Day 29

Question 1

trenchant

Answer 1

forceful or vigorous, effective, keen;
caustic, sharp

even the most trenchant sword could not sever the bonds of loyalty between them

Question 2

trifling

Answer 2

Trivial, not very important; so small as to
be unimportant; frivolous, shallow

deciding what you want to do for a living is no trifling matter

Question 3

trite

Answer 3

Lacking freshness and originality, lacking

effectiveness due to overuse, cliché

Question 4

truculent

Answer 4

Fierce, cruel, savage; belligerent

Question 5

tumultuous

Answer 5

Riotous, violently agitated, marked by

disturbance or uproar; noisy, chaotic

Question 6

turgid

Answer 6

Swollen, inflated; or, metaphorically
“inflated,” such as in overblown, pompous
speech

turgid leeches having had their fill of blood

Question 7

turpitude

Answer 7

Depravity, baseness of character, corrupt
or depraved acts

pictorial advertisements for chic clothing and fragrances in which drug addiction and other forms of moral turpitude are depicted as alternative fashion statements

Question 8

umbrage

Answer 8

Offense or annoyance (usually as take
umbrage, meaning become offended or
annoyed)

took umbrage at the speaker’s remarks

Question 9

unconscionable

Answer 9

Not guided by conscience; morally wrong, : UNSCRUPULOUS,
unjust, unreasonable

Journalist Beth Shelburne brought Willie Simmons’ shocking and unconscionable story to Twitter on Saturday, in a thread that has since gone viral.

Question 10

undermine

Answer 10

Weaken, cause to collapse by digging
away at the foundation (of a building or
an argument); injure or attack in a
secretive or underhanded way

Question 11

underscore

Answer 11

Emphasize (or, literally, to underline text)

Question 12

unearth

Answer 12

Dig up, uncover, expose

Question 13

unseemly

Answer 13

Improper, inappropriate, against the rules
of taste or politeness

an unseemly interest in their host’s income and expenses

Question 14

unsparing

Answer 14

Generous, lavish (as in not sparing any
help or gifts to others); unmerciful, harsh
(as in not sparing any criticism)

unsparing in his criticism of the welfare state

neighbors were unsparing in their charity when a local family was rendered homeless by a fire

Question 15

untempered

Answer 15

Not toned down; not moderated,
controlled, or counterbalanced

These granules are still sharp, but should do less damage than the long shards of untempered glass.

Question 16

upbraid

Answer 16

Find fault with, criticize or scold severely

his wife upbraided him for his irresponsible handling of the family finances

Question 17

usury

Answer 17

Charging interest on a loan, esp. charging
illegally high or excessive interest

When the plague struck Barcelona, both explanations were used, about usury and the killing of Christ.

Question 18

vanguard

Answer 18

Leading units at the front of an army; leaders in
a trend or movement, people on the “cutting
edge”; the forefront of a trend or movement

talk radio is often regarded as being in the vanguard of the conservative movement

Question 19

variegated

Answer 19

Varied in color, having multicolored patches or
spots; diverse

the variegated costumes of the dancers in the nightclub

Question 20

veracity

Answer 20

Truthfulness, accuracy; habitual adherence to

the truth

Question 21

verdant

Answer 21

Green, such as with vegetation, plants, grass,

etc.; young and inexperienced

Question 22

verisimilar

Answer 22

Having the appearance of truth, probable
: depicting realism (as in art or literature)

Annie’s work thus far has been meticulously verisimilar, bordering on minimalist, with depopulated nurseries and studios built of balsa wood.

Question 23

vernal

Answer 23

Relating to or occurring in the spring; fresh, youthful

trees and flowers in vernal bloom

These beautiful acres include an environmentally sensitive vernal pool vital to wildlife and fragile ecosystems.

Question 24

vestige

Answer 24

Trace or sign of something that once existed

the fossilized vestige of a dinosaur that traversed that muddy landscape millions of years ago