Advance I

Question 1

concillate

Answer 1

conciliate
verb: to make peace with

His opponents believed his gesture to be conciliatory, yet as soon as they put down their weapons, he unsheathed a hidden sword.

Question 2

indigent

Answer 2

indigent
adjective: poor; having very little

In the so-called Third World, many are indigent and only a privileged few have the resources to enjoy material luxuries.

noun: a poor or needy person

The indigents, huddled under the overpass, tried to start a small bonfire in the hope of staying warm.

Question 3

insufferable

Answer 3

insufferable
adjective: intolerable, difficult to endure

Chester always tried to find some area in which he excelled above others; unsurprisingly, his co-workers found him insufferable and chose to exclude him from daily luncheons out.

Question 4

base

Answer 4

base
adjective: the lowest, without any moral principles

She was not so base as to begrudge the beggar the unwanted crumbs from her dinner plate.

Question 5

hector

Answer 5

hector
verb: to bully or intimidate

The boss’s hectoring manner put off many employees, some of whom quit as soon as they found new jobs.

Question 6

overweening

Answer 6

overweening
adjective: arrogant; presumptuous

Mark was so convinced of his basketball skills that in his overweening pride he could not fathom that his name was not on the varsity list; he walked up to the basketball coach and told her she had forgotten to add his name.

Question 7

imbibe

Answer 7

imbibe
verb: to drink or absorb as if drinking

Plato imbibed Socrates’ teachings to such an extent that he was able to write volumes of work that he directly attributed, sometimes word for word, to Socrates.

Question 8

expunge

Answer 8

expunge
verb: to eliminate completely

When I turned 18, all of the shoplifting and jaywalking charges were expunged from my criminal record.

Question 9

catholic

Answer 9

catholic
adjective: of broad scope; universal

Jonah’s friends said that Jonah’s taste in music was eclectic; Jonah was quick to point out that not only was his taste eclectic but it was also catholic: he enjoyed music from countries as far-flung as Mali and Mongolia.

Question 10

zeitgeist

Answer 10

zeitgeist
noun: spirit of the times

Each decade has its own zeitgeist—the 1990’s was a prosperous time in which the promise of the American Dream never seemed more palpable.

Question 11

byzantine

Answer 11

byzantine
adjective: intricate and complex

Getting a driver’s license is not simply a matter of taking a test; the regulations and procedures are so byzantine that many have found themselves at the mercy of the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Question 12

attenuate

Answer 12

attenuate
verb: to weaken (in terms of intensity); to taper off/become thinner.

Her animosity towards Bob attenuated over the years, and she even went so far as to invite him to her party.

Question 13

factious

Answer 13

factious
adjective: produced by, or characterized by internal dissension

The controversial bill proved factious, as dissension even within parties resulted

Question 14

kowtow

Answer 14

kowtow
verb: to bow or act in a subservient manner

Paul kowtowed to his boss so often the boss herself became nauseated by his sycophancy.

Question 15

expansive

Answer 15

expansive
adjective: communicative, and prone to talking in a sociable manner

After a few sips of cognac, the octogenarian shed his irascible demeanor and became expansive, speaking fondly of the “good old days”.

This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

Question 16

supercilious

Answer 16

supercilious
adjective: haughty and disdainful; looking down on others

Nelly felt the Quiz Bowl director acted superciliously towards the underclassmen; really, she fumed, must he act so preternaturally omniscient each time he intones some obscure fact—as though everybody knows that Mt. Aconcagua is the highest peak in South America.

Question 17

alacrity

Answer 17

alacrity
noun: an eager willingness to do something

The first three weeks at his new job, Mark worked with such alacrity that upper management knew it would be giving him a promotion.

Question 18

saturnine

Answer 18

saturnine
adjective: morose or gloomy

Deprived of sunlight, humans become saturnine; that’s why in very northerly territories people are encouraged to sit under an extremely powerful lamp, lest they become morose.

Question 19

jingoist

Answer 19

jingoist
noun: a person who thinks their country is always right and who is in favor of aggressive acts against other countries

In the days leading up to war, a nation typically breaks up into the two opposing camps: doves, who do their best to avoid war, and jingoists, who are only too eager to wave national flags from their vehicles and vehemently denounce those who do not do the same.

Question 20

nadir

Answer 20

nadir
noun: the lowest point

For many pop music fans, the rap– and alternative-rock–dominated 90s were the nadir of musical expression.

Question 21

pariah

Answer 21

pariah
noun: an outcast

The once eminent scientist, upon being found guilty of faking his data, has become a pariah in the research community.

Question 22

apostate

Answer 22

apostate
noun: a person who has abandoned a religious faith or cause

An apostate of the Republican Party, Sheldon has yet to become affiliated with any party and dubs himself an independent.

Question 23

sedulous

Answer 23

sedulous
adjective: done diligently and carefully

An avid numismatist, Harold sedulously amassed a collection of coins from over 100 countries—an endeavor that took over fifteen years across five continents.

Question 24

prosaic

Answer 24

prosaic
adjective: dull and lacking imagination

Unlike the talented artists in his workshop, Paul had no such bent for the visual medium, so when it was time for him to make a stained glass painting, he ended up with a prosaic mosaic.

Question 25

artless

Answer 25

artless
adjective: without cunning or deceit

Despite the president’s seemingly artless speeches, he was a skilled and ruthless negotiator.

Question 26

anathema

Answer 26

anathema
noun: a detested person; the source of somebody’s hate

Hundreds of years ago, Galileo was anathema to the church; today the church is anathema to some on the left side of the political spectrum.

