Readers Digest Super Word Power - Part 1

Question 1

imponderable

Answer 1

adjective FORMAL
If an effect or result, etc. is imponderable, it cannot be guessed or calculated because it is completely unknown.
noun [C]
There are too many imponderables to make an accurate forecast.

Question 2

retaliate

Answer 2

verb [I]
to hurt someone or do something harmful to them because they have done or said something harmful to you:
If someone insults you, don’t retaliate as it only makes the situation worse.
The demonstrators threw rocks at the police, who retaliated by firing blanks into the crowd.
The terrorists retaliated against the government with a bomb attack.

retaliation noun [U]
The bomb attack was in retaliation for the recent arrest of two well-known terrorists.

retaliatory adjective
describes an action that is harmful to someone who has done something to harm you:
retaliatory measures
He urged people not to resort to retaliatory violence.

Question 3

cede

Answer 3

verb [T] FORMAL
to give something such as ownership to someone else, especially unwillingly or because forced to do so:
Hong Kong was ceded to Britain after the Opium War.

Question 4

vitiate

Answer 4

verb [T] FORMAL
to destroy or weaken something:
He said that American military power should never again be vitiated by political concerns.

Question 5

acumen

Answer 5

noun [U] FORMAL
skill in making correct decisions and judgments in a particular subject, such as business or politics:
She has considerable business/financial acumen.

Question 6

temerity

Answer 6

noun [U] FORMAL DISAPPROVING
a willingness to do or say something that shocks or upsets other people:
[+ to infinitive] She had the temerity to call me a liar.

Question 7

fabricate

Answer 7

verb [T]
to invent or produce something false in order to deceive:
He was late, so he fabricated an excuse to avoid trouble.
He claims that the police fabricated evidence against him.

fabrication noun [C or U]
The evidence he gave in court was a complete fabrication.

Question 8

juncture

Answer 8

noun [U] FORMAL
a particular point in time:
At this juncture, it is impossible to say whether she will make a full recovery.

Question 9

calumny

Answer 9

noun [C or U] FORMAL
(the act of making) a statement about someone which is not true and is intended to damage the reputation of that person:
He was subjected to the most vicious calumny, but he never complained and never sued.

Question 10

verbiage

Answer 10

noun [U] FORMAL DISAPPROVING
language which is very complicated and which contains a lot of unnecessary words:
His explanation was wrapped up in so much technical verbiage that I simply couldn’t understand it.

Question 11

blandishments

Answer 11

plural noun FORMAL
pleasant and persuasive words or actions:
She was impervious to his blandishments.

Question 12

ignoble

Answer 12

adjective FORMAL
morally bad and making you feel ashamed:
an ignoble action/idea

ignobly adverb LITERARY

Question 13

compass

Answer 13

noun [C]
a device for finding direction which has a freely moving needle that always points to magnetic north
noun [U] FORMAL
a particular range (of ability, activity, interest, etc.):
It’s a musical instrument made of brass, somewhat like a cornet and with a similar compass.
The discussion went beyond the compass of my brain.

Compasses plural noun
a V-shaped device which is used for drawing circles or measuring distances on maps

Question 14

daunt

Answer 14

verb [T often passive]
to make someone feel slightly frightened or worried about their ability to achieve something; to discourage:
She was not at all daunted by the size of the problem.

nothing daunted MAINLY UK
not discouraged:
She was rejected the first time she applied to the university, but, nothing daunted, reapplied the following year and was accepted.

daunting adjective
making you feel slightly frightened or worried about your ability to achieve something:
In spite of unification, the country was still faced with the daunting prospect of overcoming four decades of division.

dauntless adjective LITERARY
showing determination and a lack of fear:
In spite of the scale of the famine, the relief workers struggled on with dauntless optimism and commitment.

Question 15

brazen

Answer 15

adjective
obvious, without any attempt to be hidden:
There were instances of brazen cheating in the exams.
He told me a brazen lie.

brazenly adverb

brazen verb

brazen sth out phrasal verb [M]
to act confidently and not admit that a problem exists:
I decided to brazen it out and hoped they wouldn’t notice the scratch on the car

brazen “hussy noun [C] HUMOROUS
a woman who wants to attract sexual attention:
“You asked him out? Oh, you brazen hussy, you!

Question 16

legion

Answer 16

legion (SOLDIERS) noun [C]
a large group of soldiers who form a part of an army, especially the ancient Roman army:
Caesar’s legions marched through France and crossed into Britain

legion (MANY) adjective [after verb] FORMAL
very large in number:
The difficulties surrounding the court case are legion

legions plural noun
legions of sb large numbers of people:
He failed to turn up for the concert, disappointing the legions of fans waiting outside

Legionnaire’s disease noun [U]
a serious and infectious disease of the lungs caused by bacteria in the air

Question 17

arrears

Answer 17

arrears plural noun
money that is owed and should already have been paid:
rent arrears

in arrears
1 owing money that should have been paid in the past:
My account is badly in arrears.
They are in arrears on/with their mortgage payments.

