Week 11

Question 1

Inundate

Answer 1

To flood

Even though his boat was almost inundated, the skipper was loath* to radio for help.

Question 2

Fruitless

Answer 2

Useless

After a fruitless attempt to wrest* control of the government, the traitors were incarcerated.

Question 3

Poignant

Answer 3

Moving, painful to the feelings

The sermon was poignant enough to bring tears to the brash* delinquent’s eyes.

Question 4

Garbled

Answer 4

Confused, mixed up

Although the message was garbled, its salient* points were clear enough.

Question 5

Sanguine

Answer 5

Optimistic

Because the malignancy* had gone unchecked, the surgeons were not sanguine about the patient’s chances.

Question 6

Phlegmatic

Answer 6

Calm, hard to rouse to action

Harriet’s egregious* error disturbed even her phlegmatic employer.

Question 7

Corroborate

Answer 7

Confirm, support

Even the swindler’s nefarious* accomplice refused to corroborate his alibi.

Question 8

Comprehensive

Answer 8

Thorough

In order to get the job, you had to go through the drudgery* of filling out a ten-page comprehensive questionnaire.

Question 9

Zealous

Answer 9

Enthusiastic

The fund raiser was so zealous that he solicited* money from a Salvation Army Santa Claus.

Question 10

Coerce

Answer 10

To force

The elusive* fugitive was coerced by his attorney into surrendering.

Question 11

Elapse

Answer 11

To slip by

Inadvertently*, Emma had allowed two months to elapsed before paying her rent.

Question 12

Meticulous

Answer 12

Careful

The meticulous musician had nothing but disdain* for his disorganized friends.

Question 13

Domicile

Answer 13

Home

A man’s domicile is his castle.

Question 14

Lax

Answer 14

Careless, negligent

Because the watchman was lax, thievery was rampant* at the warehouse.

Question 15

Sporadic

Answer 15

Occasional

The lackluster* battle was punctuated by sporadic mortar fire.

Question 16

Rash

Answer 16

Adj. too hasty, reckless

It was exceedingly rash of lightweight to insult the belligerent* longshoreman.

Question 17

Conjecture

Answer 17

Guess

It was sheer conjecture on the detective’s part but it led to the arrest of the vexatious* counterfeiters.

Question 18

Obviate

Answer 18

Do away with, eliminate

The necessity for preparing sandwiches was obviate when the picnic was postponed.

Question 19

Lurid

Answer 19

Sensational

The newspaper switched from mundane* coverage to lurid reporting.

Question 20

Quip

Answer 20

Joke

Hamlet remembered that Yorick was always ready with a lusty quip.