Set 1

Question 1

abound

Answer 1

exist in large numbers or amounts
e.g. Wild animals abound wherever man does not stake his claim

Question 2

amorphous

Answer 2

without a clearly defined shape or form
e.g. The enormous pile of spaghetti landed on the floor in an amorphous heap

Question 3

austere

Answer 3

strict in manner
e.g. The headmistress was an austere old woman

lack of comforts or luxuries
e.g. The interior of the church was an austere as the parishioners were dour

Question 4

belie

Answer 4

(of appearance) fail to give true impression of (something)
e.g. His lively, alert manner belied his years

fail to fulfill or justify (a claim or expectation)
e.g. The quality of the music seems to belie the criticism

Question 5

capricious

Answer 5

given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior
e.g. Stringent rulers are unlikely to act capriciously

Question 6

cerebral

Answer 6

of the cerebrum of the brain
e.g. The patients frequently had a history of disease leading to cerebral damage

intellectual rather than emotional or physical
e.g. She makes cerebral films that deal with important social issues

Question 7

congenial

Answer 7

(of a person) pleasing or liked on account of having qualities or interests that are similar to ones own
e.g. He is back in more congenial company

(of a thing) pleasant or agreeable because suited to ones taste or inclination
e.g. He went back to climate more congenial to his cold story soul

Question 8

conspicuous

Answer 8

clearly visible
e.g. He was very thin, with a conspicuous Adam’s apple

attracting notice or attention
e.g. He had a conspicuous lump on his forehead

Question 9

cursory

Answer 9

hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed
e.g. The cursory inspection missed several irregularities

Question 10

daunting

Answer 10

seeming difficult to deal with in prospect; intimidating
e.g. It was a daunting task but it was accomplished with some forward planning

Question 11

deify

Answer 11

worship or regard as a god
e.g. She was deified by the early romans as a fertility goddess

Question 12

didactic

Answer 12

in a manner of teacher, particularly so as to appear patronizing
e.g. His tone ranged from didactic to backslapping

Question 13

disseminate

Answer 13

spread (something, especially information) widely
e.g. The values of human rights movement have disseminated throughout the world

Question 14

feasible

Answer 14

possible to do easily or conveniently
e.g. It is not feasible to put most finds from the excavations on public display

Question 15

flout

Answer 15

openly disregard ( a rule, law or convention)
e.g. *Building regulations have been habitually **flouted***

Question 16

homogenous

Answer 16

of the same kind; alike
e.g. The unemployed are not a homogenous group

Question 17

humdrum

Answer 17

lacking excitement or variety; boringly monotonous
e.g. Nobody should patronize a club and suggest that they should be happy with a humdrum existence outside the elite

Question 18

insipid

Answer 18

lacking flavor; weak or tasteless
e.g. The diners were disappointed with the plain, insipid soup they were served

lacking vigor or interest
e.g. This was an insipid performance

Question 19

loquacious

Answer 19

tending to talk a great deal; talkative
e.g. The normally loquacious Mr. O’ Reilly has said little

Question 20

misanthropic

Answer 20

having or showing the dislike of other people
e.g. Before we get to that, though, we are invited into the mind of a misanthropic dentist

Question 21

misnomer

Answer 21

a wrong or inaccurate name or designation
e.g. The name Chinese Checkers is misnomer since the game has nothing to do with China

Question 22

negligent

Answer 22

failing to take proper care over something

Question 23

obsequious

Answer 23

obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree
e.g. He is that kind of man; modest and honest and difficult to write about without seeming obsequious

Question 24

placate

Answer 24

make (someone) less angry or hostile
e.g. Stumbling into the kitchen in his boxer shorts, he rummaged through the refrigerator for something to placate his growl

Question 25

proclivity

Answer 25

a tendency to choose or do something regularly;
an inclination or predisposition towards a particular thing
e.g. His English was no longer revered; now even the public-school English teacher seemed ashamed of his proclivity for the foreign language

Question 26

puerile

Answer 26

childishly silly and immature
e.g. Concert organizers branded the group’s actions as puerile

Question 27

quixotic

Answer 27

extremely idealistic; unrealistic and impractical
e.g. He has always lived his life by a hopelessly quixotic code of honor

Question 28

spendthrift

Answer 28

a person who spends money in an extravagant, irresponsible way
e.g. His spendthrift ways will cost us all dearly

Question 29

taciturn

Answer 29

reserved or incommunicative in speech; saying little
e.g. A taciturn man, he replied to my questions in monosyllables

Question 30

wary

Answer 30

feeling or showing caution about the possible dangers or problems
e.g. They were very wary about giving him a contract