a. Having a certain inclination. Blake asked Phillip why he was upset, but Phillip was not disposed to discuss the matter. |
| dissociate [di SO she ate] | v. To separate. v. To withdraw from something (esp. a group). (‘dissociate’ is synonymous with ‘disassociate’). Victoria used to go to the reading group every week, but decided to dissociate herself from it after she felt that she wasn’t being taken serio |
| dissonant [DIS i nunt] | a. In disagreement or discord. a. Harsh sounding (esp. causing tension). The orchestra was well-known for its loud and dissonant warm-ups despite its breathtaking performances. |
| distend [di STEND] | v. To expand outwards. Malnutrition causes children’s stomachs to distend, giving their empty bellies the tragically false appearance of fatness. |
| distill [di STILL] | v. To purify. v. To extract. For many years, Claralee distilled the water herself by boiling it over a fire. |
| diverge [di VURGE] | v. To branch out. v. To deviate. v. To differ. Shoppers leaving the supermarket diverged in their opinions over whether the new computerized carts made shopping easier. |
| divest [die VEST] | v. To strip away. The guilty officer was divested of his rank and responsibilities but managed to escape a dishonorable discharge. |
| doctrinaire [doe truh NAIR] | a. Stubbornly following a principal. (without regard to its practicality). Only the most doctrinaire industrialist would deny that it is a good idea to reduce pollution. |
| dogma [DAWG muh] | n. Beliefs put forward as the absolute truth. The requirement that Roman Catholic priests not marry is a firmly established practice, but is not Church dogma. |
| don [DON] | v. To put on. (ex: costumes). To prepare for surgery, the doctor first dons his scrubs, gloves and a protective mask. |
| dormant [DOOR munt] | a. Temporarily inactive. Mt. St. Helens was dormant for many years but when she finally woke, it was with a terrifying jolt to the world. |
| dote [DOTE] | v. To show excessive fondness for. The students were resentful and not a little jealous that their teacher doted on Margaret, who often escaped punishments that everyone else had to endure. |
| dubious [DO be us] | a. Questionable. a. Distrustful, a. Bordering on impropriety. The facts are dubious, but the theory is challenging in its premise. |
| dupe [DEWP] | n. A person easily deceived. The corrupt organizer of the scheme made over a million dollars off the poor dupes who had financed his operation. |
| duplicity [due PUSS i tee] | n. Deliberate deception. That country claims to abide by the arms treaty, but recent satellite photos reveal that its promises are nothing but duplicity. |
| earnest [ER nist] | a. Showing deep sincerity. n. Something done in advance as a pledge. To secure her lease on the apartment, Sharonda will have to pay the first month’s rent now as earnest. |
| ebb [EB] | v. To weaken. n. A period of decline or lowness. n. The movement of the tide away from land. After being stranded on the mountain for four days, the climbers’ endurance began to ebb. |
| ebullient [i BUL yunt] | a. Enthusiastic. Sarah was ebullient when her science fair project was picked to represent the state in the national competition. |
| eccentric [ik SEN trik] | a. Abnormal. a. Not centered; not circular. n. An unconventional person. Constance’s tendency to stay in bed for weeks at a time and hand copy articles about cars definitely made her the most eccentric person I knew. |
| ecclesiastical [i ldee zee AS ti kul] | a. Pertaining to a church. The court at the Vatican has jurisdiction only over ecclesiastical offenses, not over secular ones. |
| eclectic [i KUEK tick] | a. Coming from various sources. n. Someone who uses an eclectic method. The host of the morning radio show plays an eclectic mix of folk, classical, and world music. |
| edify [ED i fy] | v. To instruct in an uplifting manner. Liz’s father said he seriously doubted whether reading romance books would edify her as much as the English homework she was supposed to be doing. |
| efficacious [ef i KAY shus] | a. Capable of producing the desired effect. My efforts were efficacious and well-rewarded in the end. |
| effrontery [i FRUN tuh re] | n. Audacity. (excessive self-confidence). Martin was amazed at the effrontery of his first-grade students, who unhesitatingly asked him about the state of his marriage. |
| effusive [i FEW siv] | a. Gushing or unrestrained. (esp. emotions). Carla’s effusive thanks somewhat embarrassed her sober, Midwestern in-laws. |
| egalitarianism [i gal i TARE ee un is urn] | n. The doctrine of “equal rights for all people”. The Bill of Rights was written in a spirit of egalitarianism, but subsequent amendments and acts have been necessary to ensure that people are in fact treated equally. |
| elastic [i LAS tik] | a. Adaptable; flexible. When Norma and Greg heard that their dream house would be too expensive to build, they were elastic and followed the builder’s suggestions to scale it down. |
| elate [i LATE] | v. To make joyful or proud. Mrs. Moore is elated at her son’s success, and keeps every newspaper article about him that she can find. |
| elegy [EL i gee] | n. A mournful poem or song. (do not confuse with ‘eulogy’). Keats was famous for his elegies, and he was often called the most depressed poet of his time. |
| elicit [i LISS it] | v. To draw out. (esp. a response). Barbara played devil’s advocate to elicit some argument from Paul, but he was not in the mood. |
| ellipse [i LIPS] | n. An oval. The earth actually circles the sun in an ellipse, rather than a perfect circle. |
| elucidate [i LUE si date] | v. To clarify. The company sent out a pamphlet to all its employees elucidating the new insurance plan. |
| emaciate [i MAY she ate] | v. To make or become thin. (esp. from starvation or disease). Jon decided to cater the fashion show, saying he believed the organizers had intentionally emaciated the niodels. |
| emancipate [i MAN suh pate] | v. To liberate. Most teenagers quickly learn emancipation from their parents is quickly followed by servitude to school or jobs. |
| embellish [im BELL ish] | v. To adorn (to make beautiful). v. To add fanciful details to. Shakespeare embellished straightforward historical accounts to produce plays full of action and insight. |
| embroider [em BROY dur] | v. To embellish. (to add fanciful details). The more Bill told the story of his fishing expedition, the more he embroidered it. |
| eminence [EM i nunce] | n. A person or a position of great importance. The doctor achieved eminence in the field of medicine only after years of hard work and study. |
| emollient [i MOLE yunt] | a. Soothing or softening. (esp. the skin). The aloe vera plant is prized for the emollient affect its gel has on burns. |
| empathy [EM puh thee] | a. Emotional understanding. (the ability to understand what another is feeling). My friend and I share such similar outlooks that each of us can always depend on the other’s empathy when times are rough. |
| empirical [im PEER i kul] | a. Based upon observation. (not theoretical). At the end of every lab session, amateur chemists were asked to write down their empirical observations and describe them as fully as possible. |
| emulate [EM yuh late] | v. To strive to do as well as or better than. The graduation committee will chose a distinguished speaker whom the outgoing class would do well to emulate. |
| enamor [i NAM er] | v. To captivate. (to inspire with love). This actress has enamored her fans so much that any fluctuation in her health or love life makes the front pages of the tabloids. |
| endemic [in DEM ik] | a. Commonly found in an area or group of people. Popular opinion holds that blond hair and blue eyes are endemic to people of Scandinavian descent. |
| endow [in DOW] | v. To provide with something. (esp. inheritance or hereditary traits). Mr. Kelvin endowed the university with a huge fortune on the stipulation that he be given the authority to name all programs funded. |
| enervate [IN er vate] | v. To weaken. Many people in the besieged city were enervated by lack of food and clean drinking water. |
| enfranchise [in FRAN chize] | v. To release from bondage. v. To bestow the rights of citizenship. (esp. the right to vote). The so-called Underground Railroad was a network of courageous people seeking to enfranchise slaves by secretly transporting them as far north as Canada. |
| engender [in TIN dur] | v. To give rise to. Substandard pay and benefits have engendered resentment among the employees. |
| enigma [i NIG muh] | n. A mystery. (arousing interest due to an unexplained nature). Lisa’s quietness during the cheerleading clinic made her somewhat of an enigma. |
| enmity [IN mi tee] | n. Mutual hatred. Since the end of the Cold War, there has been a significant breakdown of the enmity that once characterized East-West relations. |
| ensemble [on SOM bul] | n. Separate things viewed as a whole. (esp. garments or music). Samantha’s outfit was an ensemble of silks, buttons, and bells. |
| enthrall [in THRAWL] | v. To captivate. v. To enslave. Tonight’s television interview with this famous singer will reveal the talent and grace that have enthralled millions. |
| entreat [in TREAT] | v. To make an emotional request. The grieving mother entreated the police to find her daughter quickly. |
| enumerate [i NEW muh rate] | v. To count items one by one. Diane said she didn’t care to enumerate the many reasons I was fired and told me her decision was final. |
| enunciate [i NUN see ate] | v. To pronounce words clearly. (do not confuse with ‘annunciate’). The lecturer worked hard to enunciate each word so that the people in the back of the auditorium could understand his speech. |
| ephemeral [i FEM er ul] | a. Short-lived. As we saw the police pull up in front of the house, we realized that our joy at not getting caught was all too ephemeral. |
| epic [EP ik] | a. On a grand scale. n. A long artistic work that describes heroic deeds. (esp. a poem). Every Christmas a local church hosts an epic retelling of Christ’s birth, complete with real camels and elephants. |
| epigram [EP i gram] | n. A short, witty saying. A quotation book is perhaps the best place to find a variety of epigrams attributed to the wits who first spoke them. |
| epilogue [EP i lawg] | n. A short section added after the conclusion. (also spelled ‘epilog’). The epilogue to the novel explains what its characters went on to do after the events of the main story. |
| epitome [i PIT i me] | n. A brief summary. a. A representative sample. The car mechanic’s satisfied customers consider him to be the epitome of good service. |
| epoch [EP uk] | n. A remarkable period of history. The wall chart depicted the most recent epochs in technology, from the Industrial Revolution, through the Space Age to the Information Age. |
| equanimity [ek wuh MM i tee] | n. A calm temperament. In spite of the crisis, Sarah maintained her equanimity and took charge of the situation. |
| equestrian [i KWES tree un] | a. Pertaining to horsemanship. (a. ‘equine’ - Pertaining to horses). Neil prefers the excitement of horse racing to the equestrian subtlety of show riding. |
| equivocal [i KWIV i cull] | a. Ambiguous. If you find this definition equivocal, consult a dictionary for clarification. |
| eradicate [i RAD i kate] | v. To remove all traces of. This exterminator guarantees total eradication of all pests. |
| erudite [ER i dite] | a. Profoundly learned. Although this book is the work of an erudite scholar, it is written in plain and understandable language. |
| espouse [i SPOUZ] | v. To give or take in marriage. v. To support. Oscar surrounds himself only with flatterers and those willing to espouse his views. |
| esteem [i STEAM] | v. To respect. The senator answered Melinda’s letter by stating that, while he esteemed her opinion, he would not change his stance on the issue. |
| estrange [i STRANGE] | v. To make hostile or unsympathetic. v. To stay away from. Julia had been estranged from her husband for six months, but felt that a divorce was still too final. |
| eulogy [YOU luh gee] | n. A speech honoring someone. Uncle Pat concluded his eulogy by inviting everyone to share their fondest memories of my grandfather. |
| euphemism [YOU fuh miz um] | n. A mild term substituted for a harsh one. The military has given us such euphemisms as “collateral damage,”“friendly fire,” and “surgical strike.” |
