Group 2

Question 1

Adulterate

Answer 1

To make something impure or weaker by adding something of inferior quality.

Verb

Ex: The chef refused to adulterate his dishes with artificial flavors.

Question 2

Advocate

Answer 2

To publicly support or recommend a particular cause or policy; a person who supports a cause.

Verb/Noun

Ex: She advocates for environmental protection tirelessly.

Question 3

Aggrandize

Answer 3

To increase the power, status, or wealth of.

Verb

Ex: He sought to aggrandize himself with spectacular public projects.

Question 4

Alacrity

Answer 4

Brisk and cheerful readiness.

Noun

Ex: She accepted the invitation with alacrity.

Question 5

Ambivalent

Answer 5

Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.

Adjective

Ex: He felt ambivalent about the promotion, as it required relocation.

Question 6

Ameliorate

Answer 6

To make something bad or unsatisfactory better.

Verb

Ex: The new laws were designed to ameliorate the conditions of people living in poverty.

Question 7

Amenable

Answer 7

Open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled.

Adjective

Ex: She was amenable to change because she wanted to improve.

Question 8

Anachronistic

Answer 8

Belonging to a period other than that being portrayed.

Adjective

Ex: Wearing a watch in a movie set in the Roman Empire is anachronistic.

Question 9

Audacious

Answer 9

Showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks.

Adjective

Ex: His audacious plan to skydive from the edge of space stunned everyone.

Question 10

Avaricious

Answer 10

Having or showing an extreme greed for wealth or material gain.

Adjective

Ex: The avaricious businessman was known for his ruthless tactics.

Question 11

Banal

Answer 11

So lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring.

Adjective

Ex: The conversation was banal and uninteresting.

Question 12

Benign

Answer 12

Gentle; kindly; not harmful.

Adjective

Ex: The tumor was found to be benign.

Question 13

Brazen

Answer 13

Bold and without shame.

Adjective

Ex: He made a brazen attempt to take over the company.

Question 14

Calumny

Answer 14

The making of false and defamatory statements about someone in order to damage their reputation; slander.

Noun

Ex: The article was a calumny designed to tarnish her reputation.

Question 15

Candid

Answer 15

Truthful and straightforward; frank.

Adjective

Ex: His candid remarks about the problem were appreciated.

Question 16

Castigate

Answer 16

To reprimand someone severely.

Verb

Ex: The teacher castigated the student for cheating.

Question 17

Caustic

Answer 17

Able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action; sarcastically biting.

Adjective

Ex: The comedian’s caustic jokes offended many in the audience.

Question 18

Construe

Answer 18

To interpret (a word or action) in a particular way.

Verb

Ex: His silence was construed as agreement.

Question 19

Contrite

Answer 19

Feeling or expressing remorse or penitence; affected by guilt.

Adjective

Ex: She was contrite for her harsh words.

Question 20

Convoluted

Answer 20

(Especially of an argument, story, or sentence) extremely complex and difficult to follow.

Adjective

Ex: The plot of the movie was too convoluted to understand.

Question 21

Covet

Answer 21

To desire to possess or have (something).

Verb

Ex: She coveted her neighbor’s new car.

Question 22

Craven

Answer 22

Contemptibly lacking in courage; cowardly.

Adjective

Ex: His craven refusal to defend his beliefs was disappointing.

Question 23

Decorum

Answer 23

Behavior in keeping with good taste and propriety.

Noun

Ex: She always maintained decorum in public.

Question 24

Deft

Answer 24

Neatly skillful and quick in one’s movements; demonstrating skill and cleverness.

Adjective

Ex: The deft chef amazed everyone with his quick knife skills.

Question 25

Demur

Answer 25

To raise doubts or objections or show reluctance; the action or process of objecting to or hesitating over something. | Verb/Noun ## Footnote Ex: She demurred at the proposal, citing concerns about its feasibility.

Question 26

Derivative

Answer 26

(Of a product) imitative of the work of another person, and usually disapproved of for that reason; something that is based on another source. | Adjective/Noun ## Footnote Ex: The film was criticized for being derivative and unoriginal.

Question 27

Desiccate

Answer 27

To remove the moisture from (something, especially food), typically in order to preserve it. | Verb ## Footnote Ex: We desiccate the fruit to make it last longer.

Question 28

Diatribe

Answer 28

A forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something. | Noun ## Footnote Ex: His speech was a lengthy diatribe against mainstream politics.

Question 29

Incredulous

Answer 29

(Of a person or their manner) unwilling or unable to believe something. | Adjective ## Footnote Ex: She gave him an incredulous look when he said he had never heard of the Beatles.

Question 30

Ingenuous

Answer 30

(Of a person or action) innocent and unsuspecting. | Adjective ## Footnote Ex: His ingenuous nature led him to trust people too easily.