Words 876 - 900

Question 1

seminal

Answer 1

original, important, creating a field

adjective

Stephen Greenblatt’s essays on Shakespeare proved to be seminal, because they initiated the critical school of New Historicism.

Question 2

sensual

Answer 2

relating to or consisting in the gratification of the senses or the indulgence of the appetite

adjective

Rousseau, in his Confessions, wrote of the sensual pleasure he found in simple meals of peasant cheeses and bread.

Question 3

sensuous

Answer 3

involving sensory gratification

adjective

Paul found drinking Coke, with all the little bubbles bursting on his tongue, a very sensuous experience.

Question 4

serendipity

Answer 4

luck, finding good things without looking for them

noun

In an amazing bit of serendipity, penniless Paula found a $20 bill in the subway station.

Question 5

serene

Answer 5

calm, untroubled

adjective

Louise stood in front of the Mona Lisa, puzzling over the famous woman’s serene smile.

Question 6

servile

Answer 6

subservient

adjective

The servile porter crept around the hotel lobby, bowing and quaking before the guests.

Question 7

sinuous

Answer 7

marked by strong, lithe movements

adjective

She moved with sinuous grace.

Question 8

sobriety

Answer 8

the quality or state of being unhurried or calm

noun

Jason believed that maintaining his sobriety in times of crisis was the key to success in life.

Question 9

solicitous

Answer 9

concerned, attentive

adjective

Jim, laid up in bed with a nasty virus, enjoyed the solicitous attentions of his mother, who brought him soup and extra blankets.

Question 10

solipsistic

Answer 10

believing that oneself is all that exists

adjective

Colette’s solipsistic attitude completely ignored the plight of the homeless people on the street.

Question 11

soluble

Answer 11

able to dissolve

adjective

The plot of the spy film revolved around an untraceable and water-soluble poison.

Question 12

solvent

Answer 12

1. a substance that can dissolve other substances
2. able to pay debts

1. noun
2. adjective

1. Water is sometimes called the universal solvent because almost all other substances can dissolve into it.
2. Upon receiving an unexpected check from her aunt, Annabelle found herself suddenly solvent.

Question 13

somnolent

Answer 13

sleepy, drowsy

adjective

The somnolent student kept falling asleep and waking up with a jerk.

Question 14

sophomoric

Answer 14

immature, uninformed

adjective

The mature senior rolled her eyes at the sophomoric gross-out humor of the underclassman.

Question 15

sovereign

Answer 15

having absolute authority in a certain realm

adjective

The sovereign queen, with steely resolve, ordered that the traitorous nobleman be killed.

Question 16

speculative

Answer 16

not based on facts

adjective

Tessa was convicted on merely speculative evidence.

Question 17

spurious

Answer 17

false but designed to seem plausible

adjective

Using a spurious argument, John convinced the others that he had won the board game on a technicality.

Question 18

stagnant

Answer 18

not advancing or developing

adjective

For most tenured faculty, the worst they are likely to experience is stagnant pay and deferred retirement.

Question 19

staid

Answer 19

sedate, serious, self-restrained

adjecive

The staid butler never changed his expression no matter what happened.

Question 20

stingy

Answer 20

not generous, not inclined to spend or give

adjective

Scrooge’s stingy habits did not fit with the generous, giving spirit of Christmas.

Question 21

stoic

Answer 21

unaffected by passion or feeling

adjective

Penelope’s faithfulness to Odysseus required that she be stoic and put off her many suitors.

Question 22

stolid

Answer 22

expressing little sensibility, unemotional

adjective

Charles’s stolid reaction to his wife’s funeral differed from the passion he showed at the time of her death.

Question 23

strenuous

Answer 23

requiring tremendous energy or stamina

adjective

Running a marathon is quite a strenuous task. So is watching an entire Star Trek marathon.

Question 24

strident

Answer 24

harsh, loud

adjective

A strident man, Captain Von Trapp yelled at his daughter and made her cry.

Question 25

stupefy

Answer 25

to astonish, make insensible

verb

Veronica’s audacity and ungratefulness stupefied her best friend, Heather.