23 Short

Question 1

serrid

Answer 1

adjective [attributive]

(of rows of people or things) standing close together: serried ranks of soldiers | the serried rows of vines.

Question 2

shifty

Answer 2

adjective (shiftier, shiftiest) informal

(of a person or their manner) appearing deceitful or evasive: a shifty, fast-talking lawyer.

Question 3

sham

Answer 3

noun
1 a thing that is not what it is purported to be: the proposed legislation is a farce and a sham.
• pretense: it all turned out to be sham and hypocrisy.
• a person who pretends to be someone or something they are not: he was a sham, totally unqualified for his job as a senior doctor.
adjective
bogus; false: a clergyman who arranged a sham marriage.
verb (shams, shamming, shammed) [no object]
falsely present something as the truth: was he ill or was he shamming?
• [with object] pretend to be or to be experiencing: she shams indifference.

Question 4

shiftless

Answer 4

adjective
(of a person or action) characterized by laziness, indolence, and a lack of ambition: a shiftless lot of good-for-nothings.

Question 5

shipshape

Answer 5

adjective

in good order; trim and neat: he checked that everything was shipshape.

Question 6

shirk

Answer 6

verb [with object]
avoid or neglect (a duty or responsibility): their sole motive is to shirk responsibility and rip off the company.
• [no object, usually with negative] (shirk from) be unwilling to do (something difficult): we will not shirk from closing a school if the evidence should justify it.

Question 7

shoal

Answer 7

noun
a large number of fish swimming together: a shoal of bream.
verb [no object]
(of fish) form shoals.
noun
an area of shallow water, especially as a navigational hazard.
• a submerged sandbank visible at low water.
• (usually shoals) a hidden danger or difficulty: he alone could safely guide them through Hollywood’s treacherous shoals.
verb [no object]
(of water) become shallower.

Question 8

shopworn

Answer 8

adjective North American
(of an article) made dirty or imperfect by being displayed or handled in a store: he brought out some shopworn lettuce | figurative : he appraised his brown but slightly shopworn body in the mirror.

Question 9

shred

Answer 9

noun (usually shreds)
a strip of some material, such as paper, cloth, or food, that has been torn, cut, or scraped from something larger: her beautiful dress was torn to shreds.
• [often with negative] a very small amount: there was not a shred of evidence that linked him to the fire.
verb (shreds, shredding, shredded)
1 [with object] tear or cut into shreds: (as adjective shredded) : shredded cabbage.
2 [no object] (usually as noun shredding) play a very fast, intricate style of rock lead guitar: we want to hear everything from country and western to blisteringly fast guitar shredding.

Question 10

shroud

Answer 10

noun
1 a length of cloth or an enveloping garment in which a dead person is wrapped for burial: he was buried in a linen shroud.
• technical a protective casing or cover.
2 a thing that envelops or obscures something: a shroud of mist | they operate behind a shroud of secrecy.
3 (shrouds) a set of ropes forming part of the standing rigging of a sailing vessel and supporting the mast from the sides.
• (also shroud line) each of the lines joining the canopy of a parachute to the harness.
verb [with object]
1 wrap or dress (a body) in a shroud for burial.
2 cover or envelop so as to conceal from view: mountains shrouded by cloud | the mystery that shrouds the origins of the universe.

Question 11

sidestep

Answer 11

verb (sidesteps, sidestepping, sidestepped) [with object]
avoid (someone or something) by stepping sideways: as she walked she sidestepped the many cracks in the pavement.
• avoid dealing with or discussing (something problematic or disagreeable): he neatly sidestepped the questions about riots.
• [no object] Skiing climb or descend by lifting alternate skis while facing sideways on the slope.
noun
a step taken sideways, typically to avoid someone or something.

Question 12

self-perpetuating

Answer 12

adjective

perpetuating itself or oneself without external agency or intervention: the self-perpetuating power of the bureaucracy.

Question 13

sensuality

Answer 13

noun
the enjoyment, expression, or pursuit of physical, especially sexual, pleasure: he ate the grapes with surprising sensuality.
• the condition of being pleasing or fulfilling to the senses: life can dazzle with its sensuality, its color.

Question 14

sinecure

Answer 14

noun

a position requiring little or no work but giving the holder status or financial benefit.

Question 15

sinew

Answer 15

noun
a piece of tough fibrous tissue uniting muscle to bone or bone to bone; a tendon or ligament.
• (usually sinews) the parts of a structure, system, or thing that give it strength or bind it together: the sinews of government.
verb [with object] (usually as adjective sinewed) literary
strengthen with or as if with sinews: the sinewed shape of his back.

