Direct Hits 11 The Toughest Words II

Question 1

idiosyncrasy

Answer 1

a trait or mannerism that is peculiar to an individual

Question 2

censorious, captious

Answer 2

highly critical; fault-finding

Question 3

consternation

Answer 3

a state of great dismay and confusion

Question 4

didactic

Answer 4

tending to give instruction or advice; inclined to teach or lecture others too much; containing a political or moral lesson

Question 5

elucidate

Answer 5

to make clear or plain, especially by explanation

Question 6

effusive

Answer 6

expressing excessive emotion in an unrestrained manner; gushing

Question 7

prolific

Answer 7

very productive

Question 8

furor

Answer 8

a general commotion; an uproar

Question 9

paranoia

Answer 9

a tendency toward excessive or irrational suspiciousness; irrational fear; delusions of persecution

Question 10

marginal, peripheral

Answer 10

of secondary importance; not central; on the perimeter

Question 11

obfuscate

Answer 11

to deliberately confuse; to make something so confusing that it is hard to understand

Question 12

flummox

Answer 12

to confuse; to perplex

Question 13

spate

Answer 13

a large number or amount

Question 14

ineffable

Answer 14

too overwhelming to be put into words; indescribable; inexpressible

Question 15

histrionic, overwrought

Answer 15

excessively dramatic or melodramatic; theatrical; overacted

Question 16

placate

Answer 16

to soothe or calm; to appease

Question 17

eschew

Answer 17

to avoid; to shun; to stay clear of

Question 18

stopgap

Answer 18

a temporary solution designed to meet an urgent need

Question 19

flotsam

Answer 19

the floating wreckage of a ship; debris

Question 20

churlish, sullen, surly

Answer 20

ill-tempered; rude; lacking civility

Question 21

restitution

Answer 21

the act of making good or compensating for a loss, damage, or injury

Question 22

disquieting

Answer 22

disturbing; upsetting; vexing; causing unease; worrisome

Question 23

ornate

Answer 23

characterized by elaborate and expensive decorations; lavish

Question 24

execrable, odious, repugnant

Answer 24

detestable; repulsive; extremely bad

Question 25

perspicacious, prescient, discerning

Answer 25

insightful, perceptive

Question 26

eclectic

Answer 26

choosing or using a variety of sources

Question 27

hiatus

Answer 27

an interruption in time or continuity; a break

Question 28

vertiginous

Answer 28

characterized by or suffering from dizziness; having vertigo

Question 29

esoteric, arcane

Answer 29

characterized by knowledge that is known only to a small group of specialists; obscure; recondite

Question 30

supercilious

Answer 30

showing haughty disdain or arrogant superiority

Question 31

blithe

Answer 31

joyous; sprightly; mirthful; light; vivacious

Question 32

underwrite

Answer 32

to assume financial responsibility for

Question 33

discomfited

Answer 33

uneasy; in a state of embarrassment

Question 34

taciturn

Answer 34

habitually quiet; uncommunicative

Question 35

sinecure

Answer 35

an office or position that provides an income for little or no work

Question 36

cosmopolitan

Answer 36

worldly; sophisticated; open-minded and aware of the big picture

Question 37

provincial, parochial, insular

Answer 37

limited in perspective; narrow; restricted in scope and outlook

Question 38

lugubrious

Answer 38

sad, mournful, melancholic

Question 39

fecund

Answer 39

intellectually productive or inventive, fertile

Question 40

ostentatious

Answer 40

showy; intended to attract notice; pretentious

Question 41

guile

Answer 41

treacherous cunning; skillful deceit

Question 42

sanguine

Answer 42

cheerfully confident; optimistic

Question 43

scintillating

Answer 43

sparkling; shining; brilliantly clever

Question 44

pristine

Answer 44

remaining in a pure state; uncorrupted by civilization

Question 45

rampant

Answer 45

unrestrained; unchecked

Question 46

pernicious

Answer 46

highly injurious; destructive; deadly

Question 47

oblivious

Answer 47

lacking conscious awareness; unmindful; unaware

Question 48

refractory

Answer 48

obstinately resistant to authority or control

Question 49

garrulous, verbose, loquacious

Answer 49

annoyingly talkative; voluble

Question 50

convivial

Answer 50

sociable; fond of feasting, drinking, and good company

Question 51

brusque, curt

Answer 51

abrupt in manner or speech; discourteously blunt

Question 52

tepid

Answer 52

lukewarm; mild; half-hearted

Question 53

protean

Answer 53

readily taking on varied forms and meanings

Question 54

solicitous

Answer 54

showing great care and concern; attentive

Question 55

disingenuous

Answer 55

insincere; not straightforward; not candid

Question 56

venerate, revere

Answer 56

to regard with great respect; to hold in high esteem

Question 57

contentious

Answer 57

quarrelsome; argumentative; likely to provoke a controversy; disputatious

Question 58

preclude

Answer 58

to make impossible; to rule out; to prevent

Question 59

compunction, contrition, remorse, penitence

Answer 59

feelings of sincere and deep regret

Question 60

demography

Answer 60

the study of the characteristics of human populations

Question 61

aphorism, axiom

Answer 61

a statement universally accepted as true; a maxim

Question 62

juxtapose

Answer 62

to place side by side or in close proximity

Question 63

juxtaposition

Answer 63

the position of being close together or side by side

Question 64

bombastic

Answer 64

pompous or pretentious in speech or writing; ostentatiously lofty in style

Question 65

forbearance

Answer 65

abstaining from the enforcement of a right; the act of refraining from acting on a desire or impulse

Question 66

unfettered

Answer 66

freed from restraint of any kind; liberated

Question 67

prescribe

Answer 67

to require; to order; to direct

Question 68

proscribe

Answer 68

to forbid; to prohibit; to outlaw