Context Sentence Reading Flashcards
This deck improves the ability to recognize meaning through context. This is the essential skill to doing well on the sentence completion portion of Critical Reading.
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
nadir
Without a doubt, the nadir of his life occurred when his drug addiction caused in rapid succession the loss of his business, his marriage, and almost, from an overdose, his life.
nadir - rock bottom, lowest point
clues - lost his business, his marriage, and almost died
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
ubiquitous
Once, cellular phones were a rare thing, but now they are so ubiquitous one can find them in the hands of many 10 year-olds.
ubiquitous - widespread, seen everywhere
clues - Once rare, now (opposite of rare)
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
vacillate
Lauren could barely stand the way Joe vacillated about the logo and slogan, because she was convinced that the marketing window was closing.
vacillated - hesitation from indecision, not making up one’s mind
clues - “barely stand” so it’s a frustrating behavior, “marketing window” indicates time being wasted
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
quagmire
Commentators suggested that going to Iraq would be a new quagmire like Vietnam was for America in the 1970s.
quagmire - swampy, like quicksand, sticky situation
clues - the Vietnam War, just like the Iraq War was a situation that was hard to get out of
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
umbrage
Many in the room took immediate umbrage at his condescending tone, though I’m not sure he meant to insult anyone.
(to take..at) umbrage - to feel slighted, put down
clues - his tone was condescending and insulting
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
zenith
Having just won an Oscar, with offers on the table for movies that paid really well and gave her a chance to work with the best directors, she was at the zenith of her career.
zenith - highest point
clues - she had just won an Oscar and had great career opportunities
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
aberration
Since he had been undefeated in his first fifteen matches, his recent loss could have been either an aberration or the beginning of a downward trend in his boxing career.
aberration - change, unusual deviation from the norm
clues - his loss was either a departure from his typical record or the start of a long term decline
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
abide
Early in his career, Paul Robeson was willing to abide the degrading treatment he received because of his skin color, but eventually he rebelled against the injustice of it.
abide - put up with, stay with
clues - initially he accepted it but eventually he rebelled against it
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
abject
Having survived the earthquake, but being reduced to abject poverty and inadequate shelter, the poor of Port-au-Prince endured the pelting rain of the hurricane.
abject - pitiful state
clues - the poor people suffered poverty, had no shelter, and were exposed to terrible weather conditions
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
cajole
Though Augustus was very shy, Constance was enough determined, sweet, and clever to cajole him into finally asking her out on a date.
cajole - persuade, coax
clues - Constance was able to convince Augustus to ask her out despite his shyness
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
callous
When Darcy recites his story about keeping Bingley from seeing Jane in London without feeling a moment’s guilt, Elizabeth is convinced she had never met a more callous man.
callous - hard
clues - Darcy felt no guilt, so he was heartless, hardened
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
candor
Used to politicians who rarely answered personal questions, the audience at the debate was impressed by the candor of the candidate as he spoke about his divorce.
candor - openness
clues - politician spoke about his divorce to strangers, audience impressed
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
debauch
On Pleasure Island, the environment of indulging in every sensual delight works to debauch the boys until they transform into donkeys.
debauch - to corrupt the innocence of
clues - indulging in empty pleasure
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
effulgent
The beauty of the effulgent sunset on this island paradise made the vacationers never want to leave.
effulgent - radiant, shiny
clues - sunset, beauty
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
egregious
Most of the parents considered the food fight in the cafeteria misguided and foolish, but the administration considered it as egregious as drug possession or gang activity, or at least it carried an identical punishment.
egregious - shockingly bad
clues - punished by school like drug possession, parents see it as just foolish
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
facile
Changing the company logo was just a facile strategy for the image problem was much more complicated.
facile - shallow, addressing only the surface
clues - just a facile strategy, problem was much more complicated
facile can also mean easy or simple, simplistic
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
impecunious
Among Squire Allworthy’s friends is the impecunious Dr. Blifil, a master of all subjects of study except the one that could provide that scholarly gentleman a living wage.
impecunious - poor
clues - doesn’t earn a living wage
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
laconic
The psychiatrist noted the lack of animation in the patient’s face and his laconic responses and concurred with the diagnosis of depression.
laconic - short in speech (negative)
clues - lack of animation, depression
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
mawkish
When a writer undertakes the story of a dying child, he or she needs to use a light touch about it, or it can easily become mawkish.
mawkish - overly sentimental
clues - dying child, light touch
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
obfuscate
Harold had so little understanding of the basics of modern physics that the professor’s attempts to explain the phenomenon merely obfuscated it more.
obfuscate - make harder to understand, render unintelligible
clues - so little understanding, attempts to explain modern physics
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
maxim
Polonius’ speech to Laertes is replete with maxims which the father hopes will guide his son while at college, but he also sends a spy after him to Paris, just to make sure.
maxim - wise old saying, rule of thumb
clues - speech, guide his son
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
oblique
Instead of going straight to the car as he was told, the little boy took the most oblique route to it.
oblique - diverging from direct course, not straight
clues - instead, going straight
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
palette
Picasso rarely used a wide palette for his paintings; he most often limited his colors to a very controlled range.
