SAT-3000-5 Flashcards
1
Q
genteel
A
ADJ. well-bred; elegant. We are looking for a man with a genteel appearance who can inspire confidence by his cultivated manner.
2
Q
gentility
A
N. those of gentle birth; refinement. Her family was proud of its gentility and elegance.
3
Q
gentry
A
N. people of standing; class of people just below nobility. The local gentry did not welcome the visits of the summer tourists and tried to ignore their presence in the community.
4
Q
germane
A
ADJ. pertinent; bearing upon the case at hand. The judge refused to allow the testimony to be heard by the jury because it was not germane to the case.
5
Q
germinal
A
ADJ. pertaining to a germ; creative. Such an idea is germinal I am certain that it will influence thinkers and philosophers for many generations.
6
Q
germinate
A
V. cause to sprout; sprout. After the seeds ger¬minate and develop their permanent leaves the plants may be removed from the cold frames and transplanted to the garden.
7
Q
gesticulation
A
N. motion; gesture. Operatic performers are trained to make exaggerated gesticulations because of the large auditoriums in which they appear.
8
Q
ghastly
A
ADJ. horrible. The murdered man was a ghastly sight.
9
Q
gibberish
A
N. nonsense; babbling. Did you hear that fool boy spouting gibberish about monsters from outer space gibberV.
10
Q
gibe
A
V. mock. As you gibe at their superstitious beliefs do you realize that you too are guilty of similarly foolish thoughts
11
Q
giddy
A
ADJ. light-hearted; dizzy. He felt his giddy youth was past.
12
Q
gingerly
A
ADV. very carefully. To separate egg whites first crack the egg gingerly.
13
Q
girth
A
N. distance around something; circumference. It took an extra-large cummerbund to fit around Andrew Carnegie’s considerable girth.
14
Q
gist
A
N. essence. She was asked to give the gist of the essay in two sentences.
15
Q
glacial
A
ADJ. like a glacier; extremely cold. Never a warm person when offended John could seem positively glacial.
16
Q
glaring
A
ADJ. highly conspicuous; harshly bright. Glaring spelling or grammatical errors in your resume will unfavor¬ably impress potential employers.
17
Q
glaze
A
V. cover with a thin and shiny surface. The freezing rain glazed the streets and made driving hazardous. also N.
18
Q
glib
A
ADJ. fluent; facile; slick. Keeping up a steady patter to entertain his customers the kitchen gadget salesman was a glib speaker never at a loss for a word.
19
Q
glimmer
A
V. shine erratically; twinkle. In the darkness of the cavern the glowworms hanging from the cavern roof glim¬mered like distant stars
20
Q
gloat
A
V. express evil satisfaction; view malevolently. As you gloat over your ill-gotten wealth do you think of the many victims you have defrauded
21
Q
glossary
A
N. brief explanation of words used in the text. I have found the glossary in this book very useful; it has elim¬inated many trips to the dictionary.
22
Q
gloss over
A
V. explain away. No matter how hard he tried to talk around the issue President Bush could not gloss over the fact that he had raised taxes after all.
23
Q
glossy
A
ADJ. smooth and shining. I want this photograph printed on glossy paper not matte.
24
Q
glower
A
V. scowl. The angry boy glowered at his father.
25
glut
V. overstock; fill to excess. The many manufacturers glutted the market and could not find purchasers for the excess articles they had produced. also N.
26
glutton
N. someone who eats too much. When Mother saw that Bobby had eaten all the cookies she called him a little glutton. gluttonousADJ.
27
gnarled
ADJ. twisted. The gnarled oak tree had been a landmark for years and was mentioned in several deeds.
28
gnome
N. dwarf; underground spirit. In medieval mythol¬ogy gnomes were the special guardians and inhabitants of subterranean mines.
29
goad
V. urge on. He was goaded by his friends until he yielded to their wishes. also N.
30
gorge
N. small steep-walled canyon. The white-water raft¬ing guide warned us about the rapids farther downstream where the river cut through a narrow gorge.
31
gorge
V. stuff oneself. The gluttonous guest gorged him¬self with food as though he had not eaten for days.
32
gory
ADJ. bloody. The audience shuddered as they lis¬tened to the details of the gory massacre.
33
gouge
V. tear out. In that fight all the rules were forgotten; the adversaries bit kicked and tried to gouge each other's eyes out.
34
gourmand
N. epicure; person who takes excessive plea¬sure in food and drink. Gourmands lack self-restraint; if they enjoy a particular cuisine they eat far too much of it.
35
gourmet
N. connoisseur of food and drink. The gourmet stated that this was the best onion soup she had ever tasted.
36
graduated
ADJ. arranged by degrees (of height difficulty etc.). Margaret loved her graduated set of Russian hollow wooden dolls; she spent hours happily putting the smaller dolls into their larger counterparts.
37
graft
N. piece of transplanted tissue; portion of plant inserted in another plant. After the fire Greg required skin grafts to replace the badly damaged areas on his forearms. alsoV.
38
grandeur
N. impressiveness; stateliness; majesty. No mat¬ter how often he hiked through the mountains David never failed to be struck by the grandeur of the Sierra Nevada range.
39
grandiloquent
ADJ. pompous; bombastic; using high¬sounding language. The politician could never speak sim¬ply; she was always grandiloquent.
40
grandiose
ADJ. pretentious; high-flown; ridiculously exag¬gerated; impressive. The aged matinee idol still had grandiose notions of his supposed importance in the the¬atrical world.
41
granulate
V. form into grains. Sugar that has been granu¬lated dissolves more readily than lump sugar. granule N.
42
graphic
ADJ. pertaining to the art of delineating; vividly described. I was particularly impressed by the graphic pre¬sentation of the storm.
43
grapple
V. wrestle; come to grips with. He grappled with the burglar and overpowered him.
44
grate
V. make a harsh noise; have an unpleasant effect; shred. The screams of the quarreling children grated on her nerves.
45
gratify
V. please. Lori's parents were gratified by her suc¬cessful performance on the SAT.
46
gratis
ADJ. free. The company offered to give one package gratis to every purchaser of one of their products. alsoADJ.
