K [a] Flashcards

Question 1

Q

abase

Answer

A

(v.) to humiliate, degrade (After being overthrown and abased, the deposed leader offered to bow down to his conqueror.)

Question 2

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abate

Answer

A

(v.) to reduce, lessen (The rain poured down for a while, then abated.)

Question 3

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abdicate

Answer

A

(v.) to give up a position, usually one of leadership (When he realized that the revolutionaries would surely win, the king abdicated his throne.)

Question 4

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abduct

Answer

A

(v.) to kidnap, take by force (The evildoers abducted the fairy princess from her happy home.)

Question 5

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aberration

Answer

A

(n.) something that differs from the norm (In 1918, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series, but the success turned out to be an aberration, and the Red Sox have not won a World Series since.)

Question 6

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abet

Answer

A

(v.) to aid, help, encourage (The spy succeeded only because he had a friend on the inside to abet him.)

Question 7

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abhor

Answer

A

(v.) to hate, detest (Because he always wound up kicking himself in the head when he tried to play soccer, Oswald began to abhor the sport.)

Question 8

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abide

Answer

A

1. (v.) to put up with (Though he did not agree with the decision, Chuck decided to abide by it.) 2. (v.) to remain (Despite the beating they’ve taken from the weather throughout the millennia, the mountains abide.)

Question 9

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abject

Answer

A

abject (adj.) wretched, pitiful (After losing all her money, falling into a puddle, and breaking her ankle, Eloise was abject.)

Question 10

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abjure

Answer

A

(v.) to reject, renounce (To prove his honesty, the President abjured the evil policies of his wicked predecessor.)

Question 11

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abnegation

Answer

A

(n.) denial of comfort to oneself (The holy man slept on the floor, took only cold showers, and generally followed other practices of abnegation.)

Question 12

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abort

Answer

A

(v.)to give up on a half-finished project or effort (After they ran out offood, the men, attempting to jump rope around the world, had to abort and go home.)

Question 13

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abridge

Answer

A

1. (v.) to cut down, shorten (The publisher thought the dictionary was too long and abridged it.) 2. (adj.) shortened (Moby-Dick is such a long book that even the abridged version is longer than most normal books.)

Question 14

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abrogate

Answer

A

(v.) to abolish, usually by authority (The Bill of Rights assures that the government cannot abrogate our right to a free press.)

Question 15

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abscond

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A

(v.) to sneak away and hide (In the confusion, the super-spy absconded into the night with the secret plans.)

Question 16

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absolution

Answer

A

absolution (n.) freedom from blame, guilt, sin (Once all the facts were known, the jury gave Angela absolution by giving a verdict of not guilty.)

Question 17

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abstain

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A

(v.) to freely choose not to commit an action (Everyone demanded that Angus put on the kilt, but he did not want to do it and abstained.)

Question 18

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abstruse

Answer

A

(adj.) hard to comprehend (Everyone else in the class understood geometry easily, but John found the subject abstruse.)

Question 19

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accede

Answer

A

(v.) to agree (When the class asked the teacher whether they couldplay baseball instead of learn grammar they expected him to refuse, but instead he acceded to their request.)

Question 20

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accentuate

Answer

A

(v.) to stress, highlight (Psychologists agree that those people who are happiest accentuate the positive in life.)

Question 21

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accessible

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A

(adj.) obtainable, reachable (After studying with SparkNotes and getting a great score on the SAT, Marlena happily realized that her goal of getting into an Ivy-League college was accessible.)

Question 22

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acclaim

Answer

A

(n.) high praise (Greg’s excellentpoem won the acclaim of his friends.)

Question 23

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accolade

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A

(n.) high praise, special distinction (Everyone offered accolades to Sam after he won the Noble Prize.)

Question 24

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accommodating

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A

(adj.) helpful, obliging, polite (Though the apartment was not big enough for three people, Arnold, Mark, and Zebulon were all friends and were accommodating to each other.)

Question 25

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accord

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A

(n.) an agreement (After much negotiating, England and Iceland finally came to a mutually beneficial accord aboutfishing rights off the cost of Greenland.)

Question 26

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accost

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A

(v.) to confront verbally (Though Antoinette was normally quite calm, when the waiter spilled soup on her for the fourth time in 15 minutes she stood up and accosted the man.)

Question 27

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accretion

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A

(n.) slow growth in size or amount (Stalactites are formed by the accretion of minerals from the roofs of caves.)

Question 28

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acerbic

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A

(adj.) biting, bitter in tone or taste (Jill became extremely acerbic and began to cruelly make fun of all her friends.)

Question 29

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acquiesce

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A

(v.) to agree without protesting (Though Mr. Correlli wanted to stay outside and work in his garage, when his wife told him that he had better come in to dinner, he acquiesced to her demands.)

Question 30

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acrimony

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A

(n.) bitterness, discord (Though they vowed that no girl would ever come between them, Biff and Trevor could not keep acrimony from overwhelming their friendship after they both fell in love with the lovely Teresa.)

Question 31

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acumen

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A

(n.) keen insight (Because of his mathematical acumen, Larry was able to figure out in minutes problems that took other students hours.)

Question 32

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acute

Answer

A

1. (adj.) sharp, severe (Arnold could not walk because thepain in his foot was so acute.) 2. (adj.) having keen insight (Because she was so acute, Libby instantly figured out how the magician pulled off his “magic. “)

Question 33

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adamant

Answer

A

(adj.) impervious, immovable, unyielding (Though publicpressure was intense, the President remained adamant about his proposaL)

Question 34

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adept

Answer

A

(adj.) extremely skilled (Tarzan was adept at jumping from tree to tree like a monkey.)

Question 35

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adhere

Answer

A

1. (n.) to stick to something (We adhered the poster to the wall with tape.) 2. (n.) to follow devoutly (He adhered to the dictates of his religion without question.) admonish (v.) to caution, criticize, reprove (Joe’s mother admonished him not to ruin his appetite by eating cookies before dinner.)

Question 36

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adorn

Answer

A

(v.) to decorate (We adorned the tree with ornaments.)

Question 37

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adroit

Answer

A

(adj.) skillful, dexterous (The adroit thief could pick someone’s pocket without attracting notice.)

Question 38

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adulation

Answer

A

(n.) extreme praise (Though the book was pretty good, Marcy did not believe it deserved the adulation it received.)

Question 39

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adumbrate

Answer

A

(v.) to sketch out in a vague way (The coach adumbrated a gameplan, but none of the players knew precisely what to do.)

Question 40

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adverse

Answer

A

(adj.) antagonistic, unfavorable, dangerous (Because of adverse conditions, the hikers decided to give up trying to climb the mountain.)

Question 41

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advocate

Answer

A

1. (v.) to argue in favor of something (Arnold advocated turning left at the stop sign, even though everyone else thought we should turn right.) 2. (n.) a person who argues in favor of something (In addition to wanting to turn left at every stop sign, Arnold was also a great advocate of increasing national defense

Question 42

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aerial

Answer

A

(adj.) somehow related to the air (We watched as the fighterplanes conducted aeriM maneuvers.)

Question 43

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aesthetic

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A

(adj.) artistic, related to the appreciation of beauty (We hired Susan as our interior decorator because she has such a fine aesthetic sense.)

Question 44

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affable

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A

(adj.) friendly, amiable (People like to be around George because he is so affable and good-natured.)

Question 45

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affinity

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A

(n.)a spontaneous feeling of closeness (Jerry didn’t know why, but he felt an incredible ~ for Kramer the first time they met.)

Question 46

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affluent

Answer

A

(adj.) rich, wealthy (Mrs. Grebelski was affluent, owning a huge house, three cars, and an island near Maine.)

Question 47

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affront

Answer

A

(n.) an insult (Bernardo was very touchy, and took any slight as an affront to his honor.)

Question 48

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aggrandize

Answer

A

(v.) to increase or make greater (Joseph always dropped the names of the famous people his father knew as a way to aggrandize his personal stature.)

Question 49

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aggregate

Answer

A

1. (n.) a whole or total (The three branches of the U.S. Government form an a~re~ate much more powerful than its individual parts.) 2. (v.) to gather into a mass (The dictator tried to a~re~ate as many people into his army as he possibly could.)

Question 50

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aggrieved

Answer

A

(adj.) distressed, wronged, injured (The foreman mercilessly overworked his a~rieved employees.)

Question 51

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agile

Answer

A

(adj.) quick, nimble (The dogs were too slow to catch the ~ rabbit.)

Question 52

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agnostic

Answer

A

(adj.) believing that the existence of God cannot be proven or disproven (Joey’s parents are very religious, but he is ~.)

Question 53

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agriculture

Answer

A

(n.) farming (It was a huge step in theprogress of civilization when tribes left hunting and gathering and began to develop more sustainable methods of obtaining food, such as agriculture.)