| evanescent [EV i ness unt] | a. Vanishing; fleeting. Thankfully we were traveling fast enough that the skunk’s spray was only an evanescent presence. |
| exacerbate [ig ZAS er bate] | v. To worsen some condition. The rising cost of health care continues to exacerbate the level of poverty in the Southeastern United States. |
| exact [ig ZACT] | v. To demand and obtain. (‘exacting’ - adj. - Making rigorous demands). The Mongolian hordes exacted tribute from the realms that they invaded. |
| exculpate [EK skull pate] | v. To clea; from blame. It is clear that only a completely immoral person would try to exculpate such an obviously guilty criminal. |
| exemplary [ig ZEM pluh re] | a. Commendable; worthy of imitation. The mayor gave Davie a letter of recognition and a medal for his exemplary display of bravery when he raced into a burning building to save a small child. |
| exemplify [ig ZEM pluh fy] | v. To show by example. Harry’s love for violent movies exemplifies his aggressive character. |
| exhort [ig ZORT] | v. To urge passionately. The home team’s fans exhorted them from the stands, cheering them on even though they were behind by ten points. |
| exigent [EK suh junt] | a. Urgent. The television program was interrupted by an exigent announcement that a tornado had been spotted in the area. |
| exonerate [ig ZON i rate] | v. To clear from blame. Shelly’s confession exonerated me, and I was freed at last. |
| expedient [ek SPEE de unt] | a. Suited to one’s purpose. n. A makeshift solution. Mark’s car started to overheat as he left the grocery store, but he filled the radiator with some of the bottled water he had just bought as an expedient remedy. |
| expedite [EK spi dite] | v. To speed up. Whenever things are moving slowly at the bureau, I call up Watson, who expedites my requests for me. |
| expiate [EK spee ate] | v. To make amends. You totaled my car and you think a fruit basket will expiate the situation? |
| explicit [ik SPLISS it] | a. In exact terms. The farmer’s sign included an explicit warning as to what would happen to anyone caught trespassing on his land. |
| exposition [ek spuh ZISH un] | n. An exhibition. a. A detailed explanation. n. The first section in a musical movement. (that presents its principal themes). The first half of the movie was bogged down with a lengthy exposition of how its central conflict arose and why the characters c |
| extemporaneous [ik stem puh RAY nee us] | a. Impromptu. (done with little preparation). News reporters are specially trained in the art of extemporaneous speaking. |
| extol [ik STOLE] | v. To praise lavishly. Linda had extolled her husband’s virtues for so long that I was disappointed to meet him and discover he was just a regular man. |
| extrapolate [ik STRAP i late] | v. To estimate based on known facts. It is impossible to extrapolate one’s age from a list of favorite foods and television shows. |
| extricate [EK stri kate] | v. To disentangle from a difficulty. The medical technicians had to call for special equipment to extricate the man from his crushed car. |
| extrinsic [ik STRIN sik] | a. External; not inherent. Teachers at the school are encouraged not to rely too heavily on extrinsic motivation, but rather to encourage the children to motivate themselves. |
| extroverted [EK struh vurt id] | a. Very sociable. Even as a child, Jose was far from extroverted; during recess he would find a quiet corner and play by himself. |
| exult [ig ZULT] | v. To rejoice greatly. When the villagers caught sight of the liberating soldiers, they began to exult, waving flags and cheering as the troops marched through. |
| fabricate [FAB ri kate] | v. To make with skill. v. To make up a story or lie. Do you think the children really were dropped off at the wrong bus stop, or did they fabricate the whole thing? |
| facade [fuh SOD] | n. A false or artificial appearance. n. The design of the outside of a building. George maintained a facade of friendliness, even with people he disliked. |
| facet [FASS it] | n. A cut surface on a gemstone. n. An aspect of a situation. Light reflected off each of the facets of her diamond ring. |
| facetious [fuh SEE shus] | a. Intended to be humorous or playful. The smile on his face suggested that he intended his remark to be facetious, but the policewoman clearly did not appreciate the joke. |
| facile [PASS ul] | a. Easily performed. a. Arrived at quickly. a. Agreeable (easy to get along with). Some foreign language learners find trilling their r’s to be a facile task, but others never get the hang of it. |
| facility [fuh STh i tee] | n. An absence of difficulty. n. An ease of doing something. n. A readiness to be persuaded. Anne has a facility for doing needlework that others would consider too painstaking. |
| fallow [PAL oh] | a. Left inactive. The Bureau of Agriculture pays farmers to keep a portion of their fields fallow to avoid producing an excessive surplus of grain. |
| fathom [FATH urn] | v. To measure the depth of v. To understand. Quantum physics and trigonometry are two pursuits my mind cannot even fathom. |
| fatuous [FACH ooh us] | a. Foolish. The visitor from New Zealand was asked a number of fatuous questions about where his homeland was located, including whether it was part of Canada. |
| ferment [fur MENT] | v. To turn sugar into alcohol via organic action. v. To excite, n. Excitement. The stewardess’ inability to close the rear door only served to ferment the anxiety of the passengers around her. |
| fervent [FUR vunt] | a. Passionate, a. Extremely hot. a. Glowing. Rather than accept Johnny’s fervent declarations of love, Claire responded with a stony stare and a shrug. |
| fetter [FET er] | n. Something that restricts. v. To restrict the freedom of. After several unsuccessful searches for employment, Nick realized that his lack of a college degree was a real fetter to finding a job. |
| fickle [FICK ul] | a. Changing often. Georgette has very fickle tastes in music, and will give away her CDs from time to time so that she can start her collection over again. |
| fidelity [fi DELL i tee] | n. Being true to loyalties, obligations, or facts. n. The quality of reproduced sounds. The inheritance was given to Heidi not so much because of her position in the family but because of her love and fidelity. |
| figurative [FIG yer i tiv] | a. Having symbolic meanings. (ex: metaphors). Part of the misunderstanding was due to my grandfather’s tendency to speak in the figurative instead of the literal sense. |
| fission [FIZH un] | n. Division into parts. Differences in domestic policy have caused fission in the ruling party, leading some members of Parliament to split off and join the opposition. |
| fixate [fik SATE] | v. To focus on. v. To develop an abnormal attachment. Jeff fixates on obscure 1970s memorabilia, and has crammed his apartment with psychedelic posters and lava lamps. |
| flag [FLAG] | v. To become weak. v. To hang limply. v. To signal. The new recruit felt his endurance begin to flag after marching ten miles in full gear under the hot sun. |
| florid [FLOOR id] | a. Appearing healthy. a. Elaborate and ornate. Pam chose a simple wallpaper pattern over the florid Victorian one offered to her by the salesperson. |
| forbear [for BEAR] | v. To restrain. n. An ancestor. (noun form pronounced ‘FOR bear’). Mom asked us to forbear from eating the pie because she was saving it for company. |
| forestall [for STALL] | v. To anticipate and take actions against. The police advocate organizing a neighborhood watch to forestall crime in the community. |
| former [FOR mur] | a. Coming before, a. The first of two. Donald’s former wife was quoted as saying “I told you so” to his second and third wives. |
| forthright [FORTH rite] | a. Direct; not evasive. If you are honest and forthright with your parents, they will trust you and therefore grant you more freedoms. |
| fortuity [for TO i tee] | n. An unexpected event. Kevin had applied only for a temporary job, but received the great fortuity of being asked to interview for a permanent position. |
| frenetic [fruh NET ik] | a. Frantic. The recording had captured the frenetic appeals of the pilot and co-pilot before the transmission went dead. |
| frugal [FREW gul] | a. Thrifty, a. Inexpensive. Carmen hopes that her increased income will not affect her frugal habits. |
| fungus [FUNG gus] | n. A type of plant that lacks chlorophyll and feeds on organic material. (ex: mushrooms, molds, yeasts). Most plants need light to grow, but fungus thrives even in darkness. |
| furtive [FUR tiv] | a. Stealthy; sneaky. As young children, we often cast furtive glances about the room when we were supposed to be staring into the corner. |
| fusion [FEW zhun] | n. A union. (esp. one produced by heat). The fusion of hydrogen atoms at room temperature remains the Holy Grail of nuclear physics. |
| garrulous [GAIR i lus] | a. Talkative. Bonnie tried to “break the ice” at the luncheon by being garrulous in spite of everyone’s silence. |
| gauche [GOASH] | a. Lacking manners. Terry worried that she would appear gauche because she wasn’t sure which fork to use for her salad. |
| gene [JEAN] | n. The part of a chromosome that determines inherited traits. There is still considerable debate over whether our behavior is determined more by our environment or the genes we inherit from our parents. |
| genetics [juh NET iks] | n. The study of heredity. Gregor Mendel laid the foundations for modern genetics in his careful studies of plant hybrids. |
| genre [ZHAN ruh] | n. A distinctive style. (esp. in art or literature). People often ask aspiring writers in what genre they plan to work. |
| germane [jer MANE] | a. Relevant. (esp. to the matter at hand). A moderator will preside over the panel to make sure the discussion remains germane to the topic at hand. |
| glib [GLIB] | a. Performed with ease. a. Quickly responding. (in a way that suggests deceit). Marty was distrusted by many because of her slick statements and glib answers. |
| glutton [GLUT’n] | n. Someone who eats too much. n. Someone who never has enough of something. (ex: a glutton for punishment). John acted like a real glutton at the dinner party, eating all of his food and most of his neighbor’s. |
| goad [GODE] | v. To provoke into action. The newspaper editor hoped that by publishing the dismal voter turn-out statistics from previous elections she could goad people into voting out of sheer indignation. |
| graduate [GRADGE ooh ate] | v. To divide into intervals or categories. The glass cylinder was marked with a graduated series of lines marking one-milliliter units. |
| grandiloquent [gran DILL i kwunt] | a. Elevated or pompous language. The winner accepted his prize with a speech so grandiloquent that you’d think he had won the Nobel Prize instead of the Tri-County Chili Cook-off. |
| gratuitous [gruh TO i tus] | a. Given freely, a. Unnecessary (done without good reason). The movie’s special effects were amazing, but after a while the constant carnage seemed gratuitous. |
| gregarious [gri GA re us] | a. Outgoing. a. Living in groups or communities. Hermits shun humanity’s gregarious nature by living alone, isolated from society. |
| guile [GILE] | n. Treachery. The enemy allowed us to collect our wounded and dead from the battlefield, laying down their weapons to show that they acted out of mercy rather than guile. |
| hackneyed [HACK need] | a. Overused and trite. (esp. an expression). Many love songs contain hackneyed phrases like “I want you, I need you,” that have been repeated to the point of meaninglessness. |
| hallmark [HALL mark] | n. A distinguishing characteristic. n. A mark indicating purity. (esp. on precious metals). Respect for children’s opinions is the hallmark of a good schoolteacher. |
| harangue [huh RANG] | v. To communicate using strong emotions. (esp. anger). n. A tirade (esp. a denunciation). The old men continued to harangue the waitress until she was a cowering, timid presence in the back of the diner. |
| hedonism [HEED in iz urn] | n. Devotion to pleasure. Joel was a great believer in leisure, and when asked what religion he practiced, he replied “hedonism.”. |
| heinous [HAY nus] | a. Beyond moral standards. The Nazis were guilty of some of the most heinous crimes in history. |
| herbivore [HER buh yore] | , An animal that feeds mainly on plants. Meat-eating dinosaurs like T. Rex fed mostly on slower-moving herbivores. |
| heresy [HAIR i see] | n. Something contrary to accepted beliefs. (esp. in religion). Some modem religious groups openly espouse beliefs condemned as heresy a few centuries ago. |
