Advanced III

Question 1

maunder

Answer 1

maunder
verb: wander aimlessly

Max liked to maunder down by the seaside and pick up whatever sea shells he would stumble upon.

verb: speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly

After drinking two espressos each, the animated couple would maunder loudly, annoying the other patrons in the coffee shop.

Question 2

temerity

Answer 2

temerity
noun: fearless daring

No child has the temerity to go in the rundown house at the end of the street and see if it is haunted.

Question 3

prolixity

Answer 3

prolixity
noun: boring verbosity (using more words then needed)

I loved my grandfather dearly, but his prolixity would put me to sleep, regardless of the topic.

Question 4

charlatan

Answer 4

charlatan
noun: a flamboyant deceiver; one who attracts customers with tricks or jokes

You may call him a “motivational speaker,” but I call him a charlatan–he doesn’t have any idea what he’s really talking about.

Question 5

solecisum

Answer 5

solecism
noun: a socially awkward or tactless act

Mother Anna was always on guard against any solecism from her children and scolded them immediately if any of them talked out of place in public.

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

Question 6

sagacious

Answer 6

sagacious
adjective: having good judgement and acute insight

Steve Jobs is surely one of the most sagacious CEOs, making Apple one of the most recognizable and valuable companies in the world.

Question 7

moribund

Answer 7

moribund
adjective: being on the point of death; declining rapidly losing all momentum in progress (morbid-bound)

Whether you like it or not, jazz as a genre is moribund at best, possibly already dead.

Question 8

lugubrious

Answer 8

lugubrious
adjective: excessively mournful

At the funeral, lugubrious songs filled the small church.

Question 9

portentous

Answer 9

portentous
adjective: ominously prophetic.

When the captain and more than half the officers were sick on the very first night of the voyage, many of the passengers felt this was portentous, but the rest of the voyage continued without any problems.

Question 10

raconteur

Answer 10

raconteur
noun: a person skilled in telling anecdotes

Jude is entertaining, but he is no raconteur: beyond the handful of amusing stories he has memorized, he has absolutely no spontaneous story-telling ability.

Question 11

effrontery

Answer 11

effrontery
noun: audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to

The skateboarders acted with effrontery, skating through the church grounds and spray-painting signs warning trespassers.

Question 12

lampoon

Answer 12

lampoon
verb: ridicule with satire

Mark Twain understood that lampooning a bad idea with humor was the most effective criticism.

Question 13

gaffe

Answer 13

gaffe
noun: a socially awkward or tactless act

In a famous gaffe, Vice President Quayle attempted to correct the spelling of a grade school student, only to find that the child was correct.

Question 14

impute

Answer 14

impute
verb: attribute (responsibility or fault) to something

He imputed his subpar performance on the test to a combination of stress and poor sleep.

Question 15

illustrious

Answer 15

illustrious
adjective: widely known and esteemed; having or conferring glory

Einstein was possibly the most illustrious scientist in recent history.

Question 16

enjoin

Answer 16

enjoin
verb: give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority

The government agency enjoined the chemical company to clean up the hazardous dump it had created over the years.

Question 17

anodyne

Answer 17

anodyne
noun: something that soothes or relieves pain

Muzak, which is played in department stores, is intended to be an anodyne, but is often so cheesy and over-the-top that customers become irritated.

adjective: inoffensive

Wilbur enjoyed a spicy Mexican breakfast, but Jill preferred a far more anodyne meal in the mornings.

Question 18

sinecure

Answer 18

sinecure
noun: an office that involves minimal duties

The position of Research Director is a sinecure: the job entails almost no responsibilities, nor does the person in that position have to answer to anyone.

Question 19

approbatory

Answer 19

approbatory
adjective: expressing praise or approval

Although it might not be her best work, Hunter’s new novel has received generally approbatory reviews.

Question 20

hail

Answer 20

hail
verb: enthusiastically acclaim or celebrate something

Many college superstar athletes are hailed as the next big thing, but then flop at the professional level.

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

Question 21

duplicity

Answer 21

duplicity
noun: deceitfulness, pretending to want one thing but interested in something else

A life of espionage is one of duplicity: an agent must pretend to be a totally different person than who she or he actually is.

