2-3 Vocab

Question 1

maelstrom

Answer 1

whirlpool; turbulence; agitated state of mind

Question 2

emendation

Answer 2

n. a correction

syn: improvement, amendment

Question 3

effete

Answer 3

adj. worn out, barren
syn: exhausted, spent and sterile
ant: vital, vigorous

Question 4

shard

Answer 4

n. a fragment

Question 5

bland

Answer 5

adj. mild, tasteless, dull
syn: smooth, agreealbe
ant: exciting, thrilling

Question 6

nihilism

Answer 6

n. a total rejection of established law

Question 7

pedestrian

Answer 7

adj. ordinary or dull
syn: commonplace, mediocre
ant: imaginative, compelling

Question 8

bona fide

Answer 8

adj. in good faith
syn: legitimate, genuine
ant: fraudulent, phony

Question 9

adventitious

Answer 9

adj. accidental, nonessential

syn: incidental

Question 10

fecund

Answer 10

adj. fertile, productive
syn: prolific
ant: sterile

Question 11

deviate

Answer 11

v. to turn aside from a course, to stray

syn: digress

Question 12

impotent

Answer 12

adj. powerless; lacking strength
syn: ineffective, helpless
ant: potent, powerful

Question 13

antithesis

Answer 13

n. an exact opposite; an opposite extreme
syn: converse
ant: same

Question 14

chagrin

Answer 14

n. embarrassment, a complete loss of courage

Question 15

bauble

Answer 15

n. a showy but useless thing

syn: trinket

Question 16

diaphanous

Answer 16

adj. very sheer and light
syn: transparent, gossamer
ant: opaque

Question 17

labyrinth

Answer 17

a complicated network of winding passages, a maze

Question 18

gloat

Answer 18

v. to look at or think about with great satisfaction

Question 19

impediment

Answer 19

n. a barrier, obstruction
syn: obstacle, hindrance
ant: aid

Question 20

bestial

Answer 20

adj. savage, brutal
syn: brutish, vile, cruel
ant: humane, kind

Question 21

obfuscate

Answer 21

v. to confuse, to bewilder

Question 22

impale

Answer 22

v. to pierce with a sharp stake through the body

Question 23

extenuate

Answer 23

v. to lessen seriousness by providing partial excuses

Question 24

parochial

Answer 24

adj. local, narrow, limited
syn: provincial, narrow-minded
ant: universal, catholic

Question 25

glower

Answer 25

v. to stare angrily
syn: frown, scowl
ant: grin

Question 26

edify

Answer 26

v. improve someone morally

Question 27

ambiguous

Answer 27

adj. open to more than one interpretation
syn: unclear, uncertain, vague
ant: explicit, definite

Question 28

cataclysm

Answer 28

n. a violent change
syn: disaster, catastrophe
ant: triumph, boon

Question 29

optimum

Answer 29

adj. best, most favorable, ideal

Question 30

importune

Answer 30

v. to ask persistently, to beg

syn: appeal, badger