47
gratuitous
ADJ. given freely; unwarranted; uncalled for. Quit making gratuitous comments about my driving; no one asked you for your opinion.
48
gravity
N. seriousness. We could tell we were in serious trouble from the gravity of the principal's expression. (sec¬ondary meaning) graveADJ.
49
gregarious
ADJ. sociable. Typically partygoers are gregar¬ious; hermits are not.
50
grievance
N. cause of complaint. When her supervisor ignored her complaint she took her grievance to the union.
51
grill
V. question severely. In violation of the Miranda law the police grilled the suspect for several hours before read¬ing him his rights. (secondary meaning)
52
grimace
N. a facial distortion to show feeling such as pain disgust etc. Even though he remained silent his grimace indicated his displeasure. alsoV.
53
grisly
ADJ. ghastly. She shuddered at the grisly sight.
54
grouse
V. complain; fuss. Students traditionally grouse about the abysmal quality of "mystery meat" and similar dormitory food.
55
grotesque
ADJ. fantastic; comically hideous. On Halloween people enjoy wearing grotesque costumes.
56
grove
N. group of trees (smaller than a forest); orchard. To the child the small grove of oaks was as vast as Sherwood Forest in which he played that legendary hero Robin Hood.
57
grovel
V. crawl or creep on ground; remain prostrate. Even though we have been defeated we do not have to grovel before our conquerors.
58
grudging
ADJ. unwilling; reluctant; stingy. We received only grudging support from the mayor despite his earlier promises of aid.
59
gruel
V. liquid food made by boiling oatmeal etc. in milk or water. Our daily allotment of gruel made the meal not only monotonous but also unpalatable.
60
grueling
ADJ. exhausting. The marathon is a grueling race.
61
gruesome
ADJ. grisly; horrible. His face was the stuff of nightmares: all the children in the audience screamed when Freddy Kruger's gruesome countenance was flashed on the screen.
62
gruff
ADJ. rough-mannered. Although he was blunt and gruff with most people he was always gentle with children.
63
guffaw
N. boisterous laughter. The loud guffaws that came from the closed room indicated that the members of the committee had not yet settled down to serious business. alsoV.
64
guile
N. deceit; duplicity; wiliness; cunning. lago uses considerable guile to trick Othello into believing that Desde¬mona has been unfaithful.
65
guileless
ADJ. without deceit. He is naive simple and guileless; he cannot be guilty of fraud.
66
guise
N. appearance; costume. In the guise of a plumber the detective investigated the murder case.
67
gullible
ADJ. easily deceived. Overly gullible people have only themselves to blame if they fall for con artists repeat¬edly. As the saying goes "Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me."
68
gustatory
ADJ. affecting the sense of taste. The Thai restaurant offered an unusual gustatory experience for those used to a bland cuisine.
69
gusto
N. enjoyment; enthusiasm. He accepted the assign¬ment with such gusto that I feel he would have been satis¬fied with a smaller salary.
70
gusty
ADJ. windy. The gusty weather made sailing precari¬ous.
71
hackneyed
ADJ. commonplace; trite. When the reviewer criticized the movie for its hackneyed plot we agreed; we had seen similar stories hundreds of times before.
72
haggard
ADJ. wasted away; gaunt. After his long illness he was pale and haggard.
73
haggle
V. argue about prices. I prefer to shop in a store that has a one-price policy because whenever I haggle with a shopkeeper I am never certain that I paid a fair price for the articles I purchased.
74
hallowed
ADJ. blessed; consecrated. Although the dead girl's parents had never been active churchgoers they insisted that their daughter be buried in hallowed ground.
75
hallucination
N. delusion. I think you were frightened by a hallucination you created in your own mind.
76
halting
ADJ. hesitant; faltering. Novice extemporaneous speakers often talk in a halting fashion as they grope for the right words.
77
hamper
V. obstruct. The new mother didn't realize how much the effort of caring for an infant would hamper her ability to keep an immaculate house.
78
haphazard
ADJ. random; by chance. His haphazard read¬ing left him unacquainted with the authors of the books.
79
harangue
N. noisy speech. In her lengthy harangue the principal berated the offenders. alsoV.
80
harass
V. to annoy by repeated attacks. When he could not pay his bills as quickly as he had promised he was harassed by his creditors.
81
harbinger
N. forerunner. The crocus is an early harbinger of spring.
82
harbor
V. provide a refuge for; hide. The church harbored illegal aliens who were political refugees.
83
hardy
ADJ. sturdy; robust; able to stand inclement weather. We asked the gardening expert to recommend particularly hardy plants that could withstand our harsh New England winters.
84
harrowing
ADJ. agonizing; distressing; traumatic. At first the former prisoner did not wish to discuss his harrowing months of captivity as a political hostage.
85
haughtiness
N. pride; arrogance. When she realized that Darcy believed himself too good to dance with his inferiors Elizabeth took great offense at his haughtiness.
86
hazardous
ADJ. dangerous. Your occupation is too haz¬ardous for insurance companies to consider your application.
87
hazy
ADJ. slightly obscure. In hazy weather you cannot see the top of this mountain.
88
headlong
ADJ. hasty; rash. The slave seized the unex¬pected chance to make a headlong dash across the border to freedom.
89
headstrong
ADJ. stubborn; willful; unyielding. Because she refused to marry the man her parents had chosen for her everyone scolded Minna and called her a foolish head¬strong girl.
90
heckler
N. person who harasses others. The heckler kept interrupting the speaker with rude remarks. heckleV.
91
hedonist
N. one who believes that pleasure is the sole aim in life. A thoroughgoing hedonist he considered only his own pleasure and ignored any claims others had on his money or time.
92
heed
V. pay attention to; consider. We hope you heed our advice and get a good night's sleep before the test. also N.
93
heedless
ADJ. not noticing; disregarding. He drove on heedless of the danger warnings placed at the side of the road.