Question 54

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aisle

Answer

A

(n.) a passageway between rows of seats (Once we got inside the stadium we walked down the aisle to our seats.)

Question 55

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alacrity

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A

(n.) eagerness, speed (For some reason, Chuck loved to help his mother whenever he could, so when his mother asked him to set the table he did so with alacrity..)

Question 56

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alias

Answer

A

(n.) a false name or identity “He snuck past the guards by using an alias and fake ID.)

Question 57

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allay

Answer

A

(v.) to soothe, ease (The chairman of the Federal Reserve gave a speech to try to investors ‘fears about an economic downturn.)

Question 58

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allege

Answer

A

(v.) to assert, usually without proof (The policeman had ~ that Marshall committed the crime, but after the investigation turned up no evidence, Marshall was set free.)

Question 59

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alleviate

Answer

A

(v.) to relieve, make more bearable (This drug will alleviate the symptoms of the terrible disease, but only for a while.)

Question 60

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allocate

Answer

A

(v.) to distribute, set aside (The Mayor allocated 30percent of the funds for improving the town’s schools.)

Question 61

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aloof

Answer

A

(adj.) reserved, distant (The scientist could sometimes seem aloof, as if he didn’t care about his friends or family, but really he was just thinking about quantum mechanics.)

Question 62

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altercation

Answer

A

(n.) a dispute, fight (Jason and Lionel blamed one another for the car accident, leading to an altercation.)

Question 63

Q

amalgamate

Answer

A

(v.) to bring together, unite (Because of his great charisma, the presidential candidate was able to amalgamate all democrats and republicans under his banner.) ambiguous (adj.) uncertain, variably interpretable (Some people think Caesar married Cleopatra for her power, others believe he was charmed by her beauty. His actual reasons are ambiguous.)

Question 64

Q

ambiguous

Answer

A

(adj.) uncertain, variably interpretable (Some people think Caesar married Cleopatra for her power, others believe he was charmed by her beauty. His actual reasons are ambiguous.)

Answer 65

A

(adj.) having opposing feelings (My feelings about Calvin are ambivalent because on one hand he is a loyal friend, but on the other, he is a cruel and vicious thief.)

Answer 66

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(v.) to improve (The tense situation was ameliorated when Sam proposed a solution everyone could agree upon.)

Answer 67

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(adj.) willing, compliant (Our father was amenable when we asked him to drive us to the farm so we could go apple picking.)

Answer 68

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(n.) an item that increases comfort (Bill Gates’s house is stocked with so many amenities, he never has to do anything for himself.)

Answer 69

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(adj.) friendly (An amiable fellow, Harry got along with just about everyone.)

Answer 70

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(adj.) friendly (Claudia and Jimmy got divorced, but amicably and without hard feelings.)

Answer 71

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(adj.) showing love, particularly sexual (Whenever Albert saw Mariah wear her slinky red dress, he began to feel quite amorous.)

Answer 72

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(adj.) without definite shape or type (The effort was doomed from the start, because the reasons behind it were so amorphous and hard to pin down.)

Answer 73

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(adj.) being out of correct chronological order (In this book you’re writing, you say that the Pyramids were built after the Titanic sank, which is anachronistic.)

Answer 74

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(n.) something that reduces pain (Put this analgesic on the wound so that the poor man at least feels a little better.)

Answer 75

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(adj.) similar to, so that an analogy can be drawn (Though they are unrelated genetically, the bone structure of whales and fish is quite analogous.)

Answer 76

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(n.) one who wants to eliminate all government (An anarchist, Carmine wanted to dissolve every government everywhere.)

Answer 77

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(n.) a cursed, detested person (i never want to see that murderer. He is an anathema to me.)

Answer 78

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(n.) a short, humorous account (After dinner, Marion told an anecdote about the time he got his nose stuck in a toaster.)

Answer 79

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(n.) loss of sensation (When the nerves in his spine were damaged, Mr. Hollins suffered anesthesia in his legs.)

Answer 80

A

(n.) extreme sadness, torment (Angelos suffered terrible an_.~uish when he learned that Buffy had died while combating a strange mysticM force of evil.)

Answer 81

A

(adj.) lively (When he begins to talk about drama, which is his true passion, he becomes very animated.)

Answer 82

A

1. (v.) to incorporate territory or space (After defeating them in battle, the Russians annexed Poland.) 2. (n.) a room attached to a larger room or space (He likes to do his studying in a little annex attached to the main reading room in the library.)

Answer 83

A

(v.) to make void or invalid (After seeing its unforeseen and catastrophic effects, Congress sought to annul the law.)

Answer 84

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(n.) something that does not fit into the normal order (“That rip in the spacetime continuum is certainly a spatial anomaly,” said Spock to

Answer 85

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(adj.) being unknown, unrecognized (Mary received a lovepoem from an anonymous admirer.)

Answer 86

A

antagonism (n.) hostility (Superman and Bizarro Superman shared a mutual antagonism, and often fought.)

Answer 87

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(n.) something that came before (The great tradition of Western culture had its antecedent in the culture of Ancient Greece.)

Answer 88

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(adj.) ancient (The antediluvian man still believed that Eisenhower was president of the United States and that hot dogs cost a nickel.)

Answer 89

A

(n.) a selected collection of writings, songs, etc. (The new anthology of Bob Dylan songs contains all his greatest hits and a few songs that you might never have heard before.)

Answer 90

A

(n.) a strong dislike, repugnance (/know you love me, but because you are a liar and a thief, I feel nothing but antipathy for you.)

Answer 91

A

(adj.) old, out of date (That antiquated car has none of the features, like power windows and steering, that make modern cars so great.)

Answer 92

A

(adj.) clean, sterile (The antiseptic hospital was very bare, but its cleanliness helped to keep patients healthy.)

Answer 93

A

(n.) the absolute opposite (Your values, which hold war and violence in the highest esteem, are the antithesis of my pacifist beliefs.)

Answer 94

A

(n.) intense uneasiness (When he heard about the car crash, he felt anxiet~y_ because he knew that his girlfriend had been driving on the road where the accident occurred.)

Answer 95

A

(adj.) lacking concern, emotion (Uninterested in politics, Bruno was apathetic about whether he lived under a capitalist or communist

Answer 96

A

(adj.) fictitious, false, wrong (Because I am standing before you, it seems obvious that the stories circulating about my demise were apocryphal.)

Answer 97

A

(adj.) inspiring shock, horror, disgust (The judge found the murderer’s crimes and lack of remorse a~Dallin~.)

Answer 98

A

(v.) to calm, satisfy (When the child cries, the mother gives him candy to a_p_pease him.)

Answer 99

A

(v.) to assess the worth or value of (A realtor will come over tonight to ~raise our house.)

Answer 100

A

1. (v.) to seize, arrest (The criminal was apprehended at the scene.) 2. (v.) to perceive, understand, grasp (The student has trouble apprehending concepts in math and science.)

Answer 101

A

(n.) praise (The crowd welcomed the heroes with approbation.)

Answer 102

A

(v.) to take, make use of (The government appropriated the farmer’s land without justification.)

Answer 103

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(adj.) relating to water (The marine biologist studies starfish and other aquatic creatures.)

Answer 104

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(adj.) suitable for growing crops (The farmerpurchased a plot of arable land on which he will grow corn and sprouts.)

Answer 105

A

(n.) one who can resolve a dispute, make a decision (The divorce court judge will serve as the arbiter between the estranged husband and wife.)

Answer 106

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(adj.) based on factors that appear random (The boy’s decision to choose one college over another seems arbitrary.)

Answer 107

A

(n.) the process or act of resolving a dispute (The employee sought official arbitration when he could not resolve a disagreement with his supervisor.)

Answer 108

A

(adj.) of or relating to trees (Leaves, roots, and bark are a few arboreal traits.)

Answer 109

A

(adj.) obscure, secret, known only by a few (Theprofessor is an expert in arcane Lithuanian literature.)

Answer 110

A

(adj.) of or relating to an earlier period in time, outdated (In a few select regions of Western Mongolian, an archaic Chinese dialect is still spoken.)

Answer 111

A

(adj.) the most representative or typical example of something (Some believe George Washington, with his flowing white hair and commanding stature, was the archetg~pal politician.)

Answer 112

A

(n.) extreme vigor, energy, enthusiasm (The soldiers conveyed their ardor with impassioned battle cries.)

Answer 113

A

(adj.) excessively dry (Little other than palm trees and cacti grow successfully in arid environments.)

Answer 114

A

(v.) to take without justification (The king arrogated the right to order executions to himself exclusively.)

Answer 115

A

(n.) a remaining piece from an extinct culture or place (The scientists spent all day searching the cave for artifacts from the ancient Mayan civilization.)

