Basic Words

Question 1

exhort

Answer 1

exhort
verb: to strongly urge on; encourage

Nelson’s parents exhorted him to study medicine, urging him to choose a respectable profession; intransigent, Nelson left home to become a graffiti artist.

Question 2

bellicose

Answer 2

bellicose
adjective: warlike; inclined to quarrel

Known for their bellicose ways, the Spartans were once the most feared people from Peloponnesus to Persia.

Question 3

disparate

Answer 3

disparate
adjective: two things are fundamentally different

With the advent of machines capable of looking inside the brain, fields as disparate as religion and biology have been brought together by scientists trying to understand what happens in the brain when people have a religious experience

Question 4

extenuating

Answer 4

extenuating
adjective: making less guilty or more forgivable

The jury was hardly moved by the man’s plea that his loneliness was an extenuating factor in his crime of dognapping a prized pooch.

Question 5

errant

Answer 5

errant
adjective: to be wandering; not sticking to a circumscribed path

Unlike his peers, who spent their hours studying in the library, Matthew preferred errant walks through the university campus.

Question 6

obdurate

Answer 6

obdurate
adjective: unable to be persuaded or moved emotionally; stubborn; unyielding.

No number of pleas and bribes would get him to change his obdurate attitude.

Question 7

pithy

Answer 7

pithy
adjective: concise and full of meaning

I enjoy reading the Daodejing for its pithy and insightful prose; it always gives me something to think about.

Question 8

autonomously

Answer 8

autonomously
adverb: Acting independently; self-governing (of a country)

Many of the factory workers are worried about being replaced by machines and computers that will work completely autonomously.

Question 9

renege

Answer 9

renege
verb: fail to fulfill a promise or obligation

We will no longer work with that vendor since it has reneged on nearly every agreement.

Question 10

consummate

Answer 10

consummate
adjective: having or revealing supreme mastery or skill

Tyler was the consummate musician: he was able to play the guitar, harmonica, and the drum at the same time.

Question 11

ascendancy

Answer 11

ascendancy
noun: the state that exists when one person or group has power over another

The ascendancy of the Carlsbad water polo team is clear—they have a decade of championships behind them.

Question 12

fete

Answer 12

fete
verb: to celebrate a person

After World War II, war heroes were feted at first but quickly forgotten.

Question 13

urbane

Answer 13

urbane
adjective: showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience

Because of his service as an intelligence officer and his refined tastes, W. Somerset Maugham became the inspiration for the urbane and sophisticate spy James Bond.

Question 14

genteel

Answer 14

genteel
adjective: marked by refinement in taste and manners

A live string quartet would provide a more genteel air to the wedding than would a folk singer.

Question 15

hamstrung

Answer 15

hamstrung
verb: made ineffective or powerless

The FBI has made so many restrictions on the local police that they are absolutely hamstrung, unable to accomplish anything.

Question 16

tumult

Answer 16

tumult
noun: a state of chaos, noise and confusion

Riots broke out just in front of our apartment building, and the tumult continued late into the night.

Question 17

derisive

Answer 17

derisive
adjective: abusing vocally; expressing contempt or ridicule

I was surprised by her derisive tone; usually, she is sweet, soft spoken, and congenial.

Question 18

credence

Answer 18

credence
noun: belief in something

He placed no credence in psychics, claiming that they offered no special powers beyond the ability to make people part with their money.

Question 19

vacuous

Answer 19

vacuous
adjective: devoid of intelligence, matter, or significance

To the journalist’s pointed question, the senator gave a vacuous response, mixing a few of his overall campaign slogans with platitudes and completely avoiding the controversial subject of the question.

Question 20

facetious

Answer 20

facetious
adjective: cleverly amusing in tone,flippant

Facetious behavior will not be tolerated during sex education class; it’s time for all of you to treat these matters like mature adults.

Question 21

assuage

Answer 21

assuage
verb: make something intense less severe

Her fear that the new college would be filled with unknown faces was assuaged when she recognized her childhood friend standing in line.

Question 22

surly

Answer 22

surly
adjective: inclined to anger or bad feelings with overtones of menace

Every morning, Bhavin was a surly, unhappy person, but once he ate breakfast, he became loving, laughing, and a joy to be around.

Question 23

pertinent

Answer 23

pertinent
adjective: having precise or logical relevance to the matter at hand

While the salaries of the players might draw attention in the media, such monetary figures are not pertinent to the question of who plays the best on the field.

Question 24

genial

Answer 24

genial
adjective: agreeable, conducive to comfort

Betty is a genial young woman: everyone she meets is put at ease by her elegance and grace.

Question 25

irresolute

Answer 25

irresolute
adjective: uncertain how to act or proceed

He stood irresolute at the split in the trail, not sure which route would lead back to the camp.

