Magoosh Set 4

Question 1

expunge

Answer 1

erase or remove completely (something unwanted or unpleasant): I’ve kind of expunged that period from my CV.

Question 2

decant

Answer 2

gradually pour (liquid, typically wine or a solution) from one container into another, esp. without disturbing the sediment: the wine was decanted about 40 minutes before being served.

Question 3

confound

Answer 3

cause surprise or confusion in (someone), esp. by acting against their expectations: the inflation figure confounded economic analysts.

Question 4

prevarication

Answer 4

speak or act in an evasive way: he seemed to prevaricate when journalists asked pointed questions.

Question 5

vacillation

Answer 5

alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive: I had for a time vacillated between teaching and journalism.

Question 6

shroud

Answer 6

a length of cloth or an enveloping garment in which a dead person is wrapped for burial: he was buried in a linen shroud.

Question 7

patina

Answer 7

a green or brown film on the surface of bronze or similar metals, produced by oxidation over a long period.

Question 8

conundrum

Answer 8

a confusing and difficult problem or question: one of the most difficult conundrums for the experts.

Question 9

snub

Answer 9

rebuff, ignore, or spurn disdainfully: he snubbed faculty members and students alike | he snubbed her request to wind up the debate.

Question 10

simper

Answer 10

smile or gesture in an affectedly coquettish, coy, or ingratiating manner: she simpered, looking pleased with herself.

Question 11

snide

Answer 11

derogatory or mocking in an indirect way: snide remarks about my mother.
• (of a person) devious and underhanded: a snide divorce lawyer.

Question 12

derogate

Answer 12

[ with obj. ] disparage (someone or something): it is typical of Pirandello to derogate the powers of reason.

Question 13

cornucopia

Answer 13

a symbol of plenty consisting of a goat’s horn overflowing with flowers, fruit, and corn.

Question 14

glean

Answer 14

extract (information) from various sources: the information is gleaned from press clippings.

Question 15

valor

Answer 15

great courage in the face of danger, esp. in battle: the medals are awarded for acts of valor.

Question 16

pugnacity

Answer 16

eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight: the increasingly pugnacious demeanor of politicians.

Question 17

truculence

Answer 17

eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant: his days of truculent defiance were over.

Question 18

cumbersome

Answer 18

large or heavy and therefore difficult to carry or use; unwieldy: cumbersome diving suits.

Question 19

ponderous

Answer 19

slow and clumsy because of great weight: her footsteps were heavy and ponderous.
• dull, laborious, or excessively solemn: Liz could hardly restrain herself from finishing all his ponderous sentences.

Question 20

halcyon

Answer 20

denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful: the halcyon days of the mid-1980s, when profits were soaring.

Question 21

tumult

Answer 21

a loud, confused noise, esp. one caused by a large mass of people: a tumult of shouting and screaming broke out.

Question 22

torpor

Answer 22

a state of physical or mental inactivity; lethargy: they veered between apathetic torpor and hysterical fanaticism.

Question 23

panacea

Answer 23

hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; once sought by the alchemists

Question 24

elixir

Answer 24

noun – hypothetical substance that the alchemists believed to be capable of changing base metals into gold

Question 25

exegesis

Answer 25

noun – an explanation or critical interpretation (especially of the Bible)

Question 26

forlorn

Answer 26

adjective – marked by or showing hopelessness

Question 27

tropes

Answer 27

a significant or recurrent theme; a motif: she uses the Eucharist as a pictorial trope.

Question 28

bristle

Answer 28

verb – rise up as in fear

noun – a stiff hair

Question 29

pugnacity

Answer 29

noun – a natural disposition to be hostile

Question 30

valor

Answer 30

noun – the qualities of a hero or heroine; exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger (especially in battle)