D2 Mneomonics

Question 1

dilatory

Answer 1

(adjective): tending to procrastinate “DILL a tor ee”

Think: delay later

The dilatory gator liked to delay things until later

Question 2

dilettante

Answer 2

(noun): a dabbler; one with superficial knowledge of an area. “DILL uh taunt”

Think: diluted

The dilettante’s knowledge of the subject was, understandably, diluted

Question 3

dint

Answer 3

(noun): force; power. “DINT”

Think: Hulk’s dent

The incredible Hulk made a dent in the car by dint of his enormous strength

Question 4

dire

Answer 4

(adjective): desparate
“DAHYER (rhymes with “fire”_”

Think: die

If you are afraid that you might die, then the situation is dire

Question 5

discomfit

Answer 5

(verb) : to embarrass or confuse. “dis KUM fit”
think: discomfort

Realizing one’s suit had be replaced with a too-tight Speedo would discomfort and discomfit anyone

Question 6

disconcert

Answer 6

(verb): to confuse or frustrate. “dis KUN sirt”

Think: diss the concert

To liven up recitals, I disconcert the musicians by dissing the concert

Question 7

discreet

Answer 7

(adjective): having or showing self-restraint and good judgment “dis KREET”

Think: this secrET

I’m pregnant-but please, be discreET and keep this secrET- if my parents find out, they’ll kill me

Question 8

discrepancy

Answer 8

(noun): a difference, divergence, or disagreement. “dis KREP in see”

Think: this crepe vs. Nancy’s

There seems to be a large discrepancy between the size this crepe of mine and that of Nancy’s …I wonder whether she took a bite of mine while I wasn’t looking

Question 9

discrete

Answer 9

(adjective): individually distinct; separate “dis KREET”

Think: Crete

The Greek island of Crete is discrete because it doesn’t touch any other land

Question 10

disgruntled

Answer 10

(adjective): displeased. “dis GRUNT ulled”

Think: grunted

The fat warthog grunted to show he was disgruntled with his small dinner

Question 11

dismantle

Answer 11

(verb): to take apart or destroy. “Dis MAN till”

Think: Mickey Mantle

A 16-time baseball All-star, Mickey Mantle often dismantled opposing teams with his brilliant hitting

Question 12

dismissive

Answer 12

(adjective): showing rejection and contempt for “dis MISS ive”

Think: dismiss

When she sings “Call Me Maybe”, Carly Rae Jepsen is dismissive because she dismissed all the other boys who tried to chase her

Question 13

disparage

Answer 13

(verb): to insult or to put down “dis PARRIAGE (rhymes with “marriage”)

Think: despair and rage

he felt despair and rage because the rapper liked to diss and disparage him

Question 14

disparate

Answer 14

(adjective): distinct; different “DISS per it”

Think: this parrot vs. that pirate

This parrot is disparate (different) from that pirate on whose shoulder it is sitting. They are disparate species, after all.. even if they do look a bit alike

Question 15

dispassionate

Answer 15

(adjective): not passionate/ interested “diss PASH in it”

Think: not passionate

Dis=not, so dispassionate=not passionate (not interested)

Question 16

dispatch

Answer 16

(noun): speed; efficiency. “DIS patch”

Think: dispatcher

If you want a job as a dispatcher- using the radio to direct police- you’d better dispatch`

Question 17

displacing

Answer 17

(verb): removing from the usual place “Dis place”

Think: dis place to dat place

Don’t think of your demotion as me displacing you- I’m just moving your desk from dis place to dat place

Question 18

disputatious

Answer 18

(adjective): inclined to argue “dis pyoo TAY shus”

Think: dispute

After being pulled over, the disputatious lawyer unwisely disputed the accuracy of the cop’s radar gun

Question 19

dissemble

Answer 19

(verb): to mislead, hide or conceal. “dis EM bull”

Think: disassemble gun

The terrorist tried to dissemble his plan by disassembling his gun before trying to smuggle it through airport security

Question 20

disseminated

Answer 20

(verb): spread out. “dis EM in nate id”

Think: diss ‘em, Nate

His dad advised to “diss ‘em, Nate”, so Nate disseminated flyers all over the school that criticized his opponents in the election

