How to subbornly refuse

Question 1

heed

Answer 1

to give consideration or attention to : MIND
heed what he says
heed the call

Question 2

callow

Answer 2

lacking adult sophistication : IMMATURE
callow youth
callow newcomers

Question 3

imbibe

Answer 3

1
a
: DRINK
b
: to take in or up
a sponge imbibes moisture
2
a
: to receive into the mind and retain
imbibe moral principles
b
: to assimilate or take into solution
3
archaic : SOAK, STEEP

She imbibed vast quantities of coffee.
She never imbibes but isn’t offended when others do.

Question 4

specious

Answer 4

1
: having a false look of truth or genuineness : SOPHISTIC
specious reasoning
2
: having deceptive attraction or allure
3
obsolete : SHOWY

Specious comes from Latin speciosus, meaning “beautiful” or “plausible,” and Middle English speakers used it to mean “visually pleasing.” In time, specious had begun to suggest an attractiveness that was superficial or deceptive, and, subsequently, the word’s neutral “pleasing” sense faded into obsolescence.

Question 5

deepseated

Answer 5

köklü

1: situated far below the surface
a deep-seated inflammation
2
: firmly established
a deep-seated tradition

Question 6

inane

Answer 6

1
: lacking significance, meaning, or point : SILLY
inane comments
2
: EMPTY, INSUBSTANTIAL

Question 7

untenable

Answer 7

1
: not able to be defended
an untenable position
2
: not able to be occupied
untenable apartments

“foolish, scientifically untenable teachings”

Question 8

tenacious

Answer 8

1
a
: not easily pulled apart : COHESIVE
a tenacious metal
b
: tending to adhere or cling especially to another substance
tenacious burs
2
a
: persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired
a tenacious advocate of civil rights
tenacious negotiators
b
: RETENTIVE
a tenacious memory

Question 9

prone

Answer 9

eğilimli. 1
: having a tendency or inclination : being likely —often used with to
prone to forget names
His relatives are prone to heart disease.
Those batteries are prone to corrosion.
a process that’s prone to error
… a great quarterback prone to the occasional, inevitable mistake.
—John McGrath
This means the results should be interpreted cautiously, as smaller sample sizes are prone to being influenced by chance.
—nhs.uk
—often used in combination
accident-prone
a drought-prone region
2
a
: having the front or ventral surface of a body facing downward : lying with the chest and stomach positioned downward
a patient placed in a prone position
The victim was lying prone in the street.
b
: lying flat or prostrate
prone stems

Question 10

overweening

Answer 10

1
: ARROGANT, PRESUMPTUOUS
2
: IMMODERATE, EXAGGERATED

The overweening conceit which the greater part of men have of their own abilities is an ancient evil remarked by the philosophers and moralists of all ages. So wrote Adam Smith in his The Wealth of Nations. But while overweening conceit might be an age-old evil, the word overweening has only been part of English since the 14th century. It developed from the Middle English overwening, the present participle of the verb overwenen, which meant “to be arrogant.” That term derived in turn from wenen, which meant “to think” or “to imagine.” Today, the adjective overweening is the most widely used of the wenen descendants, but historical texts also occasionally include overween, a term for thinking too highly of your own opinion.

Question 11

conceit

Answer 11

1
a
: favorable opinion
especially : excessive appreciation of one’s own worth or virtue
… the landlord’s conceit of his own superior knowledge …
—Adam Smith
b
(1)
: a result of mental activity : THOUGHT
(2)
: individual opinion
2
a
: a fanciful idea
b
: an elaborate or strained metaphor
The poem abounds in metaphysical conceits.
c
: use or presence of such conceits in poetry
d
: an organizing theme or concept
… found his conceit for the film early …
—Peter Wilkinson
… the historian’s conceit that the past is forever prologue …
—Leon V. Sigal
3
: a fancy item or trifle
Conceits were fancy desserts, made either of sugar … or pastry.
—Francie Owen

after a huge meal like that, I cannot conceit eating another thing for the rest of the day

Question 12

intertwine

Answer 12

birbirine geçmek, sarılmak.

He’s always telling stories in which the present and the past intertwine.
His fate is intertwined with hers.
an epic morality tale in which fate, history, and love will intertwine.

Question 13

exacerbate

Answer 13

to make more violent, bitter, or severe
The new law only exacerbates the problem.

