Word List 33

Question 1

serrate

Answer 1

notched or toothed on the edge; specifically, having marginal teeth pointing forward or toward the apex
to make or make with serrations

e.g. a serrate leaf
a serrated knife

Question 2

serried

Answer 2

crowed or pressed together; compact
marked by ridges ; serrate

e.g. The crowd collected in a serried mass.
the serried contours of the mountains

Question 3

serviceable

Answer 3

helpful, useful
fit for use; also, pf adequate quality

e.g. a serviceable design
her serviceable but not exceptional voice

Question 4

servile

Answer 4

of or befitting a slave or a menial position
meanly or cravenly submissive; abject

e.g. maintain a servile attitude around people with money

Question 5

shale

Answer 5

a soft kind of rock that splits easily into flat pieces

Question 6

sham

Answer 6

a trick that deludes; hoax 
cheap falseness; hypocrisy 
a person who shams 
also 
 to act in a way that is meant to trick or deceive 

e.g. the hollowness, the sham, the silliness of the empty pageant
street vendors selling sham designer bags to gullible tourists
shamming illness to avoid work

Question 7

shambles

Answer 7

slaughterhouse
a place of mass slaughter or bloodshed
a scene or a state or great destruction; wreckage
a scene or a state of great disorder or confusion

e.g. The battlefield became a shambles.
The city was a shambles after the bombing.
an economy in shambles

Question 8

shaving

Answer 8

something shaved off

e.g. wood shavings

Question 9

shear

Answer 9

to cut or clip (as hair or wool) from someone or something; also, to cut something from
to deprive of something as if by cutting
to subject to a shear force

e.g. shear the lawn / shear the sheep
lives shorn of any hope

Question 10

sheer

Answer 10

to deviate from a course; swerve
to cause to sheer
of very thin or transparent texture; diaphanous
unqualified, utter
viewing or acting in dissociation from all else
marked by great and continuous steepness

e.g. The cruise ship sheered to the northwest, putting it safely out of the path of the hurricane.
sheer joy/ignorance
in terms of sheer numbers
a sheer drop to the sea

Question 11

shelve

Answer 11

to place on a shelf
to remove from active service; to put off or aside

e.g. books shelved according to categories
shelve a project

Question 12

shifty

Answer 12

full of or ready with expedients; resourceful
given to deception, evasion, or fraud; tricky

e.g. shifty politicians making deals to channel federal funds into their districts
shifty practices such as turning back the odometers on used cars

Question 13

shiftless

Answer 13

lacking in resourcefulness; inefficient
lacking in ambition or incentive; lazy

e.g. shiftless spongers who never thought to do anything for themselves

Question 14

shingle

Answer 14

a small thin piece of building material

a small signboard (hang out one’s shingle)

Question 15

shipshape

Answer 15

trim, tidy

e.g. Everything had to be shipshape before we could sell the house.

Question 16

shirk

Answer 16

to go stealthily; sneak
to evade the performance of an obligation
avoid, evade

e.g. too conscientious to shirk his duty
shirk from doing his duty

Question 17

shoal

Answer 17

shallow
shallow; a sandbank or sandbar that makes the water shallow
a large group of number; crowd

e.g. Shoal waters of the bay meant that our ship had to be moored a considerable distance from shore.
a shoal of fish

Question 18

shoddy

Answer 18

cheaply imitative; vulgarly pretentious
hastily or poorly done; inferior
shabby, disreputable

e.g. shoddy merchandise/workmanship
shoddy business deals

Question 19

shopworn

Answer 19

faded, soiled, or otherwise impaired by remaining too long in a store
stale from excessive use or familiarity
worn-out

e.g. the shopworn suggestion to job applicants to “just be yourself”
shopworn cliches

Question 20

shrewd

Answer 20

severe, hard; sharp, piercing
marked by clever discerning awareness and hardheaded acumen
given to wily and artful ways or dealing

e.g. a shrewd knock/wind
shrewd common sense
a shrewd operator

Question 21

shriek

Answer 21

to utter a sharp shrill sound
to cry out in a high-pitched voice; screech
to suggest such a cry (as by vividness of expression)

e.g. birds shrieking in the tree
Neon colors shrieked for attention.

