Words 701 - 725

Question 1

orthodox

Answer 1

conforming to established doctrine

adjective

The company’s profits dwindled because the management pursued orthodox business policies that were incompatible with new industrial trends.

Question 2

oscillate

Answer 2

to swing backward and forward

verb

My uncle oscillated between buying a station wagon to transport his family and buying a sports car to satisfy his boyhood fantasies.

Question 3

ostensible

Answer 3

being such in appearance

adjective

Jack’s ostensible reason for driving was that airfare was too expensive, but in reality, he was afraid of flying.

Question 4

ostentatious

Answer 4

attracting attention often by gaudiness

adjective

On the palace tour, the guide focused on the ostentatious decorations and spoke little of the royal family’s history.

Question 5

ostracism

Answer 5

exclusion by general consent from social acceptance

noun

Beth risked ostracism if her roommates discovered her flatulence.

Question 6

pacific

Answer 6

tending to lessen conflict

adjective

The chemistry professor’s pacific demeanor helped the class remain calm after the experiment exploded.

Question 7

palatable

Answer 7

agreeable to the taste

adjective

Despite the unpleasant smell, the exotic cheese was quite palatable.

Question 8

palette

Answer 8

a particular range of color

adjective

The palette of colors utilized in the painting was equaled only by the range of intense emotions the piece evoked.

Question 9

palliate

Answer 9

to reduce the violence of

verb

The doctor trusted that the new medication would palliate her patient’s discomfort.

Question 10

pallid

Answer 10

deficient in color

adjective

Dr. Van Helsing feared that Lucy’s pallid complexion was due to an unexplained loss of blood.

Question 11

panacea

Answer 11

a remedy for all difficulties

noun

Doctors wish there was a single panacea for every disease, but sadly there is not.

Question 12

paradigm

Answer 12

an outstandingly clear example

noun

Because the new SUV was so popular, it became the paradigm upon which all others were modeled.

Question 13

paradox

Answer 13

a statement that is seemingly contradictory to common sense and yet is perhaps true

noun

The diplomat refused to acknowledge the paradox that negotiating a peace treaty would demand more resources than waging war.

Question 14

paragon

Answer 14

a model of excellence

noun

The mythical Helen of Troy was considered a paragon of female beauty.

Question 15

paramount

Answer 15

superior to all others

adjective

It was paramount that the bomb squad disconnect the blue wire before removing the fuse.

Question 16

pariah

Answer 16

something that is rejected

noun

Following the discovery of his plagiarism, Professor Hurley was made a pariah in all academic circles.

Question 17

parody

Answer 17

a work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect

noun

A hush fell over the classroom when the teacher returned to find Deborah acting out a parody of his teaching style.

Question 18

parsimony

Answer 18

the quality of being careful with resources

noun

Many relatives believed that my aunt’s wealth resulted from her parsimony.

Question 19

partisan

Answer 19

a firm adherent to a cause

noun

The king did not believe that his rival could round up enough partisans to overthrow the monarchy.

Question 20

patent

Answer 20

readily visible

adjective

The reason for Jim’s abdominal pain was made patent after the doctor performed a sonogram.

Question 21

pathology

Answer 21

something abnormal

noun

Dr. Hastings had difficulty identifying the precise nature of Brian’s pathology.

Question 22

pathos

Answer 22

an emotion of sympathetic pity

noun

Martha filled with pathos upon discovering the scrawny, shivering kitten at her door.

Question 23

paucity

Answer 23

smallness of quantity

adjective

Gilbert lamented the paucity of twentieth century literature courses available at the college.

Question 24

pejorative

Answer 24

tending to belittle

adjective

The evening’s headline news covered an international scandal caused by a pejorative statement the famous senator had made in reference to a foreign leader.

Question 25

pellucid

Answer 25

easy to understand

adjective

Wishing his book to be pellucid to the common man, Albert Camus avoided using complicated grammar when composing The Stranger.