Douglas Vocab Flashcards
(204 cards)
1
Q
A
2
Q
For this deck, read the sentence and identify the meaning of the underlined word by finding and interpreting the keywords that create its context.
Without a doubt, the nadir of his life occurred when his drug addiction caused in rapid succession the loss of his business, his marriage, and almost, from an overdose, his life.
A
nadir - rock bottom, lowest point
clues - lost his business, his marriage, and almost died
3
Q
Once, cellular phones were a rare thing, but now they are so ubiquitous one can find them in the hands of many 10 year-olds.
A
ubiquitous - widespread, seen everywhere
clues - Once rare, now (opposite of rare)
4
Q
Lauren could barely stand the way Joe vacillated about the logo and slogan, because she was convinced that the marketing window was closing.
A
vacillated - hesitation from indecision, not making up one’s mind
clues - “barely stand” so it’s a frustrating behavior, “marketing window” indicates time being wasted
5
Q
Commentators suggested that going to Iraq would be a new quagmire like Vietnam was for America in the 1970s.
A
quagmire - swampy, like quicksand, sticky situation
clues - the Vietnam War, just like the Iraq War was a situation that was hard to get out of
6
Q
Many in the room took immediate umbrage at his condescending tone, though I’m not sure he meant to insult anyone.
A
(to take..at) umbrage - to feel slighted, put down
clues - his tone was condescending and insulting
7
Q
Having just won an Oscar, with offers on the table for movies that paid really well and gave her a chance to work with the best directors, she was at the zenith of her career.
A
zenith - highest point
clues - she had just won an Oscar and had great career opportunities
8
Q
Since he had been undefeated in his first fifteen matches, his recent loss could have been either an aberration or the beginning of a downward trend in his boxing career.
A
aberration - change, unusual deviation from the norm
clues - his loss was either a departure from his typical record or the start of a long term decline
9
Q
Early in his career, Paul Robison was willing to abide the degrading treatment he received because of his skin color, but eventually he rebelled against the injustice of it.
A
abide - put up with, stay with
clues - initially he accepted it but eventually he rebelled against it
10
Q
Having survived the earthquake, but being reduced to abject poverty and inadequate shelter, the poor of Port-au-Prince endured the pelting rain of the hurricane.
A
abject - pitiful state
clues - the poor people suffered poverty, had no shelter, and were exposed to terrible weather conditions
11
Q
Though Augustus was very shy, Constance was enough determined, sweet, and clever to cajole him into finally asking her out on a date.
A
cajole - persuade, coax
clues - Constance was able to convince Augustus to ask her out despite his shyness
12
Q
When Darcy recites his story about keeping Bingley from seeing Jane in London without feeling a moment’s guilt, Elizabeth is convinced she had never met a more callous man.
A
callous - hard
clues - Darcy felt no guilt, so he was heartless, hardened
13
Q
Used to politicians who rarely answered personal questions, the audience at the debate was impressed by the candor of the candidate as he spoke about his divorce.
A
candor - openness
clues - politician spoke about his divorce to strangers, audience impressed
14
Q
On Pleasure Island, the environment of indulging in every sensual delight works to debauch the boys until they transform into donkeys.
A
debauch - to corrupt the innocence of
clues - indulging in empty pleasure
15
Q
The beauty of the effulgent sunset on this island paradise made the vacationers never want to leave.
A
effulgent - radiant, shiny
clues - sunset, beauty
16
Q
Most of the parents considered the food fight in the cafeteria misguided and foolish, but the administration considered it as egregious as drug possession or gang activity, or at least it carried an identical punishment.
A
egregious - shockingly bad
clues - punished by school like drug possession, parents see it as just foolish
17
Q
Changing the company logo was just a facile strategy for the image problem was much more complicated.
A
facile - shallow, addressing only the surface
clues - just a facile strategy, problem was much more complicated
18
Q
Among his friends is the impecunious Dr. Blifil, a master at all subjects of study except the one that could furnish him a living wage.
A
impecunious - poor
clues - doesn’t earn a living wage
19
Q
The psychiatrist noted the lack of animation in the patient’s face and his laconic responses and concurred with the diagnosis of depression.
A
laconic - short in speech (negative)
clues - lack of animation, depression
20
Q
When a writer undertakes the story of a dying child, he or she needs to use a light touch about it, or it can easily become mawkish.
A
mawkish - overly sentimental
clues - dying child, light touch
21
Q
Harold had so little understanding of the basics of modern physics that the professor’s attempts to explain the phenomenon merely obfuscated it more.
A
obfuscate - make harder to understand, render unintelligible
clues - so little understanding, attempts to explain modern physics
22
Q
Polonius’ speech to Laertes is replete with maxims which the father hopes will guide his son while at college, but he also sends a spy after him to Paris, just to make sure.
A
maxim - wise old saying, rule of thumb
clues - speech, guide his son
23
Q
Instead of going straight to the car as he was told, the little boy took the most oblique route to it.
A
oblique - diverging from direct course, not straight
clues - instead, going straight
24
Q
Picasso rarely used a wide palette for his paintings; he most often limited his colors to a very controlled range.
