Advanced Vocab Words - Set 5 Flashcards

Learn to understand and effectively use 100 advanced vocabulary words. Improve your test scores, or simply be more articulate in your daily life. Each word is used in context in a sample sentence and includes synonyms and a pronunciation guide.

1
Q

Define

obfuscate

(ob-fuh-skeyt)

A

v. to deliberately obscure, to make confusing, to bewilder

The governor _obfuscat_ed the issue with big words and numbers.

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2
Q

Define

encomium

(en-koh-mee-uhm)

A

n. enthusiastic praise

That country’s national anthem is an encomium to the heroes of a war long past.

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3
Q

Define

din

(din)

A

n. loud sustained noise, confusing or tumultuous sound

During the concert, Jill couldn’t hear Rick over the din of the loudspeakers.

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4
Q

Define

alloy

(n. al-oi; v. al-oi)

A

n. a mixture of superior and inferior ingredients

v. to debase by mixing with something inferior

The heroism one sees nowadays is often _alloy_ed with some degree of self-interest.

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5
Q

Define

pugilism

(pyoo-djuh-liz-uhm)

A

n. the skill or practice of fighting with fists; boxing

Mike Tyson is known throughout the world for his pugilism.

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6
Q

Define

sanctimony

(sangk-tuh-moh-nee)

A

n. self-righteousness, pretended piety, insincere holiness

His sanctimony was laughable, since we all knew he was one of the worst offenders.

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7
Q

Define

baleful

(beyl-fuhl)

A

adj. full of sinister influence, pernicious, ominous

The basilisk’s baleful glare is lethal.

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8
Q

Define

hallow

(hal-oh)

A

v. to set apart as holy, to sanctify

The site for the church was _hallow_ed in a special ceremony.

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9
Q

Define

ostensible

(uh-sten-suh-buhl)

A

adj. apparent

adj. pretended

The oil spill was the ostensible result of lax safety regulations.

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10
Q

Define

sinecure

(sahy-nih-kyoor)

A

n. a comfortable job requiring little work

Carolyn’s position in the office is a sinecure; she does nothing all day yet she draws the same salary as everyone else.

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11
Q

Define

lackey

(lak-ee)

A

n. a male servant, servile follower, toady

Lori’s boyfriend becomes a lackey during her shopping trips.

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12
Q

Define

redress

(ree-dress)

A

v. to set right, to remedy

n. compensation or restitution for a wrong

The peaceful petitioning for redress of wrongs is a right enshrined in our country’s founding document.

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13
Q

Define

unctuous

(uhngk-choo-uhs)

A

adj. oily, greasy

adj. characterized by insincere earnestness

The king had the unctuous toady removed from his palace.

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14
Q

Define

arrant

(ar-uhnt)

A

adj. impudent

adj. thorough, utter, complete

Though the professor is considered one of the greats of his discipline, lately his lectures have verged on arrant nonsense.

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15
Q

Define

vaunt

(vawnt)

A

v. to boast or brag about

Chris, though usually very modest, will readily vaunt his achievements in a job interview.

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16
Q

Define

affectation

(af-ek-tey-shuhn)

A

n. a show or pretense

n. artificial behavior to impress others

That American doctor’s affectation of a British accent has drawn much criticism.

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17
Q

Define

philately

(fih-lat-uhl-ee)

A

n. the study of postage stamps

His grandfather is obsessed with philately and has even made several overseas pen pals in order to study their countries’ postage.

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18
Q

Define

canonical

(kuh-non-ih-kuhl)

A

adj. in agreement with accepted principles

adj. authorized, accepted

The canonical Mozart sonatas were consulted in order to compare them to the newly-discovered manuscript attributed to him.

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19
Q

Define

whit

(wit)

A

n. the smallest possible part or fraction

The bank robber did not have a whit of self-respect.

