Essential Words VII

Question 1

Aesthetic

Answer 1

Concerning the appreciation of beauty or good taste, pertaining to the science of what is beautiful; a set of principles or testes guiding an artistic practice.

Question 2

Affable

Answer 2

Warm and friendly, pleasant, approachable

Question 3

Affectation

Answer 3

Fake behavior (such as in speech or dress) adopted to give a certain impression.

Question 4

Aggrandize

Answer 4

Make greater; exaggerate

Question 5

Aggregate

Answer 5

Gather together, amount to (verb); constitution a whole made up of constituent parts

Question 6

Alacrity

Answer 6

Cheerful or speedy willingness

Question 7

Alienate

Answer 7

Cause to become unfriendly, hostile, or distant

Question 8

Alleviate

Answer 8

Lessen, make easier to endure

Question 9

Ambiguous

Answer 9

Not clear, hard to understand, open to having several meanings or interpretations.

Question 10

Ambivalent

Answer 10

Uncertain; unable to decide, or wanting to do two contradictory things at once

Question 11

Analogous

Answer 11

Comparable, corresponding in some particular way (making a good analogy)

Question 12

Anarchy

Answer 12

Absence of law or government; chaos, disorder

Question 13

Anoint

Answer 13

Rub or sprinkle oil on; make sacred, such as by a ceremony that includes applying oil to someone

Question 14

Anomaly

Answer 14

Deviation from what is common; inconsistency

Question 15

Antagonize

Answer 15

Make hostile or unfriendly

Question 16

Antipathy

Answer 16

Deep dislike, aversion, or repugnance, sometimes without reason

Question 17

Apathy

Answer 17

Not caring; absence of feeling; lack of interest or concern

Question 18

Apocryphal

Answer 18

Of questionable authenticity; false

Question 19

Appease

Answer 19

Pacify, satisfy, relieve; concede to belligerent demands, sometimes at the expense of principles

Question 20

Appreciable

Answer 20

Enough to be perceived, considerable

Question 21

Arbitrary

Answer 21

Based entirely on one’s discretion; capricious, unreasonable, or having no basis

Question 22

Arcane

Answer 22

Know or understood by only a few; obscure, secret

Question 23

Archaic

Answer 23

Characteristic of an earlier period, ancient, primitive

Question 24

Arduous

Answer 24

Very difficult, strenuous; severe, hard to endure

Question 25

Articulate

Answer 25

Using language in a clear, fluent way; speak distinctly or give clarity to an idea

Question 26

Artifact

Answer 26

Any object made by humans, especially those from an earlier time, such as those excavated by archeologists

Question 27

Artless

Answer 27

Free of deceit or craftiness, natural, genuine; lacking skill or knowledge, crude, uncultured

Question 28

Ascertain

Answer 28

Find out with certainty

Question 29

Ascetic

Answer 29

Abstinent or austere in lifestyle; a person who leads an austere and simple life without material pleasures, esp. someone who does this for religious reasons.

Question 30

Assuage

Answer 30

Make milder, relieve; soothe, pacify, or calm

Question 31

Audacious

Answer 31

Very bold or brave, often in a rude or reckless way; extremely original

Question 32

Augment

Answer 32

Make larger

Question 33

Austere

Answer 33

Severe in manner or appearance; very self-disciplined, ascetic; without luxury or ease; sober or serious.

Question 34

Aver

Answer 34

Declare or affirm with confidence, say

Question 35

Avid

Answer 35

Enthusiastic, dedicated, passionate; excessively desirous

Question 36

Balk

Answer 36

Refuse to proceed or to do something

Question 37

Base

Answer 37

Morally low, mean, dishonorable; of little or no value; crude or unrefined; counterfeit

Question 38

Belie

Answer 38

Contradict or misrepresent

Question 39

Benign

Answer 39

Harmless; favorable; kindly, gentle, or beneficial; not cancerous

Question 40

Bogus

Answer 40

Fake, fraudulent

Question 41

Bolster

Answer 41

Strengthen or support

Question 42

Boor

Answer 42

Rude, ill-mannered, or insensitive person; a peasant or country bumpkin

Question 43

Buffer

Answer 43

Something that shields, protects, absorbs shocks, or cushions

Question 44

Bureaucracy

Answer 44

Government characterized by many bureaus and petty administrators or by excessive, seemingly meaningless requirements

Question 45

Burgeon

Answer 45

Grow or flourish rapidly; put forth buds or shoots

Question 46

Buttress

Answer 46

Support or encourage; a support or prop, esp. projecting from and supporting the wall of a building

Question 47

Bygone

Answer 47

Past, former; that which is in the past

Question 48

Cacophony

Answer 48

Harsh, discordant, or meaningless mixture of sounds

Question 49

Candid

Answer 49

Open, sincere, honest

Question 50

Canonical

Answer 50

Authorized, recognized; pertaining to the canon, or body of accepted rules, standards, or artistic works.