The Latin adjective acer, meaning “sharp,” forms the basis of a number of English words. Acerbic (“having a bitter temper or sour mood”), acrid (“having a sharp taste or odor”), and acrimony (“a harsh manner or disposition”) are just the tip of the jagged iceberg. First appearing in English in the 17th century, exacerbate combines the Latin prefix ex- (“out of” or “outside”) with acer offspring acerbus, meaning “harsh” or “bitter.” Just as pouring salt in a wound worsens pain, things that exacerbate cause a situation to go from bad to worse. A pointed insult or cutting remark, for example, might exacerbate tensions between two bitter rivals. The legacy of acer isn’t all negative, however. The Latin name for the genus of maple trees and shrubs is Acer, owing to maples’ characteristically pointy leaves.

Question 14

stem from

Answer 14

ileri gelmek, kaynaklanmak, kökenlenmek

Question 15

propensity

Answer 15

an often intense natural inclination or preference

When it comes to synonyms of propensity, the letter “p” predominates. Proclivity, preference, penchant, and predilection all share with propensity the essential meaning of “a strong instinct or liking.” Not every word that is similar in meaning to propensity begins with “p,” however. Propensity comes from Latin propensus, the past participle of propendēre, a verb meaning “to incline” or “to hang forward or down.” Thus leaning and inclination are as good synonyms of propensity as any of those “p”-words.

Question 16

asinine

Answer 16

1
: extremely or utterly foolish or silly
an asinine excuse
2
: of, relating to, or resembling an ass

Question 17

inertia

Answer 17

1
a
: a property of matter by which it remains at rest or in uniform motion in the same straight line unless acted upon by some external force
b
: an analogous property of other physical quantities (such as electricity)
2
: indisposition to motion, exertion, or change : INERTNESS

Inertia is the inherent property of a body that makes it oppose any force that would cause a change in its motion. A body at rest and a body in motion both oppose forces that might cause acceleration. The inertia of a body can be measured by its mass, which governs its resistance to the action of a force, or by its moment of inertia about a specified axis, which measures its resistance to the action of a torque about the same axis.

Question 18

remedy

Answer 18

c. 1200, remedie, “means of counteracting sin or evil of any kind; cure for a vice or temptation;” late 14c., “a cure for a disease or disorder, medicine or process which restores health;” from Anglo-French remedie, Old French remede “remedy, cure” (12c., Modern French remède) and directly from Latin remedium “a cure, remedy, medicine, antidote, that which restores health,” from re-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (or perhaps literally, “again;” see re-), + mederi “to heal” (from PIE root *med- “take appropriate measures”).

Figurative use is from c. 1300. The meaning “legal redress; means for obtaining justice, redress, or compensation through a court” is by mid-15c.

Question 19

inept

Answer 19

1
: generally incompetent : BUNGLING
inept leadership
2
: lacking in fitness or aptitude : UNFIT
inept at sports
3
: not suitable to the time, place, or occasion : inappropriate often to an absurd degree
an inept metaphor
4
: lacking sense or reason : FOOLISH

inept (adj.)
c. 1600, “not fit or suitable, inapt,” also “absurd, foolish,” from French inepte “incapable” (14c.) or directly from Latin ineptus “unsuitable, improper, impertinent; absurd, awkward, silly, tactless,” from in- “not, opposite of” (see in- (1)) + aptus “apt” (see apt). Related: Ineptly; ineptness.

Question 20

foment

Answer 20

to promote the growth or development of : ROUSE, INCITE
foment a rebellion
was accused of fomenting a riot
“CIA fomenting regime changes in ukraine vs.”

If you had sore muscles in the 1600s, your doctor might have advised you to foment the injury, perhaps with heated lotions or warm wax. Does this sound like an odd prescription? Not if you know that foment traces to the Latin verb fovēre, which means “to heat or warm” or “to soothe.” The earliest documented English uses of foment appear in medical texts offering advice on how to soothe various aches and pains by the application of moist heat. In time, the idea of applying heat became a metaphor for stimulating or rousing to action. Foment then started being used in political contexts to mean “to stir up” or “to call to action.”