Answer 116

A

(n.) a craftsman (The artisan uses wood to make walking sticks.)

Answer 117

A

(v.) to perceive, learn (With a bit of research, the student ascertained that some plants can live for weeks without water.)

Answer 118

A

(adj.) practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious (The priest lives an ascetic life devoid of television, savory foods, and

Answer 119

A

(v.) to assign, credit, attribute to (Some ascribe the invention of fireworks and dynamite to the Chinese.)

Answer 120

A

(n.) a curse, expression of ill-will (The rivalpoliticians repeatedly cast aspersions on each others’ integrity.)

Answer 121

A

(v.) to long for, aim toward (The young poet ~ to publish a book of verse someday.)

Answer 122

A

(v.) to attack (At dawn, the warplanes assailed the boats in the harbor.)

Answer 123

A

(v.) to evaluate (A crew arrived to assess the damage after the crash.)

Answer 124

A

(adj.) hard-working, diligent (The construction workers erected the skyscraper during two years of assiduous labor.)

Answer 125

A

(v.) to ease, pacify (The mother held the baby to assua~,~_ its fears.)

Answer 126

A

(adj.) very clever, crafty (Much of Roger’s success in politics results from his ability to provide astute answers to reporters’ questions.)

Answer 127

A

1. (n.) a place of refuge, protection, a sanctuary (For Thoreau, the forest served as an ~ from the pressures of urban life.) 2. (n.) an institution in which the insane are kept (Once diagnosed by a certified psychiatrist, the man was put in an asylum)

Answer 128

A

(v.) to repent, make amends (The man atoned.for forgetting his wife’s birthday by buying her five dozen roses.)

Answer 129

A

(v.) to wither away, decay (If muscles do not receive enough blood, they will soon atrophy_ and die.)

Answer 130

A

(v.) to achieve, arrive at (The athletes strived to attain their best times in competition.)

Answer 131

A

1. (v.) to credit, assign (He attributes all of his success to his mother’s undying encouragement.) 2. (n.) a facet or trait (Among the beetle’s most peculiar attributes is its thorny protruding eyes.)

Answer 132

A

(adj.) not typical, unusual (Screaming and crying is at_Ly_.pical adult

Answer 133

A

(adj.) excessively bold (The security guard was shocked by the fan’s audacious attempt to offer him a bribe.)

Answer 134

A

(adj.) able to be heard (The missing person’s shouts were unfortunately not audible.)

Answer 135

A

(v.) to add to, expand (The eager student seeks to augment his knowledge of French vocabulary by reading French literature.)

Answer 136

A

(adj.) favorable, indicative of good things (The tennis player considered the sunny forecast an auspicious sign that she would win her match.)

Answer 137

A

(adj.) very bare, bleak (The austere.furniture inside the abandoned house made the place feel haunted.)

Answer 138

A

(n.) excessive greed (The banker’s avarice led him to amass a tremendous personal fortune.)

Answer 139

A

(v.) to seek revenge (The victims will take justice into their own hands and strive to aven2~_ themselves against the men who robbed them.)

Answer 140

A

(n.) a particular dislike for something (Because he ‘s from Hawaii, Ben has an aversion to autumn, winter, and cold climates in general.)

Answer 141

A

(v.) to stop, block abruptly (Edna’s boss balked at her request for another raise.)

Answer 142

A

(n.) a love song (Greta’s boyfriend played her a ballad on the guitar during their walk through the dark woods.)

Answer 143

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(adj.) dull, commonplace (The client rejected ourproposal because they found ourpresentation banal and unimpressive.)

Answer 144

A

(n.) a burden (Advanced physics is the bane of many students’ academic lives.)

Answer 145

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(n.) a poet, often a singer as well (Shakespeare is often considered the greatest bard in the history of the English language.)

Answer 146

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(adj.) shy, excessively timid (Frankie’s mother told him not to be bash~ when he refused to attend the birthday party.)

Answer 147

A

1.(n.) a device that supplies power (Most cars run on a combination of power from a battery_ and gasoline.) 2. (n.)assault, beating (Her husband was accused of assault and battery_ after he attacked a man on the sidewalk.)

Answer 148

A

(v.) to trick, deceive (The thief beguiled his partners into surrendering all of their money to him.)

Answer 149

A

(n.) something of tremendous power or size (The new aircraft carrier is among several behemoths that the Air Force has added to its fleet.)

Answer 150

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(adj.) marked by goodness or doing good (Police officers should be commended for their benevolent service to the community.)

Answer 151

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(adj.) favorable, not threatening, mild (We were all relieved to hear that the medical tests determined her tumor to be benign.n_.)

Answer 152

A

(v.) to pass on, give (Jon’s father bequeathed his entire estate to his mother.)

Answer 153

A

(v.) to scold vehemently (The angry boss berated his employees for failing to meet their deadline.)

Answer 154

A

(adj.) devoid of, without (His family was bere~ of food and shelter following the tornado.)

Answer 155

A

(v.) to beg, plead, implore (The servant beseeched the king for food to feed his starving family.)

Answer 156

A

(n.) a tendency, inclination, prejudice (The judge’s hidden bias against smokers led him to make an unfair decision.)

Answer 157

A

(v.) cheat, defraud (The lawyer discovered that this firm had bilked several clients out of thousands of dollars.)

Answer 158

A

(v.) to coax by using flattery (Rachel’s assistant tried to blandish her into accepting the deaL)

Answer 159

A

(n.) an imperfection, flaw (The dealer agreed to lower the price because of the many blemishes on the surface of the wooden furniture.)

Answer 160

A

1. (n.) a plague, disease (Thepotato ~ destroyed the harvest and bankrupted many families.) 2. (n.) something that destroys hope (His bad morale is a upon this entire operation.)

Answer 161

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(adj.) loud and full of energy (The candidate won the vote after giving several boisterous speeches on television.)

Answer 162

A

(adj.) excessively confident, pompous (The singer’s bombastic.performance disgusted the crowd.)

Answer 163

A

(n.) a gift or blessing (The good weather has been a boon for many businesses located near the beach.)

Answer 164

A

(n.) a middle-class person, capitalist (Many businessmen receive criticism for their bourgeois approach to life.)

Answer 165

A

(adj.) excessively bold, brash (Critics condemned the novelist’s brazen attempt to plagiarize Hemingway ‘s story.)

Answer 166

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(adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive (The captain’s brus u~~ manner offended the passengers.)

Answer 167

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1. (v.) to strike with force (The strong winds buffeted the ships, threatening to capsize them.) 2. (n.) an arrangement of food set out on a table (Rather than sitting around a table, the guests took food from our ~ and ate standing up.)

Answer 168

A

(v.) to polish, shine (His mother asked him to burnish the silverware before setting the table.)

Answer 169

A

1. (v.) to support, hold up (The column buttresses the roof above the statue.) 2. (n.) something that offers support (The buttress supports the roof above the statues.)

Answer 170

A

(n.) tremendous noise, disharmonious sound (The elementary school orchestra created a cacophony at the recitaL)

Answer 171

A

(n.) a rhythm, progression of sound (The pianist used thefootpedal to emphasize the cadence of the sonata.)

Answer 172

A

(v.) to urge, coax (Fred’s buddies c~oled him into attending the bachelorparty.) calamity

Answer 173

A

(n.) an event with disastrous consequences (The earthquake in San Francisco was a calamitg~ worse than any other natural disaster in history.)

Answer 174

A

(v.) to set, standardize (The mechanic calibrated the car’s transmission to make the motor run most efficiently.)

Answer 175

A

(adj.) harsh, cold, unfeeling (The murderer’s callous lack of remorse shocked the jury.)

Answer 176

A

(n.) an attempt to spoil someone else’s reputation by spreading lies (The local official’s calumny ended up ruining his opponent ‘s prospect of winning the election.)

Answer 177

A

(n.) brotherhood, jovial unity (Camaraderie among employees usually leads to success in business.)

Answer 178

A

(n.) honesty, frankness (We were surprised by the candor of the mayor’s speech because he is usually rather evasive.)

Answer 179

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(adj.) shrewd, careful (The canny, runner hung at the back of thepack through much of the race to watch the other runners, and then sprintedpast them at the end.)

Answer 180

A

1. (n.) a piece of cloth on which an artist paints (Picasso liked to work on canvas rather than on bare cement.) 2. (v.) to cover, inspect (We canvassed the neighborhood looking for clues.)

Answer 181

A

(adj.) very spacious (The workers delighted in their new capacious office space.)

Answer 182

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(v.) to surrender (The army finally capitulated after fighting a long costly battle.)

Answer 183

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(adj.) subject to whim, fickle (The young girl’s capricious tendencies made it difficult for her to focus on achieving her goals.)

