April 26 - Common Words I

Question 1

harangue

Answer 1

noun: a long pompous speech; a tirade

Dinner at Billy’s was more a punishment than a reward, since anyone who sat at the dinner table would have to listen to Billy’s father’s interminable harangues against the government.

verb: to deliver a long pompous speech or tirade

Tired of his parents haranguing him about his laziness and lack of initiative, Tyler finally moved out of home at the age of thirty-five.

Question 2

ingenuous

Answer 2

adjective: to be naïve and innocent

Two-years in Manhattan had changed Jenna from an ingenuous girl from the suburbs to a jaded urbanite, unlikely to fall for any ruse, regardless of how elaborate.

Question 3

acrimony

Answer 3

noun: bitterness and ill will

The acrimony between the president and vice-president sent a clear signal to voters: the health of the current administration was imperiled.

Question 4

disinterested

Answer 4

adjective: unbiased; neutral

The potential juror knew the defendant, and therefore could not serve on the jury, which must consist only of disinterested members.

Question 5

amenable

Answer 5

adjective: easily persuaded

Even though she did not like the outdoors, Shirley was generally amenable and so her brother was able to persuade her to go camping.

Question 6

venality

Answer 6

noun: the condition of being susceptible to bribes or corruption

Even some of the most sacred sporting events are not immune to venality, as many of the officials have received substantial bribes to make biased calls.

Question 7

auspicious

Answer 7

adjective: favorable, the opposite of sinister

Despite an auspicious beginning, Mike’s road trip became a series of mishaps, and he was soon stranded and penniless, leaning against his wrecked automobile.

Question 8

ambiguous

Answer 8

adjective: open to more than one interpretation

The coach told his team, “Move towards that side of the field”; because he did not point, his directions were ambiguous, and the team had no idea to which side he was referring.

Question 9

castigate

Answer 9

verb: to reprimand harshly

Drill sergeants are known to castigate new recruits so mercilessly that the latter often break down during their first week in training.

Question 10

upbraid

Answer 10

verb: to reproach; to scold

Bob took a risk walking into the “Students Barbershop”—in the end he had to upbraid the apparently drunk barber for giving him an uneven bowl cut.

Question 11

censure

Answer 11

verb: to express strong disapproval

After being caught in bed with a mistress, the mayor was quickly censured by the city council.

Question 12

commensurate

Answer 12

adjective: to be in proportion or corresponding in degree or amount

The convicted felon’s life sentence was commensurate with the heinousness of his crime.

Question 13

calumny

Answer 13

noun: making of a false statement meant to injure a person’s reputation

With the presidential primaries well under way, the air is thick with calumny, and the mud already waist-high.

Question 14

laconic

Answer 14

adjective: (describes a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words

While Martha always swooned over the hunky, laconic types in romantic comedies, her boyfriends inevitably were very talkative—and not very hunky.

Question 15

intimate

Answer 15

verb: to suggest something subtly

At first Manfred’s teachers intimated to his parents that he was not suited to skip a grade; when his parents protested, teachers explicitly told them that, notwithstanding the boy’s precocity, he was simply too immature to jump to the 6th grade.

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

Question 16

venerate

Answer 16

verb: to respect deeply

The professor, despite his sleep-inducing lectures, was venerated amongst his colleagues, publishing more papers yearly than all of his peers combined.

Question 17

galvanize

Answer 17

verb: to excite or inspire (someone) to action

At mile 23 of his first marathon, Kyle had all but given up, until he noticed his friends and family holding a banner that read, “Go Kyle”; galvanized, he broke into a gallop, finishing the last three miles in less than 20 minutes.

Question 18

impertinent

Answer 18

adjective: being disrespectful; improperly forward or bold

Dexter, distraught over losing his pet dachshund, Madeline, found the police officer’s questions impertinent—after all, he thought, did she have to pry into such details as to what Madeline’s favorite snack was?

Question 19

egregious

Answer 19

adjective: standing out in a negative way; shockingly bad

The dictator’s abuse of human rights was so egregious that many world leaders demanded that he be tried in an international court for genocide.

Question 20

restive

Answer 20

adjective: restless

The crowd grew restive as the comedian’s opening jokes fell flat.

Question 21

iconoclast

Answer 21

noun: somebody who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions

Lady Gaga, in challenging what it means to be clothed, is an iconoclast for wearing a “meat dress” to a prominent awards show.

Question 22

equivocal

Answer 22

adjective: confusing or ambiguous

The findings of the study were equivocal—the two researchers had different opinions on what the results signified.

Question 23

innocuous

Answer 23

adjective: harmless and doesn’t produce any ill effects

Everyone found Nancy’s banter innocuous—except for Mike, who felt like she was intentionally picking on him.

Question 24

enervate

Answer 24

verb: to sap energy from

John preferred to avoid equatorial countries; the intense sun would always leave him enervated after he’d spent the day sightseeing.

Question 25

qualify

Answer 25

verb: to make less severe; to limit (a statement)

Chris qualified his love for San Francisco, adding he didn’t like the weather there as much as he liked the weather in Los Angeles.

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