A

Question 1

abbreviate

Answer 1

to make briefer, to shorten

Question 2

abrasive

Answer 2

irritating, grinding, rough

Question 3

abridge

Answer 3

to shorten, to reduce

Question 4

absolve

Answer 4

to free from guilt, to exonerate.

Question 5

abstain

Answer 5

to refrain, to hold back

Question 6

accentuate

Answer 6

to emphasize, to stress

Question 7

acrimonious

Answer 7

biting, harsh, caustic

Question 8

adaptable

Answer 8

able to be changed to be suitable for a new

purpose

Question 9

adulation

Answer 9

extreme admiration

Question 10

adversary

Answer 10

an enemy or opponent

Question 11

adversity

Answer 11

misfortune, difficult circumstance

Question 12

aesthethic

Answer 12

relating to art or beauty, beautiful

Question 13

affected

Answer 13

false, artificial

Question 14

aggressive

Answer 14

forceful, energetic, and attacking

Question 15

alacrity

Answer 15

promptness, speed

Question 16

allege

Answer 16

to state without proof

Question 17

alleviate

Answer 17

to make lighter or more bearable

Question 18

ambiguous

Answer 18

having two or more possible meanings

Question 19

ambivalent

Answer 19

having two or more contradictory feelings

or attitudes; uncertain

Question 20

amiable

Answer 20

likable, agreeable, friendly

Question 21

amicable

Answer 21

friendly, peaceable

Question 22

amplify

Answer 22

to enlarge, expand, or increase

Question 23

anachronistic

Answer 23

out of the proper time

ex: The reference, in
Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar to “the clock striking twelve” is
anachronistic, since there were no striking timepieces in
ancient Rome.

Question 24

anarchy

Answer 24

anarchy

ex: For several months after
the Nazi government was destroyed, there was no ef ective
government in parts of Germany, and anarchy ruled

Question 25

anomaly

Answer 25

something different or irregular The tiny planet Pluto, orbiting next to the giants Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune, has long appeared to be an anomaly

Question 26

antagonism

Answer 26

hostility, conflict, opposition. EX: As more and more reporters investigated the Watergate scandal, antagonism between Nixon and the press increased

Question 27

antiseptic

Answer 27

fighting infection; extremely clean. EX: A wound should be washed with an antiseptic solution. The all-white of ices were bare and almost antiseptic in their starkness

Question 28

apathy

Answer 28

lack of interest, concern, or emotion. EX: Tom’s apathy toward his job could be seen in his lateness, his sloppy work, and his overall poor attitude.

Question 29

arable

Answer 29

able to be cultivated for growing crops. EX: Rocky New England has relatively little arable farmland

Question 30

arbiter

Answer 30

someone able to settle disputes; a judge or referee. EX: The public is the ultimate arbiter of commercial value; it decides what sells and what doesn’t.

Question 31

arbitrary

Answer 31

based on random or merely personal preference. EX: Both computers cost the same and had the same features, so in the end I made an arbitrary decision about which one to buy.

Question 32

arcane

Answer 32

little-known, mysterious, obscure. EX: Eliot’s Waste Land is filled with arcane lore, including quotations in Latin, Greek, French, German, and Sanskrit

Question 33

ardor

Answer 33

very dry; boring and meaningless. EX: The arid climate of Arizona makes farming difficult. EX: Some find the law a fascinating topic, but for me it is an arid discipline. a

Question 34

ascetic

Answer 34

practicing strict self-discipline for moral or spiritual reasons. EX: The so-called Desert Fathers were hermits who lived an ascetic life of fasting, study, and prayer.

Question 35

assiduous

Answer 35

working with care, attention, and diligence. EX: Although Karen is not a naturally gifted math student, by assiduous study she managed to earn an A in trigonometry

Question 36

astute

Answer 36

observant, intelligent, and shrewd. EX: Safire’syears of experience in Washington and his personal acquaintance with many political insiders made him an astute commentator on politics.

Question 37

atypical

Answer 37

not typical; unusual. EX: In The Razor’s Edge, Bill Murray, best known as a comic actor, gave an atypical dramatic performance.

Question 38

audacious

Answer 38

bold, daring, adventurous. EX: Her plan to cross the Atlantic single-handed in a 12-foot sailboat was audacious, if not reckless

Question 39

audible

Answer 39

able to be heard. EX: Although she whispered, her voice was picked up by the microphone, and her words were audible throughout the theater

Question 40

auspicious

Answer 40

promising good fortune; propitious. EX: The news that a team of British climbers had reached the summit of Everest seemed an auspicious sign for the reign of newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II.

Question 41

authoritarian

Answer 41

favoring or demanding blind obedience to leaders. EX: Despite Americans’ belief in democracy, the American government has supported authoritarian regimes in other countries.