R

Question 1

rancorous

Answer 1

(adjective) expressing bitter hostility.

Many Americans are disgusted by recent political campaigns, which seem more rancorous than ever before.

rancor (noun)

Question 2

rationale

Answer 2

(noun) an underlying reason or explanation.

Looking at the sad faces of his employees, it was hard for the company president to explain the rationale for closing the business.

Question 3

raze

Answer 3

(verb) to completely destroy; demolish.

The old Coliseum building will soon be razed to make room for a new hotel.

Question 4

reciprocate

Answer 4

(verb) to give and take mutually.

If you’ll watch my children tonight, I’ll reciprocate by taking care of yours tomorrow.

reciprocity (noun)

Question 5

reclusive

Answer 5

(adjective) withdrawn from society.

During the last years of her life, actress Greta Garbo led a reclusive existence, rarely appearing in public.

recluse (noun)

Question 6

reconcile

Answer 6

(verb) to make consistent or harmonious.

FDR’s greatness as a leader can be seen in his ability to reconcile the demands and values of the varied groups that supported him.

reconciliation (noun)

Question 7

recrimination

Answer 7

(noun) a retaliatory accusation.

After the governor called his opponent unethical, his opponent angrily replied with recriminations that the governor was a hypocrite.

recriminate (verb)
recriminatory (adjective)

Question 8

recuperate

Answer 8

(verb) to regain health after an illness.

Although Marie left the hospital two days after her operation, it took her a few weeks to fully recuperate.

recuperation (noun)
recuperative (adjective)

Question 9

redoubtable

Answer 9

(adjective) inspiring respect, awe, or fear.

Johnson’s knowledge, experience, and personal clout made him a redoubtable political opponent.

Question 10

refurbish

Answer 10

(verb) to fix up; renovate.

It took three days’ work by a team of carpenters, painters, and decorators to completely refurbish the apartment.

Question 11

refute

Answer 11

(verb) to prove false.

The company invited reporters to visit their plant in an effort to refute the charges of unsafe working conditions.

refutation (noun)

Question 12

relevance

Answer 12

(noun) connection to the matter at hand; pertinence.

Testimony in a criminal trial may be admitted only if it has clear relevance to the question of guilt or innocence.

relevant (adjective)

Question 13

remedial

Answer 13

(adjective) serving to remedy, cure, or correct some condition.

Affirmative action can be justified as a remedial step to help minority members overcome the effects of past discrimination.

remediation (noun)
remedy (verb)

Question 14

remorse

Answer 14

(noun) a painful sense of guilt over wrongdoing.

In Poe’s story The Tell-Tale Heart, a murderer is driven insane by remorse over his crime.

remorseful (adjective)

Question 15

remuneration

Answer 15

(noun) pay.

In a civil lawsuit, the attorney often receives part of the financial settlement as his or her remuneration.

remunerate (verb)
remunerative (adjective)

Question 16

renovate

Answer 16

(verb) to renew by repairing or rebuilding.

The television program This Old House shows how skilled craftspeople renovate houses.

renovation (noun)

Question 17

renunciation

Answer 17

(noun) the act of rejecting or refusing something.

King Edward VII’s renunciation of the British throne was caused by his desire to marry an American divorcee, something he couldn’t do as king.

renounce (verb)

Question 18

replete

Answer 18

(adjective) filled abundantly.

Graham’s book is replete with wonderful stories about the famous people she has known.

Question 19

reprehensible

Answer 19

(adjective) deserving criticism or censure.

Although Pete Rose’s misdeeds were reprehensible, not all fans agree that he deserves to be excluded from the Baseball Hall of Fame.

reprehend (verb)
reprehension (noun)

Question 20

repudiate

Answer 20

(verb) to reject, to renounce.

After it became known that Duke had been a leader of the Ku Klux Klan, most Republican leaders repudiated him.

repudiation (noun)

Question 21

reputable

Answer 21

(adjective) having a good reputation; respected.

Find a reputable auto mechanic by asking your friends for recommendations based on their own experiences.

reputation (noun)
repute (noun)

Question 22

resilient

Answer 22

(adjective) able to recover from difficulty.

A professional athlete must be resilient, able to lose a game one day and come back the next with confidence and enthusiasm.

resilience (noun)

Question 23

resplendent

Answer 23

(adjective) glowing, shining.

In late December, midtown New York is resplendent with holiday lights and decorations.

resplendence (noun)

Question 24

responsive

Answer 24

(adjective) reacting quickly and appropriately.

The new director of the Internal Revenue Service has promised to make the agency more responsive to public complaints.

respond (verb)
response (noun)

Question 25

restitution

Answer 25

(noun) return of something to its original owner; repayment.

Some Native American leaders are demanding that the U.S. government make restitution for the lands taken from them.

Question 26

revere

Answer 26

(verb) to admire deeply, to honor.

Millions of people around the world revered Mother Teresa for her saintly generosity.

reverence (noun)
reverent (adjective)

Question 27

rhapsodize

Answer 27

(verb) to praise in a wildly emotional way.

That critic is such a huge fan of Toni Morrison that she will surely rhapsodize over the writer’s next novel.

rhapsodic (adjective)