94
heinous
ADJ. atrocious; hatefully bad. Hitler's heinous crimes will never be forgotten.
95
herbivorous
ADJ. grain-eating. Some herbivorous animals have two stomachs for digesting their food.
96
heresy
N. opinion contrary to popular belief; opinion con¬trary to accepted religion. Galileo's assertion that the earth moved around the sun directly contradicted the religious teachings of his day; as a result he was tried for heresy. heretic N.
97
hermetic
ADJ. sealed by fusion so as to be airtight. After you sterilize the bandages place them in a container and seal it with a hermetic seal to protect them from contamina¬tion by airborne bacteria.
98
hermitage
N. home of a hermit. Even in his remote her¬mitage he could not escape completely from the world.
99
heterodox
ADJ. unorthodox; unconventional. To those who upheld the belief that the earth did not move Galileo's the¬ory that the earth circled the sun was disturbingly heterodox.
100
heterogeneous
ADJ. dissimilar; mixed. This year's entering class is a remarkably heterogeneous body: it includes stu¬dents from forty different states and twenty-six foreign countries some the children of billionaires others the off¬spring of welfare families. heterogenity N.
101
heyday
N. time of greatest success; prime. In their hey¬day the San Francisco Forty-Niners won the Super Bowl two years running.
102
hiatus
N. gap; interruption in duration or continuity; pause. During the summer hiatus many students try to earn enough money to pay their tuition for the next school year.
103
hibernal
ADJ. wintry. Bears prepare for their long hibernal sleep by overeating.
104
hibernate
V. sleep throughout the winter. Bears are one of the many species of animals that hibernate. hibernation N.
105
hierarchy
N. arrangement by rank or standing; authoritar¬ian body divided into ranks. To be low man on the totem pole is to have an inferior place in the hierarchy.
106
hilarity
N. boisterous mirth. This hilarity is improper on this solemn day of mourning.
107
hindrance
N. block; obstacle. Stalled cars along the high¬way are a hindrance to traffic that tow trucks should remove without delay. hinderV.
108
histrionic
ADJ. theatrical. He was proud of his histrionic ability and wanted to play the role of Hamlet histrionics N.
109
hoard
V. stockpile; accumulate for future use. Whenever there are rumors of a food shortage many people are tempted to hoard food. also N.
110
hoary
ADJ. white with age. The man was hoary and wrin¬kled when he was 70.
111
hoax
N. trick; practical joke. Embarrassed by the hoax he reddened and left the room. alsoV.
112
hodgepodge
N. jumble; mixture of ill-suited elements. The reviewer roundly condemned the play as a hodgepodge of random and purposeless encounters carried out by a cast lacking any uniformity of accent or style.
113
holster
N. pistol case. Even when he was not in uniform he carried a holster and pistol under his arm.
114
homage
N. honor; tribute. In her speech she tried to pay homage to a great man.
115
homogeneous
ADJ. of the same kind. Because the student body at Elite Prep was so homogeneous Sara and James decided to send their daughter to a school that offered greater cultural diversity. homogenizeV.
116
hone
V. sharpen. To make shaving easier he honed his razor with great care.
117
hoodwink
V. deceive; delude. Having been hoodwinked once by the fast-talking salesman he was extremely cau¬tious when he went to purchase a used car.
118
horde
N. crowd. Just before Christmas the stores are filled with hordes of shoppers.
119
horticultural
ADJ. pertaining to cultivation of gardens. When he bought his house he began to look for flowers and decorative shrubs and began to read books dealing with horticultural matters.
120
host
N. great number; person entertaining guests; animal or plant from which a parasite gets its nourishment. You must attend to a host of details if you wish to succeed as host of a formal dinner party. Leeches are parasites that cling to their hosts and drink their hosts' blood.
121
hostility
N. unfriendliness; hatred. A child who has been the sole object of his parents' affection often feels hostility toward a new baby in the family resenting the newcomer who has taken his place.
122
hovel
N. shack; small wretched house. He wondered how poor people could stand living in such a hovel.
123
hover
V. hang about; wait nearby. The police helicopter hovered above the accident.
124
hue
N. color; aspect. The aviary contained birds of every possible hue.
125
hulking
ADJ. massive; bulky; great in size. Despite his hulking build the heavyweight boxing champion was sur¬prisingly light on his feet. hulk N.
126
humane
ADJ. marked by kindness or consideration. It is ironic that the Humane Society sometimes must show its compassion toward mistreated animals by killing them to put them out of their misery.
127
humdrum
ADJ. dull; monotonous. After his years of adven¬ture he could not settle down to a humdrum existence.
128
humid
ADJ. damp. She could not stand the humid climate and moved to a drier area.
129
humility
N. humbleness of spirit. He spoke with a humility and lack of pride that impressed his listeners.
130
hurtle
V. crash; rush. The runaway train hurtled toward dis¬aster.
131
husband
V. use sparingly; conserve; save. Marathon run¬ners must husband their energy so that they can keep going for the entire distance.
132
hybrid
N. mongrel; mixed breed. Mendel's formula explains the appearance of hybrids and pure species in breeding. alsoADJ.
133
hydrophobia
N. rabies; fear of water. A dog that bites a human being must be observed for symptoms of hydropho¬bia.
134
hyperbole
N. exaggeration; overstatement. As far as I'm concerned Apple's claims about the new computer are pure hyperbole: no machine is that good!
135
hypercritical
ADJ. excessively exacting. You are hypercriti¬cal in your demands for perfection; we all make mistakes.
136
hypochondriac
N. person unduly worried about his health; worrier without cause about illness. The doctor prescribed chocolate pills for his patient who was a hypochondriac.
137
hypocritical
ADJ. pretending to be virtuous; deceiving. Believing Eddie to be interested only in his own advance¬ment Greg resented his hypocritical posing as a friend. hypocrisy N.
138
hypothetical
ADJ. based on assumptions or hypotheses; supposed. Suppose you are accepted by Harvard Stan¬ford and Brown. Which one would you choose to attend Remember this is only a hypothetical situation. hypothe¬SiS N.
