Vocab List 6

Question 1

cynosure

Answer 1

a person or thing that is the center of attention
My cat likes to think he is the cynosure of our family.

Question 2

debutante

Answer 2

an upper class young woman making her first appearance in society
Rory Gilmore was a debutante in the second season of Gilmore Girls

Question 3

deprecate

Answer 3

express disapproval of
The attempt at an apology was deprecated.

Question 4

physiognomy

Answer 4

a person’s facial features or expressions, especially when indicative of character or ethnic origin
Dr. Jekyll’s physiognomy changed when he became Mr. Hyde

Question 5

iconoclastic

Answer 5

characterized by an attack on cherished beliefs or ideas
Cancel culture has an iconoclastic effect on society

Question 6

ignominious

Answer 6

deserving of or causing public disgrace or shame
The team had an ignominious defeat

Question 7

ichthyology

Answer 7

branch of zoology related to fish
He studies ichthyology in college to become a marine biologist

Question 8

cacophony

Answer 8

a harsh discordant mixture of sounds
There was a sudden cacophony of crashes when all of the plates fell

Question 9

husbandry

Answer 9

care, cultivation, and breeding of crops and animals
The Fertile Crescent is a hearth of husbandry

Question 10

postprandial

Answer 10

during or relating to the period after lunch or dinner
We took a postprandial walk

Question 11

dissonance

Answer 11

lack of harmony among musical notes
There was too much dissonance when the orchestra played

Question 12

idiosyncrasy

Answer 12

a mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to an individual
Her behavior was idiosyncratic after the car crash

Question 13

ephemeral

Answer 13

lasting a short period
Fast fashion is ephemeral

Question 14

miasma

Answer 14

unpleasant or unhealthy smell or vapor
People once believed that miasma caused the plague

Question 15

propinquity

Answer 15

the state of being close to someone
The dog was in propinquity to the cat

Question 16

effigy

Answer 16

a sculpture or model of a person
The quarter has an effigy of George Washington

Question 17

mugwump

Answer 17

a person who remains aloof or independent from political parties
One is a mugwump before joining a political party

Question 18

promulgate

Answer 18

promote or make widely known
The poster promulgates the club to the school.

Question 19

equine

Answer 19

related to horses
The hair is of equine origin

Question 20

myopic

Answer 20

nearsighted
He has a myopic view of the future

Question 21

prodigal

Answer 21

a person who spends money in a recklessly extravagant way
Their prodigal son returned having learned his lesson about extravagancy

Question 22

profligate

Answer 22

wasteful in use of resources
Many businesses are profligate users of energy

Question 23

prodigious

Answer 23

remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree
Thoreau thought he had a prodigious intellect

Question 24

posthumous

Answer 24

occurring, awarded, or appearing after the death of the originator
The book was published posthumously

Question 25

platitude

Answer 25

a remark that has been used too often to be considered interesting or thoughtful
Many movies use too many platitudes nowadays

Question 26

hibernal

Answer 26

of, characteristic of, or occurring in winter
Pansies are hibernal flowers as they grow in winter

Question 27

dilatory

Answer 27

slow to act
The company has been dilatory in hiring for open positions

Question 28

disingenuous

Answer 28

not candid or sincere, usually pretending to know less
The coverage of the natural disaster was disingenuous

Question 29

dolorous

Answer 29

feeling or expressing great sorrow or distress
The tale is a dolorus one

Question 30

precarious

Answer 30

not securely held, dangerous
Be careful of climbing on a precariously placed ladder