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20
Q

Define

epaulet

(ep-uh-let)

A

n. a shoulder ornament, esp. a strap on military uniforms

The veteran’s uniform was adorned by a pair of impressive _epaulet_s.

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21
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to deliberately obscure, to make confusing, to bewilder

A

obfuscate

(ob-fuh-skeyt)

synonyms: baffle, muddle, confound

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22
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. enthusiastic praise

A

encomium

(en-koh-mee-uhm)

synonyms: tribute, laudation, praise

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23
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. loud, sustained noise, confusing or tumultuous sound

A

din

(din)

synonyms: buzz, clamor, commotion, racket

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24
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a mixture of superior and inferior ingredients

v. to debase by mixing with something inferior

A

alloy

(n. al-oi; v. al-oi)

synonyms: blend, combination; debase, devalue

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25
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the skill or practice of fighting with fists; boxing

A

pugilism

(pyoo-djuh-liz-uhm)

synonyms: battle, sparring, duel

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26
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. self-righteousness, pretended piety, insincere holiness

A

sanctimony

(sangk-tuh-moh-nee)

synonyms: smug, hypocritical, preachy

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27
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. full of sinister influence, pernicious, ominous

A

baleful

(beyl-fuhl)

synonyms: menacing, evil

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28
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to set apart as holy, to sanctify

A

hallow

(hal-oh)

synonyms: bless, consecrate

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29
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. apparent

A

ostensible

(uh-sten-suh-buhl)

synonyms: exhibited, likely, manifest

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30
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a comfortable job requiring little work

A

sinecure

(sahy-nih-kyoor)

synonyms: easy work

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31
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a male servant, servile follower, toady

A

lackey

(lak-ee)

synonyms: servant, butler, subordinate

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32
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to set right, to remedy

n. compensation or restitution for a wrong

A

redress

(ree-dress)

synonyms: help, compensate; justice

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33
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. oily, greasy

adj. characterized by insincere earnestness

A

unctuous

(uhngk-choo-uhs)

synonyms: fatty, slick; lying, untruthful

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34
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. impudent

adj. thorough, utter, complete

A

arrant

(ar-uhnt)

synonyms: shameless; brazen

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35
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to boast, to brag

A

vaunt

(vawnt)

synonyms: flaunt, gloat

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36
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a show or pretense

n. artificial behavior to impress others

A

affectation

(af-ek-tey-shuhn)

synonyms: pretend, artificiality

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37
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the study of postage stamps

A

philately

(fih-lat-uhl-ee)

synonyms: study of stamps

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38
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. in agreement with accepted principles

adj. authorized, accepted

A

canonical

(kuh-non-ih-kuhl)

synonyms: orthodox, standard

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39
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the smallest possible part or fraction

A

whit

(wit)

synonyms: atom, crumb, grain, iota

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40
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a shoulder ornament, esp. a strap on military uniforms

A

epaulet

(ep-uh-let)

synonyms: military decoration, service stripe

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41
Q

Define

panoply

(pan-uh-plee)

A

n. a splendid, striking array

n. the complete armory of a warrior

n. a shining protective array

A porcupine’s panoply of quills is quite a protective arsenal.

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42
Q

Define

pantheon

(pan-thee-on)

A

n. a temple dedicated to the gods

n. all the gods of a people

n. a group of famous persons

The Greek pantheon includes Zeus and his consort, Hera.

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43
Q

Define

blandish

(blan-dish)

A

v. to coax or influence with flattery

Steve _blandish_ed her into going out with him.

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44
Q

Define

peremptory

(puh-remp-tuh-ree)

A

adj. admitting of no contradiction; putting an end to further debate; haughty; imperious

He ended the discussion with a peremptory wave of his hand.

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45
Q

Define

tyro

(tahy-roh)

A

n. a beginner or novice in any kind of skill

The hapless tyro tripped over the ropes on his way into the boxing ring.

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46
Q

Define

fetid

(fet-id)

A

adj. malodorous, stinky

The fetid green substance had taken over the entire fridge.

