Word List 3

Question 1

alacrity

Answer 1

eagerness, enthusiasm; We accepted the invitation with alacrity.

Question 2

deleterious

Answer 2

harmful; The toxin has deleterious effects.

Question 3

tractable

Answer 3

obedient, dutiful; Your child has a tractable disposition.

Question 4

burnish

Answer 4

polish; He burnishes the metal.

Question 5

euphony

Answer 5

pleasant sounds; I hear the majestic euphony of the trumpets.

Question 6

iconoclast

Answer 6

person who opposes orthodoxy; His iconoclastic nature is unsettling.

Question 7

levity

Answer 7

flippancy; joking about serious matters; Her levity about the accident is rude.

Question 8

potable

Answer 8

suitable for drinking; The country has no potable water.

Question 9

rotund

Answer 9

round; The fruit is ripe and rotund.

Question 10

buttress

Answer 10

strengthen; The wall serves as a buttress.

Question 11

delineation

Answer 11

demarcation; explanation; The delineation of the person was very accurate.

Question 12

idiosyncrasy

Answer 12

a personal peculiarity; His idiosyncrasies are particularly peculiar.

Question 13

libertarian

Answer 13

someone who opposes tyranny; The libertarian has very idealistic views.

Question 14

ruminate

Answer 14

ponder; I need to ruminate on the matter before I make a decision.

Question 15

allay

Answer 15

to lessen; The medicine will allay your pain.

Question 16

byline

Answer 16

line that tells you who wrote the article; The article was anonymous and not bylined.

Question 17

demur

Answer 17

hesitate; refuse; He demurred the promotion.

Question 18

exacerbate

Answer 18

make worse; Don’t exacerbate the problem.

Question 19

ignominious

Answer 19

shameful; He acted in an ignominious way.

Question 20

liniment

Answer 20

soothing lotion; He was told to apply the liniment to the sore area.

Question 21

omnipotent

Answer 21

all-powerful; God is omnipotent.

Question 22

cacophony

Answer 22

discordant loud noises; City traffic causes a great cacophony.

Question 23

ignominy

Answer 23

shame; He deserves the ignominy that befalls him.

Question 24

lithe

Answer 24

flexible; The ballerina’s body is very lithe.

Question 25

omniscient

Answer 25

all-knowing; Governments are not omniscient of all their programs.

Question 26

pragmatist

Answer 26

practical person; It is better to be a pragmatist than an idealist.

Question 27

saccharin

Answer 27

falsely sweet; Her saccharin nature disgusts me.

Question 28

exceptionable

Answer 28

very bad (something we should object to); His actions were exceptionable and should be punished.

Question 29

onerous

Answer 29

burdensome; The duties are too onerous for one person.

Question 30

preamble

Answer 30

introductory material; His childhood in the slums was a preamble to a life of crime.

Question 31

sacrosanct

Answer 31

very holy; There is a sacrosanct chamber in the temple.

Question 32

deplore

Answer 32

regret; I deplore the present state of morality.

Question 33

exculpate

Answer 33

acquit; The evidence will exculpate him.

Question 34

illusory

Answer 34

deceptive; He has an illusory and slippery nature.

Question 35

onus

Answer 35

burden; The onus is on the parent to make sure the child behaves.

Question 36

precarious

Answer 36

unstable; risky; An undersea diver's life is precarious.

Question 37

sagacious

Answer 37

wise; The elder exhibited great sagacity.

Question 38

callow

Answer 38

immature; He is just a callow youth.

Question 39

depravity

Answer 39

moral corruption; The mayor's moral depravity is shocking.

Question 40

execrable

Answer 40

very, very bad; The performance was execrable.

Question 41

immoderate

Answer 41

excessive; There is an immoderate amount of evidence present against him.

Question 42

opaque

Answer 42

does not let light through; The material is entirely opaque.

Question 43

trinket

Answer 43

something of little value; She left the trinket behind for her child.

Question 44

deprecate

Answer 44

criticize; denounce; I respect his ability to teach but not deprecate his students.

Question 45

exegesis

Answer 45

scholarly explanation or interpretation; No scholarly book is complete without academic exegesis.

Question 46

immutable

Answer 46

permanent; Facts are immutable.

Question 47

opulent

Answer 47

wealthy; He died an opulent but lonely man.

Question 48

precept

Answer 48

guiding principle; These are known precepts in the business world.

Question 49

salacious

Answer 49

lecherous, erotic; The scandal was very salacious.

Question 50

trite

Answer 50

unoriginal; The speech was trite and endlessly long.

Question 51

candor

Answer 51

openness; I was surprised by his candor on our first meet.

Question 52

deride

Answer 52

ridicule; The bully derided the defenseless child.

Question 53

loquacious

Answer 53

talkative; The dinner guest was extremely loquacious.

Question 54

ordain

Answer 54

destine; confer holy orders on a priest; Fate had ordained the meeting.

Question 55

precinct

Answer 55

district of a city; It is in a dangerous precinct of the city.

Question 56

sallow

Answer 56

yellowish; His skin had a sallow complexion.