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1
Q

anthropocentrism

A

(n) theory that regards humans as the central element of the universe
People who support the theory of anthropocentrism have a difficult time believing in intelligent life on other planets.
Word Forms: anthropocentric, anthropocentrically, anthropocentricity Related Word: anthropology

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2
Q

anodyne

A

(n) something that relieves pain
The comedy club was an anodyne to Annika’s grief; while she was there, she could forget her pain and sadness.
Word Form: anodynic

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3
Q

amortize

A

(vb) to eliminate debt by making payments
For most borrowers, it takes thirty years to amortize their mortgage.
Word Forms: amortized, amortizable, amortizement, amortization Antonym Forms: unamortized

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4
Q

ameliorate

A

(vb) to make better
Amelia was an outstanding caregiver; she could ameliorate a patient’s discomfort just by smiling kindly.
Word Forms: ameliorable, ameliorableness, ameliorant, ameliorative, amelioratory, ameliorator

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5
Q

alacrity

A

(n) liveliness and eagerness
Alaina impressed her new boss by accepting the task with alacrity; she was both eager and excited to get started.
Word Form: alacritous

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6
Q

adroit

A

(adj) highly skilled, especially with one’s hands
The adroit mechanic was able to fix Addy’s old car, even though six other mechanics said it couldn’t be repaired.
Word Forms: adroitly, adroitness

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7
Q

acme

A

(n) the highest point
The Roman Empire reached its acme of power around 11 AD, but a slow decline occurred over the next four
centuries.
Word Forms: acmic, acmatic,

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8
Q

acerbic

A

(adj) sour; harsh
Sour Patch Kids candy tastes like acerbic gummy bears.
Word Forms: acerbically, acerbate, acerbity Antonym Forms: unacerbic, unacerbically

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9
Q

acidulous

A

(adj) sour; sharp
Her acidulous criticism of my paper on Shakespeare was disappointing since I had invested many hours in research.
Word Forms: acidulent, acidulation Related Words: subacidulous, acid

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10
Q

abstruse

A

: (adj) hard to understand
Mr. Abbot tried to teach us how to solve an abstruse math problem, but it was too complicated for us to understand.
Word Forms: abstrusely, abstruseness, abstrusity

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11
Q

abstemious

A

(adj) sparing in consumption, especially of food and drink
Abby’s emaciated figure was the result of her abstemious lifestyle; she never ate breakfast or lunch, and rarely ate
dinner.
Word Forms: abstemiously, abstemiousness

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12
Q

abjure

A

(vb) to give up, often in a formal manner
King Edward VIII abjured the throne in order to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson, a divorced American.
Word Forms: abjuratory, abjurer, abjuration Antonym Forms: unabjuratory, unabjured, nonabjuratory

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13
Q

abdicate

A

(vb) to give up, often in a formal manner
King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in order to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson, a divorced American.
Word Forms: abdicable, abdicative, abdicator, abdication Antonym Form: unabdicative

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14
Q

aberrant

A

(adj) unusual
My dog displayed aberrant behavior when he refused to greet me at the door or eat any of the treats I offered.
Word Forms: aberrance, aberrancy, aberrantly, aberrate, aberrational

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15
Q

abeyance

A

(n) temporary suspension
The council voted to place the decision in abeyance for a month while more research was conducted.
Word Forms: abeyant, abeyancy

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16
Q

antipathy

A

(n) strong dislike
Antonio’s antipathy for reporters stemmed from his childhood, when journalists hassled him about his father’s trial.
Word Forms: antipathist, antipathize, antipathic Related Words: sympathy, empathy, apathy

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17
Q

apathy

A

(n) an absence of emotion or enthusiasm
The teacher was disappointed in the students’ apathy toward the field trip; she had mistakenly believed that this trip
would finally excite them about learning.
Word Forms: apathetic, apathetical, apathetically, apathist Related Words: sympathy, empathy, antipathy

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18
Q

apocryphal

A

(adj) fake; untrue
April told an apocryphal tale about my mother; I wanted so much to believe it even though I knew it wasn’t true.
Word Forms: apocryphally, apocryphalness, apocryphalist

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19
Q

approbation

A

(n) approval
Apollo’s proposal for new lighting on campus was met with approbation, as the board agreed there was a safety
issue.
Word Forms: approbate, approbative, approbator, approbatory Related Word: preapprobation, subapprobation

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20
Q

ardor

A

(n) intense passion
Mrs. Armstrong, my English teacher, is known for her ardor for the literature of William Faulkner; last summer she
even visited his hometown in Mississippi in order to better visualize the settings of his books.

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21
Q

arrogate

A

(vb) to claim without rights
The government arrogated Arianna’s land, so she hired a lawyer to prove it did not have any rights to her property.
Word Forms: arrogatingly, arrogation, arrogator, arrogative Antonym Forms: unarrogated, unarrogating

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22
Q

ascetic

A

(n) a person who practices self-denial as a spiritual discipline
To prove his devotion to the religion, the ascetic did not own anything that might provide comfort or pleasure, such
as a mattress or television set.
Word Forms: ascetic (adj.), ascetical, ascetically, asceticism

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23
Q

assiduous

A

(adj) constant and attentive
Ashley is an assiduous researcher; she was able to find articles on the poet that even the librarian could not locate.
Word Forms: assiduously, assiduousness, assiduity

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24
Q

assuage

A

(vb) to relieve or ease
The shoplifter assuaged his guilt by confessing to the crime.
Word Forms: assuagement, assuager Antonym Forms: unassuaged, unassuaging

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25
Q

augment

A

(vb) to enlarge or increase

In an effort to augment her paper on William Faulkner, Aubrey added three pages about

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26
Q

augury

A

(n) divine prediction
Augustus believed the groundhog’s shadow was an augury of a delayed springtime.
Word Forms: augural, augurate, auguration, augur

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27
Q

august

A

(adj) noble and dignified
The august king was admired for his good work.
Word Forms: augustly, augustness

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28
Q

avarice

A

(n) extreme greed for material wealth
Avery amassed million-dollar homes, luxury cars, and exquisite jewelry to satisfy her avarice, but still wanted more.
Word Forms: avaricious, avariciously, avariciousness

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29
Q

avuncular

A

(adj) resembling an uncle in kindness or indulgence
Mr. Avery developed an avuncular affection for his neighbor’s children after having spent so many years next door.
Word Forms: avuncularly, avuncularity Related Word: uncle

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30
Q

banal

A

(adj) repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
The plot of the movie is banal; everything that takes place in this film has happened in a dozen other movies.
Word Forms: banally, banalize, banality

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31
Q

belfry

A

(n) a bell tower

No one volunteered to clean out the belfry because of all the bats that live in it.

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32
Q

benevolent

A

(adj) charitable; kind
The benevolent nun spent her entire life working with the poor.
Word Forms: benevolently, benevolentness, benevolence Related Words: benefactor, benefit

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33
Q

bevy

A

: (n) a large group

The picnic lunch on the beach attracted a bevy of birds.

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34
Q

bilk

A

: (vb) to cheat or swindle
Bill was bilked out of $10,000 when he invested in the phony scheme.
Word Form: bilker

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35
Q

blight

A

: (n) any factor that causes decay or deterioration
The blight that killed Blake’s corn was responsible for the destruction of crops throughout the county.
Word Form: blightingly Antonym Forms: unblighted, unblightedly, unblightedness

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36
Q

blithe

A

: (adj) cheerful
Blythe was know for her blithe spirit; she was always happy and cheerful.
Word Forms: blitheful, blithefullly, blithely, blitheness, blithesome Related Word: overblithe

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37
Q

bombast

A

: (n) pompous or pretentious talk or writing

Be sure that your speech isn’t pretentious or inflated,

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38
Q

bonhomie

A

: (n) friendliness
Bonnie had many friends who admired her kind nature and bonhomie.
Word Form: bonhomous

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39
Q

boor

A

: (n) a person who is rude, clumsy, and lacking social manners
Boris was a boor at the dinner party; after telling the host that her house was cheaply decorated, he ate his steak
with his fingers and burped during the meal.
Word Forms: boorish, boorishly, boorishness
Note: Be careful not to confuse a boor (a rude person) with a bore (a boring person).

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40
Q

bromide

A

: (n) a common saying
As true as the old bromides are, such as “It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all,” none of
them are much comfort to a newly-broken heart.
Word Forms: bromidic, bromidically

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41
Q

bucolic

A

: (adj) relating to country life; rural
The farmer lived a bucolic lifestyle, rising with the sun to tend the farm and retiring at sundown.
Word Forms: bucolical, bucolically

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42
Q

burgeon

A

: (vb) to flourish

Under the mayor’s direction, the quiet town burgeoned into an active city

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43
Q

byzantine

A

: (adj) highly complex or intricate

In a home loan, the byzantine language and unfamiliar terminology can be intimidating to a first-time home buyer

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44
Q

cabal

A

: (n) a secret group of plotters or schemers
The cabal met in a church basement to plan the overthrow of the government.
Word Form: caballer Related Word: cabala

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45
Q

cacophony

A

: (n) harsh, jarring sound
On the first day of school, the band’s output was a cacophony of trumpets and horns; however, by the end of the year,
the horn section blended well with the rest of the ensemble.
Word Forms: cacophonic, cacophonous, cacophonously

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46
Q

cajole

A

: (vb) to influence by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
Caleb cajoled his mother into letting him borrow the car by

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47
Q

calumny

A

: (n) a false statement intended to harm someone’s reputation
Callie delivered the calumny about Brittany to an audience in the cafeteria; she hoped the lie would keep the other
girl from becoming Prom queen.
Word Forms: calumniate, calumniation, calumnious, calumniously, calumniatory, calumniator

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48
Q

canard

A

: (n) false story or rumor
The belief that Napoleon was short is a canard; he was actually 5’7”, an above average height for a Frenchman in
1800.

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49
Q

burnish

A

: (vb) to polish
In preparation for his dinner party, Bernie burnished the silverware and serving platters.
Word Forms: burnishable, burnishment, burnisher Antonym Form: unburnished

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50
Q

canonical

A

(adj) authorized or accepted
Pluto is no longer a canonical planet; due to its small mass, it was reclassified as a “dwarf planet” in 2006.
Word Forms: canonically, canon, canonic Antonym Forms: uncanonical, uncanonically

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51
Q

cantankerous

A

(adj) ill-tempered and unwilling to cooperate
The cantankerous old man took the little boy’s sucker and refused to give it back.
Word Forms: cantankerously, cantankerousness

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52
Q

capricious

A

: (adj) apt to change suddenly
Cane’s capricious personality made him a fun friend but a terrible boss; social spontaneity was exciting but
workplace unpredictability was frustrating.
Word Forms: capriciously, capriciousness, caprice

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53
Q

castigate

A

(vb) to criticize or punish severely
Cassie was castigated by her parents and the school principal for her role in the cheating scam.
Word Forms: castigation, castigative, castigatory, castigator

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54
Q

cataclysm

A

: (n) a violent upheaval
The political uprising against the dictator is a cataclysm that will hopefully result in a more democratic regime.
Word Forms: cataclysmic, cataclysmically, cataclysmal Related Word: catastrophe

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55
Q

cathartic

A

: (adj) inducing a release of tense emotions
Painting was a cathartic exercise for Cathy; through her paintings she was able to release anger and fear.
Word Forms: cathartically, catharticalness

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56
Q

catholic

A

: (adj) universal; liberal
Cathy had very catholic tastes, enjoying a wide array of food and drink.
Word Forms: catholically, catholicly, catholicalness, catholicness

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57
Q

caustic

A

: (adj) burning or stinging
Cosette’s caustic remark stung Kent; he could handle criticism about his job, but her bitter words were personal.
Word Forms: caustically, causticly, causticness, causticity

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58
Q

caustic

A

: (adj) burning or stinging
Cosette’s caustic remark stung Kent; he could handle criticism about his job, but her bitter words were personal.
Word Forms: caustically, causticly, causticness, causticity

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59
Q

cavalier

A

: (n) a man who is chivalrous and gallant
The young cavalier was rewarded for his gallant behavior when he was chosen to escort the princess to the ball.
Word Forms: cavalier (adj.), cavalierly, cavalierness, cavalierism

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60
Q

charlatan

A

: (n) a person who falsely claims to possess skills or knowledge; an imposter
The charlatan tricked the unsuspecting customers out of money by pretending to be able to predict the future.
Word Forms: charlatanic, charlatanish, charlatanical, charlatanically, charlatanistic, charlatanry, charlatanism

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61
Q

chary

A

: (adj) cautious; timid; choosy
Charlie was chary of sitting on the wobbly chair; he was afraid it would break under his weight.
Word Form: charily Antonym Form: unchary

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62
Q

chicanery

A

: (n) the use of tricks to deceive someone
The con artist relied on chicanery to get his victims to reveal their Social Security numbers; he promised them a
tropical vacation for simply listing their personal information.
Word Forms: chicane, chicaner

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63
Q

churlish

A

: (adj) rude and vulgar
Cheryl did not think the man’s churlish jokes were appropriate, and asked that he apologize for his vulgarity.
Word Forms: churlishly, churlishness, churl

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64
Q

circumlocution

A

: (n) an indirect way of expressing something
Sergio hoped that his circumlocution would stall the reporters long enough to think of a better answer to their
question.
Word Forms: circumlocutory, circumlocutorily, circumlocutional, circumlocutionary

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65
Q

detractor

A

critic; a person who disparages someone or something.

“the island, say its detractors, has been devoured by development”

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66
Q

circumscribed

A

: (adj) restricted
Her driving privileges are circumscribed by the state; she is only allowed to drive at night if she is returning from
work.
Word Forms: circumscribable, circumscriber Related Word: circle

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67
Q

circumspect

A

: (adj) cautious; discreet
Given the recent theft of passwords, you need to be circumspect when sharing personal information on the internet.
Word Forms: circumsp

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68
Q

clandestine

A

: (adj) secret
The school administrators held clandestine meetings about the school uniform policy; they were afraid that if the
public knew they were contemplating a new policy, the outcry

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69
Q

cloying

A

: (adj) wearying through excess
Her perfume smelled sweet at first but became cloying after sitting in the car with her for an hour.
Word Forms: cloy, cloyingly Antonym Form: uncloying

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70
Q

coffer

A

: (n) a box for storing valuables; funds
Keifer depleted the organizations coffers, but his plan was to replenish the funds.
Word Form: cofferlike

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71
Q

cogent

A

: (adj) convincing; telling
Craig presents a cogent argument through sound evidence and logical conclusions.
Word Forms: cogency, cogently Antonym Form: noncogent, noncogently, uncogent, uncogently

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72
Q

collusion

A

: (n) a secret agreement; conspiracy
The founding fathers worked in collusion to revolt against the British government.
Word Forms: collusive, collusively, collusory Antonym Forms: noncollusion, noncollusive Related Word:
colludet

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73
Q

conciliate

A

: (vb) to win over; to make peace
The manager was able to conciliate the angry customer by offering her a fifty dollar gift certificate.
Word Forms: conciliable, conciliation, conciliatory, conciliatorily, conciliatoriness Related Word: reconcile

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74
Q

concomitant

A

: (adj) existing or occurring at the same time
Building a home can be an exciting process, but it also has concomitant stress associated with difficult decisions.
Word Forms: concomitant (n.), concomitantly, concomitance

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75
Q

voyeurism

A

noun
the practice of gaining sexual pleasure from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity.
“Internet sites dedicated to the act of voyeurism”

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76
Q

conflagration

A

: (n) a destructive fire
The fire department determined that the conflagration in the old warehouse was a result of faulty wiring.
Word Forms: conflagrative, conflagrate, conflagrant

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77
Q

conspicuous

A

: (adj) obvious
The realtor put the “For Sale” sign in a conspicuous spot in the front yard so that people in traffic could easily see it.
Word Forms: conspicuously, conspicuousness, conspicuity
Antonym Forms: inconspicuous, inconspicuously, inconspicuousness

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78
Q

consummate

A

: (adj) perfect and complete
Constantine is the consummate host; he greets his guests, makes sure they are comfortable and enjoying themselves,
and introduces new friends to everyone.
Word Forms: consummate (vb.), consummately, consummatory, consummation, consummator

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79
Q

contrite

A

: (adj) feeling guilty and remorseful
The contrite criminal broke into sobs as he apologized to the victim’s family for the suffering he had caused.
Word Forms: contritely, contriteness, contrition

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80
Q

contumacious

A

: (adj) willfully disobedient
The contumacious convict spat at the judge and refused to acknowledge his sentence.
Word Forms: contumaciously, contumaciousness, contumacity Antonym Form: noncontumacious,
noncontumaciously, noncontumaciousness Related Words: contumely, contumelious, contumeliously,
contumliousness

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81
Q

corpulent

A

: (adj) excessively fat
The corpulent man purchased two adjacent airline seats in order to have a more comfortable flight.
Word Forms: corpulently, corpulence, corpulency

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82
Q

cosset

A

: (vb) to pamper
Cossette cosseted the puppy, providing him with diamond collars, caviar dinners, and doggy massages.
Word Form: cosseted Antonym Form: uncosseted

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83
Q

coterie

A

: (n) an exclusive group of people; a clique

The town’s wealthiest socialites formed a coterie and few people were able to gain entrance to the circle

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84
Q

clique

A

noun
a small close-knit group of people who do not readily allow others to join them.
“his flat became a haven for a clique of young men of similar tastes”

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85
Q

craven

A

: (adj) cowardly
Rather than face her landlord and explain the damage to the house, the craven tenant packed up and moved in the
night.
Word Forms: craven (n), cravenly, cravenness Antonym Form: uncraven

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86
Q

crescendo

A

: (n) peak of growth
The cheers in the audience reached a crescendo when the concert headliner was introduced.
Antonym Form: decrescendo Related Word: crescent

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87
Q

cupidity

A

: (n) excessive greed
Cullen’s downfall was his cupidity; he couldn’t walk away with the money he had already embezzled and was caught
when he went back for more.
Word Form: cupidinous

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88
Q

curmudgeon

A

: (n) cranky, difficult person
The old curmudgeon complained about every part of his meal.
Word Form: curmudgeonly Related Word: cur

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89
Q

dalliance

A

: (n) the deliberate act of delaying and playing instead of working
Dalton’s dalliance at the basketball court kept him from working on the term paper that was due tomorrow.
Word Forms: dally, dallyingly, dallier Related Word: dilly-dally

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90
Q

daunt

A

: (vb) to cause to lose courage
Don had finally worked up the courage to ride the roller coaster when he was daunted by the pale faces of the riders
who had just completed the ride.
Word Forms: dauntingly, dauntingness Antonym Forms: dauntless, dauntlessly, dauntlessness, undaunted,
undauntedly

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91
Q

dearth

A

: (n) a lack in supply

During the Second World War, the dearth of male baseball players led to the creation of a women’s baseball league.

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92
Q

declivity

A

: (n) a downward slope
The backyard’s declivity caused rainwater to wash down it, creating a pool of standing water at the bottom of the
slope.
Word Forms: declivitous, declivous, declivent Antonym Form: acclivity

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93
Q

decorous

A

: (adj) proper and dignified
The decorous host made sure that she had proper table settings; each was arranged correctly for the five-course
meal.
Word Forms: decorously, de

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94
Q

deleterious

A

: (adj) harmful
The deleterious effects of cigarette smoking, such as lung cancer, are highlighted in the public service campaign.
Word Forms: deleteriously, deleteriousness Related Word: delete

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95
Q

delineate

A

: (vb) to outline
In her speech, Delilah clearly delineated her plans for changing several policies should she be elected class
president.
Word Forms: delineable, delineative, delineation, delineament, delineatory, delineator Antonym Form:
undelineated

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96
Q

demagogue

A

: (n) a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions and prejudices
Hitler was a demagogue who gained power by exploiting religious prejudices in Germany.
Word Forms: demagoguery, demagogism, demagogic, demagogical, demagogically

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97
Q

demarcate

A

: (vb) to set, mark, or draw the boundaries of something
The twins demarcated the room after their fight; Demarcus was only allowed access to the right side of their room,
while Demonte had to stay on the left side.
Word Forms: demarcation, demarcator

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98
Q

demur

A

: (vb) to object
I was surprised when my father did not demur to me attending the rival college of his alma mater.
Word Forms: demurrable, demurral, demurrer Antonym Form: undemurring

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99
Q

denigrate

A

: (vb) to damage the reputation of
The candidate hoped to denigrate his opponent’s character by exposing the embezzlement scandal.
Word Forms: denigration, denigrative, denigratory, denigrator

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100
Q

derelict

A

: (n) a person without a home, job, or property
The derelict spent his days begging on the street corner and his nights sleeping in the alley.
Word Forms: derelict (adj.), derelictly, derelictness, dereliction Related Word: relinquish

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101
Q

derelict

A

: (n) a person without a home, job, or property
The derelict spent his days begging on the street corner and his nights sleeping in the alley.
Word Forms: derelict (adj.), derelictly, derelictness, dereliction Related Word: relinquish

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102
Q

deride

A

: (vb) to ridicule
The unsupportive team captain derided Desiree’s attempts to make the volleyball squad.
Word Forms: deridingly, derision, derisive, derisible, derider

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103
Q

derivative

A

: (n) something that came from an original
The Pilates exercise system is a derivative of the ancient Indian practice of yoga.
Word Forms: derivative (adj.), derivatively, derivativeness, derive, derivation

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104
Q

locution

A

a word or phrase, especially with regard to style or idiom.
a person’s style of speech.
“his impeccable locution”

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105
Q

desiccate

A

: (vb) to dry up
When the flowers in my bouquet desiccate, I can preserve them as dried flowers.
Word Forms: desiccation, desiccative, desiccated, desiccator

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106
Q

despoiler

A

: (n) a person who steals goods
The despoilers from the pirate ship stripped the village members of all their possessions.
Word Forms: despoil, despoilment Related Word: spoils (n.)

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107
Q

despot

A

: (n) a ruler with complete power
The despot was a harsh ruler who imposed outrageous taxes and unreasonable upon against his subjects.
Word Forms: despotic, despotical, despotically, despotism

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108
Q

destitute

A

: (adj) completely wanting or lacking (usually money, food, and shelter)
The homeless man wasn’t always destitute; he once had a job, but poor money management led to bankruptcy.
Word Forms: destitutely, destituteness, destitution

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109
Q

desultory

A

: (adj) disconnected and random
People wondered about Desiree’s mental state when her conversation turned desultory; she jumped from topic to
topic with seemingly no connection.
Word Forms: desultorily, desultoriness, desultorious

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110
Q

diaphanous

A

: (adj) sheer; nearly translucent
Daphne would be wise to wear a slip under that diaphanous skirt.
Word Forms: diaphanously, diaphanousness, diaphaneity Antonym Forms: nondiaphanous, nondiaphanously

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111
Q

diatribe

A

: (n) bitter criticism; verbal attack
It was clear from Diana’s diatribes against her mother that their relationship was beyond repair.
Word Form: diatribist

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112
Q

dictum

A

: (n) a formal statement

The president released a dictum forbidding texting while at work.

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113
Q

didactic

A

: (adj) educational
The children’s book is not only entertaining, but also didactic; the story teaches the dietary habits of marine animals.
Word Forms: didactical, didactically, didacticism, didact Related Words: autodidactic, autodidact

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114
Q

diffident

A

: (adj) shy; reserved
Daphne was diffident when she first made the team, but by the end of the season, she was clearly a leader on the
court.
Word Forms: diffidently, diffidenness, diffidence Antonym Forms: nondiffident, nondiffidently, undiffident

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115
Q

dilatory

A 
\: (adj) intending to delay
Dillon asked nearly twenty dilatory questions at the start of class in an attempt to postpone the scheduled math test.
Word Forms: dilatorily, dilatoriness Related Word: delay
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116
Q

dilatory

A 
\: (adj) intending to delay
Dillon asked nearly twenty dilatory questions at the start of class in an attempt to postpone the scheduled math test.
Word Forms: dilatorily, dilatoriness Related Word: delay
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117
Q

dilettante

A

: (n) a person who engages in an activity (such as art) without serious intentions or inquiry
Although Dylan started painting, he was merely a dilettante; his paintings were amateur attempts at a part-time
hobby.
Word Forms: dilettantish, dilettanteism

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118
Q

dirge

A

: (n) a funeral song
As the dirge played, mournful cries could be heard throughout the funeral.
Word Forms: dirgeful

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119
Q

disabuse

A

: (vb) to free someone from false ideas
Dixon believed tomatoes were vegetables but I disabused him of that idea when I revealed they are actually fruits.
Word Form: disabusal

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120
Q

discern

A

: (vb) to perceive or understand with sight or other senses
The captain discerned another ship in the fog.
Word Forms: discernible, discernibly, discernment, discernibility, discernableness, discerner
Antonym Forms: indiscernible, indiscernibly, indiscernibility, indiscernibleness

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121
Q

disdain

A

: (n) a lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
The suspect was looked upon with disdain by the detectives who investigated the terrible crime.
Word Forms: disdain (vb.), disdainful, disdainfully, disdainfulness Related Word: deign

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122
Q

disingenuous

A

: (adj) insincere
Denise’s disingenuous apology was just an attempt to get out of her punishment; she was not truly sorry for going to
the concert without permission.
Word Forms: disingenuously, disingenuousness, disingenuity Antonym Forms: ingenuous, ingenuously,
ingenuousness
Related Word: genuine

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123
Q

disparage

A

: (vb) to belittle or criticize
My mom’s feelings were hurt when I disparaged her cooking skills.
Word Forms: disparagement, disparaging (adj.), disparagingly, disparager

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124
Q

disparate

A

: (adj) different and distinct
The mixture of three disparate styles—jazz, rock, and country—created a unique sound and a diverse audience.
Word Forms: disparately, disparateness Related Word: disparity

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125
Q

dissembler

A

: (n) a person who conceals his real feelings by professing false beliefs
The dissembler pledged allegiance to the rebel group, but he was really working undercover for the opposing army.
Word Forms: dissemble, dissemblingly, dissemblance Related Words: resemble, semblance

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126
Q

profess

A

claim that one has (a quality or feeling), especially when this is not the case.

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127
Q

disseminate

A

: (vb) to spread widely
The police hoped the information about the suspect would disseminate quickly; the more people who knew, the better
chances of apprehending the wanted man.
Word Forms: dissemination, disseminative, disseminator

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128
Q

dissonance

A

: (n) harsh, jarring sound
On the first day of school, the band’s output was a dissonance of trumpets and horns; however, by the end of the
year, the horn section blended well with the rest of the ensemble.
Word Form: dissonancy Antonym Form: consonance Related Words: assonance, resonance

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129
Q

distaff

A

: (n) the female part of a family
Driving skills clearly fell on the distaff side of the family; the ladies had clean driving records but the men had
sixteen traffic tickets among them.

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130
Q

dither

A

: (vb) to be indecisive
Dillon dithered on whether to go to business school or law school.
Word Forms: ditherer, dithery

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131
Q

diurnal

A

: (adj) daily; daytime
Humans are diurnal creatures, so working the night shift can disrupt our natural sleep rhythms.
Word Forms: diurnally, diurnalness Antonym Forms: undiurnal, undiurnally Related Word: nocturnal

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132
Q

doctrinaire

A

: (adj) impractical; insistent about one’s own theory
The doctor believed that the lack of exercise was the single cause of high blood pressure and was doctrinaire in his
inability to accept genetic factors.
Word Forms: doctrinaire (n), doctrinairism Antonym Forms: nondoctrinaire, undoctrinaire

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133
Q

dogmatic

A

: (adj) characterized by assertion of unproved or unprovable principles
The dogmatic scientist continued to publish his theory, despite the fact that it was unproven.
Word Forms: dogmatically, dogmaticalness, dogmatize, dogmatism, dogmatist Related Words: dogma

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134
Q

droll

A

: (adj) amusing; comical
The droll little man amused the children with his odd gait and his quaint way of speaking.
Word Forms: drollness, drolly, drollery

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135
Q

dyspeptic

A

: (adj) irritable and gloomy
Dyson was dyspeptic about his acceptance into business school; everyone tried to cheer him up, but he was
convinced he would be rejected.
Word Forms: dyspeptically Antonym Forms: nondyspeptic, nondyspeptical, nondyspeptically

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136
Q

ebullient

A

: (adj) extremely excited or enthusiastic
The ebullient child clapped her hands and jumped up and down as she waited to ride the pony at the party.
Word Forms: ebulliently, ebullience

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137
Q

eclectic

A

: (adj) made up of choices from diverse sources
Mrs. Eckert has an eclectic music collection; her albums span from classic jazz to hip hop to disco.
Word Forms: eclectically, eclecticist Related Word: select

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138
Q

edify

A

: (vb) to benefit by instruction
The art teacher edified his students by taking them to a premier art gallery to teach about painting techniques.
Word Forms: edifier, edifyingly, edifying, reedify Antonym Forms: nonedified, unedified

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139
Q

efficacious

A

: (adj) effective
The pest repellent was efficacious in keeping the mosquitoes away; none of the guests were bothered by the bugs.
Word Forms: efficaciously, efficaciousness, efficacy, efficacity
Antonym Forms: inefficacious, inefficaciously, inefficaciousness, inefficacy, inefficacity

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140
Q

effigy

A

: (n) a representation of someone
The mayor’s effigy was unveiled as a sculpture in the park, erected to honor his lifelong service.
Word Form: effigial

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141
Q

effrontery

A

: (n) shameless boldness

She had the effrontery to imply that I was pregnant when in fact I had just gained some weight

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142
Q

effusive

A

: (adj) excessive enthusiasm or emotion
Effie’s effusive praise was so excessive and over-the-top that it almost seemed insincere.
Word Forms: effusively, effusiveness Related Words: effuse, infuse

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143
Q

egalitarian

A

: (adj) characterized by the belief in equal rights for all people
Edgar’s egalitarian beliefs made him an excellent husband; he divided the housework equally, helping his wife with
cooking, cleaning, and childcare

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144
Q

egregious

A

: (adj) outrageously bad or offensive
Edie made the egregious mistake of asking the slightly overweight woman if she were expecting a baby.
Word Forms: egregiously, egregiousness

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145
Q

elegy

A

: (n) a sad poem or song
“To An Athlete Dying Young” is a heartbreaking elegy written by A. E. Housman.
Word Forms: elegize, elegist

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146
Q

elicit

A

: (vb) to call or bring out
The woman elicits sympathy from her audience by telling the story of her difficult childhood.
Word Forms: elicitation, elicitor Related Word: solicit
Note: elicit is often confused with illicit, which means illegal

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147
Q

eloquent

A

: (adj) expressing oneself powerfully and effectively
The minister’s eloquent sermon stirred the members of the church.
Word Forms: eloquently, eloquence Antonym Forms: ineloquent, ineloquently, ineloquence

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148
Q

embroil

A

: (vb) to bring into an argument or negative situation
Emory is embroiled in a lawsuit with his former landlord over the condition of the apartment when he moved out.
Word Forms: embroilment, embroiler

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149
Q

emissary

A

: (n) a person sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else
The general sent an emissary to the enemy’s camp to inquire about the terms of surrender.
Related Words: emission, emissive, emit

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150
Q

emollient

A

: (n) that which has a softening or soothing effect, especially to the skin
Emmaline applied an emollient lotion to the rough calluses on her hands.
Word Form: emollient (adj.), emollience

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151
Q

empirical

A

: (adj) resulting from an experiment
As a scientist, Emmie relied on empirical data every day, which is why it was hard for her to trust her intuition.
Word Forms: empirically, empiricalness

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152
Q

encomium

A

: (n) high praise
The chairwoman delivered an encomium about Enzo before introducing him as the employee of the month.
Word Form: encomia

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153
Q

endemic

A

: (adj) natural to a local area
Fire ants are endemic to the southeastern coastal plains, but they have started to migrate to the interior.
Word Forms: endemically, endemism Antonym Forms: nonendemic, unendemic Related Words: epidemic,
pandemic

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154
Q

enervated

A

: (adj) lacking strength or vigor
After an entire weekend of moving furniture, Enrico was enervated; he would need to rest to get his strength back.
Word Forms: enervate (vb.), enervation, enervative, enervator

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155
Q

engender

A

: (vb) to produce
Divorce can engender feelings of anger, loss, and powerlessness.
Word Forms: engenderer, engenderment Antonym Form: unengendered Related Word: generate

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156
Q

ennui

A

: (n) boredom

The monotony of my job produces utter ennui.

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157
Q

eloquent

A

: (adj) expressing oneself powerfully and effectively
The minister’s eloquent sermon stirred the members of the church.
Word Forms: eloquently, eloquence Antonym Forms: ineloquent, ineloquently, ineloquence

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158
Q

desolate

A

(of a place) uninhabited and giving an impression of bleak emptiness.