139
ichthyology
N. study of fish. Jacques Cousteau's pro¬grams about sea life have advanced the cause of ichthyol¬ogy
140
icon
N. religious image; idol. The icons on the walls of the church were painted in the 13th century.
141
iconoclastic
ADJ. attacking cherished traditions. Deeply iconoclastic Jean Genet deliberately set out to shock con¬ventional theatergoers with his radical plays.
142
ideology
N. system of ideas of a group. For people who had grown up believing in the communist ideology it was hard to adjust to capitalism.
143
idiom
N. expression whose meaning as a whole differs from the meanings of its individual words; distinctive style. The phrase "to lose one's marbles" is an idiom: if I say that Joe's lost his marbles I'm not asking you to find some for him. I'm telling you idiomatically that he's crazy.
144
idiosyncrasy
N. individual trait usually odd in nature; eccentricity. One of Richard Nixon's little idiosyncrasies was his liking for ketchup on cottage cheese. One of Hannibal Lecter's little idiosyncrasies was his liking for human flesh. idiosyncraticADJ.
145
idolatry
N. worship of idols; excessive admiration. Such idolatry of singers of country music is typical of the exces¬sive enthusiasm of youth.
146
ignite
V. kindle; light. When Desi crooned "Baby light my fire literal-minded Lucy looked around for some paper to ignite.
147
ignoble
ADJ. of lowly origin; unworthy. This plan is inspired by ignoble motives and I must therefore oppose it.
148
ignominy
N. deep disgrace; shame or dishonor. To lose the Ping-Pong match to a trained chimpanzee! How could Rollo stand the ignominy of his defeat ignominiousADJ.
149
illicit
ADJ. illegal. The defense attorney maintained that his client had never performed any illicit action.
150
illimitable
ADJ. infinite. Man having explored the far corners of the earth is now reaching out into illimitable space.
151
illuminate
V. brighten; clear up or make understandable; enlighten. Just as a lamp can illuminate a dark room a per¬ceptive comment can illuminate a knotty problem.
152
illusion
N. misleading vision. It is easy to create an optical illusion in which lines of equal length appear different.
153
illusory
ADJ. deceptive; not real. Unfortunately the costs of running the lemonade stand were so high that Tom's profits proved illusory.
154
imbalance
N. lack of balance or symmetry; disproportion. To correct racial imbalance in the schools school boards have bussed black children into white neighborhoods and white children into black ones.
155
imbibe
V. drink in. The dry soil imbibed the rain quickly.
156
immaculate
ADJ. spotless; flawless; absolutely clean. Ken and Jessica were wonderful tenants and left the apartment in immaculate condition when they moved out.
157
imminent
ADJ. near at hand; impending. Rosa was such a last-minute worker that she could never start writing a paper till the deadline was imminent.
158
immobility
N. state of being immovable. Modern armies cannot afford the luxury of immobility as they are vulnera¬ble to attack while standing still.
159
immune
ADJ. resistant to; free or exempt from. Fortunately Florence had contracted chicken pox as a child and was immune to it when her baby broke out in spots.
160
immutable
ADJ. unchangeable. All things change over time; nothing is immutable.
161
impair
V. injure; hurt. Drinking alcohol can impair your abil¬ity to drive safely; if you're going to drink don't drive.
162
impale
V. Pierce. He was impaled by the spear hurled by his adversary.
163
impalpable
ADJ. imperceptible; intangible. The ash is so fine that it is impalpable to the touch but it can be seen as a fine layer covering the window ledge.
164
impart
V. reveal or tell; grant. Polly begged Grandma to impart her recipe for rugeleh but her grandmother wouldn't say a word.
165
impartial
ADJ. not biased; fair. Knowing she could not be impartial about her own child Jo refused to judge any match in which Billy was competing.
166
impassable
ADJ. not able to be traveled or crossed. A giant redwood had fallen across the highway blocking all four lanes: the road was impassable.
167
impasse
N. predicament from which there is no escape; deadlock. In this impasse all turned to prayer as their last hope.
168
impassive
ADJ. without feeling; imperturbable; stoical. Refusing to let the enemy see how deeply shaken he was by his capture the prisoner kept his face impassive.
169
impeach
V. charge with crime in office; indict. The angry congressman wanted to impeach the president for his mis¬deeds.
170
impeccable
ADJ. faultless. The uncrowned queen of the fashion industry Diana was acclaimed for her impeccable taste.
171
impecunious
ADJ. without money. Though Scrooge claimed he was too impecunious to give alms he easily could have afforded to be charitable.
172
impede
V. hinder; block; delay. A series of accidents impeded the launching of the space shuttle.
173
impediment
N. hindrance; stumbling-block. She had a speech impediment that prevented her speaking clearly.
174
impel
V. drive or force onward. A strong feeling of urgency impelled her; if she failed to finish the project right then she knew that she would never get it done.
175
impenetrable
ADJ. not able to be pierced or entered; beyond understanding. How could the murderer have got¬ten into the locked room To Watson the mystery like the room was impenetrable.
176
impending
ADJ. nearing; approaching. The entire country was saddened by the news of his impending death.
177
impenitent
ADJ. not repentant. We could see from his tough guy attitude that he was impenitent.
178
imperative
ADJ. absolutely necessary; critically important. It is imperative that you be extremely agreeable to Great¬Aunt Maud when she comes to tea: otherwise she might not leave you that million dollars in her will. also N.
179
imperceptible
ADJ. unnoticeable; undetectable. Fortu¬nately the stain on the blouse was imperceptible after the blouse had gone through the wash.
180
imperial
ADJ. like an emperor; related to an empire. When hotel owner Leona Helmsley appeared in ads as Queen Leona standing guard over the Palace Hotel her critics mocked her imperial fancies.
181
imperious
ADJ. domineering; haughty. Jane rather liked a man to be masterful but Mr. Rochester seemed so bent on getting his own way that he was actually imperious!
