Group 4

Question 1

acerbic

Answer 1

(especially of a comment or style of speaking) sharp and forthright.
“his acerbic wit”

sour or bitter taste

Question 2

aggrandize

Answer 2

increase the power, status, or wealth of.
“an action intended to aggrandize the Frankish dynasty”

enhance the reputation of (someone) beyond what is justified by the facts.
“he hoped to aggrandize himself by dying a hero’s death”

Question 3

amenable

Answer 3

(of a person) open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled.
“parents who have had easy babies and amenable children”

(of a thing) capable of being acted upon in a particular way; susceptible to.
“the patients had cardiac failure not amenable to medical treatment”

Question 4

anachronism

Answer 4

a thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists, especially a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned.
“everything was as it would have appeared in centuries past apart from one anachronism, a bright yellow construction crane”

an act of attributing a custom, event, or object to a period to which it does not belong.
“it is anachronism to suppose that the official morality of the age was mere window dressing”

Question 5

astringent

Answer 5

causing the contraction of skin cells and other body tissues.
“an astringent skin lotion”

Question 6

convention

Answer 6

a way in which something is usually done, especially within a particular area or activity.
“the woman who overturned so many conventions of children’s literature”

Question 7

credulous

Answer 7

having or showing too great a readiness to believe things.
“a ceremony staged for credulous tourists”

Question 8

cynicism

Answer 8

an inclination to believe that people are motivated purely by self-interest; skepticism.
“public cynicism about change is understandable”

Question 9

decorum

Answer 9

polite or appropriate conduct or behavior

Question 10

derision

Answer 10

contemptuous ridicule or mockery.
“my stories were greeted with derision and disbelief”

Question 11

desiccate

Answer 11

remove the moisture from (something); cause to become completely dry.

“both the older growth and the new vegetation were desiccated by months of relentless sun”

Question 12

dilettante

Answer 12

a person who cultivates an area of interest, such as the arts, without real commitment or knowledge.
“a wealthy literary dilettante”

Question 13

disparage

Answer 13

regard or represent as being of little worth.
“he never missed an opportunity to disparage his competitors”

Question 14

divulge

Answer 14

make known (private or sensitive information).
“I do not want to divulge my plans at the moment”

Question 15

fawn

Answer 15

to flatter or praise excessively

Question 16

flout

Answer 16

openly disregard (a rule, law or convention).
“these same companies still flout basic ethical practices”

Question 17

garrulous

Answer 17

excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
“Polonius is portrayed as a foolish, garrulous old man”

Question 18

hubris

Answer 18

excessive pride or self-confidence.
“the self-assured hubris among economists was shaken in the late 1980s”

Question 19

imminent

Answer 19

about to happen.
“they were in imminent danger of being swept away”

Question 20

immutable

Answer 20

unchanging over time or unable to be changed.
“an immutable fact”

Question 21

impetuous

Answer 21

acting or done quickly and without thought or care.
“her friend was headstrong and impetuous”

Question 22

intractable

Answer 22

hard to control or deal with.
“intractable economic problems”

Question 23

intrepid

Answer 23

fearless; adventurous (often used for rhetorical or humorous effect).
“our intrepid reporter”

Question 24

maverick

Answer 24

an unorthodox or independent-minded person.
“he’s the maverick of the fashion scene”

Question 25

mercurial

Answer 25

(of a person) subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind. "his mercurial temperament"

Question 26

mollify

Answer 26

appease the anger or anxiety of (someone). "nature reserves were set up around the power stations to mollify local conservationists" reduce the severity of (something); soften. "the women hoped to mollify the harsh wilderness environment"

Question 27

neophyte

Answer 27

beginner, novice

Question 28

obfuscate

Answer 28

render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. "the spelling changes will deform some familiar words and obfuscate their etymological origins" bewilder (someone). "it is more likely to obfuscate people than enlighten them"

Question 29

ostentatious

Answer 29

characterized by or given to pretentious display

Question 30

pervade

Answer 30

(of an influence, feeling, or quality) be present and apparent throughout. "the sense of crisis that pervaded Europe in the 1930s"

Question 31

phlegmatic

Answer 31

(of a person) having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition.