| heretical [huh RET i kul] | a. Exhibiting departure from established beliefs. The same beliefs considered orthodox when taught by St. Francis of Assisi were deemed heretical when expressed by those who did not share his respect for the Church. |
| hierarchy [HIGH er rar key] | n. A system of ranks. n. The group of people within a hierarchy. Until the Enlightenment hierarchy was associated with order and stability, while democracy was considered to be little more than mob rule. |
| hieroglyphic [high nih GLIF ik] | a. Cryptic or secretive. Dr. Stone’s secretary was the only person who could read his hieroglyphic handwriting. |
| homogeneous [hoe MOG i nus] | a. Made up of similar parts. Except for a few members of the press, the audience at the trade show was a homogeneous group of businessmen and entrepreneurs. |
| hone [HONE] | v. To perfect. v. To sharpen (esp. a tool). The driving range was lined with golfers trying to hone their game. |
| hormone [HORE moan] | n. A chemical substance that is produced in one part of the body and affects another. Many cattle are injected with a growth hormone to make them beefier. |
| humanism [FlUE muh niz um] | n. The study of humankind. (versus the study of religion or science). The humanism of the Renaissance regarded humanity as the proper measure of all things, a stance criticized by those who saw God as the focus of their world. |
| husband [HUZ bund] | v. To conserve. The Arctic explorer husbanded his resources carefully as he trekked through the frozen waste. |
| hybrid [HIGH brid] | n. Something of mixed origin. (esp. in genetics). The America’n Kennel Association spends many years debating the introduction of new hybrid dogs into their classification system. |
| hydrate [HIGH drate] | n. A compound of water and another element. By adding water to potassium, chemists create potassium hydrate, a powerful explosive. |
| hyperbole [high PER buh lee] | n. An exaggerated statement. Chuck sat down at the dinner table and uttered what we hoped was hyperbole, ‘I could eat a horse. |
| iconoclast [eye CON i clast] | n. One who attacks sacred beliefs. Yolanda’s friends always considered her an iconoclast, especially after she denounced her Catholic upbringing. |
| idiosyncrasy [id ee owe SING kruh see] | n. An odd behavior. This psychologist believes that any idiosyncrasy is all right as long as the person practicing the strange habit doesn’t mind it and it doesn’t harm anyone. |
| idolatry [eye DOLL i tree] | n. Blind or excessive devotion. Mrs. Peacock collects brass owls so obsessively that her hobby borders on idolatry. |
| idyll [EYED ul] | n. A simple and charming scene. n. A short poem describing it. Many country western songs are idylls describing the joys of rural life. |
| immaculate [i MAC yuh lit] | a. Spotless. a. Pure (without sin). Steve was nervous about having potential in-laws over, so he cleaned the house until it was immaculate, immutable [i MEW tub bul] |
| immutable [I MEW tuh bul] | a. Not changeable. In spite of your arguments to persuade me, my opinion on the subject remains immutable. |
| impeccable [im PECK i bul] | a. Not capable of sinning, a. Without fault. We were all afraid that James would do something to offend his hosts, but his behavior was impeccable. |
| imperious [im PIER ee us] | a. Arrogantly overbearing, a. Urgent. Everyone in the bank line flinched as one imperious man shoved his way to the front, complaining that he had been short changed. |
| impervious [im PER vee us] | a. Can not be penetrated or influenced. The plate armor of medieval knights was impervious to most missiles until the crossbow was used against it. |
| impetuous [im PECH ooh us] | a. Impulsive. It was an impetuous streak of romance and adventure that convinced Romeo and Juliet to run off together. |
| impetus [TM pi tus] | n. A driving force. n. The force associated with a moving object. Bob’s anxiety over his fortieth birthday was most likely the impetus behind his purchase of a new sports car. |
| implacable [im PLACK i bul] | a. Unappeasable; uncompromising. Both nations remained implacable in the peace talks, and so the once hopeful situation deteriorated into a stalemate. |
| implicit [im PUSS it] | a. Implied, but not directly stated. a. Absolute; unquestioning. (ex: “You have my implicit trust.). Charles and Judy said we could stay at their place anytime we were in town, but with the implicit understanding that we would never stay for more than thr |
| implosion [im PLOE shun] | n. A violent, inward collapse. (as opposed to an explosion). Demolition experts had placed charges around the old building in such a way that it would fall in a giant implosion, posing little risk to surrounding structures. |
| importune [im POUR tune] | v. To make persistent requests. Ralph has importuned his landlord every month to fix the leaky pipes. |
| impregnable [im PREG nuh bul] | a. Safe against attack. Perched high atop a mountain, the fortress of Montsegur is virtually imprcgnable. |
| impromptu [im PROMP to] | a. Done without preparation. When the band failed to play on cue, the emcee began an impromptu song that left the audience applauding on its feet. |
| impudent [IM pyuh dunt] | a. Boldly showing a lack of respect. The girl remained impudent to her teacher all the way to the principals office, but suddenly became meek and obedient once she stepped inside. |
| incense [IN sense] | v. To enrage. n. Something that produces a pleasant smell. Our flippant responses only served to incense our host, who became so angry that she asked us to leave. |
| inchoate [in KOE it] | a. Undeveloped, a. Unorganized. At this point our plans for the housing development are still inchoate. |
| incisive [in SIGH siv] | a. Mentally perceptive, a. Direct and decisive. Marlowe’s clear and incisive style makes him an easy read for beginners. |
| incongruous [in CON grew us] | a. Inappropriate, a. Inconsistent, a. Lacking internal harmony. Experts analyzed the satellite images for anything incongruous, ready to report the slightest detail that seemed out of place. |
| incorrigible [in CORE i juh bul] | a. Unmanageable. a. Not reformable. Lulu’s mother hoped that she would stop misbehaving after fifteen minutes in “time out,” but she remained incorrigible. |
| inculcate [ing CULL kate] | v. To urge or instruct persistently. Telemarketers will inculcate prospective clients with sales pitch after sales pitch if allowed to continue past the first greeting. |
| indigenous [in DIDGE i nus] | a. Native to a certain area. When we travel, we prefer souvenirs made by indigenous craftsmen to those mass-produced in foreign factories. |
| indigent [IN di junt] | a. Needy; impoverished. Jane Eyre’s indigent childhood only made her appreciate security and comfort more. |
| indolent [IN duh lunt] | a. Lazy. a. Causing minimal pain. After the school year was over, Trey became indolent and sat around for several weeks before going out to find a summer job. |
| inert [in URT] | a. Unable to move, a. Unresponsive, a. Chemically unreactive. The children at the day-care sat there inert, staring zombie-like at a single television screen. |
| inertia [in ER shuh] | n. A resistance to change. Our physics teacher wore the same clothes in the sixties as he does today—his own contribution to inertia, I suppose. |
| infallible [in FAL i bul] | a. Incapable of making a mistake. a. Never failing. Grandma considered the pain in her knee to be an infallible predictor of rain. |
| infamous [IN fuh mus] | a. Deserving extreme disapproval, a. Known widely and unfavorably. The outlaws Bonnie and Clyde were among the hotel’s more infamous past clientele. |
| ingenuous [in JIN you us] | a. Openly straightforward; candid. a. Naive. Despite Little Red Riding Hood’s ingenuous appearance, she easily outsmarted the wolf. |
| ingrate [IN grate] | n. An ungrateful person. When I let Marty live in my house for a month, the ingrate never even offered to pay for groceries. |
| inherent [in HERE unt] | a. Existing in something as a permanent trait. This particular dog has an inherent ability to follow scents that are weeks old. |
| iniquitous [i NICK wi tus] | a. Wicked. Stepmothers have gotten a bad name through their many iniquitous associations in fairy tales. |
| innate [in ATE] | a. Possessed at birth. a. Inherent. (possessed as an essential characteristic). The desire to procreate is innate in all creatures, and drives much of their behavior throughout their lives. |
| innocuous [i NOCK you us] | a. Harmless. a. Inoffensive, a. Not significant or stimulating. The poodle’s innocuous appearance belied the vicious dog within. |
| inoculate [i NOCK yuh late] | v. To use weakened germs to prevent diseases. Some public schools have taken on the responsibility of requiring parents to inoculate their children against diseases like mumps and rubella. |
| insolence [IN suh lunce] | n. Arrogance. Talking back was a form of insolence both parents could tolerate from their child. |
| insular [IN sub lur] | a. Isolated. a. Possessing a narrow viewpoint. (due to isolation). Working within “ivory towers” often encourages scholars to take an insular view of their subjects rather than considering them from a variety of angles. |
| intemperate [in ThM per it] | a. Marked by extreme climatic temperatures. a. Practicing unrestrained indulgence. (esp. of alcohol). Father tried to excuse his intemperate drinking by claiming that he “only took a nip now and then.” |
| intractable [in TRACK tuh bul] | a. Stubborn. a. Difficult to remedy. The late Senator Barry Goldwater was known for being intractable but consistent in his radically conservative views. |
| intransigent [in TRAN suh junt] | a. Uncompromising. (esp. when holding an extreme position). Callers have tried to point out the problems with that radio hosts views, but he will not listen and remains intransigent. |
| intrepid [in TREP id] | a. Brave. I call my cat Felix the Intrepid because he chases dogs. |
| intrinsic [in TRIN zik] | a. Pertaining to the essential nature of a thing. This human right’s organization has grown in recent years, but maintains its intrinsic commitment to help those who are persecuted. |
| introvert [IN truh vurt] | v. To turn inwards. n. A shy, reserved person. Instead of joining his coworkers for lunch, Simon remained an introvert and ate quietly in his cubicle. |
| inundate [IN un date] | v. To overwhelm or overflow. In just a few weeks the city will be inundated with tourists coming to see the World Series. |
| inure [in YOUR] | v. To grow accustomed to something undesirable. After the new airport opened, the people living in its flight path became inured to the noise of airplanes taking off and landing. |
| invective [in VEK tiv] | a. Verbally abusive. n. A harsh denunciation. n. An obscene term. We all understood that Pam was upset with Luke, but were surprised by her harsh invective against him. |
| invertebrate [in VUR tuh brate] | a. Having no backbone. Arthropods are by far the most common invertebrate organisms, comprising eighty percent of all known species. |
| irony [EYE nih flee] | n. The difference between the actual and the expected. (esp. when the two are opposites). The irony of it all is that we didn’t know the meaning of the word, and we still used it correctly. |
| irrevocable [i REV i kuh bul] | a. Irreversible. (incapable of being retracted or revoked). The inheritance was placed in an trust which would remain irrevocable until the heirs came of age, at which point its conditions could be changed. |
| jocular [JOCK yuh lur] | a. Pertaining to joking or jesting. Santa’s reputation as a jocular, happy fellow was altered drastically when the next little boy in line bit him on the leg. |
| juxtapose [JUCK stuh pose] | v. To place side by side. (esp. for comparison). This humor magazine juxtaposes pictures of famous people who are supposedly twins separated at birth. |
| kernel [KUR null] | n. The central part. (ex: of a seed or problem). The kernel of Joe’s difficulty was not that his income was insufficient, but that he overspent it. |
| labyrinthine [lab i RIN theen] | a. Intricately complex. The mystery develops through a labyrinthine series of discoveries and double-crosses, leaving the reader unsure as to who the murderer is. |
| lackluster [LACK luss tar] | a. Dull. (lacking brightness or liveliness). The show’s last performance was attended by a lackluster audience that missed most of the jokes and gave only moderate applause. |