Answer 184

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(v.) to get the attention of, hold (The fireworks captivated the young boy, who had never seen such things before.)

Answer 185

A

(v.) to party, celebrate (We caroused all night after getting married.)

Answer 186

A

(v.) to annoy, pester (The husband divorced his wife after listening to her voice for decades.)

Answer 187

A

1. (v.) to list, enter into a list (The judge cataloged the victim’s injuries before calculating how much money he would award.) 2. (n.) a list or collection (We received a catalo, g from J. Crew that displayed all of their new items.)

Answer 188

A

(v.) to charge, inspire (The president ‘s speech catalyzed the nation and resuscitated the economy.)

Answer 189

A

(n.) a meeting usually held by people working toward the same goal (The ironworkers held a caucus to determine how much of a pay increase they would request.)

Answer 190

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(adj.) bitter, biting, acidic (Thepoliticians exchanged caustic insults for over an hour during the debate.)

Answer 191

A

(v.) to leap about, behave boisterously “The adults ate their dinners on the patio, while the children cavorted around the pool.)

Answer 192

A

1. (n.) harsh criticism (The frustrated teenager could not put up with anymore of her critical mother’s censure.) 2. (v.) to rebuke formally (The principal censured the head of the English Department for forcing students to learn esoteric vocabulary.)

Answer 193

A

(adj.) related to the intellect (The books we read in this class are too cerebralthey don’t engage my emotions at all.)

Answer 194

A

(n.) absolute disorder (Mr. Thornton’s sudden departure for the lavatory plunged his classroom into chaos.)

Answer 195

A

(v.) to criticize severely (After being chastised by herpeers for mimicking Britney Spears, Miranda dyed her hair black and affected a Gothic style.)

Answer 196

A

(v.) to feel or show affection toward something (She continued to cherish her red plaid trousers, even though they had gone out of style and no longer fit her.)

Answer 197

A

(v.) to voice disapproval (Lucy chided Russell for his vulgar habits and sloppy appearance.)

Answer 198

A

(n.) the arrangement of dances (The plot of the musical was banal, but the choreography was stunning.)

Answer 199

A

1. (n.) a written history (The library featured the newly updated chronicle of World War H.) 2. (v.) to write a history (Albert’s diary chronicled the day-to-day growth of his obsession with Cynthia.)

Answer 200

A

(adj.) arranged in order of time (Lionel carefully arranged the snapshots of his former girlfriends in chronological order, and then set fire to them.)

Answer 201

A

(adj.) roundabout (The bus ‘s circuitous route took us through numerous outlying suburbs.)

Answer 202

A

(n.) indirect and wordy language (Theprofessor’s habit of speaking in circumlocutions made it difficult to follow his lectures.)

Answer 203

A

(adj.) marked off, bounded (The children were permitted to play tag only within a carefully circumscribed area of the lawn.)

Answer 204

A

(adj.) cautious (Though I promised Rachel’s father I would bring her home promptly by midnight, it would have been more circumspect not to have specified a time.)

Answer 205

A

(v.) to get around (The school’s dress code forbidding navel-baring jeans was circumvented by the determined students, who were careful to cover up with long coats when administrators were nearby.)

Answer 206

A

(adj.) able to perceive things that normal people cannot (Zelda’s uncanny ability to detect my lies was nothing short of clairvoyant.)

Answer 207

A

1. (n.) loud noise (Each morning the birds outside my window make such a clamor that they wake me up.) 2. (v.)to loudly insist (Neville’s fans clamored for him to appear on stage, but he had passed out on the floor of his dressing room.)

Answer 208

A

(adj.) secret (Announcing to her boyfriend that she was going to the gym, Sophie actually went to meet Joseph for a clandestine liaison.)

Answer 209

A

1. (v.) to divide into parts (Following the scandalous disgrace of their leader, the entire political party cleaved into warring factions.) 2. (v.) to stick together firmly (After resolving their marital problems, Junior and Rosa cleaved to one another all the more tightly.)

Answer 210

A

(n.) mercy (After he forgot their anniversary, Martin could only beg Maria for clemeng.)

Answer 211

A

(n.) members of Christian holy orders (Though the villagers viewed the church rectory as quaint and charming, the ~ who lived there regarded it as a mildewy and dusty place that aggravated their allergies.)

Answer 212

A

(adj.) sickeningly sweet (Though Ronald was physically attractive, Maud found his constant compliments and solicitous remarks ~.)

Answer 213

A

(v.) to thicken, clot (The top layer of the pudding had coagulated into a thick skin.)

Answer 214

A

(v.) to fuse into a whole (Gordon’s ensemble of thrift-shop garments coalesced into a surprisingly handsome outfit.)

Answer 215

A

(n.) a person who makes or repairs shoes (/had my neighborhood cobbler replace my worn-out leather soles with new ones.)

Answer 216

A

(v.) to make somebody do something by force or threat (The court decided that Vanilla Ice did not have to honor the contract because he had been coerced into signing it.)

Answer 217

A

(adj.) intellectually convincing (Irene’s arguments in favor of abstinence were so that I could not resist them.)

Answer 218

A

(adj.) aware, mindful (Jake avoided speaking to women in bars because he was cognizant of the fact that drinking impairs his judgment.)

Answer 219

A

(adj.) logically consistent, intelligible (Renee could not figure out what Monroe had seen because he was too distraught to deliver a coherent statement.)

Answer 220

A

1. (adj.) secondary (Divorcing my wife had the collateral effect of making me poor, as she was the only one of us with a job or money.) 2. (n.) security for a debt (Jacob left his watch as collateral.for the $500 loan.)

Answer 221

A

(adj.) characteristic of informal conversation (Adam’s essay on sexual response in primates was marked down because it contained too many colloquial expressions.)

Answer 222

A

(n.) secret agreement, conspiracy (The three law students worked in collusion to steal the final exam.)

Answer 223

A

(n.) a gigantic statue or thing (For 56years, the ancient city of Rhodes featured a colossus standing astride its harbor.)

Answer 224

A

(n.) the act or process of burning (The unexpected combustion of the prosecution ‘s evidence forced the judge to dismiss the case against Ramirez.)

Answer 225

A

(n.) a notice of approval or recognition (Jared received a commendation from Linda, his supervisor, for his stellarperformance.)

Answer 226

A

(adj.) corresponding in size or amount (Ahab selected a very long roll and proceeded to prepare a tuna salad sandwich commensurate with his enormous appetite.)

Answer 227

A

(adj.) roomy (Holden invited the three women to join him in the back seat of the taxicab, assuring them that the car was quite commodious.)

Answer 228

A

(adj.) forceful, demanding attention (Eliot’s speech was so compelling that Lenore accepted his proposal on the spot.)

Answer 229

A

(v.) to make an appropriate payment for something (Reginald bought Sharona a new dress to compensate her for the one he’d spilled his ice cream on.)

Answer 230

A

(n.) self-satisfied ignorance of danger (Colin tried to shock his friends out of their complacency by painting a frightening picture of what might happen to them.)

Answer 231

A

(v.) to complete, make perfect (Ann’s scarf complements her blouse beautifully, making her seem fully dressed even though she isn’t wearing a coat.)

Answer 232

A

(adj.) ready to adapt oneself to another’s wishes (Sue had very strong opinions about what to do on a first date, and Ted was absolutely compliant.)

Answer 233

A

(adj.) being an accomplice in a wrongful act (By keeping her daughter’s affair a secret, Maddie became complicit in it.)

Answer 234

A

(n.) an expression of esteem or approval (/blushed crimson when Emma gave me a compliment on my new haircut.)

Answer 235

A

1. (v.) to combine parts (The difficulty of finding afire escape amid the smoke was compounded with the dangers posed by the panicking crowds.) 2. (n.) a combination of different parts (My attraction to Donna was a compound of curiosity about the unknown, physical desire, and intellectual admiration.) 3. (n.) a walled area containing a group of buildings (When the fighting started, Joseph rushed into the family compound because it was safe and well defended.)

Answer 236

A

(adj.) including everything (She sent me a comprehensive list of the ingredients needed to cook rabbit souffle.)

Answer 237

A

(v.) to apply pressure, squeeze together (Lynn compressed her lips into a frown.)

Answer 238

A

(n.) distress caused by feeling guilty (He felt compunction for the shabby way he’d treated her.)

Answer 239

A

(v.) to accept as valid (Andrew had to concede that what his mother said about Diana made sense.)

Answer 240

A

(adj.) friendly, agreeable (/took Amanda ‘s invitation to dinner as a very conciliatorg~ gesture.)

Answer 241

A

(adj.) brief and direct in expression (Gordon did not like to waste time, and his instructions to Brenda were nothing if not concise. )

Answer 242

A

(v.) to fabricate, make up (She concocted the most ridiculous story to explain her absence.)