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47
Q

Define

fecundity

(fih-kuhn-dih-tee)

A

n. fertility, fruitfulness

An artist’s period of fecundity can come at any time of her life.

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48
Q

Define

rarefied

(rair-uh-fahyd)

A

adj. thin, pure, refined

The rarefied air of higher altitudes makes it very difficult to climb Mt. Everest.

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49
Q

Define

delectation

(dee-lek-tey-shuhn)

A

n. enjoyment

They played wiffleball for the delectation of it, not for the competition.

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50
Q

Define

fickle

(fick-ul)

A

adj. prone to changing often

Suzanne was a fickle friend who could not be relied upon.

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51
Q

Define

fidelity

(fih-dell-ih-tee)

A

n. devotion to obligations or loyalties

n. the accuracy of a reproduced sound or image

Kevin’s parents were proud of him for his fidelity to the family business.

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52
Q

Define

fission

(fish-un)

A

n. the act of separating into parts

The controversial legislation led to the fission of the administration.

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53
Q

Define

flag

(flag)

A

v. to become tired or weak

v. to droop or limp

The runner’s enthusiasm _flag_ged when she realized she still had many miles ahead of her.

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54
Q

Define

florid

(floor-id)

A

adj. healthy-looking

adj. ornate or flowery

The author’s florid prose did not impress the critics, who found her work pretentious.

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55
Q

Define

forbear

(for-bear)

A

v. to refrain from doing something

Although I know Adam likes to crack jokes, I would have liked him to forbear silliness in such a serious situation.

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56
Q

Define

forestall

(for-stall)

A

v. to deal with ahead of time; to prevent

The mayor called the police before the protest even began in order to forestall rioting.

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57
Q

Define

quail

(kweyl)

A

v. to shrink with fear

The puppy _quail_ed at my angry tone.

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58
Q

Define

forthright

(forth-rahyt)

A

adj. straightforward

One should be forthright and honest with the authorities so as not to seem suspicious.

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59
Q

Define

fortuity

(for-too-ih-tee)

A

n. an event that happens by chance without a known cause

n. luck

By sheer fortuity, Linda was assigned to the same homeroom as her twin brother.

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60
Q

Define

mince

(minss)

A

v. to speak carefully; to euphemize

Don’t mince words with me; just say what you need to say!

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61
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a splendid, striking array

n. the complete armory of a warrior

n. a shining protective array

A

panoply

(pan-uh-plee)

synonyms: display, arrangement; armaments

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62
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a temple dedicated to the gods

n. all the gods of a people

n. a group of famous persons

A

pantheon

(pan-thee-on)

synonyms: house of worship, sanctuary

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63
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to coax or influence with flattery

A

blandish

(blan-dish)

synonyms: charm, flatter

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64
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. admitting of no contradiction; putting an end to further debate; haughty; imperious

A

peremptory

(puh-remp-tuh-ree)

synonyms: opinionated, absolute, assertive

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65
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a beginner or novice in any kind of skill

A

tyro

(tahy-roh)

synonyms: beginner, rookie

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66
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. malodorous, stinky

A

fetid

(fet-id)

synonyms: corrupt, gross

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67
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. fertility, fruitfulness

A

fecundity

(fih-kuhn-dih-tee)

synonyms: abundance, productivity

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68
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. thin, pure, refined

A

rarefied

(rair-uh-fahyd)

synonyms: thin, refined

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69
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. enjoyment

A

delectation

(dee-lek-tey-shuhn)

synonyms: delight, elation

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70
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. prone to changing often

A

fickle

(fick-ul)

synonyms: inconstant, unpredictable

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71
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. devotion to obligations or loyalties

n. the accuracy of a reproduced sound or image

A

fidelity

(fih-dell-ih-tee)

synonyms: allegiance, faith

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72
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the act of separating into parts

