Last Minute Review

Question 1

EFFRONTERY

“the little squirt had the effrontery to deny eating any cookies, even with the crumbs still on his lips”

Answer 1

EFFRONTERY. Shameless boldness: insolence

SYN: audaciousness, audacity, brashness, brass, brazenness, cheekiness, chutzpah, gall, presumptuousness, TEMERITY

ANT: DIFFIDENCE, hesitancy, modesty, timidity, TIMOROUSness, civility, courtesy, gentility, graciousness,

Question 2

RAPACIOUS

“nothing livens things up like a whole team of rapacious basketball players descending upon the pizza parlor”

“rapacious mammals, such as coyotes, foxes, and bobcats”

Answer 2

RAPACIOUS. 1. Excessively grasping or covetous;

2. Living on prey
3. Ravenous <a></a>

SYN: EDACIOUS, ESURIENT, gluttonous, greedy, hoggish, piggish, voracious, ravenous, swinish; predacious, fierce, savage, ferocious, AVARICIOUS, coveting, avid, covetous, grabby, greedy,

Near ANT: content, full, sated, glutted

Question 3

VORACIOUS

“He has a voracious appetite.”

“it seemed like the voracious kitten was eating her weight in food every day”

Answer 3

VORACIOUS. 1. having a huge appetite: ravenous
2. excessively eager: insatiable

SYN: EDACIOUS, ESURIENT, gluttonous, greedy, hoggish, piggish, rapacious, ravenous, swinish

ANT: apathetic, indifferent, uneager, unenthusiastic

Question 4

IMPRIMATUR

“He gave the book his imprimatur.”

“could not begin the project without the boss’s imprimatur”

Answer 4

IMPRIMATUR. n. 1. a license to print or publish under circumstances of official censorship.

2a. sanction, approval
b. imprint, a mark of approval or distinction

SYN: APPROBATIO, blessing, approval

ANT: DISAPPROBATION, disapproval, disfavor

Question 5

DIDACTIC

“the poet’s works became increasingly didactic after his religious conversion”

“Slaves related human as well as animal trickster tales; they told Bible stories, explanatory tales, moralistic and didactic tales, supernatural tales and legends”

Answer 5

DIDACTIC. adj. 1a. designed or intended to teach

    b. intended to convey instruction and information as well as pleasure or entertainment  2. making moral observations

SYN: sermonic, homiletic, moralistic, moralizing, preachy, SENTENTIOUS

Question 6

SENTIENT

“sentient of the danger posed by the approaching hurricane”

Answer 6

SENTIENT. adj. 1. responsive to or conscious of sense impressions

2. aware
3. finely sensitive in perception or feeling

SYN: apprehensive, aware, cognizant, mindful, sensible, conscious, ware, witting

ANT: insensible, oblivious, unaware, unconscious, unmindful, unwitting

Question 7

ASPERITY

“doesn’t like the asperity of most experimental music”

“she responded with such asperity that we knew she was deeply offended by the question”

Answer 7

ASPERITY. n. 1. rigor, severity

2a. roughness of a surface, unevenness (also a tiny projection from a surface)
b. roughness of a sound
3. roughness of manner or of temper: harshness

SYN: acerbity, acidity, acridity, acrimony, edge, bite, harshness, poignance, poignancy, pungency, roughness, sharpness, tartness, adversity, hardship, rigor, bitterness, corrosiveness, MORDANCY, virulence, vitriol

Near ANT: gentleness, kindness, civility, unctuousness, URBANITY, tenderness, graciousness,

Question 8

DISSIPATED

“the dissipated and drunken son of the wealthiest man in the county”

Answer 8

DISSIPATED. adj: given to or marked dissipation; dissolute

SYN: debased, debauched, decadent, degenerate, degraded, demoralized, depraved, corrupt, DISSOLUTE, jackleg, LIBERTINE, perverse, perverted, rakehell, rakish, reprobate, sick, unclean, unwholesome, warped

ANT: pure, uncorrupt,

Question 9

INVECTIVE

“an overbearing, bullying boss who is fond of sending invective e-mails to long-suffering assistants”

Answer 9

INVECTIVE. adj: of, relating to, or characterized by insult or abuse

n: 1. an abusive expression or speech
2. insulting or abusive language

SYN: billingsgate, FULMINATION, abuse, OBLOQUY, scurrility, vitriol, VITUPERATION, OPPROBRIOUS, scurrilous, TRUCULENT,

ANT: acclaim, commendation, praise, endearments, FELICITATIONS, adulation,

Question 10

SENTENTIA

“a handbook of sententiae and advice for those about to enter the state of matrimony”

Answer 10

SENTENTIA. aphorism- usually used in plural; aphorism (a concise statement of a principle, or truth, or sentiment)

SYN: adage, APHORISM, APOTHEGM, byword, EPIGRAM, maxim, proverb, saw, saying

Related: bromide, cliche, platitude, axiom, truism,

Question 11

VITUPERATE

“every week the minister would ascend the pulpit and vituperate the parishioners for a litany of vices”

Answer 11

VITUPERATE. v. to abuse or censure severely or abusively: berate; to use harsh condemnatory language

SYN: assail, castigate, EXCORIATE, lambaste, savage, attack,

Related: berate, harangue, REVILE, scold, blaspheme, EXECRATE, IMPRECATE, slur, asperse, disparage, TRADUCE, slander, villify, chastise, REBUKE, FULMINATE,

Question 12

OBDURATE

“He is known for his obdurate determination.”

“the obdurate refusal of the crotchety old man to let the neighborhood kids retrieve their stray ball from his backyard”

Answer 12

OBDURATE. adj. 1a. stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing

     b. hardened in feelings
   2. resistant to persuasion or softening influences

SYN: affectless, callous, case-hardened, cold-blooded, compassionless, desensitized, hard-boiled, heartless, INDURATE, inhumane, insensate, insensitive, merciless, pachydermatous, pitiless, remorseless, ruthless, soulless, stony, uncharitable, unfeeling,

SYN: adamant, bullheaded, dogged, hardened, hardheaded, headstrong, immovable, implacable, inconvincible, inflexible, intransigent, mulish, obstinate, ossified, PERTINACIOUS, perverse, self-opinionated, stubborn, unbending, unyielding,

Question 13

PROSAIC

“He has a prosaic writing style.”