Question 21

apotheosize

Answer 21

1
a
: the perfect form or example of something : QUINTESSENCE
the apotheosis of Hollywood glamour
… Nelson Rockefeller, the other top contender and the apotheosis of liberal Republicanism.
—Sam Tanenhaus
b
: the highest or best part of something : PEAK
The city reaches its apotheosis at the holiday …
—David Leavin
2
: elevation to divine status : DEIFICATION
the apotheosis of Roman emperors

Among the ancient Greeks, it was sometimes thought fitting—or simply handy, say if you wanted a god somewhere in your bloodline—to grant someone or other “god” status. So they created the word apotheōsis, from the verb apotheoun, meaning “to deify.” (The prefix apo- can mean “off,” “from,” or “away,” and theos is the Greek word for “god.”) There’s not a lot of Greek-style apotheosizing in the 21st century, but there is hero-worship. Our extended use of apotheosis as “elevation to divine status” is the equivalent of “placement on a very high pedestal.” Even more common these days is to use apotheosis in reference to a perfect example or ultimate form. For example, one might describe a movie as “the apotheosis of the sci-fi movie genre.”

Question 22

contraceptive

Answer 22

doğum kontrol

Question 23

hyperbolically

Answer 23

abartılı bir şekilde

Question 24

promulgate

Answer 24

1
: to make (an idea, belief, etc.) known to many people by open declaration : PROCLAIM
… the huge meeting served primarily as the occasion on which to promulgate the official doctrine …
—Roger Shattuck
From the beginning our objective has been to develop and promulgate new models for the calculus-based introductory course.
—John S. Rigden et al.
2
a
: to make known or public the terms of (a proposed law)
The law was promulgated in February 1993.
b
: to put (a law or rule) into action or force
… more than 200 colleges and universities have promulgated behavioral codes that punish various forms of harassment …
—Ken Myers

The origin of promulgate is a bit murky, or perhaps we should say “milky.” It comes from Latin promulgatus, which in turn derives from pro-, meaning “forward,” and -mulgare, a form that is probably related to the verb mulgēre, meaning “to milk” or “to extract.” Mulgēre is an ancestor of the English word emulsion (“mixture of mutually insoluble liquids”), and it is also related to the Old English word that became milk itself. Like its synonyms declare, announce, and proclaim, promulgate means “to make known publicly.” It particularly implies the proclaiming of a dogma, doctrine, or law.

Question 25

interminable

Answer 25

bitimsiz, nihayetsiz. terminateden.

: having or seeming to have no end
especially : wearisomely protracted
an interminable sermon

We promise not to ramble on endlessly about the origins of interminable. The word was borrowed into English in the 15th century and descends from a Latin combination of the prefix in- (“not”) and the verb terminare, meaning “to terminate” or “to limit.” The word describes not only something without an actual end (or no end in sight, such as “interminable oceans”), but also events, such as tedious lectures, that drag on in such a way that they give no clear indication of ever wrapping up. Other relatives of interminable in English include terminate, determine, terminal, and exterminate.

Question 26

scrupulous

Answer 26

1
: having moral integrity : acting in strict regard for what is considered right or proper
2
: punctiliously exact : PAINSTAKING
working with scrupulous care

People described as “scrupulous” might feel discomfort in anything that challenges their moral sensibilities. Such challenges might present a nagging feeling, much as a sharp pebble in a shoe might nag a walker intent on getting somewhere. And we are getting somewhere. The origin of scrupulous is founded in just such a pebble. Scrupulous and its close relative scruple (“a feeling that prevents you from doing something that you think is wrong”) both come from the Latin noun scrupulus, “a small sharp stone,” the diminutive of scrupus, “a sharp stone.” Scrupus has a metaphorical meaning too: “a source of anxiety or uneasiness.” When the adjective scrupulous entered the English language in the 15th century, it meant “principled,” as in “having moral integrity,” but it now also commonly means “painstaking” or “careful.”

vicdanlı + titiz + meticulously

Question 27

meticulously

Answer 27

titizlikle

marked by extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details
a meticulous researcher

It may surprise you to learn that meticulous is derived from the Latin word for “fearful”—meticulosus—and ultimately comes from the Latin noun metus, meaning “fear.” Although meticulous currently has no “fearful” meanings, it was originally used as a synonym of “frightened” and “timid.” This sense had fallen into disuse by 1700, and in the 19th century meticulous acquired a new sense of “overly and timidly careful” (probably influenced by the French word méticuleux). This in turn led to the current meaning of “painstakingly careful,” with no connotations of fear at all. The newest use was controversial among some usage commentators at first, but it has since become by far the most common meaning and is no longer considered an error.