2	If someone is paid in arrears, they are paid at the end of the period of time during which the money was earned: I'm paid a week in arrears

Question 18

deployment

Answer 18

deploy
1 to use something or someone, especially in an effective way:
The company is reconsidering the way in which it deploys its resources/staff.
My job doesn’t really allow me fully to deploy my skills/talents.

2	to move soldiers or equipment to a place where they can be used when they are needed: The decision has been made to deploy extra troops/more powerful weapons..

deployment noun [U]
The Chief of Police ordered the deployment of 2 000 troops to try to stop the rioting.
the deployment of nuclear weapons

Question 19

subvention

Answer 19

Subsidy or grant of money to provide assitance; as, “a state subvention.” Latin subvenire (to come to help)

Question 20

resilient

Answer 20

adjective
able to quickly return to a previous good condition:
This rubber ball is very resilient and immediately springs back into shape.
She’s a resilient girl - she won’t be unhappy for long.

resilience noun [U] (FORMAL resiliency)

Question 21

broach

Answer 21

verb [T]
to begin a discussion of something difficult:
At some point we’ve got to discuss money but I don’t know quite how to broach the subject with him

Question 22

cynosure

Answer 22

noun [C] LITERARY

a person or thing having a quality of excellence or great beauty which attracts a lot of attention

Question 23

vicissitudes

Answer 23

plural noun FORMAL
changes which happen at different times during the life or development of someone or something, especially those which result in conditions being worse:
You could say that losing your job is just one of the vicissitudes of life.

Question 24

hazardous

Answer 24

hazard (DANGER) noun [C]
something that is dangerous and likely to cause damage:
a health/fire hazard
The busy traffic entrance was a hazard to pedestrians.

hazard (RISK) verb [T]
1 to risk doing something, especially making a guess, suggestion, etc:
I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess.

2	FORMAL to risk doing something which might cause harm to someone or something else: The policy hazarded the islands and put the lives of the inhabitants at risk.

hazardous adjective
dangerous:
a hazardous journey/occupation

hazard (warning) light noun [C]
one of the orange lights at the front and back of a car which turn on and off repeatedly to warn other drivers of danger

Question 25

pithy

Answer 25

noun [U]
the white substance between the skin and the flesh of citrus fruits such as oranges, or the soft white inner part of the stem of some plants

pithy adjective
a pithy orange

adjective
(of speech or writing) short and clever; expressing an idea cleverly in a few words:
a pithy remark
See also pithy at pith.

pithily adverb

Question 26

scavenger

Answer 26

scavenge verb [I or T]
1 to look for or obtain food or other objects in other people’s rubbish:
The flood has left villagers and animals desperately scavenging for food.
We managed to scavenge a lot of furniture from the local rubbish dump.

2	If a wild animal scavenges, it feeds on the flesh of dead decaying animals.

scavenger noun [C]
a bird or animal which feeds on dead animals which it has not killed itself

Question 27

fetid

Answer 27

adjective FORMAL
smelling extremely bad and stale:
fetid air/breath

Question 28

pugnacious

Answer 28

adjective FORMAL
wanting to start an argument or fight, or expressing an argument or opinion very forcefully:
I found him pugnacious and arrogant.

pugnacity noun [U] (ALSO pugnaciousness) FORMAL

Question 29

rankle

Answer 29

verb [I]
to cause annoyance or anger which lasts a long time:
The unkind way in which his girlfriend left him still rankled with him long after.
[+ that] It still rankles that she got promoted, and I didn’t.

Question 30

feline

Answer 30

adjective
1 belonging or relating to the cat family:
feline leukaemia

2	MAINLY APPROVING appearing or behaving like a cat: She had pretty, almost feline features.

feline noun [C] SPECIALIZED
a member of the cat family:
a wildlife park with tigers and various other felines

Question 31

cynicism

Answer 31

cynic noun [C] DISAPPROVING
a person who believes that people are only interested in themselves and are not sincere:
I’m too much of a cynic to believe that he’ll keep his promise.
A cynic might say that the government has only taken this measure because it is concerned about its declining popularity.

cynicism noun [U] DISAPPROVING
He’s often been accused of cynicism in his attitude towards politics

Question 32

ambush

Answer 32

verb [T]
to suddenly attack a person or a group of people after hiding and waiting for them:
Five soldiers died after their bus was ambushed on a country road.
He was ambushed by gunmen on his way to work.

ambush noun [C or U]
1 an occasion when a person or group of people are ambushed:
Several passers-by were killed in the ambush.
Fear of ambush prevents the police from going to high-risk areas.