palette - range of color
clues - limited his colors, range
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
palliate
Although nothing cures HIV as of yet, there are drug therapies that palliate the condition and slow the onset of AIDS.
palliate - make better, make less severe, improve
clues - Although nothing cures, slow the onset
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
panacea
The snake oil salesman, peddling his bogus panacea to everyone who had a medical complaint of any kind, claimed it worked on everything.
panacea - cure all, universal curitive
clues - “snake oil”, worked on everything
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
paramount
The president considered securing the nuclear arsenal paramount in the days following the fall of the empire.
paramount - of highest importance, imperative
clues - president, nuclear arsenal
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
pariah
The being created by Dr. Frankenstein is made a pariah and suffers from solitude for which he resents his creator.
pariah - outcast
clues - Frankenstein, suffers from solitude
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
parsimony
Most rich people practice parsimony, for the best way to make money is to not spend it.
parsimony - frugality, stinginess
clues - not spending (money)
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
reconcile
After the Theory of Relativity, Einstein worked the rest of his career to reconcile it with quantum mechanics.
reconcile - make consistent
clues - Theory of Relativity, with quantum mechanics
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
tantamount
Some of the deceptive practices of mortgage lending before the housing crash were tantamount to stealing.
tantamount - roughly equivalent
clues - deceptive practices, stealing
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
abrogate
Critics of the Patriot Act said that it gave the government the power to abrogate certain rights against unwarranted searches.
abrogate - abolish, take away
clues - critics, government, certain rights
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
defile
The protestors are attempting to defile the temple by smearing blood on the lectern.
defile - stain, taint, ruin the sanctity or purity of
clues - temple, smearing blood
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
impetuous
As a young man, Ming often got in trouble from his impetuous behavior, so, as a man, he learned to think before he acted.
impetuous - rash, hasty
clues - got in trouble, think before he acted.
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
impinge
The sudden storm impinged upon the planned picnic, and the family settled for an afternoon in the bowling alley.
impinge - impact, affect
clues - sudden storm, picnic
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
impertinent
Teresa was a sweet well-mannered girl, but she could get as impertinent as an unchecked brat if she missed regular meals.
impertinent - rude, unruly
clues - was well-mannered, unchecked brat
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
impervious
Despite the frigid waters, the whale maintains its core temperature due to its layers of impervious blubber.
impervious - impenetrable, stuff can’t get into it or through it
clues - maintains core temperature in the arctic, blubber
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
negligent
Though not intentionally responsible for harming her children, Deb’s negligent habits like leaving them unattended in the bathtub caused a tragedy.
negligent - careless, neglecting, not watchful
clues - not intentionally, leaving unattended in the bath
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
quell
Four policemen were acquitted of beating Rodney King, and six days of rioting ensued that the authorities could not quell.
quell - control, diffuse, reduce confrontation
clues - riots
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
sanguine
Finishing first in her class from the prestigious university, she had good reason to be sanguine entering the job market.
sanguine - cheery, optimistic
clues - first, prestigious
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
accolade
The documentary earned several awards, but such accolades were not as important to the director as seeing the issue addressed that was raised by his film.
accolades - high praise, special distinction
clues - earned awards
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
caustic
The cobra can spit caustic venom so corrosive that a trace amount for only a few seconds brings permanent eye damage.
caustic - acidic, bitter
clues - corrosive, permanent eye damage
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
cavort
The parents bantered around the barbeque while the children cavorted on the trampoline.
cavort - jump around, boisterously and physically active
clues - children on tampoline
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
deliberate
The accused took the gun with him, so the prosecutor considered the killing deliberate, despite the witnesses who said the victim started the altercation.
deliberate - by choice, planned, not accidental
clues - accused took gun, victim, despite, altercation
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
goad
Max goaded Palmer into trying to reach the green in one, but Palmer lost his golfball in the lake.
goad - coaxed, urged, manipulated
clues, - into trying for the green
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
largess
Oprah’s largess to her audience became the stuff of legend when she gave away 276 cars to start her 22nd season.
largess - generosity in a lavish way
clues - when, gave away, 276 cars
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
pejoratives
The burned-out teacher began to refer to her students as “germbags”, “urchins”, “dead from the neck up”, and other clever pejoratives.
pejoratives - uncomplimentary or insulting phrases
clues - burned-out, germbags, urchins, dead from neck up, and,
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
querulous
She hoped the boy she raised would be emotionally strong and well behaved, but was shocked to find him a querulous brat.
querulous - whiny, complaining
clues - emotionally strong, well-behaved, but
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
rebuke
Cecilia is a delicate little girl who cries at the slightest rebuke from her teacher.
rebuke - scolding, criticism, correction
clues - delicate, cries at, slightest
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
scintillate
In the spotlight and rhinestone glory, the Vegas singer scintillated before the dazzled audience of housewives.
scintillated - sparkling, shimmering
clues - spotlight, rhinestones, dazzled
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
behemoth
Post-Panamax ships are the largest class of commercial ship ever, and these behemoths are so denominated because they don’t fit in the Panama Canal.
behemoth - monstrously large and powerful
clues - largest ship, don’t fit in Panama Canal
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
demure
She felt out of place in a demure pleated mid-calf skirt among young women wearing daring minis and micros that revealed the whole leg.