Question 16

singe

Answer 16

verb (singes, singeing, singed) [with object]
burn (something) superficially or lightly: the fire had singed his eyebrows | (as adjective singed) : a smell of singed feathers.
• [no object] be burned superficially: the heat was so intense I could feel the hairs on my hands singe.
• burn the bristles or down off (the carcass of a pig or fowl) to prepare it for cooking.
noun
a superficial burn.

Question 17

sinuous

Answer 17

adjective
having many curves and turns: the river follows a sinuous trail through the forest.
• lithe and supple: the sinuous grace of a cat.

Question 18

snag

Answer 18

noun
1 an unexpected or hidden obstacle or drawback: the picture’s US release hit a snag.
2 a sharp, angular, or jagged projection: keep an emery board handy in case of nail snags.
• a rent or tear in fabric caused by a sharp or jagged projection.
verb (snags, snagging, snagged) [with object]
catch or tear (something) on a projection: thorns snagged his sweater.
• [no object] become caught on a projection: radio aerials snagged on bushes and branches.
• North American informal catch or obtain (someone or something): it’s the first time they’ve snagged the star for a photo.

Question 19

sacrosanct

Answer 19

adjective
(especially of a principle, place, or routine) regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with: the individual’s right to work has been upheld as sacrosanct.

Question 20

scourge

Answer 20

noun
1 a person or thing that causes great trouble or suffering: the scourge of mass unemployment.
verb [with object]
1 cause great suffering to: political methods used to scourge and oppress workers.

Question 21

skimp

Answer 21

verb [no object]
expend or use less time, money, or material on something than is necessary in an attempt to economize: don’t skimp on insurance when you travel overseas.

Question 22

scruple

Answer 22

noun
1 (usually scruples) a feeling of doubt or hesitation with regard to the morality or propriety of a course of action: I had no scruples about eavesdropping | without scruple, these politicians use fear as a persuasion weapon.
verb [no object, with infinitive and usually with negative]
hesitate or be reluctant to do something that one thinks may be wrong: she doesn’t scruple to ask her parents for money.

Question 23

skirt

Answer 23

verb [with object]
go around or past the edge of: he did not go through the city but skirted it.
• be situated along or around the edge of: the fields that skirted the highway were full of cattle.
• [no object] (skirt along/around) go along or around (something) rather than directly through or across it: the river valley skirts along the northern slopes of the hills.
• attempt to ignore; avoid dealing with: there was a subject she was always skirting | [no object] : the treaty skirted around the question of political cooperation.

Question 24

slack

Answer 24

adjective
1 not taut or held tightly in position; loose: a slack rope | her mouth went slack.
2 (of business) characterized by a lack of work or activity; quiet: business was rather slack.
• slow or sluggish: they were working at a slack pace.
3 having or showing laziness or negligence: slack accounting procedures.
4 (of a tide) neither ebbing nor flowing: soon the water will become slack, and the tide will turn.
noun
1 the part of a rope or line which is not held taut; the loose or unused part: I picked up the rod and wound in the slack.
2 (slacks) casual trousers.
3 informal a spell of inactivity or laziness: he slept deeply, refreshed by a little slack in the daily routine.
verb [with object]
1 loosen (something, especially a rope).
2 decrease or reduce in intensity, quantity, or speed: [no object] : the flow of blood slacked off | [with object] : the horse slacked his pace.
3 [no object] British informal work slowly or lazily: she reprimanded her girls if they were slacking.
4 slake (lime).
adverb
loosely: their heads were hanging slack in attitudes of despair.

Question 25

slake

Answer 25

verb [with object] 1 quench or satisfy (one's thirst): slake your thirst with some lemonade. • satisfy (desires): restaurants worked to slake the Italian obsession with food. 2 combine (quicklime) with water to produce calcium hydroxide.

Question 26

slant

Answer 26

verb slope or lean in a particular direction; diverge or cause to diverge from the vertical or horizontal: [no object] : a plowed field slanted up to the skyline | [with object] : slant your skis as you turn to send up a curtain of water. • (especially of light or shadow) fall in an oblique direction: the early sun slanted across the mountains. • [with object] (often as adjective slanted) present or view (information) from a particular angle, especially in a biased or unfair way: slanted news coverage. noun 1 [in singular] a sloping position: the hedge grew at a slant | cut flower stems on the slant. 2 a particular point of view from which something is seen or presented: a new slant on science. adjective [attributive] sloping: slant pockets.

Question 27

slate

Answer 27

noun 1 a fine-grained gray, green, or bluish metamorphic rock easily split into smooth, flat pieces. • a flat piece of slate used as roofing material. 3 [usually as modifier] a bluish-gray color: suits of slate gray. 4 a list of candidates for election to a post or office, typically a group sharing a set of political views: another slate of candidates will be picked for the state convention. • chiefly North American a range of something offered: the company has revealed details of a $60 million slate of film productions. 5 a board showing the identifying details of a take of a motion picture, which is held in front of the camera at its beginning and end. verb [with object] 1 cover (something, especially a roof) with slates. 4 identify (a movie take) using a slate.

