Manhattan #7 essential

Question 1

constrict

Answer 1

squeeze, compress; restrict the freedom of “the children strongly disliked being gussied up in constrictive clothing for a formal wedding”. Related words include constringe (cause to shrink)

Question 2

incipient

Answer 2

just beginning, in a very early stage. “The movie producer was devastated when, due to legal trouble over the screenplay, the incipient project was crushed before it have even begun shooting” Nascent (synonym), inchoate (just begun, undeveloped, unorganized)

Question 3

lackluster

Answer 3

not shiny, dull mediocre, lacking brilliance or vitality. “Many young people today are so accustomed to being praised by parents and are shocked when a lackluster effort in the workplace receives the mild disapproval it deserves” related words include pedestrian, prosaic, quotidian, and middling (medium, average or mediocre)

Question 4

inasmuch

Answer 4

in like manner, considering that (contraction of in as much generally followed by as) Inasmuch as you missed my birthday party, I am not angry at all. Whereas is a related word.

Question 5

deleterious

Answer 5

harmful, unhealthful “the residents assistant told the first year students “I think you will find not only that drugs are illegal , but they will have a deleterious effect on anyone’s grades””. Related words include pernicious (very harmful) insalutary or insalubrious (unhealthful)

Question 6

quandary

Answer 6

uncertainty or confusion about what to do, dilemma “He knew it sounded like the plot of a cheesy movie, but her really had accidentally asked two girls to the prom and now he was in quite a quandary” Related words include mired (stuck entangled in a swamp or muddy area or a problem that is hard to get out of)

Question 7

kudos

Answer 7

praise, honor, congratulations “the play received plentiful kudos from the audience” Related words include Plaudits (applause, approval), Laudation (praise), panegyric (formal, lofty, or elaborate praise), paean (song of praise, triumph or thanks)

Question 8

gist

Answer 8

Main idea, essence “i didn’t read the whole book, but I read enough to get the gist” Related words: pith (central part, essence), precis (summary of the essentials of a text) if you read enough to get the pith, you really understand it, if you read enough to get the gist, you don’t know it in much detail.

Question 9

disingenuous

Answer 9

insincere, not genuine “steven’s offer of help turned out to be disingenuous, when it was finally time for me to move, he was nowhere to be found”

Question 10

cacophony

Answer 10

a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
“a cacophony of deafening alarm bells” a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds. “a cacophony of deafening alarm bells” harsh, discordant or meaningless mixture of sounds. The first day of school marching band practice was nothing but cacophony, as students who hadn’t learned to play their instruments at all nevertheless banged on or puffed air into them. Din (loud, confused noise), dissonance (harsh, inharmonious sound), clamor (noisy uproar as from a crowd) caco means bad.

Question 11

rescind

Answer 11

annul, repeal, make void “ the governor rescinded his proclamation making september 10th “pastafarian day” once someone told him it wasn’t a real religion” Related words include negate, and nullify.

Question 12

implode

Answer 12

burst inward, fall apart. “The startup struggled for years before it simply imploded - the management team broke into faction, all the clients were scared off. Implode is the opposite of explode.

Question 13

extraneous

Answer 13

irrelevant, foreign, coming from without, not belonging. “This essay would be stronger if you removed extraneous information” “maize is extraneous to Europe” Related words include superfluous.

Question 14

inconsequential

Answer 14

insignificant, unimportant, illogical. “ you wrote a bestselling book and got a stellar review in the New York Times, whatever your cousin has to say about it is inconsequential. “ Related words include negligible, null and nil mean nothing or too significant to matter.

Question 15

patronizing

Answer 15

condescending, have a superior manner, treating as an inferior” “I”m not surprised that he used to teach kindergarten, HIs patronizing tone has been driving me crazy” As a verb patronize means to be a patron of - to support with money. You can be a patron of the arts and restaurants sometimes have signs thanking you for you patronage. Being patronizing is negative. Pater means father - gives you money but speaks to you like a your a child.

Question 16

exponent

Answer 16

person who expounds or explains, champion, advocate or representative. “An exponent of clean fuel,he petitioned the state of government to commit to replacing conventional energy with solar and wind energy where possible.”

Question 17

incensed

Answer 17

setting on fire, pertaining to arson, arousing strife, rebellion, etc. “inflaming” the senses. “The college suspended him for creating an incendiary website, encouraging sit-ins and protests, but the ACLU defended his right to freedom of speech. “ Related words include kindle (ignite, cause to begin burning, incite, arouse, inflame, Rouse or foment (incite, stir up). The root candere (to shine) also appears in candle, incense, and incensed (furious)

Question 18

incongruous

Answer 18

out of place, inappropriate, not harmonious “among the student artwork posted in the halls, angelina’s submission was incongruous, a dark, gruesome, and even worldly work amidst the happy family portraits and other childish drawings. “

Question 19

pretentious

Answer 19

claiming or demanding a position of importance or dignity, esp, when unjustified, showing off, creating a deceptive, false show of worth. “Josie found her date’s habit of constantly to be incredibly pretentious, especially since he knew she didn’t speak French. He sure did sound fancy, though. Related words include ostentatious (pretentious boastfully showy in order to impress others)

Question 20

indetermined

Answer 20

not fixed or determined, indefinite, vague “the results of the drug trials were indeterminate; further trials will be needed to ascertain whether the drug can be released.

Question 21

paucity

Answer 21

-scarcity, the state of being small in number. “Our school has a paucity of textbooks.” Dearth - lack of, scarcity.

Question 22

unequivocal

Answer 22

unambiguous, clear, absolute, having only one possible meaning. Related words include resolute, unambivalent, patent, explicit,

Question 23

commensurate

Answer 23

the same size, extent, equivalent, proportional. Related words include tantamount. The latin mensuratus means measure - so commensurate means measure together.

Question 24

unseemly

Answer 24

improper, inappropriate, against the rules of taste or politeness. “The activist really did want to get the candidate’s support for the equal rights measure, so she did what the candidate’s aides asked, but she found it very unseemly that they suggested a specific dollar amount for the donation she was asked to make in order to get a meeting”Related words include indecorous (synonym), boorish or churlish (rude, ill mannered, insensitive), uncouth ( having bad manners, awkward), gauche (tactless, lacking social grace, awkward, crude). Seemly (antonym) means suitable, proper, appropriate)

Question 25

sanguine -

Answer 25

cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, reddish, ruddy (as in rosy-red cheeks indicting health or vitality) “she had three papers due in three days, but she maintained her sanguine attitude, “things always just work out for me” she said”. Chipper is a related word. Sanguinary means blood thirsty.

Question 26

intelligible

Answer 26

able to be understood, clear “ you are doing a disservice to all music by listening through those horrible speakers! None of the lyrics are even intelligible! I’ll bet you have no idea what this song is even about!

Question 27

affable

Answer 27

warm and friendly, pleasant, approachable. “The professional wrestler played at belligerence in the ring, but in real life, he was quite and affable fellow; sociable easy- going and always ready to lend a hand” Related words include amiable, cordial and genial.

Question 28

quibble

Answer 28

Make trivial arguments or criticisms, find faults in a petty way, esp, to evade something more important. “Look I am telling you some of the serious consequences of global warming, as predicted by the scientific establishment. I think you’re just quibbling to complain that I said carbon monoxide when I mean carbon dioxide.” This word is often associated with lawyers. Related words include cavil (synonym), carp (constantly complain, fret and find fault), peevish (annoyed, in a bad mod, stubborn)

Question 29

anoint

Answer 29

rub or sprinkle on, make sacred, such as by a ceremony that includes applying oil to someone. “After the principal raised test scores over 60% at her school, it was only a matter of time before she was anointed superintendent by a fawning school board”. Anoint shares a root with ointment.

Question 30

abhor

Answer 30

detest, regard with disgust - “go out with you” she replied, I abhor you! “ Loath and abominate are synonyms. Related words also include antipathy (instinctive repugnance or aversion). Ab means away.

Question 31

assuage

Answer 31

make milder, relieve, soothe, pacify or calm. “After losing a million dollar account he tried to assuage his furious boss by pointing ou that he was close to winning a new account worth at least as much”. Synonyms include placate, mollify, and appease. Shares a latin root (meaning sweet) with suave which today means smoothly agreeable or polite.

Question 32

abrasive

Answer 32

rough, suitable for grinding or polishing (such as sandpaper), causing irritation or annoyance “ could the inside of this mascot costume by any more abrasive” Related words include caustic (capable of burning or corroding, extremely critical or sarcastic, excoriate (to rub the skin off of, to criticize harshly)

Question 33

didactic

Answer 33

intended to instruct, teaching or teaching a moral lesson. “ she might have been teacher of the year, but at home her husband wished she would turn off her didactic personality. Honey, he said, “I really don’t’ need you to use everything as a learning opportunity” related words include pedagogical (pertaining to teaching), pedantic (showy about learning, excessively concerned with the details, as in “hes so pedantic he corrects his friend’s grammar”

Question 34

outstrip

Answer 34

surpass, exceed, be larger or better than, leave behind. “Our sales figures this quarter have outsripped those of any other quarter in the company’s history” The expression leave in the dust has a similar meaning. Related words include supersede (means to replace or cause to be set aside, ipods have superseded portable CD players) “out” words he mean to do better than.

Question 35

placate

Answer 35

satisfy or calm down (an angry or dissatisfied person) esp. By conciliatory gestures) “its an interesting business model” said the flower show owner. “Outside of valentines day, our average customer uses our products to placate and angry partner”. Appease, mollify, conciliate and assuage are near synonym. Implacable means not able to be placated. “Conciliatory gestures could mean giving in, lowering oneself, compromising one’s principles, offering gifts or rebates, etc.

