A [Quick Quiz 1-13]

Question 1

Abashed

Answer 1

adjective[not before noun] written

embarrassed or ashamed because you have done something wrong or stupid
SYN shamefaced

She looked rather abashed.

Question 2

Abate

Answer 2

formal to become less strong or decrease
SYN subside

We waited for the storm to abate.

Question 3

Abdicate

Answer 3

1to give up the position of being king or queen

2abdicate (your) responsibility formal
to refuse to be responsible for something, when you should be or were before:
The government has largely abdicated its responsibility in dealing with housing needs.

Question 4

Abberation

Answer 4

an action or event that is very different from what usually happens or what someone usually does:
a temporary aberration in US foreign policy
a mental aberration

Question 5

Abhor

Answer 5

to hate a kind of behaviour or way of thinking, especially because you think it is morally wrong:

I abhor discrimination of any kind.

Question 6

Abject

Answer 6

1abject poverty/ misery/ failure etc
the state of being extremely poor, unhappy, unsuccessful etc

2an abject action or expression shows that you feel very ashamed:
an abject apology

Question 7

Abnegation

Answer 7

when you do not allow yourself to have or do something that you want➔ self-denial

Question 8

Abortive

Answer 8

an abortive action is not successful:

an abortive military coup

Question 9

Abridged

Answer 9

an abridged book, play etc has been made shorter but keeps its basic structure and meaning:

The abridged edition was published in 1988.

Question 10

Absolute

Answer 10

1complete or total:
I have absolute confidence in her.
We don’t know with absolute certainty that the project will succeed.

2[only before noun]especially BrE informalused to emphasize your opinion about something or someone:
Some of the stuff on TV is absolute rubbish.
How did you do that? You’re an absolute genius.
That meal last night cost an absolute fortune.

3definite and not likely to change:
We need absolute proof that he took the money.

4not restricted or limited:
an absolute monarch
Parents used to have absolute power over their children.

5true, correct, and not changing in any situation:
You have an absolute right to refuse medical treatment.

6in absolute terms
measured by itself, not in comparison with other things:
In absolute terms wages have risen, but not in comparison with the cost of living.

Question 11

Absolve

Answer 11

1to say publicly that someone is not guilty or responsible for something:
absolve somebody from/of something
He cannot be absolved of all responsibility for the accident.

2[often passive] if someone is absolved by the Christian Church or a priest for something they have done wrong, they are formally forgiven➔ absolution

Question 11

Abstinence

Answer 11

the practice of not having something you enjoy, especially alcohol or sex, usually for reasons of religion or health

—abstinent adjective

Question 12

Abstract

Answer 12

1based on general ideas or principles rather than specific examples or real events
SYN theoretical:

2existing only as an idea or quality rather than as something real that you can see or touch
OPP concrete
the abstract nature of beauty

Question 13

Abstruse

Answer 13

unnecessarily complicated and difficult to understand:

Maths is a mix of abstruse theory and detailed calculations.

Question 14

Abysmal

Answer 14

very bad or of bad quality
SYN terrible
The reunion was an abysmal failure.

Question 15

Accolade

Answer 15

praise for someone who is greatly admired, or a prize given to them for their work:

ultimate/ highest/ supreme etc accolade
She received a Grammy Award, the highest accolade in the music business.

Question 16

Accost

Answer 16

to go towards someone you do not know and speak to them in an unpleasant or threatening way:

He was accosted by four youths and forced to give them all his money.

Question 17

Acerbic

Answer 17

criticizing someone or something in a clever but cruel way
SYN biting
acerbic wit

Question 18

Acquiesce

Answer 18

to do what someone else wants, or allow something to happen, even though you do not really agree with it:
acquiesce in/ to

Oil companies have been accused of acquiescing in the pollution of the ocean.

Question 19

Acrid

Answer 19

1 COLORS & SOUNDS
an acrid smell or taste is strong and unpleasant and stings your nose or throat:
a cloud of acrid smoke

2formal an acrid remark expresses anger and criticizes someone strongly

Question 20

Acrimonious

Answer 20

an acrimonious meeting or discussion is one in which people argue a lot and get very angry
SYN bitter

The meeting ended in an acrimonious dispute.

Question 21

Acumen

Answer 21

the ability to think quickly and make good judgments:
business/ political/ financial etc acumen

The firm’s success is largely due to Brannon’s commercial acumen.

Question 22

Acute

Answer 22

1problem an acute problem is very serious:
The housing shortage is more acute than first thought.

2feeling an acute feeling is very strong:
acute pain
acute embarrassment
acute anxiety

3illness technicalan acute illness or disease quickly becomes very serious
OPP chronic
acute arthritis

4senses
HUMANANIMALS
acute senses such as hearing, taste, touch etc are very good and sensitive:
Young children have a particularly acute sense of smell.

5intelligent quick to notice and understand things
SYN sharp
Simon’s vague manner concealed an acute mind.
an acute analysis of Middle Eastern politics

6mathematics technicalan acute angle is less than 90°➔ obtuse

7punctuation an acute accent (=a mark used to show pronunciation) is a small mark written above a vowel. In ‘café’, the letter ‘e’ has an acute accent➔ grave, circumflex

—acuteness noun[uncountable]

Question 23

Adulation

Answer 23

praise and admiration for someone that is more than they really deserve

Question 24

Adamant

Answer 24

determined not to change your opinion or a decision that you have made:

She begged me to change my mind, but I remained adamant.
adamant that
Madonna is adamant that she will not tour this year.

Question 25

Address (v)

Answer 25

1MAIL
if you address an envelope, package etc, you write on it the name and address of the person you are sending it to:
address something to somebody
That letter was addressed to me.
Send a stamped, self-addressed envelope (=with your address on it so it can be sent back to you).