demure - modest, reserved, quiet
clues - pleated mid-calf skirt vs. minis and micros
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
obstinate
Thorin Oakenshield is obstinate enough to ignore all the claims of justice and gratitude owed to the men of Dale, as long as the Elves remain with them.
obstinate - very stubborn, unable to change one’s mind about a decision
clues - ignore claims of justice and gratitude owed
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
permeate
Beaver skin hats were all the rage in Europe because rainwater wouldn’t permeate the material.
permeate - saturate, get soggy, allow into, go throughout
clues - all the rage, rainwater
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
pernicious
The pernicious effect of the race riot not only left physical damage, but scarred the community for a generation.
pernicious - extemely harmful, destructive
clues - damage, scarred, for a generation
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
redoubtable
Brom Bones, the redoubtable champion of the village of Sleepy Hollow, is not the kind of man who would cry “quits”.
redoubtable - formidable, really hard to challenge or beat
clues - champion, not kind of man who quits
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
tenuous
On Little Round Top, the colonel realized how tenuous the position was and ordered his men to hold their ground to the last man.
tenuous - having little substance or strength, barely holding on
clues - colonel, hold ground, to last man
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
vehement
Tom vehemently denied the accusation that he had betrayed his comrades during the battle, but as the questioning continued grew too overwhelmed to speak.
vehemently - intensely emotional or forceful
clues - denied accusation, too overwhelmed
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
venerate
The ceremony celebrated and venerated the performers who first made Broadway famous.
venerate - to show respect or honor
clues - celebrate and, first made Broadway famous
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
bequeath
In his last will, Morgan bequeathed a generous donation to the medical university for research into a polio vaccine.
bequeathed - give away after dead
clues - last will, donation, for medical research
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
emulate
Douglass Wilkins, an Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas, had a long career emulating the King of Rock-n-Roll.
emulate - copy, mimic, act like
clues - impersonator
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
haughty
Though most of the people in the Kirsten’s town were fiercely proud of her, some were shocked to see how haughty fame and fortune had made the once sweet and demure little girl.
haughty - disdainfully proud, conceited
clues - proud, once sweet girl
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
legerdemain
Using identical briefcases, a diversion, and a little legerdemain, the two spies, like a magician and his faithful assistant, got the documents out of the secure area.
legerdemain - deceptive motion, slight-of-hand, (like magic)
clues - identical briefcases, (switch cases), spies, documents
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
perusal
The Hollywood producer couldn’t read all the scripts that were submitted to him, so he had a staff of six people who handled the perusal of prospective material.
perusal - read through carefully, review
clues - couldn’t read, so, of material
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
remiss
The disgusted parent pointed out how remiss the curriculum had been in all goals related to English grammar.
remiss - negligent, failing to look after something
clues - disgusted, goals
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
seminal
Though perhaps not a household name, Oliver Bolokitten wrote a seminal work that influenced the development of dystopian fiction.
seminal - orignal, important, creating a field, movement, or style
clues - influenced the development of dystopian fiction
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
toady
Every influential Hollywood producer has at least one sniveling toady ready to butter him up with “hurrahs” at any full sentence stop.
toady - one who flatters in hopes of getting something, sychophant, suck-up
clues - sniveling, butter him up, hurrahs
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
affable
Will Rogers, always charming and affable, maintained that he never met a man that he didn’t like
affable - likeable, friendly, amiable
clues - charming, never met a man he didn’t like
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
affinity
Skipper and Brick shared an affinity for each other that Maggie found threatening to her marriage.
affinity - immediate closeness, spontaneous bond
clues - shared, threatening to her marriage
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
affront
Ready to react to the slightest affront, Hugo was on a hair-trigger at school after the online posting.
affront - insult
clues - ready to react, hair-trigger, online posting
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
bereft
Though she inherited millions of dollars, she couldn’t help feeling poor, because she was bereft of the company of her dear father.
bereft - devoid of, sad at missing someone, lost, forlorn
clues - company of dear father
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
coalesce
Surrounding the head, the blood pool horrifyingly coalesced into a message warning Diana and Bert not to enter the crypt.
coalesce - come into form, fuse together as a whole
clues - blood, message
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
collateral
He didn’t realize that the divorce would have the collateral effect of keeping him single afterward, since making the support payments left him no money for entertaining anyone new.
collateral - secondary and unintended
clues - divorce, keeping him single
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
derivative
The rap producer’s sampling of two iconic albums to create his mash was not only derivative but decidely a case of double trademark infringement.
derivative - copied or adapted from others
clues: sampling, mash, trademark infringement
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
despondent
After failing a test for which Robin had studied so hard, the despondent AP Calculus student decided it was no use studying anymore for that class.
despondent - completely hopeless, depressed
clues - after, failing a test, studied so hard, no use
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
engender
The family camping trips engendered a spirit of togetherness and harmony as well as a love and respect for nature.
engender - to bring about, create, make be, generate
clues - family camping, togetherness and harmony, love and respect nature
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
enigmatic
Until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799, much of Egyptian hieroglyphs were completely enigmatic.
enigmatic - puzzling, impossible to solve or understand
clues - until, Rosette Stone, hieroglyphs
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
flagrant
The flagrant dumping of barrels of dioxin near a waterway that fed into the Ohio River led to one of the most important pieces of environmental legislation in Congress.
