Key Terms Group 4

Question 1

acerbic

Answer 1

having a sour or bitter taste or character; sharp; biting

Question 2

aggrandize

Answer 2

to increase in intensity, power, influence, or prestige

Question 3

amenable

Answer 3

agreeable; responsive to suggestion

Question 4

anachronism

Answer 4

something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context

Question 5

astringent

Answer 5

having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe; something with a tightening effect on tissue

Question 6

contiguous

Answer 6

sharing a border; touching; adjacent

Question 7

convention

Answer 7

a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude

Question 8

credulous

Answer 8

tending to believe too readily; gullible

Question 9

cynicism

Answer 9

an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness

Question 10

decorum

Answer 10

polite or appropriate conduct or behavior

Question 11

desiccate

Answer 11

to dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull

Question 12

dilettante

Answer 12

one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or branch of knowledge

Question 13

disparage

Answer 13

to slight or belittle

Question 14

divulge

Answer 14

to disclose something secret

Question 15

fawn

Answer 15

to flatter or praise excessively

Question 16

flout

Answer 16

to show contempt for, as in a rule or convention

Question 17

garrulous

Answer 17

pointlessly talkative; talking too much

Question 18

glib

Answer 18

marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial

Question 19

hubris

Answer 19

overbearing presumption or pride; arrogance

Question 20

imminent

Answer 20

about to happen; impending

Question 21

immutable

Answer 21

not capable or change

Question 22

impetuous

Answer 22

hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement

Question 23

indifferent

Answer 23

having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice

Question 24

inimical

Answer 24

damaging; harmful; injurious

Question 25

intractable

Answer 25

not easily managed or directed; stubborn; obstinate

Question 26

intrepid

Answer 26

steadfast and courageous

Question 27

laconic

Answer 27

using few words; terse

Question 28

maverick

Answer 28

an independent individual who does no go along with a group or party

Question 29

mercurial

Answer 29

characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood

Question 30

mollify

Answer 30

to calm or sooth; to reduce in emotional intensity

Question 31

neophyte

Answer 31

a recent convert; a beginner; a novice

Question 32

obfuscate

Answer 32

to deliberately obscure; to make confusing

Question 33

obstinate

Answer 33

stubborn; hard-headed; uncompromising

Question 34

ostentatious

Answer 34

characterized by or given to pretentious display; showy

Question 35

pervade

Answer 35

to permeate throughout

Question 36

phlegmatic

Answer 36

calm; sluggish; unemotional

Question 37

plethora

Answer 37

an overabundance; a surplus

Question 38

pragmatic

Answer 38

practical rather than idealistic

Question 39

presumptuous

Answer 39

overstepping due bounds; taking liberties

Question 40

pristine

Answer 40

pure; uncorrupted; clean

Question 41

probity

Answer 41

adherence to highest principle; complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness

Question 42

proclivity

Answer 42

a natural predisposition or inclination

Question 43

profligate

Answer 43

excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant

Question 44

propensity

Answer 44

a natural inclination or tendency; penchant

Question 45

prosaic

Answer 45

dull; lacking in spirit or imagination

Question 46

pungent

Answer 46

characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste

Question 47

quixotic

Answer 47

foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals

Question 48

quotidian

Answer 48

occurring or recurring daily; commonplace

Question 49

rarefy

Answer 49

to make or become thin, less dense; to refine

Question 50

recondite

Answer 50

hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure

Question 51

refulgent

Answer 51

radiant; shiny; brilliant

Question 52

renege

Answer 52

to fail to honor a commitment; to go back on a promise

Question 53

sedulous

Answer 53

diligent; persistent; hard-working

Question 54

shard

Answer 54

a piece of broken pottery or glass

Question 55

soporific

Answer 55

causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep

Question 56

sparse

Answer 56

thin; not dense; arranged at widely spaced intervals

Question 57

spendthrift

Answer 57

one who spends money wastefully

Question 58

subtle

Answer 58

not obvious; elusive; difficult to discern

Question 59

tacit

Answer 59

implied; not explicitly stated

Question 60

terse

Answer 60

brief and concise in wording

Question 61

tout

Answer 61

to publicly praise or promote

Question 62

trenchant

Answer 62

sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating

Question 63

unfeigned

Answer 63

genuine; not false or hypocritical

Question 64

untenable

Answer 64

indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable

Question 65

vacillate

Answer 65

to waver indecisively between one course of action or opinion and another

Question 66

variegated

Answer 66

multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different color

Question 67

vexation

Answer 67

annoyance; irritation

Question 68

vigilant

Answer 68

alertly watchful

Question 69

vituperate

Answer 69

to use harsh condemnatory language; to abuse or censure severely or abusively; to berate

Question 70

volatile

Answer 70

readily changing to a vapor; changeable; fickle; explosive