2	lie/wait in ambush If someone lies in/waits in ambush, they hide and wait for someone in order to attack them

Question 33

oscillate

Answer 33

oscillate /”Qs.I.leIt/ /”A:.s@l.eIt/ verb [I]
1 to move repeatedly from one position to another:
The needle on the dial oscillated between ‘full’ and ‘empty’.

2	FORMAL If you oscillate between feelings or opinions, you change repeatedly from one to the other: My emotions oscillate between desperation and hope.

3	SPECIALIZED (of a wave or electric current) to change regularly in strength or direction.

oscillation noun [C or U] FORMAL OR SPECIALIZED

Question 34

crucial

Answer 34

crucial adjective
extremely important or necessary:
a crucial decision/question
Her work has been crucial to the project’s success.
[+ that] It is crucial that the problem is tackled immediately.

crucially adverb

Question 35

stodgy

Answer 35

stodgy (FOOD) adjective UK INFORMAL DISAPPROVING
describes food which is heavy and unhealthy, sometimes in an unpleasant way:
I’ve been eating too many stodgy puddings.

stodginess noun [U] UK INFORMAL DISAPPROVING

stodgy (BORING) adjective UK INFORMAL DISAPPROVING
boring, serious and formal:
Neither company has succeeded in shedding its stodgy image.
Younger consumers, it is said, regard their products as stodgy and unfashionable.

stodginess noun [U]

Question 36

catapult

Answer 36

noun [C]
1 a device which can throw objects at a high speed:
In the past, armies used catapults to hurl heavy stones at enemy fortifications.
On that type of aircraft carrier, a catapult was used to help launch aircraft.

2	UK (US slingshot, AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH ALSO shanghai) a Y-shaped stick or piece of metal with a piece of elastic fixed to the top parts, used especially by children for shooting small stones.

catapult verb [T usually + adverb or preposition]
1 to throw someone or something with great force:
When the two vehicles collided, he was catapulted forwards.
2 be catapulted into sth to suddenly experience a particular state, such as fame:
The award for best actress meant that almost overnight she was catapulted into the limelight

Question 37

tirade

Answer 37

noun [C]
a long angry speech expressing strong disapproval:
She launched into an angry/furious tirade about how she had been unfairly treated.
In a furious tirade of abuse, the opposition spokesperson demanded the minister’s resignation.

Question 38

turgid

Answer 38

adjective FORMAL
(of speech, writing, style, etc.) too serious about its subject matter; boring:
a couple of pages of turgid prose

turgidity noun [U] FORMAL

turgidly adverb FORMAL

turgid (NOT FLOWING) adjective FORMAL
(of water) not flowing easily:
The river rolled darkly brown and turgid

turgid (SWOLLEN) adjective SPECIALIZED
(of an organ or living tissue) swollen

turgidity noun [U] SPECIALIZED

Question 39

aloof

Answer 39

adjective
1 describes an unfriendly person who refuses to take part in things:
She seemed rather aloof when in fact she was just shy.

2	not interested or involved, usually because you do not approve of what is happening: Whatever is happening in the office, she always remains aloof. She kept herself aloof from her husband's business.

aloofness noun [U]

Question 40

fledgling

Answer 40

fledgling (BIRD), fledgeling noun [C]
a young bird that has grown feathers and is learning to fly

fledgling (NEW), fledgeling adjective [before noun]
new and lacking experience:
The current economic climate is particularly difficult for fledgling businesses

Question 41

rowdy

Answer 41

adjective DISAPPROVING
noisy and possibly violent:
a rowdy party
rowdy behaviour

rowdily adverb DISAPPROVING.

rowdiness noun [U] DISAPPROVING

rowdyism noun [U] DISAPPROVING
disgraceful rowdyism in the House of Commons

Question 42

persevere

Answer 42

verb [I] MAINLY APPROVING
to try to do or continue doing something in a determined way, despite having problems:
It looks as if the policy will be a success, providing that the government perseveres and does not give in to its critics.
The education director is persevering in his attempt to obtain additional funding for the school.
Despite receiving little support, the women are persevering with their crusade to fight crime.

perseverance noun [U] MAINLY APPROVING
continued effort and determination:
Through hard work and perseverance, he worked his way up from being a teacher in a village school to the headmaster of a large comprehensive.

persevering adjective MAINLY APPROVING
She was persevering enough to reach the height of her ambition and become the managing director of the company

Question 43

procure

Answer 43

verb FORMAL
1 [T] to obtain something, especially after an effort:
She’s managed somehow to procure his telephone number.
[+ two objects] He’d procured us seats in the front row.

