DH 11: The Toughest Words II

Question 0

censorious, captious

Answer 0

highly critical; fault-finding

Question 1

idiosyncrasy

Answer 1

a trait or mannerism that is peculiar to an individual

Question 2

consternation

Answer 2

a state of great dismay and confusion

Question 3

didactic

Answer 3

tending to give instruction or advice; inclined to teach or lecture others too much; containing a political or moral lesson

Question 4

elucidate

Answer 4

to make clear or plain, especially by explanation

Question 5

effusive

Answer 5

expressing excessive emotion in an unrestrained manner; gushing

Question 6

prolific

Answer 6

very productive

Question 7

furor

Answer 7

a general commotion; an uproar

Question 8

paranoia

Answer 8

a tendency toward excessive or irrational suspiciousness; irrational fear; delusions of persecution

Question 9

marginal, peripheral

Answer 9

of secondary importance; not central; on the perimeter

Question 10

obfuscate

Answer 10

to deliberately confuse; to make something so confusing that it is hard to understand

Question 11

flummox

Answer 11

to confuse; to perplex

Question 12

spate

Answer 12

a large number or amount

Question 13

ineffable

Answer 13

too overwhelming to be put into words; indescribable; inexpressible

Question 14

histrionic, overwrought

Answer 14

excessively dramatic or melodramatic; theatrical; overacted

Question 15

placate

Answer 15

to soothe or calm; to appease

Question 16

eschew

Answer 16

to avoid; to shun; to stay clear of

Question 17

stopgap

Answer 17

a temporary solution designed to meet an urgent need

Question 18

flotsam

Answer 18

the floating wreckage of a ship; debris

Question 19

churlish, sullen, surly

Answer 19

ill-tempered; rude; lacking civility

Question 20

restitution

Answer 20

the act of making good or compensating for a loss, damage, or injury

Question 21

disquieting

Answer 21

disturbing; upsetting; vexing; causing unease; worrisome

Question 22

ornate

Answer 22

characterized by elaborate and expensive decorations; lavish

Question 23

execrable, odious, repugnant

Answer 23

detestable; repulsive; extremely bad

Question 24

perspicacious, prescient, discerning

Answer 24

insightful, perceptive

Question 25

eclectic

Answer 25

choosing or using a variety of sources

Question 26

hiatus

Answer 26

an interruption in time or continuity; a break

Question 27

vertiginous

Answer 27

characterized by or suffering from dizziness; having vertigo

Question 28

esoteric, arcane

Answer 28

characterized by knowledge that is known only to a small group of specialists; obscure; recondite

Question 29

supercilious

Answer 29

showing haughty disdain or arrogant superiority

Question 30

blithe

Answer 30

joyous; sprightly; mirthful; light; vivacious

Question 31

underwrite

Answer 31

to assume financial responsibility for

Question 32

discomfited

Answer 32

uneasy; in a state of embarrassment

Question 33

taciturn

Answer 33

habitually quiet; uncommunicative

Question 34

sinecure

Answer 34

an office or position that provides an income for little or no work

Question 35

cosmopolitan

Answer 35

worldly; sophisticated; open-minded and aware of the big picture

Question 36

provincial, parochial, insular

Answer 36

limited in perspective; narrow; restricted in scope and outlook

Question 37

lugubrious

Answer 37

sad, mournful, melancholic

Question 38

fecund

Answer 38

intellectually productive or inventive, fertile

Question 39

ostentatious

Answer 39

showy; intended to attract notice; pretentious

Question 40

guile

Answer 40

treacherous cunning; skillful deceit

Question 41

sanguine

Answer 41

cheerfully confident; optimistic

Question 42

scintillating

Answer 42

sparkling; shining; brilliantly clever

Question 43

pristine

Answer 43

remaining in a pure state; uncorrupted by civilization

Question 44

rampant

Answer 44

unrestrained; unchecked

Question 45

pernicious

Answer 45

highly injurious; destructive; deadly

Question 46

oblivious

Answer 46

lacking conscious awareness; unmindful; unaware

Question 47

refractory

Answer 47

obstinately resistant to authority or control

Question 48

garrulous, verbose, loquacious

Answer 48

annoyingly talkative; voluble

Question 49

convivial

Answer 49

sociable; fond of feasting, drinking, and good company

Question 50

brusque, curt

Answer 50

abrupt in manner or speech; discourteously blunt

Question 51

tepid

Answer 51

lukewarm; mild; half-hearted

Question 52

protean

Answer 52

readily taking on varied forms and meanings

Question 53

solicitous

Answer 53

showing great care and concern; attentive

Question 54

disingenuous

Answer 54

insincere; not straightforward; not candid

Question 55

venerate, revere

Answer 55

to regard with great respect; to hold in high esteem

Question 56

contentious

Answer 56

quarrelsome; argumentative; likely to provoke a controversy; disputatious

Question 57

preclude

Answer 57

to make impossible; to rule out; to prevent

Question 58

compunction, contrition, remorse, penitence

Answer 58

feelings of sincere and deep regret

Question 59

demography

Answer 59

the study of the characteristics of human populations

Question 60

aphorism, axiom

Answer 60

a statement universally accepted as true; a maxim

Question 61

juxtapose

Answer 61

to place side by side or in close proximity

Question 62

juxtaposition

Answer 62

the position of being close together or side by side

Question 63

bombastic

Answer 63

pompous or pretentious in speech or writing; ostentatiously lofty in style

Question 64

forbearance

Answer 64

abstaining from the enforcement of a right; the act of refraining from acting on a desire or impulse

Question 65

unfettered

Answer 65

freed from restraint of any kind; liberated

Question 66

prescribe

Answer 66

to require; to order; to direct

Question 67

proscribe

Answer 67

to forbid; to prohibit; to outlaw