A
palette - range of color
clues - limited his colors, range
25
Although nothing cures HIV as of yet, there are drug therapies that _palliate_ the condition and slow the onset of AIDS.
palliate - make better, make less severe, improve
clues - Although nothing cures, slow the onset
26
The snake oil salesman, peddling his bogus _panacea_ to everyone who had a medical complaint of any kind, claimed it worked on everything.
panacea - cure all, universal curitive
clues - "snake oil", worked on everything
27
The president considered securing the nuclear arsenal _paramount_ in the days following the fall of the empire.
paramount - of highest importance, imperative
clues - president, nuclear arsenal
28
The being created by Dr. Frankenstein is made a _pariah_ and suffers from solitude.
pariah - outcast
clues - Frankenstein, suffers from solitude
29
Most rich people practice _parsimony_, for the best way to make money is to not spend it.
parsimony - frugality, stinginess
clues - not spending (money)
30
After the Theory of Relativity, Einstein worked the rest of his career to _reconcile_ it with quantum mechanics.
reconcile - make consistent
clues - Theory of Relativity, with quantum mechanics
31
Some of the deceptive practices of mortgage lending before the housing crash were _tantamount_ to stealing.
tantamount - roughly equivalent
clues - deceptive practices, stealing
32
Critics of the Patriot Act said that it gave the government the power to _abrogate_ certain rights against unwarranted searches.
abrogate - abolish, take away
clues - critics, government, certain rights
33
The protestors are attempting to _defile_ the temple by smearing blood on the lectern.
defile - stain, taint, ruin the sanctity or purity of
clues - temple, smearing blood
34
As a young man, Ming often got in trouble from his _impetuous_ behavior, so, as a man, he learned to think before he acted.
impetuous - rash, hasty
clues - got in trouble, think before he acted.
35
The sudden storm _impinged_ upon the planned picnic.
impinge - impact, affect
clues - sudden storm, picnic
36
Teresa was a sweet well-mannered girl, but she could get as _impertinent_ as an unchecked brat if she missed regular meals.
impertinent - rude, unruly
clues - was well-mannered, unchecked brat
37
Despite the frigid waters, the whale maintains its core temperature due to his layers of _impervious_ blubber.
impervious - impenetrable, stuff can't get into it or through it
clues - maintains core temperature in the arctic, blubber
38
Though not intentionally responsible for harming her children, Deb's _negligent_ habits like leaving them unattended in the bathtub caused a tragedy.
negligent - careless, neglecting, not watchful
clues - not intentionally, leaving unattended in the bath
39
Four policemen were acquitted of beating Rodney King, and six days of rioting ensued that the authorities could not _quell_.
quell - control, diffuse, reduce confrontation
clues - riots
40
Finishing first in her class from the prestigious university, she had good reason to be _sanguine_ entering the job market.
sanguine - cheery, optimistic
clues - first, prestigious
41
The documentary earned several awards, but such _accolades_ were not as important to the director as seeing the issue addressed that was raised by his film.
accolades - high praise, special distinction
clues - earned awards
42
The cobra can spit _caustic_ venom so corrosive that a trace amount for only a few seconds brings permanent eye damage.
caustic - acidic, bitter
clues - corrosive, permanent eye damage
43
The parents bantered around the barbeque while the children _cavorted_ on the trampoline.
cavort - jump around, boisterously and physically active
clues - children on tampoline
44
The accused took the gun with him, so the prosecutor considered the killing _deliberate_, despite the witnesses who said the victim started the altercation.
deliberate - by choice, planned, not accidental
clues - accused took gun, victim, despite, altercation
45
Max _goaded_ Palmer into trying to reach the green in one, but Palmer lost his golfball in the lake.
goad - coaxed, urged, manipulated
clues, - into trying for the green
46
Oprah’s _largess_ to her audience became the stuff of legend when she gave away 276 cars to start her 22nd season.
largess - generosity in a lavish way
clues - when, gave away, 276 cars
47
The burned-out teacher began to refer to her students as “germbags”, “urchins”, “dead from the neck up”, and other clever _pejoratives_.
pejoratives - uncomplimentary or insulting phrases
clues - burned-out, germbags, urchins, dead from neck up, and,
48
She hoped the boy she raised would be emotionally strong and well behaved, but was shocked to find him a _querulous_ brat.
querulous - whiny, complaining
clues - emotionally strong, well-behaved, but
49
Cecilia is a delicate little girl who cries at the slightest _rebuke_ from her teacher.
rebuke - scolding, criticism, correction
clues - delicate, cries at, slightest
50
In the spotlight and rhinestone glory, the Vegas singer _scintillated_ before the dazzled audience of housewives.
scintillated - sparkling, shimmering
clues - spotlight, rhinestones, dazzled
51
Post-Panamax ships are the largest class of commercial ship ever, and these _behemoths_ are so denominated because they don't fit in the Panama Canal.
behemoth - monstrously large and powerful
clues - largest ship, don't fit in Panama Canal
52
She felt out of place in a _demure_ pleated mid-calf skirt among young women wearing daring minis and micros that revealed the whole leg.
