Troublesome Words

Question 1

arrogate

Answer 1

(v) to take or claim without right

Question 2

acquisitive

Answer 2

(adj) able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property

Question 3

banal

Answer 3

(adj) hackneyed, trite, commonplace

Question 4

encomium

Answer 4

(n) a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute

Question 5

intransigent

Answer 5

(adj) refusing to compromise, irreconcilable

Question 6

invidious

Answer 6

(adj) offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment

Question 7

animadversion

Answer 7

(n) a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval

Question 8

halcyon

Answer 8

(n) a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher

(adj) of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful, happy, golden, prosperous, affluent

Question 9

histrionic

Answer 9

(adj) pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic

Question 10

pejorative

Answer 10

(adj) tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling

Question 11

undulate

Answer 11

(v) to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form

Question 12

cavort

Answer 12

(v) to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry

Question 13

dissemble

Answer 13

(v) to disguise or conceal, to deliberately give a false impression

Question 14

exhume

Answer 14

(v) to remove from a grave, to bring to light

Question 15

feckless

Answer 15

(adj) lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable

Question 16

piquant

Answer 16

(adj) stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent, appealingly provocative

Question 17

verbiage

Answer 17

(n) language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness, a manner of expression

Question 18

viscous

Answer 18

(adj) having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity

Question 19

bastion

Answer 19

(n) a fortified place, stronghold

Question 20

jocular

Answer 20

(adj) humorous, jesting, jolly, joking

Question 21

mordant

Answer 21

(adj) biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh

Question 22

pusillanimous

Answer 22

(adj) contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited

Question 23

recumbent

Answer 23

(adj) in a reclining position, lying down, in the posture of one sleeping or resting

Question 24

fecund

Answer 24

(adj) fruitful in offspring or vegetation, intellectually productive

Question 25

ignominy

Answer 25

(n) shame and disgrace

Question 26

overweening

Answer 26

(adj) conceited, presumptuous, excessive, immoderate

Question 27

sophistry

Answer 27

(n) reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound, a fallacy

Question 28

sumptuous

Answer 28

(adj) costly, rich, magnificent

Question 29

abject

Answer 29

(adj) degraded, base, contemptible; cringing, servile, complete and unrelieved

Question 30

derelict

Answer 30

(n) someone or something that is abandoned or neglected | (adj) left abandoned; neglectful of duty

Question 31

diatribe

Answer 31

(n) a bitter and prolonged verbal attack

Question 32

indubitable

Answer 32

(adj) certain, not to be doubted or denied

Question 33

moot

Answer 33

(adj) open to discussion and debate, unresolved (v) to bring up for discussion (n) a hypothetical law case argued by students

Question 34

perspicacity

Answer 34

(n) keenness in observing and understanding

Question 35

plenary

Answer 35

(adj) complete in all aspects or essentials; absolute, attended by all qualified members

Question 36

sylvan

Answer 36

(adj) pertaining to or characteristic of forests; living or located in a forest; wooded, woddy

Question 37

travesty

Answer 37

(n) a grotesque or grossly inferior imitation; a disguise, especially the clothing of the opposite gender (v) to ridicule by imitating in a broad or burlesque fashion

Question 38

convivial

Answer 38

(adj) festive, sociable, having fun together, genial

Question 39

coterie

Answer 39

(n) a circle of acquaintances; a close-knit, often exclusive group of people with a common interest

Question 40

demur

Answer 40

(v) to object or take exception | (n) an objection

Question 41

effrontery

Answer 41

(n) shameless boldness and impudence

Question 42

ephemeral

Answer 42

(adj) lasting only a short time, short-lived

Question 43

felicitous

Answer 43

(adj) appropriate, apt, well chosen; marked by well-being or good fortune, happy

Question 44

misanthrope

Answer 44

(n) a person who hates or despises people

Question 45

pertinacious

Answer 45

(adj) very persistent; holding firmly to a course of action or a set of beliefs; hard to get rid of, refusing to be put off or denied

Question 46

picayune

Answer 46

(adj) of little value or importance, paltry, measly; concerned with trifling matters, small-minded

Question 47

nefarious

Answer 47

(adj) flagrantly wicked or impious; evil