Question 27

contentious

Answer 27

contentious
adjective: likely to argue

Since old grandpa Harry became very contentious during the summer when only reruns were on T.V., the grandkids learned to hide from him at every opportunity.

Question 28

arrant

Answer 28

arrant
adjective: complete and wholly (usually modifying a noun with negative connotation)

An arrant fool, Lawrence surprised nobody when he lost all his money in a pyramid scheme that was every bit as transparent as it was corrupt.

Question 29

perfunctory

Answer 29

perfunctory
adjective: done routinely and with little interest or care

The short film examines modern perfunctory cleaning rituals such as washing dishes, doing laundry and tooth-brushing.

Question 30

apogee

Answer 30

apogee
noun: the highest point

The apogee of the Viennese style of music, Mozart’s music continues to mesmerize audiences well into the 21st century.

Question 31

precipitate

Answer 31

precipitate
adjective: hasty or rash

Instead of conducting a thorough investigation after the city hall break-in, the governor acted precipitately, accusing his staff of aiding and abetting the criminals.

verb: to cause to happen

The government’s mishandling of the hurricane’s aftermath precipitated a widespread outbreak of looting and other criminal activity.

This word has other definitions, but these are the most important ones to study

Question 32

fractious

Answer 32

fractious
adjective: irritable and is likely to cause disruption

We rarely invite my fractious Uncle over for dinner; he always complains about the food, and usually launches into a tirade on some touchy subject.

Question 33

equivocate

Answer 33

equivocate
verb: to speak vaguely, usually with the intention to mislead or deceive

After Sharon brought the car home an hour after her curfew, she equivocated when her parents pointedly asked her where she had been.

Question 34

exegesis

Answer 34

exegesis
noun: critical explanation or analysis, especially of a text

The Bible is fertile ground for exegesis—over the past five centuries there have been as many interpretations as there are pages in the Old Testament.

Question 35

diatribe

Answer 35

diatribe
noun: a strong verbal attack against a person or institution

Steve’s mom launched into a diatribe during the PTA meeting, contending that the school was little more than a daycare in which students stare at the wall and teachers stare at the chalkboard.

Question 36

malfeasance

Answer 36

malfeasance
noun: misconduct or wrongdoing (especially by a public official)

Not even the mayor’s trademark pearly-toothed grin could save him from charges of malfeasance: while in power, he’d been running an illegal gambling rink in the room behind his office.

Question 37

chary

Answer 37

chary
adjective: cautious, suspiciously reluctant to do something

Having received three speeding tickets in the last two months, Jack was chary of driving at all above the speed limit, even on a straight stretch of highway that looked empty for miles ahead.

Question 38

ponderous

Answer 38

ponderous
adjective: weighed-down; moving slowly

Laden with 20 kilograms of college text books, the freshman moved ponderously across the campus.

Question 39

choleric

Answer 39

choleric
adjective: prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered

While a brilliant lecturer, Mr. Dawson came across as choleric and unapproachable—very rarely did students come to his office hours.

Question 40

vicissitude

Answer 40

vicissitude
noun: change in one’s circumstances, usually for the worse

Even great rulers have their vicissitudes—massive kingdoms have diminished overnight, and once beloved kings have faced the scorn of angry masses.

Question 41

beg

Answer 41

beg
verb: assume something is true (usu. followed by “the question”, meaning that you ask a question in which you assume something that hasn’t been proven true)

By assuming that Charlie was headed to college—which he was not—Maggie begged the question when she asked him to which school he was headed in the Fall.

Question 42

cow

Answer 42

cow
verb: to intimidate

Do not be cowed by a 3,000-word vocabulary list: turn that list into a deck of flashcards!

Question 43

turpitude

Answer 43

turpitude
noun: depravity; a depraved act

During his reign, Caligula indulged in unspeakable sexual practices, so it is not surprising that he will forever be remembered for his turpitude.

Question 44

churlish

Answer 44

churlish
adjective: lacking manners or refinement

The manager was unnecessarily churlish to his subordinates, rarely deigning to say hello, but always quick with a sartorial jab if someone happened to be wearing anything even slightly mismatching.

Question 45

penurious

Answer 45

penurious
adjective: lacking money; poor

Truly penurious, Mary had nothing more than a jar full of pennies.

adjective: miserly

Warren Buffett, famous multi-billionaire, still drives a cheap sedan, not because he is penurious, but because luxury cars are gaudy and impractical.

Question 46

defray

Answer 46

defray
verb: to help pay the cost of, either in part or full

In order for Sean to attend the prestigious college, his generous uncle helped defray the excessive tuition with a monthly donation.

Question 47

untoward

Answer 47

untoward
adjective: unfavorable; inconvenient

Some professors find teaching untoward as having to prepare for lectures and conduct office hours prevents them from focusing on their research.

Question 48

truculent

Answer 48

truculent
adjective: having a fierce, savage nature

Standing in line for six hours, she became progressively truculent, yelling at DMV employees and elbowing other people waiting in line.

Question 49

lascivious

Answer 49

lascivious
adjective: lecherous; sexually perverted

Lolita is a challenging novel for many, not necessarily because of the elevated prose style but because of the depravity of the main character, Humbert Humbert, who, as an old, lascivious man, lusts after a girl.

Question 50

feckless

Answer 50

feckless
adjective: lazy and irresponsible

Two years after graduation, Charlie still lived with his parents and had no job, becoming more feckless with each passing day.