demure - modest, reserved, quiet
clues - pleated mid-calf skirt vs. minis and micros
53
Thorin Oakenshield is _obstinate_ enough to ignore all the claims of justice and gratitude owed to the men of Dale, as long as the Elves remain with them.
obstinate - very stubborn, unable to change one's mind about a decision
clues - ignore claims of justice and gratitude owed
54
Beaver skin hats were all the rage in Europe because rainwater wouldn’t _permeate_ the material.
permeate - saturate, get soggy, allow into, go throughout
clues - all the rage, rainwater
55
The _pernicious_ effect of the race riot not only left physical damage, but scarred the community for a generation.
pernicious - extemely harmful, destructive
clues - damage, scarred, for a generation
56
Brom Bones, the _redoubtable_ champion of the village of Sleepy Hollow, is not the kind of man who would cry “quits”.
redoubtable - formidable, really hard to challenge or beat
clues - champion, not kind of man who quits
57
On Little Round Top, the colonel realized how _tenuous_ the position was and ordered his men to hold their ground to the last man.
tenuous - having little substance or strength, barely holding on
clues - colonel, hold ground, to last man
58
Tom _vehemently_ denied the accusation during questioning and was almost too overwhelmed to answer.
vehemently - intensely emotional or forceful
clues - denied accusation, too overwhelmed
59
The ceremony celebrated and _venerated_ the performers who first made Broadway famous.
venerate - to show respect or honor
clues - celebrate and, first made Broadway famous
60
In his last will, Morgan _bequeathed_ a generous donation to the medical university for research into a polio vaccine.
bequeathed - give away after dead
clues - last will, donation, for medical research
61
Douglass Wilkins, an Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas, had a long career _emulating_ the King of Rock-n-Roll.
emulate - copy, mimic, act like
clues - impersonator
62
Though the town was proud of her, some were shocked to see how _haughty_ fame and fortune had made the once sweet little girl.
haughty - disdainfully proud, conceited
clues - proud, once sweet girl
63
Using identical briefcases and _legerdemain_, the two spies easily managed to get the documents out of the secure area.
legerdemain - deceptive motion, slight-of-hand, (like magic)
clues - identical briefcases, (switch cases), spies, documents
64
The Hollywood producer couldn’t read all the scripts that were submitted to him, so he had a staff of six people who handled the _perusal_ of perspective material.
perusal - read through carefully, review
clues - couldn't read, so, of material
65
The disgusted parent pointed out how _remiss_ the curriculum had been in all goals related to English grammar.
remiss - negligent, failing to look after something
clues - disgusted, goals
66
Though perhaps not a household name, Oliver Bolokitten wrote a _seminal_ work that influenced the development of dystopian fiction.
seminal - orignal, important, creating a field, movement, or style
clues - influenced the development of dystopian fiction
67
Every influential Hollywood producer has at least one sniveling _toady_ ready to butter him up with hurrahs at any full sentence stop.
toady - one who flatters in hopes of getting something, sychophant, suck-up
clues - sniveling, butter him up, hurrahs
68
Will Rogers, always charming and _affable_, maintained that he never met a man that he didn’t like
affable - likeable, friendly, amiable
clues - charming, never met a man he didn't like
69
Skipper and Brick shared an _affinity_ for each other that Maggie found threatening to her marriage.
affinity - immediate closeness, spontaneous bond
clues - shared, threatening to her marriage
70
Ready to react to the slightest _affront_, Hugo was on a hair-trigger at school after the online posting.
affront - insult
clues - ready to react, hair-trigger, online posting
71
Though she inherited millions of dollars, she couldn’t help feeling poor, because she was _bereft_ of the company of her dear father.
bereft - devoid of, sad at missing someone, lost, forlorn
clues - company of dear father
72
Surrounding the head, the blood pool horrifyingly _coalesced_ into a message warning Diana and Bert not to enter the crypt.
coalesce - come into form, fuse together as a whole
clues - blood, message
73
He didn’t realize that the divorce would have the _collateral_ effect of keeping him single afterward, since making the support payments left him no money for entertaining anyone new.
collateral - secondary and unintended
clues - divorce, keeping him single
74
The rap producer's sampling of two iconic albums to create his mash was not only _derivative_ but decidely a case of double trademark infringement.
derivative - copied or adapted from others
clues: sampling, mash, trademark infringement
75
After failing a test for which Robin had studied so hard, the _despondent_ AP Calculus student decided it was no use studying anymore for that class.
despondent - completely hopeless, depressed
clues - after, failing a test, studied so hard, no use
76
The family camping trips _engendered_ a spirit of togetherness and harmony as well as a love and respect for nature.
engender - to bring about, create, make be, generate
clues - family camping, togetherness and harmony, love and respect nature
77
Until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799, much of Egyptian hieroglyphs were completely _enigmatic_.
enigmatic - puzzling, impossible to solve or understand
clues - until, Rosette Stone, hieroglyphs
78
The _flagrant_ dumping of barrels of dioxin near a waterway that fed into the Ohio River led to one of the most important pieces of environmental legislation in Congress.
