Vocabulary 2

Question 1

redundant
(adjective)

Answer 1

not or no longer needed or useful; superfluous.
“many of the old skills had become redundant”

(of a person) no longer employed because there is no more work available.
“eight permanent staff were made redundant”

(of words or data) able to be omitted without loss of meaning or function.
“our peculiar affection for redundant phrases”

Question 2

dalliance
(noun)

Answer 2

a casual romantic or sexual relationship.
“Jack was not averse to an occasional dalliance with a pretty girl”

a period of brief or casual involvement with something.
“Berkeley was my last dalliance with the education system”

Question 3

enervate
(verb, adjective)

Answer 3

make (someone) feel drained of energy or vitality.
“the heat enervated us all”

lacking in energy or vitality.
“the enervate slightness of his frail form”

Question 4

covetous
(adjective)

Answer 4

having or showing a great desire to possess something belonging to someone else.
“she fingered the linen with covetous hands”

Question 5

exorbitant
(adjective)

Answer 5

(of a price or amount charged) unreasonably high.
“some hotels charge exorbitant rates for phone calls”

Question 6

effulgent
(adjective)

Answer 6

shining brightly; radiant.
(of a person or their expression) emanating joy or goodness.

“standing there was my father with the most effulgent smile on his face”

Question 7

crescent
(noun)

Answer 7

the curved sickle shape of the waxing or waning moon.
“the moon was a slender crescent”

a thing which has the shape of a single curve that is broad in the centre and tapers to a point at each end.
“a three-mile crescent of golden sand”

Question 8

inquisitorial
(adjective)

Answer 8

of or like an inquisitor, especially in questioning someone in a harsh or intensive manner.
“he was questioning her in a cold, inquisitorial voice”

(of a trial or legal procedure) characterized by the judge performing an examining role.
“administration is accompanied by a form of inquisitorial justice”

Question 9

amorous
(adjective)

Answer 9

showing, feeling, or relating to sexual desire.
“she rejected his amorous advances”

Question 10

vacuous
(adjective)

Answer 10

having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless.
“a vacuous smile”

empty.

Question 11

ardent
(adjective)

Answer 11

very enthusiastic or passionate.
“an ardent supporter of the cause of education”

burning; glowing.
“the ardent flames”

Question 12

enamour
(verb)

Answer 12

be filled with love for.
“it is not difficult to see why Edward is enamoured of her”

have a liking or admiration for.
“she was truly enamoured of New York”

Question 13

ardour
(noun)

Answer 13

great enthusiasm or passion.
“the rebuff did little to dampen his ardour”

Question 14

illuminating
adjective

Answer 14

helping to clarify or explain something.
“it’s been a very illuminating discussion”

Question 15

illuminate
(verb)

Answer 15

make (something) visible or bright by shining light on it; light up.
“a flash of lightning illuminated the house”

decorate (a building or structure) with lights for a special occasion.

help to clarify or explain.
“placing the events of the 1930s in a broader historical context helps to illuminate their significance”

decorate (a page or letter in a manuscript) by hand with gold, silver, or coloured designs.
“this is a carefully written, large-format manuscript illuminated by Leonardo Bellini”

Question 16

inclination
(noun)

Answer 16

a person’s natural tendency or urge to act or feel in a particular way; a disposition.
“John was a scientist by training and inclination”

the fact or degree of sloping.
“changes in inclination of the line on the graph”

Question 17

reticence
(noun)

Answer 17

the quality of being reticent; reserve.
“the traditional emotional reticence of the British”

Question 18

inhibition
(noun)

Answer 18

a feeling that makes one self-conscious and unable to act in a relaxed and natural way.
“the children, at first shy, soon lost their inhibitions”

the action of inhibiting a process.

Question 19

timidity
(noun)

Answer 19

lack of courage or confidence.
“she believes everyone can overcome their timidity”

Question 20

diffidence
(noun)

Answer 20

modesty or shyness resulting from a lack of self-confidence.
“I say this with some diffidence”

Question 21

novelty
(noun)

Answer 21

the quality of being new, original, or unusual.
“the novelty of being a married woman wore off”

a small and inexpensive toy or ornament.
“he bought chocolate novelties to decorate the Christmas tree”

Question 22

piteous
(adjective)

Answer 22

deserving or arousing pity.
“a piteous cry”

Question 23

ghastly
(adjective)

Answer 23

causing great horror or fear.
“one of the most ghastly crimes ever committed”

extremely unwell.
“she had sobered up but she felt ghastly”

Question 24

cognizant
(adjective)

Answer 24

having knowledge or awareness.
“statesmen must be cognizant of the political boundaries within which they work”

Question 25

lurid
(adjective)

Answer 25

unpleasantly bright in colour, especially so as to create a harsh or unnatural effect.
“lurid food colourings”

presented in vividly shocking or sensational terms.
“the more lurid details of the massacre were too frightening for the children”

Question 26

vacancy
(noun)

Answer 26

an unoccupied position or job.
“a vacancy for a shorthand typist”

empty space.
“Cathy stared into vacancy, seeing nothing”

lack of intelligence or understanding.
“vacancy, vanity, and inane deception”

Question 27

opaque
(adjective)

Answer 27

not able to be seen through; not transparent.
“bottles filled with a pale opaque liquid”

Question 28

imbibe
(verb)

Answer 28

drink (alcohol).
“they were imbibing far too many pitchers of beer”

absorb or assimilate (ideas or knowledge).
“if one does not imbibe the culture one cannot succeed”

(especially of seeds) absorb (water) into ultramicroscopic spaces or pores.