Question 22

shroud

Answer 22

something that covers, screens, or guards
to cut off from view; obscure
to veil under another appearance

e.g. under a shroud of secrecy
trees shrouded by fog / an idea shrouded by uncertainty
shroud the decision in a series of formalities

Question 23

shuck

Answer 23

shell, husk
something of little value (oft. pl.)

e.g. It doesn’t matter shucks to her what anyone else earns.

Question 24

shudder

Answer 24

to tremble convulsively; shiver, quiver
also

e.g. A shudder ran through him as he stepped outside into the snow.

Question 25

shun

Answer 25

to avoid deliberately and especially habitually

e.g. shuns publicity

Question 26

shunt

Answer 26

to turn off to one side; shift
to provide with or divert by means of a electrical or surgical shunt
shuttle
to travel back and forth

e.g. shunted aside
shunted the missiles from shelter to shelter
shunted between the two towns

Question 27

sibilant

Answer 27

having, containing, or producing the sound of or a sound resembling that of the s or the sh in sash

e.g. the sibilant hiss of a snake

Question 28

sibyl

Answer 28

prophetess

fortune-teller

Question 29

sidereal

Answer 29

of, relating to, or expressed in relation to stars or constellations; astral

Question 30

sidestep

Answer 30

bypass, evade
to move out of the way of; avoid

e.g. She sidestepped the reporter’s questions.
sidestepping the real issue

Question 31

siege

Answer 31

a military blockade of a city or fortified place to compel it to surrender
a persistent or serious attack (as of illness)

Question 32

sill

Answer 32

the shelf at the bottom of a window frame
a piece of wood, metal, or stone at the bottom of a door frame
the part of the frame of a car that is directly under its doors

Question 33

silt

Answer 33

sand, soil, mud, etc., that is carried by flowing water and that sinks to the bottom of a river, pond, etc.
to become choked or obstructed with silt (oft. used with up)

e.g. The entrance to the creek had silted shut.

Question 34

simper

Answer 34

to smile in a silly manner
to say with a simper

e.g. He simpered and smirked while he talked to the boss.
simpered an apology

Question 35

sinecure

Answer 35

an office or position that requires little or no work and that usually provides an income

Question 36

sinew

Answer 36

tendon
solid resilient strength; power
the chief supporting force; mainstay (oft. pl.)

e.g. cutting through bone and sinew
The justices displayed great intellectual depth and sinew in writing their opinion on this case.
provide the sinews of better living

Question 37

singe

Answer 37

to burn superficially or lightly; scorch; especially, to remove the hair, down, or fuzz from usually by passing rapidly over a flame

Question 38

singularity

Answer 38

peculiarity
a point or region of infinite mass density at which space and time are infinitely distorted by gravitational forces and which is held to be the final state of matter falling into a black hole

e.g. People could not understand the singularity of his imagination.
a college professor with singularities of dress and speech that have long endeared him to his students

Question 39

sinuous

Answer 39

of a serpentine or wavy form; winding
marked by strong lithe movements
intricate, complex

e.g. The river flowed in a sinuous path through the lush valley.

Question 40

sketchy

Answer 40

of the nature of a sketch; roughly outlined
wanting in completeness, clearness, or substance; slight, superficial
questionable, iffy

e.g. only a sketchy idea of how it works

Question 41

skew

Answer 41

to take an oblique course
to look askance
to distort especially from a true value or symmetrical form
set, placed, or running obliquely; slanting
not symmetrical

e.g. accused of skewing the facts to fit their theory
skewing the rules in their favor

Question 42

skewer

Answer 42

a pin of wood or metal for fastening meat to keep it in form while roasting or to hold small pieces of meat or vegetables for broiling
any of various things shaped or used like a skewer
to fasten or pierce with or as if with a skewer
to criticize or ridicule sharply and effectively

e.g. Satirists occupy a perilous position - to skewer dogma and cant, and to antagonize the establishment while needing its protection.