Question 26

enmity

Answer 26

enmity
noun: a state of deep-seated ill-will

The rude remark Charles made toward Sarah yesterday was due to his illness, not due to any real enmity toward Sarah.

Question 27

destitute

Answer 27

destitute
adjective: poor enough to need help from others

Jean Valjean, is at first destitute, but through the grace of a priest, he makes something of his life.

adjective: completely wanting or lacking (usually “destitute of”)

Now that the mine is closed, the town is destitute of any economic activity.

Question 28

obstinate

Answer 28

obstinate
adjective: resistant to guidance or discipline; stubbornly persistent

The coach suggested improvements Sarah might make on the balance beam, but she remained obstinate, unwilling to modify any of the habits that made her successful in the past.

Question 29

aphoristic

Answer 29

aphoristic
adjective: something that is concise and instructive of a general truth or principle

Sometimes I can’t stand Nathan because he tries to impress everyone by being aphoristic, but he just states the obvious.

Question 30

tout

Answer 30

tout
verb: advertize in strongly positive terms; show off

At the conference, the CEO touted the extraordinary success of his company’s Research & Development division.

Question 31

foible

Answer 31

foible
noun: a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual

When their new roommate sat staring at an oak tree for an hour, Marcia thought it indicated a mental problem, but Jeff assured her it was a harmless foible.

Question 32

travail

Answer 32

travail
noun: use of physical or mental energy; hard work; agony or anguish

While they experienced nothing but travails in refinishing the kitchen, they completed the master bedroom in less than a weekend.

Question 33

profusion

Answer 33

profusion
noun: the property of being extremely abundant

When Maria reported that she had been visited by Jesus Christ and had proof, a profusion of reporters and journalists descended on the town.

Question 34

insipid

Answer 34

insipid

dull, unintresting

Question 35

buttress

Answer 35

buttress
verb: make stronger or defensible

China’s economy has been buttressed by a global demand for the electronic parts the country manufactures.

Question 36

redress

Answer 36

redress
noun: an act of making something right

Barry’s redress for forgetting his wife’s birthday two years in a row was surprising her with a trip to Tahiti.

Question 37

wanton

Answer 37

wanton
adjective: without check or limitation; showing no moral restraints to one’s anger, desire, or appetites

Due to wanton behavior and crude language, the drunk man was thrown out of the bar and asked to never return.

Question 38

industrious

Answer 38

industrious
adjective: characterized by hard work and perseverance

Pete was an industrious student, completing every assignment thoroughly and on time.

Question 39

emulate

Answer 39

emulate
verb: strive to equal or match, especially by imitating; compete with successfully

To really become fluent in a new language, emulate the speech patterns of people who speak the language.

Question 40

profusion

Answer 40

profusion
noun: the property of being extremely abundant

When Maria reported that she had been visited by Jesus Christ and had proof, a profusion of reporters and journalists descended on the town.

Question 41

cavalier

Answer 41

cavalier
adjective: given to haughty disregard of others

Percy dismissed the issue with a cavalier wave of his hand.

Question 42

incense

Answer 42

incense
verb: make furious

When Herb bought football tickets for a game on the day of their wedding anniversary, Jill was incensed.

This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

Question 43

dilapidated

.

Answer 43

dilapidated
adjective: in terrible condition

The main house has been restored but the gazebo is still dilapidated and unusable.

Question 44

perquisite

Answer 44

perquisite
noun: a right reserved exclusively by a particular person or group (especially a hereditary or official right)

Even as the dishwasher at the French restaurant, Josh quickly learned that he had the perquisite of being able to eat terrific food for half the price diners would pay.

Question 45

carping

Answer 45

carping
noun: persistently petty and unjustified criticism

What seemed like incessant nagging and carping about my behavior from my mother turned out to be wise and useful advice that has served me well.

Question 46

stymie

Answer 46

stymie
verb: hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of

The engineers found their plans stymied at every turn and were ultimately able to make almost no progress on the project.

Question 47

convivial

Answer 47

convivial
adjective: describing a lively atmosphere

The wedding reception was convivial; friends who hadn’t seen each other for ages drank and ate together before heading to the dance floor.

Question 48

aphorism

Answer 48

aphorism
noun: a short instructive saying about a general truth

Nietzsche was known for using aphorisms, sometimes encapsulating a complex philosophical thought in a mere sentence.

Question 49

provisional

Answer 49

provisional
adjective: under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed upon

Until the corporate office hands down a definitive decision on use of the extra offices, we will share their use in a provisional arrangement.

Question 50

staid

Answer 50

staid
adjective: characterized by dignity and propriety

Frank came from a staid environment, so he was shocked that his college roommate sold narcotics.