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159
Q

dilapidate

A

cause (something) to fall into disrepair or ruin

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160
Q

ephemeral

A

: (adj) lasting a very short time
Effie’s sadness over her breakup is ephemeral; she will quickly find a new boyfriend to help her forget the last.
Word Forms: ephemeral (n.), ephemerally, ephemeralness, ephemerality, ephemerous, ephemeron

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161
Q

epicure

A

: (n) a person with refined tastes, particularly of food and wine
The reality show features several epicures judging the cooking skills of America’s best chefs.
Word Forms: epicurean, epicureous, epicurism

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162
Q

epistolary

A

: (adj) relating to letters

The couple has an epistolary relationship; although they have never met, they communi

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163
Q

equanimity

A

: (n) steadiness of mind under stress
Eva made an excellent emergency room doctor because she handled trauma with equanimity; she was clear-headed
during the most stressful situations.
Word Forms: equanimous, equanimously, equanimousness Related Word: longanimity

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164
Q

equivocal

A

: (adj) uncertain; open to multiple interpretations
The politician’s equivocal statement about the environment could support either side of the issue.
Word Forms: equivocality, equivocacy, equivocally, equivocalness
Antonym Forms: unequivocal, unequivocally, unequivocalness

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165
Q

ersatz

A

: (adj) artificial; serving to substitute

Aspertame is an ersatz sugar that has caused a lot of controversy in recent years.

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166
Q

erudition

A

: (n) knowledge gained from study
Erik’s erudition is sure to help him win a lot of money on the trivia-based quiz show.
Word Forms: eruditional, erudite, eruditely, eruditeness

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167
Q

eschew

A

: (vb) to avoid; to shun
Attempting to follow a low carb diet, Essie eschewed all foods containing sugar.
Word Forms: eschewal, eschewer Antonym Form: uneschewed

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168
Q

esoteric

A

: (adj) intended for a select group of people; secret or confidential
Esteban was a member of an esoteric club, whose membership consisted strictly of men over fifty who lived in the
city.
Word Forms: esoterically, esotericism, esotericist Antonym Forms: exoteric, exoterically, exotericism

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169
Q

espouse

A

: (vb) to adopt or marry (such as an idea or cause)
Although Esmerelda had never practiced a formal religion, she espoused her fiancé’s faith in order to join his
church.
Word Forms: espousal, espouser Related Word: spouse

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170
Q

ethos

A

: (n) the spirit or attitude of a group

The ethos of 4-H is education resulting in positive change for the community.

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171
Q

eulogy

A

: (n) a formal expression of praise (often delivered at funerals)
The director delivered a eulogy about the center’s most helpful volunteer, praising her for helping the needy.
Word Forms: eulogize, eulogist

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172
Q

euphemism

A

: (n) an inoffensive word or phrase used in place of one that is hurtful or harsh
In the hospital’s yearly report, the euphemism “negative patient outcome” is used instead of “death.”
Word Forms: euphemistic, euphemistically, euphemist, euphemistical, euphemious, euphemously, euphemize
Antonym Forms: uneuphemistic, uneuphemistical

173
Q

euphony

A

: (n) pleasant sound
When the orchestra started to play, a euphony ensued that made audience members smile.
Word Forms: euphonize, euphonious, euphoniously, euphoniousness
Antonym Forms: noneuphonious, noneuphoniously, noneuponiousness

174
Q

evanescent

A

: (adj) vanishing
Many people believe that youth is evanescent, quickly vanishing before it can be truly appreciated.
Word Forms: evanescently, evanesce, evanescence Related Word: vanish

175
Q

exacerbate

A

: (vb) to increase the harshness or bitterness of
My headache was exacerbated by the child playing drums on the pots and pans.
Word Forms: exacerbatingly, exacerbation Related Word: acerbate
Note: exacerbate is often confused with exasperate (meaning to irritate).

176
Q

exasperate

A

: (vb) to intensely irritate
The airline passenger was exasperated by the last minute cancellation of his flight.
Word Forms: exasperatedly, exasperatingly, exasperation, exasperator
Related Word: asperate
Note: exasperate is often confused with exacerbate (meaning to increase).

177
Q

exculpate

A

: (vb) to clear from blame
The arson suspect was exculpated when forensics revealed that the fire had been the result of faulty wiring.
Word Forms: exculpable, exculpation, exculpatory Related Words: culpable, culprit
Antonym Forms: inculpate, inculpable, inculpation, inculpably, inculpatory, inculpability, inculpableness

178
Q

exegesis

A

: (n) an explanation or critical interpretation (especially of the Bible)
The minister is delivering an exegesis on the first two books of the Bible, where he will interpret the lessons from
Genesis and Exodus and apply them to modern times.
Word Forms: exegetic, exegetical, exegetically, exegete, exegetist

179
Q

exigent

A

: (adj) urgent; demanding
This is an exigent matter: if you don’t reach the client in time, we stand to lose millions of dollars.
Word Forms: exigently, exigence Antonym Forms: nonexigent, nonexigently, unexigent, unexigently

180
Q

exonerate

A

: (vb) to clear from blame
The use of DNA helped exonerate the innocent man; twenty years after he was sent to prison, he was released.
Word Forms: exoneration, exonerative, exonerator

181
Q

expatriate

A

: (n) a person who lives outside his own country, often to renounce allegiance
The little village in Costa Rica is filled with American expatriates who moved there for a more relaxed lifestyle.
Word Forms: expatriate (vb.), expatriation Related Word: patriot

182
Q

explicator

A

: (n) a person who explains or interprets
My attorney was an excellent explicator; he clearly interpreted each clause of the legal contract.
Word Forms: explicate, explication, explicative, explicatively, explicatory Related Word: explicit

183
Q

exponent

A

: (n) one who explains or interprets
The teacher was an exponent of turn of the century literature, explaining the themes that populated novels at that
time.
Word Forms: exponent (adj), exponential, exponentially Antonym Forms: nonexponential, nonexponentially

184
Q

expurgate

A

: (vb) to revise by removing offensive text; to purify by cleansing
Recent versions of Huckleberry Finn have been expurgated to remove racial slurs and references.
Word Forms: expurgated, expurgation, expurgator Antonym Form: unexpurgated

185
Q

extol

A

: (vb) to praise highly
The critic extolled the works of Shakespeare, citing them as the most important contribution to the English language.
Word Forms: extollingly, extolment, extoller

186
Q

extraneous

A

: (adj) not relevant or essential
When studying for the SAT, be sure to ignore the extraneous information in the book, such as the history of the test.
Word Forms: extraneously, extraneousness Related Word: extra

187
Q

facetious

A

: (adj) not intended to be taken seriously
Fatima, who hated getting her teeth cleaned, was being facetious when she said, “I love going to the dentist!”
Word Forms: facetiously, facetiousness

188
Q

fallacy

A

: (n) a false idea
Many textbooks teach the fallacy that George Washington cut down a cherry tree; it is widely believed that an author
made up that story to increase the sales of his book.
Word Forms: fallacious, fallaciously, fallaciousness

189
Q

fallible

A

: (adj) capable of making a mistake
Fallon knew that her boyfriend was fallible, but she was still disappointed to learn that he had lied to her.
Word Forms: fallibly, fallibility, fallibleness Antonym Forms: infallible, infallibly, infallibility, infallibleness
Related Word: fall

190
Q

fallow

A

: (adj) not in use
The fallow field had not been used for crops in over a decade so the farmer had to till and aerate the soil.
Word Forms: fallowness Antonym Form: unfallowed

191
Q

fastidious

A

: (adj) giving careful attention to detail; hard to please
Mrs. Foster, my teacher, is a fastidious grader; she deducts points for any error in grammar, punctuation, or spelling.
Word Forms: fastidiously, fastidiousness Antonym Form: unfastidious

192
Q

fatuous

A

: (adj) foolish and silly
The professor made a fatuous argument that everyone dismissed due to its extreme foolishness.
Word Forms: fatuously, fatuousness

193
Q

fawn

A

: (vb) to seek attention through flattery
The associate fawned over his supervisor in an attempt to receive a raise.
Word Forms: fawner, fawningly, fawningness

194
Q

fecund

A

: (adj) productive; fruitful
The fecund field has been producing record-setting crops for many years.
Word Forms: fecundity, fecundate, fecundator, fecundatory

195
Q

felicity

A

: (n) pleasing and appropriate style; happiness
The book review highlighted both the felicities and the imperfections of the novel.
Word Forms: felicitous, felicitously, felicitousness Antonym Forms: infelicity, infelicitous, infelicitously

196
Q

fervid

A

: (adj) hot or passionate
The fervid senator fought passionately for victim’s rights.
Word Forms: fervidity, fervidly, fervidness Antonym Form: nonfervid, nonfervidly, nonfervidness Related Word:
fervent

197
Q

fetid

A

: (adj) stinky; smelling of decay
I hated turning the compost pile because of its fetid smell.
Word Forms: fetidly, fetidness, fetidity

198
Q

flippant

A

: (adj) disrespectful; lacking seriousness
Floyd was grounded for making flippant remarks about the new rules his father set for him.
Word Forms: flippantly, flippantness, flippancy

199
Q

flotsam

A

: (n) floating wreckage or useless, discarded items
In the filthy city, the gullies are filled with flotsam that finds its way into the sewer after a heavy rain.
Related Word: jetsam Note: Flotsam originally referred to the floating wreckage of a boat, while jetsam
referred to the items discarded by a ship in distress. Both are loosely used today to refer to useless, discarded items.

200
Q

foible

A

: (n) a minor flaw or weakness of character
Foster’s only foible is his inability to make a decision.
Related Word: feeble

201
Q

fomentation

A

: (n) a push for trouble or rebellion
The juniors would not have participated in skip day if it weren’t for the fomentation of their senior friends.
Word Forms: foment, fomenter

202
Q

foppish

A

: (adj) affecting extreme elegance in dress and manner
The foppish fellow wore a three piece suit and a top hat to the wedding.
Word Forms: foppishly, foppishness, foppery, fop

203
Q

ford

A

: (n) a shallow portion of a river used for crossing
Pioneers often would travel miles out of their way in order to find a ford that would allow them to safely cross a
river.
Word Forms: ford (vb), fordable

204
Q

formidable

A

: (adj) causing fear due to powerful strength
Forrest is a formidable opponent on the tennis court; he has not lost a set in his last twenty games.
Word Forms: formidably, formidableness, formidabilty

205
Q

fortuitous

A

: (adj) fortunate; by chance
Getting stuck in an elevator with a head hunter on my way to a job interview turned out to be a fortuitous event.
Word Forms: fortuitously, fortuitousness, fortuity Antonym Form: nonfortuitous, nonfortuitously,
nonfortuitousness Related Word: fortunate

206
Q

fractious

A

: (adj) unruly; irritable
Fido was a fractious dog who refused to cooperate even after months of obedience classes.
Word Forms: fractiously, fractiousness Antonym Form: unfractious, unfractiously, unfractiousness

207
Q

frenetic

A

: (adj) frantic
The castaways were frenetic in waving down the rescue plane.
Word Forms: frenetically, frenetical Antonym Form: nonfrenetic, nonfrenetically

208
Q

frivolous

A

: (adj) not serious; silly
The author’s new novel is a frivolous look at life in the city; although it lacks the serious tones of his previous novels,
it’s a fun and enjoyable story.
Word Forms: frivolously, frivolousness, frivolity, frivol, frivoler

209
Q

frugal

A

: (adj) characterized by the avoidance of excessive spending
A frugal shopper will always wait for items to go on sale or clearance before purchasing them.
Word Forms: frugally, frugalness, frugality

210
Q

fulminate

A

: (vb) to explode loudly or to loudly pronounce
Phil was angry at his boss and fulminated his frustrations to his coworkers at lunch.
Word Forms: fulminator, fulminatory, fulmination Antonym Form: nonfulminating, unfulminated,
unfulminating

211
Q

furtive

A

: (adj) sneaky
Frank devised a furtive plan in which he would sneak onto the rival’s campus and steal their school flag.
Word Forms: furtively, furtiveness

212
Q

gambol

A

: (n) to skip and frolic

Grandma was a fun friend; she gamboled through the field with me, collecting flowers and chasing butterflies.

