H

Question 1

hackneyed

(adj.)

Answer 1

unoriginal, trite

(A girl can only hear “I love you” so many times before it begins to sound hackneyed and meaningless.)

Question 2

hallowed

(adj.)

Answer 2

revered, consecrated

(In the hallowed corridors of the cathedral, the disturbed professor felt himself to be at peace.)

Question 3

hapless

(adj.)

Answer 3

unlucky

(My poor, hapless family never seems to pick a sunny week to go on vacation.)

Question 4

harangue

1.(n.) 2.(v.)

Answer 4

1. a ranting speech
2. to give such a speech

1. (Everyone had heard the teacher’s harangue about gum chewing in class before.)
2. (But this time the teacher harangued the class about the importance of brushing your teeth after chewing gum.)

Question 5

hardy

(adj.)

Answer 5

robust, capable of surviving through adverse conditions

(I too would have expected the plants to be dead by mid-November, but apparently they’re very hardy.)

Question 6

harrowing

(adj.)

Answer 6

greatly distressing, vexing

(The car crash was a harrowing experience, but I have a feeling that the increase in my insurance premiums will be even more upsetting.)

Question 7

haughty

(adj.)

Answer 7

disdainfully proud

(The superstar’s haughty dismissal of her costars will backfire on her someday.)

Question 8

hedonist

(n.)

Answer 8

one who believed pleasure should be the primary pursuit of humans

(Because he’s such a hedonist, I knew Murray would appreciate the 11 cases of wine I bought him for his birthday.)

Question 9

hegemony

(n.)

Answer 9

domination over others

(Britain’s hegemony over its colonies was threatened once nationalist sentiment began to spread around the world.)

Question 10

heinous

(adj.)

Answer 10

shockingly wicked, repugnant

(The killings were made all the more heinous by the fact that the murderer first tortured his victims for three days.)

Question 12

hiatus

(n.)

Answer 12

a break or gap in duration or continuity

(The hiatus in service should last two or three months—until the cable lines are repaired .)

Question 13

hierarchy

(n.)

Answer 13

a system with ranked groups, usually according to social, economic, or professional class

(Women found it very difficult to break into the upper ranks of the department’s hierarchy.)

Question 14

hypocrisy

(n.)

Answer 14

pretending to believe what one does not

(Once the politician began passing legislation that contradicted his campaign promises, his hypocrisy became apparent.)

Question 15

hypothetical

(adj.)

Answer 15

supposed or assumed true, but unproven

(Even though it has been celebrated by seven major newspapers, that the drug will be a success when tested in humans is still hypothetical.)