Word List 50

Question 1

vivacious

Answer 1

adj. lively or animated; springhtly

She had always been vivacious and sparkling.

Question 2

vociferious

Answer 2

adj. clamoroous; noisy

The crowd grew vociferous in its anger and threatened to take the law into its own hands.

See clamor, n.

Question 3

vogue

Answer 3

n. popular fashion

Jeans became the vogue on many college campuses.

Question 4

☆volatile

Answer 4

adj. changeable; explosive; evaporating rapidly

The political climate today is extremely volatile: no one can predict what the electrorate will do next.

Maria Callas’s temper was extremely volatile: the only thing you could predict was that she would blow up.

Acetone is an extremely volatile liquid: it evaporates instantly.

-> volatility, n.

Question 5

volition

Answer 5

n. act of making a conscious choice.

She selected this dress of her own volition.

Question 6

voluble

Answer 6

adj. fluent; glib; talkative

An excessively voluble speaker suffers from logorrhea: he continually runs off at the mouth!

-> volubility, n.

Question 7

voluminous

Answer 7

adj. bulky; large

A caftan is a voluminous garment; the average person wearing one looks as if he or she is draped in a small tent.

Question 8

voracious

Answer 8

adj. ravenous

The wolf is a voracious animal, its hunger never satisfied.

See ravenous, adj.

Question 9

vouchsafe

Answer 9

v. grant condescendingly: guarantee

I can safely vouchsafe you fair return on your investment.

See condescend, v.

Question 10

vulnerable

Answer 10

adj. susceptible to wounds

His opponents could not harm Achilles, who was vulnerable only in his heel.

Question 11

waffle

Answer 11

adj. speak equivocally about an issue.

When asked directly about the governor’s involvement in the savings and loan scandal, the press secretary waffled, talking all around the issue.

See equivocal, v.

Question 12

waive

Answer 12

v. give up temporarily; yield

I will waive my rights in this matter in order to expedite our reaching a proper decision.

Question 13

wanderlust

Answer 13

n. strong longing to travel

Don’t set your heart on a traveling man. He’s got too much wanderlust to settle down.

Question 14

wane

Answer 14

v. decrease in size or strength; draw gradually to an end

To wane is the opposite of to wax or increase in size. When lit, does a wax candle wane?

Question 15

wangle

Answer 15

v. wiggle out; fake

She tried to wangle an invitation to the party.

*wiggle, v. : move from side to side or up and down in short quick movements; make something move in this way. Also noun.

Question 16

wanton

Answer 16

adj. unrestrained; willfully malicious; unchaste

Pointing to the stack of bills, Sheldon criticized Sarah for her wanton* expenditures. In response, Sara accused Sheldon of making an unfounded; *wanton attack.

See malicious, adj. expenditure, n.

* unchaste, adj. : 不貞な、身持ちの悪い、多情な、猥褻な

Question 17

☆warranted

[pronunciation: warrant]

Answer 17

adj. justified; authorized

Before the judge issues the injunction, you must convince her this action is warranted.

Question 18

warranty

Answer 18

n. guarantee; assurance by seller

The purchaser of this automobile is protected by the manufacturer’s warranty that he will replace any defective part for five years or 50,000 miles.

Question 19

wary

Answer 19

adj. very cautious

The spies grew wary as they approached the sentry.

Question 20

wax

Answer 20

v. increase; grow

With proper handling, her fortunes waxed and she became rich.

Question 21

waylay

Answer 21

v. ambush; lie in wait

They agreed to waylay their victim as he passed through the dark alley going home.

* ambush, v. : make a surprise attack on somebody or something from a hidden position.

Question 22

wean

Answer 22

v. accustom a baby not to nurse; give up a cherished activity

He decided he would wean himself away from eating junk food and stick to fruits and vegetables.

Question 23

weather

Answer 23

v. endure the effects of weather or other forces.

He weathered the changes in his personal life with difficulty, as he had no one in whom to confide.

Question 24

☆welter

Answer 24

n. turmoil; bewildering jumble

The existing welter of overlapping federal and state claims cries out for immediate reform.

v. wallow

At the height of the battle, the casualties were so numerous that the victims weltered in their blood while waiting for medical attention.

See causual, adj. turmoil, n.

* wallow, v.: lie and roll about in water or mud, to keep cool or for pleasure

Question 25

wheedle

Answer 25

v. cajole; coax; deceive by flattery

She knows she can wheedle almost anything she wants from her father.

See cajole, v.

* coax, v. : persuade somebody to do something by talking to them in a kind and gentle way. [Syn. cajole]

Question 26

whet

Answer 26

v. sharpen; stimulate

The odors from the kitchen are whetting my appetite; I will be raveous by the time the meal is served.

Question 27

whiff

Answer 27

n. puff or gust (of air scent, etc); hint

The slightest whiff of Old Spice cologne brought memories of George to her mind.

Question 28

☆whimsical

Answer 28

n, capricious; fanciful

In Mrs. Doubtfire, the hero is a playful, whimsical man who takes a notion to dress up as a woman so that he can look after his children, who are in the custody of his ex-wife.

-> whimsy, n.

See capricious, adj.