PD_26/07/20(PS1;Kaplan;SE)

Question 1

silver tongue

Answer 1

NOUN
the characteristic of being skilful at persuading people to believe what they say or to do what they want them to do
I see you haven’t lost your silver tongue.
He had a silver tongue - the most eloquent man I ever heard.

Question 2

strident

Answer 2

1. ADJECTIVE
   If you use strident to describe someone or the way they express themselves, you mean that they make their feelings or opinions known in a very strong way that perhaps makes people uncomfortable.
   [disapproval]
   …the unnecessarily strident tone of the Prime Minister’s remarks.
   Demands for his resignation have become more and more strident.
   Synonyms: forceful, offensive, hostile, belligerent
2. ADJECTIVE
   If a voice or sound is strident, it is loud, harsh, and unpleasant to listen to.
   She tried to laugh, and the sound was harsh and strident.
   He could hear Hilton’s strident voice rising in vehement argument with Houston.
   Synonyms: harsh, jarring, grating, clashing

Question 3

euphony

NOUN

Answer 3

the quality of having a pleasant sound:

The poet has chosen her words more for euphony than factual accuracy.

Question 4

sustain

Answer 4

1. VERB
   If you sustain something, you continue it or maintain it for a period of time.
   But he has sustained his fierce social conscience from young adulthood through old age. [VERB noun]
   The parameters within which life can be sustained on Earth are extraordinarily narrow. [VERB noun]
   …a period of sustained economic growth throughout 1995. [VERB-ed]
   Synonyms: maintain, continue, keep up, prolong
2. VERB
   If you sustain something such as a defeat, loss, or injury, it happens to you.
   [formal]
   Every aircraft in there has sustained some damage. [VERB noun]
   A tourist died of injuries sustained in the bomb blast. [VERB-ed]
   Synonyms: suffer, experience, undergo, feel
3. VERB
   If something sustains you, it supports you by giving you help, strength, or encouragement.
   [formal]
   The cash dividends they get from the cash crop would sustain them during the lean season. [VERB noun]
   I am sustained by letters of support and what people say to me in ordinary daily life. [VERB noun]
   Sustained by this wonderful breakfast, we boarded our plane. [VERB-ed]
   Synonyms: help, aid, comfort, foster

Question 5

retain

Answer 5

1. VERB
   To retain something means to continue to have that thing.
   [formal]
   The interior of the shop still retains a nineteenth-century atmosphere. [VERB noun]
   He retains a deep respect for the profession. [VERB noun]
   Other countries retained their traditional and habitual ways of doing things. [VERB noun]
   If left covered in a warm place, this rice will retain its heat for a good hour. [VERB noun]
   Synonyms: maintain, keep, reserve, preserve
2. VERB
   If you retain a lawyer, you pay him or her a fee to make sure that he or she will represent you when your case comes before the court.
   [law]
   He decided to retain him for the trial

Question 6

extirpate

verb [ T ] formal

Answer 6

to remove or destroy something completely

Question 7

momentous

Answer 7

ADJECTIVE
If you refer to a decision, event, or change as momentous, you mean that it is very important, often because of the effects that it will have in the future.
…the momentous decision to send in the troops.
Synonyms: significant, important, serious, vital

Question 8

pivotal

Answer 8

ADJECTIVE
A pivotal role, point or figure in something is one that is very important and affects the success of that thing.
The Court of Appeal has a pivotal role in the English legal system.
The elections may prove to be pivotal in the country’s political history.
Synonyms: crucial, central, determining, vital

Question 9

detritus

Answer 9

UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Detritus is the small pieces of rubbish that remain after an event has finished or when something has been used.
[formal]
…the detritus of war.
Synonyms: debris, remains, waste, rubbish

Question 10

gaudy

Answer 10

ADJECTIVE
If something is gaudy, it is very brightly-coloured and showy.
[disapproval]
…her gaudy orange-and-purple floral hat.
Synonyms: garish, bright, glaring, vulgar

Question 11

bedlam

Answer 11

UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Bedlam means a great deal of noise and disorder. People often say ‘It was bedlam’ to mean ‘There was bedlam’.
The crowd went absolutely mad. It was bedlam.
He is causing bedlam at the hotel.
Synonyms: pandemonium, noise, confusion, chaos

Question 12

refuse

Answer 12

4. UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
   Refuse consists of the rubbish and all the things that are not wanted in a house, shop, or factory, and that are regularly thrown away; used mainly in official language.
   The District Council made a weekly collection of refuse.
   Synonyms: rubbish, waste, sweepings, junk [informal]

Question 13

waggish

adjective old-fashioned informal

Answer 13

(of a person) funny in a clever way :
The piece, as one waggish writer put it, “begins like Bach and ends like Offenbach.”

using or expressing humour in a clever way:
The Beatles also appeared in two wildly successful and waggish films directed by Richard Lester.
Behind the author’s sometimes waggish prose is considerable scholarship.

