C

Question 1

cacophonous

Answer 1

unpleasant sounding (discordant, grating, strident)

Question 2

cajole

Answer 2

persuade in the face of reluctance (coax, wheedle)

Question 3

calumny

Answer 3

malicious misrepresentation (slander, defamatory statement)

Question 4

candor

Answer 4

open honesty (frankness, openness, truthfulness)

Question 5

canon

Answer 5

collection or authoritative list of books; principle, frequently religious (criterion, standard, rule)

Question 6

capricious

Answer 6

impulsive and unpredictable (erratic, fickle, changeable, inconstant)

Question 7

carping

Answer 7

petulant and sometimes perverse criticism (faultfinding, nit-picking, grousing)

Question 8

castigation

Answer 8

severe criticism (verbal punishment, scolding, public censure)

Question 9

categorical

Answer 9

absolute and explicit (without exceptions, unqualified, unconditional)

Question 10

cathartic

Answer 10

inducing catharsis or purging (cleansing, purgative)

Question 11

caustic

Answer 11

able to burn, dissolve, or corrode by chemical action, bitingly sarcastic (stinging, harsh, corrosive)

Question 12

cavalier

Answer 12

causal and offhand (arrogant, high-handed, thoughtless, unceremonious, inconsiderate)

Question 13

cavil

Answer 13

find unnecessary fault with (raise petty objections, be picky about)

Question 14

charlatan

Answer 14

someone who pretends to have knowledge or an ability that he or she actually lacks

Question 15

chary

Answer 15

prudently cautious, hesitant and watchful, sparing and restrained about giving (careful, wary, choosy)

Question 16

chauvinist

Answer 16

blindly devoted patriot, zealous adherent of a group or cause (jingoist, bigot, sexist)

Question 17

chicanery

Answer 17

trickery to deceive someone (deception, fraud, evasion, dishonesty)

Question 18

chimerical

Answer 18

fantastically improbable (highly unrealistic, wildly visionary or imaginative

Question 19

circumlocation

Answer 19

unnecessarily wordy and indirect speech (evasion, roundabout expression)

Question 20

circumscribe

Answer 20

limit narrowly in range or activity (confine, restrict, define, mark off)

Question 21

clemency

Answer 21

disposition to be lenient, especially to ease the severity of punishment (mercy, mildness, as of the weather)

Question 22

coalesce

Answer 22

unite into a whole (combine, fuse, grow together)

Question 23

coda

Answer 23

concluding section of a musical or literary composition, something that rounds out, summarizes, or concludes (conclusion, ending)

Question 24

cogent

Answer 24

powerfully persuasive (convincing, well-argued, sound)

Question 25

commensurate

Answer 25

corresponding in extent, degree, amount, etc (proportionate, adequate)

Question 26

commodious

Answer 26

spacious and comfortable

Question 27

compendium

Answer 27

comprehensive though brief summary of a larger work

Question 28

complaisant

Answer 28

eager to please

Question 29

concerted

Answer 29

mutually agreed on, done together (collaborative, joint, united, planned or performed in cooperation, performed in unison

Question 30

condone

Answer 30

treat as if harmless or unimportant (overlook, forgive, excuse, pardon, disregard)

Question 31

contention

Answer 31

point argued in a debate, struggle (claim/thesis, disagreement, debate, strife, conflict)

Question 32

contentious

Answer 32

involving argument or strife (quarrelsome, belligerent, combative)

Question 33

contingent

Answer 33

(1) dependent on

(2) representative group that makes up part of a gathering

Question 34

contrite

Answer 34

deeply sorry (penitent, remorseful, repentant)

Question 35

convoluted

Answer 35

highly complex (intricate, involved, coiled around)

Question 36

countenance

Answer 36

put up with (approve, tolerate, sanction)

Question 37

craven

Answer 37

contemptibly cowardly (cowardly, spinless, pussilanimous)

Question 38

credulity

Answer 38

readiness to believe on the basis of weak or uncertain evidence (gullibility, naivete)

Question 39

curmudgeon

Answer 39

bad-tempered, grouchy individual

Question 40

cursory

Answer 40

hastily done, not thorough (casual, perfunctory, sketchy, superficial)