“the prosaic life of a hardworking farmer”

“She believes the noises are made by ghosts, but I think there’s a more prosaic explanation.”

“For the most part, the descriptions of the books listed in the “Catalog,” though informative, are relentlessly prosaic, even hackneyed”

Answer 13

PROSAIC. adj. 1a dull, unimaginative

1b. characteristic of prose vs poetry
2. everyday, ordinary, commonplace

SYN: average, commonplace, everyday, garden-variety, ordinary, routine, unexceptional, unremarkable,

ANT: abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary,

Question 14

TRUCULENT

“die-hard fans who became truculent and violent after their team’s loss”
“a theater critic who was notorious for his titanically truculent reviews”

Answer 14

TRUCULENT. adj. 1. feeling or displaying ferocity

2. deadly, destructive
3. scathingly harsh: vitriolic
4. aggressively self-assertive: belligerent

SYN: aggressive, argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, combative, confrontational, contentious, discordant, disputatious, feisty, militant, pugnacious, belligerent, quarrelsome, scrappy

Question 15

INSOUCIANCE

“wandered into the meeting with complete insouciance to the fact that she was late”

Answer 15

INSOUCIANCE. n. lighthearted unconcern: non-chalance

SYN: apathy, casualness, complacence, disinterestedness, disregard, incuriosity, incuriousness, indifference, nonchalance, TORPOR, unconcern

Question 16

DEMUR

“She suggested that he would win easily, but he demurred, saying he expected the election to be close.”

“don’t hesitate to demur to the idea if you have any qualms”

Answer 16

DEMUR. v. to take exception: object (to or at)

n. 1. hesitation (as in doing or accepting) usually based on doubt of acceptability of something offered or proposed.
2. the act or an instance of objecting: protest

SYN: challenge, complaint, objection, demurral, demurrer, difficulty, exception, expostulation, fuss, kick, protest, REMONSTRANCE

Question 17

OMINOUS

“an ominous threat of war”

“He spoke in ominous tones”

Answer 17

OMINOUS. adj. being or exhibiting an omen: portentous especially foreboding or foreshadowing evil: inauspicious.

SYN: baleful, dire, direful, foreboding, ill-boding, inauspicious, menacing, MINATORY, PORTENTOUS, sinister, threatening

Question 18

DOLOROUS

“dolorous ballads of death and regret”

Answer 18

DOLOROUS: adj. causing, marked by or expressing misery or grief

SYN: aching, agonized, anguished, bemoaning, bewailing, deploring, doleful, mournful, grieving, lamentable, lugubrious, plaintive, rueful, sorrowful, wailing, woeful
ELEGY - mournful song; ELEGIAC related to ELEGY.

Rel: dirgelike, elegiac, melancholy, dejected, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, dispirited, downcast, heartsick, inconsolable, crestfallen, downcast, forlorn, gloomy, glum, miserable, sad, triste, woebegone, desolate, dismal, dreary, funereal, morbid, morose, pathetic, piteous, saturnine, somber, sullen, wretched.

Question 19

APOPHASIS

“‘I will not bring up my opponent’s questionable financial dealings’ is an example of apophasis”

Answer 19

APOPHASIS: n. the raising of an issue by claiming not to mention it (as in “we won’t discuss his past crimes”)

Question 20

SENTENTIOUS

“a smug and sententious writer”

“a sententious crank who has written countless letters to the editor about the decline in family values”

Answer 20

SENTENTIOUS: adj. 1. having or expressing strong opinions about what people should and should not do; given to or abounding in excessive moralizing
2. terse

Syn(1): didactic, homiletic (or homiletical), moralistic, moralizing, preachy, sermonic

Rel:(1)
dogmatic (also dogmatical), prescriptive; admonishing, admonitory, cautionary; advisory, enlightening, instructive; holier-than-thou, self-righteous

Question 21

EXECRATE

“She came to execrate the hypocritical values of her upper-class upbringing.”

“leaders from around the world execrated the terrorists responsible for the bomb blast”

Answer 21

EXECRATE: vt. to dislike and criticize (someone or something) very strongly

Syn: anathematize, censure, damn, decry, denounce, condemn, reprehend, reprobate

Rel: attack, blame, blast, criticize, dis (also diss) [slang], dispraise, fault, knock, pan, slam; belittle, deprecate, disparage; doom, sentence; convict; blacklist, excommunicate, ostracize; castigate, chastise, rebuke, reprimand, reproach; admonish, chide, reprove; berate, lambaste (or lambast), rake, scold, upbraid, vituperate; curse, imprecate; abhor, abominate, detest, hate, loathe, revile

Question 22

REBUKE

“the father was forced to rebuke his son for the spendthrift ways he had adopted since arriving at college”

“strongly rebuked the girl for playing with matches”

Answer 22

REBUKE: 1: to criticize sharply : reprimand
2: to turn back or keep down : check

Syn: admonish, chide, reprimand, reproach, reprove,

Rel: berate, castigate, chew out, dress down, flay, harangue, jaw, keelhaul, lambaste (or lambast), lecture, rail (at or against), rate, scold, score, upbraid; abuse, assail, attack, bad-mouth, blame, blast, censure, condemn, criticize, crucify, denounce, dis (also diss) [slang], excoriate, fault, knock, lash, pan, reprehend, slam; belittle, deprecate, disparage, minimize, mock, put down; deride, ridicule, scoff, scorn

Question 23

ESURIENT and EDACIOUS

“the deli is frequented by young, single professionals, esurient after those long hours spent staring at the monitor of a computer”

“my edacious dining companion could always be counted on to order the largest—and often most expensive—item on the menu”