flagrant - offensive, really crossing the line of what should be done
clues - dumping barrels of dioxin, legislation
79
Hugh Hefner launched Playboy Magazine and opened a new era of _hedonistic_ pursuit in post-war American society.
hedonist - attentive to sensual pleasures
clues - Hugh Hefner, Playboy Magazine
80
With foreign trade often come “stow-away” species that become introduced to native ecosystems and can threaten or destroy _indigenous_ organisms.
indigenous - originating in a region
clues - With foreign, "stow-away", introduced
81
When a less-qualified man was hired for the position, Regina felt _indignation_ for the manager she had served for six years.
indignation - anger at unjust or unfair treatment or cirumstance
clues - when less-qualified man hired, served for six years
82
Brad suffered from a _lethargic_ feeling that turned out to be a serious condition in his heart valve that required surgery.
llethargic - super tired, inactive, apathetic
clues - serious condition in his hear valve
83
Reggie thought his dog’s _phlegmatic_ response to his favorite tug toy odd, until he felt the dog’s warm dry nose.
phlegmatic - uninterested, unresponsive
clues - dog, favorite tug toy, warm nose
84
My father-in-law never leaves a _pithy_ message on voice mail; he usually gets cut off in mid sentence by the end tone.
pithy - concisely meaningful
clues - never, usually gets cut off, end tone
85
When one hears of the average monthly wage in a place like Togo, one wonders how a person could live on such a _pittance_.
pittance - small amount (of money)
clues - wage, live on
86
Beached hopelessly for hours, the _torpid_ whales drew the attention of people who raced to their aid.
torpid - lethargic, lacking motion, listless
clues - beached whales
87
Rusted cartridges, bits of canvas tenting, buttons from blue or grey coats, and bone or tooth fragments were the last _vestiges_ of those two mighty armies left on the field.
vestige - a trace, mark or leftover from something lost or vanished
clues - cartidges, bits, butons, fragments, of mighty arimes
88
The pit crews at Indy display amazing _alacrity_ as they refuel and change the vehicles tires in just seconds.
alacrity - speed, eagerness
clues - pit crews at Indy, refuel and change
89
Though normally attentive to family and friends, Preston would appear _aloof_ to them, but they had come to know he was just lost in thought about legal strategy.
aloof - reserved, distant
clues - Though attentive, appear, lost in thought
90
So that the intellectual argument and debate would stay friendly and not become an _altercation_, they agreed to avoid personal insults.
altercation - dispute, fight
clues - So that, argument or debate, stay friendly
91
Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister of England, received a DVD box set of American classic films from President Obama, but many in the English press thought the gift was far from being _commensurate_ with the visitor’s status.
commensurate - corresponding in size or amount
clues - Prime Minister, DVD box set
92
Admiral Croft and Mrs. Croft assure Anne Elliot that their dogcart is _commodious_ enough to take her to her door.
commodious - roomy
clues - dogcart, take her to her door
93
The _despot_ Saloth Sar, better known as Pol Pot, ruled Cambodia from 1976 to 1979 during which at his strict orders 21 percent of the Cambodian people died.
despot - brutally, absolute ruler
clues - ruled, at his orders, people died
94
She blushed deeply and asked him to turn away while she looked for a robe to cover her _diaphanous_ gossamer nightgown.
diaphanous - see-through, transparent
clues - blushed, to cover, gossamer
95
The ugly divorce created such _enmity_ that the once harmonious family was split along lines of sympathy.
enmity - hatred, dislike
clues - ugly divorce, once harmonious
96
Stuck in the routine life of Bedford with such an active and creative mind, Lorraine Castle met each tea time with a deeper sense of _ennui_.
ennui - boredom, weariness
clues - Stuck in routine
97
The _gratuitous_ violence marred a movie that otherwise had a great plot, interesting direction, hallmark performances, and thrilling action.
gratuitous - uncalled for, detracting rather than adding
clues - violence, otherwise, great plot, intertesting direction
98
The Third Reich was designed to create complete _hegemony_ over not only Europe but also North Africa, and North and South America.
hegemony - domination over others
clues - Third Reich, over Europe
99
In Act I, Big Daddy is unaware of the _mendacious_ behavior of his family and friends and is convinced that his cancer is just a spastic colon.
mendacious - deceitful, false in character
clues - unaware, behavior, convinced, cancer, spastic colon
100
The community apparently found the _sobriety_ of Mr. Jensen much more suited to the bench than the passion of Mr. Kaiser, since the former defeated the latter by a four to one margin in the election.
sobriety - sedate, calm
clues - suited to the bench, than, passion
101
Though a flop in sports himself, Igor did enjoy the _vicarious_ pleasure of watching his son compete in every high school game.
vicarious - experiencing through another
clues - Though, flop in sports, watching compete
102
The Puerto Rican spa featured so many _amenities_ that Rhonda and Lorraine booked their stay on the spot.
amenity - item that increases comfort or pleasure
clues - spa, booked their stay
103
Such homeopathic _analgesics_ as a slice of steak placed on a bulging, black eye to reduce swelling actually work pretty well.