Question 28

slew

Answer 28

verb 1 turn or slide violently or uncontrollably in a particular direction: [no object] : the Chevy slewed from side to side in the snow | [with object] : he managed to slew the aircraft around before it settled on the runway. 2 [no object] (of an electronic device) undergo slewing. noun [in singular] a violent or uncontrollable sliding movement: I was assaulted by the thump and slew of the van.

Question 29

slight

Answer 29

verb [with object] 1 insult (someone) by treating or speaking of them without proper respect or attention: he was careful not to slight a guest. 2 archaic raze or destroy (a fortification). noun an insult caused by a failure to show someone proper respect or attention: an unintended slight can create grudges | he was seething at the slight to his authority.

Question 30

slipshod

Answer 30

adjective (typically of a person or method of work) characterized by a lack of care, thought, or organization: he'd caused many problems with his slipshod management.s

Question 31

slouch

Answer 31

verb 1 [no object, with adverbial] stand, move, or sit in a lazy, drooping way: he slouched against the wall | (be slouched) : he was slouched in his chair. 2 [with object] dated bend one side of the brim of (a hat) downward. noun [in singular] 1 a lazy, drooping posture or movement: his stance was a round-shouldered slouch. 2 [usually with negative] informal an incompetent person: my brother was no slouch at making a buck. 3 a downward bend of a hat brim.

Question 32

slovenly

Answer 32

adjective (especially of a person or their appearance) messy and dirty: he was upbraided for his slovenly appearance. • (especially of a person or action) careless; excessively casual: slovenly speech.

Question 33

sluggard

Answer 33

noun | a lazy, sluggish person.

Question 34

slumber

Answer 34

verb [no object] sleep: Sleeping Beauty slumbered in her forest castle | figurative : the village street slumbered under the afternoon sun. noun (often slumbers) a sleep: scaring folk from their slumbers.

Question 35

slur

Answer 35

verb (slurs, slurring, slurred) [with object] 1 speak (words or speech) indistinctly so that the sounds run into one another: he was slurring his words like a drunk. • [no object] (of words or speech) be spoken so the sounds run into one another: his speech was beginning to slur. • pass over (a fact or aspect) so as to conceal or minimize it: essential attributes are being slurred over or ignored. 3 chiefly US make damaging or insulting insinuations or allegations about: try and slur the integrity of the police to secure an acquittal. noun 1 an insinuation or allegation about someone that is likely to insult them or damage their reputation: the comments were a slur on the staff. • a derogatory or insulting term applied to particular group of people: a racial slur. 2 an act of speaking indistinctly so that sounds or words run into one another or a tendency to speak in such a way: there was a mean slur in his voice.

Question 36

sly

Answer 36

adjective (slyer, slyest) having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature: she had a sly personality. • (of a remark, glance, or facial expression) showing in an insinuating way that one has some secret knowledge that may be harmful or embarrassing: he gave a sly grin. • (of an action) surreptitious: a sly sip of water.

Question 37

smarmy

Answer 37

adjective (smarmier, smarmiest) informal | ingratiating and wheedling in a way that is perceived as insincere or excessive: a smarmy, unctuous reply.s

Question 38

skullduggery

Answer 38

noun | underhanded or unscrupulous behavior; trickery: a firm that investigates commercial skulduggery.

Question 39

smattering

Answer 39

noun a slight superficial knowledge of a language or subject: Edward had only a smattering of Spanish. • a small amount of something: a smattering of snow.

Question 40

snare

Answer 40

noun 1 a trap for catching birds or animals, typically one having a noose of wire or cord. • a thing likely to lure or tempt someone into harm or error: the wickedness and snares of the Devil. 2 a length of wire, gut, or hide stretched across a drumhead to produce a rattling sound. • short for snare drum. verb [with object] catch (a bird or mammal) in a snare. • catch or trap (someone): I snared a passing waiter.

Question 41

snarl

Answer 41

verb [no object] (of an animal such as a dog) make an aggressive growl with bared teeth: (as adjective snarling) : snarling Dobermans. • [reporting verb] (of a person) say something in an angry, bad-tempered voice: I used to snarl at anyone I disliked | [with direct speech] : “Shut your mouth!” he snarled | [with object] : he snarled a few choice remarks at them. noun an act or sound of snarling: the cat drew its mouth back in a snarl.

Question 42

sneer

Answer 42

noun a contemptuous or mocking smile, remark, or tone: he acknowledged their presence with a condescending sneer. verb [no object] smile or speak in a contemptuous or mocking manner: she had sneered at their bad taste | [with direct speech] : “I see you're conservative in your ways,” David sneered.

