Basic I

Question 1

demure

Answer 1

demure
adjective: to be modest and shy

The portrait of her in a simple white blouse was sweet and demure.

Question 2

affable

Answer 2

affable
adjective: likeable; easy to talk to

For all his surface affability, Marco was remarkably glum when he wasn’t around other people.

Question 3

erratic

Answer 3

erratic
adjective: unpredictable; strange and unconventional

It came as no surprise to pundits that the President’s attempt at re-election floundered; even during his term, support for his policies was erratic, with an approval rating jumping anywhere from 30 to 60 percent.

Question 4

voracious

Answer 4

voracious
adjective: very hungry; approaching an activity with gusto

Steven was a voracious reader, sometimes finishing two novels in the same day.

Question 5

thrifity

Answer 5

thrifty
adjective: spending money wisely

He was economical, spending his money thriftily and on items considered essential.

Question 6

unnerve

Answer 6

unnerve
verb: to make nervous or upset

At one time unnerved by math problems, she began avidly “Magoosh-ing”, and soon became adept at even combinations and permutations questions.

Question 7

peruse

Answer 7

peruse
verb: to read very carefully

Instead of perusing important documents, people all too often rush to the bottom of the page and plaster their signatures at the bottom.

Question 8

pine

Answer 8

pine
verb: to yearn for

Standing forlornly by the window, she pined for her lost love.

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

Question 9

err

Answer 9

err
verb: to make an error

He erred in thinking that “indigent” and “indignant” were synonyms.

Question 10

insolvant

Answer 10

insolvent
adjective: unable to pay one’s bills; bankrupt

With credit card bills skyrocketing, a shockingly large number of Americans are truly insolvent.

Question 11

miser

Answer 11

miser
noun: a person who doesn’t like to spend money (because they are greedy)

Monte was no miser, but was simply frugal, wisely spending the little that he earned.

Question 12

censor

Answer 12

censor
verb: to examine and remove objectionable material

Every fall, high school English teachers are inundated by requests to censor their curriculum by removing The Catcher in the Rye and Scarlet Letter from their reading lists.

noun: an official who censors material

The censor insisted that every reference to drugs should be removed from the manuscript.

Question 13

hound

Answer 13

hound
verb: to pursue relentlessly

An implacable foe of corruption, Eliot Ness hounded out graft in all forms—he even helped nab Al Capone.

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

Question 14

screed

Answer 14

screed
noun: an abusive rant (often tedious)

Joey had difficulty hanging out with his former best friend Perry, who, during his entire cup of coffee, enumerated all of the government’s deficiencies–only to break ranks and launch into some screed against big business.

Question 15

profuse

Answer 15

profuse
adjective: plentiful; pouring out in abundance

During mile 20 of the Hawaii Marathon, Dwayne was sweating so profusely that he stopped to take off his shirt, and ran the remaining six miles wearing nothing more than skimpy shorts.

Question 16

dog

Answer 16

dog
verb: to pursue relentlessly; to hound

Throughout his life, he was dogged by insecurities that inhibited personal growth.

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

Question 17

reprobate

Answer 17

reprobate
noun: a person without morals who is disapproved of

Mr. Smith’s two boys couldn’t be more different; one was a hard-working and principled, the other was the town reprobate, always having run-ins with the law.

Question 18

demean

Answer 18

demean
verb: to insult; to cause someone to lose dignity or respect

At first the soccer players bantered back and forth, but as soon as one of the players became demeaning, calling the other’s mother a water buffalo, the ref whipped out a red card.

Question 19

embroiled

Answer 19

embroiled
verb: involved in argument or contention

These days we are never short of a D.C. politician embroiled in scandal—a welcome phenomenon for those who, having barely finished feasting on the sordid details of one imbroglio, can sink their teeth into a fresh one.

Question 20

variance

Answer 20

variance
noun: the quality of being different

The cynic quipped, “There is not much variance in politicians; they all seem to lie”.

Question 21

inundate

Answer 21

inundate
verb: to flood or overwhelm

The newsroom was inundated with false reports that only made it more difficult for the newscasters to provide an objective account of the bank robbery.

Question 22

amiable

Answer 22

amiable
adjective: friendly

Amy’s name was very apt: she was so amiable that she was twice voted class president.

Question 23

summit

Answer 23

summit
noun: the peak or highest point

After hiking for seven days, the climbers finally reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

noun: a meeting of high-level leaders

Since climate change policy has been mired in congressional fighting, this summit should help set the goals for president’s next term.

Question 24

spendthrift

Answer 24

spendthrift
noun: one who spends money extravagantly

Taking weekly trips to Vegas, Megan was a spendthrift whose excesses eventually caught up to her.

Question 25

bleak

Answer 25

bleak
adjective: having a depressing or gloomy outlook

Unremitting overcast skies tend to lead people to create bleak literature and lugubrious music — compare England’s band Radiohead to any band from Southern California.

