Words I Don't Know 5

Question 1

Mélange (may-longe)

Answer 1

Noun, a mixture or medley

Ex: My lunch was a delightful mélange of spring greens and summer berries.

Question 2

Fulsome

Answer 2

Adj, either complimentary or flattering to an excessive degree, or of a large size.

Ex: His fulsome description of my work experience was a red flag he was buttering me up.

Question 3

Vacillate

Answer 3

Verb, to alternate or waver between different opinions or actions, to be indecisive.

Ex: I vacillated between going to bed and staying up late to work, and ultimately got nothing done and wasted a night.

Question 4

Unconscionable

Answer 4

Adjective, not right or reasonable, or unreasonably expensive.

Ex: I had to pay an unconscionable amount of money to fix my tail light.

Question 5

Inimical

Answer 5

Adj, tending to obstruct or harm, unfriendly, hostile

Ex: A diet high in saturated fats is inimical to heart health.

Question 6

Heuristic

Answer 6

Adj., enabling someone to discover or learn something for themselves.

Ex: When I TA, I take a heuristic approach and encourage students to search around the lab themselves.

Question 7

Refragable

Answer 7

Adj, capable of being refuted, refutable.

Ex: Despite the years of life she poured into her thesis, her main results were entirely refragable and her thesis committee did not pass her.

Question 8

Intemperate

Answer 8

Adj, having or showing low self control, antonym to temperate.

Ex: Her intemperate behavior at the bar led to a wicked hangover and numerous awkward conversations the next day.

Question 9

Edify

Answer 9

Verb, to instruct or improve someone morally or intellectually

Ex: Grad school should be an edifying experience, yet so many people squander the opportunity to learn.

Question 10

Apostrophize

Answer 10

Verb, to address an exclamatory passage in a speech or poem to someone or something.

Ex: I apostrophized my thesis with a dedication to my grandparents.

Question 11

Eftsoons

Answer 11

Archaic adverb. Soon after.

Eftsoons I finished my breakfast, I had to return to work.

Question 12

Gramercy

Answer 12

Archaic, used to express gratitude or surprise.

Ex: Gramercy! I did not expect a surprise birthday this year!

Question 13

Aver (uh-verr)

Answer 13

Verb, to formally state or assert something to be the case.

Ex: In the trial, I averred my innocence.

Question 14

Ribald

Answer 14

Adj, referring to sexual manners in an amusingly coarse or irreverent way
Ex: Emiliano, Ava and I’s ribald groupchat would not be well received by our parents.

Question 15

Dragoon

Answer 15

Verb, to coerce someone into doing something (refers to old British army cavalry regiments)
Ex: I dragooned Caleb into cleaning the whole basement after the cats made a small mess.

Question 16

Turnkey

Answer 16

Adj, of or relating to supplying a product/service that is ready for immediate use.
Ex: Apple’s genius was developing turnkey software accessible to the casual computer user.

Question 17

Incongruous

Answer 17

Adj, not harmonious with the surroundings, doesn’t jive with the other aspects of something
Ex: The inclusion of corndogs was an incongruous, though popular, choice.

Question 18

Somnambulant

Answer 18

Adj, resembling or characteristic of a sleepwalker, sluggish

Ex: Though extremely tired, I still fit in a somnambulant walk around my neighborhood before I called it a night.

Question 19

Kitsch (kich)

Answer 19

Noun and adj, to be in poor taste due to garishness or sentimentality, but can be appreciated in ironic/knowing way
Ex: I decorated my room in a very dated, grandmotherly, kitsch way.

Question 20

Impute

Answer 20

Adj, related to finances, inferring the value added to a product or process by something
Ex: By using a nicer grade of paper, we can impute consumers will value this book more.