Question 28

abjure

Answer 28

1
formal
a
: to renounce upon oath
He abjured his allegiance to his former country.
b
: to reject solemnly
She abjured her old beliefs.
2
formal : to abstain from : AVOID
abjure extravagance

Just as a jury swears to produce an unbiased verdict, and a witness swears to tell the truth on pain of perjury, those who abjure their former ways “swear them away.” Abjure (as well as jury and perjury) comes from Latin jurare, which means “to swear” (and which in turn is based on the root jus, meaning “law”), plus the prefix ab-, meaning “away.” These days, we can casually abjure (that is, abstain from) various vices, but in the 15th and 16th centuries to abjure was a matter of renouncing something under oath—and sometimes a matter of life and death. For example, during the Spanish Inquisition, individuals were given the choice between abjuring unacceptable beliefs and being burned at the stake.

Question 29

congenital

Answer 29

1
a
: existing at or dating from birth
congenital deafness
… a congenital neuromuscular disease that stiffens joints and weakens muscles.
—Lara Cerri
… scientists hope to also understand more common malformations that are congenital but not inherited.
—Lee Siegel
The skin markings are a benign congenital developmental condition and, on palpation, feel no different to normal skin.
—Elizabeth Symes
b
: constituting an essential characteristic : INHERENT
A congenital taste for Greco-Roman themes, which had once found expression in his own paintings, now took the form of a pronounced weakness for buying up statuettes and medallions depicting gods and heroes of classical times.
—Anthony Powell
At each roll, the ship favored its congenital list, easing farther and farther toward that soft starboard side …
—Robert Stone
c
: acquired during development in the uterus and not through heredity
Antiparasitic treatment is recommended in acute or congenital infection, in children with chronic infection, and in immunosuppressed patients.
—Eric M. Isselbacher et al.
PCBs pass through the placenta, cause congenital poisoning, and remain in human tissues for long intervals.
—Scientific American Medicine Bulletin
2
: being such by nature
a congenital liar
The truth was that Ward was a congenital name-dropper and snob who—though he was undoubtedly treated unfairly—largely brought his troubles upon himself.
—Anthony Howard
congenitally
kən-ˈje-nə-tᵊl-ē
kän-
adverb
congenitally deaf
Gwynn, who seems congenitally incapable of a frown, didn’t mention the matter until I brought it up.
—Roger Angell

Question 30

onerous

Answer 30

1
: involving, imposing, or constituting a burden : TROUBLESOME
an onerous task
onerous regulations
an onerous mortgage
2
: having legal obligations that outweigh the advantages
an onerous contract

Not to go too heavy on the etymology, but the story behind onerous is at once straightforward and, dare we say, poetic. But perhaps that’s putting the cart before the horse. Onerous rolled into the English language during the 14th century, via Middle French, from the Latin adjective onerosus, “burdensome.” That word, in turn, was hitched to the noun onus, meaning “burden” (source too of our word onus, which usually refers to a burden or responsibility). Onus shares an ancient root with the Sanskrit word anas, meaning “cart.” So although onerous stresses a sense of laboriousness and often figurative heaviness (especially because something is distasteful, e.g. “the onerous task of cleaning up the mess”), it has a deep connection with a literal weight borne by a person, horse, or other beast of burden.

Question 31

beam

Answer 31

gülümsemek

Question 32

acumen

Answer 32

feraset, dirayet

keenness and depth of perception, discernment, or discrimination especially in practical matters

A keen mind and a sharp wit can pierce the soul as easily as a needle passes through cloth. Remember the analogy between a jabbing needle and piercing perception, and you will readily recall the history of acumen. Our English word retains the spelling and figurative meaning of its direct Latin ancestor, a term that literally means “sharp point.” Latin acūmen traces to the verb acuere, which means “to sharpen” and is related to acus, the Latin word for “needle.” In its earliest English uses, acumen referred specifically to a sharpness of wit. In modern English, it conveys the sense that someone is perceptive enough to grasp a situation quickly and clever enough to apply that ability.

Question 33

wart

Answer 33

siğil

Question 34

exert

Answer 34

çaba sarf etmek, gayret etmek

1
a
: to put forth (strength, effort, etc.)
the force is exerted sideways
b
: to put (oneself) into action or to tiring effort
won’t have to exert himself moving the table
2
: to bring to bear especially with sustained effort or lasting effect
exerted a bad influence on his students
3
: EMPLOY, WIELD
exerted her leadership abilities intelligently

He had to exert all of his strength to move the stone.
He exerts a lot of influence on the other members of the committee.
the force exerted by the machine

Question 35

contentment

Answer 35

gönül rahatlığı, müsterihlik

1
: the quality or state of being contented
There was a look of contentment on her face.
2
: something that contents
… states that allow their muscles to spoil them and their contentments to enfeeble them.
—The New Republic

He believes that people can find peace and contentment in living simply.

