Hit Parade Group 4

Question 1

aggrandize

Answer 1

to increase in intensity, power, influence or prestige

e.g. ‘aggrandize the ___ dynasty’

Question 2

astringent

Answer 2

causing contraction of skin cells and other tissues
e.g. ‘an astringent lotion’

or: slightly acidic or bitter (taste or smell)

Question 3

contiguous

Answer 3

sharing a border; touching; adjacent

e.g. ‘The Southern Ocean is contiguous with the Atlantic’

Question 4

credulous

Answer 4

tending to believe too readily; gullible (noun: credulity)

Question 5

desiccate

Answer 5

to dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull

e.g. ‘vegetation was desiccated by the relentless sun’

Question 6

dilettante

Answer 6

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

Question 7

garrulous

Answer 7

pointlessly talkative; talking too much

Question 8

immutable

Answer 8

not capable of change

e.g. ‘an immutable fact’

Question 9

impetuous

Answer 9

hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement

Question 10

inimical

Answer 10

damaging; harmful; injurious

e.g. ‘the policy was inimical to Britain’s interests’

Question 11

intractable

Answer 11

not easily managed or directed; stubborn; obstinate

Question 12

intrepid

Answer 12

steadfast and courageous

Question 13

laconic

Answer 13

using few words; terse

e.g. ‘a laconic reply’

Question 14

phlegmatic

Answer 14

calm; sluggish; unemotional

e.g. ‘the phlegmatic British character’

Question 15

probity

Answer 15

integrity, uprightness

e.g. ‘the lawyer questioned the probity of the witness’

Question 16

proclivity

Answer 16

a natural predisposition or inclination

Question 17

profligate

Answer 17

excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant (noun: profligacy)

Question 18

prosaic

Answer 18

dull; lacking in spirit or imagination

Question 19

quixotic

Answer 19

extremely idealistic; unrealistic and impractical

e.g. ‘a vast and perhaps quixotic project’

Question 20

quotidian

Answer 20

occurring or recurring daily; commonplace

e.g. ‘the car sped through the quotidian traffic’

Question 21

rarefy

Answer 21

to make or become thin, less dense; to refine

e.g. ‘chemotherapy may rarefy a person’s hair’

Question 22

recondite

Answer 22

(of a subject or knowledge) little known

e.g. ‘the book is full of recondite information’

Question 23

refulgent

Answer 23

radiant; shiny; brilliant

e.g. ‘refulgent blue eyes’

Question 24

sedulous

Answer 24

diligent; persistent; hardworking

Question 25

soporific

Answer 25

causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep

Question 26

trenchant

Answer 26

sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating

e.g. ‘the white paper makes trenchant criticisms of the authorities’

Question 27

variegated

Answer 27

multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different color

Question 28

vituperate

Answer 28

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

e.g. ‘the coach continued to vituperate the team with abusive talk’