Answer 23

ESURIENT / EDACIOUS: Hungry and greedy; voracious

Question 24

HISTRIONIC

“a penchant for dish throwing, door slamming, and other histrionic displays of temper”

“we never tired of his histrionic reenactment of how he found money under the floorboards of a house he was renovating”

Answer 24

HISTRIONIC: Melodramatic; too emotional or dramatic

Question 25

ARDOR "the sudden ardors of youth" "candidates for citizenship reciting the oath of allegiance to the United States with all the ardor that they could muster"

Answer 25

ARDOR: A strong feeling of energy or eagerness; a strong feeling of love

Question 26

CONTUMACIOUS "the judge threatened to charge the contumacious witness with contempt of court"

Answer 26

CONTUMACIOUS: stubbornly disobedient : rebellious Synonyms: balky, contrary, disobedient, defiant, FROWARD, incompliant, insubordinate, INTRACTABLE, OBSTREPEROUS, rebel, rebellious, recalcitrant, recusant, REFRACTORY, restive, ungovernable, unruly, UNTOWARD, wayward, willful (or wilful)

Question 27

ARTIFICE "He spoke without artifice or pretense." "The whole story was just an artifice to win our sympathy"

Answer 27

ARTIFICE: dishonest or insincere behavior or speech that is meant to deceive someone 1a: clever or artful skill : ingenuity b : an ingenious device or expedient 2. a: an artful stratagem : trick b : false or insincere behavior Synonyms: trick, device, dodge, fetch, flimflam, gambit, gimmick, jig, juggle, knack, play, ploy, scheme, shenanigan, sleight, stratagem, wile Related Words: bluff, end run, feint; cheating, chicanery, COZENAGE, craft, crookery, cunning, deception, dupery, duplicity, fakery, jugglery, legerdemain, skulduggery (or skullduggery), subterfuge, swindling, trickery; fraud, gaff, hoax, sham, swindle; blind, front, smoke screen. MANNERED

Question 28

IMBROGLIO "a celebrated imbroglio involving some big names in the New York literary scene"

Answer 28

IMBOGLIO: 1. : a confused mass 2a : an intricate or complicated situation (as in a drama or novel) b : an acutely painful or embarrassing misunderstanding c : a violently confused or bitterly complicated altercation : embroilment d : scandal

Question 29

IMPERTURBATION "

Answer 29

IMPERTURBATION n.1. Freedom from perturbation or agitation of mind; calmness; quietude

Question 30

ONTOLOGY "

Answer 30

ONTOLOGY. he philosophical study of the nature of being, becoming, existence, or reality, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations.

Question 31

WAGGISH "a waggish disposition that often got him into trouble as a child"

Answer 31

WAGGISH: done or made in playful way or for sport : humorous Synonyms: arch, devilish, elvish, espiègle, impish, knavish, leprechaunish, pixie (also pixy), pixieish, prankish, PUCKISH, rascally, roguish, scampish, sly, tricksy, mischievous, wicked

Question 32

MIEN "He has the mien of an ancient warrior." "the stern mien of the librarian suggested that she was not one to put up with any nonsense"

Answer 32

MIEN: : a person's appearance or facial expression

Question 33

RECONDITE "geochemistry is a recondite subject"

Answer 33

RECONDITE. 1: hidden from sight : concealed 2: difficult or impossible for one of ordinary understanding or knowledge to comprehend : deep 3: of, relating to, or dealing with something little known or obscure Synonyms: ABSTRUSE, ARCANE, deep, ESOTERIC, HERMETIC (also hermetical), profound

Question 34

AMBROSIAL "

Answer 34

AMBROSIAL: adj. 1. Suggestive of ambrosia; fragrant or delicious. See Synonyms at delicious. 2. Of or worthy of the gods; divine.

Question 35

OROTUND "the tenor's orotund voice was just what this soaring aria needs" "a master of the orotund prose that is favored by academic journals of literary criticism"

Answer 35

OROTUND: 1: marked by fullness, strength, and clarity of sound : SONOROUS (deep, pleasant sound) 2: pompous, bombastic OROTUND voices as in singing or presenting is a GOOD thing, but OROTUND speeches, perhaps not.

Question 36

DEPILATION

Answer 36

DEPILATION: the removal of hair, wool, or bristles by chemical or mechanical methods

Question 37

ARROGATE "They've arrogated to themselves the power to change the rules arbitrarily." "She arrogated the leadership role to herself"

Answer 37

ARROGATE: to take or claim (something, such as a right or a privilege) in a way that is not fair or legal

Question 38

DIAPHANOUS "the bride wore a diaphanous veil"

Answer 38

DIAPHANOUS: 1: characterized by such fineness of texture as to permit seeing through 2: characterized by extreme delicacy of form : ethereal 3: insubstantial, vague

Question 39

EXTANT "There are few extant records from that period." "one of the oldest buildings still extant" "There is, he reports, no extant copy of the Super Bowl I television broadcast; nobody bothered to keep the tapes"

Answer 39

EXTANT: : in existence : still existing : not destroyed or lost

Question 40

APPELLATION "a twisting road that deserved the appellation “Sidewinder Lane”"

Answer 40

APPELLATION: a designation, name, title.

Question 41

INURE "Does violence on television inure children to violence in real life?" "the hardship of army training inured her to the rigors of desert warfare"

Answer 41

INURE: : to cause (someone) to be less affected by something unpleasant : to cause (someone) to be less sensitive to something unpleasant

Question 42

PROVINCIAL "the confidence man figured that fleecing these provincials would be easy"

Answer 42

PROVINCIAL: 1.: one living in or coming from a province 2a : a person of local or restricted interests or outlook b : a person lacking urban polish or refinement 3: of, relating to, or coming from a province 2a : limited in outlook : narrow b : lacking the polish of urban society : unsophisticated 3: of or relating to a decorative style (as in furniture) marked by simplicity, informality, and relative plainness;

Question 43

MALIGN "both parties to the divorce showed a malign desire to make each other's future life utterly miserable" "Her supporters say she is being unfairly maligned in the press"

