Group 2

Question 1

adulterate/debase/taint/defile

Answer 1

make poorer in quality

Question 2

advocate

Answer 2

publicly support something

Question 3

aggrandize

Answer 3

increase the power/status/wealth of

Question 4

alacrity

Answer 4

eagerness, willingness

Question 5

ambivalent/equivocal

Answer 5

having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas, unsure

Question 6

ameliorate

Answer 6

improve something

Question 7

anachronistic

Answer 7

belonging to a period other than the one being portrayed

Question 8

audacious

Answer 8

bold

Question 9

avaricious

Answer 9

showing greed for wealth and material gain

Question 10

banal

Answer 10

so lacking in originality that it is boring

Question 11

benign

Answer 11

gentle and kindly, not harmful

Question 12

brazen

Answer 12

bold and without shame

Question 13

calumny/slander

Answer 13

false statements about someone to reduce their reputation

Question 14

candid/frank

Answer 14

truthful and straightforward

Question 15

castigate

Answer 15

reprimand (punish) someone severely

Question 16

caustic

Answer 16

corrode, sarcastic in a bitter way

Question 17

construe

Answer 17

interpret

Question 18

contrite

Answer 18

remorseful

Question 19

convoluted

Answer 19

extremely complex

Question 20

covet

Answer 20

desire

Question 21

craven

Answer 21

lacking in courage, cowardly

Question 22

decorum/propreity

Answer 22

behavior in keeping with good taste

Question 23

deft

Answer 23

skillful/quick in one’s movements

Question 24

demur

Answer 24

raise doubts or show reluctance

Question 25

desiccate

Answer 25

dehydrate

Question 26

diatribe

Answer 26

a forceful verbal attack against someone or something

Question 27

incredulous

Answer 27

unable to believe something

Question 28

ingenuous

Answer 28

naive, sincere