Set 7

Question 1

appease

Answer 1

pacify or placate by acceding to their demands; assuage or satisfy
e.g. The offer has not appeased seperatists

Question 2

arbitrary

Answer 2

based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system
e.g. Arbitrary arrests and detention without trial were common

(of power or a ruling body) unrestrained and autocratic in the use of authority
e.g. It is test case for the supremacy of law over arbitrary power

Question 3

archaic

Answer 3

very old or old-fashioned
e.g. Archaic practices such as these are pit forward by people of limited outlook

Question 4

clamorous

Answer 4

making a loud and confused noise; expressing or characterized by vehement protests or demands
e.g. She longed for siblings and pets and a lively, clamorous household

Question 5

dearth

Answer 5

a scarcity or lack of something
e.g. .. the dearth of good fiction by English authors

Question 6

explicable

Answer 6

able to be accounted for or understood
e.g. The older I grow, the stranger and less explicable the world appears to be

Question 7

hyperbole

Answer 7

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally
e.g. The claim that Vendée is an aquatic Everest is not mere hyperbole

Question 8

immutable

Answer 8

unchanging over time or unable to be changed
e.g. .. the eternal and immutable principles of right or wrong

Question 9

indefatigable

Answer 9

(of a person or their efforts) persisting timelessly
e.g. His indefatigable spirit helped him cope with his illness

Question 10

indolent

Answer 10

wanting to avoid activity of exertion; lazy
e.g. .. indolent teenagers who won’t lift a finger to help

(of a disease or condition) causing little or no pain
e.g. .. an indolent cyst

Question 11

insular

Answer 11

ignorant or uninterested in cultures, ideas or peoples outside one’s own experiences
e.g. .. the old image of the insular, xenophobic Brit

Question 12

intransigent

Answer 12

unwilling or refusing to change one’s views or to agree about something
e.g. They put pressure on the Government to change its intransigent stance

Question 13

intrepid

Answer 13

fearless adventurous (often used for rhetorical or humorous effect)
e.g. *Prizes are on offer for the most **intrepid** explorers*

Question 14

irreverent

Answer 14

showing or lack of respect for people or things that are in generally taken seriously
e.g. Taylor combined great knowledge with an irreverent attitude to history

Question 15

loathe

Answer 15

feel intense dislike or disgust for
e.g. She loathed being the child of impoverished laborers

Question 16

malign

Answer 16

evil in nature or effect

speak about (someone) in spitefully critical manner
e.g. *We **maligned** him dreadfully when you come to think about it*

Question 17

malleable

Answer 17

easily influenced; pliable
e.g. She was young enough to be malleable

Question 18

neophyte

Answer 18

a person who is new to a subject or activity
e.g. .. a self-proclaimed political neophyte

a new convert to a religion

Question 19

plastic

Answer 19

not genuine; artificial or unnatural
e.g. .. plastic airline food

(of a substance or material) easily shaped or moulded
e.g. The mud is smooth, soft and plastic as butter

Question 20

platitude

Answer 20

a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful
e.g. Why couldn’t you sat something original instead of spouting the same old platitudes?

Question 21

prescient

Answer 21

having or showing knowledge of events before they take place
e.g. Over the years he’s demonstrated a certain prescience in foreign affairs

Question 22

pristine

Answer 22

in its original condition; un-spoilt
e.g. Now the house is in pristine condition

Question 23

reproach

Answer 23

express to (someone) one's disapproval of or disappointment in their actions
e.g. *She is quick to **reproach** anyone who doesn't live up to her own high standards*

Question 24

robust

Answer 24

strong and healthy; vigorous
e.g. We’ve always specialized in making very robust, simply designed machinery

(of wine or food) string or rich in flavor or smell

Question 25

salubrious

Answer 25

health-giving; healthy

(of a place) pleasant; not run-down
e.g. .. your salubrious lochside hotel

Question 26

sanction

Answer 26

a threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule
e.g. He expressed his opposition to the lifting of sanctions

official permission or approval for an action
e.g. He may now be ready to sanction the use of force

Question 27

sedulous

Answer 27

(of a person or action) showing dedication and diligence
e.g. His communion services were remarkable for their fervour, and he was a sedulous pastor

Question 28

soporific

Answer 28

tending to induce drowsiness or sleep
e.g. The warmth of the room and the monotony of the speakers’ voice grew soporific

Question 29

stern

Answer 29

(of a person or their manner) serious and unrelenting, especially in the assertion of authority and exercise of discipline
e.g. She issued a stern warning to those who persist in violence

Question 30

tendentious

Answer 30

expressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view, especially a controversial one
e.g. His analysis was rooted in a somewhat tendentious reading of French history