Question 43

skiff

Answer 43

any of various small boats; especially, a flat-bottomed rowboat

Question 44

skim

Answer 44

to remove (as film or scum) from the surface of a liquid
to read, study, or examine superficially and rapidly
embezzle

e.g. skimming money from employee pension plans

Question 45

skimp

Answer 45

skimpy
to give insufficient or barely sufficient attention or effort to or funds for
to save by or as if by skimping

e.g. a dieter complaining about skimp meals that were served at the fat farm
skimp and save to afford a vacation

Question 46

skinflint

Answer 46

a person who would save, gain, or extort money by any means; miser

e.g. The team’s owner is a skinflint whose penny-pinching ways keeps the team from acquiring any real talent.

Question 47

skirmish

Answer 47

a minor fight in war usually incidental to larger movements
a brisk preliminary verbal conflict
a minor dispute or contest

e.g. skirmishes breaking out between rebel groups
Violent skirmishes with the enemy continue despite talks of peace.

Question 48

skirt

Answer 48

to form or run along the border or edge of; border
to avoid especially because of difficulty or fear of controversy
to evade or miss by a narrow margin

e.g. The mayor skirted the issue by saying that a committee was looking into the problem.
skirt around the question
skirt the disaster

Question 49

slack

Answer 49

not using due diligence, care, or dispatch; negligent
characterized by slowness, sluggishness, or lack of energy
not tight or taut; wanting in activity
to shirk or evade work or duty

e.g. a slack pace/oven/rope
slack muscles / slack supervision
a slack market / a slack piece of work

Question 50

slag

Answer 50

the dross or scoria of a metal

Question 51

slake

Answer 51

satisfy, quench

e.g. A harrowing experience while mountain climbing has largely slaked my desire for high adventure.

Question 52

slander

Answer 52

to utter slander against; defame

a false and defamatory oral statement about a person

Question 53

slant

Answer 53

to turn or incline from a level; slope
to interpret or present in line white a special interest; angle; especially, to maliciously or dishonestly distort or falsify
a slanting direction, line, plane, or thing
a peculiar or personal point of view or attitude

e.g. stories slanted toward youth
They deliberately slanted the story to make themselves look good.
The Democratic slant extends to those receiving unemployment benefits.

Question 54

slate

Answer 54

a type of rock that splits easily into thin layers
a written or unwritten record
a list of candidates for nomination or election
to designate for a specified purpose or action; schedule

e.g. start over with a clean slate
slated to direct the play

Question 55

slew

Answer 55

to turn about a fixed point or an axis
to cause to skid; veer
a large number

e.g. slew a car around the turn
a slew of work to do on this project

Question 56

slick

Answer 56

having a smooth surface; slippery
having surface plausibility or appeal; glossy
based on stereotype; trite
characterized by subtlety or nimble wit; clever; especially, wily
deft, skillful

e.g. slick wet roads / slick advertising
slick stories soon forgotten
a slick swindler / a slick ballplayer

Question 57

slight

Answer 57

lacking in strength or substance; flimsy, frail
deficient in weight, solidity, or importance; trivial
small of its kind or in amount
to treat as slight or unimportant; make light of
a humiliating discourtesy

e.g. a slight chance
slight a guest / slight your work
refused to respond to their petty slights

Question 58

slippage

Answer 58

• slip

a loss in transmission of power; also, the difference between theoretical and actual output (as of power)

