High-frequency Words

Question 1

Abstruse

Answer 1

Obscure; profound; difficult to understand.

Baffled by the abstruse philosophical texts assigned in class, Dave asked Lexy to explain Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason.

Question 2

Acclaim

Answer 2

Applaud; announce with great approval.

The NBC sportscasters acclaimed every American victory in the Olympics and decried every American defeat.

Question 3

Accolade

Answer 3

Award of merit.

In Hollywood; an “Oscar” is the highest accolade.

Question 4

Acquiesce

Answer 4

Assent; agree without protesting.

Although she appeared to acquiesce to her employer’s suggestions, I could tell she had reservations about the changes he wanted made.

Question 5

Acrid

Answer 5

Sharp; bitterly pungent.

The acrid odor of burnt gunpowder filled the room after the pistol had been fired.

Question 6

Acrimonious

Answer 6

Bitter in words or manner.

The candidate attacked his opponent in highly acrimonious terms.

Question 7

Adulation

Answer 7

Flattery; admiration.

The rock star thrived on the adulation of his groupies and yes men.

Question 8

Adversary

Answer 8

Opponent.

The young wrestler struggled to defeat his adversary.

Question 9

Adversity

Answer 9

Unfavorable fortune; hardship; a calamitous event.

According to the humorist Mark Twain, anyone can easily learn to endure adversity, as long as it is another man’s.

Question 10

Affable

Answer 10

Easily approachable; warmly friendly.

Accustomed to cold, aloof supervisors, Nicholas was amazed at how affable his new employer was.

Question 11

Affirmation

Answer 11

Positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath.

Despite Tom’s affirmations of innocence, Aunt Polly still suspected he had eaten the pie.

Question 12

Alleviate

Answer 12

Relieve

This should alleviate the pain; if it does not, we shall have to use stronger drugs.

Question 13

Altruistic

Answer 13

Unselfishly generous; concerned for others.

In providing tutorial assistance and college scholarships for hundreds of economically disadvantaged youths, Eugene Lang performed a truly altruistic deed.

Question 14

Ambivalence

Answer 14

The state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes.

Torn between loving her parents one minute and hating them the next, she was confused by the ambivalence of her feelings.

Question 15

Analogous

Answer 15

Comparable.

She called our attention to the things that had been done in an analogous situation and recommended that we do the same.

Question 16

Anarchist

Answer 16

Person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority.

Denying she was an anarchist, Katya maintained she wished only to make changes in our government, not to destroy it entirely.

Question 17

Antagonism

Answer 17

Hostility; active resistance.

Barry showed his antagonism toward his new stepmother by ignoring her whenever she tried talking to him.

Question 18

Apathy

Answer 18

Lack of caring; indifference.

A firm believer in democratic government, she could not understand the apathy of people who never bothered to vote.

Question 19

Appease

Answer 19

Pacify or soothe; relieve.

Tom and Jody tried to appease the crying baby by offering him one toy after another, but he would not calm down until the appeased his hunger by giving him a bottle.

Question 20

Arbitrary

Answer 20

Capricious; randomly chosen; tyrannical

Tom’s arbitrary dismissal angered him; his boss had no reason to fire him. He threw an arbitrary assortment of clothes into his suitcase and headed off, not caring where he went.

Question 21

Ascendancy

Answer 21

Controlling influence; domination.

Leaders of religious cults maintain ascendancy over their followers by methods that can verge on brainwashing.

Question 22

Aspire

Answer 22

Seek to attain; long for.

Because he aspired to a career in professional sports, Philip enrolled in a graduate program in sports management.

Question 23

Assiduous

Answer 23

Diligent.

He was assiduous, working at his task for weeks before he felt satisfied with his redults.

Question 24

Astute

Answer 24

Wise; shrewd; keen

John made astute investments in land, shrewdly purchasing valuable plots throughout New York City.

Question 25

Augment

Answer 25

Increase; add to

Armies augment their forces by calling up reinforcements; teachers augment their salaries by taking odd jobs.

Question 26

Austere

Answer 26

Forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented.

The headmaster’s austere demeanor tended to scare off the more timid students.

The room reflected the man, austere and bare, like a monk’s cell, with no touched of luxury to moderate its austerity.

Question 27

Abridge

Answer 27

Condense or shorten.

Because the publishers felt the public wanted a shorter version of War and Peace, they proceeded to abridge the novel.