182
impermeable
ADJ. impervious; not permitting passage through its substance. This new material is impermeable to liquids.
183
impertinent
ADJ. insolent; rude. His neighbors' impertinent curiosity about his lack of dates angered Ted. It was down¬right rude of them to ask him such personal questions.
184
imperturbable
ADJ. calm; placid; composed. In the midst of the battle the Duke of Wellington remained imper¬turbable and in full command of the situation despite the hysteria and panic all around him. imperturbability N.
185
Impervious
ADJ. impenetrable; incapable of being dam¬aged or distressed. The carpet salesman told Simone that his most expensive brand of floor covering was warranted to be impervious to ordinary wear and tear. Having read so many negative reviews of his acting the movie star had learned to ignore them and was now impervious to criticism.
186
impetuous
ADJ. violent; hasty; rash. "Leap before you look" was the motto suggested by one particularly impetuous young man.
187
impetus
N. incentive; stimulus; moving force. A new fed¬eral highway program would create jobs and give added impetus to our economic recovery.
188
impiety
N. irreverence; lack of respect for God. When members of the youth group draped the church in toilet paper one Halloween the minister reprimanded them for their impiety.
189
impinge
V. infringe; touch;. collide with. How could they be married without impinging on one another's freedom
190
impious
ADJ. irreverent. The congregation was offended by her impious remarks.
191
implacable
ADJ. incapable of being pacified. Madame Defarge was the implacable enemy of the Evremonde family.
192
implausible
ADJ. unlikely; unbelievable. Though her alibi seemed implausible it in fact turned out to be true.
193
implement
V. put into effect; supply with tools. The mayor was unwilling to implement the plan until she was sure it had the governor's backing. also N.
194
implicate
V. incriminate; show to be involved. Here's the deal: if you agree to take the witness stand and implicate your partners in crime the prosecution will recommend that the judge go easy in sentencing you.
195
implication
N. something hinted at or suggested. When Miss Watson said she hadn't seen her purse since the last time Jim was in the house the implication was that she sus¬pected Jim had taken it. implyV.
196
implicit
ADJ. understood but not stated. Jack never told Jill he adored her; he believed his love was implicit in his actions.
197
implore
V. beg. He implored her to give him a second chance.
198
imply
V. suggest a meaning not expressed; signify. When Aunt Millie said "My! That's a big piece of pie young man!" was she implying that Bobby was being a glutton in helping himself to such a huge piece
199
importunate
ADJ. urging; demanding. He tried to hide from his importunate creditors until his allowance arrived.
200
importune
V. beg persistently. Democratic and Republi¬can phone solicitors importuned her for contributions so fre¬quently that she decided to give nothing to either party.
201
impostor
N. someone who assumes a false identity. Holmes exposed the doctor as an impostor.
202
impotent
ADJ. weak; ineffective. Although he wished to break the nicotine habit he found himself impotent in resist¬ing the craving for a cigarette.
203
impoverished
ADJ. poor. The loss of their farm left the fam¬ily impoverished and without hope.
204
impregnable
ADJ. invulnerable. Until the development of the airplane as a military weapon the fort was considered impregnable.
205
impromptu
ADJ. without previous preparation; off the cuff; on the spur of the moment. The judges were amazed that she could make such a thorough well-supported presenta¬tion in an impromptu speech.
206
impropriety
N. improperness; unsuitableness. Because of the impropriety of the punk rocker's slashed T-shirt and jeans the management refused to admit him to the hotel's very formal dining room.
207
improvident
ADJ. thriftless. He was constantly being warned to mend his improvident ways and begin to "save for a rainy day." improvidence N.
208
improvise
V. compose on the spur of the moment. She would sit at the piano and improvise for hours on themes from Bach and Handel.
209
imprudent
ADJ. lacking caution; injudicious. It is imprudent to exercise vigorously and become overheated when you are unwell.
210
impudence
N. impertinence; insolence. Kissed on the cheek by a perfect stranger Lady Catherine exclaimed "Of all the nerve! Young man I should have you horse-whipped for your impudence."
211
impugn
V. dispute or contradict (often in an insulting way); challenge; gainsay. Our treasurer was furious when the finance committee's report impugned the accuracy of his financial records and recommended that he should take bonehead math.
212
impunity
N. freedom from punishment or harm. A 98¬pound weakling can't attack a beachfront bully with impunity. the poor puny guy is sure to get mashed.
213
inadvertently
ADV. unintentionally; by oversight; care¬lessly. Judy's great fear was that she might inadvertently omit a question on the exam and mismark her whole answer sheet.
214
inalienable
ADJ. not to be taken away; nontransferable. The Declaration of Independence mentions the inalienable rights that all of us possess.
215
inane
ADJ. silly; senseless. There's no point to what you're saying. Why are you bothering to make such inane remarks
216
inanimate
ADJ. lifeless. She was asked to identify the still and inanimate body.
217
inarticulate
ADJ. speechless; producing indistinct speech. He became inarticulate with rage and uttered sounds with¬out meaning.
218
inaugurate
V. start; initiate; install in office. The airline decided to inaugurate its new route to the Far East with a special reduced fare offer. inauguralADJ.
219
incandescent
ADJ. strikingly bright; shining with intense heat. If you leave on an incandescent light bulb it quickly grows too hot to touch.
220
incantation
N. singing or chanting of magic spells; magical formula. Uttering incantations to make the brew more potent the witch doctor stirred the liquid in the caldron.
221
incapacitate
V. disable. During the winter many people were incapacitated by respiratory ailments.
222
incarcerate
V. imprison. The civil rights workers were will¬ing to be arrested and even incarcerated if by their impris¬onment they could serve the cause.
223
incarnation
N. act of assuming a human body and human nature. The incarnation of Jesus Christ is a basic tenet of Christian theology.
224
incendiary
N. arsonist. The fire spread in such an unusual manner that the fire department chiefs were certain that it had been set by an incendiary. alsoADJ.