213
Q

garner

A

: (vb) to earn or to collect
Garrett garnered a reputation as a fierce lawyer after winning the trial amid national scrutiny.
Antonym Form: ungarnered

214
Q

garrulous

A

: (adj) excessively talkative or wordy
The garrulous hairdresser talked the entire time he cut my hair.
Word Forms: garrulously, garrulousness, garrulity

215
Q

genial

A

: (adj) polite and friendly
It’s important for a kindergarten teacher to be genial; young children respond positively to a friendly adult.
Word Forms: genially, genialness, geniality Related Word: congenial

216
Q

germane

A

: (adj) related to; relevant
I have some ideas germane to the discussion that might resolve some of the issues we are having.
Word Forms: germanely, germaneness Antonym Forms: nongermane, ungermane

217
Q

glib

A

: (adj) fluent and talkative, often insincerely so
The glib salesman promised me that the car had been inspected, but the transmission blew two days after I bought it.
Word Forms: glibly, glibness Antonym Forms: unglib, unglibly

218
Q

glower

A

: (vb) to stare with dislike or anger
Mr. Glover glowered at me after I walked on his flowers.
Word Form: gloweringly Antonym Forms: unglowering, ungloweringly

219
Q

gradation

A

: (n) gradual or successive changes
The bumble bee can see subtle gradations in color that humans are unable to notice.
Word Forms: gradational, gradationally Related Word: regradation

220
Q

gratuitous

A

: (adj) free; given without reason
On Monday, our supervisor announced that all employees were receiving two gratuitous tickets to this weekend’s
concert.
Word Forms: gratuitously, gratuitousness, gratuity

221
Q

gregarious

A

: (adj) sociable
Greg is a gregarious student who finds it difficult to avoid socializing during class.
Word Forms: gregariously, gregariousness Antonym Form: ungregarious

222
Q

grovel

A

: (vb) lowering oneself as in asking forgiveness or showing respect
Grover groveled for forgiveness from his mother after he broke her favorite vase.
Word Forms: groveler, grovelingly Antonym Form: ungroveling

223
Q

guile

A

: (n) a skillful deception
The sneaky woman used guile to get close to the withdrawn millionaire; she pretended to have known his brother
who died in the war.
Word Forms: guileful, guilefully, guilefulness Antonym Forms: guileless, guilelessly, guilelessness
Related Words: guise, disguise

224
Q

gustatory

A

: (adj) relating to the sense of taste
The restaurant provides a gustatory experience by offering skewers of beef, pork, and poultry marinated in exotic
oils.
Word Forms: gustatorily, gustation, gustative, gustativeness

225
Q

hackneyed

A

: (adj) repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
Instead of relying on hackneyed clichés in your essay, try to create original metaphors and similes.
Word Form: hackney (vb.)

226
Q

halcyon

A

: (adj) joyful, peaceful, or prosperous
During the company’s halcyon days, the employees were making higher than average wages and enjoying benefits
unmatched by other corporations.
Word Forms: halcyonian, halcyonic

227
Q

hapless

A

: (adj) unlucky
The hapless fellow was in a car accident on the same day he lost the winning lottery ticket.
Word Forms: haplessly, haplessness

228
Q

harangue

A

: (n) a long, pompous speech
At the assembly, the principal delivered a harangue on the merits of perfect attendance and good behavior.
Word Forms: harangue (vb.), harangueful, haranguer

229
Q

pompous

A

affectedly grand, solemn, or self-important.

“a pompous ass who pretends he knows everything”

230
Q

hedonist

A

: (n) a person dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure
After working for years as a hospice nurse, Heidi had no respect for the hedonist who lived next door; by only
seeking pleasure, he left the more unpleasant activities to caretakers like Heidi.
Word Forms: hedonist (adj.), hedonistic, hedonistically, hedonism, hedonic, hedonically

231
Q

hegemony

A

: (n) leadership
The country exerted its hegemony over the smaller territories.
Word Forms: hegemonic, hegemonical Antonym Form: antihegemony

232
Q

heretical

A

: (adj) characteristic of an opinion at odds with accepted beliefs
Many people in the church believe the heretical teaching of evolution should be banned.
Word Forms: heresy, heretic, heretically, hereticalness Antonym Forms: nonheretical, nonheretically

233
Q

hermetic

A

: (adj) isolated and protected
Many of the sea islands were hermetic during the Civil War, making them a safe place for runaway slaves to hide.
Word Forms: hermetical, hermetically Antonym Form: unhermetic Related Word: hermit

234
Q

histrionic

A

: (adj) overly dramatic
The histrionic patient pretended to faint when he saw the needle used for the vaccination.
Word Forms: histrionic (n.), histrionics, histrionical, histrionically

235
Q

hoary

A

: (adj) old or stale
Harry tells the same hoary stories at every dinner party.
Word Forms: hoarily, hoariness Antonym Form: unhoary

236
Q

hubris

A

: (n) pride; arrogance
If pride goes before a fall, hubris goes before a downfall.
Word Form: hubristic Antonym Forms: nonhubristic, unhubristic

237
Q

husband

A

: (vb) to manage wisely or thriftily
Henry husbanded his finances so that he would have plenty to live on in retirement.
Word Form: husbander Antonym Form: unhusbanded Related Word: husband (n)

238
Q

iconoclast

A

: (n) a person who who attacks cherished ideas or traditional institutions
Many religious leaders accused the author of being an iconoclast for presenting evidence that contrasted with the
religion’s long-standing beliefs.
Word Forms: iconoclastic, iconoclastically, iconoclasm

239
Q

idiosyncrasy

A

: (n) a characteristic that is peculiar to a specific person
Some people found Ida’s idiosyncrasy a source of humor, but I never made fun of her for wearing her shirt
backwards.
Word Forms: idiosyncratic, idiosyncratically

240
Q

idolatrous

A

: (adj) great adoration
The young girl’s idolatrous worship of the teen heartthrob began to worry her mother.
Word Forms: idolatry, idolatrously, idolatrousness
Antonym Forms: nonidolatrous, nonidolatrously, nonidolatrousness Related Words: idol, idolize

241
Q

ignoble

A

: (adj) dishonorable; common
Your ignoble behavior at the dinner party will keep you off of invitation lists in the future.
Word Forms: ignobility, ignobleness, ignobly Antonym Forms: noble, nobility, nobly

242
Q

illusory

A

: (adj) creating illusions; deceiving
The illusory sweepstakes isn’t really a contest at all; “winners” think they have won a free cruise, but the trip
actually costs several hundred dollars and requires attendance at marketing seminars.
Word Forms: illusorily, illusoriness, illusive Related Word: illusion

243
Q

imbue

A

: (vb) to inspire
After the seminar, our supervisor was imbued with the teachings of the keynote speaker, a management expert.
Word Form: imbuement Antonym Form: unimbue

244
Q

impasse

A

: (n) blocked progress; deadlock

We came to an impasse in our discussion about our wedding colors; we both refused to compromise.

245
Q

impecunious

A

: (adj) poor
In less than a year, Imogen had lost all of her money, going from a wealthy businesswoman to a impecunious beggar.
Word Forms: impecuniously, impecuniousness, impecuniosity

246
Q

imperturbable

A

: (adj) calm; incapable of agitation
Imelda had imperturbable composure, which is why she was selected to tackle the nerve-wracking feat.
Word Forms: imperturbability, imperturbableness, imperturbably Antonym Forms: perturb, perturbable

247
Q

impious

A

: (adj) lacking respect or devotion, usually for a god or religion
Imogene had a difficult time convincing her impious husband to attend church with the family.
Word Forms: impiously, impiousness Antonym Forms: pious, piously, piousness

248
Q

implacable

A

: (adj) incapable of being pacified or appeased
Inez was so upset at the waiter that she became implacable; nothing the manager offered was going to make her
happy.
Word Forms: implacability, implacableness, implacably Antonym Forms: placable, placably, placability
Related Word: placid

249
Q

implicit

A

: (adj) implied though not directly expressed
Although we never mentioned the fight, there seemed to be an implicit agreement not to talk about it.
Word Forms: implicitly, implicitness, implicity Antonym Forms: explicit, explicitly, explicitness

250
Q

imprecation

A

: (n) a curse
The old woman dabbled in voodoo, and was known for casting imprecations on her enemies.
Word Forms: imprecate, imprecator, imprecatory Antonym Form: unimprecated

251
Q

impugn

A

: (vb) to attack as false or wrong
The candidate impugned his opponent’s voting record, proving that she had voted against reform she now supports.
Word Forms: impugnable, impugnability, impugnment, impugner Related Word: oppugn

252
Q

impute

A

: (vb) to attribute or credit to
The doctors imputed her sudden weight loss to a problem with her thyroid gland.
Word Forms: imputable, imputably, imputative, imputatively, imputativeness, imputedly, imputer Related Word:
putative

253
Q

incarnadine

A

: (adj) red or pink; flesh-colored
For Valentine’s Day, I gave my girlfriend incarnadine carnations since red is the color of love and passion.
Word Form: incarnadine (vb) Related Word: carnation

254
Q

inchoate

A

: (adj) in the early stages of development
Your inchoate plan for the fund-raiser has a lot of potential, but we need to discuss some details before moving
forward.
Word Forms: inchoately, inchoateness, inchoation, inchoative, inchoatively

255
Q

incipient

A

: (adj) beginning; just starting
The zinc lozenges will help an incipient cold, but do nothing for a well-established virus.
Word Forms: incipiently, incipience, incipiency

256
Q

incontrovertible

A

: (adj) unquestionable; impossible to deny
Protesters demanded the release of the imprisoned woman, saying there was incontrovertible proof of her innocence.
Word Forms: incontrovertibly, incontrovertibility, incontrovertibleness
Antonym Forms: controvertible, controvertibly, controvertibility, controvertibleness, controvert

257
Q

incorrigible

A

: (adj) incapable of being corrected or punished
The incorrigible child continued to throw his vegetables even after the mother threatened to send him to his room.
Word Forms: incorrigibly, incorrigibleness, incorrigibility
Antonym Forms: corrigible, corrigibly, corrigibleness, corrigibility

258
Q

incredulous

A

: (adj) skeptical; not willing to believe
The incredulous car buyer did not believe the dealer’s claim that the car was accident-free; he insisted on seeing a
report on the car’s history.
Word Forms: incredulously, incredulousness, incredulity Related Word: incredible
Antonym Forms: credulous, credulously, credulousness, credulity

259
Q

fruition

A

the realization or fulfilment of a plan or project.