analgesic - painkiller
clues - slice of steak (on) black eye
104
Mary Surratt, the first woman executed in the U.S., was found to be _complicit_ in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
complicit - involved in a wrongful act
clues - executed, the assassination
105
The spy was trained to feel no _compunction_ whatsoever for the taking of a human life to achieve his mission.
compunction - moral reservation, painful sense of guilt
clues - spy, no, taking a life, achieve mission
106
President Lincoln censured _dilatory_ response of his generals after the victory of Gettysburg, because he feared their hesitation would prolong the war.
dilatory - tending to delay, cause delay
clues - censured, because, hesitation
107
*Cárcel de Amor* by Diego de San Pedro is considered the first _epistolary_ novel, which weaves a story around a series of exchanged letters between the two lovers.
epistolary - having to do with letters
clues - series of exchanged letters
108
For many, Heidi Klum who is stunningly beautiful and has remarkable style, represents the _epitome_ of good taste in fashion.
epitome - perfect example, embodiment
clues - stunningly, remarkable
109
Norma knew that for it to be a success, she needed to get one of the _gregarious_ girls from Epsilon house to come and be the life of the party.
gergarious - talkative, social, outgoing
clues - life of the party
110
Because he was Master of the moorlands, the _licentious_ Hugo Baskerville abducted a tenant farmer’s beautiful daughter with the intention of forcing himself onto her.
licentious - unrestrained morally or legally
clues - because, abducted, forcing himself
111
The buffet table on the cruise had a _plethora_ of fruits piled high, some of which Kyle had never seen before, but ate willingly.
plethora - excessive abundance
clues - buffet, piled high
112
The “When She Loved Me” sequence in *Toy Story II* was so _poignant_ that when Tom Hanks and Tim Allen saw it, they both teared up.
poignant - emotional touching
clues - sequence, teared up
113
With 3 years of a 4.0 GPA, Yin’s D in Mr. Bester class is an _anomaly_ that the parents want the head of the department to investigate.
anomaly - unusual occurence, something not normal
clues - with 4.0, D, investigate
114
It was a piece of _antediluvian_ pottery from around 550 B.C.E, that was the most compelling evidence of trade between Greece and Corsica.
antediluvian - ancient
clues - 550 B.C.E.
115
Aylmer felt Georgiana’s birthmark was just a small _blemish_ on her face when they were first married, but eventually he grew obsessed to be rid of it.
blemish - small imperfection, slight flaw
clues - birthmark
116
Peter thought it prudent to turn the shell, since they were coming near the waste water _conduit_ and here the river began to appear oily and green.
conduit - channel through which something comes
clues - waste water, oily and green
117
With his weakness for _confection_ and as he had finally committed himself to losing weight, he decided not to accompany his friends to the European bakery.
confection - baked snacks, candies, goodies
clues - bakery
118
Both Anne and Lady Russell were concerned that Elizabeth had chosen Mrs. Clay as her _confidant_; they believed that their intimacy together jeopardized the respectability of the family.
confidant - someone a secret is told to
clues - intimacy
119
Penny _eschews_ shoes and wears only sandals in all but the coldest months, then boots in the winter.
eschews - avoids, shuns
clues - only wears sandals and boots
120
In the early 20th century, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity was so _esoteric_ that one small room could contain all who understood its principles, but now that same group wouldn’t fit in several convention centers.
esoteric - highly specialized knowledge, known by few
clues - Theory of Relativity, small room, who understood
121
In that valley, there were local tribal _potentates_ who ruled their own lands and had their own militias.
potentates - military strong men, petty despots
clues - ruled, militias
122
Isabelle had a _predilection_ for romance novels; she always carried one in her bag and read it during any pause in the day.
predilection - preference, tendency toward
clues - romance novels, carried one
123
By declaring the reports that he had died on his tour in Europe “greatly exaggerated”, Mark Twain also proved them _apocryphal_.
apocryphal - false, fictitious, wrong
clues - declaring reports, proves
124
These two former frat boys _connived_ their way into so many wedding parties merely for the free food, drinks, and emotionally vulnerable women
connive - scheme, to create an underhanded plan
clues - wedding parties, merely for food, drinks, and women
125
Lionel realizes that his therapy sessions with the Duke of York entails complete _discretion_, so he doesn’t mention the details of them even to his own wife.
discretion - reserved in speech, knowing how to keep a secret
clues - doesn't mention, his own wife
126
After suffering through a nightmare job experience for three years, Lora felt _euphoric_ hearing that she got another job offer and was tempted to dance on her old boss’ desk.
euphoric - elated, feeling sheer and utter joy
clues - after nightmare job, new job, dance on boss' desk
127
Going on the cruise was nice for sure, but _evanescent_ for within two weeks he was back to the grind of work.
evanescent - momentary, fleeting, here today, gone tomorrow
clues - cruise, with two weeks, back to the grind
128
During the interview, the host was so _insolent_ to the actor that she left before the commercial break.
insolent - rude, obnoxious
clues - actor left
129
The rabbits needed to get across the river, so they _appropriated_ a flat bottomed boat and escaped the pursuit.