225
incense
V. enrage; infuriate. Cruelty to defenseless ani¬mals incensed Kit: the very idea brought tears of anger to her eyes.
226
incentive
N. spur; motive. Mike's strong desire to outshine his big sister was all the incentive he needed to do well in school.
227
inception
N. start; beginning. She was involved with the project from its inception.
228
incessant
ADJ. uninterrupted; unceasing. In a famous TV commercial the frogs' incessant croaking goes on and on until eventually it turns into a single word: "Bud-weis-er."
229
inchoate
ADJ. recently begun; rudimentary; elementary. Before the Creation the world was an inchoate mass.
230
incidence
N. rate of occurrence; particular occurrence. Health professionals expressed great concern over the high incidence of infant mortality in major urban areas.
231
incidental
ADJ. not essential; minor. The scholarship cov¬ered his major expenses at college and some of his inci¬dental expenses as well.
232
incipient
ADJ. beginning; in an early stage. I will go to sleep early for I want to break an incipient cold.
233
incisive
ADJ. cutting; sharp. His incisive remarks made us see the fallacy in our plans.
234
incite
V. arouse to action; goad; motivate; induce to exist. In a fiery speech Mario incited his fellow students to go out on strike to protest the university's anti-affirmative action stand.
235
inclement
ADJ. stormy; unkind. In inclement weather I like to curl up on the sofa with a good book and listen to the storm blowing outside.
236
incline
N. slope; slant. The architect recommended that the nursing home's ramp be rebuilt because its incline was too steep for wheelchairs.
237
inclined
ADJ. tending or leaning toward; bent. Though I am inclined to be skeptical the witness's manner inclines me to believe his story. alsoV.
238
inclusive
ADJ. tending to include all. The comedian turned down the invitation to join the Players' Club saying any club that would let him in was too inclusive for him.
239
incoherent
ADJ. unintelligible; muddled; illogical. The excited fan blushed and stammered her words becoming almost incoherent in the thrill of meeting her favorite rock star face to face. incoherence N.
240
incompatible
ADJ. inharmonious. The married couple argued incessantly and finally decided to separate because they were incompatible. incompatibility N.
241
incongruous
ADJ. not fitting; absurd. Dave saw nothing incongruous about wearing sneakers with his tuxedo; he couldn't understand why his date took one look at him and started to laugh. incongruity N.
242
inconsequential
ADJ. insignificant; unimportant. Brushing off Ali's apologies for having broken the wineglass Tamara said "Don't worry about it; it's inconsequential."
243
inconsistency
N. state of being self-contradictory; lack of uniformity or steadiness. How are lawyers different from agricultural inspectors While lawyers check inconsisten¬cies in witnesses' statements agricultural inspectors check inconsistencies in Grade A eggs. inconsistentADJ.
244
incontinent
ADJ. lacking self-restraint; licentious. His incon¬tinent behavior off stage so shocked many people that they refused to attend the plays and movies in which he appeared.
245
incontrovertible
ADJ. indisputable; not open to question. Unless you find the evidence against my client absolutely incontrovertible you must declare her not guilty of this charge.
246
incorporate
V. introduce something into a larger whole; combine; unite. Breaking with precedent President Truman ordered the military to incorporate blacks into every branch of the armed services. alsoADJ.
247
incorporeal
ADJ. lacking a material body; insubstantial. While Casper the friendly ghost is an incorporeal being nevertheless he and his fellow ghosts make quite an impact on the physical world.
248
incorrigible
ADJ. not correctable. Though Widow Douglass hoped to reform Huck Miss Watson called him incorrigible and said he would come to no good end.
249
incredulous
ADJ. withholding belief; skeptical. When Jack claimed he hadn't eaten the jelly doughnut Jill took an incredulous look at his smeared face and laughed. incredulity N.
250
increment
N. increase. The new contract calls for a 10 percent increment in salary for each employee for the next two years.
251
incriminate
V. accuse. The evidence gathered against the racketeers incriminates some high public officials as well.
252
incrustation
N. hard coating or crust. In dry dock we scraped off the incrustation of dirt and barnacles that cov¬ered the hull of the ship.
253
incubate
V. hatch; scheme. Inasmuch as our supply of electricity is cut off we shall have to rely on the hens to incubate these eggs.
254
inculcate
V. teach; instill. In an effort to inculcate religious devotion the officials ordered that the school day begin with the singing of a hymn.
255
incumbent
ADJ. obligatory; currently holding an office. It is incumbent upon all incumbent elected officials to keep accurate records of expenses incurred in office. also N.
256
incur
V. bring upon oneself. His parents refused to pay any future debts he might incur.
257
incursion
N. temporary invasion. The nightly incursions and hit-and-run raids of our neighbors across the border tried the patience of the country to the point where we decided to retaliate in force.
258
indefatigable
ADJ. tireless. Although the effort of taking out the garbage tired Wayne out for the entire morning when it came to partying he was indefatigable.
259
indelible
ADJ. not able to be erased. The indelible ink left a permanent mark on my shirt. Young Bill Clinton's meeting with President Kennedy made an indelible impression on the youth.
260
indentation
N. notch; deep recess. You can tell one tree from another by examining their leaves and noting the dif¬ferences in the indentations along the edges of the leaves. indentV.
261
indenture
V. bind as servant or apprentice to master. Many immigrants could come to America only after they had indentured themselves for several years. also N.
262
indeterminate
ADJ. uncertain; not clearly fixed; indefinite. That interest rates shall rise appears certain; when they will do so however remains indeterminate.
263
indicative
ADJ. suggestive; implying. A lack of appetite may be indicative of a major mental or physical disorder.
264
indices
n. PL. signs; indications. Many college admissions officers believe that SAT scores and high school grades are the best indices of a student's potential to succeed in col¬lege. N. SG. index.
265
indict
V. charge. The district attorney didn't want to indict the suspect until she was sure she had a strong enough case to convince a jury. indictment N.
266
indifferent
ADJ. unmoved or unconcerned by; mediocre. Because Ann felt no desire to marry she was indifferent to Carl's constant proposals. Not only was she indifferent to him personally but she felt that given his general silliness he would make an indifferent husband.
