DH 1: Core Vocabulary I

Question 0

anomaly

Answer 0

deviation from the norm or what is expected

Question 1

ambivalent

Answer 1

having mixed or opposing feelings at the same time

Question 2

anomalous

Answer 2

atypical, full of anomalies

Question 3

sarcastic, sardonic, snide

Answer 3

mocking; derisive; taunting; stinging

Question 4

dearth, paucity

Answer 4

a scarcity or shortage of something

Question 5

prattle

Answer 5

to speak in a foolish manner; to babble incessantly

Question 6

wry, droll

Answer 6

dry; humorous with a clever twist and a touch of irony

Question 7

unconventional, unorthodox

Answer 7

not ordinary or typical; characterized by avoiding customary conventions and behaviors

Question 8

meticulous, painstaking, fastidious

Answer 8

extremely careful; very exacting

Question 9

audacious

Answer 9

fearlessly, often recklessly daring; very bold

Question 10

indifferent, apathetic

Answer 10

marked by a lack of interest or concern; nonchalant

Question 11

diffident, self-effacing

Answer 11

hesitant due to a lack of self-confidence; unassertive; shy; retiring

Question 12

pragmatic

Answer 12

practical; sensible; not idealistic or romantic

Question 13

evocation

Answer 13

an imaginative re-creation of something; a calling forth

Question 14

presumptuous

Answer 14

taking liberties; brashly overstepping one’s place; impertinently bold; displaying effrontery

Question 15

recalcitrant

Answer 15

stubbornly resistant and defiant; obstinate; obdurate; refractory; disobedient

Question 16

boon

Answer 16

a timely benefit; blessing

Question 17

bane

Answer 17

a source of harm and ruin

Question 18

clandestine, surreptitious

Answer 18

secret; covert; not open; not aboveboard

Question 19

affable, amiable, genial, gregarious

Answer 19

agreeable; marked by a pleasing personality; warm and friendly

Question 20

austere

Answer 20

having no adornment or ornamentation; bare; not ornate

Question 21

austerity

Answer 21

great self-denial, economy, discipline; lack of adornment

Question 22

altruism

Answer 22

unselfish concern for the welfare of others

Question 23

ambiguity

Answer 23

the quality or state of having more than one possible meaning; doubtful; equivocal, ambiguous—unclear; uncertain; open to more than one interpretation; not definitive; dubious

Question 24

upbraid, reproach, castigate

Answer 24

to express disapproval; to scold; to rebuke; to censure

Question 25

nostalgia

Answer 25

a wistful, sentimental longing for a place or time in the past

Question 26

conjecture

Answer 26

an inference based upon guesswork; a supposition

Question 27

obsolete, archaic, antiquated

Answer 27

no longer in use; outmoded in design or style

Question 28

auspicious, propitious

Answer 28

very favorable

Question 29

gaffe

Answer 29

a blunder; a faux pas; a clumsy social or diplomatic error

Question 30

impasse

Answer 30

a deadlock; stalemate; failure to reach an agreement

Question 31

anachronism

Answer 31

the false assignment of an event, person, scene, or language to a time when the event, person, scene, or word did not exist

Question 32

belie

Answer 32

to contradict; to prove false; used of appearances that are misrepresentative

Question 33

mitigate, mollify, assuage, alleviate

Answer 33

to relieve; to lessen; to ease

Question 34

covet

Answer 34

to strongly desire; to crave

Question 35

covetous

Answer 35

grasping, greedy, eager to obtain something; avaricious

Question 36

antithesis

Answer 36

the direct or exact opposite; extreme contrast; antipode

Question 37

antithetical

Answer 37

exactly opposite; antipodal

Question 38

prototype

Answer 38

an original model; an initial design

Question 39

aloof

Answer 39

detached; distant physically or emotionally; reserved; standing near but apart

Question 40

trite, hackneyed, banal, platitudinous, insipid

Answer 40

unoriginal; commonplace; overused; clichéd

Question 41

antecedent

Answer 41

a preceding event; a forerunner; a precursor

Question 42

plausible

Answer 42

believable; credible

Question 43

implausible

Answer 43

unbelievable; incredible

Question 44

prudent

Answer 44

careful; cautious; sensible

Question 45

aesthetic

Answer 45

relating to the nature of beauty, art, and taste; having a sense of what is beautiful, attractive, or pleasing

Question 46

paradox

Answer 46

a seemingly contradictory statement that nonetheless expresses a truth

Question 47

enigmatic, inscrutable

Answer 47

mysterious; puzzling; unfathomable; baffling

Question 48

acquiesce

Answer 48

to comply; to agree; to give in

Question 49

naïve, gullible

Answer 49

unaffectedly simple; lacking worldly expertise; overly credulous; unsophisticated; immature; inexperienced; ingenuous

Question 50

autonomy

Answer 50

independence; self-governance

Question 51

autonomous

Answer 51

acting independently, or having the freedom to do so; not controlled by others; self-governing

Question 52

futile

Answer 52

completely useless; doomed to failure; in vain

Question 53

indigenous, endemic

Answer 53

native to an area

Question 54

ubiquitous, prevalent

Answer 54

characterized by being everywhere; omnipresent; widespread; pervasive

Question 55

pandemic

Answer 55

an epidemic that is geographically widespread and affects a large proportion of the population

Question 56

fortitude

Answer 56

strength of mind that allows one to endure pain or adversity with courage