Question 59

slipshod

Answer 59

careless, slovenly

e.g. a slipshod job

Question 60

sloth

Answer 60

disinclination to action or labor; indolence
spiritual apathy and inactivity

e.g. a youth inclined more toward sloth than athletics

Question 61

slouch

Answer 61

an awkward fellow; lout
one that is unimpressive; especially, a lazy or incompetent person (oft. in negative constructions)
a gait or posture characterized by an ungainly stooping of the head and shoulders or excessive relaxation of body muscles
to walk, stand, or sit with a slouch
droop; to go or move slowly or reluctantly

e.g. no slouch at cooking
walk with a slouch
slouch into the room / slouch her shoulders
slouch over the books

Question 62

slough

Answer 62

a place of deep mud or mire
a state of moral degradation or spiritual dejection
to engulf in a slough; to plod through mud
the cast-off skin of a snake
to cast off skin
to get rid of or discard as irksome, objectionable, or disadvantageous (oft. used with off)

e.g. slough off a bad habit

Question 63

sluggard

Answer 63

a habitually lazy person

Question 64

sluice

Answer 64

an artificial passage for water fitted with a valve or gate for stopping or regulating flow
to wash with or in water running through or from a sluice; to drench with a sudden flow; flush

e.g. He sluiced the gutter with lots of water in order to make sure they were clear.

Question 65

slumber

Answer 65

to sleep lightly; doze; also, sleep
to be in a torpid, slothful, or negligent state
also

e.g. a toddler looking so innocent and peaceful in slumber

Question 66

slumberous

Answer 66

heavy with sleep; sleepy
inducing slumber; soporific

e.g. the slumberous murmur of the wind in the trees

Question 67

slur

Answer 67

an insulting or disparaging remark or innuendo; aspersion
a shaming or degrading effect; stain, stigma
a blurred spot in printed matter; smudge
to cast aspersions on; disparage
to make indistinct; obscure
to slide or slip over without due mention, consideration, or emphasis

e.g. slur his reputation
slur over certain facts

Question 68

slurp

Answer 68

to make a sucking noise while eating or drinking

e.g. slurp the soup directly from the bowl

Question 69

smarmy

Answer 69

revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, or false earnestness
of low sleazy taste or quality

e.g. a tone of smarmy self-satisfaction
smarmy eroticism

Question 70

smattering

Answer 70

superficial piecemeal knowledge
a small scattered number or amount

e.g. a smattering of carpentry, house painting, and bricklaying
a smattering of spectators

Question 71

smudge

Answer 71

to make a smudge on
to make indistinct; blur

e.g. smudge the writing
his face smudged with grease

Question 72

smug

Answer 72

trim or smart in dress; spruce
scrupulously clean, neat, or correct; tidy
highly self-satisfied

e.g. too smug about his own success

Question 73

snare

Answer 73

trap

e.g. people caught in the snare of drug addiction

Question 74

snarl

Answer 74

to cause to become knotted and intertwined; tangle
to make excessively complicated
also

e.g. traffic snarls

Question 75

sneer

Answer 75

to smile or laugh with facial contortions that express scorn or contempt
to speak or write in a scornfully jeering manner
also

e.g. In high school the crowd would invariably sneer every time they passed the hapless nerds.
look at him with a sneer of disgust

Question 76

snide

Answer 76

false, counterfeit
unworthy of esteem; low
slyly disparaging; insinuating

e.g. a snide trick to get her to sell her antiques for practically nothing
snide remarks

Question 77

snip

Answer 77

a small piece that is snipped off; fragment, bit
to cut or cut off; specifically, to clip suddenly or by bits

e.g. snipping pictures out of magazines

Question 78

snitch

Answer 78

one who snitches; tattletale
inform, tattle
to take by stealth; pilfer

Question 79

snowdrift

Answer 79

a hill of snow that is formed by wind

Question 80

snub

Answer 80

to check or stop with a cutting retort; rebuke
to restrain the action of; suppress
to treat with contempt or neglect 
to extinguish by snubbing
 slighting

e.g. snub a vibration
snub an old acquaintance
snub out a cigarette
He tolerated the snubs from his in-laws because the holidays come but once a year, thankfully.