A

fission

(fish-un)

synonyms: division, severance, parting

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73
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to become tired or weak

v. to droop or limp

A

flag

(flag)

synonyms: droop, fade, wane, weaken

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74
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. healthy-looking

adj. ornate or flowery

A

florid

(floor-id)

synonyms: pretty, fancy; extravagant, ornamental

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75
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to refrain from doing something

A

forbear

(for-bear)

synonyms: avoid, constrain, forgo

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76
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to deal with ahead of time; to prevent

A

forestall

(for-stall)

synonyms: intercept, anticipate, prevent

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77
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to shrink with fear

A

quail

(kweyl)

synonyms: recoil, cower

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78
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. straightforward

A

forthright

(forth-rahyt)

synonyms: honest, frank

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79
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. an event that happens by chance without a known cause

n. luck

A

fortuity

(for-too-ih-tee)

synonyms: accident; good fortune

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80
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to speak carefully; to euphemize

A

mince

(minss)

synonyms: soften, tone down

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81
Q

Define

visceral

(viss-er-uhl)

A

adj. felt in one’s stomach

adj. emotional, rather than intellectual

Jeb’s visceral response to his mother’s racist ramblings was visible to all of us.

82
Q

Define

refectory

(rih-fek-tuh-ree)

A

n. a room or dining area where meals are served

The students milled about the entrance to the refectory, counting down the seconds until supper would be served.

83
Q

Define

frenetic

(fruh-net-ik)

A

adj. frenzied or frantic

Frenetic screams filled the room as people tried to get out before the fire spread.

84
Q

Define

infinitesimal

(in-fin-ih-tess-uh-muhl)

A

adj. immeasurably small

The proportion of truly selfless people in this world is surely infinitesimal .

85
Q

Define

sanguine

(sang-gwin)

A

adj. cheerfully optimistic; a blood-red color

Samantha had a sanguine attitude towards life that enriched those around her.

86
Q

Define

furtive

(fur-tiv)

A

adj. secretive, sly

At the party, Julia cast furtive glances around the room to make sure her elder sister was not around to send her back home.

87
Q

Define

calumny

(kal-uhm-nee)

A

n. a false statement; slander, aspersion

The desperate candidate abandoned reasoned arguments and resorted to _calumni_es against the front-runner.

88
Q

Define

quotidian

(kwoh-tid-ee-uhn)

A

adj. everyday, commonplace, habitual

Joe’s small, quotidian pleasures seemed more substantial than Mattias’s high-profile jet-setting.

89
Q

Define

salacious

(suh-ley-shuhs)

A

adj. causing sexual desire, bawdy

Many parents were unhappy with the magazine’s salacious material.

90
Q

Define

importune

(im-pour-chewn)

A

v. to beg persistently

Kate _importune_d her father every day to teach her how to sail.

91
Q

Define

impregnable

(im-preg-nuh-bul)

A

adj. able to withstand attack

The fortress was surrounded by a moat so as to make it impregnable.

92
Q

Define

daft

(daft)

A

adj. mad, crazy

adj. foolish

The daft man was walking about the room conversing with himself.

93
Q

Define

solemn

(sol-uhm)

A

adj. deeply earnest, grave

adj. of a very serious nature; gloomy

Carter’s solemn voice made his family suspect that a tragedy had occurred.

94
Q

Define

impromptu

(im-promp-too)

A

adj. spontaneously done without preparation

During a lull in the live broadcast, the host began an impromptu dance number with some of the contestants.

95
Q

Define

impudent

(im-pyuh-dent)

A

adj. improperly disrespectful

The girl was forced to apologize in front of the class for her impudent attitude towards her teachers.

96
Q

Define

bedizen

(bih-dahy-zuhn)

A

v. to adorn, usually in a poorly conceived or tasteless manner

Paula was _bedizen_ed with gaudy decorations.

97
Q

Define

incense

(in-sense)

A

v. to make angry

The class’s behavior _incense_d the teacher to the point that she gave them all extra homework.