Question 26

indignant

Answer 26

indignant
adjective: feeling anger over a perceived injustice

When the cyclist swerved into traffic, it forced the driver to brake and elicited an indignant shout of “Hey, punk, watch where you’re going!”

Question 27

candid

Answer 27

candid
adjective: straightforward and honest

Even with a perfect stranger, Charles was always candid and would rarely hold anything back.

Question 28

mesmerize

Answer 28

mesmerize
verb: to spellbind or enthrall

The plot and the characters were so well developed that many viewers were mesmerized, unable to move their eyes from the screen for even a single second.

Question 29

pinnacle

Answer 29

pinnacle
noun: the highest point

At its pinnacle, the Roman Empire extended across most of the landmass of Eurasia, a feat not paralleled to the rise of the British Empire in the 18th and 19th century.

Question 30

retiring

Answer 30

retiring
adjective: to be shy, and to be inclined to retract from company

Nelson was always the first to leave soirees—rather than mill about with “fashionable” folk, he was retiring, and preferred the solitude of his garret.

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

Question 31

slapdash

Answer 31

slapdash
adjective: carelessly and hastily put together

The office building had been constructed in a slapdash manner, so it did not surprise officials when, during a small earthquake, a large crack emerged on the façade of the building.

Question 32

tender

Answer 32

tender
verb: offer up something formally

The government was loath to tender more money in the fear that it might set off inflation.

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

Question 33

serendipity

Answer 33

serendipity
noun: the instance in which an accidental, fortunate discovery is made

By pure serendipity, Sarah discovered, at a flea market in Peoria, a matching earring to replace the one that fell down the storm drain back home.

Question 34

dupe

Answer 34

dupe
verb: to trick or swindle

Once again a get-rich-fast Internet scheme had duped Harold into submitting a $5,000 check to a sham operation.

noun: a person who is easily tricked or swindled

The charlatan mistook the crowd for a bunch of dupes, but the crowd was quickly on to him and decried his bald-faced attempt to bilk them.

Question 35

indigenous

Answer 35

indigenous
adjective: originating in a certain area

The plants and animals indigenous to Australia are notably different from those indigenous to the U.S—one look at a duckbill platypus and you know you’re not dealing with an opossum.

Question 36

tirade

Answer 36

tirade
noun: an angry speech

In terms of political change, a tirade oftentimes does little more than make the person speaking red in the face.

Question 37

stipend

Answer 37

stipend
noun: a regular allowance (of money)

He was hoping for a monthly allowance loan from the government, but after no such stipend was forthcoming he realized he would have to seek other means of paying for his college tuition.

Question 38

indict

Answer 38

indict
verb: to formally charge or accuse of wrong-doing

The bankrobber was indicted on several major charges, including possession of a firearm.

Question 39

telling

Answer 39

telling
adjective: significant and revealing of another factor

Her unbecoming dress was very telling when it came to her sense of fashion.

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

Question 40

remiss

Answer 40

remiss
adjective: to be negligent in one’s duty

Remiss in his duty to keep the school functioning efficiently, the principal was relieved of his position after only three months.

Question 41

zenith

Answer 41

zenith
noun: the highest point; culmination

At the zenith of his artistic career, Elvis was outselling any other artist on the charts.

Question 42

acme

Answer 42

acme
noun: the highest point of achievement

The new Cessna airplanes will be the acme of comfort, offering reclining seats and ample legroom.

Question 43

telltale

Answer 43

telltale
adjective: revealing

The many telltale signs of chronic smoking include yellow teeth, and a persistent, hacking cough.

Question 44

diabolical

Answer 44

diabolical
adjective: to be extremely wicked like the devil

The conspirators, willing to dispatch anyone who stood in their way, hatched a diabolical plan to take over the city.

Question 45

thoroughgoing

Answer 45

thoroughgoing
adjective: very thorough; complete

As a thoroughgoing bibliophile, one who had turned his house into a veritable library, he shocked his friends when he bought a Kindle.

Question 46

macabre

Answer 46

macabre
adjective: suggesting the horror of death and decay; gruesome

Edgar Allen Poe was considered the master of the macabre; his stories vividly describe the moment leading up to—and often those moments after—a grisly death.

Question 47

vindictive

Answer 47

vindictive
adjective: to have a very strong desire for revenge

Though the other girl had only lightly poked fun of Vanessa’s choice in attire, Vanessa was so vindictive that she waited for an entire semester to get the perfect revenge.

Question 48

affluent

Answer 48

affluent
adjective: wealthy

The center of the city had sadly become a pit of penury, while, only five miles away, multi-million dollar homes spoke of affluence.

Question 49

LAST OME

Answer 49

ONE MORE TO FIND

Question 50

underwrite

Answer 50

underwrite
verb: to support financially

The latest symphony broadcast was made possible with underwriting from the Carnegie Endowment.