Hit Parade 4

Question 1

Acerbic

Answer 1

Having a sour or bitter taste or character; sharp; biting

Question 2

Aggrandize

Answer 2

To increase in intensity, power, influence, or prestige

Question 3

Alchemy

Answer 3

A medieval science aimed at the transmutation of metals, esp. base metals into gold (an alchemist is one who practices alchemy)

Question 4

Amendable

Answer 4

Agreeable; responsive to suggestion

Question 5

Anachronism

Answer 5

Something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context

Question 5

Astringent

Answer 5

Having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe; something with a tightening effect on tissue

Question 6

Contiguous

Answer 6

Sharing a border; touching; adjacent

Question 7

Convention

Answer 7

A generally agreed-upon practice or attitude

Question 8

Credulous

Answer 8

Tending to believe too readily; gullible (noun form: credulity)

Question 9

Cynicism

Answer 9

An attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness (adj. form: cynical)

Question 10

Decorum

Answer 10

Polite or appropriate conduct or behavior (adj. form: decorous)

Question 11

Derision

Answer 11

Scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment (adj. form: derisive;
verb form: deride)

Question 12

Desiccate

Answer 12

To dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull

Question 13

Dilettante

Answer 13

One with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge

Question 14

Disparate

Answer 14

To slight or belittle

Question 15

Divulge

Answer 15

To disclose something secret

Question 16

Fawn

Answer 16

To flatter or praise excessively

Question 17

Flout

Answer 17

To show contempt for, as in a rule or convention

Question 18

Garrulous

Answer 18

Pointlessly talkative; talking too much

Question 19

Glib

Answer 19

Marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial

Question 20

Hubris

Answer 20

Overbearing presumption or pride; arrogance

Question 21

Imminent

Answer 21

About to happen; impending

Question 22

Immutable

Answer 22

Not capable of change

Question 23

Impetuous

Answer 23

Hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement

Question 24

Indifferent

Answer 24

Having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice

Question 25

Inimical

Answer 25

Damaging; harmful; injurious

Question 26

Intractable

Answer 26

Not easily managed or directed; stubborn; obstinate

Question 27

Intrepid

Answer 27

Steadfast and courageous

Question 28

Laconic

Answer 28

Using few words; terse

Question 29

Maverick

Answer 29

An independent individual who does not go along with a group or party

Question 30

Mercurial

Answer 30

Characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood

Question 31

Mollify

Answer 31

To calm it soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity

Question 32

Neophyte

Answer 32

A recent convert; a beginner; novice

Question 33

Obfuscate

Answer 33

I deliberately obscure; to make confusing

Question 34

Obstinate

Answer 34

Stubborn; hard-headed; uncompromising

Question 35

Ostentatious

Answer 35

Characterized by or given to pretentious display; showy

Question 36

Pervade

Answer 36

To permeate throughout (adj. form: pervasive)

Question 37

Phlegmatic

Answer 37

Calm; sluggish; unemotional

Question 38

Plethora

Answer 38

An over-abundance; a surplus

Question 39

Pragmatic

Answer 39

Practical rather than idealistic

Question 40

Presumptuous

Answer 40

Overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy); taking liberties

Question 41

Pristine

Answer 41

Pure; uncorrupted; clean

Question 42

Probity

Answer 42

Adherence to highest principles; complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness

Question 43

Proclivity

Answer 43

A natural predisposition or inclination

Question 44

Profligate

Answer 44

Excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant (noun form: profligacy)

Question 45

Propensity

Answer 45

A natural inclination or tendency; penchant

Question 46

Prosaic

Answer 46

Dull; lacking in spirit or imagination

Question 47

Pungent

Answer 47

Characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste

Question 48

Quixotic

Answer 48

Foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals

Question 49

Quotidian

Answer 49

Occurring or recurring daily; commonplace

Question 50

Rarefy

Answer 50

To make or become thin, less dense; to refine

Question 51

Recondite

Answer 51

Hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure

Question 52

Refulgent

Answer 52

Radiant; shiny; brilliant

Question 53

Renege

Answer 53

To fail to honor a commitment; to go back on a promise

Question 54

Sedulous

Answer 54

Diligent; persistent; hard-working

Question 55

Shard

Answer 55

A piece of broken pottery or glass

Question 56

Soporific

Answer 56

Causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep

Question 57

Sparse

Answer 57

Thin; not dense; arranged at widely spaced intervals

Question 58

Spendthrift

Answer 58

One who spends money wastefully

Question 59

Subtle

Answer 59

Not obvious; elusive; difficult to discern

Question 60

Tacit

Answer 60

Implied; not explicitly stated

Question 61

Terse

Answer 61

Brief and concise in wording

Question 62

Tout

Answer 62

To publicly praise or promote

Question 63

Trenchant

Answer 63

Sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating

Question 64

Unfeigned

Answer 64

Genuine; not false or hypocritical

Question 65

Untenable

Answer 65

Indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable

Question 66

Vacillate

Answer 66

To waver indecisively between one course of action or opinion and another

Question 67

Variegated

Answer 67

Multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different color

Question 68

Vexation

Answer 68

Annoyance; irritation (verb form: vex)

Question 69

Vigilant

Answer 69

Alertly watchful (noun form: vigilance)

Question 70

Vituperate

Answer 70

To use harsh condemnatory language; to abuse or censure severely or abusively; to berate

Question 71

Volatile

Answer 71

Readily changing to a vapor; changeable; fickle; explosive (noun form: volatility)