Vocabulary 14

Question 1

civility

Answer 1

n. formal politeness and courtesy in behavior or speech

Question 2

synthesis

Answer 2

n. combination or composition

Question 3

cupidity

Answer 3

n. greed for money or possessions

Question 4

lugubrious

Answer 4

adj. looking or sounding sad and dismal

Question 5

effable

Answer 5

adj. able to be described in words

Question 6

dismal

Answer 6

adj. depressing; dreary
adj. (of a person or a mood) gloomy
adj. informal pitifully or disgracefully bad

Question 7

dreary

Answer 7

adj. dull, bleak, and lifeless; depressing

Question 8

supplant

Answer 8

v. supersede and replace

Question 9

soporific

Answer 9

adj. tending to induce drowsiness or sleep

adj. tediously boring or monotonous

Question 10

pantheon

Answer 10

n. all the gods of a people or religion collectively
n. a building in which the illustrious dead of a nation are buried or honored.
n. a group of particularly respected, famous, or important people

Question 11

illustrious

Answer 11

adj. well known, respected, and admired for past achievements

Question 12

mortify

Answer 12

v. cause (someone) to feel embarrassed, ashamed, or humiliated

Question 13

inimical

Answer 13

adj. tending to obstruct or harm

adj. unfriendly; hostile

Question 14

iterate

Answer 14

v. perform or utter repeatedly

Question 15

auspicious

Answer 15

adj. conducive to success; favorable

Question 16

instate

Answer 16

v. set up in position; install or establish

Question 17

conduce

Answer 17

v. help to bring about (a particular situation or outcome)

Question 18

evoke

Answer 18

v. bring or recall to the conscious mind

Question 19

superficial

Answer 19

adj. existing or occurring at or on the surface

adj. not through, deep, or complete; cursory

Question 20

precarious

Answer 20

adj. not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse
adj. dependent on chance; uncertain

Question 21

stigmatize

Answer 21

v. describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval
v. mark with stigmata

Question 22

stigmata

Answer 22

n. a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person

Question 23

manifest

Answer 23

adj. clear or obvious to the eye or mind

v. display or show (a quality or feeling) by one’s acts or appearance; demonstrate

Question 24

manifesto

Answer 24

n. a public declaration of policy and aims, esp. one issued before an election by a political party or candidate

Question 25

infinitesimal

Answer 25

adj. extremely small

Question 26

vitriolic

Answer 26

adj. filled with bitter criticism or malice

Question 27

proliferate

Answer 27

v. increase rapidly in numbers; multiply

Question 28

resplendent

Answer 28

adj. attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous

Question 29

lucrative

Answer 29

adj. producing a great deal of profit

Question 30

symposium

Answer 30

n. a conference or meeting to discuss a particular subject
n. a collection of essays or papers on a particular subject by a number of contributors
n. a drinking party or convivial discussion, esp. as held in ancient Greece after a banquet (and notable as the title of a work by Plato)

Question 31

convivial

Answer 31

adj. (of an atmosphere or event) friendly, lively, and enjoyable
adj. (of a person) cheerful and friendly; jovial

Question 32

ravenous

Answer 32

adj. extremely hungry

adj. (of hunger or need) very great; voracious

Question 33

spike

Answer 33

v. stop the progress of (a plan or undertaking); put an end to
v. increase and then decrease sharply; reach a peak
v. impale on or pierce with a sharp point

Question 34

impale

Answer 34

v. pierce or transfix with a sharp instrument

Question 35

transfix

Answer 35

v. cause (someone) to become motionless with horror, wonder, or astonishment
v. pierce with a sharp implement or weapon

Question 36

circumspect

Answer 36

adj. wary and unwilling to take risks

Question 37

zest

Answer 37

n. great enthusiasm and energy

Question 38

transient

Answer 38

adj. lasting only for a short time; impermanent

Question 39

duplicitous

Answer 39

adj. deceitful

Question 40

sublime

Answer 40

adj. of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe

Question 41

sublimate

Answer 41

v. (esp. in psychoanalytic theory) divert or modify (an instinctual impulse) into a culturally higher or socially more acceptable activity [INTO]

Question 42

subliminal

Answer 42

adj. (of a stimulus or mental process) below the threshold of sensation or consciousness; perceived by or affecting someone’s mind without their being aware of it

Question 43

hunker

Answer 43

v. squat or crouch down low
v. hunch; bend
v. take shelter in a defensive position
v. (hunker down) apply oneself seriously to a task

Question 44

surplus

Answer 44

n. an amount of something left over when requirements have been met; an excess of production or supply over demand
n. an excess of income or assets over expenditure or liabilities in a given period, typically a fiscal year
n. the excess value of a company’s assets over the face value of its stock

Question 45

ramification

Answer 45

n. a consequence of an action or event, esp. when complex or unwelcome

Question 46

autocrat

Answer 46

n. a ruler who has absolute power

n. someone who insists on complete obedience from others; an imperious or domineering person

Question 47

imperious

Answer 47

adj. assuming power or authority without justification; arrogant and domineering