Question 14

vicious

Answer 14

1. ADJECTIVE
   A vicious person or a vicious blow is violent and cruel.
   He was a cruel and vicious man.
   He suffered a vicious attack by a gang of youths.
   The blow was so sudden and vicious that he dropped to his knees.
   Synonyms: savage, brutal, violent, bad

Question 15

rehabilitate

Answer 15

VERB
To rehabilitate someone who has been ill or in prison means to help them to live a normal life again. To rehabilitate someone who has a drug or alcohol problem means to help them stop using drugs or alcohol.
Considerable efforts have been made to rehabilitate patients who have suffered in this way. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: reintegrate, retrain, restore to health, readapt

Question 16

croupier

Answer 16

COUNTABLE NOUN
A croupier is the person in charge of a gambling table in a casino, who collects the bets and pays money to the people who have won.

Question 17

mien

Answer 17

SINGULAR NOUN [usually poss NOUN]
Someone’s mien is their general appearance and manner, especially the expression on their face, which shows what they are feeling or thinking.
[literary]
It was impossible to tell from his mien whether he was offended.
…his mild manner and aristocratic mien.

Question 18

coarsen

Answer 18

1. VERB
   If something coarsens or is coarsened, it becomes thicker or rougher in texture.
   Skin thickens, dries and coarsens after sun exposure. [VERB]
   …his gnarled, coarsened features. [VERB-ed]
   [Also VERB noun]
2. VERB
   If someone’s behaviour or speech coarsens or if they coarsen it, they become less polite or they begin to speak in a less pleasant way.
   Her voice has deepened and coarsened with the years. [VERB]
   He had coarsened his voice to an approximation of Cockney. [VERB noun]

Question 19

attest

Answer 19

VERB
To attest something or attest to something means to say, show, or prove that it is true.
[formal]
Police records attest to his long history of violence. [VERB + to]
I can personally attest that the cold and flu season is here. [VERB that]
His beautifully illustrated book well attested his love of the university. [VERB noun]
[Also VERB with quote]
Synonyms: testify, show, prove, confirm

Question 20

recede

Answer 20

1. VERB
   If something recedes from you, it moves away.
   Luke’s footsteps receded into the night. [VERB preposition]
   As she receded he waved goodbye. [VERB]
   …the receding lights of the car. [VERB-ing]
   Synonyms: fall back, withdraw, retreat, draw back
2. VERB
   When something such as a quality, problem, or illness recedes, it becomes weaker, smaller, or less intense.
   Just as I started to think that I was never going to get well, the illness began to recede. [VERB]
   Dealers grew concerned over the sliding dollar and receding prospects for economic recovery. [VERB-ing]
   [Also VERB preposition]

Question 21

impair

Answer 21

VERB
If something impairs something such as an ability or the way something works, it damages it or makes it worse.
[formal]
Consumption of alcohol impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery. [VERB noun]
His movements were painfully impaired by arthritis. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: worsen, reduce, damage, injure

Question 22

ailing

Answer 22

1. ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
   An ailing organization or society is in difficulty and is becoming weaker.
   The rise in overseas sales is good news for the ailing American economy.
   Synonyms: weak, failing, poor, flawed More Synonyms of ailing
2. ADJECTIVE
   If someone is ailing, they are ill and are not getting better.
   [old-fashioned]
   He is said to be ailing at his home in Washington.

Question 23

convalesce

Answer 23

VERB
If you are convalescing, you are resting and getting your health back after an illness or operation.
[formal]
After two weeks, I was allowed home, where I convalesced for three months. [VERB]
…those convalescing from illness or surgery. [VERB + from]
Synonyms: recover, rest, rally, rehabilitate

Question 24

enfeeble

verb [ T ] formal

Answer 24

to make someone or something very weak

Question 25

recuperate

Answer 25

VERB
When you recuperate, you recover your health or strength after you have been ill or injured.
I went away to the country to recuperate. [VERB]
He is recuperating from a serious back injury. [VERB + from]
Synonyms: recover, improve, pick up, get better

Question 26

litigation

Answer 26

UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Litigation is the process of fighting or defending a case in a civil court of law.
The settlement ends more than four years of litigation on behalf of the residents.
Synonyms: lawsuit, case, action, process

Question 27

prospect

Answer 27

1. VARIABLE NOUN
   If there is some prospect of something happening, there is a possibility that it will happen.
   Unfortunately, there is little prospect of seeing these big questions answered. [+ of]
   The prospects for peace in the country’s eight-year civil war are becoming brighter. [+ for]
   There is a real prospect that the bill will be defeated in parliament.
   Synonyms: likelihood, chance, possibility, plan
2. VERB
   When people prospect for oil, gold, or some other valuable substance, they look for it in the ground or under the sea.
   He had prospected for minerals everywhere from the Gobi Desert to the Transvaal. [VERB + for]
   In fact, the oil companies are already prospecting not far from here. [VERB]
   Synonyms: look, search, seek, survey

Question 28

reminiscent

Answer 28

ADJECTIVE
If you say that one thing is reminiscent of another, you mean that it reminds you of it.
[formal]
The decor was reminiscent of a municipal arts-and-leisure centre. [+ of]
She bowed her head in a gesture somehow reminiscent of royalty.
Synonyms: suggestive, evocative, redolent, remindful