flagrant - offensive, really crossing the line of what should be done
clues - dumping barrels of dioxin, legislation
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
hedonist
Hugh Hefner launched Playboy Magazine and opened a new era of hedonistic pursuit in post-war American society.
hedonist - attentive to sensual pleasures
clues - Hugh Hefner, Playboy Magazine
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
indigenous
With foreign trade often come “stow-away” species that become introduced to native ecosystems and can threaten or destroy indigenous organisms.
indigenous - originating in a region
clues - With foreign, “stow-away”, introduced
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
indignation
When a less-qualified man was hired for the position, Regina felt indignation for the manager she had served for six years.
indignation - anger at unjust or unfair treatment or cirumstance
clues - when less-qualified man hired, served for six years
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
lethargic
Brad suffered from a lethargic feeling that turned out to be a serious condition in his heart valve that required surgery.
llethargic - super tired, inactive, apathetic
clues - serious condition in his hear valve
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
phlegmatic
Reggie thought his dog’s phlegmatic response to his favorite tug toy odd, until he felt the dog’s warm dry nose.
phlegmatic - uninterested, unresponsive
clues - dog, favorite tug toy, warm nose
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
pithy
My father-in-law never leaves a pithy message on voice mail; he usually gets cut off in mid sentence by the end tone.
pithy - concisely meaningful
clues - never, usually gets cut off, end tone
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
pittance
When one hears of the average monthly wage in a place like Togo, one wonders how a person could live on such a pittance.
pittance - small amount (of money)
clues - wage, live on
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
torpid
Beached hopelessly for hours, the torpid whales drew the attention of people who raced to their aid.
torpid - lethargic, lacking motion, listless
clues - beached whales
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
vestige
Rusted cartridges, bits of canvas tenting, buttons from blue or grey coats, and bone or tooth fragments were the last vestiges of those two mighty armies left on the field.
vestige - a trace, mark or leftover from something lost or vanished
clues - cartidges, bits, butons, fragments, of mighty arimes
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
alacrity
The pit crews at Indy display amazing alacrity as they refuel and change the vehicles’ tires in just seconds.
alacrity - speed, eagerness
clues - pit crews at Indy, refuel and change
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
aloof
Though normally attentive to family and friends, Preston would appear aloof to them, but they had come to know he was just lost in thought about legal strategy.
aloof - reserved, distant
clues - Though attentive, appear, lost in thought
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
altercation
So that the intellectual argument and debate would stay friendly and not become an altercation, they agreed to avoid personal insults.
altercation - dispute, fight
clues - So that, argument or debate, stay friendly
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
commensurate
Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister of England, received a DVD box set of American classic films from President Obama, but many in the English press thought the gift was far from being commensurate with the visitor’s status.
commensurate - corresponding in size or amount
clues - Prime Minister, DVD box set
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
commodious
Admiral Croft and Mrs. Croft assure Anne Elliot that their dogcart is commodious enough to take her to her door.
commodious - roomy
clues - dogcart, take her to her door
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
despot
The despot Saloth Sar, better known as Pol Pot, ruled Cambodia from 1976 to 1979 during which at his strict orders 21 percent of the Cambodian people died.
despot - brutally, absolute ruler
clues - ruled, at his orders, people died
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
diaphanous
She blushed deeply and asked him to turn away while she looked for a robe to cover her diaphanous gossamer nightgown.
diaphanous - see-through, transparent
clues - blushed, to cover, gossamer
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
enmity
The ugly divorce created such enmity that the once harmonious family was split along lines of sympathy.
enmity - hatred, dislike
clues - ugly divorce, once harmonious
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
ennui
Stuck in the routine life of Bedford with such an active and creative mind, Lorraine Castle met each tea time with a deeper sense of ennui.
ennui - boredom, weariness
clues - Stuck in routine
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
gratuitous
The gratuitous violence marred a movie that otherwise had a great plot, interesting direction, hallmark performances, and thrilling action.
gratuitous - uncalled for, detracting rather than adding
clues - violence, otherwise, great plot, intertesting direction
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
hegemony
The Third Reich was designed to create complete hegemony over not only Europe but also North Africa, and North and South America.
hegemony - domination over others
clues - Third Reich, over Europe
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
mendacious
In Act I, Big Daddy is unaware of the mendacious behavior of his family and is convinced that his cancer is just a spastic colon.
mendacious - deceitful, false in character
clues - unaware, behavior, convinced, cancer, spastic colon
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
sobriety
The community apparently found the sobriety of Mr. Jensen much more suited to the bench than the passion of Mr. Kaiser, since the former defeated the latter by a four to one margin in the election.
sobriety - sedate, calm
clues - suited to the bench, than, passion
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
vicarious
Though a flop in sports himself, Igor did enjoy the vicarious pleasure of watching his son compete in every high school game.
vicarious - experiencing through another
clues - Though, flop in sports, watching compete
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
amenities
The Puerto Rican spa featured so many amenities that Rhonda and Lorraine booked their stay on the spot.
amenity - item that increases comfort or pleasure
clues - spa, booked their stay
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
analgesic
Such homeopathic analgesics as a slice of steak placed on a bulging, black eye to reduce swelling actually work pretty well.
analgesic - painkiller
clues - slice of steak (on) black eye
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
complicit
Mary Surratt, the first woman executed in the U.S., was found to be complicit in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
complicit - involved in a wrongful act
clues - executed, the assassination
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
compunction
The spy was trained to feel no compunction whatsoever for the taking of a human life to achieve his mission.
compunction - moral reservation, painful sense of guilt
clues - spy, no, taking a life, achieve mission
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
dilatory
President Lincoln censured the dilatory response of his generals, particularly George Meade, after the victory of Gettysburg, because he feared their hesitation would prolong the war.
dilatory - tending to delay, cause delay
clues - censured, because, hesitation
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
epistolary
Diego de San Pedro’s Cárcel de Amor, which weaves a story around a series of exchanged letters between two lovers, is considered the first epistolary novel.
epistolary - having to do with letters
clues - series of exchanged letters
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
epitome
For many, Heidi Klum, who is stunningly beautiful and has remarkable style, represents the epitome of good taste in fashion.
epitome - perfect example, embodiment
clues - stunningly, remarkable
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
gregarious
Norma knew that for it to be a success, she needed to get one of the gregarious girls from Epsilon house to come and be the life of the party.
gergarious - talkative, social, outgoing
clues - life of the party
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
licentious
Because he was Master of the moorlands, the licentious Hugo Baskerville abducted a tenant farmer’s beautiful daughter with the intention of forcing himself onto her.
licentious - unrestrained morally or legally
clues - because, abducted, forcing himself
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
plethora
The buffet table on the cruise had a plethora of fruits piled high, some of which Kyle had never seen before, but ate willingly.
plethora - excessive abundance
clues - buffet, piled high
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
poignant
The “When She Loved Me” sequence in Toy Story II was so poignant that when Tom Hanks and Tim Allen saw it, they both teared up.
poignant - emotional touching
clues - sequence, teared up
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
anomaly
With 3 years of a 4.0 GPA, Yin’s “D” in Mr. Bester class is an anomaly that the parents want the head of the department to investigate.
anomaly - unusual occurence, something not normal
clues - with 4.0, D, investigate
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
antediluvian
It was a piece of antediluvian pottery from around 550 B.C.E, that was the most compelling evidence of trade between Greece and Corsica.
antediluvian - ancient
clues - 550 B.C.E.
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
blemish
Aylmer felt Georgiana’s birthmark was just a small blemish on her face when they were first married, but eventually he grew obsessed to be rid of it.
blemish - small imperfection, slight flaw
clues - birthmark
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
conduit
Peter thought it prudent to turn the shell, since they were coming near the waste water conduit and here the river began to appear oily and green.
conduit - channel through which something comes
clues - waste water, oily and green
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
confection
With his weakness for confection and as he had finally committed himself to losing weight, he decided not to accompany his friends to the European bakery.
confection - baked snacks, candies, goodies
clues - bakery
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
confidant
Both Anne and Lady Russell were concerned that Elizabeth had chosen Mrs. Clay as her confidant; they believed that their intimacy together jeopardized the respectability of the family.
confidant - someone a secret is told to
clues - intimacy
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
eschew
Penny eschews shoes and wears only sandals in all but the coldest months, then boots in the winter.
eschews - avoids, shuns
clues - only wears sandals and boots
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
esoteric
In the early 20th century, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity was so esoteric that one small room could contain all who understood its principles, but now that same group wouldn’t fit in several convention centers.
esoteric - highly specialized knowledge, known by few
clues - Theory of Relativity, small room, who understood
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
potentate
In that valley, there were local tribal potentates who ruled their own lands and had their own militias.
potentates - military strong men, petty despots
clues - ruled, militias
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
predilection
Isabelle had a predilection for romance novels; she always carried one in her bag and read it during any pause in the day.
predilection - preference, tendency toward
clues - romance novels, carried one
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
apocryphal
By declaring the reports that he had died on his tour in Europe “greatly exaggerated”, Mark Twain also proved them apocryphal.
apocryphal - false, fictitious, wrong
clues - declaring reports, proves
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
connive
These two former frat boys connived their way into so many wedding parties merely for the free food, drinks, and emotionally vulnerable women
connive - scheme, to create an underhanded plan
clues - wedding parties, merely for food, drinks, and women
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
discretion
Lionel realizes that his therapy sessions with the Duke of York entails complete discretion, so he doesn’t mention the details of them even to his own wife.
discretion - reserved in speech, knowing how to keep a secret
clues - doesn’t mention, his own wife
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
euphoric
After suffering through a nightmare job experience for three years, Lora felt euphoric hearing that she got another job offer and was tempted to dance on her old boss’ desk.
euphoric - elated, feeling sheer and utter joy
clues - after nightmare job, new job, dance on boss’ desk
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
evanescent
Going on the cruise was both exciting and relaxing, but also evanescent, for within two weeks he was back to the grind of work.
evanescent - momentary, fleeting, here today, gone tomorrow
clues - cruise, with two weeks, back to the grind
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
insolent
During the interview, the host was so insolent to the actor that she left before the commercial break.
insolent - rude, obnoxious
clues - actor left
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
appropriate
The rabbits needed to get across the river, so they appropriated a flat bottomed boat and escaped the pursuit.