Question 21

distension

Answer 21

(noun): swelling. “dis TEN shun”

Think: dis-tension

A belly showing distension after a huge meal might be because the person has weak abs with no muscle tension

Question 22

dither

Answer 22

(verb): to stress out from indecision. “DITH ur”

Think: ditz do either

You’re such a ditz- you’d do either and it’s making you dither

Question 23

diurnal

Answer 23

(adjective): daily, of the daytime. “die URN ul

Think: the urinal

My use of the urinal is diurnal- I pee every day

Question 24

divergent

Answer 24

(adjective): moving in different directions. “duh VERIE int”

Think: two roads diverged

“two road diverged in a yellow wood,” begins the famous Robert Frost Poem, “the Road not Taken”

Question 25

divisive

Answer 25

(adjective) : creating disunity. “di VIE sive”
think: divide

Yoko ono had a divisive effect on The Beatles, dividing the group into two parts

Question 26

doctile

Answer 26

(adjective): calm, even-tempered.
“DOSS ill”

Think: doctor

The docile doctor remained calm even though his patient was clinging to life by a thread

Question 27

doctrinaire

Answer 27

(noun): rigid and dogmatic “DOCK trih NAIR (rhymes with “hair”)”

Think: doctorate in air

I once met an academic with a Doctorate (Ph.D) in Air, and I asked him whether oxygen molecules always travel in pair. “Yes, they do,” he said, “…with zero exceptions”

Question 28

doggedness

Answer 28

(noun): stubborn determination “DOG ed ness”

Think: dog-ness

The fligher’s doggedness, even after he was knocked down, was like that of a fearless Bulldog

Question 29

doggerel

Answer 29

(noun): poorly written verse. “DOG ur ul”

Think: dog verse

Most valentine’s Day card poems are such doggerel that it seems as though dogs wrote the verse

Question 30

dogmatic

Answer 30

(adjective): stubborn; inflexible. “dog MATICK”

Think: dog bath

My dog automatically becomes dogmatic if you try to give him a bath, since he hates water

Question 31

dolorous

Answer 31

(adjective): sad; mournful “DOLL ur us”

Think: Dolores’s doldrums

I’d be dolorous and in the doldrums too if my name were Dolores

Question 32

dormant

Answer 32

(adjective) temporarily inactive. “DOOR munt”

Think: doorman

If you work as a doorman, you know that most of the time you’re just standing there, dormant

Question 33

dour

Answer 33

(adjective): gloomy; stern. “DOUR”

Think: sour

The teachers dour expression made her pupils feel sour

Question 34

draconian

Answer 34

(adjective): cruelly strict. “druh KONY en”

Think: Draco Malfoy

If Draco Malfoy had taught the Gryffindor students, I’m sure he would have been a draconian instructor

Question 35

droll

Answer 35

(adjective): funny. “DROLL”

Think: roll (with laughter)

Droll humor makes me roll with laughter

Question 36

dubious

Answer 36

(adjective): doubtful. “DOO bee us”

Think: dubious doob

That is a dubious doob, my friend- it looks like oregano if you ask me

Question 37

dudgeon

Answer 37

(noun) : a tantrum caused by being offended. “DUDGE in”

Think: dungeon grudge

I was in high dudgeon after they threw me in the dungeon for jaywalking, and I held a grudge

Question 38

dupe

Answer 38

(verb): to trick “DOOP”

Think: dope

A dope is easy to dupe

Question 39

duplicitous

Answer 39

(adjective): deceptive. “due PLISS it us”

Think: duplicate-ness

Politicians try to make everyone like them, but their two faced duplicate-ness is duplicitous

Question 40

dwindle

Answer 40

(verb): to gradually become smaller. “DWIN dull”

Think: candle

Our excitement at exploring the cave quickly turned to fear when we saw that our candle had burned low, dwindling into a stub that wouldn’t last for long

Question 41

dyspeptic

Answer 41

(adjective): grumpy. “diss PEP tick”

Think: Pepto-Bismol

This Pepto-Bismol will prevent indigestion and the resulting dyspeptic mood