Vocabulary 21

Question 1

infatuation

Answer 1

n. an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone or something [WITH]

Question 2

stampede

Answer 2

n. a sudden panicked rush of a number of horses, cattle, or other animals
n. a sudden rapid movement or reaction of a mass of people in response to a particular circumstance or stimulus

Question 3

intransigent

Answer 3

adj. unwilling or refusing to change one’s views or to agree about something

Question 4

tendentious

Answer 4

adj. expressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view, esp. a controversial one

Question 5

partisan

Answer 5

n. a strong supporter of a party, cause, or person

adj. prejudiced in favor of a particular cause

Question 6

garrulous

Answer 6

adj. excessively talkative, esp. on trivial matters

Question 7

loquacious

Answer 7

adj. tending to talk a great deal; talkative

Question 8

castigate

Answer 8

v. reprimand (someone) severely

Question 9

excoriate

Answer 9

v. censure or criticize severely

Question 10

censure

Answer 10

v. express severe disapproval of (someone or something), typically in a formal statement

Question 11

dexterious

Answer 11

adj. demonstrating neat skill, esp. with the hands

adj. mentally adroit; clever

Question 12

histrionic

Answer 12

adj. overly theatrical or melodramatic in character or style

Question 13

overwrought

Answer 13

n. a state of nervous excitement or anxiety

adj. (of a piece of writing or a work of art) too elaborate or complicated in design or construction

Question 14

indomitable

Answer 14

adj. impossible to subdue or defeat

Question 15

subdue

Answer 15

v. overcome, quieten, or bring under control (a feeling or person)

Question 16

brusque

Answer 16

adj. abrupt or offhand in speech or manner

Question 17

curt

Answer 17

adj. rudely brief

Question 18

peremptory

Answer 18

adj. (esp. of a person’s manner or actions) insisting on immediate attention or obedience, esp. in a brusquely imperious way

Question 19

surreptitious

Answer 19

adj. kept secret, esp. because it would not be approved of

Question 20

imperturbable

Answer 20

adj. unable to be upset or excited; calm

Question 21

unflappable

Answer 21

adj. having or showing calmness in a crisis

Question 22

flappable

Answer 22

adj. excitable and quick to lose one’s composure

Question 23

wry

Answer 23

adj. using or expressing dry, esp. mocking, humor

Question 24

droll

Answer 24

adj. curious or unusual in a way that provokes dry amusement

Question 25

savvy

Answer 25

n. shrewdness and practical knowledge, esp. in politics or business

Question 26

inflame

Answer 26

v. provoke or intensify (strong feelings, esp. anger) in someone
v. make (a situation) worse

Question 27

lampoon

Answer 27

v. publicly criticize (someone or something) by using ridicule, irony, or sarcasm

Question 28

eulogize

Answer 28

v. praise highly in speech or writing

Question 29

brevity

Answer 29

n. concise and exact use of words in writing or speech

n. shortness of time

Question 30

empirical

Answer 30

adj. based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic