Core Vocab I

Question 1

ambivalent

Answer 1

having mixed feelings

ambi=both

Question 2

atypical

Answer 2

not normal 
(a=not)

Question 3

sardonic

Answer 3

mocking, sarcastic

sardonion plant caused facial convulsions resembling those of sardonic laughter

Question 4

dearth, paucity

Answer 4

shortage of something
(from deore (dear) meaning precious, costly)
(poco from paucus, meaning few)

Question 5

wry, droll

Answer 5

dry, humorous with a clever twist and touch of irony

wRY + DRoll = dry humor

Question 6

fastidious

Answer 6

meticulous, painstaking
excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please
fast+tedious (to be fastidious)

Question 7

audacious

Answer 7

fearless, often recklessly daring, very bold

Question 8

apathetic

Answer 8

indifferent

a (not) + path (feelings)

Question 9

diffident, self-effacing

Answer 9

hesitant due to lack of self confidence, unassertive, shy
di (lacking) + fide (like fidelity, means trust) = lacking confidence
“it is difficult to be confident”

Question 10

pragmatic

Answer 10

practical, sensible, not idealistic/romantic

PRA + gma + TIC = PRA + c + TIC + al

Question 11

evocation

Answer 11

imaginative recreation of something, a calling forth
voc, vok = call
“movie, titantic, is an evocation of what it was like on the ship”

Question 12

presumptous

Answer 12

brashly overstepping one’s place, bold

pre+assume = brash

Question 13

recalcitrant

Answer 13

stubbornly resistant, defiant, refractory

re+calcit (looks like calcite - is a rock - stubborn)

Question 14

boon

Answer 14

blessing

boon - bonus = helpful

Question 15

bane

Answer 15

source of harm and ruin
“bane of my existence”
bane (fr. batman) is bad

Question 16

clandestine, surreptitious

Answer 16

secret, covert, not open
“clad” in something = hidden by it
surreptitious - suspicious
from assimilated form of sub “from under” (hence, “secretly;” see sub-) + rapere “to snatch”

Question 17

affable, gregarious

Answer 17

agreeable, warm and friendly
affection+able=affection to others
aggregation (together) - greg - gregarious (needs to socialize

Question 18

austere

Answer 18

having no adornment, bare, simple

latin: austerus “dry, harsh, sour, tart”

Question 19

austerity

Answer 19

great self-denial (especially refraining from worldly pleasures)

Question 20

altruism

Answer 20

unselfish concern for the welfare of others
all + true = true for all, unselfness
altruistic behavior

Question 21

upbraid, reproach, castigate

Answer 21

to disapprove, schold, rebuke, censure

from castus “pure” (see caste) + agere “to do” (see act (n.)). “make someone pure by correcting or reproving him.”

Question 22

conjecture

Answer 22

inference based on guesswork, supposition

Question 23

auspicious, propitious

Answer 23

very favorable

Question 24

gaffe

Answer 24

blunder, error

Question 25

impasse

Answer 25

deadlock, stalemate

Question 26

belie

Answer 26

represent falsely, contradict

beLIE

Question 27

mitigate, mollify, assuage

Answer 27

to relieve, alleviate, lessen, ease

Question 28

covet

Answer 28

strongly desire, crave

Question 29

covetous

Answer 29

greedy, grasping, eager to get, avarious

Question 30

antipode

Answer 30

exact opposite

Question 31

trite, hackneyed, banal, patitudinous, insipid

Answer 31

unoriginal, commonplace, cliche

Question 32

antecedent

Answer 32

preceding event

ante - before

Question 33

prudent

Answer 33

careful, cautious

Question 34

enigmatic, inscrutable

Answer 34

mysterious, puzzling, baffling

Question 35

acquiesce

Answer 35

to comply, agree

Question 36

autonomy

Answer 36

independence, self-goverance

Question 37

autonomous

Answer 37

acting independently

Question 38

futile

Answer 38

useless, in vain “futile attempts”

Question 39

ubiquitous

Answer 39

prevalent, widespread, omnipresent

Question 40

fortitude

Answer 40

strength of mind to endure pain or adversity w. courage