267
indigenous
ADJ. native. Cigarettes are made of tobacco a plant indigenous to the New World.
268
indigent
ADJ. poor; destitute. Someone who is truly indi¬gent can't even afford to buy a pack of cigarettes. [Don't mix up indigent and indigenous. See previous sentence.]
269
indignation
N. anger at an injustice. He felt indignation at the ill-treatment of helpless animals.
270
indignity
N. offensive or insulting treatment. Although he seemed to accept cheerfully the indignities heaped upon him he was inwardly very angry.
271
indiscretion
N. lack of tactfulness or sound judgment. Ter¬rified that the least indiscretion could jeopardize his political career the novice politician never uttered an unguarded word. indiscreetADJ.
272
indiscriminate
ADJ. choosing at random; confused. She disapproved of her son's indiscriminate television viewing and decided to restrict him to educational programs.
273
indisputable
ADJ. too certain to be disputed. In the face of these indisputable statements I withdraw my complaint.
274
indissoluble
ADJ. permanent. The indissoluble bonds of marriage are all too often being dissolved.
275
indoctrinate
V. instruct in a doctrine or ideology. Cuban¬Americans resisted sending Elian Gonzalez back to Cuba because he would be indoctrinated there with Communist principles.
276
indolent
ADJ. lazy. Couch potatoes lead an indolent life lying back on their Lazyboy recliners watching Tv. indo-lence N.
277
indomitable
ADJ. unconquerable; unyielding. Focusing on her game despite all her personal problems tennis cham¬pion Steffi Graf proved she had an indomitable will to win.
278
indubitable
ADJ. unable to be doubted; unquestionable. Auditioning for the chorus line Molly was an indubitable hit: the director fired the leading lady and hired Molly in her place!
279
induce
V. persuade; bring about. After the quarrel Tina said nothing could induce her to talk to Tony again. induce¬ment N.
280
indulgent
ADJ. humoring; yielding; lenient. Jay's mom was excessively indulgent she bought him every Nintendo car¬tridge and video game on the market. She indulged Jay so much she spoiled him rotten.
281
industrious
ADJ. diligent; hard-working. Look busy when the boss walks by your desk; it never hurts to appear indus¬trious. industry N.
282
inebriated
ADJ. habitually intoxicated; drunk. Abe was ine¬briated more often than he was sober. Because of his ine¬briety he was discharged from his job as a bus driver.
283
ineffable
ADJ. unutterable; cannot be expressed in speech. Such ineffable joy must be experienced; it cannot be described.
284
ineffectual
ADJ. not effective; weak. Because the candi¬date failed to get across his message to the public his campaign was ineffectual.
285
inefficacious
ADJ. not effective; unable to produce a desired result. All Lois's coaxing and urging was ineffica¬cious: Clark still refused to join her and Superman for din¬ner. inefficacy N.
286
inept
ADJ. lacking skill; unsuited; incompetent. The inept glovemaker was all thumbs.
287
inequity
N. unfairness. In demanding equal pay for equal work women protest the basic inequity of a system that gives greater financial rewards to men.
288
inert
ADJ. inactive; lacking power to move. "Get up you lazybones she cried to her husband, who lay in bed inert. inertia, N.
289
inevitable
ADJ. unavoidable. Though death and taxes are both supposedly inevitable some people avoid paying taxes for years.
290
inexorable
ADJ. relentless; unyielding; implacable. After listening to the pleas for clemency the judge was inex¬orable and gave the convicted man the maximum punish¬ment allowed by law.
291
infallible
ADJ. unerring. We must remember that none of us is infallible; we all make mistakes.
292
infamous
ADJ. notoriously bad. Charles Manson and Jef¬frey Dahmer are both infamous killers.
293
infantile
ADJ. childish. When will he outgrow such infantile behavior
294
infer
V. deduce; conclude. From the students' glazed looks it was easy for me to infer that they were bored out of their minds. inference N.
295
infernal
ADJ. pertaining to hell; devilish. Batman was baf¬fled: he could think of no way to hinder the Joker's infernal scheme to destroy the city.
296
infidel
N. unbeliever. The Saracens made war against the infidels.
297
infiltrate
V. pass into or through; penetrate (an organiza¬tion) sneakily. In order to be able to infiltrate enemy lines at night without being seen the scouts darkened their faces and wore black coveralls. infiltrator N.
298
infinitesimal
ADJ. very small. In the twentieth century physi¬cists have made their greatest discoveries about the charac¬teristics of infinitesimal objects like the atom and its parts.
299
infirmity
N. weakness. Her greatest infirmity was lack of willpower.
300
inflated
ADJ. exaggerated; pompous; enlarged (with air or gas). His claims about the new product were inflated it did not work as well as he had promised.
301
influx
N. flowing into. The influx of refugees into the coun¬try has taxed the relief agencies severely.
302
informal
ADJ. absence of ceremony; casual. The English teacher preferred informal discussions to prepared lectures.
303
infraction
N. violation (of a rule or regulation); breach. When Dennis Rodman butted heads with that referee he committed a clear infraction of NBA rules.
304
infuriate
V. enrage; anger. Her big brother's teasing always infuriated Margaret; no matter how hard she tried to keep her temper he always got her goat.
305
infusion
N. act of introducing or instilling a quality; liquid solution. The rookie quarterback brought an infusion of new life and vigor to the tired team. infuseV.
306
ingenious
ADJ. clever; resourceful. Kit admired the inge¬nious way that her computer keyboard opened up to reveal the built-in CD-ROM below. ingenuity N.
307
ingenue
N. an artless girl; an actress who plays such parts. Although she was forty she still insisted that she be cast as an ingenue and refused to play more mature roles.
308
ingenuous
ADJ. naive and trusting; young; unsophisti¬cated. The woodsman had not realized how ingenuous Lit¬tle Red Riding Hood was until he heard that she had gone off for a walk in the woods with the Big Bad Wolf.