Answer 243

A

(adj.) accompanying in a subordinate fashion (His dislike of hard work carried with it a concomitant lack of funds.)

Answer 244

A

(n.) harmonious agreement (Julie and Harold began the evening with a disagreement, but ended it in a state of perfect concord.)

Answer 245

A

(n.) an expression of sympathy in sorrow (Brian lamely offered his condolences on the loss of his sister’s roommate’s cat.)

Answer 246

A

(v.) to pardon, deliberately overlook (He refused to condone his brother’s crime.)

Answer 247

A

(n.) a pipe or channel through which something passes (The water flowed through the conduit into the container.)

Answer 248

A

(n.) a sweet, fancy food (We went to the mall food court and purchased a delicious confection.)

Answer 249

A

(n.) a person entrusted with secrets (Shortly after we met, she became my chief confidant.)

Answer 250

A

(n.) great fire (The conflagration consumed the entire building.)

Answer 251

A

(n.) a gathering together (A confluence of different factors made tonight the perfect night.)

Answer 252

A

(n.) one who behaves the same as others (Julian was such a conformist that he had to wait and see if his friends would do something before he would commit.)

Answer 253

A

(v.) to frustrate, confuse (MacGuyver confounded the policemen pursuing him by covering his tracks.)

Answer 254

A

(v.) to thicken into a solid (The sauce had congealed into a thick paste.)

Answer 255

A

(adj.) pleasantly agreeable (His congenial manner made him popular wherever he went.)

Answer 256

A

(n.) a gathering of people, especially for religious services (Thepriest told the congregation that he would be retiring.)

Answer 257

A

(n.) the quality of being in agreement (Bill and Veronica achieved aperfect congruity of opinion.)

Answer 258

A

(v.) to plot, scheme (She connived to get me to give up my vacation plans.)

Answer 259

A

(v.) to dedicate something to a holy purpose (Arvin consecrated his spare bedroom as a shrine to Christina.)

Answer 260

A

(n.) an agreement of opinion (The jury was able to reach a consensus only after days of deliberation.)

Answer 261

A

(v.) to give something over to another’s care (Unwillingly, he consigned his mother to a nursing home.)

Answer 262

A

(n.) an act of comforting (Darren found Alexandra ‘s presence to be a consolation for his suffering.)

Answer 263

A

(adj.) in harmony (The singers’ consonant voices were beautiful.)

Answer 264

A

(n.) an essential part (The most important constituent of herperfume is something called ambergris.)

Answer 265

A

(v.)to forcibly restrict (His belief in nonviolence constrained him from taking revenge on his attackers.)

Answer 266

A

(v.) to interpret (He construed her throwing his clothes out the window as a signal that she wanted him to leave.)

Answer 267

A

(v.) to complete a deal; to complete a marriage ceremony through sexual intercourse (Erica and Donald consummated their agreement in the executive boardroom.)

Answer 268

A

(n.) the act of consuming (Consumption of intoxicating beverages is not permitted on these premises.)

Answer 269

A

(adj.) existing during the same time (Though her novels do not feature the themes of Romanticism, Jane Austen ‘s work was contemporaneous with that of Wordsworth and Byron.)

Answer 270

A

(adj.) having a tendency to quarrel or dispute (George’s contentious personality made him unpopular with his classmates.)

Answer 271

A

(v.) to contradict, oppose, violate (Edwidge contravened his landlady’s rule against overnight guests.)

Answer 272

A

(adj.) penitent, eager to be forgiven (Blake’s contrite behavior made it impossible to stay angry at him.)

Answer 273

A

(n.) bruise, injury (The contusions on his face suggested he’d been in aright.)

Answer 274

A

(n.) puzzle, problem (Interpreting Jane’s behavior was a constant conundrum. )

Answer 275

A

(v.) to call together (Jason convened his entire extended family for a discussion.)

Answer 276

A

1. (n.) an assembly of people (The hotel was full because of the cattleranchers’ convention.) 2. (n.) a rule, custom (The cattle-ranchers have a convention that you take off your boots before entering their houses.)

Answer 277

A

(adj.) characterized by feasting, drinking, merriment (The restaurant’s convivial atmosphere put me immediately at ease.)

Answer 278

A

(adj.) intricate, complicated (Grace ‘s story was so convoluted that I couldn’t follow it.)

Answer 279

A

(adj.) profuse, abundant (Copious amounts of Snapple were imbibed in the cafeteria.)

Answer 280

A

(adj.) warm, affectionate (His cordial greeting melted my anger at once.)

Answer 281

A

(n.) the act of crowning (The new king’s coronation occurred the day after his father’s death.)

Answer 282

A

(adj.)extreme fatness (Henry’s corpulence did not make him any less attractive to his charming, svelte wife.)

Answer 283

A

(v.) to support with evidence (Luke’s seemingly outrageous claim was corroborated by witnesses.)

Answer 284

A

(adj.) having the tendency to erode or eat away (The effect of the chemical was highly corrosive.)

Answer 285

A

(adj.) sophisticated, worldly (Lloyd’s education and upbringing were cosmopolitan, so he felt right at home among the powerful and learned.)

Answer 286

A

(v.) to neutralize, make ineffective (The antidote counteracted the effect of the poison.)

Answer 287

A

1. (n.) a brilliant, unexpected act (Alexanderpulled off an amazing ~ when he got a date with Cynthia bypurposely getting hit by her car.) 2. (n.) the overthrow of a government and assumption of authority (In their ~ attempt, the army officers stormed the Parliament and took all the legislators hostage.)

Answer 288

A

(v.) to desire enviously (/coveted Moses’s house, wife, and car.)

Answer 289

A

(adj.) secretly engaged in (Nerwin waged a covert campaign against his enemies, while outwardly appearing to remain friendly.)

Answer 290

A

(n.) readiness to believe (His credulity made him an easy target for con men.)

Answer 291

A

(n.) a steady increase in intensity or volume (The crescendo of the brass instru m en ts gav e th e piece a pa trio tic feel.)

Answer 292

A

(n.) standards by which something is judged (Among Mrs. Fields’s criteria for good cookies are that they be moist and chewy.)

Answer 293

A

(n.) the climax toward which something progresses (The culmination of the couple’s argument was the decision to divorce.)

Answer 294

A

(adj.) deserving blame (He was culpable of the crime, and was sentenced to perform community service for 75 years.)

Answer 295

A

(v.) to nurture, improve, refine (At the library, she cultivated her interest in spy novels.)

Answer 296

A

(adj.) increasing, building upon itself (The cumulative effect of hours spent in the sun was a deep tan.)

Answer 297

A

(adj.) sly, clever at being deceitful (The general devised a cunning plan to sunrise the enemy.)

Answer 298

A

(n.) greed, strong desire (His ~ made him enter the abandoned gold mine despite the obvious dangers.)

Answer 299

A

(adj.) brief to the point of being superficial (Late for the meeting, she cast a cursory, glance at the agenda.)

Answer 300

A

(adj.) abruptly and rudely short (Her curt reply to my question made me realize that she was upset at me.)

Answer 301

A

(v.) to lessen, reduce (Since losing his job, he had to curtail his spending.)

Answer 302

A

(adj.) intimidating, causing one to lose courage (He kept delaying the daunting act of asking for a promotion.)

Answer 303

A

(n.) a lack, scarcity (An eager reader, she was dismayed by the dearth of classic books at the library.)

Answer 304

A

(n.) a disastrous failure, disruption (The elaborately designed fireworks show turned into a debacle when the fireworks started firing in random directions.)

Answer 305

A

(v.) to lower the quality or esteem of something (The large raise that he gave himself debased his motives for running the charity.)

Answer 306

A

(v.) to corrupt by means of sensual pleasures (An endless amount of good wine and cheese debauched the traveler.)

Answer 307

A

(v.) to expose the falseness of something (He debunked her claim to be the world’s greatest chess player by defeating her in 18 consecutive matches.)

Answer 308

A

(adj.) socially proper, appropriate (The appreciative guest displayed decorous behavior toward his host.)

Answer 309

A

(v.) to criticize openly (The kind video rental clerk decried the policy of charging customers late fees.)

Answer 310

A

(v.) to ruin or injure something’s appearance (The brothers used eggs and shaving cream to d_d_d~ace their neighbor’s mailbox.)

Answer 311

A

(adj.) harmful toward another’s reputation (The defamatory gossip spreading about the actor made the public less willing to see the actor’s new movie.)

Answer 312

A

(v.) to postpone something; to yield to another’s wisdom (Ron deferred to Diane, the expert on musical instruments, when he was asked about buying a piano.)

Answer 313

A

(adj.) showing respect for another’s authority (His deferential attitude toward her made her more confident in her ability to run the company.)

