Week 2

Question 1

bombast

Answer 1

(noun) important or pompous writing or speech

He was a quiet, mild-minded man, devoid of bombast, neither cynical nor meddlesome, and was well liked by all.

Question 2

castigation

Answer 2

(noun) severe criticism or punishment

Instead of encouraging more union members to turn up to meetings, they castigate the ones who do turn up.

Question 3

chicanery

Answer 3

(noun) trickery or subterfuge

I find that there are no limits to the chicanery, dishonesty and callousness with which this matter of obtaining vacant possession is approached.

Question 4

derision

Answer 4

(noun) scorn; ridicule; contemptuous treatment

Although that practice has now become commonplace, it caused considerable derision in the press of the time.

Question 5

discomfit

Answer 5

(verb) to defeat; to put down

Such firms are unlikely to take a political line that would discomfit their members

Question 6

onerous

Answer 6

(adj) troubling; burdensome

Yagi demonstrated a proof of concept, but the engineering problems proved to be more onerous than conventional systems.

Question 7

opprobrium

Answer 7

(noun) disgrace; contempt; scorn

There are some quarters in this country which ought to know better but which are holding up the farmers to scorn and opprobrium.

Question 8

recalcitrant

Answer 8

(adj) obstinately defiant of authority; difficult to manage

We lack imagination in dealing with the recalcitrant members of the community after they have been arrested, prosecuted and punished

Question 9

secrete

Answer 9

(verb) to ensconce, conceal, or stow