Basic to still go over

Question 1

insolvent

Answer 1

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

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

Question 2

retiring

Answer 2

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 3

macrabe

Answer 3

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 4

affluent

Answer 4

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 5

underwrite

Answer 5

underwrite
verb: to support financially

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

Question 6

virago

Answer 6

virago
noun: an ill-tempered or violent woman

Poor Billy was the victim of the virago’s invective—she railed at him for a good 30-minutes about how he is the scum of the earth for speaking loudly on his cellphone in public.

Question 7

sanctimonious

Answer 7

sanctimonious
adjective: making a show of being pious; holier-than-thou

Even during the quiet sanctity of evening prayer, she held her chin high, a sanctimonious sneer forming on her face as she eyed those who were attending church for the first time.

Question 8

unconscionable

Answer 8

unconscionable
adjective: unreasonable; unscrupulous; excessive

The lawyer’s demands were so unconscionable that rather than pay an exorbitant sum or submit himself to any other inconveniences, the defendant decided to find a new lawyer.

Question 9

sanguine

Answer 9

sanguine
adjective: cheerful; optimistic

With the prospect of having to learn 3,000 words during the course of the summer, Paul was anything but sanguine.

Question 10

immaterial

Answer 10

immaterial
adjective: not relevant

The judge found the defendant’s comments immaterial to the trial, and summarily dismissed him from the witness stand.

Question 11

errant

Answer 11

errant
adjective: to be wandering; not sticking to a circumscribed path

Unlike his peers, who spent their hours studying in the library, Matthew preferred errant walks through the university campus.

Question 12

contrite

Answer 12

contrite
adjective: to be remorseful

Though he stole his little sister’s licorice stick with malevolent glee, Chucky soon became contrite when his sister wouldn’t stop crying.

Question 13

lassitude

Answer 13

lassitude
noun: extreme tiredness, either mental or physical

Upon finishing a 6-hour standardized exam, Dahlia emerged from the testing center overcome by lassitude.

Question 14

bellicose

Answer 14

bellicose
adjective: warlike; inclined to quarrel

Known for their bellicose ways, the Spartans were once the most feared people from Peloponnesus to Persia.

Question 15

beatific

Answer 15

beatific
adjective: blissfully happy

Often we imagine all monks to wear the beatific smile of the Buddha, but, like any of us, a monk can have a bad day and not look very happy.

Question 16

exhort

Answer 16

exhort
verb: to strongly urge on; encourage

Nelson’s parents exhorted him to study medicine, urging him to choose a respectable profession; intransigent, Nelson left home to become a graffiti artist.

Question 17

raffish

Answer 17

raffish
adjective: marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputableness

The men found him raffish, but the women adored his smart clothes and casual attitude.

Question 18

ascendancy

Answer 18

ascendancy
noun: the state that exists when one person or group has power over another

The ascendancy of the Carlsbad water polo team is clear—they have a decade of championships behind them.

Question 19

quandary

Answer 19

quandary
noun: state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options

Steve certainly is in a quandary: if he doesn’t call Elaine, she will blame him for everything, but if he does call her, the evidence of where he currently is could cost him his job.

Question 20

renege

Answer 20

renege
verb: fail to fulfill a promise or obligation

We will no longer work with that vendor since it has reneged on nearly every agreement.

Question 21

autonomously

Answer 21

autonomously
adverb: Acting independently; self-governing (of a country)

Many of the factory workers are worried about being replaced by machines and computers that will work completely autonomously.

Question 22

consummate

Answer 22

consummate
adjective: having or revealing supreme mastery or skill

Tyler was the consummate musician: he was able to play the guitar, harmonica, and the drum at the same time.

verb: to make perfect and complete in every respect

The restoration of the ancient church was only consummated after a twenty years of labor.

Question 23

fete

Answer 23

fete
verb: to celebrate a person

After World War II, war heroes were feted at first but quickly forgotten.

Question 24

pithy

Answer 24

pithy
adjective: concise and full of meaning

I enjoy reading the Daodejing for its pithy and insightful prose; it always gives me something to think about.

Question 25

derisive

Answer 25

derisive
adjective: abusing vocally; expressing contempt or ridicule

I was surprised by her derisive tone; usually, she is sweet, soft spoken, and congenial.

Question 26

credence

Answer 26

credence
noun: belief in something

He placed no credence in psychics, claiming that they offered no special powers beyond the ability to make people part with their money.

Question 27

urbane

Answer 27

urbane
adjective: showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience

Because of his service as an intelligence officer and his refined tastes, W. Somerset Maugham became the inspiration for the urbane and sophisticate spy James Bond.

Question 28

genial

Answer 28

genial
adjective: agreeable, conducive to comfort

Betty is a genial young woman: everyone she meets is put at ease by her elegance and grace.

Question 29

vacuous

Answer 29

vacuous
adjective: devoid of intelligence, matter, or significance

To the journalist’s pointed question, the senator gave a vacuous response, mixing a few of his overall campaign slogans with platitudes and completely avoiding the controversial subject of the question.

Question 30

pertinent

Answer 30

pertinent
adjective: having precise or logical relevance to the matter at hand

While the salaries of the players might draw attention in the media, such monetary figures are not pertinent to the question of who plays the best on the field.

Question 31

facetious

Answer 31

facetious
adjective: cleverly amusing in tone

Facetious behavior will not be tolerated during sex education class; it’s time for all of you to treat these matters like mature adults.

Question 32

hamstrung

Answer 32

hamstrung
verb: made ineffective or powerless

The FBI has made so many restrictions on the local police that they are absolutely hamstrung, unable to accomplish anything.

Question 33

assuage

Answer 33

assuage
verb: make something intense less severe

Her fear that the new college would be filled with unknown faces was assuaged when she recognized her childhood friend standing in line.

