p17

Question 1

rococo

Answer 1

Very elaborate and ornate (in decorating or metaphorically, as in speech and writing)

With its rococo details of life in a New York doorman, the second season of the comedy show is as strong as ever in its outing

Question 2

rudimentary

Answer 2

Elementary, relating to the basics; undeveloped, primitive

Speaking of things being rudimentary, so from the earliest days, YouTube did have content moderation.

Question 3

rue

Answer 3

Regret, remorse (noun); to feel regret or remorse (verb)

I rue the day I agreed to this stupid plan.

Question 4

ruminate

Answer 4

Turn over in the mind, reflect on; to chew repeatedly for an extended period

He ruminated over the implications of their decision.

Question 5

rustic

Answer 5

Relating to country life, unsophisticated; primitive; made of rough wood (adj); a rural or uncultured person (noun)

The inn has a rustic atmosphere.

Question 6

sacrosanct

Answer 6

Sacred, inviolable, not to be trespassed on or violated; above any criticism

Somehow, defense spending is treated in Washington as sacrosanct, while the support of seniors, those with disabilities and their families is a threat to the national wealth.

Question 7

sagacious

Answer 7

Wise; showing good judgment and foresight

a sagacious critique of the current social climate in our nation

Question 8

salient

Answer 8

Obvious, standing out; projecting, protruding, jutting out

The fear of war is especially salient during a sensitive year in which leader Xi Jinping is expected to break with recent precedent and secure a third term in power

Question 9

salubrious

Answer 9

Healthful, promoting health

The growth in American interest has had a salubrious effect on Formula 1’s business side.

Question 10

sanguine

Answer 10

Cheerfully optimistic, hopeful; reddish, ruddy (as in rosy-red cheeks indicting health or vitality)

Privately, other congressional Democrats have been less sanguine about Mr. Biden’s age and his overall performance in office.

Question 11

sardonic

Answer 11

Scornfully or ironically mocking, cynically derisive

… a sardonic little jab that made her visitor quiet and subdued for the rest of the night

Question 12

satiate or
sate

Answer 12

To fully satisfy; to go beyond satisfying to the point of excess (possibly inducing disgust, tiredness, etc.)

But after a few queries, the app’s functionality only offers a refund, which doesn’t satiate you or solve the problem.

Question 13

savant

Answer 13

Learned person, scholar, someone admitted to membership in a scholarly field; a person with amazing mental abilities despite having a cognitive difference or disability

The test-taking savant who helped rich kids cheat their way into elite colleges was sentenced Friday.
With roles at brands such as Sony and Facebook on her résumé, Randolph is something of an advertising and business-development savant.

Question 14

savor

Answer 14

Appreciate fully, taste or smell with pleasure

He savored the memories of his vacation.

Question 15

scant

Answer 15

Not enough or barely enough

Details are scant, but the title, Blade Runner 2099, hints at a story set 50 years after the previous film.

Question 16

scathing

Answer 16

Severe, injurious; bitterly harsh or critical (as a remark)

The move to give more power to the advisory board, in addition to a host of other changes, came from recommendations laid out by consulting firm SNA International in a scathing review of the agency.

Question 17

scintilla

Answer 17

A tiny bit or trace

there is not a scintilla of evidence for your outrageous claims
The judge sentenced him to life without a scintilla of a chance of parole

Question 18

scurvy

Answer 18

Contemptible, mean

after winning the lottery, she was beset by a whole scurvy swarm of con artists

Question 19

secular

Answer 19

Not religious or holy; pertaining to worldly things

The number of nuclear powers in the world continues to go up — slowly, but the secular trend is clear.

Question 20

sedition

Answer 20

Inciting rebellion against a government, esp. speech or writing that does this

Ten people have been found guilty of endangering national security by committing sedition, with penalties ranging from being committed to a rehabilitation center to 40 months in jail.

Question 21

sedulous

Answer 21

Persevering, persistent, diligent in one’s efforts

an impressively sedulous suitor, he was constantly sending her flowers and other tokens of his affection

Question 22

sentient

Answer 22

Conscious; experiencing sensation or perceiving with the senses

Dogs were the first to be sentient of the danger posed by the approaching hurricane

Question 23

seraphic

Answer 23

Like an angel; serene, spiritually carried off or transported

… seraphic beauty

Question 24

shard

Answer 24

Fragment of some brittle substance, esp. a sharp fragment of pottery, glass, etc.

Question 25

sinecure

Answer 25

A job or position that pays while requiring little or no work

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has fled the country, after apparently looting the Afghan treasury, and will likely live a life of resplendent exile—possibly with a sinecure at one of our nation’s Ivy League universities or prestigious think tanks.

Question 26

skittish

Answer 26

Shy, fickle, uncertain, or prone to act suddenly due to nervousness; lively in a restless or excessive way

Yet Democrats remain skittish to promote these programs in what seems to be a strange side effect of the party’s refusal to fully embrace progressivism.
As inflation continues to soar, investors get more reluctant to invest and consumers get more skittish about spending.

Question 27

slake

Answer 27

Satisfy (esp. thirst), cool, or refresh; make less active

a harrowing experience while mountain climbing has largely slaked my desire for high adventure

Question 28

slew

Answer 28

A large number or quantity

we still have a slew of work to do on this project

Question 29

sobriquet

Answer 29

A nickname

Many, in interviews, decline to give their full names or offer a street sobriquet, for reasons that are probably obvious.

Question 30

solecism

Answer 30

Nonstandard use of grammar or words; mistake, esp. in etiquette

the solecism of asking one’s hosts how much something in their house cost them

Question 31

solicitous

Answer 31

Concerned or anxious (about another person), expressing care; eager or desirous; very careful

Even as its diplomatic approach to China has become more solicitous, the US has continued to sound the alarm on the rising threat that China poses to Europe.
I appreciated his solicitous inquiry about my health.