W

Question 1

waffle

Answer 1

speak equivocally about an issue

When asked directly about the governor’s involvement in the savings and loan scandal, the press secretary waffled, talking all around the issue.

Question 2

waft

Answer 2

moved gently by wind or waves

Daydreaming, he gazed at the leaves that wafted past his window.

Question 3

waggish

Answer 3

mischievous; humorous; tricky

He was a prankster who, unfortunately, often overlooked the damage he could cause with his waggish tricks.

Question 4

waif

Answer 4

homeless child or animal

Although he already had eight cats, he could not resist adopting yet another feline waif.

Question 5

waive

Answer 5

give up temporarily; yield

I will waive my rights in this matter in order to expedite our reaching a proper decision.

Question 6

wallow

Answer 6

roll in; indulge in; become helpless

The hippopotamus loves to wallow in the mud.

Question 7

wan

Answer 7

having a pale or sickly color; pallid

Suckling asked, “Why so pale and wan, fond lover?”

Question 8

wane

Answer 8

grow gradually smaller\

From now until December 21, the winter solstice, the hours of daylight will wane.

Question 9

wangle

Answer 9

wiggle out; fake

She tried to wangle an invitation to the party.

Question 10

wanton

Answer 10

unrestrained; willfully malicious; unchaste

Pointing to the stack of bills, Sheldon criticized Sarah for her wanton expenditures. In response, Sara accused Sheldon of making an unfounded, wanton attack.

Question 11

warble

Answer 11

sing; babble

Every morning the birds warbled outside her window.

Question 12

warrant

Answer 12

justify; authorize

Before the judge issues the injunction, you must convince her this action is warranted.

Question 13

warranty

Answer 13

guarantee; assurance by seller

The purchaser of this automobile is protected by the manufacturer’s warranty that he will replace any
defective part for five years or 50,000 miles.

Question 14

warren

Answer 14

tunnels in which rabbits live; crowded conditions in which people live

The tenement was a veritable warren, packed with people too poor to live elsewhere.

Question 15

wary

Answer 15

very cautious

The spies grew wary as they approached the sentry.

Question 16

wastrel

Answer 16

profligate

He was denounced as a wastrel who had dissipated his inheritance.

Question 17

wax

Answer 17

increase; grow

With proper handling, his fortunes waxed and he became rich.

Question 18

waylay

Answer 18

ambush; lie in wait

They agreed to waylay their victim as he passed through the dark alley going home.

Question 19

wean

Answer 19

accustom a baby not to nurse; give up a cherished activity

He decided he would wean himself away from eating junk food and stick to fruits and vegetables.

Question 20

weather

Answer 20

endure the effects of weather or other forces

He weathered the changes in his personal life with difficulty, as he had no one in whom to confide.

Question 21

welt

Answer 21

mark from beating or whipping

The evidence of child abuse was very clear; Jennifer’s small body was covered with welts and bruises.

Question 22

welter

Answer 22

*

turmoil; bewildering jumble

The existing welter of overlapping federal and state proclaims cries out for immediate reform.

**

wallow

At the height of the battle, the casualties were so numerous that the victims weltered in their blood while waiting for medical attention.

Question 23

wheedle

Answer 23

cajole; coax; deceive by flattery

She knows she can wheedle almost anything she wants from her father.

Question 24

whelp

Answer 24

young wolf, dog, tiger, etc.

This collie whelp won’t do for breeding, but he’d make a fine pet.

Question 25

whet

Answer 25

sharpen; stimulate

The odors from the kitchen are whetting my appetite; I will be ravenous by the time the meal is served.

Question 26

whiff

Answer 26

puff or gust (of air, scent, etc.); hint

The slightest whiff of Old Spice cologne brought memories of George to her mind.

Question 27

whimsical

Answer 27

capricious; fanciful

He dismissed his generous gift to his college as a sentimental fancy, an old man’s whimsical gesture.

Question 28

whnny

Answer 28

neigh like a horse

When he laughed through his nose, it sounded as if he whinnied.

Question 29

whit

Answer 29

smallest speck

There is not a whit of intelligence or understanding in your observations.

Question 30

whittle

Answer 30

pare; cut off bits

As a present for Aunt Polly, Tom whittled some clothespins out of a chunk of wood.

Question 31

whorl

Answer 31

ring of leaves around stem; ring

Identification by fingerprints is based on the difference in shape and number of whorls on the fingers.

Question 32

willful

Answer 32

intentional; headstrong

Donald had planned to kill his wife for months; clearly, her death was a case of deliberate, willful murder, not a crime of passion committed by a hasty, willful youth unable to foresee the consequences of his deeds.

Question 33

wily

Answer 33

cunning; artful

She is as wily as a fox in avoiding trouble.

Question 34

wince

Answer 34

shrink back; flinch

The screech of the chalk on the blackboard made her wince.

Question 35

windfall

Answer 35

fallen fruit; unexpected lucky event

This huge tax refund is quite a windfall.

Question 36

winnow

Answer 36

sift; separate good parts from bad

This test will winnow out the students who study from those who don’t bother.

Question 37

winsome

Answer 37

agreeable; gracious; engaging

By her winsome manner, she made herself liked by everyone who met her.

Question 38

wispy

Answer 38

thin; slight; barely discernible

Worried about preserving his few wispy tufts of hair, Walter carefully massaged his scalp and applied hair restorer every night.

Question 39

wistful

Answer 39

vaguely longing; sadly pensive

With a last wistful glance at the happy couples dancing in the hall, Sue headed back to her room to study for her exam.

Question 40

withdrawn

Answer 40

introverted; remote

Rebuffed by his colleagues, the initially outgoing young researcher became increasingly withdrawn.

Question 41

witless

Answer 41

foolish; idiotic

Such witless and fatuous statements will create the impression that you are an ignorant individual.

Question 42

wizardry

Answer 42

sorcery; magic

Merlin amazed the knights with his wizardry.

Question 43

wizened

Answer 43

withered; shriveled

The wizened old man in the home for the aged was still active and energetic.

Question 44

wont

Answer 44

custom; habitual procedure

As was his wont, he jogged two miles every morning before going to work.

Question 45

worldly

Answer 45

engrossed in matters of this earth; not spiritual

You must leave your worldly goods behind you when you go to meet your Maker.

Question 46

wrangle

Answer 46

quarrel; obtain through arguing; herd cattle

They wrangled over their inheritance.

Question 47

wrath

Answer 47

anger; fury

She turned to him, full of wrath, and said, “What makes you think I’ll accept lower pay for this job than you get?”

Question 48

wreak

Answer 48

inflict

I am afraid he will wreak his vengeance on the innocent as well as the guilty.

Question 49

wrench

Answer 49

pull; strain; twist

She wrenched free of her attacker and landed a powerful kick to his kneecap.

Question 50

wrest

Answer 50

pull away; take by violence

With only ten seconds left to play, our team wrested victory from their grasp.

Question 51

writ

Answer 51

written command issued by a court

The hero of Leonard’s novel is a process server who invents unorthodox ways of serving writs on reluctant parties.

Question 52

writhe

Answer 52

squirm, twist

He was writhing in pain, desperate for the drug his body required.

Question 53

wry

Answer 53

twisted; with a humorous twist

We enjoy Dorothy Parker’s verse for its wry wit.