When The Going Gets Tough

Question 1

Abstruse

Answer 1

Difficult to understand

Abby found her professor’s lecture on non-Euclidian geometry abstruse; she doubted anyone else understood it either.

Question 2

callous

Answer 2

emotionally hardened; unfeeling

Callie’s callous remark about her friend’s cluttered room really hurt his feelings.

Question 3

convoluted

Answer 3

intricate; complex

The directions were so convoluted we became hopelessly lost.

Question 4

engima

Answer 4

a puzzle, mystery, or riddle

The emu was an enigma; you could never tell what it was thinking.

Question 5

inscrutable

Answer 5

difficult to fathom or understand; impenetrable
The ancient poet’s handwriting was so inscrutable that even the most prominent Latin scholars could not read the manuscript.

Question 6

reticent

Answer 6

inclined to keep silent; reserved

Rosanna’s reticent behavior caused the interviewer to think her incapable of conversing with other students.

Question 7

staid

Answer 7

unemotional; serious
Mr. Estado was well known for his staid demeanor; he stayed calm, even when everyone else celebrated the team’s amazing victor.