Common Words 3

Question 1

jingoism

Answer 1

fanatical patriotism

Synonyms : chauvinism , superpatriotism , ultranationalism

North Korea maintains intense control over its population through a combination of jingoism and cult of personality.

Question 2

insidious

Answer 2

working in a subtle but destructive way

Synonyms : pernicious , subtle

Plaque is insidious: we cannot see it, but each day it eats away at our enamel, causing cavities and other dental problems.

Question 3

jubilant

Answer 3

full of high-spirited delight because of triumph or success

Synonyms : exultant , exulting , prideful , rejoicing , triumphal , triumphant,elated , gleeful , joyful

My hardwork paid off, and I was jubilant to receive a perfect score on the GRE

Question 4

immutable

Answer 4

which cannot be changed

Synonyms : changeless

Taxes are one of the immutable laws of the land, so there is no use arguing about paying them

Question 5

avaricious

Answer 5

greedy / rapacious / mercenary / covetous / grabby / grasping / prehensile

Since avaricious desire is similar to gluttony or lust–sins of excess-it was listed as one of the seven deadly sins by the Catholic church.

Question 6

languid

Answer 6

not inclined towards physical exertion or effort; slow and relaxed

Synonyms : dreamy , lackadaisical , languorous

As the sun beat down and the temperature climbed higher, we spent a languid week lying around the house.

Question 7

refractory

Answer 7

stubbornly resistant to authority or control

Synonyms : fractious , recalcitrant

Used to studious high school students, Martha was unprepared for the refractory Kindergartners who neither sat still nor listened to a single word she said

Question 8

ephemeral

Answer 8

short lived

Question 9

treacherous

Answer 9

dangerously unstable and unpredictable

Synonyms : unreliable

The bridge built from twine and vine is treacherous to walk across, and so I think I will stay put right here.

Question 10

mollify

Answer 10

to make someone angry less angry; placate

Synonyms : season , temper

In the morning, Harriat was unable to mollify Harry, if he happened to become angry, unless he had his cup of coffee.

Question 11

ameliorate

Answer 11

make something bad better

Synonyms : amend , better , improve , meliorate

“Three Cups of Tea” tells the story of a western man who hopes to ameliorate poverty and the lack of education in Afghanistan.

Question 12

subsume

Answer 12

contain or include

The rogue wave quickly subsumed the pier and boardwalk, destroying everything in its path.

verb: consider (an instance of something) as part of a general rule or principle

Synonyms : colligate

Don Quixote of La Mancha subsumes all other modern novels, demonstrating modern literary devices and predating even the idea of a postmodern, metanarrative.

Question 13

incongruous

Answer 13

jarring
lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness
out of place

The vast economic inequality of modern society is incongruous with America’s ideals.

Question 14

rudimentary

Answer 14

being in the earliest stages of development; being or involving basic facts or principles

Synonyms : fundamental , underlying

I would love to be able to present a fully polished proposal to the board, but right now, our plans for the product are still in the most rudimentary stages.

Question 15

disaffected

Answer 15

discontented as toward authority

Synonyms : ill-affected , malcontent , rebellious

After watching his superior take rations from the soldiers, he quickly became disaffected and rebelled.

Question 16

spurious

Answer 16

having a deceiving nature
specious
plausible but false

Synonyms : specious

When listening to a politician speak, it is hard to distinguish the spurious claims from the authentic ones.

Question 17

quotidian

Answer 17

found in the ordinary course of events

Synonyms : everyday , mundane , routine , unremarkable , workaday

Phil gets so involved thinking about Aristotle’s arguments that he totally forgets quotidian concerns, such as exercising and eating regularly.

Question 18

unequivocal

Answer 18

admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; having only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion

Synonyms : unambiguous , univocal

The President’s first statement on the subject was vague and open to competing interpretations, so when he spoke to Congress about the same subject later, he was careful to make his position completely unequivocal.

Question 19

guileless

Answer 19

free of deceit

Synonyms : transparent

At first I thought my niece was guileless, but I then found myself buying her ice cream every time we passed a shop.

Question 20

travesty

Answer 20

an absurd presentation of something; a mockery

Synonyms : farce, farce comedy, burlesque, charade, lampoon, mockery , parody , pasquinade , put-on, send up, spoof, takeoff

What I expected to be an intelligent, nuanced historical documentary turned out to be a poorly-produced travesty of the form.