Question 29

grating
(adjective)

Answer 29

sounding harsh and unpleasant.
“a high, grating voice”

“the continual praise of the good old days can become grating”

Question 30

punitive
(adjective)

Answer 30

inflicting or intended as punishment.
“he called for punitive measures against the Eastern bloc”

(of a tax or other charge) extremely high.
“a current punitive interest rate of 31.3 per cent”

Question 31

brusque
(adjective)

Answer 31

abrupt or offhand in speech or manner.
“she could be brusque and impatient”

Question 32

authoritative
(adjective)

Answer 32

able to be trusted as being accurate or true; reliable.
“clear, authoritative information and advice”

commanding and self-confident; likely to be respected and obeyed.
“his voice was calm and authoritative”

Question 33

rebuff
(verb, noun)

Answer 33

reject (someone or something) in an abrupt or ungracious manner.
“I asked her to be my wife, and was rebuffed in no uncertain terms”

an abrupt or ungracious rejection of an offer, request, or friendly gesture.
“his reserve was not intended as a rebuff”

Question 34

mollify
(verb)

Answer 34

appease the anger or anxiety of (someone).
“nature reserves were set up around the power stations to mollify local conservationists”

reduce the severity of (something).
“the women hoped to mollify the harsh wilderness environment”

Question 35

halcyon
(adjective)

Answer 35

denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful.
“the halcyon days of the mid 1980s, when profits were soaring”

Question 36

idyllic
(adjective)

Answer 36

like an idyll; extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque.
“an attractive hotel in an idyllic setting”

Question 37

placate
(verb)

Answer 37

make (someone) less angry or hostile.
“they attempted to placate the students with promises”

Question 38

appease
(verb)

Answer 38

pacify or placate (someone) by acceding to their demands.
“amendments have been added to appease local pressure groups”

assuage or satisfy (a demand or a feeling).
“we give to charity because it appeases our guilt”

Question 39

pacify
(verb)

Answer 39

quell the anger, agitation, or excitement of.
“he had to pacify angry spectators”

bring peace to (a country or warring factions), especially by the use or threat of military force.
“the general pacified northern Italy”

Question 40

mahogany
(noun)

Answer 40

hard reddish-brown timber from a tropical tree, used for quality furniture.

a rich reddish-brown colour like that of mahogany wood.
“the shining mahogany hair flowed to her shoulders”

Question 41

armistice
(noun)

Answer 41

an agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting for a certain time; a truce.

Question 42

gush
(verb, noun)

Answer 42

(of a liquid) flow out of something in a rapid and plentiful stream.
“water gushed out of the washing machine”

speak or write effusively or with exaggerated enthusiasm.
“everyone came up to me and gushed about how lucky I was”

a rapid and plentiful stream or burst of something.
“a gush of blood”

effusiveness or exaggerated enthusiasm

Question 43

sombre
(adjective)

Answer 43

dark or dull in colour or tone.
“the night skies were sombre and starless”

having or conveying a feeling of deep seriousness and sadness.
“he looked at her with a sombre expression”

Question 44

subdued
(adjective)

Answer 44

(of a person or their manner) quiet and rather reflective or depressed.
“I felt strangely subdued as I drove home”

(of colour or lighting) soft and restrained.
“a subdued glow came through the curtains”

Question 45

lugubrious
(adjective)

Answer 45

looking or sounding sad and dismal.
“his face looked even more lugubrious than usual”

Question 46

repress
(verb)

Answer 46

subdue (someone or something) by force.
“the uprisings were repressed”

restrain, prevent, or inhibit (the expression or development of something).
“Isabel couldn’t repress a sharp cry of fear”

suppress (a thought or desire) so that it becomes or remains unconscious.
“the thought that he had killed his brother was so terrible that he repressed it”

Question 47

languid
(adjective)

Answer 47

(of a person, manner, or gesture) having or showing a disinclination for physical exertion or effort.
“his languid demeanour irritated her”

weak or faint from illness or fatigue.
“she was pale, languid, and weak, as if she had delivered a child”

Question 48

Anthropology
(noun)

Answer 48

the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species.

Question 49

jettison
(verb, noun)

Answer 49

throw or drop (something) from an aircraft or ship.
“six aircraft jettisoned their loads in the sea”

the action of jettisoning something.
“the jettison lever”

Question 50

clientele
(noun)

Answer 50

clients collectively.
“the solicitor’s clientele”
the customers of a shop, bar, or place of entertainment.
“the dancers don’t mix with the clientele”