309
ingrained
ADJ. deeply established; firmly rooted. Try as they would the missionaries were unable to uproot the ingrained superstitions of the natives.
310
ingrate
N. ungrateful person. That ingrate Bob sneered at the tie I gave him.
311
ingratiate
V. become popular with. He tried to ingratiate himself into her parents' good graces.
312
inherent
ADJ. firmly established by nature or habit. Katya's inherent love of justice caused her to champion anyone she considered treated unfairly by society.
313
inhibit
V. restrain; retard or prevent. Only two things inhib¬ited him from taking a punch at Mike Tyson: Tyson's left hook and Tyson's right jab. The protective undercoating on my car inhibits the formation of rust.
314
inimical
ADJ. unfriendly; hostile; harmful; detrimental. I've always been friendly to Martha. Why is she so inimical to me
315
inimitable
ADJ. matchless; not able to be imitated. We admire Auden for his inimitable use of language; he is one of a kind.
316
iniquitous
ADJ. wicked; immoral; unrighteous. Whether or not King Richard III was responsible for the murder of the two young princes in the Tower it was an iniquitous deed. iniquity N.
317
initiate
V. begin; originate; receive into a group. The col¬lege is about to initiate a program in reducing math anxiety among students.
318
injurious
ADJ. harmful. Smoking cigarettes can be injurious to your health.
319
inkling
N. hint. This came as a complete surprise to me as I did not have the slightest inkling of your plans.
320
innate
ADJ. inborn. Mozart's parents soon recognized young Wolfgang's innate talent for music.
321
innocuous
ADJ. harmless. An occasional glass of wine with dinner is relatively innocuous and should have no ill effect on you.
322
innovation
N. change; introduction of something new. Although Richard liked to keep up with all the latest techno¬logical innovations he didn't always abandon tried and true techniques in favor of something new. innovateV.
323
innovative
ADJ. novel; introducing a change. The estab¬lishment of our SAT I computer data base has enabled us to come up with some innovative tactics for doing well on the SAT.
324
innuendo
N. hint; insinuation. I can defend myself against direct accusations; innuendos and oblique attacks on my character are what trouble me.
325
inopportune
ADJ. untimely; poorly chosen. A rock concert is an inopportune setting for a quiet conversation.
326
inordinate
ADJ. unrestrained; excessive. She had an inor¬dinate fondness for candy eating two or three boxes in a single day.
327
inquisitor
N. questioner (especially harsh); investigator. Fearing being grilled ruthlessly by the secret police Masha faced her inquisitors with trepidation.
328
insalubrious
ADJ. unwholesome; not healthful. The mos¬quito-ridden swamp was an insalubrious place a breeding ground for malarial contagion.
329
insatiable
ADJ. not easily satisfied; unquenchable; greedy. David's appetite for oysters was insatiable: he could easily eat four dozen at a single sitting.
330
inscrutable
ADJ. impenetrable; not readily understood; mysterious. Experienced poker players try to keep their expressions inscrutable hiding their reactions to the cards behind a so-called "poker face."
331
insensible
ADJ. unconscious; unresponsive. Sherry and I are very different; at times when I would be covered with embarrassment she seems insensible to shame.
332
insidious
ADJ. treacherous; stealthy; sly. The fifth column is insidious because it works secretly within our territory for our defeat.
333
insightful
ADJ. discerning; perceptive. Sol thought he was very insightful about human behavior but he was actually clueless as to why people acted the way they did.
334
insinuate
V. /;()/hint; imply; creep in. When you said I looked robust did you mean to insinuate that I'm getting fat
335
insipid
ADJ. lacking in flavor; dull. Flat prose and flat gin¬ger ale are equally insipid: both lack sparkle.
336
insolence
N. impudent disrespect; haughtiness. How dare you treat me so rudely! The manager will hear of your inso¬lence. insolentADJ.
337
insolvent
ADJ. bankrupt; unable to repay one's debts. Although young Lord Widgeon was insolvent he had no fear of being thrown into debtors' prison for he was sure that if his creditors pressed him for payment his wealthy parents would repay what he owed. insolvency N.
338
insomnia
N. wakefulness; inability to sleep. He refused to join us in a midnight cup of coffee because he claimed it gave him insomnia.
339
instigate
V. urge; start; provoke. Rumors of police corrup¬tion led the mayor to instigate an investigation into the department's activities.
340
insubordination
N. disobedience; rebelliousness. At the slightest hint of insubordination from the sailors of the Bounty Captain Bligh had them flogged; finally they mutinied.
341
insubstantial
ADJ. lacking substance; insignificant; frail. His hopes for a career in acting proved insubstantial; no one would cast him even in an insubstantial role.
342
insularity
N. narrow-mindedness; isolation. The insularity of the islanders manifested itself in their suspicion of anything foreign. insularADJ.
343
insulated
ADJ. set apart; isolated. A well-to-do bachelor James spent his money freely insulated from the cares of his friends who had families to support.
344
insuperable
ADJ. insurmountable; unbeatable. Though the odds against their survival seemed insuperable the Apollo 13 astronauts reached earth safely.
345
insurgent
ADJ. rebellious. Because the insurgent forces had occupied the capital and had gained control of the rail¬way lines several of the war correspondents covering the uprising predicted a rebel victory.
346
insurmountable
ADJ. overwhelming; unbeatable; insupera¬ble. Faced by almost insurmountable obstacles the mem¬bers of the underground maintained their courage and will to resist.
347
insurrection
N. rebellion; uprising. In retrospect given how badly the British treated the American colonists the even¬tual insurrection seems inevitable.
348
intangible
ADJ. not able to be perceived by touch; vague. Though the financial benefits of his Oxford post were mea¬ger Lewis was drawn to it by its intangible rewards: pres-tige intellectual freedom the fellowship of his peers.
349
integral
ADJ. complete; necessary for completeness. Phys¬ical education is an integral part of our curriculum; a sound mind and a sound body are complementary.
350
integrate
V. make whole; combine; make into one unit. She tried to integrate all their activities into one program.