| laconic [luh CON ik] | a. Concise. (using few words). Amid all the chatter, the old man summed up the situation in his trademark laconic but perceptive fashion. |
| lament [luh MENT] | v. To mourn. Reggie deeply lamented the loss of his beloved dog, Brew, but his sorrow eased over time. |
| lampoon [lam PUNE] | n. An artistic work that ridicules. (typically employing irony or satire). Many considered the comedienne’s lampoon of the National Anthem to be in poor taste. |
| latent [LAY tent] | a. Present, but not visible. President Richard Nixon contended that his policies were supported by the “silent majority,” a latent but potentially effective portion of the American public. |
| latitude [LAT i tude] | n. The distance north or south of the equator. n. Freedom from normal restraints. Martha was a responsible but essentially carefree parent, giving her children the latitude to make their own decisions. |
| latter [LAT er] | a. Coming after. a. The last of two. You are presented with a choice between the former and the latter—which do you choose? |
| lattice [LAT is] | a. Something interwoven. (ex: a window screen). The branches of the trees crossed each other to form a lattice canopy overhead. |
| laud [LAWD] | v. To praise. n. A song of praise. Your mother always shows her appreciation for your father’s cooking by lauding every meal he makes. |
| learned [LUR aid] | a. Having profound knowledge. Andi supported her views with references to the many books she had read, a true sign of a learned person. |
| leaven [LEV un] | v. To enliven. v. To lighten. n. Something that causes fermentation. (making dough more voluminous, ex: yeast). The arrival of the band leavened the party, and soon everyone was on their feet dancing. |
| legacy [LEG i see] | n. Something passed from one generation to the next. (ex: inheritance, bigotry). Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy are two presidents who left a clear legacy for future civil rights activists. |
| legume [luh GEWM] | n. A seed that splits into two halves. (ex: a bean). Susan’s new vegetarian diet consisted of mainly of legumes and whole wheat toast. |
| lethargic [luh THAR jick] | a. Drowsy. This medication can affect your driving performance and make you lightheaded or lethargic. |
| levity [LEV i tee] | n. Light humor. (esp. at inappropriate times). The surprise appearance of the clowns provided a brief moment of levity in an otherwise somber day. |
| levy [LEV cc] | v. To collect something by authority. n. That which is collected. (do not confuse with ‘levee’). The king levied taxes against all the people in his province. |
| limerick [LIM er ik] | n. A humorous five-line verse that rhymes. The book of limericks contained ditties that ranged from the playful to the downright obscene. |
| linguistics [ling GWISS ticks] | n. The study of language. Many people believe that linguistics simply requires knowing a lot of languages, but it really involves studying the way languages work. |
| listless [LIST liss] | a. Lacking energy or desire. Frank was so listless at work we were worried that he was depressed. |
| literal [LIT er ul] | a. Having a strict meaning (of a term), a. Very similar to the original. A truly creative thinker knows when to take things for their literal meaning and when to consider what they may symbolize within the broader context. |
| lucid [LUE sid] | a. Easily understood, a. Transparent. a. Sane. Once the sedative wears off, John’s speech should become lucid and he’ll be able to tell us how he feels. |
| luminous [LUE muh nus] | a. Radiating light or energy. a. Easily understood, a. Enlightened or intelligent. The bride’s shining dress and bright smile made her positively luminous as she walked down the aisle. |
| lurit [lug ZHURE ee unt] | a. Growing profusely. a. Luxurious. To her mother’s horror, Gina sold her luxuriant hair to a wig maker for a thousand dollars. |
| malevolent [muh LEV i lunt] | a. Spiteful. (wishing that others suffer). This malevolent director seems bent on putting out an endless series of sick and violent films. |
| malleable [MAL ee i bul] | a. Able to be shaped or influenced. We decided to focus our efforts on Sue, because she was the newest member of the group and therefore the most malleable. |
| manifest [MAN i fest] | a. Obvious. v. To prove beyond doubt. n. A list of cargo or passengers. Jack’s lack of taste was made manifest by the red and green stripes that he painted on his garage door. |
| mannered [MAN urd] | a. Artificial; overly stylized, a. Possessing specific manners. (cx: bad manners). Eighteenth Century painters portrayed nature in a mannered and well- groomed fashion, made up of subtle and well-balanced symmetries. |
| mantle [MAN tul] | n. Something that covers or conceals. n. The layer of the earth. (between the core and the crust). (do not confuse with a fireplace ‘mantel’). A mantle of snow covered the town, hiding the soot which stained its buildings. |
| mar [MAR] | v. To damage or deface. n. A mark that blemishes. A single malpractice suit could mar a doctor’s reputation forever. |
| martial [MAR shul] | a. Pertaining to war. An aircraft carrier is headed for the region to maintain a state of martial readiness. |
| martinet [mar ti NET] | n. Someone who demands strict obedience. The captain was a martinet who expected his crew to snap to attention every time he blew a whistle. |
| matrix [MAY tricks] | n. A place where something is created or shaped. These masks are made of paper mach, laid over a wire matrix. |
| maverick [MAV rick] | n. An unbranded cow. n. Someone who takes an independent stand. After healing Aunt Lucy tell of all the things she did against her parents’ wishes, we realized that she was quite a maverick in her day. |
| mean [MEAN] | a. Inferior. n. The midpoint between two extremes. Rather than take sides on the issue, Kathryn decided to go with the mean. |
| meander [me AN dur] | v. To take an indirect course. v. To wander aimlessly. A small creek meanders through the property and gives the landscape a gentle, country feeling. |
| medieval [me de EE vul] | a. Pertaining to the Middle Ages. (approx. A.D. 500 to 1450). Many of the advances attributed to the Renaissance have earlier, medieval origins. |
| medium [ME de urn] | n. A substance in which an effect is produced. n. The environment in which something exists. n. The means by which something is done. Bryan prefers watercolors as his medium of choice, but many worthwhile wildlife artists choose oil and acrylic paints. |
| medley [MED lee] | n. A jumbled assortment. n. A series of melodies from different sources. At one end of the buffet table was a medley of raw vegetables and cheeses. |
| melancholy [MEL un kol ee] | n. A thoughtful sadness. n. A gloomy atmosphere. He preferred melancholy music to happy pop tunes. |
| melodrama [MEL i dra muh] | n. An artistic work using exaggerated behavior. This soap opera is a melodrama in which emotionally charged people daily face life-wrenching crises amid implausible circumstances. |
| melody [MEL i de] | n. A pleasing sequence of sounds. (as opposed to rhythm or harmony). The upper voices in the choir sang the melody while the lower voices hummed softly. |
| membrane [MEM brain] | n. A thin covering. The buzzing noise of a kazoo is made by the vibration of a membrane of wax paper. |
| mercurial [mur CURE ee ul] | a. Lively, a. Apt to change quickly. Heidi had such a mercurial temperament we never knew what to expect. |
| metamorphosis [met i MORE fuh sis] | n. Any marked change in appearance or structure. A beetle does not have to turn into a man for scientists to observe the metamorphosis of animals over time. |
| metaphor [MET i for] | n. The use of a term, commonly associated with one thing, to describe another thing, in a way that suggests a likeness between the two things. “She is as pretty as a picture” is a simile, while “she is a picture of beauty” is a metaphor. |
| methodology [meth i DOLL i gee] | n. The methods used in a particular activity. The research center will bring together scientists who are all interested in the same subject, but who approach it through different methodologies. |
| meticulous [muh TICK yuh lus] | a. Very attentive to details. The masters of pointillism were the most meticulous of the Impressionist artists, making millions of tiny brush points for a single painting. |
| microbe [MY krobe] | n. A microorganism. (ex: bacterium). The students were asked to identify various microbes by looking at them through a microscope, then to describe the characteristics of each. |
| migrate [MY grate] | v. To move to another place. The free-tailed bats migrate to Mexico at the end of each summer and return to Texas in the spring. |
| mime [MIME] | v. To communicate with gestures. n. The gesture. Elaine mimed that she was ready to leave, so Jerry stretched and yawned and asked for the time. |
| mimicry [MIM i kree] | n. A close approximation to something. (esp. for ridicule or defense). Many insects employ forms of mimicry, such as protective coloring or eye spots, to blend in with their surroundings or scare off predators. |
| minuet [mm you ET] | n. A slow, stately dance. (which is dignified and formal). n. The music for the dance. Minuets are like waltzes in that both are danced to music with three beats per measure. |
| minute [my NEWT] | a. Extremely small, a. Very precise and detailed. n. 1/60th of a degree (pertaining to angles). (noun form pronounced ‘MIN it’). The odds of the lottery ensure that one’s chances of winning remain minute. |
| mirth [MURTH] | n. Joy. During the Great Depression people went to the movies for some mirth to ease the troubles in their lives. |
| misanthrope [miz un THROPE] | n. Someone who hates humankind. Nate claimed that he was a misanthrope rather than a bigot, because he hated all people equally. |
| misconstrue [mis kun STREW] | v. To misunderstand. I cannot stand to argue with Jeff, because he always misconstrues my meaning. |
| mitigate [MIT i gate] | v. To make or become less severe. John’s guilt was not mitigated, despite being told that the accident was not his fault. |
| mode [MODE] | n. The method by which something is done. n. The current style or fashion. First the cartoonist sketched the character roughly in pencil, then switched modes and drew it again more exactly in ink. |
| molecule [MOL i kule] | n. The smallest unit of an element or compound. The chemist had large plastic models of molecules on his desk to demonstrate what they would look like if you could see them with the naked eye. |
| mollify [MOL i fy] | v. To reduce the intensity of (esp. anger). v. To soften. The waitress tried to mollify the disappointed customers by offering them a free desert. |
| momentum [mow MEN turn] | n. Strength gained from motion or development. A tractor-trailer barreling down the mountain with no brakes gains deadly momentum in a matter of seconds. |
| monotonous [rnuh NOT i nus] | a. Tediously uniform. a. An unvarying tone. The bored telemarketer made her sales pitch in a tone of voice surely as monotonous as her repetitive job. |
| moratorium [more i TORE ee urn] | n. A suspension of action. The business manager issued a moratorium on departmental purchases until the internal audit had been completed. |
| morbid [MORE bid] | a. Pertaining to a disease. a. Gruesome. a. Preoccupied with unwholesome thoughts. It’s no surprise you have nightmares when all your waking moments are consumed by morbid thoughts and interests. |
| mores [MORE aze] | n. Customs. (of a group of people). In addition to information about places to see, this travel guide tells about the mores of the locals and the etiquette one should observe. |
| morose [muh ROCE] | a. Gloomy; unsociable. Grandpa Jones was morose even before his dog died; after that, he was positively antisocial. |
| morphology [more FOL i gee] | n. The study of form. (esp. of plants, animals, or language). A botanical artist and a horticulturist are both consumed with plant morphology, though their careers couldn’t be more different. |
| mosaic [moe ZAY ik] | n. Artwork formed by inlaid pieces. (esp. of colored glass, stone, or tile). Excavations under the cathedral revealed a good number of tiles from what must have been a beautiful mosaic, dating from Roman times. |
| movement [MOVE munt] | n. A principal division of a musical composition. Many symphonies and concertos alternate fast and slow movements. |
