Basic Vocabulary (Week 1)

Question 1

advocate

Answer 1

publicly recommending or supporting

Question 2

adequate

Answer 2

satisfactory or acceptable

Question 3

altruistic

Answer 3

feelings and behavior that show a desire to help other people (unselfish)

Question 4

antagonist

Answer 4

a person who opposes or is hostile to someone or something, an adversary

Question 5

arbitrary

Answer 5

based on random choice, not planned or chosen for a particular reason

Question 6

astute

Answer 6

having an ability to notice & understand things clearly/accurately assess situations or people, mentally sharp or clever

Question 7

bourgeoisie

Answer 7

the middle class (typically reference to their materialistic values or conventional attitudes)

Question 8

catharsis

Answer 8

the act or process of releasing a strong emotion (such as pity or fear) ex: crying is a cathartic release

Question 9

concede

Answer 9

admit that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it

Question 10

dilenttante

Answer 10

a person whose interest in an art or in an area of knowledge is not very deep or serious

Question 11

aberration

Answer 11

a departure from what is normal, something unusual (divergence, abnormality, oddity)

Question 12

anodyne

Answer 12

not likely to provoke dissent or offense, deliberately inoffensive

Question 13

cordial

Answer 13

sincerely or deeply felt, warm, and friendly

Question 14

dubious

Answer 14

hesitating or doubting (uncertain, unsure, skeptical)

Question 15

furtive

Answer 15

done by stealth, attempting to avoid notice or attention (secretive, stealthy, hidden)

Question 16

flagrant

Answer 16

conspicuously or obviously offensive (blatant)

Question 17

blatant

Answer 17

done openly and unashamedly

Question 18

garish

Answer 18

excessively or disturbingly vivid, obtrusively bright and showy (lurid, gaudy, showy)

Question 19

heinous

Answer 19

hatefully or shockingly evil, utterly odious or wicked

Question 20

imperturbable

Answer 20

marked by extreme calm, unable to be upset or excited (composed, relaxed, placid)

Question 21

implacable

Answer 21

not capable of being appeased, significantly changed or mitigated

Question 22

inane

Answer 22

lacking significance, meaning, or point (silly, stupid)

Question 23

inert

Answer 23

lacking the ability or strength to move

Question 24

irate

Answer 24

feeling or characterized by great anger

Question 25

laconic

Answer 25

using or involving the use of a minimum of words

Question 26

melancholy

Answer 26

a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause

Question 27

meticulous

Answer 27

showing great attention to detail, very careful and precise

Question 28

mitigate

Answer 28

make less severe, serious, or painful (alleviate, reduce, diminish)

Question 29

negligent

Answer 29

failing to take proper care in doing something (neglectful, careless, disregardful)

Question 30

onerous

Answer 30

involving task/duty/responsibility that requires an amount of effort that is oppressively burdensome (arduous, strenuous, difficult)

Question 31

arduous

Answer 31

requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring

Question 32

ostensible

Answer 32

stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so

Question 33

placate

Answer 33

make someone less angry or hostile (pacify, calm, appease)

Question 34

poignant

Answer 34

evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret, designed to make an impression

Question 35

sordid

Answer 35

arousing moral distaste and contempt (dirty, dishonorable, sleazy)

Question 36

innocuous

Answer 36

not likely to bother or offend anyone

Question 37

lecherous

Answer 37

having or showing an excessive or disgusting interest in sex

Question 38

auspicious

Answer 38

showing or suggesting that future success is likely

Question 39

zany

Answer 39

amusingly unconventional and idiosyncratic

Question 40

idiosyncratic

Answer 40

a mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to an individual

Question 41

fastidious

Answer 41

very careful about how you do something, hard to please, wanting to always be clean, neat, etc.

Question 42

evasive

Answer 42

not honest or direct, done to avoid harm

Question 43

erroneous

Answer 43

not correct

Question 44

hostile

Answer 44

unfriendly, antagonistic

Question 45

inherent

Answer 45

belonging to the basic nature of someone or something

Question 46

vice

Answer 46

a moral flaw or weakness, bad or immoral behavior

Question 47

pastiche

Answer 47

an artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period

Question 48

frenetic

Answer 48

fast and energetic in a rather wild, uncontrolled way

Question 49

idyllic

Answer 49

extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque

Question 50

pragmatic

Answer 50

dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations