Magoosh Basic - I

Question 1

inflammatory

Answer 1

adjective: extremely controversial, incendiary

It only takes one person to leave an inflammatory comment on an Internet thread for that thread to blow up into pages upon pages of reader indignation.

Question 2

variance

Answer 2

noun: the quality of being different

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

Question 3

spendthrift

Answer 3

noun: one who spends money extravagantly

Taking weekly trips to Vegas, Megan was a spendthrift whose excesses eventually caught up to her.

Question 4

remiss

Answer 4

adjective: to be negligent in one’s duty

Remiss in his duty to keep the school functioning efficiently, the principal was relieved of his position after only three months.

Question 5

affluent

Answer 5

adjective: wealthy

The center of the city had sadly become a pit of penury, while, only five miles away, multi-million dollar homes spoke of affluence.

Question 6

diabolical

Answer 6

adjective: extremely bad or shocking; evil, or caused by the Devil

• Conditions in the prison were diabolical.
• His driving is diabolical!

Question 7

reprobate

Answer 7

noun: a person without morals who is disapproved of

Mr. Smith’s two boys couldn’t be more different; one was a hard-working and principled, the other was the town reprobate, always having run-ins with the law.

Question 8

tender

Answer 8

verb:
- If you tender for a job, you make a formal offer to do it for a stated price:
- to give or offer something:

example: Please tender the exact fare.

noun: a written or formal offer to supply goods or do a job for an agreed price:
- The council has invited tenders for the building contract.

Question 9

inundate

Answer 9

verb: to flood or overwhelm

The newsroom was inundated with false reports that only made it more difficult for the newscasters to provide an objective account of the bank robbery.

Question 9

indignant

Answer 9

adjective: angry because of something that is wrong or not fair:
example: She wrote an indignant letter to the paper complaining about the council’s action.

Question 10

voracious

Answer 10

adjective: very hungry; approaching an activity with gusto

Steven was a voracious reader, sometimes finishing two novels in the same day.

Question 10

thoroughgoing

Answer 10

adjective: very thorough; complete

As a thoroughgoing bibliophile, one who had turned his house into a veritable library, he shocked his friends when he bought a Kindle.

Question 11

telling

Answer 11

adjective: If something is telling, it shows the true nature of a person or situation.

Her unbecoming dress was very telling when it came to her sense of fashion.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

Question 11

miser

Answer 11

noun: a person who doesn’t like to spend money (because they are greedy)

Monte was no miser, but was simply frugal, wisely spending the little that he earned.

Question 11

pinnacle

Answer 11

noun: the highest point

At its pinnacle, the Roman Empire extended across most of the landmass of Eurasia, a feat not paralleled to the rise of the British Empire in the 18th and 19th century.

Question 12

hound

Answer 12

verb: to pursue relentlessly

An implacable foe of corruption, Eliot Ness hounded out graft in all forms—he even helped nab Al Capone.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

Question 12

demean

Answer 12

verb: to insult; to cause someone to lose dignity or respect

At first the soccer players bantered back and forth, but as soon as one of the players became demeaning, calling the other’s mother a water buffalo, the ref whipped out a red card.

Question 12

demure

Answer 12

adjective: to be modest and shy

The portrait of her in a simple white blouse was sweet and demure.

Question 13

telltale

Answer 13

adjective: revealing

The many telltale signs of chronic smoking include yellow teeth, and a persistent, hacking cough.

Question 14

insolvent

Answer 14

adjective: unable to pay one’s bills; bankrupt

With credit card bills skyrocketing, a shockingly large number of Americans are truly insolvent.

Question 14

embroiled

Answer 14

verb: involved in argument or contention

These days we are never short of a D.C. politician embroiled in scandal—a welcome phenomenon for those who, having barely finished feasting on the sordid details of one imbroglio, can sink their teeth into a fresh one.

Question 14

err

Answer 14

verb: to make an error

He erred in thinking that “indigent” and “indignant” were synonyms.

Question 14

indigenous

Answer 14

adjective: originating in a certain area

The plants and animals indigenous to Australia are notably different from those indigenous to the U.S—one look at a duckbill platypus and you know you’re not dealing with an opossum.

Question 14

peruse

Answer 14

verb: to read very carefully

Instead of perusing important documents, people all too often rush to the bottom of the page and plaster their signatures at the bottom.

Question 14

affable

Answer 14

adjective: likeable; easy to talk to

For all his surface affability, Marco was remarkably glum when he wasn’t around other people.

Question 15

zenith

Answer 15

noun: the highest point; culmination

At the zenith of his artistic career, Elvis was outselling any other artist on the charts.

Question 15

profuse

Answer 15

adjective: plentiful; pouring out in abundance

During mile 20 of the Hawaii Marathon, Dwayne was sweating so profusely that he stopped to take off his shirt, and ran the remaining six miles wearing nothing more than skimpy shorts.

Question 16

stipend

Answer 16

noun: a particular amount of money that is paid regularly to someone:

He was hoping for a monthly allowance loan from the government, but after no such stipend was forthcoming he realized he would have to seek other means of paying for his college tuition.

Question 16

serendipity

Answer 16

noun: the instance in which an accidental, fortunate discovery is made

By pure serendipity, Sarah discovered, at a flea market in Peoria, a matching earring to replace the one that fell down the storm drain back home.

Question 17

slapdash

Answer 17

adjective: carelessly and hastily put together

The office building had been constructed in a slapdash manner, so it did not surprise officials when, during a small earthquake, a large crack emerged on the façade of the building.

Question 18

dupe

Answer 18

verb: to trick or swindle

Once again a get-rich-fast Internet scheme had duped Harold into submitting a $5,000 check to a sham operation.

noun: a person who is easily tricked or swindled

he is an innocent dupe

Question 19

pine

Answer 19

verb: to yearn for

Standing forlornly by the window, she pined for her lost love.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

Question 20

thrifty

Answer 20

adjective: spending money wisely

He was economical, spending his money thriftily and on items considered essential.

Question 21

tirade

Answer 21

noun: a long, angry speech expressing strong disapproval:

In terms of political change, a tirade oftentimes does little more than make the person speaking red in the face.

Question 22

summit

Answer 22

noun: the peak or highest point

After hiking for seven days, the climbers finally reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

noun: a meeting of high-level leaders

Since climate change policy has been mired in congressional fighting, this summit should help set the goals for president’s next term.

Question 23

screed

Answer 23

noun: a long piece of writing, especially one that is boring or expresses an unreasonably strong opinion:

• a ranting screed against American imperialism
• We had to wade through screeds of complex analysis.

Question 24

indict

Answer 24

verb: to formally charge or accuse of wrong-doing

The bankrobber was indicted on several major charges, including possession of a firearm.

Question 24

candid

Answer 24

adjective: straightforward and honest

Even with a perfect stranger, Charles was always candid and would rarely hold anything back.

Question 24

dog

Answer 24

verb: to pursue relentlessly; to hound

Throughout his life, he was dogged by insecurities that inhibited personal growth.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

Question 25

mesmerize

Answer 25

verb: to spellbind or enthrall

The plot and the characters were so well developed that many viewers were mesmerized, unable to move their eyes from the screen for even a single second.

Question 26

retiring

Answer 26

adjective: unwilling to be noticed or to be with other people:

Nelson was always the first to leave soirees—rather than mill about with “fashionable” folk, he was retiring, and preferred the solitude of his garret.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

Question 26

vindictive

Answer 26

adjective: to have a very strong desire for revenge

Though the other girl had only lightly poked fun of Vanessa’s choice in attire, Vanessa was so vindictive that she waited for an entire semester to get the perfect revenge.

Question 27

underwrite

Answer 27

verb: to support financially

The latest symphony broadcast was made possible with underwriting from the Carnegie Endowment.

Question 28

amiable

Answer 28

adjective: friendly

Amy’s name was very apt: she was so amiable that she was twice voted class president.

Question 29

bleak

Answer 29

adjective: having a depressing or gloomy outlook

With no job, the future looked bleak.

Question 30

erratic

Answer 30

adjective: unpredictable; strange and unconventional

• He drove in an erratic course down the road.
• She can be very erratic; one day she is friendly and the next she’ll hardly speak to you.

Question 31

unnerve

Answer 31

verb: to make nervous or upset

At one time unnerved by math problems, she began avidly “Magoosh-ing”, and soon became adept at even combinations and permutations questions.

Question 32

macabre

Answer 32

adjective: suggesting the horror of death and decay; gruesome

• Even the police were horrified at the macabre nature of the killings.
• She has a pretty macabre sense of humor.

Question 33

censor

Answer 33

verb: to examine and remove objectionable material

Every fall, high school English teachers are inundated by requests to censor their curriculum by removing The Catcher in the Rye and Scarlet Letter from their reading lists.

noun: an official who censors material

The censor insisted that every reference to drugs should be removed from the manuscript.

Question 33

acme

Answer 33

noun: the highest point of achievement

The new Cessna airplanes will be the acme of comfort, offering reclining seats and ample legroom.