“the plans have come to fruition rather sooner than expected”

260
Q

indignant

A

: (adj) displaying anger due to unfairness
The seniors were indignant over their disqualification in the homecoming contest, claiming that the decision was
unfair.
Word Forms: indignantly, indignation

261
Q

indolent

A

: (adj) lazy
India was an indolent worker, and was thus fired when it was discovered that she was lazy.
Word Forms: indolently, indolence

262
Q

ineffable

A

: (adj) incapable of being put into words
Effie’s joy at being reunited with her long-lost brother was ineffable; words could not explain her happiness.
Word Forms: ineffably, ineffableness, ineffability Antonym Form: effable

263
Q

inexorable

A

: (adj) unyielding
Mary Ingalls was aware that she would lose her sight before she began her inexorable decline into blindness.
Word Forms: inexorability, inexorably, inexorableness Antonym Form: exorable

264
Q

ingenue

A

: (n) an artless, innocent young girl (especially as portrayed on the stage)
The young actress will play the part of the ingenue, an innocent girl who becomes caught up in the plot in Act II.
Related Word: ingenuous

265
Q

ingrate

A

: (n) an ungrateful person
Inga came off as an ingrate when she failed to thank her hosts for dinner.
Word Form: ingrately Related Word: grateful

266
Q

ingratiate

A

: (vb) to put oneself in another’s good graces
Ingrid’s boyfriend ingratiated himself with her father by sharing a love of classic movies and old cars.
Word Forms: ingratiation, ingratiatory, ingratiating

267
Q

inherent

A

: (adj) existing as a natural and essential characteristic
The abused dog had an inherent distrust of men, so only female volunteers at the shelter could get close to him.
Word Forms: inherently, inhere, inherence Related Word: inherit

268
Q

inimical

A

: (adj) harmful or hostile
Oscar cast an inimical sneer at Melissa when she took credit for his idea.
Word Forms: inimically, inimicalness, inimicality, inimicable Related Word: enemy

269
Q

iniquity

A

: (n) wickedness
The wicked witch’s iniquity kept Dorothy from returning to Kansas.
Word Forms: iniquitous, iniquitously, iniquitousness

270
Q

innocuous

A

: (adj) harmless
No one had to be evacuated after the tanker spill, as the gas released was innocuous.
Word Forms: innocuously, innocuousness, innocuity Antonym Forms: nocuous, nocuously, nocuousness
Related Word: inoculate

271
Q

insidious

A

: (adj) intended to entrap, deceive, or harm
Sid devised an insidious plan to get the witness to admit he hadn’t really witnessed the crime.
Word Forms: insidiously, insidiousness

272
Q

insipid

A

: (adj) bland, dull, or uninteresting
When I left for college, the insipid cafeteria food made me miss my father’s home-cooked meals.
Word Forms: insipidly, insipidness, insipidity Antonym Forms: sipid, sipidity

273
Q

insolence

A

: (n) rudeness
The headmaster said that insolence would not be tolerated; rude behavior towards a teacher would result in
suspension.
Word Forms: insolent (n.), insolently, insolence

274
Q

insular

A

: (adj) narrow-minded; isolated
The culture is criticized for its insular ideas, such as the belief that women should not be allowed to attend school.
Word Forms: insularly, insularism, insularity

275
Q

insurrection

A

: (n) a rebellion or uprising
King George ordered British troops to quash the colonist’s insurrection, but the uprising led to the Revolutionary
War.
Word Forms: insurrectional, insurrectionally, insurrectionism, insurrectionist

276
Q

inter

A

: (vb) to bury
James Garfield, the 20th President of the United States who was assassinated in 1881, was interred in Cleveland,
Ohio.
Word Form: reinter Antonym Form: uninterred

277
Q

interlocutor

A

: (n) a person who takes part in a conversation
At the apartment complex, the two interlocutors continued to debate the merits of television outside my bedroom
window until well after midnight.
Word Forms: interlocution, interlocutory, interlocutorily Related Words: locution, eloquent

278
Q

interregnum

A

: (n) a period of time free from authority
When the king died, there was a two week interregnum as the prince returned from abroad for his coronation.
Word Form: interregn

279
Q

intractable

A

: (adj) stubborn; difficult to manage
The intractable child refused to let the babysitter into the room.
Word Forms: intractability, intractableness, intractably

280
Q

intransigent

A

: (adj) refusing to yield or compromise
When it came to Edgar’s hunting trophies, Enid was intransigent; she refused to hang the deer heads on the wall.
Word Forms: intransigent (n.), intransigently, intransigence, intransigency

281
Q

inundate

A

: (vb) to flood
After the newspaper ran the controversial story, the editor was inundated with calls from hundreds of angry
subscribers.
Word Forms: inundation, inundatory, inundator

282
Q

inure

A

: (vb) to become used to
People in Alaska were inured to cold weather.
Word Forms: inuredness, inurement Antonym Form: uninured

283
Q

invective

A

: (n) violent criticism
The governor was quick to issue an invective denouncing the show that portrayed her state’s residents as vulgar and
obscene.
Word Forms: invective (adj), invectively, invectiveness Antonym Form: uninvective

284
Q

inveigle

A

: (vb) to persuade with smooth talk
Vicki inveigled Vivianne into playing checkers, even though Vivianne would have rather played chess.
Word Forms: inveiglement, inveigler Antonym Form: uninveigled

285
Q

investiture

A

: (n) ceremony for bestowing an official title
At the investiture, the detective was promoted to sergeant.
Word Form: investitive

286
Q

invidious

A

: (adj) intended to hurt, offend, or discriminate
Ivan’s invidious remarks to his wife shocked their guests; they had no idea that he could be so cruel.
Word Forms: invidiously, invidiousness

287
Q

irascible

A

: (adj) quickly aroused to anger
The irascible old lady caused a scene at the restaurant by yelling at the manager when her hamburger was
overcooked.
Word Forms: irascibly, irascibleness, irascibility Related Word: ire

288
Q

itinerant

A

: (adj) traveling from place to place to work
The itinerant pastor was transferred to our church from a ministry in Ohio; he will stay with us for six months before
going to New Hampshire.
Word Forms: itinerant (n.), itinerantly, itinerate, itineration Related Word: itinerary

289
Q

jettison

A

: (vb) to throw away
Jett was arrested when he jettisoned old boat fuel into the harbor.
Word Form: jettisonable

290
Q

jingoism

A

: (n) noisy and excessive patriotism for one’s country
The candidate’s jingoism cost him the election, as constituents did not believe he could tactfully handle foreign
policy.
Word Forms: jingo, jingoish, jingoist, jingoistic, jingoistically

291
Q

jocular

A

: (adj) characterized by joking
Jack’s speeches were always entertaining because they were peppered with jocular anecdotes.
Word Forms: jocularly, overjocular, jocularity Related Word: joke

292
Q

juxtapose

A

: (vb) to place side by side
When Justin’s picture was juxtaposed with his father’s picture, the resemblance between the two was remarkable.
Word Form: juxtaposition Related Word: pose

293
Q

knell

A

: (n) sound of a bell at a funeral or a sign of looming death or destruction
The town was quiet, with boarded up buildings and no sign of life, a knell of the impending war.
Word Form: knell (vb)

294
Q

lachrymose

A

: (adj) tearful; sad
Lakeisa tends to get lachrymose over animal rescue commercials depicting cats and dogs in abusive situations.
Word Forms: lachrymosely, lachrymosity

295
Q

laconic

A

: (adj) expressing much in few words
A laconic essay will be scored higher than an essay with unnecessary words or sentences.
Word Forms: laconically, laconism Antonym Form: unlaconic

296
Q

lampoon

A

: (vb) to mock in a satire
The actors of “Saturday Night Live” make a living by lampooning current events.
Word Forms: lampoon (n), lampooner, lampoonist, lampoonery Antonym Form: unlampooned

297
Q

languid

A

: (adj) lacking in energy or spirit
My boss’s languid response to my proposal wasn’t expected; I thought he’d be excited about my initiative and
creativity.
Word Forms: languidly, languidness Antonym Forms: unlanguid, unlanguidly, unlanguidness
Related Word: languish

298
Q

lapidary

A

: (adj) relating to polished stones; characterized by exactness and extreme polishing
The author’s lapidary manuscript was so carefully crafted that editors could find no mistakes.
Word Forms: lapidarian, lapidarist

299
Q

largess

A

: (n) generous gift-giving
Larissa’s largess at the twins’ birthday party would not soon be forgotten; she gave them enough toys to keep them
busy for a year.
Related Word: large

300
Q

lassitude

A

: (n) lack of energy; weariness

One symptom of the illness was lassitude; Leslie learned early on that she had no energy during an attack.

301
Q

latent

A

: (adj) existing but not visible or obvious
Latika clearly had latent ability in math, but she failed to put forward any effort in the subject so no one knew how
bright she really was.
Word Forms: latently, latency

302
Q

legerdemain

A

: (n) trickery; sleight of hand
The magician employed legerdemain to fool the audience into believing he pulled a rabbit from his hat.
Word Form: legerdemainist

303
Q

levity

A

: (n) inappropriate lack of seriousness

The teenagers’ levity during the assembly on drinking and driving cost them six Saturdays in detention.

304
Q

lexicography

A

: (n) the act of writing dictionaries
Noah Webster’s career in lexicography developed from his dissatisfaction with British school books; he wrote his
first dictionary to help his elementary students learn to spell.
Word Forms: lexicographic, lexicographical, lexicographically, lexicographer Related Words: lexicon, dyslexic

305
Q

liberate

A

: (vb) free; unrestrained
When the farmer accidentally left the stall door open, the liberated horse sprinted for the woods.
Word Forms: liberated, liberative, liberatory, liberation, liberator Antonym Form: unliberated

306
Q

libertine

A

: (adj) unrestrained by morals
Libby had no scruples and thus made libertine choices, never worrying about those affected or what others would
think.
Word Forms: libertine (n), libertinage, libertinism

307
Q

licentious

A

: (adj) unrestrained by morals
Libby had no scruples and thus made licentious choices, never worrying about those affected or what others would
think.
Word Forms: licentiously, licentiousness Antonym Form: nonlicentious, nonlicentiously, nonlicentiousness
Related Word: license

308
Q

gar·​ish

A 
| \ ˈger-ish  \
Definition of garish
1: clothed in vivid colors
a garish clown
2a: excessively or disturbingly vivid
garish colors
garish imagery
b: offensively or distressingly bright : GLARING
3: tastelessly showy : FLASHY
garish neon signs
309
Q

limpid

A

: (adj) clear; calm
The limpid waters provided opportunity for the anglers to sight cast directly to the fish they could see in the clear
water.
Word Forms: limpidity, limpidness, limpidly

310
Q

impede

A

/ɪmˈpiːd/
Learn to pronounce
verb
delay or prevent (someone or something) by obstructing them; hinder.

311
Q

listless

A

: (adj) lacking energy or spirit
My boss’s listless response to my proposal wasn’t expected; I thought he’d be excited about my initiative and
creativity.
Word Forms: listlessly, listlessness

312
Q

loquacious

A

: (adj) extremely talkative
Lance was disappointed in his loquacious date; she talked so much that she never had time to listen to any of his
stories.
Word Forms: loquaciously, loquaciousness, loquacity Related Words: eloquent, ventriloquist, soliloquy

313
Q

lucid

A

: (adj) clear; easy to understand
If your directions had been more lucid, I might have made it to the party on time.
Word Forms: lucidly, lucidness, lucidity Related Word: elucidate

314
Q

lugubrious

A

: (adj) excessively mournful; sad and gloomy
Lucy’s lugubrious behavior has started to annoy her friends; it has been two months since her breakup with Josh,
but she is still as gloomy as if it had happened yesterday.
Word Forms: lugubriously, lugubriousness, lugubriosity

315
Q

machination

A

: (n) a crafty plot
The fairy tale follows the machinations of an evil stepsister who is out to steal the prince from the heroine.
Word Forms: machinate, machinator

316
Q

maelstrom

A

: (n) a powerful whirlpool or turbulent chaos

When the manager was fired, he left the office in a maelstrom; there was frequent infighting and little leadership.