Question 22

provident

Answer 22

provident
adjective: careful in regard to your own interests; providing carefully for the future

In a move that hardly could be described as provident, Bert spent his entire savings on a luxurious cruise, knowing that other bills would come due a couple months later.

Question 23

plucky

Answer 23

plucky
adjective: marked by courage and determination

Some scouts initially doubted Pedroia because of his short stature, but he is a plucky player, surprising everyone with his boundless energy and fierce determination.

Question 24

enthral

Answer 24

enthrall
verb: hold spellbound

She was so enthralled by the movie that she never heard people screaming, “Fire! Fire!” in the neighboring theater.

Question 25

derelict

Answer 25

derelict
adjective: (of a person) not doing one’s duties

The teacher was derelict in her duties because she hadn’t graded a single student paper in three weeks.

noun: (of a building) abandoned

At one time the waterfront factories were busy and productive, but now that the economy has collapsed and the factories are all closed, these derelicts will be torn down.

Question 26

flummox

Answer 26

flummox
verb: be a mystery or bewildering to

Mary’s behavior completely flummoxes me: I never have any idea what her motivations might be.

Question 27

bowdlerize

Answer 27

bowdlerize
verb: edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate

To receive an R rating, the entire movie was bowdlerized because it contained so much violence and grotesque subject matter.

Question 28

hagiographic

Answer 28

hagiographic
adjective: excessively flattering toward someone’s life or work

Most accounts of Tiger Woods’s life were hagiographic, until, that is, his affairs made headlines.

Question 29

cede

Answer 29

cede
verb: relinquish possession or control over

Eventually, all parents must cede control of their growing childrens’ educations and allow their offspring some autonomy.

Question 30

recapitulation

Answer 30

recapitulation
noun: a summary (think of recap)

Every point of the professors lesson was so clear that the students felt his concluding recapitulation was not necessary.

Question 31

importune

Answer 31

importune
verb: beg persistently and urgently

After weeks of importuning the star to meet for a five-minute interview, the journalist finally got what she wanted.

Question 32

mordant

Answer 32

mordant
adjective: biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style

While Phil frequently made mordant remarks about company policy overall, he always was considerably gentler in discussing any person in particular.

Question 33

prognostication

Answer 33

prognostication
noun: a statement made about the future

When the Senator was asked about where the negotiations would lead, he said that any guess he could make would be an unreliable prognostication.

Question 34

insouciance

Answer 34

insouciance
noun: lack of concern

Surprisingly, Hank had become a high-powered CEO; his high school friends remembered him as “Hanky Panky”, who shrugged off each failed class with insouciance.

Question 35

primacy

Answer 35

primacy
noun: the state of being first in importance

The primacy of Apple Computers is not guaranteed, as seen in the recent lawsuits and weak growth.

Question 36

semblance

Answer 36

semblance
noun: an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading

While the banker maintained a semblance of respectability in public, those who knew him well were familiar with his many crimes.

Question 37

redoubtable

Answer 37

redoubtable
adjective: inspiring fear or awe

On television basketball players don’t look that tall, but when you stand in front of a seven-foot tall NBA player, he is truly redoubtable.

Question 38

umbrage

Answer 38

umbrage
noun: a feeling of anger caused by being offended

Since he was so in love with her, he took umbrage at her comments, even though she had only meant to gently tease him.

Question 39

anaemic

Answer 39

anemic
adjective: lacking energy and vigor

After three straight shows, the lead actress gave an anemic performance the fourth night, barely speaking loudly enough for those in the back rows to hear.

Question 40

punctilious

Answer 40

punctilious
adjective: marked by precise accordance with details

The colonel was so punctilious about enforcing regulations that men feel compelled to polish even the soles of their shoes.

Question 41

Grandiloquent

Answer 41

pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner, especially in a way that is intended to impress.

Question 42

Artless

Answer 42

without guile or deception

Question 43

Litany

Answer 43

a long and tedious account of something

Question 44

Probity

Answer 44

integrity, strong moral principles

Question 45

Pecuniary

Answer 45

relating to or involving money

Question 46

Perspicacious

Answer 46

acutely insightful and wise

Question 47

Quail

Answer 47

show fear or apprehension

Question 48

Vitriolic

Answer 48

filled with bitter and malice

Question 49

Unforthcoming

Answer 49

not willing to give up information