appropriate - to steal, take possesion
clues - get across the river, a boat and escaped
130
Although he had a broad general knowledge of mainstream literature, his main delight was researching _arcane_ texts barely studied for hundreds of years.
arcane - obscure, secret, known by only a few
clues - although broad general knowledge, barely studied
131
When he found his convertible burning in the driveway, his golf clubs broken and bent on the lawn, and his MVP trophy melted in the barbecue, he _construed_ that his wife had found out about his affairs.
construe - figured out, realized the truth
clues - when, convertible burning, golf clubs broken, trophy MVP
132
Shogun Leyasu held together a _disparate_ group of vassals with offers of land and castles in order to field the army of the Battle of Azukizaka in 1564.
disparate - sharply differing, containing sharply contrasting elements
clues - held together, to field the army
133
Being passionate about animals, Cassie _exhorted_ her friends to volunteer at shelters and animal rescue services.
exhort - urge passionately
clues - passionate, volunteer
134
The passage of the Misty Mountains was _fraught_ with perils greater than Bilbo’s attempt, for it was winter and Sauron was now hunting them.
fraught - full of
clues - winter in the Mountains, being hunted
135
Certain religious organizations live in a single community with very little contact with the world outside and have therefore very _insular_ views regarding politics.
insular - separated from and narrow-minded, tight knit, closed off
clues - single community, little contact, outside world
136
Jack recognizes that Tess has been an _integral_ part of the merger deal, and refuses to go forward without letting Mr. Trask know.
integral - necessary to full function, essential
clues - refuses to go forward
137
The customer service representative _mollified_ the furious client by listening well to her concerns, apologizing for the mistakes, and offering an acceptable discount.
mollify - soften the temper
clues - furious, listening, apologizing, offering
138
Betty Freidan’s *The Feminine Mystique* challenges the _mores_ regarding women's roles in society.
mores - moral attitudes and customary behaviors
clues - women's roles in society
139
Even his best friends, though sympathetic for his loss at first, could not keep their own spirits up while visiting him in such a _morose_ state.
morose - gloomy, sullen
clues - though sympathetic, keep spirits up
140
During the London Blitz, the citizens of that great city suffered _privation_ as supplies were drained to support the war effort.
privation - a lack of basic necessities
clues - supplies were drained
141
In order to set-up their lab, the team had to _procure_ fairly expensive equipment and chemicals.
procure - acquire, get their hands on, obtain
clues - set-up lab, fairly expensive
142
As he cut his strand of the net from the basket, the MVP of both his conference tournament and the ‘Big Dance’ faced such _profuse_ applause that he was truly moved to tears.
profuse - plentiful, abundant, pouring out
clues - cut the net (winning the tournament), MVP, applause
143
With 162 games worth of bruises and strains to face each season, Major League Baseball calls for very _resilient_ athletes to endure its grinding schedule.
resilient - enduring, tough, able to take punishing stress
clues - bruises and strains, endure, grinding
144
The once sedate and expectant audience grew _restive_ waiting more than an hour and a half for the headliner to perform.
restive - jumpy, anxious, unable to sit still
clues - once sedate and expectant, waiting an hour and a half
145
The drill sergeant was a _strident_, hard-boiled, bare-knuckles, bellowing, vulgar, old army dog, and the recruits feared him to their marrow.
strident - harsh, loud
clues - drill sergeant, hard-boiled, bellowing, vulgar, army dog
146
A good marketer realizes that _trenchant_ directions and diagrams are necessary for a product that requires assembly.
trenchant - clear-cut, directly effective, articulate
clues - charts and diagrams, assembly
147
Mr. Palmer was very tough on his students avoiding _trite_ phrases that showed a lack of authentic thinking from his students.
trite - not original, cliched, overused
clues - lack of authentic thinking
148
One look at the dipstick, the mechanic knew that the engine’s performance problems started with the _viscous_ condition of the old oil, and he changed it.
viscous - syrupy, thick and sticky
clues - dipstick, problems, old oil
149
Though a chemist familiar with sulfuric acid, Herschel could never stomach the _vitriolic_ insults that his girlfriend used to launch when furious.
vitriolic - sour, acidic, caustic
clues - acid, could never stomach, insults
150
The three witches of Macbeth amuse themselves with the _aspersions_ aimed at torturing a sea captain with nightmares.
aspersions - curses, expressed ill-will
clues - witches, torturing with nightmares
151
In Act I of *Hamlet*, rumors abound that young Fortinbras plans to _assail_ Denmark now that the dread king, Hamlet’s father, is dead.
assail - attack
clues - now that dread king is dead (the challenger, Fortinbras, will move in)
152
The non-violent protestors covered their heads with their hands to defend against the _buffets_ of the angry mob that swept up to them.
buffet - punch, strike, knock, smack
clues - cover heads, defend, angry mob
153
After the Encierro, or Running of the Bulls, is finished in Pamplona, Spain, the area hospitals treat the many _contusions_ and broken bones of the unlucky victims of the event.
contusion - bruise
clues -bulls, hospitals, broken bones
154
After the General and Specific Theory of Relativity, Albert Einstein worked on the _conundrums_ of quantum mechanics and a Grand Unifying Theory.