Answer 314

A

(v.) to make unclean, impure (She de__~led the calm of the religious building by playing her banjo.)

Answer 315

A

(adj.) skillful, capable (Having worked in a bakery for many years, Marcus was a bread maker.)

Answer 316

A

(adj.) no longer used or existing (They planned to turn the d~unct schoolhouse into a community center.)

Answer 317

A

(v.) to hand over responsibility for something (The dean delegated the task of finding a new professor to a special hiring committee.)

Answer 318

A

(adj.) harmful (She experienced the deleterious effects of running a marathon without stretching her muscles enough beforehand.)

Answer 319

A

(adj.) intentional, reflecting careful consideration (Though Mary was quite upset, her actions to resolve the dispute were deliberate.)

Answer 320

A

(v.) to describe, outline, shed light on (She neatly delineated her reasons for canceling the project ‘s funding. )

Answer 321

A

(n.) a leader who appeals to a people’s prejudices (The demagogue strengthened his hold over his people by blaming immigrants for the lack of jobs.)

Answer 322

A

(n.) the marking of boundaries or categories (Different cultures have different demarcations of good and evil.)

Answer 323

A

(v.) to lower the status or stature of something (She refused to demean her secretary by making him order her lunch.)

Answer 324

A

(adj.) quiet, modest, reserved (Though everyone else at the party was dancing and going crazy, she remained demure.)

Answer 325

A

(v.) to belittle, diminish the opinion of (The company decided that its advertisements would no longer denigrate the company’s competitors.)

Answer 326

A

(v.) to criticize publicly (The senator denounced her opponent as a greedy politician.)

Answer 327

A

(v.) to feel or express sorrow, disapproval (We all deplored the miserable working conditions in the factory.)

Answer 328

A

(n.) wickedness (Rumors of the ogre’s depravity made the children afraid to enter the forest.)

Answer 329

A

(v.) to belittle, depreciate (Always over-modest, he deprecated his contribution to the local charity.)

Answer 330

A

(adj.) abandoned, run-down (Even though it was dangerous, the children enjoyed going to the deserted lot andplaying in the derelict house.)

Answer 331

A

(v.) to laugh at mockingly, scorn (The bullies derided the foreign student’s accent.)

Answer 332

A

(adj.) taken directly from a source, unoriginal (She was bored by his music because she felt that it was derivative and that she had heard it before.)

Answer 333

A

(v.) to violate the sacredness of a thing or place (They feared that the construction of a golf course would desecrate the preserved wilderness.)

Answer 334

A

(adj.) dried up, dehydrated (The skin of the desiccated mummy looked like old paper. )

Answer 335

A

(adj.) deserted, dreary, lifeless (She found the desolate landscape quite a contrast to the hustle and bustle of the overcrowded city.)

Answer 336

A

(adj.) feeling depressed, discouraged, hopeless (Having failed thefirst math test, the despondent child saw no use in studying for the next and failed that one tOO.)

Answer 337

A

(n.) one who has total power and rules brutally (The ~ issued a death sentence for anyone who disobeyed his laws.)

Answer 338

A

(adj.) impoverished, utterly lacking (The hurricane destroyed many homes and left many families destitute. )

Answer 339

A

(v.) to discourage, prevent from doing (Bob ‘s description of scary snakes couldn’t deter Marcia from traveling in the rain forests.)

Answer 340

A

(adj.) not straightforward, deceitful (Not wanting to be punished, the devious girl blamed the broken vase on the cat.)

Answer 341

A

(n.) a variation of a language (In the country’s remote, mountainous regions, the inhabitants spoke a dialect that the country’s other inhabitants had difficulty understanding.)

Answer 342

A

(adj.) light, airy, transparent (Sunlight poured in through the diaphanous curtains, brightening the room.)

Answer 343

A

1. (adj.) intended to instruct (She wrote up a didactic document showing new employees how to handle the company’s customers.) 2. (adj.) overly moralistic (His didactic style of teaching made it seem like he wanted to persuade his students not to understand history fully, but to understand it from only one point of view.)

Answer 344

A

(adj.) shy, quiet, modest (While eating dinner with the adults, the diffident youth did not speak for fear of seeming presumptuous.)

Answer 345

A

1. (v.) to scatter, thin out, break up (He diffused the tension in the room by making in a joke.) 2. (adj.) not concentrated, scattered, disorganized (In her writings, she tried unsuccessfully to make others understand her disuse thoughts.)

Answer 346

A

(adj.) tending to delay, causing delay (The general’s dilator~ strategy enabled the enemy to regroup.)

Answer 347

A

(adj.) showing care in doing one’s work (The ~ researcher made sure to check her measurements multiple times.)

Answer 348

A

(adj.) small or miniature (The bullies, tall and strong, picked on the diminutive child.)

Answer 349

A

(n.) a mournful song, especially for a funeral (The bagpipers played a ~ as the casket was carried to the cemetery.)

Answer 350

A

(adj.) rebellious, resentful of authority (Dismayed by Bobby ‘s poor behavior, the parents sent their disaffected son to a military academy to be disciplined.)

Answer 351

A

(v.) to deny knowledge of or responsibility for (Not wanting others to criticize her, she disavowed any involvement in the company’s hiring scandaL)

Answer 352

A

(v.) to perceive, detect (Though he hid his emotions, she discerned from his body language that he was angry.)

Answer 353

A

(v.) to reveal, make public (The CE O disclosed to the press that the company would have to fire several employees.)

Answer 354

A

(v.) to thwart, baffle (The normally cheery and playful children’s sudden misery discomfited the teacher.)

Answer 355

A

(adj.) not agreeing, not in harmony with (The girls’ sobs were a discordant sound amid the general laughter that filled the restaurant.)

Answer 356

A

(n.) difference, failure of things to correspond (He was troubled by the discrepancg~ between what he remembered paying for the appliance and what his receipt showed he paid for it.)

Answer 357

A

(n.) the quality of being reserved in speech or action; good judgment (Not wanting herpatient to get overly anxious, the doctor used discretion in deciding how much to tell thepatient about his condition.)

Answer 358

A

(adj.) rambling, lacking order (The professor’s discursive lectures seemed to be about every subject except the one initially described.)

Answer 359

A

1. (v.) to scorn, hold in low esteem (Insecure about their jobs, the older employees disdained the recently hired ones, who were young and capable.) 2. (n.) scorn, low esteem (After learning of his immoral actions, Justine held Lawrence in disdain.)

Answer 360

A

(adj.) upset, not content (The child believed that his parents had unjustly grounded him, and remained disgruntled for a week.)

Answer 361

A

(adj.) feeling a loss of spirit or morale (The team was disheartened after losing in the finals of the tournament.)

Answer 362

A

(v.) to criticize or speak ill of (The saleswoman disparaged the competitor’s products to persuade her customers to buy what she was selling.)

Answer 363

A

(adj.) sharply differing, containing sharply contrasting elements (Having widely varying interests, the students had disparate responses toward the noveL)

Answer 364

A

(v.) to send off to accomplish a duty (The ca~enter dispatched his assistant to fetch wood.)

Answer 365

A

(v.) to drive away, scatter (She entered the office as usual on Monday, dispelling the rumor that she had been fired.)

Answer 366

A

(v.) to scatter, cause to scatter (When the rain began to pour, the crowd at the baseball game quickly dispersed.)

Answer 367

A

(n.) a state of being held in low regard (The officer fell into disrepute after it was learned that he had disobeyed the orders he had given to his own soldiers.)

Answer 368

A

(v.) to conceal, fake (Not wanting to appear heartlessly greedy, she dissembled and hid her intention to sell her ailing father’s stamp collection.)

Answer 369

A

(v.) to spread widely (The politician disseminated his ideas across the town before the election.)

Answer 370

A

1. (v.) to disagree (The principal argued that the child should repeat the fourth grade, but the unhappy parents dissented.) 2. (n.) the act of disagreeing (Unconvinced that the defendant was guilty, the last juror voiced his dissent with the rest of the jury.)

Answer 371

A

1. (v.) to disappear, cause to disappear (The sun finally came out and dissipated the haze.) 2. (v.) to waste (She dissipated her fortune on a series of bad investments.)

Answer 372

A

(n.) lack of harmony or consistency (Though the president of the company often spoke of the company as reliant solely upon its workers, her decision to increase her own salary rather than reward her employees revealed a striking dissonance between her alleged beliefs and her actions.)

Answer 373

A

(v.) to persuade someone not to do something (Worried that he would catch a cold, she tried to dissuade him from going out on winter nights.)

Answer 374

A

(v.) to swell out (Years of drinking beer caused his stomach to distend.)

Answer 375

A

(v.) to be indecisive (Not wanting to offend either friend, he dithered about which of the two birthday parties he should attend.)

