Vocabulary Refresh

Question 1

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to polish or make shine
n. a shiny appearance

Answer 1

burnish
(bur-nish)

synonyms: polish, brighten

Question 2

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to make vague, unclear statements

Answer 2

equivocate
(i-kwiv-uh-keyt)

synonyms: evade, sidestep

Question 3

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a model of excellence

Answer 3

paragon
(par-uh-gon)

synonyms: archetype, ideal

Question 4

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. unpleasant, discordant sounds

Answer 4

cacophony
(kuh-kof-uh-nee)

synonyms: noise, clamor

Clamor -

To clamor is to make a demand — LOUDLY. It’s usually a group that clamors — like Americans might clamor for comprehensive health care coverage.

The noun clamor is often used specifically to describe a noisy outcry from a group of people, but more generally, the word means any loud, harsh sound. You could describe the clamor of sirens in the night or the clamor of the approaching subway in the tunnel.

Question 5

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. very sentimental

Answer 5

mawkish
(maw-kish)

synonyms: emotional, mushy

Question 6

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to make someone do something with flattery or promises

Answer 6

cajole
(kuh-djohl)

synonyms: coax, persuade, wheedle

Question 7

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. rigidly fixed in opinion or expression in an arrogant manner

Answer 7

dogmatic
(dawg-matt-ik)

synonyms: arrogant, bullheaded, authoritarian

Question 8

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to check or balance the scale of a measuring device with a standard scale

Answer 8

calibrate
(kal-ih-brehyt)

synonyms: align, balance, fix

Question 9

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a state of final spiritual ruin, loss of soul, damnation
n. hell

Answer 9

perdition
(per-dish-uhn)

synonyms: hell, damnation, corruption, underworld

Question 10

surmount
(ser-mount)

Answer 10

v. to overcome
v. to rise above

Through sheer determination, he was able to surmount his disadvantages and win the contest outright.

Question 11

surreptitious
(ser-up-tish-us)

Answer 11

adj. secretive

Since they were not allowed to speak, the couple exchanged surreptitious glances from across the room.

Question 12

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. Hate coupled with disgust
n. State of disgrace resulting from detestable behavior

Answer 12

odium
(oh-dee-um)

synonyms: shame, dishonor; disgust, detestation

Question 13

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. prone to give unwanted advice

Answer 13

officious
(uh-fish-us)

synonyms: forward, meddlesome

Question 14

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. more than necessary; unnecessary

Answer 14

superfluous
(suh-per-flu-us)

synonyms: extra, excessive, overdone

Question 15

Define:

exacerbate
(ig-zass-er-bate)

Answer 15

v. to make worse

The children’s screaming exacerbated their father’s headache.

Question 16

Define:

exonerate
(ig-zawn-ih-rate)

Answer 16

v. to clear of blame or guilt

Though the defendant had clearly done something wrong, the court had no choice but to exonerate her on the present charges.

Question 17

Define:

extrapolate
(ek-strap-ih-late)

Answer 17

v. to make a guess based on facts

Pete figured it was possible to extrapolate her personality from her Facebook profile.

Question 18

Define:

churl
(churl)

Answer 18

n. a rude person
n. a cheap person

I had been waiting in line for hours when some churl tried to cut in front of me.

Question 19

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to praise

Answer 19

extol
(ik-stole)

synonyms: praise, celebrate, laud

Question 20

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a rude person
n. a cheap person

Answer 20

churl
(churl)

synonyms: lout, oaf; miser, peasant

Question 21

Define:

cloister
(cloy-stur)

Answer 21

v. to isolate
n. a place for religious isolation

The boy’s parents tended to cloister him from the harsher realities of the world.

Question 22

Define:

inure
(in-your)

Answer 22

v. to accustom to something negative or unpleasant

Nearby residents soon became inured to the noise from the construction project.

Question 23

Define:

jocular
(jock-yuh-lur)

Answer 23

adj. related to jokes

The boy was popular with his classmates due to his cheerful, jocular nature.

Question 24

Define:

refractory
(rih-frack-tuh-ree)

Answer 24

adj. stubborn; difficult to treat or handle

The doctors did not know how to deal with such a refractory infection.

Question 25

Define:

remunerate

(rih-mew-nuh-rehyt)

Answer 25

v. to compensate monetarily for trouble or work done

Although they finally had to throw the computer out, Linda remunerated her friend for trying to fix it anyway.

Question 26

Define:

repudiate

(rih-pew-dee-ehyt)

Answer 26

v. to renounce ownership or disown
v. to refuse to recognize
v. to reject as true

The scientists who discovered the fossil were shocked when it was repudiated as a fake.

Question 27

Define:

bombastic

(bom-bass-tick)

Answer 27

adj. inflated, arrogant

The bombastic way in which the author described his new novel repulsed me.

Question 28

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. controversial
n. a controversial argument

Answer 28

polemic

synonyms: refutation, dispute

(puh-lem-ik)

Question 29

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a flatterer, a yes man

Answer 29

toady

synonyms: doter, brownnoser

(toh-dee)