Question 36

gregarious

Answer 36

sociable, pertaining to a flock or crowd. “We need to be a little more productive and a little less gregarious” when she say the two person lab groups and devolved into clusters of five students talking and laughing. “

Question 37

judicious

Answer 37

using good judgement, wise, sensible. “In his will, the old titan of industry left little to his hard partying younger son and left the build of his estate to the more judicious older son. “ Related words include prudent (wise, careful in providing for the future” circumspect (cautious, careful to consider the circumstances and consequences)

Question 38

ascetic

Answer 38

abstinent or austere in lifestyle, a person who leads an austere and simple life without material pleasure esp someone who does this for religious reasons. “Ascetics such as monks actually take a vows of poverty. Related words include hermit or anchorite (person who lives away from society, esp for religious reasons), Recluse (person who lives in solitude)

Question 39

tirade

Answer 39

bitter, abusive criticism or verbal attack. “ I hate that television show where that commentator goes on angry tirades about all the liberal conspiracies taking over america”. Diatribe, tirade, harangue, and fulmination are all words for bitter, angry speeches or attacks.

Question 40

crescendo

Answer 40

Steady increase in force, intensity, or the loudness of a musical passage, a climactic moment or peak (noun) to rise in volume or intensity. “Mrs. Brown did love the symphony, but she was also coming down with a migraine - by the time the music reached it’s towering crescendo, her head was pounding.” Related words include ascension (rising to the top), culminate (reach a high point or final stage), and surge (strong forward movement, swelling wave)

Question 41

foreshadow

Answer 41

indicate or suggest beforehand. “You didn’t know this was a horror movie. I thought it was pretty clear that the children’s ghost story around the campfire was mean to foreshadow the horrible things that would happen years later” Related words: prefigue is a synonym for forerun (foreshadow). Harbinger and herald mean a person or thing that indicates what is to come (herald can also mean messenger, including about something in the past. Ominous and portentous mean giving a bad sign about the future. Portentous can also mean very significant, exciting wonder and awe.

Question 42

eulogy

Answer 42

speech or praise or written work of praise, esp a speech given at a funeral “while it was hard for xing to write a eulogy for his friend, he was please to be able to tell others at the funeral some wonderful things about him” “the review of the book was pure eulogy, this publication runs more balanced articles” Related words include encomium (warm glowing praise, esp a formal expression of praise, laudation, panegyric, paean

Question 43

copious

Answer 43

plentiful, bountiful “although she took copious notes in class, she found that she missing the big picture”, shares a root with cornucopia (horn of plenty”

Question 44

audacious

Answer 44

very bold or brave, often in a rude or reckless way, extremely original. “He audaciously asked for a raise after working at the company for less than two months”. Related words include insolent (bold in a rude way) and brazen (shameless, contemptuously bold) audacious can be good or bad.

Question 45

fanatical

Answer 45

excessively devoted, enthusiastic, or zealous in an uncritical way. “We avoid our neighbors - they’re fanatics who can’t go five minutes without trying to convert you to their beliefs” Related words ardent (very passionate), zealous (full of fervor or dedicated enthusiasm for a cause, person). Fervent, fervid and perfervid all mean passionate, fiery and deeply enthusiastic.

Question 46

occult

Answer 46

he supernatural, pertaining to magic, astrology, mysterious secret or hidden, to hide, to shut off from view. “A group of religious parents demanded that a popular series of young adult vampire books be banned in schools because it promote the occult. During a solar eclipse, the moon occults the sun and it is momentarily dark in the middle of the day”. Eclipse is a related word.

Question 47

frugal

Answer 47

economical, thrifty, not wasteful with money, inexpensive. “It wasn’t terribly surprising when lea, who was so frugal, always drank water at restaurants” Related words include provident, stinting (acting sparingly or with restraint)

Question 48

temperance

Answer 48

moderation, self control, esp regarding alcohol or other desires or pleasure, total abstinence from alcohol. “ after the end of the civil war, economic change led to an increase in alcohol problems and the birth of the temperance movement, which ultimately led to prohibition.” Related words include teetotaler (person who doesn’t drink alcohol at all), abstain, sobriety,

Question 49

zenith

Answer 49

high point, culmination “at the zenith of her career, the actress could command $5 million per film”. Related words include Acme, summit and pinnacle (synonyms), apex apogee (high point, point at which moon is farthest from the sun). The opposite of zenith is nadir (lowest point)

Question 50

debunk

Answer 50

expose, ridicule, or disprove false or exaggerate claims. “Galileo spent his last years under house arrest for debunking the widely held idea that the sun revolves around the earth. The show mythbusters debunks pseudoscientific claims” bunkum (an old fashioned word for nonsense or meaningless talk.