Answer 43

MALIGN is an adj as well as a verb. adj: 1a : evil in nature, influence, or effect : injurious b : malignant, virulent 2: having or showing intense often vicious ill will : malevolent vt:: to utter injuriously misleading or false reports about : speak evil of

Question 44

LUGUBRIOUS "a comic actor known for his lugubrious manner" "the diner's dim lighting makes eating there a particularly lugubrious experience"

Answer 44

LUGUBRIOUS: 1: mournful; especially : exaggeratedly or affectedly mournful 2: dismal

Question 45

QUERULOUS "car trips that were frequently spoiled by a couple of querulous passengers in the back"

Answer 45

QUERULOUS: 1: habitually complaining; complaining in an annoyed way 2: fretful, whining Synonyms: crabby, cranky, grouchy, grumpy, fussy

Question 46

PIQUANT "piquant vegetables seasoned with pepper" "He served the fish with a piquant sauce." "a piquant bit of gossip"

Answer 46

PIQUANT: 1: agreeably stimulating to the palate; especially : spicy 2: engagingly provocative; also : having a lively arch charm Synonyms: pert, poignant, pungent, salty, savory (also savoury), zesty, zingy

Question 47

CLEMENT "Hawaii is known for its delightfully clement climate." "his clement application of authority was a welcome change after years of managerial heavy-handedness"

Answer 47

CLEMENT: 1: inclined to be merciful : lenient 2: mild

Question 48

LIMINAL "in the liminal state between life and death" "observation of liminal hues is beset with difficulties"

Answer 48

LIMINAL: 1: of or relating to a sensory threshold 2: barely perceptible 3: of, relating to, or being an intermediate state, phase, or condition : in-between, transitional

Question 49

PERTINACIOUS "a pertinacious little boy who was determined to catch and collect reptiles" "a pertinacious salesman who would simply not take “No!” for an answer"

Answer 49

PERTINACIOUS: 1a : adhering resolutely to an opinion, purpose, or design b : perversely persistent 2: stubbornly tenacious

Question 50

ADAMANTINE "the adamantine opposition of his parents to his marriage to a girl from a poor family"

Answer 50

ADAMANTINE: 1: made of or having the quality of adamant 2: rigidly firm : unyielding 3: resembling the diamond in hardness or luster

Question 51

ADJUVANT "adjuvant chemotherapy following surgery"

Answer 51

ADJUVANT: 1: serving to aid or contribute : auxiliary 2: assisting in the prevention, amelioration, or cure of disease

Question 52

ALEATORY "an aleatory contract"

Answer 52

ALEATORY: 1: depending on an uncertain event or contingency as to both profit and loss 2: relating to luck and especially to bad luck

Question 53

ANATHEMA "a politician who is anathema to conservatives" "ideas that are an anathema to me" "this notion was anathema to most of his countrymen "

Answer 53

ANATHEMA: Someone or something that is very disliked 1a : one that is cursed by ecclesiastical authority b : someone or something intensely disliked or loathed —usually used as a predicate nominative 2a : a ban or curse solemnly pronounced by ecclesiastical authority and accompanied by excommunication b : the denunciation of something as accursed c : a vigorous denunciation : curse

Question 54

ANOMIE

Answer 54

ANOMIE: : social instability resulting from a breakdown of standards and values; also : personal unrest, alienation, and uncertainty that comes from a lack of purpose or ideals

Question 55

ANTEDILUVIAN "He has antediluvian notions about the role of women in the workplace." "found evidence in the Middle East of an antediluvian people previously unknown to history" "an antediluvian automobile" "an antediluvian prejudice"

Answer 55

ANTEDILUVIAN: : very old or old-fashioned 1: of or relating to the period before the flood described in the Bible 2a : made, evolved, or developed a long time ago b : extremely primitive or outmoded

Question 56

APPROBATION "The company has even received the approbation of its former critics." "that plan has the approbation of the school board"

Answer 56

APPROBATION: a : an act of approving formally or officially | b : commendation, praise

Question 57

ARCADIAN "the painter is fond of depicting mute, slightly mysterious figures in arcadian settings"

Answer 57

ARCADIAN: 1: idyllically pastoral; especially : idyllically innocent, simple, or untroubled 2. of or relating to Arcadia or the Arcadians

Question 58

ASSEVERATION "he always asseverated that he did not know"

Answer 58

ASSEVERATION: : to affirm or declare positively or earnestly

Question 59

AUTODIDACT

Answer 59

AUTODIDACT: Self-taught person

Question 60

BALKANIZE "now pop culture has been balkanized; it is full of niches, with different groups watching and playing their own things"

Answer 60

BALKANIZE: : to break up (as a region or group) into smaller and often hostile units : divide, compartmentalize

Question 61

CATHARSIS "Acting is a means of catharsis for her." "Painting is a catharsis for me." "She has learned to have her catharsis, take a deep breath and move on. … she does not dwell on the negative anymore."

Answer 61

CATHARSIS: : the act or process of releasing a strong emotion (such as pity or fear) especially by expressing it in an art form 1: purgation 2a : purification or purgation of the emotions (as pity and fear) primarily through art b : a purification or purgation that brings about spiritual renewal or release from tension 3: elimination of a complex by bringing it to consciousness and affording it expression

Question 62

CELERITY "From the celerity with which the headwaiter approached her I decided she must be very rich or very distinguished"

Answer 62

CELERITY: : rapidity of motion or action

Question 63

CLAPTRAP "His entire speech was nothing but claptrap." "I'm tired of hearing all that claptrap about how hard her life is."

