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Question 1

obfuscate

Answer 1

(v.) to render incomprehensible (The detective did want to answer the newspaperman’s questions, so he obfuscated the truth.)

Question 1

obdurate

Answer 1

(adj.) unyielding to persuasion or moral influences (The obdurate old man refused to take pity on the kittens.)

Question 2

oblique

Answer 2

(adj.) diverging from a straight line or course, not straightforward (Martin’s oblique language confused those who listened to him.)

Question 3

obsequious

Answer 3

(adj.) excessively compliant or submissive (Mark acted like Janet’s servant, obeying her every request in an obsequious manner.)

Question 4

obstinate

Answer 4

(adj.) not yielding easily, stubborn (The obstinate child refused to leave the store until his mother bought him a candy bar.)

Question 5

obstreperous

Answer 5

(adj.) noisy, unruly (Billy’s obstreperous behavior prompted the librarian to ask him to leave the reading room.)

Question 6

odious

Answer 6

(adj.) instilling hatred or intense displeasure (Mark was assigned the odious task of cleaning the cat’s litter box.)

Question 7

officious

Answer 7

(adj.) offering one’s services when they are neither wanted nor needed (Brenda resented Allan’s officious behavior when he selected colors that might best
improve her artwork.)

Question 8

onerous

Answer 8

(adj.) burdensome (My parents lamented that the pleasures of living in a beautiful country estate no longer outweighed the onerous mortgage payments.)

Question 9

opulent

Answer 9

(adj.) characterized by rich abundance verging on ostentation (The opulent furnishings of the dictator’s private compound contrasted harshly with the meager
accommodations of her subjects.)

Question 10

oration

Answer 10

(n.) a speech delivered in a formal or ceremonious manner (The prime minister was visibly shaken when the unruly parliament interrupted his oration about failed domestic policies.)

Question 11

ornate

Answer 11

(adj.) highly elaborate, excessively decorated (The ornate styling of the new model of luxury car could not compensate for the poor quality of its motor.)

Question 12

oscillate

Answer 12

(v.) to sway from one side to the other (My uncle oscillated between buying a station wagon to transport his family and buying a sports car to satisfy his boyhood
fantasies.)

Question 13

ostensible

Answer 13

(adj.) appearing as such, seemingly (Jack’s ostensible reason for driving was that airfare was too expensive, but in reality, he was afraid of flying.)

Question 14

ostentatious

Answer 14

(adj.) excessively showy, glitzy (On the palace tour, the guide focused on the ostentatious decorations and spoke little of the royal family’s history.)

Question 15

ostracism

Answer 15

(n.) exclusion from a group (Beth risked ostracism if her roommates discovered her flatulence.)