Common Words VI

Question 1

polemic

Answer 1

noun: a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something

Question 2

edifying

Answer 2

adjective: enlightening or uplifting so as to encourage intellectual or moral improvement

Question 3

rebuke

Answer 3

verb: criticize severely or angrily; censure

Question 4

capricious

Answer 4

adjective: determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason

Question 5

furtive

Answer 5

adjective: marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed

Question 6

nuance

Answer 6

noun: a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude

Question 7

deleterious

Answer 7

adjective: harmful to living things

Question 8

impartial

Answer 8

adjective: free from undue bias or preconceived opinions

Question 9

disseminate

Answer 9

verb: cause to become widely known

Question 10

pejorative

Answer 10

verb: expressing disapproval (usually refers to a term)

Question 11

mendacity

Answer 11

noun: the tendency to be untruthful

Question 12

flux

Answer 12

noun: a state of uncertainty about what should be done (usually following some important event)

Question 13

harried

Answer 13

adjective: troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances

Question 14

erudite

Answer 14

adjective: having or showing profound knowledge

Question 15

contrition

Answer 15

noun: the feeling of remorse or guilt that comes from doing something bad

Question 16

efficacious

Answer 16

adjective: producing the intended result

Question 17

economical

Answer 17

adjective: avoiding waste, efficient

Question 18

truncate

Answer 18

verb: reduce the length of something

Question 19

opulence

Answer 19

noun: wealth as evidenced by sumptuous living

Question 20

stringent

Answer 20

adjective: demanding strict attention to rules and procedures

Question 21

askance

Answer 21

adverb: with a look of suspicion or disapproval

Question 22

transient

Answer 22

adjective: lasting a very short time

Question 23

maverick

Answer 23

noun: someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action

Question 24

jovial

Answer 24

adjective: full of or showing high-spirited merriment

Question 25

specious

Answer 25

adjective: based on pretense; deceptively pleasing adjective: plausible but false

Question 26

imprudent

Answer 26

adjective: not wise

Question 27

reproach

Answer 27

verb: to express criticism towards

Question 28

appease

Answer 28

verb: pacify by acceding to the demands of

Question 29

dispassionate

Answer 29

adjective: unaffected by strong emotion or prejudice

Question 30

nonplussed

Answer 30

adjective: unsure how to act or respond

Question 31

posit

Answer 31

verb: assume as fact

Question 32

mundane

Answer 32

adjective: repetitive and boring; not spiritual adjective: relating to the ordinary world

Question 33

antipathy

Answer 33

noun: an intense feeling of dislike or aversion

Question 34

ignominious

Answer 34

adjective: (used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame

Question 35

duress

Answer 35

noun: compulsory force or threat

Question 36

esoteric

Answer 36

adjective: confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle

Question 37

maladroit

Answer 37

adjective: clumsy

Question 38

timorous

Answer 38

adjective: timid by nature or revealing fear and nervousness

Question 39

fastidious

Answer 39

adjective: overly concerned with details; fussy

Question 40

elicit

Answer 40

verb: call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)

Question 41

banality

Answer 41

noun: a trite or obvious remark

Question 42

anomaly

Answer 42

noun: something that is not normal, standard, or expected

Question 43

craven

Answer 43

adjective: pathetically cowardly

Question 44

indecorous

Answer 44

adjective: not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society

Question 45

placate

Answer 45

verb: cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of

Question 46

dilatory

Answer 46

adjective: wasting time

Question 47

arduous

Answer 47

adjective: demanding considerable mental effort and skill; testing powers of endurance

Question 48

bolster

Answer 48

verb: support and strengthen

Question 49

sullen

Answer 49

adjective: showing a brooding ill humor

Question 50

misconstrue

Answer 50

verb: interpret in the wrong way