conundrums - puzzle, problem
clues - G & S Relativity, quantum mechanics, G. U. Theory
155
I prefer straightforward story-telling to _convoluted_, non-sequential plots, that frankly confuse me more than please me.
convoluted - complicated, tangled, intricate, mixed up
clues - prefer straightforward to, confuse me
156
Due to an error in planning, the buffet was so _copious_ that the wedding guests were all completely stuffed before a quarter of the food was gone.
copious - profuse, abundant
clues - error in planning, buffet, stuffed, a quarter of the food
157
The glands in his neck _distended_ such that one might be convinced he had two marbles lodged under his skin.
distend - to swell out
clues - glands, marbles under the skin
158
The morning mist _dissipated_ leaving a thick layer of dew on the glistening grass.
dissipated - disappear, cause to disappear
clues - mist left dew
159
Since the porcelain elephant was made by Lynn’s late grandfather, Joe knew that nothing could _expiate_ his breaking of it.
expiate - make up for it, make amends, atone
clues - since elephant (sentimental value), breaking it
160
Careful reading and reflection is necessary to catch the _nuances_ of a poem like “Renascense” by Edna St. Vincent Millay, or go on Spark Notes and have all the subtleties explained.
nuance - subtlety, slight variation in meaning, tone, expression
clues - careful reading, to catch, subtleties
161
The professor demonstrated to his class how quickly the internet _propagates_ rumors through societies--within minutes the "news" about the Chief Justice was on major news web pages.
propagate - multiply, spread out
clues - quickly, rumors, through
162
Though generally very conscious of the principles of a healthy diet, Max still retained from his youth a strong _propensity_ for certain sugary breakfast cereals.
propensity - preference, inclination
clues - though, healthy diet, still retained, sugary breakfast
163
The heavy rain and wind Sunday were _propitious_ conditions for the smash-mouth style of the underdog AFC team against the usually high-flying NFC favorite.
propitious - favorable
clues - heavy rain and wind, smash mouth
164
Rather than _reveling_ in the attention of her new-found stardom, the stage actress suffered from panic attacks whenever the paparazzi surrounded her.
revel - relish, enjoy intensely
clues - rather than, suffered, panic attacks
165
Sharon was too aware of her father’s longwinded ways to hope he would be _succinct_ on this occasion, so she endured patiently as he rambled on and on.
succinct - using few words to communicate very well
clues - longwinded, hope, endured patiently, rambled
166
Joe dreaded to go to gym class again with a man as _truculent_ as Coach Hyde, who, rumor had it, carried two rolls of nickels in his pockets in case of trouble.
truculent - ready to fight, cruel, belligerent
clues - dreaded, carried two rolls of nickels, trouble
167
The principal _vituperated_ the entire sophomore class for their terrible attendance record in the first marking period.
vituperate - scold, criticize, berate
clues - principal, terrible attendance
168
Although it was by the purest of accidents, Frank felt he could never _atone_ for the little boy’s death.
atone - feel at peace, make amends, repent
clues - although, accident, boy's death
169
The French teacher recommended that her students _augment_ their skills by visiting twenty French-based websites a week, including those with audio and video content.
augment - add to, expand, improve
clues - skills, twenty websites
170
The well-heeled tennis champion, whose joints grew tender in rainy conditions, was relieved at the _auspicious_ weather report for five sunny days in a row at Wimbledon.
auspicious - fortunate, favorable, indicative of good things to come
clues - well-heeled, joints grew tender, report of sunny days
171
The children came from London in anticipation of the Blitz to a large and _austere_ manor house, mostly uninhabited and unfurnished, in the English countryside.
austere - spare, very bare, bleak
clues - large, unhabited, unfurnished
172
Since the death of his mother from emphysema, Ed has had a strong _aversion_ to smoking of any kind.
aversion - particular dislike for something, disinclined
clues - emphysema, smoking
173
His _burnished_ armor made him gleam in the morning sun, and his page felt pride for his long night of work to make it so.
burnish - polish, make shine
clues - gleam, page felt pride, night of work
174
Borrachio believes, through _covert_ means, that he can ruin the reputation of Hero, so that neither Claudio nor Don Pedro would ever know what really happened.
covert - secret, sneaky
clues - ruined the reputation, would never know what really happened
175
The _culmination_ of Joel’s and Clementine’s argument about having a baby together was a resolution on her part to end the relationship.
culmination - climax, something that is progressed toward
clues - argument, resolution, end relationship
176
Though never indicted nor convicted, Horace Grenderson was fully _culpable_ for the accident his actions so willfully caused.
culpable - deserving of blame, guilty
clues - Though never indicted, actions caused accident
177
“The Wolf” explains to Vincent that his _curt_ manner is not meant as a disrespect, but rather a recognition of the limited time necessary for the task.
curt - short in speech, bordering on rude
clues - manner, not disrespect, limited time
178
The new circus pony was so _docile_ that she was fully trained in the routine in less than half the time it took the others.
docile - easy to work with, teachable
clues - fully trained, half the time
179
His opinions on the natural separation of the labors of men and women in history made him seem _dogmatic_ to the other faculty at the College of the Humanities.
