Set 6

Question 1

admonish

Answer 1

warn or reprimand someone firmly
e.g. They admonished me for taking risks with my health

Question 2

aesthetic

Answer 2

concerned with beauty or appreciation

Question 3

affectation

Answer 3

behavior, speech or writing that is pretentious and designed to impress
e.g. I wore sunglasses all the time and people thought it was an affectation

Question 4

alleviate

Answer 4

make (suffering, deficiency, problem) less severe
e.g. Nowadays, a great deal can be done to alleviate back pain

Question 5

analogous

Answer 5

comparable in certain respects, typically in a way which makes clearer the nature of the things compared
e.g. Marine construction technology is very complex, somewhat analogous to trying to build a bridge under water

Question 6

bolster

Answer 6

support or strengthen
e.g. Hopes of an early cut in interest rates bolstered confidence

Question 7

chauvinistic

Answer 7

feeling or displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism
e.g. .. highly chauvinistic coverage of the war

Question 8

connoisseur

Answer 8

an expert judge in matters of taste
e.g. Sarah tells me you’re something of an art connoisseur

Question 9

dissemble

Answer 9

conceal or disguise one’s true feelings or beliefs
e.g. Henry was not slow to dissemble when it served his purpose

Question 10

dogged

Answer 10

having or showing tenacity and grim persistence
e.g. They have gained respect through sheer dogged determination

Question 11

dupe

Answer 11

deceive; trick
e.g. We know some sex offenders dupe the psychologists who assess them

Question 12

empirical

Answer 12

based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic
e.g. There is no empirical evidence to support his thesis

Question 13

engender

Answer 13

cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition)
e.g. Mr. Bowles could engender delight in students and musicians alike

Question 14

entitled

Answer 14

believing oneself to be inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment

Question 15

pertinacious

Answer 15

holding firmly to an opinion or course of action
e.g. He worked with a pertinacious resistance to interruptions

Question 16

presumptuous

Answer 16

(of a person or their behavior) failing to observe the limits of what is permitted or appropriate/overconfident
e.g. It would be presumptuous to judge what the outcome will be

Question 17

probity

Answer 17

the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency
e.g. He asserted his innocence and his financial probity

Question 18

proliferate

Answer 18

increase in rapid number; multiply
e.g. In recent years, commercial, cultural, travel and other contacts have proliferated between Europe and China

Question 19

specious

Answer 19

superficially plausible, but actually wrong
e.g. It is unlikely that the Duke was convinced by such specious arguments

Question 20

spurious

Answer 20

not being what it purports to be; false or fake
e.g. Quite a lot of allegations of misjustice are spurious

Question 21

subjective

Answer 21

based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes or opinions

Question 22

subvert

Answer 22

undermine the power and authority of (an established system or institution)
e.g. .. a last attempt to subvert culture from within

Question 23

timorous

Answer 23

showing or suffering from nervousness or a lack of confidence
e.g. He is a reclusive timorous creature

Question 24

tortuous

Answer 24

full of twists and turns
e.g. The only road access is a tortuous mountain route

excessively lengthy and complex
e.g. The parties must now go through tortuous process of picking their candidates

Question 25

tractable

Answer 25

easy to control or influence
e.g. He could easily manage his tractable and worshipping younger brother

Question 26

transient

Answer 26

lasting for a short time; impermanent
e.g. In most cases, pain is transient

Question 27

ubiquitous

Answer 27

present, appearing or found everywhere
e.g. The company’s logo has become ubiquitous all over the world

Question 28

underscore

Answer 28

emphasize
e.g. The Labor Department figures underscore the shaky state of the economic recovery

Question 29

venal

Answer 29

showing or motivated by susceptibility to bribery; corrupt
e.g. Government propaganda made the radicals appear the best deluded, at worst venal

Question 30

venerate

Answer 30

regard with great respect; revere
e.g. My father venerated General Eisenhower