Set 3

Question 1

ACUTE (uh KYOOT)

Answer 1

adj. sharp; shrewd

If your eyesight is acute, you can see things that other people can’t. You have visual acuity (uh KYOO uh tee). An acute mind is a quick, intelligent one. You have mental acuity. An acute pain is a sharp pain.
Acute means sharp only in a figurative sense. A knife, which is sharp enough to cut, is never said to be acute.

Question 2

ADAMANT (AD uh munt)

Answer 2

adj. stubborn; unyielding; completely inflexible

Candice was adamant: she would never go out with Paul again.
A very hard substance, like a diamond, is also adamant.

Question 3

ADDRESS (uh DRES)

Answer 3

v. to speak to; to direct one’s attention to

To address a convention is to give a speech to the convention. To address a problem is to face it and set about solving it.
Ernie addressed the problem of addressing the convention by sitting down and writing his speech.

Question 4

ADHERENT (ad HEER unt)

Answer 4

n. follower; supporter; believer

The king’s adherents threw a big birthday party for him, just to show how much they liked him.

Question 5

ADMONISH (ad MAHN ish)

Answer 5

v. to scold gently; to warn

The boys’ father admonished them not to eat the pie he had just baked. When they did so anyway, he admonished them.

Question 6

ADROIT (uh DROYT)

Answer 6

adj. skillful; dexterous; clever; shrewd; socially at ease

Julio was an adroit salesperson: his highly skilled pitch, backed up by extensive product knowledge, nearly always resulted in a sale.

Question 7

ADULATION (aj uh LAY shun)

Answer 7

n. wild or excessive admiration;
flattery

The boss thrived on the adulation of his scheming secretary.
The rock star grew to abhor the adulation of his fans.