mat 2

Question 1

Calumny

Answer 1

the making of false and defamatory statements about someone in order to damage their reputation; slander.

“a bitter struggle marked by calumny and litigation”
Similar:
slander
defamation (of character)

Question 2

Candid

Answer 2

truthful and straightforward; frank.
“his responses were remarkably candid”

frank
outspoken
forthright
blunt

Question 3

Castigate

Answer 3

to criticize someone or something severely

“he was castigated for not setting a good example”
Similar:
reprimand
rebuke
admonish
chastise

Question 4

Reprimand

Answer 4

a formal expression of disapproval.
“the golfer received a reprimand for a breach of rules”

rebuke
reproof
admonishment
castigate

Question 5

Caustic

Answer 5

1. sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way.

sarcastic
cutting
biting
mordant
stinging

2. able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action.

Question 6

Scornful

Answer 6

feeling or expressing contempt or derision.
“scornful laughter”

contemptuous
full of contempt
derisive
derisory

Question 7

Contempt

Answer 7

the feeling that a person or a thing is worthless or beneath consideration.
“Pam stared at the girl with total contempt”

scorn
disdain
disrespect
deprecation

Question 8

Scathing

Answer 8

criticizing someone or something in a severe and unkind way
critica feroce

“he unleashed a scathing attack on his former boss”
Similar:
devastating
withering
blistering

Question 9

Construe

Answer 9

interpret (a word or action) in a particular way.
“his words could hardly be construed as an apology”

interpret
understand
read

Question 10

Contrite

Answer 10

feeling or expressing remorse at the recognition that one has done wrong.
provare rimorso

remorseful
repentant
penitent

Question 11

Convoluted

Answer 11

1. (especially of an argument, story, or sentence) extremely complex and difficult to follow.
2. intricately folded, twisted, or coiled.

Question 12

Covet

Answer 12

yearn to possess (something, especially something belonging to another).
“I covet one of their smart bags”

desire
be consumed with desire for
crave

Question 13

Yearn

Answer 13

have an intense feeling of longing for something, typically something that one has lost or been separated from.
“she yearned for a glimpse of him”

long
pine
crave
desire

Question 14

Longing

Answer 14

a yearning desire.
“Miranda felt a wistful longing for the old days”

Question 15

Craven

Answer 15

contemptibly lacking in courage; cowardly.

“a craven abdication of his moral duty”
Similar:
cowardly
lily-livered
faint-hearted

Question 16

Contemptibly

Answer 16

in a way that deserves no respect: Sometimes he was contemptibly childish.

Question 17

Decorum

Answer 17

behaviour in keeping with good taste and propriety.

Question 18

Deft

Answer 18

neatly skilful and quick in one’s movements.
agile

skilful
adept
adroit
dexterous

Question 19

Demur

Answer 19

raise objections or show reluctance.

“normally she would have accepted the challenge, but she demurred”
Similar:
raise objections
object
take exception

Question 20

Diatribe

Answer 20

a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something.

“a diatribe against consumerism”
Similar:
tirade
harangue
verbal onslaught
verbal attack

Question 21

Exacting

Answer 21

making great demands on one’s skill, attention, or other resources.
“the exacting standards laid down by the organic food industry”

Question 22

Warrant

Answer 22

a document issued by a legal or government official authorizing the police or another body to make an arrest, search premises, or carry out some other action relating to the administration of justice.
“magistrates issued a warrant for his arrest”

justify or necessitate (a course of action).
“the employees feel that industrial action is warranted”

Question 23

Rife

Answer 23

(especially of something undesirable) of common occurrence; widespread.
“male chauvinism was rife in medicine”

widespread
general
common
universal

Question 24

Affability

Answer 24

the quality of having a friendly and good-natured manner.
“an air of benign affability”

friendliness
amiability
geniality
congeniality

Question 25

Good-natured

Answer 25

kind, friendly, and patient. "everyone was very good-natured about it" warm-hearted friendly amiable neighbourly

Question 26

Incongruous

Answer 26

not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something. "the duffel coat looked incongruous with the black dress she wore underneath" out of place out of keeping inappropriate

Question 27

Equitable

Answer 27

fair and impartial. "the equitable distribution of resources" fair just impartial even-handed fair-minded

Question 28

Fortuitous

Answer 28

happening by chance rather than intention. "the similarity between the paintings may not be simply fortuitous" chance unexpected unanticipated unpredictable

Question 29

Unprincipled

Answer 29

(of a person or their behaviour) not acting in accordance with moral principles. "an unprincipled womanizer" immoral unethical unscrupulous amoral

Question 30

Miserliness

Answer 30

excessive desire to save money; extreme meanness. "the party earned a damaging reputation for miserliness by cutting pensions" avarice acquisitiveness parsimony the quality of being small or inadequate; meagreness. "the relative miserliness of the prizes involved"

Question 31

Long

Answer 31

verb have a strong wish or desire. "she longed for a little more excitement" Similar: yearn pine ache

Question 31

Long

Answer 31

verb have a strong wish or desire. "she longed for a little more excitement" Similar: yearn pine ache

Question 32

Tirade

Answer 32

a long, angry speech of criticism or accusation. "a tirade of abuse" Similar: diatribe invective polemic

Question 33

Harangue

Answer 33

a lengthy and aggressive speech. "they were subjected to a ten-minute harangue by two border guards" Similar: tirade lecture diatribe

Question 34

Profligate

Answer 34

recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources. "profligate consumers of energy" Similar: wasteful extravagant spendthrift

Question 35

Ingratiating

Answer 35

intended to gain approval or favour; sycophantic. "an ingratiating manner" Similar: sycophantic toadying fawning crawling creeping

Question 36

Sycophantic

Answer 36

behaving or done in an obsequious way in order to gain advantage. "a sycophantic interview" obsequious servile subservient deferential

Question 37

Dreary

Answer 37

depressingly dull and bleak or repetitive. "the dreary round of working, eating, and trying to sleep" Similar: dull drab uninteresting