appropriate - to steal, take possesion
clues - get across the river, a boat and escaped
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
arcane
Although he had a broad general knowledge of mainstream literature, his main delight was researching arcane texts barely studied for hundreds of years.
arcane - obscure, secret, known by only a few
clues - although broad general knowledge, barely studied
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
construe
When he found his convertible burning in the driveway, his golf clubs broken and bent on the lawn, and his MVP trophy melted in the barbecue, he construed that his wife had found out about his affairs.
construe - figured out, realized the truth
clues - when, convertible burning, golf clubs broken, trophy MVP
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
disparate
Shogun Leyasu held together a disparate group of vassals with offers of land and castles in order to field the army of the Battle of Azukizaka in 1564.
disparate - sharply differing, containing sharply contrasting elements
clues - held together, to field the army
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
exhort
Being passionate about animals, Cassie exhorted her friends to volunteer at shelters and animal rescue services.
exhort - urge passionately
clues - passionate, volunteer
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
fraught
The passage of the Misty Mountains was fraught with perils greater than Bilbo’s attempt, for it was winter and Sauron was now hunting them.
fraught - full of
clues - winter in the Mountains, being hunted
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
insular
Certain religious organizations live in a single community with very little contact with the world outside and have therefore very insular views regarding politics.
insular - separated from and narrow-minded, tight knit, closed off
clues - single community, little contact, outside world
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
integral
Jack recognizes that Tess has been an integral part of the merger deal, and refuses to go forward without letting Mr. Trask know.
integral - necessary to full function, essential
clues - refuses to go forward
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
mollify
The customer service representative mollified the furious client by listening well to her concerns, apologizing for the mistakes, and offering an acceptable discount.
mollify - soften the temper
clues - furious, listening, apologizing, offering
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
mores
Betty Freidan’s The Feminine Mystique challenges the mores regarding women’s roles in society.
mores - moral attitudes and customary behaviors
clues - women’s roles in society
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
morose
Even his best friends, though sympathetic for his loss at first, could not keep their own spirits up while visiting him in such a morose state.
morose - gloomy, sullen
clues - though sympathetic, keep spirits up
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
privation
During the London Blitz, the citizens of that great city suffered privation as supplies were drained to support the war effort.
privation - a lack of basic necessities
clues - supplies were drained
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
procure
In order to set-up their lab, the team had to procure fairly expensive equipment and chemicals.
procure - acquire, get their hands on, obtain
clues - set-up lab, fairly expensive
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
profuse
As he cut his strand of the net from the basket, the MVP of both his conference tournament and the ‘Big Dance’ faced such profuse applause that he was truly moved to tears.
profuse - plentiful, abundant, pouring out
clues - cut the net (winning the tournament), MVP, applause
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
resilient
With 162 games worth of bruises and strains to face each season, Major League Baseball calls for very resilient athletes to endure its grinding schedule.
resilient - enduring, tough, able to take punishing stress
clues - bruises and strains, endure, grinding
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
restive
The once sedate and expectant audience grew restive waiting more than an hour and a half for the headliner to perform.
restive - jumpy, anxious, unable to sit still
clues - once sedate and expectant, waiting an hour and a half
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
strident
The drill sergeant was a strident, hard-boiled, bare-knuckles, bellowing, vulgar, old army dog, and the recruits feared him to their marrow.
strident - harsh, loud
clues - drill sergeant, hard-boiled, bellowing, vulgar, army dog
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
trenchant
A good marketer realizes that trenchant directions and diagrams are necessary for a product that requires assembly.
trenchant - clear-cut, directly effective, articulate
clues - charts and diagrams, assembly
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
trite
Mr. Palmer was very tough on his students avoiding trite phrases that showed a lack of authentic thinking from his students.
trite - not original, cliched, overused
clues - lack of authentic thinking
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
viscous
One look at the dipstick, the mechanic knew that the engine’s performance problems started with the viscous condition of the old oil, and he changed it.
viscous - syrupy, thick and sticky
clues - dipstick, problems, old oil
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
vitriolic
Though a chemist familiar with sulfuric acid, Herschel could never stomach the vitriolic insults that his girlfriend used to launch when furious.
vitriolic - sour, acidic, caustic
clues - acid, could never stomach, insults
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
aspersion
The three witches of Macbeth amuse themselves with the aspersions aimed at torturing a sea captain with nightmares.
aspersions - curses, expressed ill-will
clues - witches, torturing with nightmares
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
assail
In Act I of Hamlet, rumors abound that young Fortinbras plans to assail Denmark now that the dread king, Hamlet’s father, is dead.
assail - attack
clues - now that dread king is dead (the challenger, Fortinbras, will move in)
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
buffet
The non-violent protestors covered their heads with their hands to defend against the buffets of the angry mob that swept up to them.
buffet - punch, strike, knock, smack
clues - cover heads, defend, angry mob
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
contusion
After the Encierro, or Running of the Bulls, is finished in Pamplona, Spain, the area hospitals treat the many contusions and broken bones of the unlucky victims of the event.
contusion - bruise
clues -bulls, hospitals, broken bones
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
conundrum
After the General and Specific Theory of Relativity, Albert Einstein worked on the conundrums of quantum mechanics and a Grand Unifying Theory.
