101-150

Question 1

reprehensible

Answer 1

deserving to be severely criticized

Sentence: Senator Thomson’s statement that the poor deserved to be poor was seen as reprehensible, and the members of both political parties harshly condemned the senator’s insensitivity.

Question 2

lethargic

Answer 2

dull; sluggish; moving slowly

Sentence: Every Monday morning the class is unusually lethargic, as most students have spent their weekends playing and have not gotten enough sleep.

Question 3

pulpit

Answer 3

a podium used for preaching

Sentence: Pastor Rodriguez preferred not to speak from the pulpit, instead choosing to leave the podium to walk up to and even among her congregation.

Question 4

edible

Answer 4

able to be eaten

Sentence: Dorothy rummaged through her cup-boards, searching in vain for something edible.

Question 5

artifact

Answer 5

an object produced by human work, esp. one of historical or archaeological interest

Sentence: Some of the artifacts from the archaeological site ended up in private collections rather than museums, where these objects should have been displayed.

Question 6

quiver

Answer 6

to shake; to tremble from fear or cold

Sentence: Before his appointment with the dentist, David quivered with fear, but the dentist was so gentle that he soon stopped shaking and, by the end of the appointment, even asked his father to make an appointment with her for the next week.

Question 7

languish

Answer 7

to lose strength or health; to remain neglected

Sentence: To prevent students from languishing in the back of the classroom, the teacher has a new seating plan each day and calls on all of the students at least twice a week.

Question 8

collaborate

Answer 8

collaborate v. to work together, esp. at an intellectual effort

Sentence: After discovering their common interests at a dinner party, the two scientists decided to collaborate on their next project.

Question 9

utopia

Answer 9

an ideally perfect place

Sentence: The utopia envisioned in your proposal sounds undeniably attractive, but few believe we’ll ever attain it.

Question 10

turbid

Answer 10

loudy, muddy; in a state of turmoil

Sentence: The river, normally so clear you can see fish in it, became turbid during the storm, and the water became nearly opaque with mud and sediment.

Question 11

altruistic

Answer 11

altruistic adj. unselfish; benevolent; caring more for others than oneself

Sentence: Studies suggest that being altruistic actually helps us, for when we give to others or help people in need, we experience a real sense of happiness.

Question 12

delve

Answer 12

to look for; to search; to investigate (usually
with “into”)

Sentence: Reports illegal gambling was occurring inside the restaurant prompted the police chief to announce that she would delve into the matter and make sure that any such gambling was uncovered and stopped.

Question 13

recede

Answer 13

to go back; to withdraw

Sentence: As the waters from the flood receded, they left behind a trail of debris and mud that would take months to clean up.

Question 14

avocation

Answer 14

a hobby

Sentence: It’s been years since the last time he was able to sell a canvas, so he now refers to painting as his avocation and real estate as his profession.

Question 15

patron

Answer 15

a sponsor; a supporter; a regular customer

Sentence: J. Paul Getty was famous as a patron of the arts and donated a large portion of his fortune to museums.

Question 16

raiment

Answer 16

clothing

Sentence: Once he sheds his policeman’s raiment, Al completely loses his air of authority.

Question 17

bellow

Answer 17

to yell very loudly; to shout

Sentence: Mrs. Sampson bellowed from the kitchen for her kids to come in for lunch.

Question 18

pervade

Answer 18

to spread through or be present throughout

Sentence: Before the important verdict was handed down, anxiety and tension pervaded the city.

Question 19

penitent

Answer 19

feeling regret

Sentence: The Japanese legal system operates more leniently for those defendants who plead guilty and appear truly penitent.

Question 20

exude

Answer 20

to give off; to emit; to radiate

Sentence: Vickie exuded a sense of confidence that was so compelling that she was given the job over several applicants who had superior qualifications on paper.

Question 21

conducive

Answer 21

tending to bring about

Sentence: Although violent protest may attract media attention, it is rarely conducive to a settlement, as the targets of the protest only tend to become more stubborn.

Question 22

feral

Answer 22

existing in a wild or untamed state

Sentence: Organizations devoted to reducing the population of stray cats often trap feral cats, neuter them, and then release them so these wild cats can live out their lives without adding to the population.

Question 23

vindictive

Answer 23

seeking revenge; marked by a desire to hurt

Sentence: The war was caused not by a clash of ideals but by the king’s vindictive urge to punish his enemies.

Question 24

immortal

Answer 24

deathless

Sentence: The book’s introduction points out that we call these poets immortal precisely because we continue to read them.

Question 25

conspicuous

Answer 25

easy to notice; obvious; apparent Sentence: The boy was horrified to find a huge zit conspicuous at the end of his nose on the day school pictures were to be taken.