Answer 376

A

(adj.) godly, exceedingly wonderful (Terribly fond of desserts, she found the rich chocolate cake to be divine.)

Answer 377

A

(adj.) causing dissent, discord (Her divisive tactics turned her two friends against each other.)

Answer 378

A

(v.) to reveal something secret (Pressured by thepress, the government finally divulged the previously unknown information.)

Answer 379

A

(adj.) easily taught or trained (She successfully taught the docilepuppy several tricks.)

Answer 380

A

(adj.) aggressively and arrogantly certain about unproved principles (His dogmatic claim that men were better than women at fixing appliances angered everyone.)

Answer 381

A

(adj.) sleeping, temporarily inactive (Though she pretended everything was fine, her anger lay dormant throughout the dinnerparty and exploded in screams of rage after everyone had left.)

Answer 382

A

(adj.)stern, joyless (The children feared their dour neighbor because the old man would take their toys if he believed they were being too loud.)

Answer 383

A

(adj.) doubtful, of uncertain quality (Suspicious that he was only trying to get a raise, she found his praise dubious.)

Answer 384

A

(n.) crafty dishonesty (His duplicitg~ involved convincing his employees to let him lower their salaries and increase their stock options, and then to steal the money he saved and run the company into the ground.)

Answer 385

A

(n.) hardship, threat (It was only under intense duress that he, who was normally against killing, fired his gun.)

Answer 386

A

(adj.) actively changing (The parents found it hard to keep up with the d~namic music scene with which their children had become very familiar.)

Answer 387

A

(adj.) extremely lively, enthusiastic (She became ebullient upon receiving an acceptance letter from her first-choice college.)

Answer 388

A

(adj.) consisting of a diverse variety of elements (That bar attracts an eclectic crowd: lawyers, artists, circus clowns, and investment bankers.)

Answer 389

A

(adj.) intensely and overpoweringly happy (The couple was ecstatic when they learned that they had won the lottery.)

Answer 390

A

(n.) an order, decree (The ruler issued an edict requiring all of his subjects to bow down before him.)

Answer 391

A

(v.) to wipe out, obliterate, rub away (The husband was so angry at his wife for leaving him that he e~aced all evidence of her presence; he threw out pictures of her and gave away all her belongings.)

Answer 392

A

(adj.) bubbly, lively (My friend is so effervescent that she makes everyone smile.)

Answer 393

A

(adj.) effective (My doctorpromised me that the cold medicine was efl%acious, but I’m still sniffling.)

Answer 394

A

(n.) impudence, nerve, insolence (When I told my aunt that she was boring, my mother scolded me for my effrontery.)

Answer 395

A

(adj.) radiant, splendorous (The golden palace was effulgent.)

Answer 396

A

(adj.) extremely bad (The student who threw sloppy joes across the cafeteria was punished for his e~re~ious behavior.)

Answer 397

A

(adj.) complex, detailed, intricate (Dan always beats me at chess because he develops such an elaborate gameplan that I can neverpredict his next move.)

Answer 398

A

(adj.) overjoyed, thrilled (When she found out she had won the lottery, the writer was elated.)

Answer 399

A

(n.) a speech given in honor of a dead person (At the funeral, the widow gave a moving ~ describing her love for her husband.)

Answer 400

A

(v.) to bring forth, draw out, evoke (Although I asked several times where the exit was, I elicited no response from the stone-faced policeman.)

Answer 401

A

(adj.) expressive, articulate, moving (The priest gave such an eloquent sermon that most churchgoers were crying.)

Answer 402

A

(v.) to clarify, explain (/didn’t understand why my friend was so angry with me, so I askedJanine to elucidate her feelings.)

Answer 403

A

(v.) to evade, escape (Despite an intense search, the robber continues to elude the police.)

Answer 404

A

emaciated (adj.) very thin, enfeebled looking (My sister eats a lot of pastries and chocolate but still looks emaciated.)

Answer 405

A

embellish 1. (v.) to decorate, adorn (My morn embellished the living room by adding lace curtains.) 2. (v.)to add details to, enhance (When Harry told me that he had “done stuff” on his vacation, I asked him to embellish upon his account.)

Answer 406

A

(v.) to steal money by falsifying records (The accountant was fired for embezzling $10,000 of the company’s funds.)

Answer 407

A

(v.) to correct or revise a written text (~fray sentence is incorrect, the editor will emend what I have written.)

Answer 408

A

1. (adj.) distinguished, prominent, famous (Mr. Phillips is such an eminent scholar that every professor on campus has come to hear him lecture.) 2. (adj.) conspicuous (There is an eminent stain on that shirt.)

Answer 409

A

(adj.) soothing (This emollient cream makes my skin very smooth.)

Answer 410

A

(v.) to express emotion (The director told the actor he had to emote, or else the audience would have no idea what his character was going through.)

Answer 411

A

(n.) sensitivity to another’s feelings as if they were one’s own (/feel such empathy for my sister when she’s in pain that I cry too.)

Answer 412

A

1. (adj.) based on observation or experience (The scientist gathered empirical data on the growth rate of dandelions by studying the dandelions behind his house.) 2. (adj.) capable of being proved or disproved by experiment (That all cats hate getting wet is an empirical statement: I can test it by bathing my cat, Trinket.)

Answer 413

A

(v.) to imitate (/idolize Britney Spears so much that I emulate everything she does: I wear her outfits, sing along to her songs, and date a boy named Justin.)

Answer 414

A

(v.) to fill with love, fascinate, usually used in passive form followed by “of” or “with” (/grew enamored of that boy when he quoted my favorite love poem.)

Answer 415

A

(n.) the audience’s demand for a repeat performance; also the artist’s performance in response to that demand (At the end of the concert, all the fans yelled, “Encore! Encore!” but the band did not come out to play again.)

Answer 416

A

(v.) to weigh down, burden (At the airport, my friend was encumbered by her luggage, so I offered to carry two of her bags.)

Answer 417

A

(v.) to weaken, exhaust (Writing these sentences enervates me so much that I will have to take a nap after I finish.)

Answer 418

A

(v.) to grant the vote to (The Nineteenth Amendment enfranchised women.)

Answer 419

A

(v.) to bring about, create, generate (During the Olympics, the victories of U.S. athletes engender a patriotic spirit among Americans.)

Answer 420

A

(adj.) mystifying, cryptic (That man wearing the dark suit and dark glasses is so enigmatic that no one even knows his name.)

Answer 421

A

(n.) ill will, hatred, hostility (Mark and Andy have clearly not forgiven each other, because the enmity, between them is obvious to anyone in theirpresence.)

Answer 422

A

(n.) boredom, weariness #feel such ennui that I don’t look forward to anything, not even my birthday party.)

Answer 423

A

(v.) to include as a necessary step (Building a new fence entails tearing down the old one.)

Answer 424

A

(v.) to charm, hold spellbound (The sailor’s stories of fighting off sharks and finding ancient treasures enthralled his young son.)

Answer 425

A

(adj.) short-lived, fleeting (She promised she’d love me forever, but her “forever” was only ephemeral: she left me after one week.)

Answer 426

A

(adj.) relating to or contained in letters (Some people call me “Auntie’s boy,” because my aunt and I have such a close epistolary relationship that we write each other every day.)

Answer 427

A

(n.) a perfect example, embodiment (My mother, the epitome of good taste, always dresses more elegantly than I do.)

Answer 428

A

(n.) composure (Even though he had just been fired, Mr. Simms showed great equanimity by neatly packing up his desk and wishing everyone in the office well.)

Answer 429

A

(adj.) ambiguous, uncertain, undecided (His intentions were so equivocal that I didn’t know whether he was being chivalrous or sleazy.)

Answer 430

A

(adj.) learned (My Latin teacher is such an erudite scholar that he has translated some of the most difficult and abstruse ancient poetry.)

Answer 431

A

(v.) to shun, avoid (George hates the color green so much that he eschews all green food.)

Answer 432

A

(adj.) understood by only a select few (Even the most advanced students cannot understand the physicist ‘s esoteric theories.)

Answer 433

A

(v.) to take up as a cause, support (/love animals so much that I espouse animal rights.)

Answer 434

A

(adj.) heavenly, exceptionally delicate or refined (In her flowing silk gown and lace veil, the bride looked ethereal.)

Answer 435

A

(n.) the history of words, their origin and development (From the study of etymology, I know that the word “quixotic” derives from Don Quixote and the word “gaudy” refers to the Spanish architect Gaud£ )

Answer 436

A

(adj.) elated, uplifted (I was euphoric when I found out that my sister had given birth to twins.)

Answer 437

A

(adj.) fleeting, momentary (My joy at getting promoted was evanescent because I discovered that I would have to work much longer hours in a less friendly office.)

Answer 438

A

(v.) to show, reveal (Christopher’s hand-wringing and nail-biting evince how nervous he is about the upcoming English test.)