98
Q

Define

volition

(voh-lish-uhn)

A

n. a conscious decision or the capability of choosing

n. willingness

Though his friends had egged him on, it was determined that Pat stole the sunglasses of his own volition.

99
Q

Define

tamp

(tamp)

A

v. to plug

v. to drive in or down by a series of blows

They _tamp_ed down the soil around the base of the new sapling.

100
Q

Define

steel

(steel)

A

v. to make hard, strong or obdurate

v. to fill with determination

John realized that he would lose the chess match and _steel_ed himself for disappointment.

101
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. felt in one’s stomach

adj. emotional, rather than intellectual

A

visceral

(viss-er-uhl)

synonyms: habitual, instinctive, inherent; affective

102
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a room or dining area where meals are served

A

refectory

(rih-fek-tuh-ree)

synonyms: chamber, dining hall

103
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. frenzied or frantic

A

frenetic

(fruh-net-ik)

synonyms: anxious, hysterical, rattled

104
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. immeasurably small

A

infinitesimal

(in-fin-ih-tess-uh-muhl)

synonyms: little, microscopic

105
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. cheerfully optimistic

A

sanguine

(sang-gwin)

synonyms: happy, cheerful

106
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. secretive, sly

A

furtive

(fur-tiv)

synonyms: sneaky, stealthy

107
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a false statement; slander, aspersion

A

calumny

(kal-uhm-nee)

synonyms: misrepresentations, slanderous

108
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. everyday, commonplace, habitual

A

quotidian

(kwoh-tid-ee-uhn)

synonyms: ordinary, trivial

109
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. causing sexual desire, bawdy

A

salacious

(suh-ley-shuhs)

synonyms: erotic, lecherous, raunchy

110
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to beg persistently

A

importune

(im-pour-chewn)

synonyms: demand, appeal

111
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. able to withstand attack

A

impregnable

(im-preg-nuh-bul)

synonyms: impenetrable, unassailable

112
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. mad, crazy

adj. foolish

A

daft

(daft)

synonyms: absurd, insane

113
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. deeply earnest, grave

adj. of a very serious nature; gloomy

A

solemn

(sol-uhm)

synonyms: quiet, serious, grave, somber

114
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. spontaneously done without preparation

A

impromptu

(im-promp-too)

synonyms: improvised, unrehearsed, spontaneous

115
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. improperly disrespectful

A

impudent

(im-pyuh-dent)

synonyms: cocky, insolent, overbearing

116
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to adorn, usually in a poorly conceived or tasteless manner

A

bedizen

(bih-dahy-zuhn)

synonyms: clothe, embellish, garnish

117
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to make angry

A

incense

(in-sense)

synonyms: fire up, enrage

118
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a conscious decision or the capability of choosing

n. willingness

A

volition

(voh-lish-uhn)

synonyms: choice, option, preference

119
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to plug

v. to drive in or down by a series of blows

A

tamp

(tamp)

synonyms: fill, jam; ram, butt, drive

120
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to make hard, strong or obdurate

v. to fill with determination

A

steel

(steel)

synonyms: harden, toughen; brace, embolden

121
Q

Define

gossamer

(goss-uh-murr)

A

adj. delicate, insubstantial, flimsy

The gossamer kite broke in two at the first gust of wind.

122
Q

Define

inimical

(ih-nim-ih-kuhl)

A

adj. hostile, unfriendly

The Antarctic is inimical to life.

123
Q

Define

vainglorious

(veyn-glawr-ee-us)

A

adj. boastful of one’s accomplishments or accolades; vain

Dave’s vainglorious attitude unfortunately overshadowed his considerable accomplishments.

124
Q

Define

pariah

(puh-rahy-uh)

A

n. an outcast; a rejected or despised person

Alex left the party feeling like a pariah.

125
Q

Define

indelible

(in-del-uh-buhl)

A

adj. impossible to remove or to forget

The memory of that day had become indelible in his mind.

