Magooh Common Word 1

Question 1

Iconoclast (n)

Answer 1

Somebody who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions
Lady Gaga, in challenging what it means to be clothed, is an ICONOCLAST for wearing a “meat dress” to a prominent awards show.

Question 2

Belie (v)

Answer 2

to give a false representation to; misrepresent

The smile on her face BELIES the pain she must feel after the death of her husband.

Question 3

Profligate

Answer 3

adj:spending resources recklessly or wastefully.
The composer Wagner, while living on a limited salary, was so PROFLIGATE as to line all the walls of his apartment with pure silk.
(n): someone who spends resources recklessly or wastefully.
Most lottery winners go from being conservative, frugal types to outrightPLROFLIGATES who blow millions on fast cars, lavish homes, and giant yachts.

Question 4

Qualify

Answer 4

verb: to make less severe; to limit (a statement)
Chris QUALIFIED his love for San Francisco, adding he didn’t like the weather there as much as he liked the weather in Los Angeles.
This word has other definitions, but this is the most important one to study.

Question 5

Prevaricate

Answer 5

verb: to speak in an evasive way

The cynic quipped, “There is not much variance in politicians; they all seem to PREVERICATE.

Question 6

wanting (a)

Answer 6

lacking
She did not think her vocabulary was wanting, yet there were so many words that inevitably she found a few she didn’t know.

Question 7

ambivalent (a)

Answer 7

mixed or conflicting emotions about something
Sam was ambivalent about studying for the exam because doing so ate up a lot of his time, yet he was able to improve his analytical skills.

Question 8

aberration (n)

Answer 8

aberration
a deviation from what is normal or expected
Aberrations in climate have become the norm: rarely a week goes by without some meteorological phenomenon making headlines.

Question 9

involved (a)

Answer 9

involved
adjective: complicated, and difficult to comprehend
The physics lecture became so involved that the undergraduate’s eyes glazed over.

Question 10

enervate (v)

Answer 10

enervate
to sap energy from;to make someone feel weak and without energy
John preferred to avoid equatorial countries; the intense sun would always leave him enervated after he’d spent the day sightseeing.

Question 11

demur (v)

Answer 11

to object or show reluctance (an unwillingness to do something); to express disagreement or refuse to do something
Wallace disliked the cold, so he demurred when his friends suggested they go skiing in the Alps.

Question 12

undermine (v)

Answer 12

to weaken (usually paired with an abstract term)
The student undermined the teacher’s authority by questioning the teacher’s judgment on numerous occasions.

Question 13

artful

Answer 13

artful clever and skilful, especially in getting what you want
adj: exhibiting artistic skill
Picasso is generally considered the most artful member of the Cubist movement.
adj: clever in a cunning way
Bernie Madoff’s artful Ponzi scheme stole billions of dollars from investors and is considered the largest financial fraud in U.S. history.

Question 14

prodigal

Answer 14

prodigal
adj: rashly or wastefully extravagant; spending large amounts of money without thinking of the future, in a way that is not wise
Successful professional athletes who do not fall prey to prodigality seem to be the exception—most live decadent lives.

Question 15

parsimonious

Answer 15

parsimonious
adj: extremely frugal; miserly or not willing to spend money or to give or use a lot of something:
Katie is so parsimonious that she only buys a pair of socks if all of her other socks have holes in them.

Question 16

ambiguous

Answer 16

ambiguous
adj: open to more than one interpretation(an explanation or opinion of what something means)
The coach told his team, “Move towards that side of the field”; because he did not point, his directions were ambiguous, and the team had no idea to which side he was referring.

Question 17

harangue

Answer 17

harangue
n: a long pompous speech; a tirade(a long, angry speech expressing strong disapproval)
Dinner at Billy’s was more a punishment than a reward, since anyone who sat at the dinner table would have to listen to Billy’s father’s interminable harangues against the government.

v: to deliver a long pompous speech or tirade
Tired of his parents haranguing him about his laziness and lack of initiative, Tyler finally moved out of home at the age of thirty-five.

Question 18

ingenuous

Answer 18

ingenuous
adjective: to be naïve and innocent or honest, sincere, and trusting, sometimes in a way that seems silly:
It has to be said it was rather ingenuous of him to ask a complete stranger to take care of his luggage.

Question 19

egregious

Answer 19

adjective: standing out in a negative way; shockingly bad

It was an egregious error for a statesman to show such ignorance.

Question 20

equivocal

Answer 20

equivocal
adjective: confusing or ambiguous
His words to the press were deliberately equivocal - he didn’t deny the reports but neither did he confirm them