Abate - Cogent

Question 1

Abate

Answer 1

To reduce or lessen

ex) After blowing fiercely for hours, the hurricane winds at last began to __________.

Question 2

Aberration

Answer 2

A deviation or departure from the norm

ex) Harry’s low grades in chemistry are an __________; he is typically an A student.

Question 3

Abeyance

Answer 3

Temporary inactivity or suspension

ex) For some time now, the dissenters have been held in __________; they have suspended all protests.

Question 4

Abjure

Answer 4

To forswear or abstain from; to give up

ex) Once King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry a commoner, he __________ all of his former titles.

Question 5

Abrade

Answer 5

To wear down or run away the surface of something ex) Years of exposure to the sea spray had __________ed the face of the cliffs.

Question 6

Abridge

Answer 6

To reduce the length of or diminish in scope ex) The author recently published an __________ed version of his original 600-page novel.

Question 7

Abrogate

Answer 7

To end or do away with something ex) It is unlikely that the senator’s push to __________ any rights regarding free speech will be supported.

Question 8

Abscond

Answer 8

To withdraw and hide, typically to avoid arrest ex) The fugitive __________ed to Canada in an attempt to avoid arrest in the United States.

Question 9

Absurd

Answer 9

Extremely ridiculous or completely lacking reason ex) The idea that Samantha would fail her test was completely __________; she had studied for hours and was completely prepared.

Question 10

Abysmal

Answer 10

Very profound or deep; very bad ex) Despite all of the advertisements promoting the new product, its firstquarter sales were __________.

Question 11

Accretion

Answer 11

A gradual increase in the amount or size of something ex) Increased organic matter accumulation has led to an increase in the __________ rate in the Mississippi Delta.

Question 12

Acquisitive

Answer 12

Characterized by strong desire to gain or retain information or objects ex) The __________ nature of the chimpanzee makes it appear almost human.

Question 13

Acrid

Answer 13

Harsh or bitter taste or smell ex) Sean immediately turned the engine off when he smelled __________ smoke billowing from beneath the hood of his car.

Question 14

Acute

Answer 14

Quick and precise; intense; sharp, keen ex) The __________ pain in Sarah’s wrist kept her from performing even the simplest activity.Henry was an acute observer; he quickly learned the rules of the game.

Question 15

Adhere

Answer 15

To stick fast; to remain in support of ex) In order to maintain order in his classroom, Mr. Blume required strict __________nce to the code of conduct.

Question 16

Adjacent

Answer 16

In the nearest position; next to ex) Chase took a new job in downtown Chicago, but purchased a house in an __________ suburb.

Question 17

Adroit

Answer 17

Showing skill and experience ex) Steve was considered an __________ negotiator; he was often able to settle disputes when others had failed.

Question 18

Aesthetic

Answer 18

Appealing to the senses because it is beautiful ex) The __________ quality of the painting was more appealing than its historical significance.

Question 19

Affinity

Answer 19

Natural attraction; inherent similarity ex) Michelle’s __________ for getting straight to the point made her a popular editor at the publishing house.

Question 20

Alienate

Answer 20

To isolate oneself from others or another person from oneself ex) Gregg often felt __________ed from his classmates because of his illness.

Question 21

Ambiguous

Answer 21

Unclear or capable of having more than one meaning ex) The student’s __________ answer left the professor wondering whether the student had studied the assigned material.

Question 22

Ambivalent

Answer 22

Characterized by uncertainty; unable to decide between opposites ex) unable to decide between opposites; His inability to show emotion left her feeling __________ about their relationship.

Question 23

Amenable

Answer 23

Responsive to suggestion; willing ex) Josh was __________ to eating dinner early; he was ravenous.

Question 24

Amiable

Answer 24

Friendly and pleasant ex) Joe was very __________; as a result, he made friends easily at his new school.

Question 25

Anachronism

Answer 25

Something existing or happening out of it’s time in historical order ex) Her yearning to be nothing more than a housewife seemed an __________ in today’s society.

Question 26

Annotate

Answer 26

To provide with extra notes or comments ex) In order to ensure the credibility of his students’ sources, the professor asked the students to __________ their bibliographies.

Question 27

Anomaly

Answer 27

Something that is different from the norm ex) The botanists were excited when they discovered the unique flower; it was a complete __________.

Question 28

Apathy

Answer 28

A lack of any emotion or concern ex) Mary appeared quite __________ at her trial; she seemed unconcerned by the jury’s guilty verdict.

Question 29

Ardor

Answer 29

Intense feelings; passion ex) Scott’s __________ for Julianne increased as he spent more and more time with her.