| muse [MEWS] | v. To consider at length. Kelly mused over the Sunday crossword puzzle till well in the afternoon. |
| mythology [muh THOL i gee] | n. A collection of myths. n. The study of myths. Icelandic children’s stories about the exploits of pagan gods are inspired by the rich tradition of Norse mythology. |
| nadir [NAY dur] | n. The lowest point. (esp. in astronomical observations). Although this actress has since returned to fame, at the nadir of her career she appeared as a dancing hot dog on a television commercial. |
| nascent [NAS unt] | a. In the process of coming into existence. The Secretary General praised Africa’s nascent democracies and expressed his wishes for continued success. |
| nebulous [NEB yuh us] | a. Cloudy or hazy. a. Ambiguous. The documentar’ uses some nebulous logic to link the Egyptian pyramids, Mayan ruins, and the heads on Easter Island to the lost continent of Atlantis. |
| nomadic [no MAD ik] | a. Wandering. Some of the Berber people live a nomadic life traveling the deserts of Arabia and North Africa. |
| nonchalant [non shuh LONT] | a. Calm and casual. Darren tried to be nonchalant, but his fidgeting and nervousness gave him away. |
| nonplussed [non PLUST] | a. Perplexed. (also spelled as nonplused). My supervisor yelled at me for no apparent reason this morning, leaving me nonplused. |
| nostalgia [nuh STAL juh] | n. A yearning for the past. I sometimes sigh with a deep sense of nostalgia, even when the memories that come to mind never actually happened to me. |
| noxious [KNOCK shus] | a. Unpleasant and harmful. Because it feeds on the noxious milkweed plant, the monarch butterfly has an unpleasant taste and is thus avoided by predators. |
| nuance [NEW aunce] | n. A subtle difference. A genuinely talented actor is able to portray the nuance of emotions without making them seem obvious and melodramatic. |
| nucleus [NEW klee us] | n. The core. (the central or essential part of). At work, the nucleus of activity seems to be the copy room. |
| obdurate [OB duh rate] | a. Emotionally hardened. (lacking compassion). Even when the witnesses came to the stand to testify about the horrible twist their lives had taken, the killer appeared obdurate and emotionless. |
| obsequious [ob SEE kwee us] | a. Excessively eager to please. Some people like cats, but I find them much too self-involved—to me, there’s nothing better than an obsequious dog to welcome you home. |
| obstinate [OB stuh nit] | a. Stubborn. The obstinate cow simply stared at the cars honking at it and stood firmly in the middle of the road. |
| obviate [OB vee ate] | v. To anticipate and prevent (ex: an accident). v. To make unnecessary. Computers and automated machines have obviated much of the need for a human workforce. |
| occlude [uh CLUED] | v. To close or obstruct (esp. a passageway). v. To bring opposite surfaces together. The cave-in occluded the entrance to the mine, making it difficult for the rescue workers to get to the men trapped inside. |
| odium [OH de urn] | n. Blame. n. Hatred. His dishonest business practices and blatant disregard for the customers’ needs was met with odium by his co-workers. |
| officious [uh FISH us] | a. Aggressively offering advice that is unwanted. The taxi driver shook his head as his officious passenger told him yet again where to turn. |
| ominous [OM i nus] | a. Menacing; threatening. a. An ominous sign of things to come. The ball game was cancelled because of th ominous dark clouds on the horizon. |
| opaque [OWE pake] | a. Not allowing light to pass through. a. Difficult to understand. I have seen tinted windows that are so close to being opaque that it’s a wonder the driver can see the road at all. |
| opportune [op er TUNE] | a. Occurring under advantageous circumstances. The party had lulled when Alex showed up at an opportune moment to liven things up. |
| oration [owe RAY shun] | n. A formal speech. (esp. on a special occasion). Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech are among some of the most often quoted orations. |
| organic [or GAN ik] | a. Pertaining to bodily organs. a. Pertaining to plants and animals. a. Organized as a system of related parts. Hopefully this series of seminars will teach everyone to work as an organic whole rather than as isolated individuals. |
| organism [or guh NIZ urn] | n. Any life form. n. An organized group that is analogous to a living body (ex: a government). Coral is made up of millions of tiny organisms massed into a huge colony. |
| ornate [or NATE] | a. Elaborately decorated. Hazel’s living room was filled with baroque sculptures and ornate curtains and rugs. |
| orthodox [OR thuh docks] | a. Generally accepted (esp. religious views), a. Following established ways. Pedro was brought up strictly, and his behavior always adhered to orthodox principles. |
| oscillate [OSS i late] | v. To move back and forth. v. To vary between opposites. Public support of either candidate seems to oscillate with every paid political advertisement that comes out. |
| ostentatious [oss ten TAY shus] | a. Showy (attempting to attract notice), a. Pretentious. (exhibiting exaggerated self-importance). The hills around the city are studded with ostentatious mansions designed to display their owners wealth. |
| outlandish [out LAN dish] | a. Strange or foreign. Halloween is the best time of year to see extravagant and outlandish costumes. |
| overture [OWE vur chur] | n. An introduction (esp. in music). n. An action made to gain a favorable response. After a week-long strike, the company’s executives have made an overture to the workers by agreeing to consider their grievances. |
| overwrought [oh vur RAWT] | a. Excessively excited or nervous. Kristen was completely overwrought, so the doctor ordered a sedative to calm her. |
| oxide [OCK side] | n. A combination of oxygen and another element. A combination of two parts nitrogen to three parts oxygen produces nitrous oxide — also called laughing gas. |
| ozone [OWE zone] | n. A type of oxygen. It is ironic that the same ozone, which protects the planet in the upper atmosphere, is a pollutant when it occurs closer to earth. |
| pacific [puh SIF ik] | a. Peaceful; tranquil. a. Tending to put an end to conflicts. The story, which the teacher read during naptime, had a pacific effect on all the children in the room. |
| palatable [PAL i tub bul] | a. Agreeable to one’s sense of taste. a. Acceptable to the mind or sensibilities. (ex: a palatable solution to a problem). After four months of marriage, James found his wife’s cooking much more palatable. |
| palette [PAL it] | n. A board used by painters to mix colors. n. The colors on the board. The painter used a very limited palette, only four colors, but achieved impressive results. |
| pan [PAN] | v. To criticize or review harshly. v. To move slowly from one side to another. Although every major movie critic has panned the film, its publicists have managed to find one positive review from a small-town T.V. station. |
| paradigm [PAIR i dime] | n. A good example of something. n. A pattern or a model. The conference ran so smoothly that its planners use it as a paradigm for future events. |
| paradox [PAIR i dox] | n. Anything exhibiting a contradictory nature. The paradox of getting your first credit card is that you need to have a credit history in order to start establishing a credit history. |
| parallelism [PAIR i lel iz urn] | n. A likeness or similarity in tendency. Investigators were struck by the parallelism between the recent string of murders and a series of killings that had occurred forty years ago. |
| paramount [PAIR i mount] | a. Above all others in importance. St. Paul wrote that among faith, hope and love, the paramount virtue is love. |
| parasite [PAIR i site] | n. Something that lives on another’s body. n. A freeloader. (who abuses the hospitality of others). Word around the family is that if you let Uncle Morton stay one night, the parasite will end up living with you for a month. |
| parch [PARCH] | v. To dry out. v. To make thirsty. The summer sun has parched the flowers we planted in the front, leaving them limp and withered. |
| parody [PAIR i de] | v. To imitate something in order to ridicule it. n. The imitation. Comedians often parody politicians, celebrities, and historical figures in their routines. |
| parsamomous [par suh MOW nee us] | a. Stingy. Aileens older sister was always so parsimonious when it came to her toys and clothing - she had never learned to share. |
| pathology [pah THOL i gee] | n. The study of diseases. LeeAnn chose to study virus pathology because she had heard that’s where the future of medicine lay. |
| paucity [PAW suh tee] | n. A small quantity. The paucity of food left many in that famine-stricken country weak and diseased. |
| pedant [PED unt] | n. Someone who parades his learning. n. Someone who meticulously abides by rules. The question-and-answer session was dominated by a pedant who seemed more eager to display her knowledge than to find out what the speaker thought. |
| pedestal [PED I stul] | n. The base or foundation of something. n. A position of high regard. (ex: to place on a pedestal). The curator intended the unadorned pedestal to act as a contrast to the ornate antique vase that rested upon it. |
| penchant [PEN chunt] | n. A strong inclination or liking. Louis had a penchant for fixing small things, so he opened a dollhouse shop and repaired the little furniture. |
| penury [PEN yuh re] | n. Extreme poverty. Driving past huddled groups of shacks, the tour group was struck by the penury in which so many of the people lived. |
| perennial [puh REN ee ul] | a. Everlasting, a. Constantly reoccurring. (ex: the blossoming of plants). Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, Cats, has been a perennial favorite of audiences ever since it opened in 1981. |
| perfidy [PER fi de] | n. Treachery. (breech of trust). Those of us who are more trusting find it especially hard to accept the perfidy of loved ones. |
| perfunctory [per FUNK tuh re] | a. Done as a routine task, without much care. Licking stamps was just one of the perfunctory duties of Carl’s job as an office assistant. |
| periodic [peer ee OD ik] | a. Occurring at intervals. The headmistress made periodic appearances in the courtyard and the classrooms to make sure that everyone was present. |
| peripheral [pub RIP er ul] | a. On the edge of something. a. Supplementary. Some motorcyclists claim that full helmets impair their peripheral vision and present a serious travel hazard. |
| pernicious [per NISH us] | a. Extremely destructive or harmful. (esp. of an evil nature). Viruses can become pernicious threats to populations that are very crowded or self- contained. |
| perspicacity [per spi KAS i tee] | n. A keen perception and understanding. Dr. Ross was famous for his perspicacity and award-winning research. |
| perturb [per TIJRB] | v. To disturb or agitate. Nothing we said or did perturbed the even-tempered playground monitor. |
| pervade [per VADE] | v. To be present or spread throughout. A sense of discontent pervaded the village, and no one was immune from its effects. |
| phenomenon [fi NOM i non] | n. Something observable by one’s senses. n. An unusual or unaccountable fact. (plural form is ‘phenomena’). The appearance of mysterious lights in the night sky is sometimes categorized as an unidentified phenomenon. |
| philanthropy [fi LAN thruh pee] | n. Concern for human welfare. (esp. through charitable donations). Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller donated their fortunes to worthy causes in generous acts of philanthropy. |
| photosynthesis [foe toe SIN thi sis] | n. The process by which plants containing chlorophyll transform sunlight and carbon dioxide into energy and release oxygen as a by- product. Mushrooms do not make use of photosynthesis and thus do not require light. |
| pivotal [PIV ut ul] | a. Very important. The pivotal moment of his career came when he made his presentation to the CEO, and it was accepted. |
| placate [PLAY kate] | v. To appease. (to ease the anger of). Nicole tried to placate the injured parties, but they were angry and could not be consoled. |
| placid [PLASS id] | a. Having a calm or undisturbed appearance. The bay may look placid now, said the old man, grinning a toothless grin, “but come nightfall, it’ll be jumping with squid!”. |