Middle English contentement “satisfaction of a claim or debt,” borrowed from Anglo-French, from contenter “to satisfy, CONTENT entry 3” + -ment -MENT

Question 36

confine

Answer 36

1
confines plural
a
: something (such as borders or walls) that encloses
outside the confines of the office or hospital
—W. A. Nolen
also : something that restrains
escape from the confines of soot and clutter
—E. S. Muskie
b
: SCOPE sense 3
work within the confines of a small group
—Frank Newman
2
a
archaic : RESTRICTION
b
obsolete : PRISON

1
a
: to hold within a location
Dikes confined the floodwaters.
b
: IMPRISON
2
: to keep within limits
will confine my remarks to one subject

Middle English confynyes, borrowed from Latin confīnia, plural of confīnium “common boundary, limit, border,” from confīnis “having a common boundary” (from con- CON- + -fīnis, adjective derivative of fīnis “boundary, limit, ending”) + -ium, suffix of compounded nouns — more at FINAL entry 1

Question 37

omniscient

Answer 37

1
: having infinite awareness, understanding, and insight
an omniscient author
the narrator seems an omniscient person who tells us about the characters and their relations
—Ira Konigsberg
2
: possessed of universal or complete knowledge
the omniscient God

One who is omniscient literally knows all. The word omniscient combines two Latin roots: omni-, meaning “all” or “universally,” and the verb scire, meaning “to know.” You will recognize omni- as the prefix that tells all in such words as omnivorous (“eating all” or, in actual use, “eating both plants and animals”) and omnipotent (“all-powerful”). Scire likewise has a number of other knowledge-related descendants in English, including conscience, science, and prescience (meaning “foreknowledge”).

Question 38

ardor

Answer 38

1
a
: an often restless or transitory warmth of feeling
the sudden ardors of youth
b
: extreme vigor or energy : INTENSITY
the ardor of a true believer
c
: ZEAL
d
: LOYALTY
2
: sexual excitement

Middle English ardour, borrowed from Anglo-French ardur, ardour “burning, fever, passion,” borrowed from Latin ardōr-, ardor “burning, flash of light, extreme heat, mental excitement, eagerness, passion,” from ardēre “to burn, be fiercely hot, be violently excited, be eager” + -ōr-, -or (earlier *-ōs-, *-ōs), abstract noun suffix — more at ARDENT

Question 39

castigate

Answer 39

to subject to severe punishment, reproof, or criticism
The judge castigated the lawyers for their lack of preparation.

Castigate has a synonym in chastise. Both verbs mean to punish or to censure someone. Fittingly, both words derive from the same root: the Latin castigare, formed from the words for “pure” (castus) and “to drive” (agere). (Castus also gave us the noun caste, meaning “social class or rank.”) Another verb derived from castigare is chasten, which can also mean “to discipline by punishment” but more commonly means “to subdue or make humble” (as in “chastened by his foolish error”). Castigate is the youngest of the three verbs in English, dating from the early 17th century, while chasten dates to the early 16th century and chastise has been found in use as far back as the 14th.

Question 40

thrust

Answer 40

1
: to push or drive with force : SHOVE
2
: to cause to enter or pierce something by or as if by pushing
thrust a dagger into his heart
3
: EXTEND, SPREAD
4
: STAB, PIERCE
5
a
: to put (someone, such as an unwilling person) forcibly into a course of action or position
was thrust into the job
b
: to introduce often improperly into a position : INTERPOLATE
6
: to press, force, or impose the acceptance of upon someone
thrust new responsibilities upon her
intransitive verb

1
a
: to force an entrance or passage
b
: to push forward : press onward
c
: to push upward : PROJECT
2
: to make a thrust, stab, or lunge with or as if with a pointed weapon
thrust at them with a knife
thrust

2 of 2
noun
1
a
: a forward or upward push
b
: a movement (as by a group of people) in a specified direction
2
a
: salient or essential element or meaning
the thrust of the argument
b
: principal concern or objective
the plan’s major thrust is testing
—Ryan Lizza
3
a
: a strong continued pressure
b
: the sideways force or pressure of one part of a structure against another part (as of an arch against an abutment)
c
: the force produced by a propeller or by a jet or rocket engine that drives a vehicle (such as an aircraft) forward
d
: a nearly horizontal geologic fault
4
a
: a push or lunge with a pointed weapon
b
(1)
: a verbal attack
(2)
: a military assault