2	[I or T] to obtain a prostitute for someone else to have sex with

procurement noun [U] FORMAL
the obtaining of supplies:
They are reported to have a substantial budget for the procurement of military supplies.

procurer noun [C] FORMAL
a person who obtains prostitutes for people who want to have sex with them

Question 44

sear

Answer 44

verb [T]
1 to burn the surface of something with sudden very strong heat:
The heat from the explosion seared their hands and faces.

2	to fry a piece of meat quickly at a high temperature, in order to prevent liquid and flavour escaping from it

3	to have a strong unpleasant effect on someone's feelings or memories: The disaster is indelibly seared into the villagers' memory.

searing adjective
1 If something, such as a feeling or temperature, is described as searing, it is extreme:
A searing pain shot up her arm.
The race took place in the searing heat.

2	(especially of a criticism or story) very powerful and emotional or critical: The article is a searing attack on government mismanagement. Her latest novel is a searing tale of love and hate.

searingly adverb

Question 45

botch

Answer 45

verb [T] (UK ALSO bodge) 
to spoil something by doing it badly:
We botched (up) our first attempt at wallpapering the bathroom.

botched    adjective (UK ALSO bodged)
Our landlord redecorated the bedroom, but it was such a botched job (= it was so badly done) that we decided to redo it.
Thousands of women are infertile as a result of botched abortions.

botch(-up) noun [C] (UK ALSO bodge(-up))
The company made a series of botches before it went bankrupt.
The concert was very badly organized. In fact, the whole thing was a real botch-up.

Question 46

grapple

Answer 46

verb [I]
to fight, especially in order to gain something:
The children grappled for the ball.

grapple with sb (FIGHT) phrasal verb
to hold onto someone and fight with them:
Two officers grappled with the gunman.

grapple with sth (PROBLEM) phrasal verb
to try to deal with or understand a difficult problem or subject:
Today, many Americans are still grappling with the issue of race.

grappling iron/hook noun [C]
a grapnel

Question 47

straddle

Answer 47

verb [T]
1 to sit or stand with your legs on either side of something:
He pulled on his helmet and straddled the motorbike.

2	Something that straddles a line, such as a border or river, exists on each side of it or goes across it: Our farm straddles the railway line.

3	to combine different styles or subjects: It's described as a new kind of dance music which straddles jazz and soul.

4	MAINLY US DISAPPROVING to be unable to decide which of two opinions about a subject is better and so partly support both opinions: It's not the first time this year that the president has been accused of straddling an issue.

Question 48

seethe

Answer 48

verb [I]
to feel very angry but to be unable or unwilling to express it clearly:
The class positively seethed with indignation when Julia won the award.
By the end of the meeting he was seething.

seething adjective [before noun]
Their seething resentment led to angry jostling between team-mates.

seethe (MOVE) verb [I]
(of a large number or amount) to move about energetically in a small space:
The streets were seething (= busy and crowded) with tourists

seething adjective
A seething mass of children crowded around the tables.

Question 49

bicker

Answer 49

verb [I] DISAPPROVING
to argue about unimportant matters:
Will you two stop bickering!
They’re always bickering with each other about/over their personal problems.

bickering noun [U] DISAPPROVING
The council finally elected a leader after several days of bickering.

Question 50

quicksilver

Answer 50

noun OLD USE

Unpredictable and mercurial; as, a quicksilver temper. Another name for liquid mercury from the way it moves and looks

Question 51

persuade

Answer 51

verb [T]
to make someone do or believe something by giving them a good reason to do it or by talking to them and making them believe it:
If she doesn’t want to go, nothing you can say will persuade her.
[+ (that)] It’s no use trying to persuade him (that) you’re innocent.
[+ to infinitive] He is trying to persuade local and foreign businesses to invest in the project.
Using a bunch of bananas, the zoo-keeper persuaded the monkey back into its cage.
FORMAL The first priority is to persuade the management of the urgency of this matter.
Her legal advisers persuaded her into/out of mentioning (= to mention/not to mention) the names of the people involved in the robbery.

persuasion noun [U]
It took a lot of persuasion to convince the committee of the advantages of the new scheme.
She will help you - she just needs a bit of gentle persuasion.
The occasion will be a test of the senator’s powers of persuasion (= his ability to persuade people).
See also persuasion.

persuasive    adjective 
making you want to do or believe a particular thing:
a persuasive speaker/speech
Your arguments are very persuasive.
He can be very persuasive.

persuasively adverb

persuasiveness noun [U]

Question 52

impervious

Answer 52

impervious (PERSON) adjective
describes a person who is not influenced or affected by something:
He is impervious to criticism and rational argument.

impervious (SUBSTANCE) adjective
not allowing liquid to go through:
How does glue bond with impervious substances like glass and metal?