Question 29

salubrious

Answer 29

1. ADJECTIVE
   A place that is salubrious is pleasant and healthy.
   [formal]
   …your salubrious lochside hotel.
   Synonyms: healthy, beneficial, good for you, wholesome
2. ADJECTIVE
   Something that is described as salubrious is respectable or socially desirable.
   [formal]
   …London’s less salubrious quarters.
   Synonyms: agreeable, respectable, grand, pleasant

Question 30

pungent

Answer 30

1. ADJECTIVE
   Something that is pungent has a strong, sharp smell or taste which is often so strong that it is unpleasant.
   The more herbs you use, the more pungent the sauce will be.
   …the pungent smell of burning rubber.
   Synonyms: strong, hot, spicy, seasoned
2. ADJECTIVE
   If you describe what someone has said or written as pungent, you approve of it because it has a direct and powerful effect and often criticizes something very cleverly.
   [formal, approval]
   He enjoyed the play’s shrewd and pungent social analysis.
   Synonyms: cutting, pointed, biting, acute

Question 31

evocative

Answer 31

ADJECTIVE
If you describe something as evocative, you mean that it is good or interesting because it produces pleasant memories, ideas, emotions, and responses in people.
[formal]
Her story is sharply evocative of Italian provincial life. [+ of]
…the evocative power of cinema.
Synonyms: expressive, moving, striking, revealing

Question 32

disquiet

Answer 32

1. UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
   Disquiet is a feeling of worry or anxiety.
   [formal]
   There is growing public disquiet about the cost of such policing.
   Synonyms: uneasiness, concern, fear, worry

Question 33

deprecate

Answer 33

VERB
If you deprecate something, you criticize it.
[formal]
He deprecated the low quality of entrants to the profession. [VERB noun]
As a lawyer, I would deprecate any sort of legal control on gene therapy at this stage. [VERB noun]

Question 34

encroach

Answer 34

1. VERB
   If one thing encroaches on another, the first thing spreads or becomes stronger, and slowly begins to restrict the power, range, or effectiveness of the second thing.
   [formal, disapproval]
   I knew that unless work encroached upon my family time, no work could get done. [VERB on/upon noun]
   The new institutions do not encroach on political power. [VERB + on/upon]
   The movie industry had chosen to ignore the encroaching competition of television. [VERB-ing]

Question 35

assert

Answer 35

VERB
If someone asserts a fact or belief, they state it firmly.
[formal]
Mr. Helm plans to assert that the bill violates the First Amendment. [VERB that]
The defendants, who continue to assert their innocence, are expected to appeal. [VERB noun]
Altman asserted, ‘We were making a political statement about western civilisation and greed.’ [VERB with quote]
Synonyms: state, argue, maintain, declare

Question 36

draw on

Answer 36

1. PHRASAL VERB
   If you draw on or draw upon something such as your skill or experience, you make use of it in order to do something.
   He drew on his experience as a yachtsman to make a documentary programme.

Question 37

culinary

Answer 37

ADJECTIVE [ADJECTIVE noun]

Culinary means concerned with cooking.

Question 38

savory

Answer 38

ADJECTIVE
Savory food has a salty or spicy flavor rather than a sweet one.
…all sorts of sweet and savory breads.
Synonyms: spicy, rich, delicious, tasty

Question 39

ambrosial

adjective literary

Answer 39

having a very pleasant taste or smell:
Her jam was ambrosial, syrupy with honeyed fruit, and scented with elderflower.
The shop was full of ambrosial smells.

Question 40

deplore

Answer 40

VERB
If you say that you deplore something, you think it is very wrong or immoral.
[formal]
He’s a judo black belt but he says he deplores violence. [VERB noun]
He deplored the fact that the Foreign Secretary was driven into resignation. [VERB noun]
I deplore what has happened. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: disapprove of, condemn, object to, denounce

Question 41

de facto

adjective [ before noun ], adverb formal

Answer 41

in fact
existing in fact, although perhaps not intended, legal, or accepted:
The city is rapidly becoming the de facto centre of the financial world.
He’s her de facto husband though they’re not actually married.
English is de facto the common language of much of the world today.
If it is on British soil then it is de facto British.

Question 42

preposterous

Answer 42

ADJECTIVE
If you describe something as preposterous, you mean that it is extremely unreasonable and foolish.
[disapproval]
The whole idea was preposterous.
…their preposterous claim that they had unearthed a plot.
Synonyms: ridiculous, bizarre, incredible, outrageous

Question 43

improbable

Answer 43

1. ADJECTIVE
   Something that is improbable is unlikely to be true or to happen.
   …a highly improbable coincidence.
   It seems improbable that this year’s figure will fall much below last year’s 75,000.
   Synonyms: doubtful, unlikely, uncertain, unbelievable
2. ADJECTIVE
   If you describe something as improbable, you mean it is strange, unusual, or ridiculous.
   On the face of it, their marriage seems an improbable alliance.
   …her improbable accent.
   Synonyms: unconvincing, weak, unbelievable, preposterous