Question 41

immemorial

Answer 41

extending or existing since beyond the reach of memory, record, or tradition
existing from time immemorial

probably from French immémorial, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin immemorialis lacking memory, from Latin in- + memorialis memorial

Question 42

promiscuous

Answer 42

uçkuruna gevşek

1
: having or involving many sexual partners : not restricted to one sexual partner or few sexual partners
2
: not restricted to one class, sort, or person : INDISCRIMINATE
education … cheapened through the promiscuous distribution of diplomas
—Norman Cousins
3
: CASUAL, IRREGULAR
promiscuous eating habits
4
: composed of all sorts of persons or things

Promiscuous (from Latin promiscuus “without distinction, taken from every different type”) has a range of meanings in English. The oldest of these is “composed of all sorts of persons and things” (as in “a promiscuous array of books” or “the promiscuous company at the tavern”). This meaning suggests a random assortment, not necessarily with negative implications.

Within the last few hundred years, promiscuous has added the usually negatively-tinged meanings “indiscriminate” (“promiscuous destruction by bombing”), “casual or careless” (“the president’s promiscuous dishonesty”), and of course, “not restricted to one sexual partner.”

Does this mean that the word itself is promiscuous? Not at all. It is not uncommon for English words to display this polysemous (“having multiple meanings”) character, and promiscuous is actually on the tidy end of the spectrum, as far as these things go. Some English words have dozens of meanings.

Question 43

stout

Answer 43

1
: strong of character: such as
a
: BRAVE, BOLD
b
: FIRM, DETERMINED
also : OBSTINATE, UNCOMPROMISING
2
: physically or materially strong:
a
: STURDY, VIGOROUS
b
: STAUNCH, ENDURING
c
: sturdily constructed : SUBSTANTIAL
3
: FORCEFUL
a stout attack
also : VIOLENT
a stout wind
4
a
: bulky in body : FAT
b
: broad in proportion to length : large in diameter
a stout fly
a stout bird’s bill
stoutish
ˈstau̇-tish
adjective
stoutly adverb
stoutness noun
stout

2 of 2
noun
1
: a very dark, full-bodied ale with a distinctive malty flavor that is typically brewed with unmalted roasted barley
Stout is a darker, heavily hopped ale that has a creamy head in the glass …
—Anthony Dias Blue
2
a
: a fat person
b
: a clothing size designed for the large figure

Question 44

quibble

Answer 44

1
: to evade the point of an argument by caviling about words
2
a
: CAVIL, CARP
b
: BICKER

1
: an evasion of or shift from the point
2
: a minor objection or criticism

he spent the entire evening quibbling about the historical inaccuracies in the television series on World War II
don’t quibble over who gets to sit in front

Question 45

wishy-washy

Answer 45

1
: lacking in character or determination : INEFFECTUAL
wishy-washy leadership
2
: lacking in strength or flavor : WEAK
wishy-washy wines

Question 46

espouse

Answer 46

1
: MARRY
2
: to take up and support as a cause : become attached to
“she espoused communism”

As you might guess, the words espouse and spouse are hitched, both coming from the Latin verb spondēre, meaning “to promise” or “to betroth.” In fact, the two were once completely interchangeable, with each serving as a noun meaning “a newly married person” or “a husband or wife” and also as a verb meaning “to marry.” Their semantic separation began when the noun espouse fell out of use. Nowadays, espouse is most often encountered as a verb used in the figuratively extended sense “to commit to and support as a cause.”

Question 47

deleterious

Answer 47

: harmful often in a subtle or unexpected way
deleterious effects
deleterious to health

When you hold down the delete key on your keyboard or touchscreen, the effect—whoosh!—is instantaneous (unless your device is laggy, of course). Deleterious effects, however, are often not so obvious; deleterious is used to describe things that are harmful in ways that are unexpected, slow-acting, or not readily apparent. Although most often used in formal speech and writing, deleterious is far from rare. It even pops up from time to time in film and television, especially from the mouths of wonky characters, as when Seven of Nine warns the Doctor in an episode of Star Trek Voyager, “The nebula is having a deleterious effect on all the ship’s technology,” or when Higgins exclaims in the original Magnum P.I. series, “It’s shocking what a deleterious effect a regimen of nothing but mushrooms can have on a man.” We’ll take your word for it, Higgins.