Answer 63

CLAPTRAP: words, ideas, etc., that are very foolish or stupid : pretentious nonsense : trash

Question 64

CONCATENATE "concatenate several lists of instructions into a single master file" "the movie actually concatenates into one extended narrative several episodes from various books in the series"

Answer 64

CONCATENATE: : to link together in a series or chain

Question 65

CONFABULATE "an Alzheimer's support group in which caregivers can confabulate as well as commiserate"

Answer 65

CONFABULATE: 1: to talk informally : chat 2: to hold a discussion : confer 3: to fill in gaps in memory by fabrication

Question 66

CONTRETEMPS "The senator dismissed his disagreement with the President as a minor contretemps." "there was a bit of a contretemps over the seating arrangements for the upcoming wedding"

Answer 66

CONTRETEMPS: : an unfortunate or embarrassing event, argument, or disagreement

Question 67

CONTRIVANCE "The story is filled with plot contrivances that do not fit the ending." "He told the story honestly and without contrivance." "a contrivance to get out of doing the work" "He convinced her to go without using contrivance"

Answer 67

CONTRIVANCE: : something that causes things to happen in a story in a way that does not seem natural or believable : the use of contrivances in a story : a machine or piece of equipment made with skill and cleverness

Question 68

CONVIVIAL "the hiking club attracts a wide range of convivial people who share a love of the outdoors"

Answer 68

CONVIVIAL: : relating to, occupied with, or fond of feasting, drinking, and good company

Question 69

COSTIVE "You must be frank, but without indiscretion, and close, without being costive."

Answer 69

COSTIVE: 1a : affected with constipation b : causing constipation 2: slow in action or expression 3: not generous : stingy

Question 70

DEFEASIBLE "a defeasible claim"

Answer 70

DEFEASIBLE: : capable of being annulled or made void

Question 71

DESUETUDE "despite the long years of desuetude, the old manual typewriter seemed to work just fine"

Answer 71

DESUETUDE: : discontinuance from use or exercise : disuse

Question 72

DIONYSIAN

Answer 72

DIONYSIAN: of or relating to the sensual, spontaneous, and emotional aspects of human nature.; recklessly unrestrained;

Question 73

DISSEMBLE / DISSIMULATE "he dissembled happiness at the news that his old girlfriend was getting married—to someone else" "children learn to dissemble at a surprisingly early age"

Answer 73

DISSEMBLE: vt1: to hide under a false appearance 2: to put on the appearance of : simulate vi : to put on a false appearance : conceal facts, intentions, or feelings under some pretense

Question 74

FECKLESS "She can't rely on her feckless son." "a well-intentioned but feckless response to the rise in school violence"

Answer 74

FECKLESS: : having or resulting from a weak character or nature 1: weak, ineffective 2: worthless, irresponsible

Question 75

FACTOTUM "He was the office factotum"

Answer 75

FACTOTUM: : a person whose job involves doing many different types of work

Question 76

FAUX-NAIF "faux–naïf prose"

Answer 76

FAUX-NAIF: : spuriously or affectedly childlike : artfully simple

Question 77

FECUND "a fecund imagination" "a fecund breed of cattle" "the Franklin stove, bifocals, and the lightning rod are just a few of the inventions that we owe to the fecund creativity of Benjamin Franklin"

Answer 77

FECUND: 1: fruitful in offspring or vegetation : prolific 2: intellectually productive or inventive to a marked degree fecundity n.

Question 78

ODOROUS "Odorous cheeses need to be tightly wrapped"

Answer 78

ODOROUS: : having a strong smell ODOROUS, FRAGRANT, REDOLENT, AROMATIC mean emitting and diffusing scent. - ODOROUS applies to whatever has a strong distinctive smell whether pleasant or unpleasant . - FRAGRANT applies to things (as flowers or spices) with sweet or agreeable odors . AMBROSIAL: extremely pleasing to taste or smell. - REDOLENT applies usually to a place or thing impregnated with odors . - AROMATIC applies to things emitting pungent often fresh odors . ODIFEROUS, ODORIFEROUS, also are synonyms. FETID: having a strong, unpleasant smell; MALODOROUS; STINKING, FETID, NOISOME, PUTRID, RANK, FUSTY, MUSTY mean bad-smelling. MALODOROUS may range from the unpleasant to the strongly offensive . - STINKING and FETID suggest the foul or disgusting . - NOISOME adds a suggestion of being harmful or unwholesome as well as offensive . - PUTRID implies particularly the sickening odor of decaying organic matter . - RANK suggests a strong unpleasant smell . - FUSTY and MUSTY suggest lack of fresh air and sunlight, FUSTY also implying prolonged uncleanliness, MUSTY stressing the effects of dampness, mildew, or age .

Question 79

FETTLE "a visit to the relatives on the other side of the state revealed them all to be in fine fettle"

Answer 79

FETTLE: : state or condition of health, fitness, wholeness, spirit, or form —often used in the phrase in fine fettle

Question 80

FICTIVE "Books don't have tools to help readers make up that fictive world, and so they do it more with their own minds." "Naturally this is often fictive , but that matters little." "Descent-groups, whether real or fictive , loom large in the human imagination." "Thus the novel is an intriguing amalgam of meditation, fictive autobiography and numerous spy stories."

Answer 80

FICTIVE: 1: not genuine : feigned 2: of, relating to, or capable of imaginative creation 3: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of fiction : fictional

Question 81

FLAGITIOUS

Answer 81

FLAGITIOUS: : marked by scandalous crime or vice : villainous. heinous or flagrant; :shamefully wicked

Question 82

GADFLY "a loud sports commentator who was a tactless gadfly during post-game interviews with the losing team"

Answer 82

GADFLY: : someone who annoys people by being very critical

Question 83

GALLIVANT "They've been gallivanting all over town." "He's been gallivanting around the country when he ought to be looking for a job"

Answer 83

GALLIVANT: 1: to go about usually ostentatiously or indiscreetly with members of the opposite sex 2: to travel, roam, or move about for pleasure

Question 84

GLIB "Politicians need to do more than provide glib answers to difficult questions." "the actor's glib portrayal of a drug addict" "glib answers" "glib solutions to knotty problems"

Answer 84

GLIB: : said or done too easily or carelessly : showing little preparation or thought : speaking in a smooth, easy way that is not sincere : lacking depth and substance : superficial

Question 85

HEURISTIC

Answer 85

HEURISTIC: : involving or serving as an aid to learning, discovery, or problem-solving by experimental and especially trial-and-error methods ; also : of or relating to exploratory problem-solving techniques that utilize self-educating techniques (as the evaluation of feedback) to improve performance