Answer 439

A

(v.) to make more violent, intense (The gruesome and scary movie I saw last night exacerbated my fears of the dark.)

Answer 440

A

(v.) to glorify, praise (Michael Jordan is the figure in basketball we exalt the most.)

Answer 441

A

(v.) to irritate, irk (George’s endless complaints exasperated his roomate.)

Answer 442

A

(v.) to dig out of the ground and remove (The pharaoh ‘s treasures were excavated by archeologists in Egypt.)

Answer 443

A

(v.) to free from guilt or blame, exonerate (My discovery of the ring behind the dresser exculpated me from the charge of having stolen it.)

Answer 444

A

(n.) a trip or outing (After taking an excursion to the Bronx Zoo, I dreamed about pandas and monkeys.)

Answer 445

A

(adj.) loathsome, detestable (Herpudding is so execrable that it makes me sick.)

Answer 446

A

(v.) to urge, prod, spur (Henry exhorted his colleagues to join him in protesting against the university’s hiring policies.)

Answer 447

A

(adj.) urgent, critical (The patient has an ~ need for medication, or else he will lose his sight.)

Answer 448

A

(v.) to free from guilt or blame, exculpate (The true thief’s confession exonerated the man who had been held in custody for the crime.)

Answer 449

A

(adj.) excessive (Her exorbitant.praise made me blush and squirm in my seat.)

Answer 450

A

(adj.) advisable, advantageous, serving one’s self-interest (In his bid for reelection, the governor made an expedient move by tabling all controversial legislation.)

Answer 451

A

(v.) to make amends for, atone (To ~ my selfishness, I gave all my profits to charity.)

Answer 452

A

(v.) to obliterate, eradicate (Fearful of an IRS investigation, Paul tried to expunge all incriminating evidence from his tax files.)

Answer 453

A

(v.) to remove offensive or incorrect parts, usually of a book (The history editors expurgated from the text all disparaging and inflammatory comments about the Republican Party.)

Answer 454

A

(adj.) existing, not destroyed or lost (My mother’s extant love letters to my father are in the attic trunk.)

Answer 455

A

(v.) to praise, revere (Violet extolled the virtues of a vegetarian diet to her meatloving brother.)

Answer 456

A

(adj.) irrelevant, extra, not necessary (Personalpolitical ambitions should always remain extraneous to legislativepolicy, but, unfortunately, they rarely are.)

Answer 457

A

(v.) to disentangle (Instead of trying to mediate between my brother and sister, I extricated myself from the family tension entirely and left the house for the day.)

Answer 458

A

(v.) to rejoice (When she found out she won the literature prize, Mary exulted by dancing and singing through the school’s halls.)

Answer 459

A

(v.) to make up, invent (When I arrived an hour late to class, I fabricated some excuse about my car breaking down on the way to school.)

Answer 460

A

1. (n.) the wall of a building (Meet me in front of the museum’s main ~.) 2. (n.) a deceptive appearance or attitude (Despite my smiling facade, I am feeling melancholy.)

Answer 461

A

1. (adj.) easy, requiring little effort (This game is so facile that even a four-yearold can master it.) 2. (adj.) superficial, achieved with minimal thought or care, insincere (The business was in such shambles that any solution seemed facile at best; nothing could really helpit in the long-run.)

Answer 462

A

(adj.) incorrect, misleading (Emily offered me cigarettes on the fallacious assumption that I smoked.)

Answer 463

A

(adj.) meticulous, demanding, having high and often unattainable standards (Mark is so fastidious that he is never able to finish a project because it always seems imperfect to him.)

Answer 464

A

(v.) to understand, comprehend (I cannot fathom why you like that crabby and mean-spirited neighbor of ours.)

Answer 465

A

(adj.) silly, foolish (He considers himself a serious poet, but in truth, he only writes fatuous limericks.)

Answer 466

A

(adj.) fruitful, fertile (The fecund tree bore enough apples to last us through the entire season.)

Answer 467

A

1. (adj.) well suited, apt (While his comments were idiotic and rambling, mine were felicitous and helpful.) 2. (adj.) delightful, pleasing (/spent a felicitous afternoon visiting old friends.)

Answer 468

A

(adj.) wild, savage (That beast looks so feral that I would fear being alone with it.)

Answer 469

A

(adj.) ardent, passionate (The ~protestors chained themselves to the building and shouted all night long.)

Answer 470

A

(adj.) having a foul odor (/can tell from the fetid smell in your refrigerator that your milk has spoiled.)

Answer 471

A

(v.) to chain, restrain (The dog was fettered to the parking meter.)

Answer 472

A

(adj.) shifting in character, inconstant (In Greek dramas, the ~gods help Achilles one day, and then harm him the next.)

Answer 473

A

(n.) loyalty, devotion (Guard dogs are known for the great l~delitv they show toward their masters.)

Answer 474

A

(adj.) symbolic (Using figurative language, Jane likened the storm to an angry bull.)

Answer 475

A

(adj.) astounded (Whenever I read an Agatha Christie mystery novel, I am always )Clabbergasted when I learn the identity of the murderer.)

Answer 476

A

(adj.) limp, not firm or strong (/f a plant is not watered enough, its leaves become droopy andS.)

Answer 477

A

(adj.) offensive, egregious (The judge’s decision to set the man free simply because that man was his brother was aft__a_,grant abuse of power. )

Answer 478

A

(adj.) flowery, ornate (The writer’s ~prose belongs on a sentimental Hallmark card.)

Answer 479

A

(v.) to disregard or disobey openly (/flouted the school’s dress code by wearing a tie-dyed tank top and a pair of cut-off jeans.)

Answer 480

A

(v. ) to thwart, frustrate, defeat (Inspector Wilkens foiled the thieves by locking them in the bank along with their stolen money.)

Answer 481

A

(v.) to graze, rummage for food (When we got lost on our hiking trip, we ~ for berries and nuts in order to survive.)

Answer 482

A

(n.) patience, restraint, toleration (The doctor showed great forbearance in calming down the angry patient who shouted insults at him.)

Answer 483

A

(v.) to prevent, thwart, delay (/forestalled the cold I was getting by taking plenty of vitamin Cpills and wearing a scarf.)

Answer 484

A

(adj.) lonely, abandoned, hopeless (Even though I had the flu, my family decided to go skiing for the weekend and leave me home alone, feeling feverish and forlorn)

Answer 485

A

(v.) to give up, renounce (My New Year’s resolution is to forsake smoking and drinking.)

Answer 486

A

(n.) strength, guts (Achilles’ fortitude in battle is legendary.)

Answer 487

A

(adj.) happening by chance, often lucky or fortunate (After looking for Manuel and not finding him at home, Harriet had a fortuitous encounter with him at the post office.)

Answer 488

A

(n.) a medium for lecture or discussion (Some radio talk-showsprovide a good orf o_E_u__m_f or political debate.)

Answer 489

A

(v.) to stimulate, promote, encourage (To foster good health in the city, the mayor started a “Get out and exercise!” campaign.)

Answer 490

A

(adj.) troublesome or irritable (Although the child insisted he wasn’t tired, his fractious behavior-especially his decision to crush his cheese and crackers all over the floor-convinced everyone present that it was time to put him to bed.)

Answer 491

A

(adj.) (usually used with “with”) filled or accompanied with (Her glances in his direction were rau~_~ with meaning, though precisely what meaning remained unclear.)

Answer 492

A

(adj.) frenzied, hectic, frantic (In the hours between night and morning, the ~pace of city life slows to a lull.)

Answer 493

A

(adj.) of little importance, trifling (Someday, all that anxiety about whether your zit will disappear before theprom will seem totally frivolous.)

Answer 494

A

(adj.) thrifty, economical (Richard is so~ that his diet consists almost exclusively of catfish and chicken liver-the two most inexpensive foods in the store.)

Answer 495

A

(adj.) secretive, sly (Jane’s placement of her drugs in her sock drawer was not as furtive as she thought, as the sock drawer is the first place most parents look.)

Answer 496

A

(adj.) gaudy, in bad taste (Mrs. Watson has poor taste and covers every object in her house with a arg_a_rish gold lam~.)

Answer 497

A

(adj.) talkative, wordy (Some talk show hosts are so garrulous that their guests can’t get a word in edgewise.)

Answer 498

A

(n.) overindulgence in food or drink (Ada's fried chicken tastes so divine, I don't know how anyone can call gluttong~ a sin.)

Answer 499

A

(adj.) friendly, affable (Although he’s been known to behave like a real jerk, I would say that my brother is an overall ~guy.)

Answer 500

A

(v.) to urge, spur, incite to action (Jim may think he's not going to fight Billy, but Billy will,Jim on with insults until he throws a punch.)

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