Direct Hits 2 Core Vocabulary II

Question 1

diminutive

Answer 1

very small

Question 2

trivial

Answer 2

trifling; unimportant; insignificant

Question 3

minutiae

Answer 3

minor everyday details

Question 4

exhort

Answer 4

to encourage; to urge; to give a pep talk; to implore

Question 5

antipathy

Answer 5

strong dislike; ill will; the state of detesting someone; enmity; rancor

Question 6

digress

Answer 6

to depart from a subject; to wander; to ramble

Question 7

tenacious

Answer 7

characterized by holding fast; showing great determination in holding on to something that is valued

Question 8

polarize

Answer 8

to create disunity or dissension; to break up into opposing factions or groups; to be divisive

Question 9

nebulous

Answer 9

vague; cloudy; misty; lacking a fully developed form

Question 10

analogy

Answer 10

a similarity or likeness between things—events, ideas, actions, trends—that are otherwise unrelated

Question 11

analogous

Answer 11

comparable or similar in certain respects

Question 12

ephemeral, fleeting, evanescent

Answer 12

very brief; lasting for a short time; transient

Question 13

perennial

Answer 13

returning year after year; enduring

Question 14

penchant, predilection, propensity

Answer 14

a liking or preference for something; a bent; an inclination

Question 15

capricious, mercurial, fickle

Answer 15

very changeable; characterized by constantly shifting moods

Question 16

boorish, uncouth, crass

Answer 16

vulgar; characterized by crude behavior and deplorable manners; unrefined

Question 17

thwart, stymie

Answer 17

to stop; to frustrate; to prevent

Question 18

adroit, deft, adept

Answer 18

to have or show great skill; dexterous; nimble

Question 19

admonish

Answer 19

to earnestly caution; to warn another to avoid a course of action

Question 20

incontrovertible

Answer 20

impossible to deny or disprove; demonstrably true

Question 21

rapacious

Answer 21

voracious; ravenous; insatiable

Question 22

callous

Answer 22

insensitive; unfeeling; emotionally hardened;

Question 23

intrepid, undaunted

Answer 23

courageous; resolute; fearless

Question 24

nonchalant

Answer 24

unflappable; having an air of casual indifference; coolly unconcerned; unflappable

Question 25

itinerant

Answer 25

migrating from place to place; not sedentary

Question 26

poignant

Answer 26

moving; touching; heartrending

Question 27

impetus

Answer 27

a stimulus or encouragement that results in increased activity

Question 28

bucolic, rustic, pastoral

Answer 28

characteristic of charming, unspoiled countryside and the simple, rural life

Question 29

equanimity

Answer 29

calmness; composure; even-tempered; poise

Question 30

panache, verve, flamboyance, élan

Answer 30

great vigor and energy; dash, especially in artistic performance and composition

Question 31

provocative

Answer 31

provoking discussion; stimulating controversy; arousing a reaction

Question 32

placid

Answer 32

serene; calm or quiet; undisturbed by tumult or disorder

Question 33

fortuitous

Answer 33

of accidental but fortunate occurrence; having unexpected good fortune

Question 34

dispel

Answer 34

to drive away; scatter, as to dispel a misconception

Question 35

viable, feasible

Answer 35

capable of being accomplished; possible

Question 36

intemperate

Answer 36

lacking restraint; excessive

Question 37

temperate

Answer 37

exercising moderation and restraint

Question 38

superficial

Answer 38

shallow; lacking in depth; concerned with surface appearances

Question 39

laud, extol, tout, acclaim

Answer 39

to praise; to applaud

Question 40

dismissive

Answer 40

showing overt intentional indifference or disregard; rejecting

Question 41

disparage

Answer 41

to speak of in a slighting or disrespectful way; to belittle

Question 42

cryptic

Answer 42

having a hidden or ambiguous meaning; mysterious

Question 43

subtle

Answer 43

difficult to detect; faint; mysterious; likely to elude perception

Question 44

disparity

Answer 44

an inequality; a gap; an imbalance

Question 45

curtail

Answer 45

to cut short or reduce

Question 46

innocuous

Answer 46

harmless; not likely to give offense or to arouse strong feelings or hostility; not inimical

Question 47

diatribe, tirade, harangue

Answer 47

a bitter abusive denunciation; a thunderous verbal attack; a rant