Vocab 5

Question 1

imperturbable

Answer 1

not capable of being disturbed

The counselor had so much experience dealing with distraught children that she was imperturbable, even when faced with the wildest tantrums.

Question 2

impervious

Answer 2

impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected

A good raincoat will be impervious to moisture.

Question 3

levity

Answer 3

an inappropriate lack of seriousness; an overly causal atmosphere

The joke added a jarring note of levity to the otherwise serious meeting.

Question 4

impetuous

Answer 4

quick to act without thinking

It is not good for an investment broker to be impetuous since much thought should be given to all the possible options.

Question 5

liberal

Answer 5

tolerant or broad-minded; generous or lavish

Cali’s liberal parents trusted her and allowed her to manager her own affairs to a large extent.

Question 6

impious

Answer 6

not devout to a religion

The nun cut herself off from her impious family after she entered the convent.

Question 7

implacable

Answer 7

unable to be calmed down or made peaceful

His rage at the betrayal was so great that he remained implacable for weeks.

Question 8

libertine

Answer 8

a free thinker (usually used disparagingly); one without moral restraint

The libertine took pleasure in gambling away his family’s money.

Question 9

imprecation

Answer 9

a curse

Spouting violent imprecations, Hank searched for the person who had vandalized his truck,

Question 10

licentious

Answer 10

immoral; unrestrained by society

Religious citizens were outraged by the licentious exploits of the free-spirited artists living in town.

Question 11

limpid

Answer 11

clear; transparent

Fernando could see all the way to the bottom through the pond’s limpid water.

Question 12

lionize

Answer 12

to treat as a celebrity

After the success of his novel, the author was lionized by the press.

Question 13

impugn

Answer 13

to call into question; to attack verbally

How dare you impugn my motives? protested the lawyer on being accused of ambulance chasing.

Question 14

lissome

Answer 14

easily flexed; limber; agile

The lissome yoga instructor twisted herself into shapes that her students could only dream of.

Question 15

incarnadine

Answer 15

blood-red in color

At his mother’s mention of his baby pictures, the shy boy’s cheeks turned incarnadine with embarrassment.

Question 16

listless

Answer 16

lacking energy and enthusiasm

Listless and depressed after breaking up with his girlfriend, Raj spent his days moping on the couch.

Question 17

inchoate

Answer 17

not fully formed; disorganized

The ideas expressed in Nietzche’s mature work also appear in an inchoate form in his earliest writing.

Question 18

keen

Answer 18

having a sharp edge; intellectually sharp; perceptive

With her keen intelligence, she figured out the puzzle in ten seconds flat.

Question 19

kindle

Answer 19

to set fire or ignite; to excite or inspire

With only damp wood to work with, Tilda had great difficultly trying to kindle the campfire.

Question 20

kinetic

Answer 20

relating to motion; characterized by movement

The kinetic sculpture moved back and forth, startling the museum visitors.

Question 21

knell

Answer 21

sound of a funeral bell; omen of death or failure

When the townspeople heard the knell from the church belfry, they knew that their mayor had died.

Question 22

kudos

Answer 22

fame, glory or honor

The actress happily accepted kudos from the press for her stunning performance in film.

Question 23

lachrymose

Answer 23

tearful

Marcella always became lachrymose when it was time to bid her daughter good-bye.

Question 24

laconic

Answer 24

using few words

He was the classic laconic native of Maine; he talked as if he were being charged for each word.

Question 25

lament

Answer 25

to express sorrow; to grieve

The children continued to lament the death of the goldfish weeks after its demise.

Question 26

lampoon

Answer 26

to ridicule with satire

The mayor hated being lampooned by the press for his efforts to improve people’s politeness.

Question 27

languid

Answer 27

lacking energy; indifferent; slow

The languid cat cleaned its fur, ignoring the vicious, snarling dog chained a few feet away from it.

Question 28

lapidary

Answer 28

relating to precious stones or the art of cutting them

Most lapidary work today is done with the use of motorized equipment.

Question 29

larceny

Answer 29

theft of property

The crime of stealing a wallet can be categorized as petty larceny.

Question 30

largess

Answer 30

generous giving (as of money) to others who may seem inferior

She’d always relied on her parents’ largess, but after graduation she had to get a job.

Question 31

lassitude

Answer 31

a state of diminished energy

The lack of energy that characterized patients with anemia makes lassitude one of the primary symptoms of the disease.

Question 32

latent

Answer 32

potentially available, but not readily apparent

Latent trait testing seeks to identify skills that test takers may have but are not aware of.

Question 33

laud

Answer 33

to give praise; to glorify

Parades and fireworks were staged to laud the success of the rebels.

Question 34

calumny

Answer 34

a false and malicious accusation; misrepresentation

The unscrupulous politician used calumny to bring down his opponent n the senatorial race.

Question 35

canard

Answer 35

a lie

That tabloid’s feature story about a goat giving birth to a human child was clearly a canard.

Question 36

candid

Answer 36

impartial and honest in speech

The observations of a child can be charming since they are candid and unpretentious.

Question 37

capricious

Answer 37

changing one’s mind quickly and often

Queen Elizabeth I was quite capricious; her courtiers could never be sure which one would catch her fancy.

Question 38

cartography

Answer 38

the science or art of making maps

Gail’s interest in cartography may stem from the extensive traveling she did as a child.

Question 39

castigate

Answer 39

to punish or criticize harshly

Martina castigated her boyfriend for not remembering her birthday.

Question 40

catalyst

Answer 40

something that brings about a change in something else

The imposition of harsh taxes was the catalyst that finally brought on the revolution.

Question 41

catholic

Answer 41

universal; broad and comprehensive

His catholic musical tastes included everything from opera to rap.

Question 42

apathy

Answer 42

lack of interest or emotion

The apathy of voters is so great that less than half the people who are eligible to vote actually bother to do so.

Question 43

apocryphal

Answer 43

of questionable authority or authenticity

The is no hard or authoritative evidence to support the apocryphal tales that link the Roswell, New Mexico, incident to the downed UFO.

Question 44

apostate

Answer 44

one who renounces a religious faith

So that he could divorce his wife, the king scoffed at the church doctrines and declared himself a apostate.

Question 45

approbation

Answer 45

approval and praise

The approbation that Jerry Lewis received in France included a medal from the Ministry of Culture.

Question 46

arbitrary

Answer 46

determined by chance or impulse

When you lack the information to judge what to do next, you will be forced to make an arbitrary decision.

Question 47

archaic

Answer 47

ancient; old-fashioned

Her archaic Commodore computer could not run the latest software.

Question 48

articulate

Answer 48

able to speak clearly and expressively

She is extremely articulate when it comes to expressing her pro-labor views; as a result, unions are among her strongest supporters.

Question 49

ardor

Answer 49

intense and passionate feeling

Bishop’s ardor for landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley.

Question 50

arrogate

Answer 50

to claim without justification; to claim for oneself without right

Gretchen watched in astonishment as her boss arrogated the credit for her brilliant work on the project.