Unit 13

Question 1

abstruse

Answer 1

(adj.) extremely difficult to understand
Synonyms: esoteric, arcane, recondite, occult
Antonyms: simple, straightforward

Question 2

affront

Answer 2

(n.) an open or intentional insult; a slight; (v.) to insult to one’s face; to face in defiance, confront
Synonyms: offense, offend
Antonyms: compliment, praise

Question 3

canard

Answer 3

(n.) a false rumor, fabricated story

Synonym: hoax

Question 4

captious

Answer 4

(adj.) excessively ready to find fault; given to petty criticism; intended to trap, confuse, or show up
Synonym(s): faultfinding, nit-picking, carping
Antonyms: uncritical

Question 5

cognizant

Answer 5

(adj.) aware, knowledgeable, informed; having jurisdiction
Synonyms: conscious, acquainted
Antonyms: unaware, unconscious, oblivious

Question 6

contrite

Answer 6

(adj.) regretful for some misdeed or sin; plagued by a sense of guilt; thoroughly penitent
Synonyms: remorseful, rueful
Antonyms: unrepentant, unapologetic, impenitent

Question 7

cynosure

Answer 7

(n.) the center of attraction, attention, or interest; something that serves to guide or direct
Synonym: focus

Question 8

decorous

Answer 8

(adj.) well behaved, dignified, socially proper
Synonyms: seemly, becoming, tasteful
Antonyms: unseemly, unbecoming, improper, tasteless

Question 9

deign

Answer 9

(v.) to think it appropriate or suitable to one’s dignity to do something; to condescend
Synonyms: deem, stoop

Question 10

desiccated

Answer 10

(adj., part.) thoroughly dried out; divested of spirit or vitality; arid and uninteresting
Synonyms: dehydrated, shriveled, parched
Antonyms: sodden, soggy, waterlogged, drenched

Question 11

efficacy

Answer 11

(n.) the power to produce a desired result
Synonyms: effectiveness, potency, reliability
Antonyms: ineffectiveness, impotence

Question 12

engender

Answer 12

(v.) to bring into existence, give rise to, produce; to come into existence, assume form
Synonyms: beget, generate, cause, form
Antonyms: stop, deter

Question 13

ethereal

Answer 13

(adj.) light, airy, delicate; highly refined; suggesting what is heavenly (rather than earthbound)
Synonyms: heavenly, celestial, gossamer
Antonyms: infernal, hellish, thick, heavy

Question 14

facade

Answer 14

(n.) the front or face of a building; a surface appearance (as opposed to what may lie behind)
Synonyms: exterior, surface, mask, pretense
Antonyms: interior

Question 15

ghoulish

Answer 15

(adj.) revolting in an unnatural or morbid way; suggestive of someone who robs graves or otherwise preys on the dead
Synonyms: fiendish, barbarous, monstrous

Question 16

incongruous

Answer 16

(adj.) not in keeping, unsuitable, incompatible
Synonyms: discordant, jarring
Antonyms: compatible, harmonious, consistent

Question 17

machination

Answer 17

(n.) a crafty, scheming, or underhanded action designed to accomplish some (usually evil) end
Synonyms: plot, scheme, maneuver

Question 18

mesmerize

Answer 18

(v.) to hypnotize, entrance; to fascinate, enthrall, bewitch

Question 19

opprobrium

Answer 19

(n.) disgrace arising from shameful conduct; contempt, reproach
Synonyms: infamy, dishonor, odium, shame
Antonyms: acclaim, honor, glory

Question 20

putative

Answer 20

(adj.) generally regarded as such; reputed; hypothesize, inferred
Synonyms: supposed, presumed
Antonyms: known, corroborated, confirmed