126
Q

Define

byzantine

(biz-uhn-teen)

A

adj. complex, intricate, labyrinthine

The byzantine rules of the card game confused everyone.

127
Q

Define

inveigh

(in-vey)

A

v. to attack verbally, to deprecate

The protesters were _inveigh_ing against government policies.

128
Q

Define

peccadillo

(pek-uh-dil-oh)

A

n. slight infraction of rules, a minor sin

As a society, we tend to take our politicians to task over _peccadillo_es while overlooking the failings of our political system as a whole.

129
Q

Define

panegyric

(pan-ih-djirr-ik)

A

n. a formal and elaborate public compliment; praise, laudation

The mayor extended a panegyric to all of the citizens who were fighting overseas.

130
Q

Define

quaff

(kwaf)

A

v. to drink deeply; to intoxicate oneself with great enjoyment

He _quaff_ed the pint in a three hearty gulps.

131
Q

Define

inchoate

(in-koe-it)

A

adj. not fully formed

An inchoate sense of duty is no substitute for a sober assessment of the hardships that lie ahead if you decide to follow your husband to his remote post.

132
Q

Define

essay

(n., ess-ey; v., ess-ey)

A

n. an attempt or trial

v. to test, try, experiment, investigate

My frequent _essay_s at piano playing have only met with failure.

133
Q

Define

incisive

(in-sahy-siv)

A

adj. quick to understand or perceptive

adj. clearly expressed; decisive

The boy’s incisive mind allowed him to excel in all of his classes.

134
Q

Define

incorrigible

(in-kor-ih-juh-bull)

A

adj. unable to be corrected or reformed

Incorrigible juvenile offenders are sent to a special program within the prison.

135
Q

Define

inculcate

(ing-cull-kate)

A

v. to teach by frequent repetition

Throughout the year, the faculty is expected to inculcate the essentials of fire safety in the students.

136
Q

Define

indigenous

(in-didj-ih-nuss)

A

adj. originating in a certain place

The Aborigines are a people indigenous to Australia.

137
Q

Define

indigent

(in-dih-djunt)

A

adj. extremely poor

The organization’s mission was to provide educational resources to indigent women in various countries.

138
Q

Define

indolent

(in-dull-uhnt)

A

adj. habitually lazy

adj. causing little or no pain

The company’s owner decided to fire the most indolent workers first.

139
Q

Define

redolent

(red-uhl-uhnt)

A

adj. fragrant, suggestive, or evocative

The fraternity house was redolent of stale beer and day-old pizza

140
Q

Define

provident

(prov-ih-duhnt)

A

adj. looking to the future

adj. frugal

The young couple’s provident financial planning was an asset to them later in life.

141
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. delicate, insubstantial, flimsy

A

gossamer

(goss-uh-murr)

synonyms: thin, delicate, light, fragile

142
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. hostile, unfriendly

A

inimical

(ih-nim-ih-kuhl)

synonyms: antagonistic, harmful

143
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. boastful of one’s accomplishments or accolades; vain

A

vainglorious

(veyn-glawr-ee-us)

synonyms: immodest, self-absorbed

144
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. an outcast; a rejected or despised person

A

pariah

(puh-rahy-uh)

synonyms: vagabond, persona non grata

145
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. impossible to remove or to forget

A

indelible

(in-del-uh-buhl)

synonyms: enduring, lasting, unforgettable

146
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. labyrinthine, complex. intricate

A

byzantine

(biz-uhn-teen)

synonyms: convoluted, elaborate

147
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to attack verbally, deprecate

A

inveigh

(in-vey)

synonyms: remonstrate, lambaste

148
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. slight infraction of rules, a minor sin

A

peccadillo

(pek-uh-dil-oh)

synonyms: faux pas, misdemeanor, vice

149
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a formal and elaborate public compliment; praise, laudation