317
Q

magnanimous

A

: (adj) noble and generous in spirit
The magnanimous donor has given over ten million dollars to children’s charities in the city.
Word Forms: magnanimously, magnanimousness, magnanimity

318
Q

malediction

A

: (n) a curse
The members of the team feared that the old woman had placed a malediction upon their season because they hadn’t
won a game since accidentally shattering her windshield with a foul ball.
Word Forms: maledictive, maledictory, maledict Antonym Forms: benediction, benedictive, benedictory
Related Words: diction, dictate, dictionary

319
Q

malevolent

A

: (adj) evil
The malevolent old man plotted the demise of his neighbor’s barking dog.
Word Forms: malevolently, malevolence, malevolency

320
Q

malice

A

: (n) a desire to make others suffer
Malika’s sharp comment was delivered with malice; she knew that her words would hurt her mother’s feelings.
Word Forms: malicious, maliciously, maliciousness Antonym Form: unmalicious

321
Q

malinger

A

: (vb) to fake an illness to avoid responsibility
Malinda claims to have strep throat, but since she has been known to malinger in the past make sure she brings a
doctor’s note when she returns to work.
Word Form: malingerer

322
Q

malodorous

A

: (adj) having an unpleasant smell
My malodorous shoe smelled so terrible that my mom threw it away.
Word Forms: malodorously, malodorousness Related Words: odor, odorously

323
Q

mar

A

: (vb) to make imperfect; to disfigure
My nearly-perfect report card was marred by a low grade in speech class.
Word Forms: mar (n.), marred (adj.) Antonym Form: unmarred

324
Q

martial

A

: (adj) relating to war
The mayor was in favor of taking a martial approach to the problem, preferring to send soldiers into the abandoned
houses to remove the squatters and drug dealers.
Word Forms: martialism, martialist, martially, martialness Antonym Form: nonmartial

325
Q

martinet

A

: (n) a person who rigidly demands that rules are followed; a strict disciplinarian
Marty realized that the drill sergeant was a martinet, so his best course of action was to closely follow all the rules.
Word Forms: martinetish, martinetism

326
Q

matriarch

A

: (n) the female head of a family
As the matriarch of the family, Grandma sat at the head of the Thanksgiving dinner table.
Word Forms: matriarchal, matriarchic, matriarchalism, matriarchy
Antonym Forms: patriarch, patriarchal, patriarchic, patriarchalism, patriarchy Related Words: ma, maternal

327
Q

maudlin

A

: (adj) foolishly emotional
When Maude drinks too much, she becomes maudlin, crying over silly things like her shoelaces coming untied.
Word Forms: maudlinism, maudlinly, maudlinness Antonym Forms: unmaudlin, unmaudlinly

328
Q

maverick

A

: (n) a person who chooses to be independent in behavior or thought
Even though the other ranchers were branding their cattle, Sam was a maverick who believed he did not need to
follow the rules set by his associates

329
Q

melange

A

: (n) a mixture

Melanie’s walls are decorated with a mélange of surfing posters and beach photographs.

330
Q

mendacious

A

: (adj) lying, false, or untrue
The mendacious girl said that she didn’t take her mother’s lipstick, but the bright red evidence was all over her face.
Word Forms: mendaciously, mendaciousness, mendacity

331
Q

mendicant

A

: (adj) begging
In the poverty-stricken country, mendicant children approach tourists to ask for food and money.
Word Forms: mendicancy, mendicity

332
Q

mercurial

A

: (adj) apt to change; volatile; lively
Meryl was known for her mercurial moods; she could be charming and kind one minute and caustic and hateful the
next.
Word Forms: mercurially, mercurialness Antonym Forms: unmercurial, unmercurially, unmercurialness
Related Word: mercury

333
Q

meretricious

A

: (adj) insincere; flashily attractive
Meredith bestowed meretricious praise upon Mark on-camera, but she had nothing nice to say about him off-camera.
Word Forms: meretriciously, meretriciousness Antonym Form: unmeretricious, unmeretriciously,
unmeretriciousness

334
Q

meritocracy

A

: (n) a form of social system in which power goes to those with superior abilities
Critics argue that a meritocracy cannot be fairly created, as intelligence and ability are difficult to measure
accurately.
Word Form: meritocratic Related Word: merit

335
Q

militate

A

: (vb) to have substantial influence
Millie’s grandfather’s significant donations to the university militated for her acceptance in the admissions process.
Word Form: militation Related Words: military, militia

336
Q

mirth

A

: (n) laughter or merriment
Even the old scrooge could not resist the mirth of the holiday season, as he eventually joined in the celebration.
Word Forms: mirthful, mirthfully, mirthfulness, Antonym Forms: mirthless, mirthlessly, mirthlessness

337
Q

misanthrope

A

: (n) a person who hates and distrusts mankind
The main character is a bitter misanthrope who learns to trust again through her friendship with the children next
door.
Word Forms: misanthropist, misanthropic, misanthropical, misanthropically, misanthropy

338
Q

miser

A

: (n) a stingy person who lives in miserable conditions in order to save money
The old miser lives in a rat-infested apartment even though he has more than enough money to live in a nice home.
Word Forms: miserly, miserliness Related Words: misery, miserable

339
Q

missive

A

: (n) a letter

The governor sent out missives to her supportive constituents, thanking them for their contributions to her campaign.

340
Q

mollify

A

: (vb) to soften or soothe
Molly was able to mollify the crying child by offering him an ice cream cone.
Word Forms: mollification, mollifier, mollifyingly, mollifiable

341
Q

molt

A

: (vb) to shed feathers
The cockatoo molted every spring in preparation for new feathers.
Word Form: molter

342
Q

monastic

A

: (adj) relating to monasteries or relating to a dedicated way of life
Mona lived a monastic life, refraining from sensual pleasures and the accumulation of material possessions.
Word Form: monastically Antonym Forms: nonmonastic , nonmonastically
Related Words: pseudomonastic, monastery

343
Q

morass

A

: (n) 1. a swamp 2. a difficult situation
After Morgan accepted Jill’s invitation to the dance, he found himself in a morass; his friend offered him a ticket to a
concert that he really wanted to see, but it happened to be on the same night as the dance.

344
Q

moratorium

A

: (n) suspension of an ongoing activity
When many students were late returning from lunch, the principal placed a moratorium on off-campus lunch
privileges.
Word Form: moratory

345
Q

mores

A

: (n) important customs or beliefs of a group

The advertisements in the housekeeping magazine from 1950 reflect the social mores of the time.

346
Q

morose

A

: (adj) gloomy
After his girlfriend moved away, Morris became morose and depressed.
Word Forms: morosely, moroseness, morosity

347
Q

multifarious

A

: (adj) having many parts and much variety
The school offers multifarious activities after school; children should have no problem finding a program that
matches their interests.
Word Forms: multifariously, multifariousness

348
Q

munificent

A

: (adj) very generous
The munificent donor gave the hospital enough money to build a specialized center for heart patients.
Word Forms: munificently, munificentness, munificence

349
Q

myopic

A

: (adj) lacking long-term vision
Maya has a myopic outlook when it comes to investment; she complains about the money she is investing now, rather
than focusing on the money she will make in the future.
Word Forms: myopically, myopia

350
Q

nadir

A

: (n) the lowest point
Nadia entered the nadir of despair when she lost her job and her fiance called off the wedding.
Word Form: nadiral

351
Q

nascent

A

: (adj) being born or beginning
The nascent hockey team did not have much experience, as this was their first year in the league.
Word Forms: nascence, nascency

352
Q

nebulous

A

: (adj) vague or cloudy
When I woke up in the hospital, I only had a nebulous memory of the accident.
Word Forms: nebulously, nebulousness Antonym Forms: nonnebulous, nonnebulously, nonnebulousness

353
Q

nefarious

A

: (adj) extremely wicked
In the novel, the nefarious character plotted to financially destroy the hero.
Word Forms: nefariously, nefariousness

354
Q

neologism

A

: (n) a new word
Each year Merriam Webster decides which neologisms will be granted entry into their dictionaries.
Word Forms: neologist, neologistic, neologistical, neology

355
Q

neophyte

A

: (n) a beginner
Neil is a neophyte at downhill skiing, so he should stick to the smaller hills today.
Word Forms: neophytic, neophytish, neophytism

356
Q

nettle

A

: (vb) to irritate
I was nettled by her annoying voice.
Word Forms: nettle (n), nettler, nettly Antonym Form: unnettled

357
Q

nihilism

A

: (n) belief in the rejection of rules and the destruction of social and political order
During the rebellion, the followers of nihilism were the first to break the laws in the city.
Word Forms: nihilistic, nihilistically, nihility, nihilist

358
Q

noisome

A

: (adj) offensive (especially odors)
My noisome shoe smelled so terrible that my mom threw it away.
Word Forms: noisomely, noisomeness

359
Q

noxious

A

: (adj) harmful
The danger of a carbon dioxide leak is that the noxious fumes are odorless.
Word Forms: noxiously, noxiousness

360
Q

nuance

A

: (n) a subtle difference
The nuances between the two fonts are often missed by the untrained graphic designer.
Word Form: nuanced

361
Q

numismatic

A

: (adj) pertaining to coins or medals
The archeologist found numismatic evidence of the ancient civilization, including three coins with depictions of
animals.
Word Forms: numismatics, numismatical, numismatically

362
Q

obdurate

A

: (adj) stubborn
The obdurate child refused to eat his vegetables and sat at the dinner table with the untouched broccoli until
bedtime.
Word Forms: obdurately, obdurateness, obduracy Related Word: indurate

363
Q

obfuscate

A

: (vb) to confuse or make unclear
If a solution to a math question requires units to be in inches, the test makers may obfuscate the question by using
feet.
Word Forms: obfuscation, obfuscatory

364
Q

oblique

A

: (adj) slanting; not straight; indirect or evasive
The politician made oblique comments about his opponent, hinting at corruption but not actually saying it was an
issue.
Word Forms: obliquely, obliqueness

365
Q

obstreperous

A

: (adj) noisily defiant or aggressive
The obstreperous students crowded the school board meeting to protest the new dress code.
Word Forms: obstreperously, obstreperousness, obstreperosity

366
Q

obtuse

A

: (adj) intellectually slow; dull
You might have to simplify your explanation of photosynthesis because Obie is a bit obtuse.
Word Forms: obtusely, obtuseness

367
Q

obviate

A

: (vb) to prevent any perceived difficulty
The car seat manufacturer obviated the risk of injury by removing the cup holder from the most recent model.
Word Forms: obviable, obviation, obviator, preobviate Antonym Form: unobviable

368
Q

occlude

A

: (vb) to shut or block
Plaque buildup in the arteries can occlude the flow of blood resulting in heart disease.
Word Forms: occludent, occlusion, occlusal Antonym Forms: include, nonocclusion

369
Q

odious

A

: (adj) offensive; hateful
The majority of Americans view dog fighting as an odious crime.
Word Forms: odiously, odiousness Related Word: odium