Question 86

IRREDENTA

Answer 86

IRREDENTA: : a territory historically or ethnically related to one political unit but under the political control of another

Question 87

JINGOISTIC "When the war began many people were caught up in a wave of jingoism." "his loudmouthed jingoism will not win us any foreign allies"

Answer 87

JINGOISTIC: : the feelings and beliefs of people who think that their country is always right and who are in favor of aggressive acts against other countries

Question 88

LABILE "a labile mineral"

Answer 88

LABILE: 1: readily or continually undergoing chemical, physical, or biological change or breakdown : unstable "a labile mineral" 2: readily open to change

Question 89

LACUNAE "despite all these lacunae, those reforms were a vast improvement" "She found a lacuna in the historical record." "attributes many of the nation's problems to a lacuna of leadership at the top"

Answer 89

LACUNAE: : a gap or blank space in something : a missing part 1: a blank space or a missing part : gap ; also : deficiency 1 2: a small cavity, pit, or discontinuity in an anatomical structure — la·cu·nar also la·cu·nate adjective

Question 90

LEITMOTIF

Answer 90

LEITMOTIF: 1: an associated melodic phrase or figure that accompanies the reappearance of an idea, person, or situation especially in a Wagnerian music drama 2: a dominant recurring theme

Question 91

LISSOME "the lissome actress's dance training is apparent in the way she moves on stage" "rattan is such a lissome material that it can be used for all manner of furniture and baskets"

Answer 91

LISSOME: : thin and graceful; lithe

Question 92

LUBRICIOUS "back in the days when lubricious employers could, with impunity, take advantage of naive factory girls"

Answer 92

LUBRICIOUS: 1: marked by wantonness : lecherous; also : salacious 2: having a smooth or slippery quality

Question 93

LURID "a lurid tale of violence and betrayal" "the lurid lighting of a nightclub" "The light from the fire cast a lurid glow on everything"

Answer 93

LURID: : causing shock or disgust : involving sex or violence in a way that is meant to be shocking 1a : causing horror or revulsion : gruesome b : melodramatic, sensational; also : shocking 2a : wan and ghastly pale in appearance b : of any of several light or medium grayish colors ranging in hue from yellow to orange 3: shining with the red glow of fire seen through smoke or cloud

Question 94

MANUMIT "though he was an outspoken defender of liberty, this son of Virginia did not manumit his own slaves until he was on his deathbed"

Answer 94

MANUMIT: : to release from slavery

Question 95

MELANGE

Answer 95

MELANGE: a mixture of different things; OLIO: a : a miscellaneous mixture : hodgepodge b : a miscellaneous collection (as of literary or musical selections)

Question 96

MERETRICIOUS "meretricious relationships" "the paradise they found was a piece of meretricious trash" "scholarly names to provide fig-leaves of respectability for meretricious but stylish books"

Answer 96

MERETRICIOUS: attractive in a cheap or false way 1: of or relating to a prostitute : having the nature of prostitution 2a : tawdrily and falsely attractive b : superficially significant : pretentious

Question 97

MIRTH "Her clumsy attempt to cut the cake was the cause of much mirth." "as charming as your mutual mirth is, could you refrain from nudging each other and giggling during class?"

Answer 97

MIRTH: : happiness and laughter | : gladness or gaiety as shown by or accompanied with laughter

Question 98

MYRMIDON

Answer 98

MYRMIDON: 2: a loyal follower; especially : a subordinate who executes orders unquestioningly or unscrupulously

Question 99

NUGATORY "the congressional resolution has symbolic value only, as it relates to a matter governed by the states and is thus nugatory" "the book is entertaining, but its contributions to Shakespearean scholarship are nugatory"

Answer 99

NUGATORY: 1: of little or no consequence : trifling, inconsequential 2: having no force : inoperative

Question 100

PANACHE "She played the role of hostess with great panache"

Answer 100

PANACHE: 1: dash or flamboyance in style and action : verve 2: an ornamental tuft (as of feathers) especially on a helmet (knight's helmet)

Question 101

PARLOUS "The company is in a parlous financial situation." "He talked about the parlous state of the country"

Answer 101

PARLOUS (Perilous): full of danger or risk:

Question 102

PARVENU "the kind of trophy house that a parvenu buys to prove to people, and to himself, that he has indeed arrived"

Answer 102

PARVENU: : a person from usually a low social position who has recently or suddenly become wealthy, powerful, or successful but who is not accepted by other wealthy, powerful, and successful people

Question 103

PECUNIARY "that makes good pecuniary sense" "the judge recused himself from the case because he had a pecuniary interest in the company that was being sued"

Answer 103

PECUNIARY: : relating to or in the form of money

Question 104

PENITENTIAL "She from that time led a penitential retired life, and dying fifteen years after, was buried near his relics." "The penitential austerities which she practised, were such as seemed rather to suit a recluse than one who lived in a court." "In these dispositions he embraced the penitential and laborious state of a poor monk." "Pepita did not wish to retire to a convent, nor did she incline to a penitential life."

Answer 104

PENITENTIAL: : relating to the feeling of being sorry for doing something wrong : relating to penitence or penance

Question 105

PENUMBRA "a penumbra of secrecy" "a penumbra of somber dignity has descended over his reputation" "the lunar eclipse began with a subtle darkening of the lunar surface as it passed within the Earth's penumbra" "a penumbra of despair fell over the doomed city"

Answer 105

PENUMBRA (:shadow) 1a : a space of partial illumination (as in an eclipse) between the perfect shadow on all sides and the full light b : a shaded region surrounding the dark central portion of a sunspot 2: a surrounding or adjoining region in which something exists in a lesser degree : fringe 3: a body of rights held to be guaranteed by implication in a civil constitution 4: something that covers, surrounds, or obscures : shroud — pen·um·bral adjective

Question 106

PHILIPPIC "the head coach was briefly suspended after launching into a foul-mouthed philippic during a press conference"