dogma - stridently and aggresively adhering to unproven principles
clues - natural separation of labors, humanities
180
Polly had learned the hard way not to buy products of _dubious_ origins from online sources, because they had a good chance of being stolen merchandise.
dubious - doubtful, uncertain in quality or authenticity
clues - because, stolen mechandise
181
The intelligence gathered under _duress_ was often useless, because people suffering intense torture say anything to make it stop.
duress - hardship, threat
clues - because, suffering, torture
182
Doctors who _extol_ the virtues of a particular drug may be in earnest or they may be simply responding to the side of the bread where the butter is spread.
extol - praise, revere
clues - may be, earnest, or side of the bread with the butter
183
Gene kept in contact with his many love interests by _furtive_ uses of a cell phone that his wife knew nothing about.
furtive - secretive, sly
clues - wife knew nothing about
184
The retired principal had the _inveterate_ tendency to correct children he encountered at the grocery store or park.
inveterate - formed by long habit
clues - principal, correct children
185
Casting a richer and more varied color pattern, the much maligned cubic zirconia, is more _iridescent_ than the “real” gem so loved by diamond snobs.
iridescent - sparkling, prismatic, shining in a range of colors
clues - more varied color pattern
186
Among the _myriad_ of stars looking down from heaven that night, one in particular shined on Beatrice.
myriad - very numerous
clues - stars in heaven
187
The babysitter suffered through an evening with a set of twins who were so _puerile_ and spoiled that she was amazed to remember they were twelve-year-olds.
puerile - immature, juvenile
clues - babysitter, spoiled, twelve-year olds
188
Sean was usually as gentle as a kitten, but one insult directed at his mother and his _pugnacious_ side would take over, then look out!
pugnacious - quarrelsome, combative
clues - gentle, but, insult his mother, look out!
189
Even though Hugh never actually met them, he suspected his neighbors were Indian by the _pungent_ odor of curry in the air.
pungent - giving off a sharp odor or taste
clues - curry in the air
190
We knew by the _putrid_ smell of the spoiled food that the refrigerator was broken.
putrid - rank smell, like rotten flesh
clues - spoiled, refrigerator, broken
191
Although he enjoyed the refinements of high opera, the critic’s most guilty pleasure came often in _ribald_ comedies which reminded him of his teenage days in the slums of Southy.
ribald - funny in a crude way
clues - although, high opera, guilty pleasure, comdies, slums
192
Despite his seasoning, the crime scene investigator was revolted by the sight of the corpse so _rife_ with worms and maggots that he couldn’t eat for more than five days.
rife - full of, stuffed with, abundant
clues - despite, seasoning, corpse, maggots
193
Jimmy J. _ruminated_ over the weekly football schedule in order to pick the winners against the spread for his pool.
ruminate - comtemplate, reflect on, ponder
clues - football picks
194
Mr. Holmes sent a message in the code that he broke as a _ruse_ to bring the killer to him.
ruse - trick, deception
clues - message in code
195
Just from the bit of shattered glass in the driveway, dad could _surmise_ that the car had been damaged while he was out of town.
surmise - deduce, reason through, figure out, infer
clues - bit of shattered glass, car was damaged
196
Stanley was a student who although capable of doing very well on his finals honestly, still preferred coming up with _surreptitious_ schemes to obtain the exams before the test date.
surreptitious - sneaky, steathy
clues - although capable, schemes, obtain, exams
197
Suffering from a severe case of the flu and too dizzy to even stand, the actor sent his best friend to the awards’ ceremony to be his _surrogate_ in case he won.
surrogate - substitute, one acting in place of another
clues - sent his best friend
198
After months at sea in the tropics, even the fairest skinned sailors came home so _swarthy_ that their wives didn’t recognize them.
swarthy - dark in complexion, deeply tanned
clues - even the fairest skinned, months in the tropics
199
The director fired all the _sycophants_ that had collected around him, and started searching for a staff that was capable of saying “no” to him.
sychophant - yes man, someone insincerely complimentary
clues - director, capable of saying "no"
200
The editor realized that the prospective novel was too _turgid_ for today’s fiction market, which had grown used to a more spare and less grandiose style.
turgid - excessively embellished in language
clues - too, more spare, less grandiose
201
The mayor had a reputation for upstanding behavior in his home state, but more than once suffered scandals from his _turpitude_ whenever he vacationed in Monte Carlo.
turpitude - moral corruption, depravity
clues - reputation for upstanding, but, scandals, Vegas
202
After growing tired of the superficial world of high-fashion, Edwina decided to devote herself to a new _vocation_: social work.
vocation - a life's calling, a career in line with one's soul or spirit
clues - superficial, devote, social work
203
“The 12th man” in football refers to fans so _vociferous_ that they can disrupt the communication of the opposing team with their lungs.
vociferous - loud
clues - football fans, disrupt communication, lungs
204
They had no choice but to pledge the family farm in Marthasville as _collateral_ for the loan to pay the legal expenses.
collateral - property pledged to protect a lender from failing to be repaid on a loan
clues: pledge, farm, loan