| plankton [PLANGK tun] | n. Microscopic organisms. (found in seawater). The blue whale, the largest creature in the world, subsists solely on a diet of plankton. |
| platitude [PLAT i tewd] | n. A common remark. (esp. when said as if it were new). My father sent me off to college only after telling me a host of platitudes advising moderation in all things. |
| plausible [PLAW zuh bul] | a. Appearing reasonable, but unproven, a. Persuasive, but deceptive. (ex: a plausible liar). Leila hoped that her absence from work would seem plausible in light of the sickness that had been circulating around the office. |
| plethora [PLETH er uh] | n. An overabundance. Thanksgiving is the one time of year when there is a plethora of sweets in our home. |
| pliant [PLY unt] | a. Easily bent or modified, a. Compliant (yielding easily). The clay was soft and pliant, allowing the sculptor to make anything he desired. |
| pluck [PLUCK] | V. To pull the strings of a musical instrument. n. Courage and determination. (in the face of difficulties). Rosie the Riveter inspired working women during World War II with her pluck and enthusiasm. |
| poignant [POIN yunt] | a. So deeply felt as to be physically painful, a. Relevant and to the point. The reunion of mother and son was especially poignant because neither had known it was going to happen. |
| polar [POE lur] | a. Pertaining to opposite extremes. (ex: opinions). They say that opposites attract, but Ron and Glenda’s views on some topics are polar opposites. |
| polemic [puh LEM ik] | n. An attack on a belief or opinion, a. Controversial and argumentative. In order to have a nice quiet dinner where everyone got along, the host requested we avoid polemic conversations. |
| pollen [POL un] | n. The fertilizing agent of flowering plants. (fine, powdery, yellowish spores). Every April, my car gets coated with the thick, yellow pollen that has blown over from the garden next door. |
| ponderous [PON dur us] | a. Unwieldy, due to weight. a. Laborious. With each pull of the rope the ponderous piano rose closer to the apartment window. |
| portend [pore TEND] | v. To indicate the future. (noun form is ‘portent). The four-leaf clover traditionally portends good luck to its finder. |
| posit [POZ it] | v. To put something forward as a fact. (without proof). What if,” Dora posited, “I am, in fact, the only real person on the planet, and you are all just robots that have been programmed to convince me otherwise? |
| postulate [POS chub late] | v. To assume something to be true. (esp. as the basis of an argument). Before the debate commences, the moderator would like to postulate a few things in order to assure continuity. |
| pragmatic [prag MAT ik] | n. A realist, a. Practical. (concerned with workable solutions). Although Leslie always has a bright outlook on the future, she is pragmatic when it comes to finances. |
| precipitate [pri sip i tate] | v. To cause something to happen suddenly. Friends of the widow say the death of her beloved cat most certainly precipitated her depression and subsequent demise. |
| precursor [PRE kur sur] | n. A predecessor (something that came first). n. An event signaling something to come. a. A chemical that is transformed into a compound during a chemical reaction. Ernest Hemingway’s writings are considered to be the precursor to the genre now known as m |
| predilection [pred i LECK shun] | n. A preference. Warren has a predilection for early blues records. |
| prelude [PRAY lewd] | n. An introductory performance. v, To introduce. Many Bach’s fugues are introduced by a prelude in the same key. |
| premise [PREM iss] | n. A statement assumed to be true. (used to support a conclusion), Modern biology operates according to the premise that creatures evolve over time through a process of natural selection. |
| preside [pn ZIDE] | v. To be in charge. The Vice President presides over the Senate and may cast a vote in the case of a tie. |
| pretension [pri TEN shun] | n. Showy or pompous behavior. n. A pretext. n. A claim to something. The city has outlawed outdoor camping with the pretension of getting homeless people off the streets. |
| prevaricate [pri VAIR i kate] | v. To lie or be evasive. When challenged, the suspect prevaricated by answering the question with a question. |
| pristine [PRIS teen] | a. Uncorrupted; unspoiled, a. Primitive. (similar to conditions at earliest times). If this stretch of prairie remains ungrazed, it should return to its pristine condition. |
| probity [PRO bi tee] | n. Integrity. Each young man elected to an office in his scouting troop was hailed for his probity and valor and given a medal. |
| problematic [prob luh MAT ik] | a. Difficult to understand or cope with. a. Questionable. The text is considered problematic because the innocent wife is forever enslaved in the attic by her husband, the “hero.” |
| proclivity [pro KLIV i tee] | n. An inclination (to do something). We don’t like taking Roger to the movies because of his proclivity for talking loudly throughout the film. |
| prodigal [PROD i gui] | a. Exceedingly abundant. a. Recklessly wasteful. n. A spendthrift (one who squanders money). Simrns was a prodigal man, throwing his money into all sorts of risky ventures and writing large checks to people chosen at random. |
| prodigious [pruh DIDGE us] | a. Of extraordinary power and scope. a. Marvelous (hard to believe). The Crazy Horse Monument is a prodigious undertaking that is taking thousands of people many years to complete. |
| profligate [PROF li git] | a. Lacking moral restraint, a. Wildly extravagant. Because of her limited financial resources, Kathleen could not afford to be a profligate spender. |
| profundity [pmh FUN di tee] | n. Wisdom (deep or mature understanding). n. Something profound or difficult to understand. n. A very deep place. Vanessa as intimidated by the profundities she heard coming from the board room. |
| profuse [pruh FEWCE] | a. Plentiful. a. Giving or spending freely. Jules was a profuse liar; you couldn’t believe a word he said unless he said you couldn’t believe him. |
| prognostic [prog NOS tick] | n. A prediction. a. Indicative of the future. Every New Year’s the magazine publishes a review of the past year and a prognostic of what the year ahead may bring. |
| proliferate [pruh LIF i rate] | v. To grow or spread rapidly. The bacteria on my Petri dish proliferated after I placed them in a warm, dark place with plenty of moisture. |
| prologue [PRO log] | a. An introduction. The author introduces his collection of short stories with a prologue that explains his philosophy of writing. |
| prone [PRONE] | a. Lying face downward. a. Having a natural tendency to do something. The victim was prone and motionless when the ambulance arrived. |
| propitiate [pro PISH ee ate] | v. To make favorably inclined. v. To ease the anger of (ex: by appeasement). Shelly tried to propitiate the angry man whose car she had bumped by pointing out that she had only cracked his license plate frame. |
| propitious [pruh PISH us] | a. Favorable. The fair weather seems especially propitious for canoeing today. |
| propound [pruh POUND] | v. To put forward for consideration. To illustrate the need for more police, the neighborhood organization propounded violent crime statistics from the past decade. |
| propriety [pruh PRY i tee] | n. Decency. (proper behavior or morals). Caroline always conducted herself with the grace and propriety of a true Southern belle. |
| prosaic [pro ZAY ik] | a. Appearing ordinary or dull. The academic’s prosaic translation of Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” did little to inspire readers to the study of medieval literature. |
| provincial [pruh VIN shul] | a. Pertaining to the countryside. a. Not fashionable or sophisticated. a. Possessing narrow views and limited interests. The Secretary General asked those who opposed the relief effort to drop their provincial views and consider the greater good. |
| prudent [PRUE dunt] | a. Sensible or cautious. Do you think it very prudent to light your matches this close to the propane tanks?. |
| pugnacious [pug NAY shus] | a. Eager to fight. When asked politely to step aside, the pugnacious young man shoved back. |
| pundit [PUN dit] | n. An authority on a subject. The panel on the talk show consisted of four pundits whose views ranged across the political spectrum. |
| qualify [KWOL i fy] | v. To become capable or legally entitled. v. To make more specific. v. To attribute qualities to. The market analyst qualified her projections by admitting that unforeseen economic developments were bound to affect commerce. |
| quandary [KWON duh re] | n. A dilemma. Paula decided to see a career counselor because she was in a quandary over which graduate schools she should apply to. |
| quantum [KWON tum] | n. The smallest, indivisible unit of energy. n. A measurable amount of something. (plural form is ‘quanta’). Albert Einstein proposed that light is made up of discrete particles, and called one quantum of light a “photon.”. |
| quash [KWOSH] | v. To annul (esp. by judicial action). v. To suppress forcibly. (ex: to quash a rebellion). (do not confuse with ‘squash’). After new evidence was discovered that proved the condemned man was innocent, the appeals court quashed his earlier conviction and |
| quibble [KWIB ul] | v. To avoid the truth by raising trivial objections. n. A petty objection or distinction. Janie won’t go to garage sales anymore, because she doesn’t like to quibble over prices in the driveways of strangers. |
| quiescent [kwee ESS unt] | a. Inactive; dormant. Under the influence of sleep-inducing drugs, the lab rat lay quiescent for 36 hours. |
| rancor [RANG kur] | n. Extreme emotional bitterness. The apology he offered was sincere and heartfelt, given without a trace of rancor whatsoever. |
| reagent [re AY junt] | n. A chemical used in the analysis and synthesis of other chemicals. (due to the chemical reactions it causes). Many laboratory tests for viruses and bacteria involve the use of reagents to reveal the exact nature of the infection. |
| recalcitrant [ri CAL si trunt] | a. Defiant; disobedient. Dirk tried his usual persuasive methods to convince his brother to give up his allowance money, but found him unusually recalcitrant. |
| recess [RE sess] | v. To pause from an activity. n. A temporary pause. n. An alcove, (a place set back from the main area). During open season, the deer can find a recess from being pursued by hunters only in protected wildlife conservation areas. |
| recluse [RECK loose] | n. One who withdraws from society. Uncle Nick is the family recluse; we see him only once every few years. |
| redoubtable [ri DOW tuh bul] | a. Formidable (to be feared or awed). a. Eminent (widely-known and respected). The triathlon is a redoubtable feat, but years of training allowed her to conquer it in record time. |
| redundant [ri DONE duntj | a. Needlessly repetitive, a. Exceeding the requirements. Since perfection is an absolute state, saying that something is more perfect’ is redundant. |
| refractory [ri FRACK tuh re] | a. Difficult to manage. The threat of incarceration is offered only to the most refractory students in the military school. |
| refrain [ri FRANE] | n. A repeated theme or verse. At the end of every episode we waited for the familiar refrain, followed by the simple black words “The End.” |
| refute [re FEWT] | v. To disprove. v. To deny the accuracy of. Any good logcian knows that the most successful argument is one that cannot be refuted by any point. |
| regiment [REDGE i munt] | n. A military unit of troops. v. To impose uniformity and strict order upon. The new headmaster regimented the boys at the school by instituting regular dress code inspections. |
| remonstrate [ri MON strait] | v. To protest. Scott’s parents are determined to remonstrate against plans to build a highway through their backyard. |
| remunerate [H MEW nuh rate] | v. To compensate. (for trouble or work done). Melissa missed her lesson, but decided to remunerate her tutor for his wasted time. |
| render [REN der] | v. To exact, yield, or cause to become. v. To do a service for another. It is always amazing to me how he can render such great performances from such mediocre talents. |
| repose [ri POZE] | n. Peaceful tranquility. n. Poise; composure. v. To put (trust, etc.) in. Guilt is a state of constant sorrow for which there is no repose. |