Question 32

pristine

Answer 32

pure, clean

Question 33

probity

Answer 33

the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency. "financial probity"

Question 34

proclivity

Answer 34

a tendency to choose or do something regularly; an inclination or predisposition toward a particular thing. "a proclivity for hard work"

Question 35

profligate

Answer 35

recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources. "profligate consumers of energy"

Question 36

propensity

Answer 36

a natural inclination or tendency

Question 37

prosaic

Answer 37

having the style or diction of prose; lacking poetic beauty. "prosaic language can't convey the experience"

Question 38

quixotic

Answer 38

exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical. "a vast and perhaps quixotic project"

Question 39

quotidian

Answer 39

of or occurring every day; daily. "the car sped noisily off through the quotidian traffic"

Question 40

rarefy

Answer 40

to make something less dense, rare, or thin, or to make something more refined

Question 41

rescission

Answer 41

the revocation, cancellation, or repeal of a law, order, or agreement. "the plaintiff agreed to the rescission of the agreement"

Question 42

refulgent

Answer 42

shining brightly. "refulgent blue eyes"

Question 43

shard

Answer 43

piece of broken pottery

Question 44

tacit

Answer 44

implied; not explicitly stated

Question 45

terse

Answer 45

sparing in the use of words; abrupt. "a terse statement"

Question 46

tout

Answer 46

to publicly praise or promote

Question 47

trenchant

Answer 47

vigorous or incisive in expression or style. "she heard angry voices, not loud, yet certainly trenchant"

Question 48

unfeigned

Answer 48

genuine; sincere. "a broad smile of unfeigned delight"

Question 49

untenable

Answer 49

(especially of a position or view) not able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection. "this argument is clearly untenable"

Question 50

vacillate

Answer 50

alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive. "I had for a time vacillated between teaching and journalism"

Question 51

variegated

Answer 51

exhibiting different colors, especially as irregular patches or streaks. "variegated yellow bricks"

Question 52

vituperate

Answer 52

blame or insult (someone) in strong or violent language.

Question 53

ostensibly

Answer 53

as appears or is stated to be true, though not necessarily so; apparently. "the party secretary resigned, ostensibly from ill health"

Question 54

Carping

Answer 54

continually complaining or finding fault about trivial matters; difficult to please. "she has silenced the carping critics with a successful debut tour"

Question 55

Capitulated

Answer 55

cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand; yield. "the patriots had to capitulate to the enemy forces"

Question 56

Seethed

Answer 56

(of a person) be filled with intense but unexpressed anger. "inwardly he was seething at the slight to his authority"

Question 57

Debonair

Answer 57

confident, stylish, and charming (typically used of a man). "all the men looked debonair and handsome in white tie and tails"

Question 58

Insolent

Answer 58

showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect. "she hated the insolent tone of his voice"

Question 59

Disconsolate

Answer 59

very unhappy and unable to be comforted. "she left Fritz looking disconsolate"

Question 60

Smug

Answer 60

having or showing an excessive pride in oneself or one's achievements. "he was feeling smug after his win"

Question 61

Lachrymose

Answer 61

tearful or given to weeping. "she was pink-eyed and lachrymose"

Question 62

Nonplussed

Answer 62

so surprised and confused that one is unsure how to react. "Henry looked completely nonplussed"

Question 63

Guileless

Answer 63

devoid of guile; innocent and without deception. "his face, once so open and guileless"

Question 64

Disquieting

Answer 64

inducing feelings of anxiety or worry. "he found Jean's gaze disquieting"

Question 65

Insensible

Answer 65

unaware of or indifferent to. "they slept on, insensible to the headlight beams"

Question 66

Erroneous

Answer 66

wrong; incorrect. "employers sometimes make erroneous assumptions"

Question 67

Licentious

Answer 67

promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters. "the ruler's tyrannical and licentious behaviour"

Question 68

Errant

Answer 68

erring or straying from the accepted course or standards. "an errant husband coming back from a night on the tiles"

Question 69

Apocryphal

Answer 69

(of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true. "there is an apocryphal story about a disgraced rock star who ended up in bankruptcy court"

Question 70

Sacrosanct

Answer 70

(especially of a principle, place, or routine) regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with. "the individual's right to work has been upheld as sacrosanct"