Degree

Question 1

adept

Answer 1

• very skillful; adroit

Coach Bombay’s innovative teaching techniques helped the Mighty Ducks become more adept at playing hockey.

Question 2

arduous

Answer 2

• very difficult to accomplish

Harry Potter has the arduous task of defeating a dragon in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Question 3

empathetic

Answer 3

• very compassionate; very sympathetic
  In the movie Freaky Friday, Tess and Anna learn to be empathetic when they are forced to walk in one another’s shoes, ultimately gaining respect and understanding for the other’s point of view.

Question 4

assiduous

Answer 4

• very diligent; very persistent

You should assiduously study each word on this list.

Question 5

furtive; clandestine

Answer 5

• very secretive; very stealthy

On “Survivor,” contestants make clandestine plans to sabotage one another in order to get others voted off the show.

Question 6

contemplative

Answer 6

• very thoughtful; meditative; pensive

Hamlet is contemplative as he tries to decide if his life is worth living.

Question 7

trepidation

Answer 7

• great fear

Dorothy and her friends are filled with trepidation as they approached the Wizard of Oz.

Question 8

destitute

Answer 8

• very poor; indigent

In the movie Trading Places, Eddie Murphy plays a character who is originally destitute but becomes wealthy.

Question 9

distraught; inconsolable

Answer 9

• very distressed; very worried

Marlin was distraught when Nemo was captured by a diver.

Question 10

despicable

Answer 10

• vile; very contemptible

The Green Goblin is a despicable villain who commits horrible crimes.

Question 11

exasperated

Answer 11

• very irritated; very annoyed

Avril Lavigne is exasperated with her boyfriend when she demands to know why he is making things so complicated

Question 12

ecstatic; exuberant; elated; euphoric

Answer 12

• feeling great happiness

Contestants are usually ecstatic when they see the results of their extreme home makeover.

Question 13

garish

Answer 13

• excessively vivid in color
  Television home makeover shows do an excellent job of turning garish, tacky rooms into tastefully decorated living spaces.

Question 14

ostentatious

Answer 14

• fond of conspicuous display; pompous; pretentious

Some ostentatious celebrities try to attract attention with their glittering jewels and flashy cars.

Question 15

vigilant

Answer 15

• very watchful

The officers aboard the Titanic were not vigilant.

Question 16

prodigious

Answer 16

• very large; vast; huge

The earthquake triggered a tsunami that sent prodigious waves across the island.

Question 17

munificent

Answer 17

• very generous

Oprah is known for bestowing munificent gifts on members of her studio audience.

Question 18

parsimonious

Answer 18

• very stingy; miserly
  Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda are NOT parsimonious. They donate millions of dollars every year in an effort to improve health and education around the world.

Question 19

convivial

Answer 19

• fond of social interaction
  In Renoir’s famous painting Luncheon of the Boating Party, the convivial host and his guests are enjoying a pleasant afternoon lunch.

Question 20

affable

Answer 20

• friendly

The hostess was the life of the party because she was so affable.

Question 21

sanguine

Answer 21

• very optimistic; hopeful

President Reagan was renowned for his sanguine outlook on life.

Question 22

unctuous

Answer 22

- too smooth; too suave and thus giving a false sense of earnestness
In the movie School of Rock, the unctuous Dewey Finn tries to persuade his principal to give him permission to take his class on a "field trip."

Question 23

sanctimonious

Answer 23

• making a show of being devout and thus giving a sense of false piousness
  A sanctimonious person comes across as being “holier than thou.” In School of Rock, Patty (Ned’s wife) is a sanctimonious busybody, who reveals Dewey’s true identity.

Question 24

lucrative

Answer 24

• very profitable

Both the Spider-Man 2 and Shrek 2 franchises are lucrative.

Question 25

scrutinize

Answer 25

• to very closely or very carefully examine a person or thing
  On Oscar night, the press loves to scrutinize outfits of stars such as Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, and Jennifer Lopez as they walk the red carpet.

Question 26

irate; livid

Answer 26

• showing great anger and rage
  In the movie Mean Girls, the junior girls at North Shore High School were livid when they read what the Plastics said about them in the “Burn Book.”

Question 27

circumspect

Answer 27

• very cautious; very careful; prudent.

A circumspect person looks before leaping.