Answer 106

PHILIPPIC:: a discourse or declamation full of bitter condemnation : tirade

Question 107

PLAUDITS "received the plaudits of the critics" "the proud parents bragged that their daughter had received many plaudits for her academic achievements"

Answer 107

PLAUDITS: 1: an act or round of applause 2: enthusiastic approval —usually used in plural

Question 108

PLENARY "plenary power" "a plenary session of the legislature"

Answer 108

PLENARY: 1: complete in every respect : absolute, unqualified 2: fully attended or constituted by all entitled to be present

Question 109

PUCKISH "He had a puckish smile on his face." "he takes a puckish delight in teasing her about her love life, or lack thereof"

Answer 109

PUCKISH: : having or showing a desire to cause trouble in a playful or harmless way : impish, whimsical; WAGGISH;

Question 110

PULCHRITUDE "A slim build is currently popular in the West but many African societies see a fuller figure as the height of pulchritude."

Answer 110

PULCHRITUDE: : great physical beauty

Question 111

PUTATIVE "the putative reason for her dismissal was poor job performance" "This has always been a nation willing to sell out its past for putative progress"

Answer 111

PUTATIVE: generally believed to be something. 1: commonly accepted or supposed 2: assumed to exist or to have existed — pu·ta·tive·ly adverb

Question 112

PUTSCH

Answer 112

PUTSCH: : a secretly plotted and suddenly executed attempt to overthrow a government

Question 113

QUISLING "warned that all quislings would be punished without mercy"

Answer 113

QUISLING: : a person who helps an enemy that has taken control of his or her country : traitor 2, collaborator

Question 114

REJOINDER "The article was a stinging rejoinder to her critics." "he always has a smart-aleck rejoinder to everything"

Answer 114

REJOINDER: : a usually rude or angry reply to something written or said 1: the defendant's answer to the plaintiff's replication 2: reply; specifically : an answer to a reply related: RIPOSTE

Question 115

REQUITE "the company requited the employee who had fallen on the ice while leaving work by promptly paying all his medical bills, hoping that would stave off a lawsuit" "the future writer would later requite the abuse he suffered at the hands of his classmates by creating scathing portraits of them in his novels"

Answer 115

REQUITE: : to give or do something in return for (something that another person has given or done) re·quit·ed; re·quit·ing 1a : to make return for : repay b : to make retaliation for : avenge 2: to make suitable return to for a benefit or service or for an injury — re·quit·er noun

Question 116

RESTIVE "the restive horse threw its head and refused to move when the rider urged it forward" "spent a restive night worrying about the next day's exam"

Answer 116

RESTIVE: : feeling bored or impatient while waiting for something to happen or change 1: stubbornly resisting control : balky 2: marked by impatience or uneasiness : fidgety

Question 117

REVIVIFICATION "looking for ways to revivify the city's economy" "a new director hoping to revivify the region's oldest repertory company"

Answer 117

REVIVIFY: : to make (someone or something) strong, healthy, or active again Synonyms: freshen, recharge, recreate, refresh, refreshen, regenerate, rejuvenate, repair, restore, resuscitate, revitalize, revive, renew

Question 118

RISIBLE "The suggestion was downright risible." "a risible comment that made the whole class laugh"

Answer 118

RISIBLE: : deserving to be laughed at : very silly or unreasonable 1a : capable of laughing b : disposed to laugh 2: arousing or provoking laughter; especially : laughable 3: associated with, relating to, or used in laughter 'risible muscles'

Question 119

SANGFROID "He displayed remarkable sangfroid when everyone else was panicking during the crisis." "the professional gambler seemed to take both his wins and his losses with remarkable sangfroid"

Answer 119

SANGFROID: : the ability to stay calm in difficult or dangerous situations

Question 120

SATURNINE "a saturnine smile" "He is saturnine in temperament." "the men awaiting interrogation by the police shared a saturnine silence"

Answer 120

SATURNINE: : very serious and unhappy 1: born under or influenced astrologically by the planet Saturn 2a : cold and steady in mood : slow to act or change b : of a gloomy or surly disposition c : having a sardonic aspect

Question 121

SEDULOUS "an impressively sedulous suitor, he was constantly sending her flowers and other tokens of his affection"

Answer 121

SEDULOUS: 1: involving or accomplished with careful perseverance -"sedulous craftsmanship" 2: diligent in application or pursuit "a sedulous student"

Question 122

SEMIOTIC

Answer 122

SEMIOTIC: : the study of signs and symbols and how they are used plural semiotics : a general philosophical theory of signs and symbols that deals especially with their function in both artificially constructed and natural languages and comprises syntactics, semantics, and pragmatics

Question 123

SENESCENT

Answer 123

SENESCENCE: : the state of being old or the process of becoming old 1: the state of being old : the process of becoming old 2: the growth phase in a plant or plant part (as a leaf) from full maturity to death

Question 124

SEQUELAE "the emotional sequelae of early parental death"

Answer 124

SEQUELAE: 1: an aftereffect of disease, condition, or injury 2: a secondary result

Question 125

SERE "a sere region that can't support agriculture"

Answer 125

SERE: : being dried and withered

Question 126

SIDERAL

Answer 126

SIDERAL: : of, relating to, or expressed in relation to stars or constellations : astral

Question 127

SIMULACRUM "a reasonable simulacrum of reality"

Answer 127

SIMULACRUM: 1: image, representation "a reasonable simulacrum of reality" 2: an insubstantial form or semblance of something : trace

Question 128

SOBRIQUET "Baseball player Ty Cobb was also known by the sobriquet “The Georgia Peach.”" "tagged her with the sobriquet “peanut” because of her diminutive size"

Answer 128

SOBRIQUET: a name or phrase that describes the character of someone or something; EPITHET

Question 129

OTIOSE "since you haven't read the book, I suppose that it would be otiose to inquire what you thought of it"

Answer 129

OTIOSE: 1: producing no useful result : futile 2: being at leisure : idle 3: lacking use or effect : functionless