conundrums - puzzle, problem
clues - G & S Relativity, quantum mechanics, G. U. Theory
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
convolute
I prefer straightforward story-telling to convoluted, non-sequential plots, that frankly confuse me more than please me.
convoluted - complicated, tangled, intricate, mixed up
clues - prefer straightforward to, confuse me
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
copious
Due to an error in planning, the buffet was so copious that the wedding guests were all completely stuffed before a quarter of the food was gone.
copious - profuse, abundant
clues - error in planning, buffet, stuffed, a quarter of the food
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
distend
The glands in his neck distended such that one might be convinced he had two marbles lodged under his skin.
distend - to swell out
clues - glands, marbles under the skin
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
dissipate
The morning mist dissipated leaving a thick layer of dew on the glistening grass.
dissipated - disappear, cause to disappear
clues - mist left dew
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
expiate
Since the porcelain elephant was made by Lynn’s late grandfather, Joe knew that nothing could expiate his breaking of it.
expiate - make up for it, make amends, atone
clues - since elephant (sentimental value), breaking it
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
nuance
Careful reading and reflection is necessary to catch the nuances of a poem like “Renascense” by Edna St. Vincent Millay, or go on Spark Notes and have all the subtleties explained.
nuance - subtlety, slight variation in meaning, tone, expression
clues - careful reading, to catch, subtleties
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
propagate
The professor demonstrated to his class how quickly the internet propagates rumors through societies–within minutes the “news” about the Chief Justice was on major news web pages.
propagate - multiply, spread out
clues - quickly, rumors, through
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
propensity
Though generally very conscious of the principles of a healthy diet, Max still retained from his youth a strong propensity for certain sugary breakfast cereals.
propensity - preference, inclination
clues - though, healthy diet, still retained, sugary breakfast
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
propitious
The heavy rain and wind Sunday were propitious conditions for the smash-mouth style of the underdog AFC team against the usually high-flying NFC favorite.
propitious - favorable
clues - heavy rain and wind, smash mouth
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
revel
Rather than reveling in the attention of her new-found stardom, the stage actress suffered from panic attacks whenever the paparazzi surrounded her.
revel - relish, enjoy intensely
clues - rather than, suffered, panic attacks
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
succinct
Sharon was too aware of her father’s longwinded ways to hope he would be succinct on this occasion, so she endured patiently as he rambled on and on.
succinct - using few words to communicate very well
clues - longwinded, hope, endured patiently, rambled
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
truculent
Joe dreaded to go to gym class again with a man as truculent as Coach Hyde, who, rumor had it, carried two rolls of nickels in his pockets in case of trouble.
truculent - ready to fight, cruel, belligerent
clues - dreaded, carried two rolls of nickels, trouble
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
vituperate
The principal vituperated the entire sophomore class for their terrible attendance record in the first marking period.
vituperate - scold, criticize, berate
clues - principal, terrible attendance
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
atone
Although it was by the purest of accidents, Frank felt he could never atone for the little boy’s death.
atone - feel at peace, make amends, repent
clues - although, accident, boy’s death
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
augment
The French teacher recommended that her students augment their skills by visiting twenty French-based websites a week, including those with audio and video content.
augment - add to, expand, improve
clues - skills, twenty websites
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
auspicious
The well-heeled tennis champion, whose joints grew tender in rainy conditions, was relieved at the auspicious weather report for five sunny days in a row at Wimbledon.
auspicious - fortunate, favorable, indicative of good things to come
clues - well-heeled, joints grew tender, report of sunny days
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
austere
The children came from London in anticipation of the Blitz to a large and austere manor house, mostly uninhabited and unfurnished, in the English countryside.
austere - spare, very bare, bleak
clues - large, unhabited, unfurnished
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
aversion
Since the death of his mother from emphysema, Ed has had a strong aversion to smoking of any kind.
aversion - particular dislike for something, disinclined
clues - emphysema, smoking
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
burnish
His burnished armor made him gleam in the morning sun, and his page felt pride for his long night of work to make it so.
burnish - polish, make shine
clues - gleam, page felt pride, night of work
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
covert
Borrachio believes, through covert means, that he can ruin the reputation of Hero, so that neither Claudio nor Don Pedro would ever know what really happened.
covert - secret, sneaky
clues - ruined the reputation, would never know what really happened
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
culmination
The culmination of Joel’s and Clementine’s argument about having a baby together was a resolution on her part to end the relationship.
culmination - climax, something that is progressed toward
clues - argument, resolution, end relationship
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
culpable
Though never indicted nor convicted, Horace Grenderson was fully culpable for the accident his actions so willfully caused.
culpable - deserving of blame, guilty
clues - Though never indicted, actions caused accident
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
curt
“The Wolf” explains to Vincent that his curt manner is not meant as a disrespect, but rather a recognition of the limited time necessary for the task.
curt - short in speech, bordering on rude
clues - manner, not disrespect, limited time
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
docile
The new circus pony was so docile that she was fully trained in the routine in less than half the time it took the others.
docile - easy to work with, teachable
clues - fully trained, half the time
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
dogmatic
His opinions on the natural separation of the labors of men and women in history made him seem dogmatic to the other faculty at the College of the Humanities.