| repudiate [ri PEW de ate] | v. To disown. v. To refuse to recognize or acknowledge. v. To deny or reject the validity of. Forty years after its discovery, the skull attributed to a pre-human ancestor known as Piltdown Man was repudiated as a hoax. |
| reticent [RET i sunt] | a. Reserved. (not inclined to speak out). Sally wanted to discipline Emily, but remained reticent because she felt it would affect their friendship outside the workplace. |
| retiring [ri TIE ring] | a. Shy and reserved. The janitor was so retiring that few people noticed his presence. |
| revere [ri VEER] | v. To respect deeply. Alan revered his grandfather and would have done anything to make him proud. |
| rhetoric [RET er ik] | n. The art of using language effectively. n. Pretentious or exaggerated language. The general population is often fooled by smooth rhetoric rather than concrete facts. |
| rhythm [RIH thum] | n. A regular repetition. (esp. of sounds). The steady rhythm of the rocking train lulled Lola to sleep. |
| rotate [ROW tate] | v. To spin, as if on an axis. (ex: a wheel). The moon rotates at the same rate that it circles around the earth, so we always see the same side. |
| sagacious [suh GAY shus] | a. Wise. a. Shrewd (keenly perceptive). The travel guide suggested that it might be sagacious of prospective campers to call ahead for weather conditions. |
| sage [SAGE] | a. Wise. n. A wise person. •n. A type of spice. He always gave me sage advice, which I did my best to follow. |
| salubrious [suh LUE bree us] | a. Beneficial to one’s health. When asked what her secret to long life was, the centenarian credited the salubrious effects of red wine. |
| salutary [sal yuh TARE ee] | a. Beneficial (producing an improvement), a.Promoting good health. Oscar’s new exercise routine has clearly produced salutary benefits. |
| sanction [SANGK shun] | n. A punishment. n. Permission for an action. v. To authorize an action. The department would not sanction any kind of extra spending for the fiscal year. |
| satiate [SAY she ate] | v. To satisfy fully (esp. with food). v. To weary with too much. (esp. from food or pleasure). It took three fruit bowls and half-a-dozen muffins to satiate the ravenous joggers. |
| satire [SAT ire] | v. To use caustic wit to ridicule human weaknesses (such as hypocrisy). n. A work that uses satire. With an outrageous portrayal of its characters’ desire to transform lead into gold, Ben Jonson’s “The Alchemist” is a biting satire of the greed of 17th-ce |
| saunter [SAWN ter] | v. To walk in a leisurely manner. n. A leisurely walk. The second the villain sauntered into the saloon, the piano player stopped and everybody held their breath. |
| scholarship [SKOL er ship] | n. The collective work of scholars. n. Great knowledge about something. Barlow’s dissertation on the mating patterns of tree frogs was a work of great scholarship. |
| score [SCORE] | n. A notch or incision. n. A musical composition in printed form. n. Music played in the background. (esp. of a movie or play). Skilled conductors rely more on their memory than the score on the podium in front of them when leading an orchestra. |
| scruple [SKREW pul] | v. To hesitate due to a moral conflict. n. A concern about the morality of an action. (this form usually spelled ‘scruples). Donna’s rigid scruples kept her from ever being seen alone with a man in public. |
| sedentary [SED in tare ee] | a. Remaining stationary for a long time. a. Not migratory (staying in one area). Because a receptionist must stay at the front desk. much of his or her duties involve sedentary tasks. |
| sediment [SED i munt] | n. Material deposited by wind or water. n. The solid particles that settle to the bottom of a fluid. Tom knew that the local water quality was poor when he saw the sediment that had accumulated at the bottom of his glass. |
| segregate [SEG ri gate] | v. To separate from others. Responding to public protests, the school officials overturned a policy that segregated students on the basis of gender. |
| semantic [si MAN tick] | a. Pertaining to meaning. (esp. in language). An ardent student of semantics, Sandra was fascinated by the way that words are able convey distinct meanings. |
| serene [suh REEN] | a. Calm; not agitated. Somehow the old priest remained serene even after the military threw him out of the country with only a few dollars and the shirt on his back. |
| serrate [SARE ate] | a. Toothed. (synonymous with ‘serrated’). The serrate edge of the knife sliced through wood and plastic as if those materials were made of btter. |
| sever [SEV er] | v. To cut off. Thesurgeon’s wife knew he was trying to be romantic when he said he missed her like a severed tendon. |
| singular [SING gew lur] | a. Extraordinary or remarkable, a. Odd or peculiar, a. Separate (pertaining to a single entity). Uncle Bait’s eccentric peculiarities made him a very singular person, the last of a dying bread of true “characters.”. |
| sinuous [SIN you us] | a. Winding. a. Devious (not straight-forward). The path through the woods was sinuous and crowded by brambles, but somehow we managed to find our way out safely. |
| solicitude [suh LIS i tude] | n. Concern for another’s well being. The hostess was a master of grace and solicitude, and our drinks were never empty. |
| solidarity [sol i DARE i tee] | n. A feeling of unity. (esp. due to shared experiences). University faculty expressed their solidarity with the underpaid stuff by donating part of their salaries to a fund for staff raises. |
| soliloquy [suh LIL i kwee] | n. Speaking to oneself. (esp. by an actor to reveal his inner thoughts). Shakespeare’s Henry V is punctuatØ”by several moving soliloquies in which the young king reflects on the responsibilities of leadership. |
| soluble [SOL yuh bul] | a. Dissolvable in a liquid, a. Solvable. Some vitamins are soluble in water, while others dissolve in fat. |
| solvent [SOL vunt] | a. Capable of paying all debts. a. Capable of dissolving another substance. n. The substance capable of doing this. In the face of student loans and credit card bills, many people find it necessary to take a second job in order to remain solvent. |
| somber [SOM bur] | a. Dark and gloomy, a. Grave or solemn. The “happy hour” crowd at the bar became somber when they heard of the owner’s death. |
| soporific [sop i RIF ik] | a. Inducing sleep. n. A substance that induces sleep. Keiko stopped taking the allergy medication because its soporific side-effects made it difficult for her to stay awake during class. |
| sordid [SORE did] | a. Dirty. a. Pertaining to low moral standards, a. Greedy or grasping. The problem with tabloids is that they exploit the sordid details of people’s private lives. |
| sovereign [SOV rin] | a. Supreme (above all others). a. Independent; self-governing, The ambassador claimed that the sanctions against his country were a violation of its rights as a sovereign nation. |
| spatial [SPAY shul] | a. Pertaining to space. (ex: occupying space). Clark’s visual problems meant that his spatial perception would always be impaired. |
| specious [SPEE shus] | a. Sounding plausible, but actually false. a. Deceptively attractive. When the public discovered that the newscaster’s story about a UFO landing was specious, he was forced go on the air and admit that he had lied. |
| spectrum [SPECK trum] | n. The entire range of something. n. Colored bands of light (ex: a rainbow). The actress was capable of expressing a spectrum of emotions, from a satisfied calmness to a raging anger. |
| sporadic [spuh RAD ik] | a. Infrequent, a. Scattered (occurring in various places). Child Protective Services said that parental interest in the children’s welfare was sporadic and therefore put them at risk. |
| spurious [SPURE ee us] | a. False or counterfeit, a. Appearing similar, but functioning differently. Insurance adjusters are trained to weed out spurious claims of loss from actual ones. |
| squalor [SKWOL er] | n. A state of filth and misery. Most homeless people live in squalor; it is very hard to stay clean and neat without easy access to bathrooms or clean clothes. |
| stanza [STAN zuh] | n. A subdivision of a poem or song. The stanzas of Dante’s Divine Comedy are linked together by a complicated rhyme scheme. |
| stark [STARK] | a. Prominent; sharply evident, a. Complete; extreme (ex: stark poverty), a. Bare; desolate; bleak. The operating room was a stark, white room full of stainless steel instruments. |
| sterile [STER ul] | a. Free of germs. a. Unproductive; infertile, a. Lacking imagination or vitality. For every well written story the editor chose, she had to read at least a dozen sterile reworkings of the same old characters and situations. |
| stilted [STILL tid] | a. Stiff; artificially formal. The defeated candidate had difficulty concealing his discomfort and he delivered a stilted concessionary speech. |
| stint [STINT] | v. To restrict to a small amount. n. A restriction. n. A period of time spent doing something. During her years of graduate study, Sheridan sang in clubs, waited tables, and had a brief stint as a model for an art class. |
| stoic [STOW ik] | a. Not outwardly affected by pleasure or pain. n. One who acts in this manner. To be stoic in bad times is considered to be a mark of good character. |
| stratagem [STRAT i jum] | n. A scheme to gain an advantage. (often involving trickery). After the prince escaped from prison, he put an end to the chancellor’s stratagems and assumed his rightful place on the throne. |
| stratum [STRAT um] | n. A homogernus layer of material (esp. rock). n. Several layers. n. A socioeconomic level in society. The sociologist decided that for best results, his research should concentrate only on people within a certain stratum of society. |
| stria [STRY uh] | n. A thin band or groove. (n. ‘striation’ - such a band or the state of having such bands). Looking at the embryo through a microscope we could see the faint stria that would become the animal’s spinal cord. |
| strident [STRIDE unt] | a. Loud and harsh., The drill instructor’s strident voice made all the new recruits pay attention at once. |
| stringent [STRINjunt] | a. Strictly controlled, a. Constricted or tight. a. Compelling or convincing. Rgulations against driving drunk are becoming increasingly stringent, and penalties are rising accordingly. |
| strut [STRUT] | v. To show off. n. A brace in a framework. Many struts in the bridge had to be replaced after the fierce storm weakened them. |
| stymie [STY me] | v. To block or impede. n. A situation that impedes someone. Spanky and Froggy tried very hard, but they were unable to stymie Butch’s aggressive plans for them. |
| subjective [sub JECK tiv] | a. Influenced by personal taste or viewpoint, a. Existing only in a persons mind. The second part of the test will include a short essay, and thus will be much more subjective than the multiple choice questions. |
| subordinate [sub BORE duh nit] | a. Inferior to. a. Under someone else’s control. v. To make someone subservient. Lisa is a leader and not a follower; she definitely does not like being subordinate to anyone. |
| subpoena [sub PEE nuh] | n. A legal order directing someone to testify in court. The district attorney was constantly issuing orders for subpoenas to be drawn up and delivered. |
| subtle [SUT ul] | a. Crafty; sly. a. Difficult to notice. a. Capable of discerning fine distinctions. Louise’s perfume was a subtle floral scent that you barely got a hint of when she walked past. |
| succinct [suck SINGKT] | a. Clear and brief. Each person speaking at the hearing was asked to observe the time limit by keeping his or her statements succinct. |
| suffrage [SUF rige] | n. The right to vote. Early advocates for women’s suffrage argued that giving women the vote would substantially promote the temperance movement. |
| sullen [SUL un] | a. Dark and gloomy (ex: a sullen sky). a. Silent and angry (due to resentment). When corrected the sullen child stared down at his desk and pouted. |
| superficial [sue per FISH ul] | a. Shallow (not deep or profound). Victor attended a college with a Great Books program but was simply too superficial to appreciate any of them. |
| superfluous [suh PER flu us] | a. Excessive. (more than what is needed). The engaged couple wanted a simple wedding cake, and had to talk the baker out of covering it with bows, bells, and a hundred other superfluous decorations. |
| supersede [sue per SEED] | v. To take the place of. All Mike’s good deeds are superseded by his negative attitude and resentful demeanor. |