370
Q

officious

A

: (adj) aggressively forward
My officious neighbor insisted on helping me after my accident, but I really just wanted to be left alone.
Word Forms: officiously, officiousness, overofficious

371
Q

ominous

A

: (adj) threatening or foreshadowing evil
The dark clouds in the distance were ominous and threatened to ruin the picnic.
Word Forms: ominously, ominousness Related Word: omen

372
Q

onerous

A

: (adj) oppressive; burdensome
Cinderella was saddled with onerous household duties while she lived with her wicked stepmother.
Word Forms: onerously, onerousness, onerosity Antonym Forms: nononerous, nononerously, nononerousness

373
Q

opine

A

: (vb) to express an opinion
The editor opined about the evils of genetically modified foods in today’s opinion section of the newspaper.
Antonym Form: unopined Related Word: opinion

374
Q

opprobrium

A

: (n) disgrace or severe criticism due to shameful behavior
The team owner faced public opprobrium when he was caught making racial remarks.
Word Forms: opprobrious, opprobriously, opprobriousness Antonym Form: nonopprobrious

375
Q

opulent

A

: (adj) rich and luxurious
The opulent kitchen had marble countertops and solid gold fixtures.
Word Forms: opulently, opulence, opulency

376
Q

ornate

A

: (adj) highly decorated
The ornate palace had colorful paintings and intricate wood carvings in every room.
Word Forms: ornately, ornateness Related Word: ornament

377
Q

ossify

A

: (vb) to harden like bone; to become inflexible in habits or beliefs
Oscar was open-minded prior to college, but after graduation he began to ossify concerning politics.
Word Form: ossifier Antonym Form: unossifying

378
Q

ostensible

A

: (adj) pretended
Austin’s ostensible excuse for missing school was that his grandmother was in the hospital; the real reason, however,
was that he went to the beach.
Word Forms: ostensibly, ostensive Related Word: ostentatious

379
Q

overt

A

: (adj) open and observable; not secret or hidden
The candidate’s overt support of stem cell research was unusual; he made it clear that if elected, he would work to
increase research efforts.
Word Forms: overtly, overtness Antonym Forms: covert, covertly, covertness

380
Q

overwrought

A

: (adj) extremely excited or disturbed
Eva became overwrought when she lost her cell phone.
Related Word: overwork

381
Q

pacify

A

: (vb) to calm; to bring peace
The babysitter used a teething ring to pacify the crying baby.
Word Forms: pacifiable, pacifyingly, pacific, pacifier, pacifist

382
Q

paean

A

: (n) a song of praise
The ancient Greeks sang paeans to Apollo and other gods.
Word Form: paeanism

383
Q

palatial

A

: (adj) like a palace; magnificent
Polly bought a palatial home that had eight bedrooms, two kitchens, a ballroom, and a six car garage.
Word Forms: palatially, palatialness Antonym Form: unpalatial

384
Q

palliate

A

: (vb) to relieve or lessen
Aloe will palliate the pain from a sunburn.
Word Forms: palliation, palliator, palliative Antonym Forms: nonpalliation, unpalliated

385
Q

pallid

A

: (adj) pale; lacking energy
Palmer did not look healthy; his pallid skin had lost all trace of color.
Word Forms: pallidly, pallidness

386
Q

panacea

A

: (n) a cure for all diseases, or a solution to all problems
The manager believed the new software was a panacea for all of the company’s computer problems, but Pam was
skeptical of its ability to improve the entire system.
Word Form: panacean

387
Q

panache

A

: (n) dashing style, flair, or manner

Penny only dates men with panache; she prefers to be seen with flamboyant boyfriends

388
Q

panegyric

A

: (n) a formal expression of praise
The director delivered a panegyric about the center’s most helpful volunteer, praising her for helping the needy.
Word Forms: panegyrical, panegyrically, panegyrist, panegyrize, self-panegyric

389
Q

panoply

A

: (n) complete or impressive array
Penelope has managed to attract a panoply of bird species to her backyard bird feeder.
Word Form: panoplied Antonym Form: unpanoplied

390
Q

paradox

A

: (n) a statement that contradicts itself but nevertheless may still be true
Parker said, “I always lie,” but this is a paradox; if the statement is true, then he must be lying.
Word Forms: paradoxal, paradoxical, paradoxically, paradoxicalness, paradoxicality, paradoxology

391
Q

paragon

A

: (n) a perfect example
Parmida is a paragon of professionalism; she arrives on time, treats co-workers with respect, and refrains from
gossip.
Word Forms: paragon (vb.), paragoned

392
Q

parenthetical

A

: (adj) characterized by the use of parenthesis
A remark in parenthesis is called a parenthetical remark, which is usually used to explain the sentence.
Word Forms: parenthetic, parenthetically, parentheticalness Related Word: parentheses

393
Q

pariah

A

: (n) a person who is rejected; an outcast
Pamela became the pariah of the company when she was caught stealing money from her co-workers.
Word Forms: pariahdom, pariahism

394
Q

parley

A

: (vb) to talk or confer
The two generals met to parley their demands for surrender.
Word Forms: parley (n), parleyer

395
Q

confer

A 
grant (a title, degree, benefit, or right).
"the Minister may have exceeded the powers conferred on him by Parliament"
Similar:
bestow on
present with/to
grant to
award to
decorate with
honour with
give to
give out to
gift with
endow with
vest in
hand out to
extend to
vouchsafe to
accord to
Opposite:
withhold
remove
2.
have discussions; exchange opinions.
"the officials were conferring with allies"
396
Q

parry

A

: (vb) to ward off, avoid, or evade
The senator parried any questions about the scandal by focusing on the state of the economy.
Word Forms: parriable, parrier Antonym Forms: unparried, unparrying

397
Q

affliction

A

a cause of pain or harm.

“a crippling affliction of the nervous system”

398
Q

covet

A

yearn to possess (something, especially something belonging to another).
“I covet one of their smart bags”

399
Q

carnation

A

a double-flowered cultivated variety of clove pink, with grey-green leaves and showy pink, white, or red flowers.

400
Q

credulous

A

having or showing too great a readiness to believe things.

“a ceremony staged for credulous tourists”

401
Q

sinew

A

plural noun: sinews

a piece of tough fibrous tissue uniting muscle to bone; a tendon or ligament.

402
Q

soliloquy

A

an act of speaking one’s thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play.
“Edmund ends the scene as he had begun it, with a soliloquy”

403
Q

knoll

A

a small hill or mound.

“a grassy knoll”

404
Q

adjudicate

A

make a formal judgement on a disputed matter.
“the Committee adjudicates on all betting disputes”
act as a judge in a competition.
“we asked him to adjudicate at the local flower show”

405
Q

gerund

A

A gerund is a noun made from a verb by adding “-ing.” The gerund form of the verb “read” is “reading.” You can use a gerund as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence.

406
Q

gallows

A

1a: a frame usually of two upright posts and a transverse beam from which criminals are hanged

407
Q

parsimonious

A

: (adj) extremely reluctant to spend money; frugal and stingy
The parsimonious woman told her grandchildren that the gumballs in the candy machine were too expensive.
Word Forms: parsimoniously, parsimoniousness, parsimony

408
Q

partisan

A

: (adj) tending to favor one group or one way of thinking
Gun control is a partisan issue; one party favors government management while the other prefers individual
authority.
Word Forms: partisanship, partisanry, partisan (n.) Antonym Forms: nonpartisan, bipartisan Related Word:
party

409
Q

pastiche

A

: (n) a work that is a mixture of styles, materials, or sources
Patsy’s composition was truly a pastiche, borrowing musical elements from Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart.
Word Forms: pasticcio, pasticheur, pasticheuse

410
Q

patriarch

A

: (n) the male head of a family
As the oldest of the seven, Uncle Pat was the patriarch of the family and thus gave the toasts at all family gatherings.
Word Forms: patriarchal, patriarchic, patriarchalism, patriarchy
Antonym Forms: matriarch, matriarchal, matriarchic, matriarchalism, matriarchy Related Words: pa, paternal

411
Q

paucity

A

: (n) an insufficient quantity or number

Pam realized there was a paucity of hamburger buns.

412
Q

peccadillo

A

: (n) a minor fault or sin
Mr. Peck brought a bottle of white wine instead of a bottle of red wine to the dinner, but was forgiven for this
peccadillo when he also produced a box of luxurious European chocolates.

413
Q

pedagogical

A

: (adj) relating to education or teaching
The course for new teachers taught the pedagogical principal that all children could learn.
Word Forms: pedagogy, pedagogic, pedagogically, pedagogism, pedagogery, pedagogish, pedagog, pedagogue

414
Q

pedantic

A

: (adj) overly focused on small details while teaching or learning
It was difficult to be Penny’s partner because she was pedantic about recording every single step of the scientific
method.
Word Forms: pedantical, pedantically, pedanticalness, pedanticism, pedantism, pedantry, pedant, pedantesque

415
Q

pejorative

A

: (n) a word that is derogatory or belittling
At one time, ‘imbecile’ meant weak, but it has since become a pejorative to describe a person who is intellectually
slow.
Word Forms: pejorative (adj), pejoratively, pejoration
Antonym Forms: nonpejortaive, nonpejoratively, unpejorative, unpejoratively

416
Q

prerogative

A

a right or privilege exclusive to a particular individual or class.
“in some countries, higher education is predominantly the prerogative of the rich”

417
Q

penchant

A

: (n) a strong liking

Penny has a penchant for poetry; she has filled two notebooks with poems and poetic lines.

418
Q

penitent

A

: (adj) feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds
The penitent criminal asked for forgiveness from the family he had robbed.
Word Forms: penitently, penitence Antonym Forms: impenitent, impenitently, impenitence
Related Words: repentant, penance, penitentiary

419
Q

penurious

A

: (adj) extremely reluctant to spend money; stingy and frugal or extremely poor
The penurious old man refused to donate his spare change to the charity.
Word Forms: penuriously, penuriousness, penury

420
Q

peregrinate

A

: (vb) to travel
After high school, Perry chose to peregrinate through Europe before attending college.
Word Forms: peregrinator, peregrination Related Words: peregrine, peregrinity

421
Q

perfidious

A

: (adj) tending to betray
The perfidious soldier was selling classified secrets to the army’s enemies.
Word Forms: perfidiously, perfidiousness, perfidy

422
Q

perfunctory

A

: (adj) done only as a matter of routine, with indifference and a lack of enthusiasm
The principal gave a perfunctory speech about attendance, even though the students had heard the same speech a
dozen times before.
Word Forms: perfunctorily, perfunctoriness

423
Q

insufferable

A

too extreme to bear; intolerable.

“the heat would be insufferable by July”

424
Q

impervious

A

not allowing fluid to pass through.

“an impervious layer of basaltic clay”

425
Q

conniving

A

given to or involved in conspiring to do something immoral, illegal, or harmful.
“a heartless and conniving person”

426
Q

imperious

A

arrogant and domineering.

“his imperious demands”

427
Q

arduous

A

involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring.
“an arduous journey”

428
Q

hagiography

A

the writing of the lives of saints.

a biography that treats its subject with undue reverence.

429
Q

pedantic

A

excessively concerned with minor details or rules; overscrupulous.
“his analyses are careful and even painstaking, but never pedantic”

GRE (3 decks)

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