Word Knowledge Flashcards
NOBLE most nearly means
A. comely
B. loose
C. aristocratic
D. lackadaisical
C. aristocratic
Noble means “related to high rank or social class.” The aristocracy is composed of the highest classes in society; therefore, choice C is correct.
John initially disagreed with Megan, but then he had to CONCEDE her point about the budget.
A. argue
B. understand
C. counter
D. admit
D. admit
The sentence draws a contrast between John initially disagreeing with Megan and then conceding her point. That context suggests that concede likely means the opposite of disagree. Admit is the best match: to admit a point is to agree with it.
GOAD most nearly means
A. listen
B. provoke
C. pacify
D. ignore
B. provoke
The verb form of goad means to “prod into action or coerce.” Of the answer choices, only provoke approximates this meaning.
Teenagers at the mall love to roam in a HERD.
A. jacket
B. line
C. pack
D. ratio
C. pack
The word herd refers to a group of people or animals. Similarly, a pack is a group of people or animals, like a wolf pack or a scout pack.
Panicking in an emergency is not a VIABLE response for an EMT.
A. total
B. collective
C. lucid
D. workable
D. workable
If you know that an EMT is a rescue technician, then you may grasp the idea that panic is not allowed. Viable then can mean “capable of survival or success.” Only D, workable, which means “able to produce the desired result,” suggests that meaning.
JUDICIOUS most nearly means
A. accesible
B. cold
C. wise
D. talkative
C. wise
Judicious means “possessing or displaying good judgment,” or in other words, being “wise.”
HESITATING in a time of crisis can often lead to failure.
A. broadening
B. creating
C. leaving
D. pausing
D. pausing
Hesitating can mean “pausing before doing something,” or sometimes “reluctant or indecisive.” Among the answer choices available, the only possible correct answer is D, pausing.
Applicants who insist on FALSIFYING information ruin the process for everyone.
A. fabricating
B. listing
C. furthering
D. taking on
A. fabricating
You probably know the root word false as meaning “wrong,” or in reference to a lie. The textbook definition is to misrepresent. Looking at the possible answer choices, choice A, fabricating, which means “making up,” is the best possible answer.
HOLLOW most nearly means
A. dangerous
B. potent
C. empty
D. superb
C. empty
The word hollow means “lacking a center or empty.”
COAX most nearly means
A. advise
B. trade
C. plead
D. grace
C. plead
The verb to coax means “to try to persuade.” Of the answer choices, only C, plead, approaches being correct.
The MONOTONOUS speech left them all feeling sleepy.
A. telling
B. boring
C. caustic
D. hilarious
B. boring
The root of the word monotonous is mono meaning one. Something monotone is in one flat tone and is completely lacking in variety. Boring would be another way to say this.
As Mrs. Higgins attempted to teach the difficult material, she sensed growing CONSTERNATION among her students.
A. desires
B. inability
C. frustration
D. behavior
C. frustration
The word consternation means “anxiety or dismay.” Of the answer choices, frustration is the closest match. The context of the sentence hints at this meaning, because the material the students are learning is difficult.
With the holidays approaching, Dave looked forward to a SAVORY feast or two.
A. tasty
B. guilty
C. heroic
D. skimpy
A. tasty
Savory in reference to food means “appetizing to taste.” Choice A, tasty, is the best answer.
A man of some RENOWN, the mayor walked with his chest puffed out.
A. size
B. fame
C. confusion
D. toil
B. fame
Renown means “fame or reputation.”
RACONTEUR most nearly means
A. believer
B. storyteller
C. standout
D. pedant
B. storyteller
A raconteur is someone who tells stories. The word even sounds a little like “recount.”
She felt that nothing could really QUENCH her curiosity.
A. justify
B. break
C. illuminate
D. satisfy
D. satisfy
To quench something is to “sate or satisfy” it.
The committee was POLARIZED on the issue.
A. split
B. disgusted
C. grateful
D. cold
A. split
The word polarized has the same root as polar. Think of “polar opposites” and you will be on the right track. In this case, choice A, split, is closes in meaning to polarized.