| supplant [suh PLANT] | v. To replace. (esp. through force or scheming). The school board is trying to supplant “dangerous” books such as Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn with “safer” ones. |
| supplicate [SUP li kate] | v. To request humbly. (ex: through prayer). The toWn church is full of the faithful supplicating God for an end to the drought. |
| surmount [ser MOUNT] | v. To overcome an obstacle. v. To be above. Lisa surmounted all obstacles in front of her with ease. |
| surreptitious [sir up TISH us] | a. Done in a secret manner. Although they were not supposed to talk to each other, the young couple exchanged surreptitious notes through a sympathetic friend. |
| symbiotic [sim be OT ik] | a. Pertaining to a relationship that is beneficial to all participants. This type of bird enjoys a symbiotic relationship with the alligator, because it simultaneously cleans the reptile’s teeth and receives a meal. |
| synapse [SIN aps] | n. The tiny gap between two nerve cells. (through which a nerve impulse passes). Much of the pain Steven has experienced is due to shortened synapses in several of his nerve paths. |
| synchronous [SING kruh nus] | a. Occurring at the same time or rate. Communications satellitesare placed to orbit at a rate synchronous with that of the earth, allowing them to stay fixed over the same spot on the ground. |
| synthesis [SIN thi sis] | n. The combining of parts to form a whole. n. The combination formed. “Frankenstein” is a novel about the synthesis of life gone horribly awry. |
| tacit [TASS it] | a. Implicit. (understood, but not stated). There was a tacit understanding between the owner and the janitor that payment would be made in cash, so that no records were kept. |
| taciturn [TASS i turn] | a. Typically silent. It should quickly become apparent which man is the extroverted director and which is the taciturn assistant director. |
| tactile [TAC ml] | a. Pertaining to the sense of touch. The artist prefers sculpting to painting because it is a much more tactile medium. |
| tan [TAN] | v. To whip. v. To turn hide into leather. If leather is not tanned properly, it will smell bad. |
| tangent [TAN junt] | n. A sudden digression from a line of thought. The disoriented speaker ignored the cue cards intended to prevent his going off on a tangent. |
| tassel [TASS ul] | n. A group of threads, tied at one end. Upon graduation, the students were asked to move their tassels from one side of their caps to the other. |
| technocracy [teck KNOCK rub see] | n. Governmental rule by scientists. The Internet is controlled by scattered groups of programmers and systems managers, and thus would appear to be a technocracy. |
| tedium [TEE de urn] | n. Boredom. n. Something that is tiresome or tedious. Jane prefers the excitement and freedom of being a travel writer to the tedium of her old job on a factory assembly line. |
| tenacious [tub NAY shus] | a. Sticking firmly to (ex: a firm grasp). a. Highly retentive (ex: a retentive memory). a. Persistent. In spite of the rain the tenacicus rugby players continued their game. |
| tepid [TEP Id] | a. Slightly warm. When the customer complained that her coffee had become tepid, the waiter said he would make a hot, fresh pot right away. |
| terrestrial [tub RES tree ul] | a. Pertaining to the Earth. Roswell, New Mexico, site of a purported UFO crash in the late 1940s, is famous for its celebration of all things not terrestrial. |
| timorous [TIM er us] | a. Easily frightened. He is so timorous he is afraid of his own shadow. |
| tirade [TIE raid] | n. A diatribe. (a long, angry, denunciatory speech). One caller touched on the radio host’s pet topic, causing him to launch a tirade against “big government.” tone [TONE] |
| tone [TONE] | n. A manner of expression. n. A musical sound. The widow’s voice took on a softer tone whenever she mentioned her husband. |
| torpid [TORE pid] | a. Inactive or sluggish. In November, the Kodiak bears of Alaska and Canada are torpid and slow, until agitated. |
| torpor [TORE per] | n. An inactive or sluggish condition. The rescuers were concerned that the stranded climber’s torpor was a result of hypothermia. |
| torrid [TORE id] | a. Very hot. a. Intense or passionate. The deserts of the Sahara are much too torrid to enjoy oneself for an extended period. |
| totalitarianism [toe tall TARE ee un ix urn] | n. Governmental rule by one party. (that suppresses all opposition). Some countries claim to be democracies, but are ruled by parties that have been in power for so long that they smack of totalitarianism. |
| tractable [TRACK tuh bul] | a. Docile (easily managed or controlled), a. Malleable (easily handled or worked). At first the horse raged in its stall, but after a few months of training it became tractable enough to ride. |
| tranquil [TRANG kwul] | a. Calm; peaceful. (free from disturbances). What could be more tranquil than this mountain lake, far from the noise and bustle of the city? |
| transient [TRAN shunt] | a. Temporary. a. Not staying in one place for long. n. One who does this. His feelings for her were transient, and he was soon embarked on another affair. |
| trepidation [trep i DAY shun] | n. Apprehension. (a state of fear and dread). Martha climbed the steps to the principals office with fear and trepidation of the punishment that awaited her. |
| turbid [TUR bid] | a. Confused or disoriented, a. Clouded; opaque. (due to suspended sediments). The natural hot spring was clear at first, but it became turbid as the bathers kicked up silt from the bottom. |
| ubiquitous [you BICK wi tus] | a. Omnipresent. (present everywhere simultaneously). The current mania for cappuccino and espresso beverages has made coffee houses nearly ubiquitous. |
| undermine [UN dur mine] | v. To weaken the foundation of. When one authority figure contradicts another, the security of the entire group is undermined. |
| unfeigned [un FANED] | a. Genuine. At first we thought that Clara was being overly sentimental, but her sorrow at losing her parakeet was unfeigned. |
| unimpeachable [un im PEE chuh bul] | a. Completely trustworthy. Travis’ service to the bureau on several risky and sensitive assignments has proven him to be unimpeachable. |
| untenable [un TEN i bul] | a. Undefendable. Clyde is so stubborn that he will uphold the most untenable arguments. |
| usurp [you SURP] | v. To seize and hold. (without the authority to do so). In spite of all of his efforts to usurp the throne, the queen’s illegitimate son falled. |
| utilitarian [you til i TARE ee un] | a. Practical, rather than decorative. Kyle was extremely practical and thrifty—probably the most utilitarian person I have ever known. |
| utility [you TILL i tee] | n. Usefulness. n. Something useful. n. A public service (ex: transportation). The secretary was retained because of her adaptability and utility, vacillate [VAS i late] |
| vacillate [VAS i late] | v. To waver. (esp. in opinion). Stop vacillating and make a decision! |
| vacuous [yAK you us] | a. Empty. a. Lacking intelligence, a. Lacking direction or purpose. The vacuous nurse responded to the patient’s complaints by once again rattling off the doctor’s instructions. |
| vapid [VAP id] | a. Uninterested. The vapid waitress didn’t notice Mary’s subtle attempts to get her attention. |
| vapor [VAY per] | n. A cloudy substance suspended in the alr. (ex: mist, smoke). The vampire fell to the ground, clutching the stake protruding from its heart, and then dissolved into a vapor. |
| variegated [VAIR i gate id] | a. Marked with different colors, a. Diversified (characterized by variety). The peacocks fanned out their variegated tails and strutted about for the zoo visitors. |
| venerate [VEN i rate] | v. To revere. (to regard with great esteem and love). The football players venerate their coach and work hard to make him proud of them. |
| veracity [vur RASS i tee] | n. Truthfulness. The editorial board will establish the veracity of all statements before publication. |
| verbiage [VUR be idge] | n. Wordiness (excessive use of words). n. Diction (the manner in which one speaks). Verbiage does not lend authority to ones writings; rather, it buries meaning in a heap of useless words. |
| verbose [vur BOCE] | a. Wordy. Carlton was too verbose for small talk; all his conversations were lengthy affairs. |
| vernacular [vur NACK yuh lur] | a. Spoken in the style of everyday speech. The host of the folk music festival spoke his introductions with a vernacular ease that made the audience feel that he knew the performers personally. |
| vertebrate [VUR tuh brate] | a. Having a backbone. Despite its name and appearance, the worm snake is a vertebrate animal. |
| vestige [VES tidge] | n. A very slight trace of something. The human appendix is a vestige of a digestive organ that we no longer use. |
| vex [VEX] | v. To annoy or cause concern. v. To baffle. v. To talk about at length. The baby-sitter had made up her mind that the children would not vex her, no matter how much they misbehaved. |
| vigilant [VIDGE i lunt] | a. Watchful. Most people have watchdogs, but our farm is protected by Gerta, a vigilant goose. |
| vigor [VIG er] | n. Strength; energy. n. Forcefulness. The elderly man spoke with a vigor that made his employees forget his age. |
| virtuoso [vur chew OWE so] | n. Someone highly skilled in an art. (esp. in music). Many of Claudio Monteverdi’s madrigals are written for the virtuoso and so require much training and practice to perform well. |
| viscous [VIS kus] | a. Thick and not easily poured. (ex: syrup). The doctor performing the sonogram explalned to the expectant mother that he would first apply a cold, viscous solution to help the instruments glide easier. |
| vituperate [vie TO puh rate] | v. To scold with abusive language. Seeing trespassers in his swimming hole, the old man vituperated them and threatened to fetch his shotgun if they didn’t leave. |
| vivacious [vi VAY sbus] | a. Lively; high-spirited. Although well into her eighties, Ms. Bell remains vivacious as she attends numerous functions and volunteer projects. |
| vocation [voe KAY shun] | n. Ones occupation. n. An inner calling. (as if being summoned by God to do a task). MinI has chosen public relations as her vocation, but continues to pursue music as a hobby. |
| vociferous [voe SIF er us] | a. Characterized by loud and persistent shouting. We were forced to complain about the vociferous argument emanating from the upstairs apartment. |
| vogue [VOGE] | n. The current fashion. n. Acceptance; popularity. In the eighties, parachute pants and zippered shirts were in vogue. |
| volatile [VOL i tul] | a. Evaporating quickly. a. Threatening to erupt in violence, a. Fickle (changing moods quickly). Mt. St. Helens had been volatile for months before its major 1980 eruption. |
| voluminous [vuh LUE muh nus] | a. Lengthy (ex: a voluminous manuscript), a. Bulky. a. Numerous. By dedicating all her spare time to reading, Moira was able to finish the voluminous book in a week. |
| wanderlust [WAWN der lust] | n. A strong desire to travel, Seeing the travel documentary awoke old feelings of wanderlust in me. |
| wheedle [WEED ul] | v. To persuade by using flattery. The children in the village stood outside the candy shop trying to wheedle free samples from Mr. Pickens. |
| whimsical [WIM zi kul] | a. Playful or imaginative, a. Erratic and unpredictable. The colonel’s servants had grown used to his whimsical demands, such as being greeted in the morning with a chorus of “Lady of Spain.”. |
| whimsy [WIM zee] | n. A whim; a sudden change. n. Something odd or fanciful. (esp. an idea or humor). All decisions are subject to change at the whimsy of the proprietor. |
| zeal [ZEEL] | n. Enthusiasm. Susanna did her job with zeal, and she was given a raise accordingly. |
| zenith [ZEE nith] | n. The point directly overhead. n. The apex (the highest point). The summer solstice occurs when the sun reaches its zenith over the Tropic of Cancer. |
| zoology [zoe OL i gee] | n. The biological study of animals. Some microscopic organisms combine features of plants and animals, making it difficult to determine whether they should be classified under zoology or botany. |
| belabor [bi LAY bur] | To beat vigorously. v. To talk too much about something. Roger belabored the point even though he had explained it perfectly well the first time. |
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