Question 81

snug

Answer 81

snuggle, nestle
fitting closely and comfortably
marked by cordiality and secure privacy
affording a degree of comfort and ease

e.g. snug down for bed
a snug coat/cottage/haven/hideout
a snug income

Question 82

sober

Answer 82

marked by sedate or gravely or earnestly thoughtful character or demeanor
unhurried, calm

e.g. a sober, hardworking farmer
a sober look at drug abuse

Question 83

sobriety

Answer 83

• sober

e. g. the sobriety of the situation

Question 84

sock

Answer 84

to hit, strike, or apply forcefully

e.g. kept socking the punching bag until exhausted
an area socked by a blizzard

Question 85

sod

Answer 85

turf; also, the grass- and forb-covered surface of the ground
one’s native land

Question 86

sodden

Answer 86

dull or expressionless especially from continued indulgence in alcoholic beverages
torpid, sluggish
heavy with or as if with moisture or water

e.g. sodden minds
eyes peering out between strands of sodden hair

Question 87

solace

Answer 87

to give comfort to in grief or misfortune; console
amuse
allay, soothe
also

e.g. solace grief
Her presence was a great solace for me.
The kind words brought a little solace to the grieving widow.

Question 88

solder

Answer 88

a metal or metallic alloy used when melted to join metallic surfaces
something that unites
to unite or make whole by or as if by solder

e.g. a friendship soldered by common interest

Question 89

solicit

Answer 89

to make petition to; entreat 
to urge (as one's cause) strongly 
to entice or lure especially into evil
to try to obtain by usually urgent requests or pleas 

e.g. soliciting aid from the minister
solicit the committee for funding

Question 90

solicitous

Answer 90

manifesting or expressing concerns
full of concerns or fears; apprehensive
meticulously careful
full of desire

e.g. a solicitous inquiry about his health
solicitous about the future

Question 91

solicitude

Answer 91

the state of being concerned and anxious
attentive care and protectiveness; also, an attitude of earnest concern or attention
a cause of care or concern (oft. pl.)

e.g. He expressed solicitude for my health.
a growing solicitude over the possible results of the criminal investigation

Question 92

solidarity

Answer 92

unity that produces or is based on community of interests, objectives, and standards

Question 93

solitary

Answer 93

being, living, or going alone or without companions
unfrequented, desolate
one who lives or seeks or live a solitary life; recluse
solitary confinement in prison

e.g. a solitary walk along the beach
a solitary seashore

Question 94

solitude

Answer 94

seclusion
a lonely place

e.g. work on her novel in solitude
enjoy the peace and solitude of the woods

Question 95

solvent

Answer 95

able to pay all legal debts

e.g. He cannot stay solvent after losing his business.

Question 96

somatic

Answer 96

of, relating to, or affecting the body especially as distinguished from the germplasm or the psyche
of or relating to the wall of the body; parietal

e.g. a somatic disorder that was once thought to be “all in the patient’s head”

Question 97

somber

Answer 97

so shaded as to be dark and gloomy
of a serious mien; grave
melancholy

e.g. Her death put us in a somber mood.
a somber portrait of life on the streets
a somber suit

Question 98

sonata

Answer 98

an instrumental musical composition typically of three or four movements in contrasting forms and keys

Question 99

sonnet

Answer 99

a poem made up of 14 lines that rhyme in a fixed pattern

Question 100

soot

Answer 100

a black substance that is formed when something (such as wood or coal) is burned

Question 101

sop

Answer 101

(dialect) a piece of food dipped or steeped in a liquid
a conciliatory or propitiatory bribe, gift, or gesture

e.g. As a sop to the teachers’ union for supporting his reelection campaign, the mayor promised to push for the abolition of the residency requirement.

Question 102

sophism

Answer 102

an argument apparently correct in form but actually invalid; especially, such an argument used to deceive
subtly deceptive reasoning or argumentation; sophistry