Question 130

IMBUE "A feeling of optimism imbues her works." "her training at the school for the deaf imbued her with a sense of purpose that she had never known before"

Answer 130

IMBUE: 1: to permeate or influence as if by dyeing "the spirit that imbues the new constitution" 2: to tinge or dye deeply 3: endow 3 "Spanish missions imbue the city with Old World charm"

Question 131

ULULATE "a widow ululating in sorrow" "Korean women ululating with grief"

Answer 131

ULULATE: : to cry loudly; howl, wail

Question 132

REGNANT

Answer 132

REGNANT: 1: exercising rule : reigning 2: having the chief power : dominant 3: of common or widespread occurrence: prevalent

Question 133

SOI DISANT "threw the soi–disant epic novel aside in disgust"

Answer 133

SOI DISANT: : self-proclaimed, so-called

Question 134

SOLECISM "the solecism of asking one's hosts how much something in their house cost them"

Answer 134

SOLECISM: : a mistake in speech or writing; : an impolite or improper way of behaving; 1: an ungrammatical combination of words in a sentence; also : a minor blunder in speech 2: something deviating from the proper, normal, or accepted order 3: a breach of etiquette or decorum

Question 135

SOLIPSISM

Answer 135

SOLIPSISM: : a theory holding that the self can know nothing but its own modifications and that the self is the only existent thing; also : extreme egocentrism

Question 136

SYCOPHANT "when her career was riding high, the self-deluded actress often mistook sycophants for true friends"

Answer 136

SYCOPHANT: : a person who praises powerful people in order to get their approval : a servile self-seeking flatterer

Question 137

TARRY "Tarry with us a while." "upon seeing the sun beginning to sink in the sky, we realized we had tarried too long on the summit of the mountain"

Answer 137

TARRY: : to be slow in going : to stay somewhere 1a : to delay or be tardy in acting or doing b : to linger in expectation : wait 2: to abide or stay in or at a place

Question 138

TERGIVERSATION "like most politicians, he has the gift for tergiversation"

Answer 138

TERGIVERSATION: 1: evasion of straightforward action or clear-cut statement : EQUIVOCATION 2: desertion of a cause, position, party, or faith

Question 139

TITULAR "Although retired, he remains the titular chairman of the company." "he's the titular head of the department, though it's the assistant managers who largely run things around her"

Answer 139

TITULAR: : having an important or impressive title but not having the power or duties that usually go with it : having the name of the character that is featured in the title of a movie, play, etc.

Question 140

TONY "tony private schools"

Answer 140

TONY: : very expensive and fashionable

Question 141

TRANSMORGRIFY

Answer 141

TRANSMORGRIFY: : to change or alter greatly and often with grotesque or humorous effect

Question 142

TRUNDLE "trundled him off to school" "buses trundling through the city"

Answer 142

TRUNDLE: : to roll (something) on wheels slowly and noisily : to move noisily on wheels : to walk slowly and heavily

Question 143

TUMESCENCE "our pregnant kitty's tumescent middle"

Answer 143

TUMESCENCE: : the quality or state of being tumescent; especially : readiness for sexual activity marked especially by vascular congestion of the sex organs

Question 144

UMBRAGE "took umbrage at the slightest suggestion of disrespect"

Answer 144

UMBRAGE: : a feeling of being offended by what someone has said or done 1: shade, shadow 2: shady branches : foliage 3a : an indistinct indication : vague suggestion : hint b : a reason for doubt : suspicion 4: a feeling of pique or resentment at some often fancied slight or insult "took umbrage at the speaker's remarks"

Question 145

VAPID "a gossipy, vapid woman, obsessed by her own elegance" "London was not all vapid dissipation"

Answer 145

VAPID: : not lively or interesting : dull or boring | : lacking liveliness, tang, briskness, or force : flat, dull

Question 146

VERDANT "verdant fields"

Answer 146

VERDANT: : green with growing plants 1a : green in tint or color b : green with growing plants "verdant fields" 2: unripe in experience or judgment : green

Question 147

AUSPICIOUS "His acclaimed first novel was an auspicious debut." "told him she couldn't dance with him just then, but her auspicious smile encouraged him to ask again later"

Answer 147

AUSPICIOUS: : showing or suggesting that future success is likely 1: showing or suggesting that future success is likely : propitious 2: attended by good fortune : prosperous "an auspicious year"

Question 148

GAINSAY "it can't be gainsaid that most people wish they had more time and money" "repeatedly tried to gainsay me, though every point I made was backed up by facts"

Answer 148

GAINSAY: : to deny or disagree with (something) : to show or say that (something) is not true 1: to declare to be untrue or invalid 2: contradict, oppose Synonyms: contradict, DISAFFIRM, disallow, disavow, disclaim, DISCONFIRM, disown, deny, negate, negative, refute, reject, REPUDIATE

Question 149

PROFUNDITY "the profundity of his thoughts" "Her books are a mixture of playfulness and profundity." "the depth and profundity of her feelings"

Answer 149

PROFUNDITY: 1a : intellectual depth b : something profound or abstruse 2: the quality or state of being profound or deep Synonyms:deepness, profoundness, depth Related Words: discernment, perception, perceptiveness, perceptivity, percipience, sagacity, sapience, sense, sensibility, wisdom; braininess, brightness, brilliance, intellect, intelligence, judgment (or judgement), reason, sense, smartness, wit; acuity, acuteness, keenness, penetration, perspicacity, sensitivity, sharpness

Question 150

SAPIENCE "the kind of sapience that comes from a lifetime of experience as an educator"

Answer 150

SAPIENCE: : wisdom, sagacity Synonyms: discernment, insight, perception, perceptiveness, perceptivity, sagaciousness, sagacity, sageness, wisdom

Question 151

STULTIFY "The government has been stultified by bureaucracy."

Answer 151

STULTIFY: : to cause (someone or something) to become dull, slow, etc. 2: to cause to appear or be stupid, foolish, or absurdly illogical 3a : to impair, invalidate, or make ineffective : negate b : to have a dulling or inhibiting effect on