7 Blight - Canard

Question 1

blight

Answer 1

any factor that causes decay or deterioration

The blight that killed Blake’s corn was responsible for the destruction of crops throughout the county.

Question 2

blithe

Answer 2

cheerful

Blythe was know for her blithe spirit; she was always happy and cheerful.

Question 3

bombast

Answer 3

pompous or pretentious talk or writing

Be sure that your speech isn’t pretentious or inflated, as the audience has no time to listen to bombast.

Question 4

bonhomie

Answer 4

friendliness

Bonnie had many friends who admired her kind nature and bonhomie.

Question 5

boor

Answer 5

a person who is rude, clumsy, and lacking social manners
Boris was a boor at the dinner party; after telling the host that her house was cheaply decorated, he ate his steak
with his fingers and burped during the meal.

Question 6

bromide

Answer 6

a common saying
As true as the old bromides are, such as “It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all,” none of them are much comfort to a newly-broken heart.

Question 7

bucolic

Answer 7

relating to country life; rural

The farmer lived a bucolic lifestyle, rising with the sun to tend the farm and retiring at sundown.

Question 8

burgeon

Answer 8

to flourish

Under the mayor’s direction, the quiet town burgeoned into an active city.

Question 9

burnish

Answer 9

to polish

In preparation for his dinner party, Bernie burnished the silverware and serving platters.

Question 10

byzantine

Answer 10

highly complex or intricate

In a home loan, the byzantine language and unfamiliar terminology can be intimidating to a first-time home buyer.

Question 11

cabal

Answer 11

secret group of plotters or schemers

The cabal met in a church basement to plan the overthrow of the government.

Question 12

cacophony

Answer 12

harsh, jarring sound
On the first day of school, the band’s output was a cacophony of trumpets and horns; however, by the end of the year, the horn section blended well with the rest of the ensemble.

Question 13

cajole

Answer 13

to influence by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

Caleb cajoled his mother into letting him borrow the car by telling her how young and pretty she looked today.

Question 14

callous

Answer 14

insensitive; emotionally hardened

The senator’s callous indifference to the suffering of the people in the war-torn country cost him reelection.

Question 15

calumny

Answer 15

a false statement intended to harm someone’s reputation
Callie delivered the calumny about Brittany to an audience in the cafeteria; she hoped the lie would keep the other girl from becoming Prom queen.

Question 16

canard

Answer 16

false story or rumor
The belief that Napoleon was short is a canard; he was actually 5’7”, an above average height for a Frenchman in
1800.