Question 43

snub

Answer 43

verb (snubs, snubbing, snubbed) [with object] 1 rebuff, ignore, or spurn disdainfully: he snubbed faculty members and students alike | he snubbed her request to wind up the debate. 2 check the movement of (a horse or boat), especially by a rope wound around a post: a horse snubbed to a tree. noun an act of showing disdain or a lack of cordiality by rebuffing or ignoring someone or something: he couldn't help thinking that the whole thing was meant to be taken as a snub.

Question 44

sodden

Answer 44

adjective saturated with liquid, especially water; soaked through: his clothes were sodden. • [in combination] having drunk an excessive amount of a particular alcoholic drink: a whiskey-sodden criminal.

Question 45

solace

Answer 45

noun comfort or consolation in a time of distress or sadness: she sought solace in her religion. verb [with object] give solace to.

Question 46

solder

Answer 46

noun a low-melting alloy, especially one based on lead and tin or (for higher temperatures) on brass or silver, used for joining less fusible metals. verb [with object] join with solder.

Question 47

solemnity

Answer 47

noun (plural solemnities) the state or quality of being serious and dignified: his ashes were laid to rest with great solemnity. • (usually solemnities) a formal, dignified rite or ceremony: the ritual of the Church was observed in all its solemnities.

Question 48

solicitous

Answer 48

adjective characterized by or showing interest or concern: she was always solicitous about the welfare of her students | a solicitous inquiry.

Question 49

soliloquy

Answer 49

noun (plural soliloquies) an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play. • a part of a play involving a soliloquy.

Question 50

somatic

Answer 50

adjective | relating to the body, especially as distinct from the mind.

Question 51

somber

Answer 51

adjective dark or dull in color or tone; gloomy: the night skies were somber and starless. • oppressively solemn or sober in mood; grave: he looked at her with a somber expression.

Question 52

somnolence/somnolent

Answer 52

adjective sleepy; drowsy. • causing or suggestive of drowsiness: a somnolent summer day. • Medicine abnormally drowsy.

Question 53

slapdash

Answer 53

adjective | done too hurriedly and carelessly: he gave a slapdash performance.

Question 54

soothe

Answer 54

verb [with object] gently calm (a person or their feelings): a shot of brandy might soothe his nerves. • reduce pain or discomfort in (a part of the body): to soothe the skin try chamomile or thyme. • relieve or ease (pain): it contains a mild anesthetic to soothe the pain.

Question 55

sop

Answer 55

noun 1 a thing given or done as a concession of no great value to appease someone whose main concerns or demands are not being met: my agent telephones as a sop but never finds me work. 2 a piece of bread dipped in gravy, soup, or sauce. verb (sops, sopping, sopped) [with object] 1 (sop something up) soak up liquid using an absorbent substance: he used some bread to sop up the sauce. 2 wet thoroughly; soak.

Question 56

sophism

Answer 56

noun | a fallacious argument, especially one used deliberately to deceive.

Question 57

soporific

Answer 57

adjective tending to induce drowsiness or sleep: the motion of the train had a somewhat soporific effect. • sleepy or drowsy: some medicine made her soporific. • tediously boring or monotonous: a libel trial is in large parts intensely soporific. noun a drug or other agent that induces sleep.

Question 58

sordid

Answer 58

adjective involving ignoble actions and motives; arousing moral distaste and contempt: the story paints a sordid picture of bribes and scams. • dirty or squalid: the overcrowded housing conditions were sordid and degrading.

Question 59

spat

Answer 59

noun a petty quarrel. verb (spats, spatting, spatted) [no object] quarrel pettily.

Question 60

spate

Answer 60

noun 1 [usually in singular] a large number of similar things or events appearing or occurring in quick succession: a spate of attacks on travelers.

Question 61

sleek

Answer 61

adjective (of hair, fur, or skin) smooth and glossy: he was tall, with sleek, dark hair. • (of a person or animal) having smooth, glossy skin, hair, or fur, often taken as a sign of physical fitness: a sleek black cat. • (of a person) having a wealthy and well-groomed appearance: his sleek and elegant sisters. • (of an object) having an elegant, streamlined shape or design: his sleek black car slid through the traffic. • ingratiating; unctuous: she gave Guy a sleek smile to underline her words.

Question 62

specious

Answer 62

adjective superficially plausible, but actually wrong: a specious argument. • misleading in appearance, especially misleadingly attractive: the music trade gives Golden Oldies a specious appearance of novelty.

Question 63

speck

Answer 63

noun a tiny spot: the figure in the distance had become a mere speck. • a small particle of a substance: specks of dust. verb [with object] (usually be specked) mark with small spots: their skin was specked with goose pimples.

Question 64

spendthrift

Answer 64

noun | a person who spends money in an extravagant, irresponsible way.