Set 12

Question 1

Variegated
adj
(vaar ee uh gayt ehd)

Answer 1

Varied; marked with different colors

The VARIEGATED foliage of the jungle allows it to support thousands of different animal species.

Synonyms: diversified

Question 2

Parley
noun
(par lee)

Answer 2

Discussion, usually between enemies

The PARLEY between the rival cheerleading teams resulted in neither side admitting that they copied the other’s dance moves.

Synonyms: debate; dialogue; negotiations; talks

Question 3

Specious
adj
(spee shuhs)

Answer 3

Deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious

The student’s SPECIOUS excuse for being late sounded legitimate, but was proved otherwise when his teacher called his home.

Synonyms: illusory; ostensible; plausible; sophistic; spurious

Question 4

Aesthetic
adj
(ehs theh tihk)

Answer 4

Concerning the appreciation of beauty

The AESTHETIC movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art.

Synonyms: artistic; tasteful

Question 5

Parry
verb
(paar ree)

Answer 5

To ward off or deflect, especially by a quick-witted answer

Kari PARRIED every question the army officers fired at her, much to their frustration.

Synonyms: avoid; evade; repel

Question 6

Intransigent
adj
(ihn traan suh juhnt)

Answer 6

Uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled

The professor was INTRANSIGENT on the deadline, insisting that everyone turn the assignment in at the same time.

Synonyms: implacable; inexorable; irreconcilable; obdurate; obstinate;remorseless; rigid; unbending; unrelenting; unyielding

Question 7

Venerable
adj
(veh nehr uh buhl)

Answer 7

Respected because of age

All of the villagers sought the VENERABLE old woman’s advice whenever they had a problem.

Synonyms: distinguished; elderly; respectable

Question 8

Martinet
noun
(mahr tihn eht)

Answer 8

Strict disciplinarian; one who rigidly follows rules

A complete MARTINET, the official insists that Pete fill out. All the forms again even though he was already familiar with his case.

Synonyms: dictator; stickler; tyrant

Question 9

Assuage
verb
(uh swayj)

Answer 9

To make something unpleasant less severe

Like many people, Philip Larkin used alcohol to ASSUAGE his sense of meaninglessness and despair.

Synonyms: allay; alleviate; appease; comfort; conciliate; ease; lighten; mitigate; mollify; pacify; palliate; placate; propitiate; relieve; soothe; sweeten

Question 10

Meticulous
adj
(mih tihk yuh luhs)

Answer 10

Extremely careful; fastidious; painstaking

To find all the clues at the crime scene, the METICULOUS investigators examined every inch of the area.

Synonyms: finicky; fussy; picky; precise; punctilious; scrupulous

Question 11

Wraith
noun
(rayth)

Answer 11

A ghost of specter; a ghost of a living person seen just before his or her death

Gideon thought he saw a WRAITH late one night as he sat vigil outside his great uncle’s bedroom door.

Synonyms: apparition; bogeyman; phantasm; shade; spirit

Question 12

Sobriquet
noun
(soh brih keht)

Answer 12

Nickname

One of Ronald Reagan’s SOBRIQUETS was “The Gripper.”

Synonyms: alias; pseudonym

Question 13

Ostentation
noun
(ah stehn tay shuhn)

Answer 13

Excessive showiness

The OSTENTATION of the Sun King’s court is evident in the lavish decoration and luxurious news of his palace at Versailles.

Synonyms: conspicuousness; flashiness; pretentiousness; showiness

Question 14

Lissome
adj
(lihs uhm)

Answer 14

Easily flexed; limber; agile

The LISSOME yoga instructor twisted herself into shapes that her students could only dream of.

Synonyms: graceful; lithe; supple

Question 15

Scintilla
noun
(sihn tihl uh)

Answer 15

Trace amount

This poison is so powerful that no more than a SCINTILLA of it is needed to kill a horse.

Synonyms: atom; iota; mote; spark; speck

Question 16

Ingratiate
verb
(ihn gray shee ayt)

Answer 16

Ito gain favor with another by deliberate effort; to seek to please somebody so as to gain an advantage

The new intern tired to INGRATIATE herself with the managers so that they might consider her for a future job.

Synonyms: curry; favor; flatter

Question 17

Loquacious
adj
(loh kway shuhs)

Answer 17

Talkative

She is naturally LOQUACIOUS, which is a problem in situation where listening is more important than talking.

Synonyms: effusive; garrulous; verbose

Question 18

Diatribe
noun
(die uh trieb)

Answer 18

An abusive, condemnatory speech

The trucker bellied a DIATRIBE at the driver who had cut him off.

Synonyms: fulmination; harangue; invective; jeremiad; malediction; obloquy; tirade

Question 19

Taciturn
adj
(taa sih tuhrn)

Answer 19

Silent; not talkative

The clerk’s TACITURN nature earned him the nickname Silent Bob.

Synonyms: laconic; reticent

Question 20

Syncophant
noun
(sih kuh fuhnt)

Answer 20

A self-serving flatterer; a yes-man

Dreading criticism, the actor surrounded himself with admirers and SYCOPHANTS.

Synonyms: bootlicker; fawner; lickspittle; toady

Question 21

Panache
noun
(puh nahsh)

Answer 21

Flamboyance or dash in style and action; verve

Pah has such a PANACHE when planning parties, even when they’re last minute affairs.

Synonyms: flair

Question 22

Acidulous
adj
(uh si juh luhs)

Answer 22

Sour in taste or manner

The ACIDULOUS taste of the spoiled milk made the young boy’s lips pucker.

Synonyms: acerbic; acetous; biting; piquant; pungent; tart

Question 23

Hyperbole
noun
(hie puhr boh lee)

Answer 23

Purposeful exaggeration for effect

When the mayor claimed his town was one of the seven wonders of the world, outsiders classified his statement as a HYPERBOLE.

Synonyms: embellishment; inflation; magnification

Question 24

Ignoble
adj
(ihg noh buhl)

Answer 24

Having low moral standards; not noble in character; mean

The photographer was paid a princely sum for the picture of the self-proclaimed ethicist in the IGNOBLE act of pick-pocketing.

Synonyms: lowly; vulgar

Question 25

Burgeon
verb
(buhr juhn)

Answer 25

To grow and flourish

Faulkner neither confirmed nor denied stories about himself, allowing tumor to BURGEON where it would.

Synonyms: bloom; flourish; prosper; thrive

Question 26

Laud
verb
(lawd)

Answer 26

To give praise; to glorify

Parades and fireworks were staged to LAUD the success of the rebels.

Synonyms: acclaim; applaud; commend; compliment; exalt; extol; hail; praise

Question 27

Opine
verb
(oh pien)

Answer 27

To express an opinion

At the “Let’s Chat Talk Show,” the audience member OPINED that the guest was in the wrong.

Synonyms: point out; voice

Question 28

Zeal
noun
(zeehl)

Answer 28

Passion; excitement

She brought her typical ZEAL to the project, sparking enthusiasm in the other team members.

Synonyms: ardency; fervor; fire; passion

Question 29

Enumerate
verb
(ih noo muhr ayt)

Answer 29

To count, list, or itemize

Before making his decision, Jacob asked the waiter to ENUMERATE the different varieties of ice cram that the restaurant carried.

Synonyms: catalog; index; tabulate

Question 30

Dilatory
adj
(dihl uh tohr ee)

Answer 30

Intended to delay

The congressman used DILATORY measures to delay the passage of the bill.

Synonyms: dragging; flagging; laggard; lagging; slow; slow-footed; slow-going; slow-paced; tardy