Question 26

deference

Answer 26

yielding an opinion, desire, or position to another out of respect Sentence: Though Nate thought his comments inoffensive, he changed them in deference to suggestions from his staff that they might be perceived as insensitive.

Question 27

salient

Answer 27

important, prominent, most noticeable Sentence: The salient feature of Professor Edwards's writings is the combination of his informal language and his key insights, for it is these two factors that one notices first.

Question 28

unseemly

Answer 28

not decent or proper Sentence: You managed to cover that sneeze in front of her parents quite effectively, although asking them afterward if you could borrow a "snot rag" was unseemly.

Question 29

remorse

Answer 29

sadness or regret for what one has done Sentence: Whatever remorse he might have felt over the theft was short-lived; within a few hours he embarked on a cross-country larceny spree.

Question 30

mercenary

Answer 30

greedy; motivated by desire for money Sentence: The woman openly admitted her mercenary intentions, declaring that she would not marry anyone who had less than a million dollars.

Question 31

fetid

Answer 31

having a bad odor Sentence: Never one to engage in housekeeping, Ted became nonetheless alarmed when his refrigerator began to give off the fetid aroma of forgotten leftovers.

Question 32

drab

Answer 32

dull or dreary; monotonous Sentence: The first thing the Reyez family did after moving into their new house was to repaint the drab walls of their living room with bright, cheery colors.

Question 33

prodigal

Answer 33

exceedingly or recklessly wasteful Sentence: Do not blame me if you die broke; I am the one who warned you not to be so prodigal with your inheritance.

Question 34

patronize

Answer 34

to sponsor or support; to be kind or helpful in a snobbish way, as if dealing with an inferior Sentence: Marjorie prefers to patronize smaller businesses, even if she has to pay a bit more for giving them her business.

Question 35

plausible

Answer 35

appearing worthy of belief or trust Sentence: Robert wasn't able to come up with a plausible excuse to explain why he had come home at two in the morning, so his parents grounded him.

Question 36

allure

Answer 36

the power to attract with something desirable Sentence: The allure of a chance to win great wealth often leads people to gamble recklessly at casinos.

Question 37

lenient

Answer 37

inclined not to be strict Sentence: The driver's education teacher was unpopular with students because he refused to be lenient in grading those who knocked over the little lane markers.

Question 38

pertinent

Answer 38

relevant Sentence: You can claim you made a pertinent point, but the rest of us just saw it as a digression.

Question 39

serene

Answer 39

calm and peaceful Sentence: The meadow was serene: butterflies fluttered about peacefully, and the flowers swayed calmly in a light breeze.

Question 40

indubitable

Answer 40

certain; indisputable (literally "not doubtable") Sentence: It is indubitable that we all will one day cease to be, but until that time comes, we can lead lives of great joy.

Question 41

inaugurate

Answer 41

to formally bring into office at the beginning of a term Sentence: After being elected, a new president must wait about two months to take office; we elect a president in November and inaugurate in January.

Question 42

covert

Answer 42

concealed or disguised; not openly practiced Sentence: Although the U.S. government loudly objects whenever a foreign spy is discovered, we should remember that the CIA conducts its own covert operations in other countries as well.

Question 43

solace

Answer 43

comfort in a time of distress Sentence: A true friend not only celebrates your victories but also offers solace for your failures.

Question 44

insidious

Answer 44

subtly harmful; stealthy, sneaky Sentence: Even the most transparent propaganda can have an insidious effect, as the constant repetition of falsehoods makes them seem less ridiculous.

Question 45

atrophy

Answer 45

a wasting away, esp. of body tissue Sentence: Nurses who care for long-term patients have to prevent the atrophy of those muscles that are not regularly exercised

Question 46

altercation

Answer 46

a heated or noisy argument Sentence: The debate between the two candidates was interrupted when an altercation broke out in the audience between partisans of both sides.

Question 47

foment

Answer 47

to stir up negative feelings, esp. those that lead to violent action Sentence: Despite attempts of activists to foment discontent among the workforce, most employees at the company were quite happy with their current situation.

Question 48

purloin

Answer 48

to steal, oft. in violation of a trust Sentence: During the party, someone purloined the silver bell that had been above the door, and the hosts mourned the loss of their stolen heirloom.

Question 49

caesura

Answer 49

caesura n. a break or pause Sentence: Robin Williams can make it through most of his monologues without stopping to take a breath, talking through even the natural caesura speakers usually have at the end of a sentence.

Question 50

acquiesce

Answer 50

to agree without protest Sentence: Shy and subservient, Henry acquiesces to all of the demands that other people make of him.