A

panegyric

(pan-ih-djirr-ik)

synonyms: flattery, compliment, credit

150
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to drink deeply; to intoxicate oneself with great enjoyment

A

quaff

(kwaf)

synonyms: guzzle, swig

151
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. not fully formed

A

inchoate

(in-koe-it)

synonyms: undeveloped, beginning, elementary

152
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. an attempt or trial

v. to test, try, experiment, investigate

A

essay

(n., ess-ey, v., ess-ey)

synonyms: experiment, endeavor, attempt, trial

153
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. quick to understand or perceptive

adj. clearly expressed; decisive

A

incisive

(in-sahy-siv)

synonyms: intelligent, quick; clear-cut

154
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. unable to be corrected or reformed

A

incorrigible

(in-kor-ih-juh-bull)

synonyms: rebellious, disobedient, incurable

155
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to teach by frequent repetition

A

inculcate

(ing-cull-kate)

synonyms: communicate, drill, instill

156
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. originating in a certain place

A

indigenous

(in-didj-ih-nuss)

synonyms: native, inborn, aboriginal

157
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. extremely poor

A

indigent

(in-dih-djunt)

synonyms: destitute, impoverished

158
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. habitually lazy

adj. causing little or no pain

A

indolent

(in-dull-uhnt)

synonyms: idle, lazy; insensitive

159
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. fragrant, suggestive or evocative

A

redolent

(red-uhl-uhnt)

synonyms: aromatic, imbued with

160
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. looking to the future

adj. frugal

A

provident

(prov-ih-duhnt)

synonyms: cautious, prepared; thrifty

161
Q

Define

untoward

(uhn-tawrd)

A

adj. troublesome, unruly, adverse, or indecent

This is not the first time I have noted untoward similarities between those two students’ papers.

162
Q

Define

paean

(pee-uhn)

A

n. a song or expression of joy or praise

After their country won the World Cup, the band wrote a paean to the national team that became a Top 20 hit.

163
Q

Define

aspersion

(uh-spur-zhuhn)

A

n. the act of defamation or maligning; a derogatory remark

The _aspersion_s cast by his political opponent took weeks to eradicate.

164
Q

Define

lucid

(lue-sid)

A

adj. easy to understand

adj. transparent (permitting light to pass through)

adj. having a clear mind

The artist was unable to express his abstract ideas in a lucid manner.

165
Q

Define

luminous

(lue-muh-nus)

A

adj. emitting light; bright

adj. enlightening

My friend raves about this “luminous” collection of poems, though I didn’t think it was particularly insightful.

166
Q

Define

luxuriant

(lug-zhure-ee-unt)

A

adj. growing in extreme abundance

adj. luxurious and complexly detailed

Anne’s luxuriant garden was considered the nicest in the neighborhood.

167
Q

Define

malevolent

(muh-lev-uh-lunt)

A

adj. wishing evil on others

The malevolent old woman was always trying to make her neighbors miserable.

168
Q

Define

manifest

(man-ih-fest)

A

n. a list of the people aboard a ship or plane

adj. clearly apparent

v. to exhibit a quality

Linda’s laziness was manifest in the messy state of her apartment.

169
Q

Define

mannered

(man-urd)

A

adj. artificial or affected

The pretentious socialite had a mannered way of speaking that did not impress many of her peers.

170
Q

Define

mantle

(man-tul)

A

n. a covering or concealing object

n. a symbol of power or duty

Amid the spate of resignations at town hall, the untested woman was forced to accept the mantle of leadership as the town’s youngest mayor ever.

171
Q

Define

mar

(mar)

A

v. to make imperfect

n. a mark that damages the appearance of something

Although entertaining and well-written, the screenplay was _mar_red by its dependence on stereotypes instead of well-developed characters.

172
Q

Define

martinet

(mar-tih-net)

A

n. one who demands strict adherence to rules

The nanny was hired for the unruly children because of her reputation as a martinet who would be sure to keep them in line.