Question 30

Articulate

Answer 30

V. To clearly explain Adj. The quality of being able to speak clearly ex) Young children often find it difficult to __________ exactly what they are thinking.

Question 31

Ascribe

Answer 31

To attribute to a specific source; to assign a characteristic ex) It is not unusual to __________ jealousy and pettiness to one’s critics.

Question 32

Asperity

Answer 32

Roughness or severity ex) The __________ of the desert climate in Death Valley prevents many people from visiting for extended periods of time.

Question 33

Assay

Answer 33

N. An analysis or examination V. To subject to analysis; to examine ex) The diplomat carefully __________ed the situation prior to making a decision.

Question 34

Assert

Answer 34

To demonstrate power; to defend a statement as true ex) It is often necessary for a parent to __________ his or her authority over an unruly child.

Question 35

Assiduous

Answer 35

Characteristic of careful and persistent effort ex) The journey to earning good grades is an _________ one; consistent effort must be put forth.

Question 36

Assimilate

Answer 36

To incorporate into; to make similar ex) Many immigrants desire to _________ quickly into their new community.

Question 37

Assuage

Answer 37

To lessen or ease ex) Mandy often used food to _________ her loneliness, a habit that led to her problem with obesity.

Question 38

Aver

Answer 38

To declare as true; to maintain ex) The politician continued to __________ that he was more experienced than his opponent, despite evidence to the contrary.

Question 39

Aversion

Answer 39

Strong dislike ex) Kelly has such an __________ to strenuous exercise that she never goes to the gym.

Question 40

Banish

Answer 40

To force to leave ex) The deposed dictator was __________ed from his native country.

Question 41

Benevolence

Answer 41

An inclination to be kind or charitable ex) Mr. Horn’s __________ made him a beloved school principal; his generosity and understanding far exceeded that of his predecessor.

Question 42

Benign

Answer 42

Kind, mild, harmless ex) Katherine was relieved to discover that her tumor was __________; she would not require surgery after all.

Question 43

Bequest

Answer 43

The act of passing on; something that is passed on ex) This collection of rare manuscripts was donated to the library as a __________ from Professor Austin.

Question 44

Bereft

Answer 44

Deprived or despondent ex) Jill was __________ when she discovered that the coveted role had been offered to another actress.

Question 45

Blithe

Answer 45

Carefree or joyous ex) casual Ellen’s __________ and outgoing attitude made her one of the most popular students on campus.

Question 46

Bolster

Answer 46

N. a narrow cushion V. To support or strengthen ex) The small business owner secured a low-interest loan to __________ his financial situation during a period of expansion.

Question 47

Brazen

Answer 47

Bold or shameless; insolent ex) His often __________ behavior at work led to his being reprimanded on a regular basis.

Question 48

Burgeoning

Answer 48

Thriving or growing rapidly ex) Although it was completely undeveloped a year ago, the vacant land is now home to a __________ commercial area, complete with a new shopping mall.

Question 49

Cadge

Answer 49

To beg ex) The destitute man was relegated to __________ing meals from local restaurants.

Question 50

Capricious

Answer 50

Impulsive, prone to sudden change ex) Jill’s sudden move to Hollywood was considered __________ by the rest of her family.

Question 51

Castigate

Answer 51

To punish or criticize severely ex) Jason was __________ed by his teacher for turning in his assignment late.

Question 52

Catalyst

Answer 52

Something that causes something else to happen, usually without being directly involved in or changed by the process; a trigger for an event ex) Our classmate’s recent job offer served as a __________ for the rest of us to update and submit our resumes.

Question 53

Censure

Answer 53

N. A formal criticism or intense disapproval V. To express a formal criticism ex) The prosecuting attorney was __________ed for a conflict of interest arising from his personal relationship with the plaintiff.

Question 54

Chronicle

Answer 54

N. a detailed narrative V. To document or record ex) Several biographers have __________ed the life of Albert Einstein, one of the world’s greatest physicists.

Question 55

Circumspect

Answer 55

Mindful if potential consequences; prudent ex) A wise investor is __________ about fluctuations in the market.

Question 56

Cite

Answer 56

To quote as an example or proof ex) The company __________ed a 10 percent increase in sales as evidence that their new advertising campaign was achieving the predicted results.

Question 57

Coerce

Answer 57

To force or threaten someone into acting a certain way; to compel ex) The jury did not hear the man’s taped confession during the trial because police had __________ed him into admitting that he had committed the crime.

Question 58

Cogent

Answer 58

Convincing and reasonable ex) The teenager’s __________ argument for a later curfew persuaded his parents to push it back to midnight.