Question 34

glib

Answer 34

glib
adjective: (of a person) speaking with ease but without sincerity

I have found that the more glib the salesman, the worse the product.

Question 35

augment

Answer 35

augment
verb: enlarge or increase; improve

Ideally, the restaurant’s augmented menu will expand its clientele and increase its profits.

Question 36

rankle

Answer 36

rankle
verb: gnaw into; make resentful or angry

His constant whistling would rankle her, sometimes causing her to leave in a huff.

Question 37

surly

Answer 37

surly
adjective: inclined to anger or bad feelings with overtones of menace

Every morning, Bhavin was a surly, unhappy person, but once he ate breakfast, he became loving, laughing, and a joy to be around.

Question 38

genteel

Answer 38

genteel
adjective: marked by refinement in taste and manners

A live string quartet would provide a more genteel air to the wedding than would a folk singer.

Question 39

exasperate

Answer 39

exasperate
verb: to irritate intensely

As a child, I exasperated my mother with strings of never-ending questions.

Question 40

obstinate

Answer 40

obstinate
adjective: resistant to guidance or discipline; stubbornly persistent

The coach suggested improvements Sarah might make on the balance beam, but she remained obstinate, unwilling to modify any of the habits that made her successful in the past.

Question 41

devolve

Answer 41

devolve
verb: pass on or delegate to another

The company was full of managers known for devolving tasks to lower management, but never doing much work themselves.

verb: grow worse (usually “devolve into”)

The dialogue between the two academics devolved into a downright bitter argument.

Question 42

destitute

Answer 42

destitute
adjective: poor enough to need help from others

Jean Valjean, is at first destitute, but through the grace of a priest, he makes something of his life.

adjective: completely wanting or lacking (usually “destitute of”)

Now that the mine is closed, the town is destitute of any economic activity.

Question 43

presumption

Answer 43

presumption
noun: an assumption that is taken for granted

When Mr. Baker found out the family car was gone, he acted under the presumption that his rebellious son had taken the car, calling his son’s phone and yelling at him; only later did Mr. Baker realize that Mrs. Baker had simply gone out to get her nails done.

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

The new neighbor quickly gained a reputation for her presumption; she had invited herself to several neighbors’ homes, often stopping over at inopportune times and asking for a drink.

Question 44

enmity

Answer 44

enmity
noun: a state of deep-seated ill-will

The rude remark Charles made toward Sarah yesterday was due to his illness, not due to any real enmity toward Sarah.

Question 45

travail

Answer 45

travail
noun: use of physical or mental energy; hard work; agony or anguish

While they experienced nothing but travails in refinishing the kitchen, they completed the master bedroom in less than a weekend.

Question 46

antedate

Answer 46

antedate
verb: precede in time

Harry was so unknowledgable that he was unaware the Egyptian pharaohs antedated the American Revolution.

Question 47

rakish

Answer 47

rakish
adjective: marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputableness

As soon as he arrived in the city, the rakish young man bought some drugs and headed straight for the seedy parts of town.

Question 48

incumbent

Answer 48

incumbent
adjective: necessary (for someone) as a duty or responsibility

Middle managers at times make important decisions, but real responsibility for the financial well-being of the corporation is ultimately incumbent on the CEO.

Question 49

emulate

Answer 49

emulate
verb: strive to equal or match, especially by imitating; compete with successfully

To really become fluent in a new language, emulate the speech patterns of people who speak the language.

Question 50

irascible

Answer 50

irascible
adjective: quickly aroused to anger

If Arthur’s dog is not fed adequately, he becomes highly irascible, even growling at his own shadow.

Question 51

fawn

Answer 51

fawn
verb: try to gain favor by extreme flattery

The media fawned over the handsome new CEO, praising his impeccable sense of style instead of asking more pointed questions.

Question 52

insipid

Answer 52

insipid
adjective: dull and uninteresting

The movie director was known for hiring beautiful actors in order to deflect attention away from the insipid scripts he would typically use.

Question 53

behoove

Answer 53

behoove
verb: to be one’s duty or obligation

The teacher looked down at the student and said, “It would behoove you to be in class on time and complete your homework, so that you don’t repeat freshman English for a third straight year.”

Question 54

dilapidated

Answer 54

dilapidated
adjective: in terrible condition

The main house has been restored but the gazebo is still dilapidated and unusable.

Question 55

provisional

Answer 55

provisional
adjective: under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed upon

Until the corporate office hands down a definitive decision on use of the extra offices, we will share their use in a provisional arrangement.

Question 56

stymie

Answer 56

stymie
verb: hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of

The engineers found their plans stymied at every turn and were ultimately able to make almost no progress on the project.

Question 57

convivial

Answer 57

convivial
adjective: describing a lively atmosphere

The wedding reception was convivial; friends who hadn’t seen each other for ages drank and ate together before heading to the dance floor.

Question 58

boorish

Answer 58

boorish
adjective: ill-mannered and coarse or contemptible in behavior or appearance

Bukowski was known for being a boorish drunk and alienating close friends and family.

Question 59

staid

Answer 59

staid
adjective: characterized by dignity and propriety

Frank came from a staid environment, so he was shocked that his college roommate sold narcotics.

Question 60

creditable

Answer 60

creditable
adjective: deserving of praise but not that amazing

Critics agreed the movie was creditable, but few gave it more than three out of five stars.

Question 61

carping

Answer 61

carping
noun: persistently petty and unjustified criticism

What seemed like incessant nagging and carping about my behavior from my mother turned out to be wise and useful advice that has served me well.

Question 62

miscreant

Answer 62

miscreant
noun: a person who breaks the law

“Come back you miscreant!” yelled the woman who just had her purse stolen.