Question 21

elucidate

Answer 21

make clearer and easier to understand

Synonyms : clear, clear up, crystalise, crystalize, crystallise, crystallize, enlighten, illuminate, shed light on, sort out, straighten out

Youtube is great place to learn just about anything-an expert elucidates finer points so that even a complete novice can learn.

Question 22

forlorn

Answer 22

marked by or showing hopelessness

After her third pet dog died, Marcia was simply forlorn: this time even the possibility of buying a new dog no longer held any joy.

Question 23

apathy

Answer 23

an absence of emotion or enthusiasm

Synonyms : indifference , numbness , spiritlessness

Widespread apathy among voters led to a very small turnout on election day.

Question 23

circumvent

Answer 23

cleverly find a way out of one’s duties or obligations

Synonyms : dodge , duck , elude , evade , fudge , hedge , parry , put off , sidestep , skirt

One way of circumventing the GRE is to apply to a grad school that does not require GRE scores

Question 24

contrive

Answer 24

to pull off a plan or scheme, usually through skill or trickery

Synonyms : devise , excogitate , forge , formulate , invent

Despite a low GPA, he contrived to get into college, going so far as to write his own glowing letters of recommendation.

Question 25

delineate

Answer 25

describe in detail

After a brief summary of proper swimming technique, the coach delineated the specifics of each stroke, spending 30 minutes alone on the backstroke.

Question 26

vehement

Answer 26

marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions

Synonyms : fierce , tearing , trigger-happy , violent

While the other employees responded to the bad news in a measured way, Andrew responded in a vehement manner, tipping over his desk and shouting at the top of his lungs.

Question 27

supplant

Answer 27

to topple someone over

Question 28

itinerant

Answer 28

traveling from place to place to work

Synonyms : gipsy , gypsy

Doctors used to be itinerant, traveling between patients’ homes.

Question 29

eminent

Answer 29

standing above others in quality or position
(paired with superiority)

Synonyms : lofty , soaring , towering

Shakespeare is an eminent author in the English language, but I find his writing uninteresting and melodramatic.

Question 30

heretic

Answer 30

a person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field (not merely religion)

Synonyms : misbeliever , religious outcast

Though everybody at the gym told Mikey to do cardio before weights, Mikey was a heretic and always did the reverse.

Question 31

tenacious

Answer 31

persistent, determined, not easily dispelled
stubbornly unyielding

Synonyms : dogged , dour , persistent , pertinacious , unyielding

Even the most tenacious advocates for gun ownership must admit some of the dangers that firearms present.

Question 31

belligerent

Answer 31

an aggressive attitude and is usually paired with the word pugnacity

characteristic of one eager to fight

Synonyms : aggressive

Tom said that he was arguing the matter purely for philosophical reasons, but his belligerent tone indicated an underlying anger about the issue.

Question 32

magnanimous

Answer 32

noble, forgiving and generous in spirit, especially towards a rival or someone less powerful

Synonyms : greathearted

He was a great sportsman: in defeat he was complementary and in victory he was magnanimous.

Question 33

haughty

Answer 33

having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy

Synonyms : disdainful , imperious , lordly , overbearing , prideful , sniffy , supercilious , swaggering

The haughty manager didn’t believe that any of his subordinates could ever have an insight as brilliant his own.

Question 34

staunch

Answer 34

firm and dependable especially in loyalty

Synonyms : steadfast , unswerving

No longer a staunch supporter of the movement, Todd now will openly question whether its goals are worthwhile.

Question 35

ascetic

Answer 35

practicing self-denial

Synonyms : ascetical , austere , spartan

His ascetic life is the main reason he inspired so many followers, especially since he gave up wealth and power to live in poverty.

noun: one who practices great self-denial

Synonyms : abstainer

Historically, ascetics like Ghandi are often considered wise men partially because of their restraint.

Question 36

eclectic

Answer 36

heterogeneous
composed of elements drawn from various sources
comprised of a variety of styles

Joey was known for his eclectic tastes in music, one moment dancing to disco the next “air conducting” along to Beethoven’s 9th symphony.

Question 37

precocious

Answer 37

exceptionally talented at a young age

characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude)

Though only seven years old, she was a precocious chess prodigy, able to beat players twice her age