The need to be PRECISE was clear to everyone.
A. after the fact
B. cautious
C. exact
D. barren
C. exact
Precise means “exact or specific.”
Drucker surveyed the TERRAIN before him for water.
A. oversight
B. landscape
C. river
D. goal
B. landscape
Terrain comes from the root terra or earth. So of the answer choices, only landscape would be approprate. Landscape is the ground in view.
TERMINAL most nearly means
A. easy
B. glittering
C. busy
D. final
D. final
Terminal means “relating to an end, limit, or boundary.” Choice D, final, is most similar in meaning.
AUGMENT most nearly means
A. craft
B. end
C. throw away
D. enhance
D. enhance
Augment means to “enhance something already developed.”
Her INVOLUNTARY spasm knocked over a lamp.
A. unintentional
B. painful
C. listless
D. binary
A. unintentional
Something involuntary is something done without plan or accidentally - in other words, unintentionally.
The other owners accused the brothers of COLLUSION.
A. coalition
B. secret agreement
C. hoping
D. pretending
B. secret agreement
The noun collusion refers to an agreement of an illicit or secret nature. The prefix con- (which here appears as col-) is a useful hint here, since it means together: people who collude agree to act together.
The mongoose shows great TENACITY in the face of danger.
A. fear
B. candor
C. determination
D. speed
C. determination
Tenacity means showing “persistence and determination.” The word root ten relates to holding, so you could guess that tenacity might mean something like “holding on.”
TACTILE most nearly means
A. ghastly
B. easy
C. patient
D. tangible
D. tangible
Tactile means “relating to the sense of touch.” Of the answer choices, D, tangible, is the most similar in meaning to the original word. In fact, tactile and tangible come from the same root: in Latin, tangere means “to touch.”
The dark clouds seemed to PORTEND a gloomy weekend ahead.
A. fake
B. lose
C. predict
D. edit
C. predict
To portend is to “foreshadow” or “foretell,” as an omen or advance warning sign. Here, predict is the closest match.
GERMINATE most nearly means
A. sprout
B. oppress
C. adulate
D. foster
A. sprout
To germinate means to “sprout or bud, as a plant.”
RESTORE most nearly means
A. trip up
B. invigorate
C. care fore
D. toughen
B. invigorate
Restore has the prefix re-, meaning “again.” Thus, restore means “bring back something that had been lost.” Of the choices given, both B and D refer to affecting change on something. But of the two, only B, invigorate, means to “renew.”
FILAMENT most nearly means
A. horse
B. triage
C. nightmare
D. thread
D. thread
A filament is a “thread or string that is very thin.”
Whatever the original intent, the focus has clearly MUTATED at this point.
A. disappeared
B. reiterated
C. altered
D. intensified
C. altered
Mutate is a word you’ve probably seen before. Science-fiction movies and comic books often have mutated characters (like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Godzilla). The word means “something that has changed from its original state.” Of the choices given, C, altered, is the best choice.
To be elected president, one must be a calm yet still DYNAMIC figure.
A. reassuring
B. exciting
C. manic
D. terrible
B. exciting
The adjective dynamic means “constantly changing or exciting.” The word yet in the sentence is a clue that you are looking for a word that contrasts with calm, making exciting a good choice.
CONGEAL most nearly means
A. fade
B. swirl
C. harden
D. undulate
C. harden
Congeal means to “solidify, coagulate, or harden.”
RECONNOITER most nearly means
A. advance
B. posit
C. grade
D. scout
D. scout
To reconnoiter means to “make a preliminary inspection,” or “see before others.” Of the answer choices, only D, scout, means the same thing as the given word.
Whether one can ACCRUE enough money to live on is always the question.
A. accumulate
B. acquiesce
C. trap
D. magnify
A. accumulate
The verb accrue means to “accumulate over time as a result of growth.”
His INNATE ability to make the correct turn was amazing.
A. unsure
B. discussed
C. creative
D. natural
D. natural
An innate trait is one that is inherent or natural.