dogma - stridently and aggresively adhering to unproven principles
clues - natural separation of labors, humanities
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
dubious
Polly had learned the hard way not to buy products of dubious origins from online sources, because they had a good chance of being stolen merchandise.
dubious - doubtful, uncertain in quality or authenticity
clues - because, stolen mechandise
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
duress
The intelligence gathered under duress was often useless, because people suffering intense torture say anything to make it stop.
duress - hardship, threat
clues - because, suffering, torture
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
extol
Doctors who extol the virtues of a particular drug may be in earnest or they may be simply responding to the side of the bread where the butter is spread.
extol - praise, revere
clues - may be, earnest, or side of the bread with the butter
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
furtive
Gene kept in contact with his many love interests by furtive uses of a cell phone that his wife knew nothing about.
furtive - secretive, sly
clues - wife knew nothing about
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
inveterate
The retired principal had the inveterate tendency to correct children he encountered at the grocery store or park.
inveterate - formed by long habit
clues - principal, correct children
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
iridescent
Casting a richer and more varied color pattern, the much maligned cubic zirconia, is more iridescent than the “real” gem so loved by diamond snobs.
iridescent - sparkling, prismatic, shining in a range of colors
clues - more varied color pattern
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
myriad
Among the myriad of stars looking down from heaven that night, one in particular shined on Beatrice.
myriad - very numerous
clues - stars in heaven
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
puerile
The babysitter suffered through an evening with a set of twins who were so puerile and spoiled that she was amazed to remember they were twelve-year-olds.
puerile - immature, juvenile
clues - babysitter, spoiled, twelve-year olds
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
pugnacious
Sean was usually as gentle as a kitten, but one insult directed at his mother and his pugnacious side would take over, then look out!
pugnacious - quarrelsome, combative
clues - gentle, but, insult his mother, look out!
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
pungent
Even though Hugh never actually met them, he suspected his neighbors were Indian by the pungent odor of curry in the air.
pungent - giving off a sharp odor or taste
clues - curry in the air
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
putrid
We knew by the putrid smell of the spoiled food that the refrigerator was broken.
putrid - rank smell, like rotten flesh
clues - spoiled, refrigerator, broken
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
ribald
Although he enjoyed the refinements of high opera, the critic’s most guilty pleasure came often in ribald comedies which reminded him of his teenage days in the slums of Southy.
ribald - funny in a crude way
clues - although, high opera, guilty pleasure, comdies, slums
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
rife
Despite his seasoning, the crime scene investigator was revolted by the sight of the corpse so rife with worms and maggots that he couldn’t eat for more than five days.
rife - full of, stuffed with, abundant
clues - despite, seasoning, corpse, maggots
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
ruminate
Jimmy J. ruminated over the weekly football schedule in order to pick the winners against the spread for his pool.
ruminate - comtemplate, reflect on, ponder
clues - football picks
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
ruse
Mr. Holmes sent a message in the code that he broke as a ruse to bring the killer to him.
ruse - trick, deception
clues - message in code
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
surmise
Just from the bit of shattered glass in the driveway, dad could surmise that the car had been damaged while he was out of town.
surmise - deduce, reason through, figure out, infer
clues - bit of shattered glass, car was damaged
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
surreptitious
Stanley was a student who although capable of doing very well on his finals honestly, still preferred coming up with surreptitious schemes to obtain the exams before the test date.
surreptitious - sneaky, stealthy
clues - although capable, schemes, obtain, exams
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
surrogate
Suffering from a severe case of the flu and too dizzy to even stand, the actor sent his best friend to the awards’ ceremony to be his surrogate in case he won.
surrogate - substitute, one acting in place of another
clues - sent his best friend
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
swarthy
After months at sea in the tropics, even the fairest skinned sailors came home so swarthy that their wives didn’t recognize them.
swarthy - dark in complexion, deeply tanned
clues - even the fairest skinned, months in the tropics
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
sycophant
The director fired all the sycophants that had collected around him, and started searching for a staff that was capable of saying “no” to him.
sychophant - yes man, someone insincerely complimentary
clues - director, capable of saying “no”
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
turgid
The editor realized that the prospective novel was too turgid for today’s fiction market, which had grown used to a more spare and less grandiose style.
turgid - excessively embellished in language
clues - too, more spare, less grandiose
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
turpitude
The mayor had a reputation for upstanding behavior in his home state, but more than once suffered scandals from his turpitude whenever he vacationed in Monte Carlo.
turpitude - moral corruption, depravity
clues - reputation for upstanding, but, scandals, Vegas
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
vocation
After growing tired of the superficial world of high-fashion, Edwina decided to devote herself to a new vocation: social work.
vocation - a life’s calling, a career in line with one’s soul or spirit
clues - superficial, devote, social work
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
vociferous
“The 12th man” in football refers to fans so vociferous that they can disrupt the communication of the opposing team with their lungs.
vociferous - loud
clues - football fans, disrupt communication, lungs
What does the underlined word mean in this context?
collateral
They had no choice but to pledge the family farm in Marthasville as collateral for the loan to pay the legal expenses.
collateral - property pledged to protect a lender from failing to be repaid on a loan
clues: pledge, farm, loan