173
Q

Define

matrix

(may-tricks)

A

n. a place in which something originates or develops

This computer program is the matrix for the movie’s digital art.

174
Q

Define

palette

(pal-it)

A

n. a board used by artists to mix paint colors

n. a range of colors

The poor artist managed to make an interesting piece with a palette of only black and white.

175
Q

Define

paradigm

(pair-ih-dahym)

A

n. a standard example

n. a pattern or model

He used the Civil War as a historical paradigm to support his point.

176
Q

Define

paramount

(pair-ih-mount)

A

adj. most important

Educational reform was a paramount issue for both mayoral candidates.

177
Q

Define

parch

(parch)

A

v. to make dry

v. to make thirsty

The sun’s intense heat _parch_ed the ground and wilted the leaves on the trees.

178
Q

Define

parsimonious

(par-suh-moh-nee-us)

A

adj. frugal; cheap

Her aunt was too parsimonious to chip in for the family’s annual reunion.

179
Q

Define

pathology

(pah-thol-uh-djee)

A

n. the study of disease

n. a disease’s progression or manifestation

An oncologist concerns herself with the pathology of cancer.

180
Q

Define

paucity

(paw-suh-tee)

A

n. a small amount

The paucity of resources meant the film had to be made with unpaid actors and few crew members.

181
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. troublesome, unruly, adverse, or indecent

A

untoward

(uhn-tawrd)

synonyms: problematic, objectionable

182
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a song or expression of joy or praise

A

paean

(pee-uhn)

synonyms: hymn, melody

183
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the act of defamation or maligning; derogatory remark

A

aspersion

(uh-spur-zhuhn)

synonyms: abuse, belittlement

184
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. easy to understand

adj. transparent (permitting light to pass through)

adj. having a clear mind

A

lucid

(lue-sid)

synonyms: clearheaded, sensible, unblurred

185
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. emitting light; bright

adj. enlightening

A

luminous

(lue-muh-nus)

synonyms: glowing; edifying

186
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. growing in extreme abundance

adj. luxurious and complexly detailed

A

luxuriant

(lug-zhure-ee-unt)

synonyms: fertile, lush, prolific

187
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. wishing evil on others

A

malevolent

(muh-lev-uh-lunt)

synonyms: hateful, malicious, malignant

188
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a list of the people aboard a ship or plane
adj. clearly apparent

v. to exhibit a quality

A

manifest

(man-ih-fest)

synonyms: ledger; conspicuous, unambiguous; demonstrate, show

189
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. artificial or affected

A

mannered

(man-urd)

synonyms: unnatural, stilted

190
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a covering or concealing object

n. a symbol of power or duty

A

mantle

(man-tul)

synonyms: cloak, covering

191
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to make imperfect

n. a mark that damages the appearance of something

A

mar

(mar)

synonyms: hurt, blemish, ruin

192
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. one who demands strict adherence to rules

A

martinet

(mar-tih-net)

synonyms: authoritarian, enforcer

193
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a place in which something originates or develops

A

matrix

(may-tricks)

synonyms: forge, source, origin

194
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a board used by artists to mix paint colors

n. a range of colors

A

palette

(pal-it)

synonyms: paint board, spectrum

195
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a standard example

n. a pattern or model

A

paradigm

(pair-ih-dahym)

synonyms: archetype, template

196
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. most important

A

paramount

(pair-ih-mount)

synonyms: principal, prominent, significant

197
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to make dry

v. to make thirsty

A

parch

(parch)

synonyms: dehydrate, dry, evaporate

198
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. frugal; cheap

A

parsimonious

(par-suh-moh-nee-us)

synonyms: penurious, miserly, simple

199
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the study of disease

n. a disease’s progression or manifestation

A

pathology

(pah-thol-uh-djee)

synonyms: disease science

200
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a small amount

A

paucity

(paw-suh-tee)

synonyms: lack, scarcity