2formalif you address a problem, you start trying to solve it:
address a problem/ question/ issue etc
Our products address the needs of real users.
address yourself to something
Marlowe now addressed himself to the task of searching the room.

3formalto speak to someone directly:
She turned to address the man on her left.

4formalif you address remarks, complaints etc to someone, you say or write them directly to that person:
You will have to address your comments to our Head Office.

5to make a formal speech to a large group of people:
address a meeting/ conference etc
He addressed an audience of 10,000 supporters.

6to use a particular title or name when speaking or writing to someone:
address somebody as something
The president should be addressed as ‘Mr. President’.

Question 26

Adherent

Answer 26

someone who supports a particular belief, plan, political party etc:

adherent of
adherents of the Greek Orthodox Church

adherent to
The anti-globalization movement is attracting new adherents to its principles.

Question 27

Admonish

Answer 27

formal to tell someone severely that they have done something wrong:

admonish somebody for (doing) something
The witness was admonished for failing to answer the question.

Question 28

Adroit

Answer 28

clever and skilful, especially in the way you use words and arguments
SYN skilled

an adroit negotiator

Question 29

Dexterous

Answer 29

1skilful and quick when using your hands:
dextrous use of the needle

2skilful in using words or your mind:
his dexterous accounting abilities

Question 30

Gauche

Answer 30

doing or saying wrong or impolite things, especially because you do not know the right way to behave:

It would be gauche to mention the price.

Question 31

Adulterate

Answer 31

to make food or drink less pure by adding another substance of lower quality to it➔ unadulterated

Question 32

Adverse

Answer 32

1not good or favourable:
They fear it could have an adverse effect on global financial markets.
Miller’s campaign has received a good deal of adverse publicity.

2adverse conditions
conditions that make it difficult for something to happen or exist:
The expedition was abandoned because of adverse weather conditions.

Question 33

Averse

Answer 33

1not be averse to something
to quite enjoy something, especially something that is slightly wrong or bad for you:
I was not averse to fighting with any boy who challenged me.

2formal unwilling to do something or not liking something:
be averse to (doing) something
Jim is averse to using chemicals in the garden.
Some banks are risk averse (=do not like taking a risk).

Question 34

Aesthetic

Answer 34

connected with beauty and the study of beauty:
From an esthetic point of view, it’s a nice design.
a work of great aesthetic appeal

Question 35

Affable

Answer 35

friendly and easy to talk to
SYN pleasant

an affable guy

Question 36

Affectation

Answer 36

a way of behaving, speaking etc that is not sincere or natural:
Calling everyone ‘darling’ is just an affectation.

Question 37

Affinity

Answer 37

1[singular] a strong feeling that you like and understand someone or something:
affinity with/ for/ between
his remarkable affinity with animals

2[uncountable and countable]a close relationship between two things because of qualities or features that they share:
affinity with/ between
the affinity between Christian and Chinese concepts of the spirit

Question 38

Affluent

Answer 38

having plenty of money, nice houses, expensive things etc
SYN wealthy
affluent families

Question 39

Agenda

Answer 39

1a list of problems or subjects that a government, organization etc is planning to deal with:
be high on the agenda/ be top of the agenda (=be one of the most important problems to deal with)
Measures to combat terrorism will be high on the agenda.
The government set an agenda for constitutional reform.
political/ economic/ legislative/ domestic etc agenda
Our Centre has limited its research agenda to four areas.

2the ideas that a political party thinks are important and the things that party aims to achieve:
The Republicans have stuck to their conservative agenda.

3a list of the subjects to be discussed at a meeting:
the next item (=subject) on the agenda

Question 40

Aggregate

Answer 40

N
1[countable]the total after a lot of different figures or points have been added together:
aggregate of
The smaller minorities got an aggregate of 1,327 votes.
In the aggregate (=as a group or in total), women outlive men by 7 or more years.
on aggregateBrE (=when the points from two football games are added together)
Manchester United won 2–1 on aggregate.
2[singular, uncountable]technical
INDUSTRY
sand or small stones that are used in making concrete

Adj.
being the total amount of something after all the figures or points have been added together:
an increase in the aggregate production

V
1[linking verb] to be a particular amount when added together:
Sheila’s earnings from all sources aggregated £100,000.
2[intransitive, transitive usually passive] to put different amounts, pieces of information etc together to form a group or a total:
aggregate with
A wife’s income is no longer aggregated with that of her husband.

Question 41

Congregate

Answer 41

to come together in a group
OPP disperse
Crowds began to congregate to hear the President’s speech.

Question 42

Segregate

Answer 42

1to separate one group of people from others, especially because they are of a different race, sex, or religion
OPP integrate
segregate somebody from somebody
Blacks were segregated from whites in schools.

2to separate one part of a place or thing from another:
segregate something from/into something
The coffee room had been segregated into smoking and non-smoking areas.

Question 43

Integrate

Answer 43

1if two or more things integrate, or if you integrate them, they combine or work together in a way that makes something more effective:
integrate (something) into/with something
Colourful illustrations are integrated into the text.
Transport planning should be integrated with energy policy.
computers of different makes that integrate with each other

2SOCIOLOGY
to become part of a group or society and be accepted by them, or to help someone do this:
integrate (somebody) into/with something
We’re looking for people who can integrate with a team.
Many children with learning difficulties are integrated into ordinary schools.

3especially AmE
LAW
to end the practice of separating people of different races in schools, colleges etc

Question 44

Agnostic

Answer 44

RELIGION

someone who believes that people cannot know whether God exists or not➔ atheist