Magoosh Common Words 5 and 6

Question 1

arbitrary

Answer 1

based on a random, groundless choice rather than by reason
e.g. “For the tabular presentation, we used arbitrary cut-off values.”

Synonyms: accidental, haphazard, stray, sporadic

Question 2

repudiate

Answer 2

refuse to accept; reject
e.g. “She has repudiated policies associated with previous party leaders”

Synonyms: abandon, recant, repeal, rescind, retract

Question 3

prolific

Answer 3

present in large numbers or quantities; plentiful
e.g. “Mahogany was once prolific in the tropical forests.”

Synonyms: plentiful, abundant, bountiful, profuse, copious, fecund

Question 4

haphazard

Answer 4

marked by great carelessness; characterized by chance
e.g. “The music business works in a haphazard fashion”

Synonyms: aimless, arbitrary, careless, random, slipshod, slapdash

Question 5

scrupulous

Answer 5

(of a person or process) careful, thorough, and extremely attentive to details
e.g. “The research has been carried out with scrupulous attention to detail”

Synonyms: meticulous, painstaking, thorough, assiduous, sedulous

Question 6

accolade

Answer 6

an award or privilege granted as a special honor
e.g. “She has sold millions of records and earned numerous awards and accolades over a 30-year career.”

Synonyms: distinction, award, laurels

Question 7

resurgent

Answer 7

rising; brought up again to new life
e.g. “The resurgent Thai cinema is in love with a golden age that never really existed.”

Synonyms: renascent, revived, invigorated, reestablished, refreshed, returned

Question 8

lionize

Answer 8

1. treat as a celebrity
2. give a lot of public attention and approval to (someone)

e.g. “Modern sportsmen are lionized and feted”

Synonyms: celebrate, fete, glorify, honor, exalt, acclaim

Question 9

tempered

Answer 9

moderate in effect
act as a neutralizing or counterbalancing force to (something)

e.g. “The display is a single sheet of glass, tempered for strength”

Synonyms: moderate, mitigate, palliate, alleviate, allay, assuage

Question 10

admonish

Answer 10

warn or reprimand someone firmly
e.g. “She admonished me for appearing at breakfast unshaven”

Synonyms: reprimand, rebuke, scold, reprove, upbraid, chastise, chide, censure, castigate, lambast, berate, reproach

Question 11

ravenous

Answer 11

extremely hungry
e.g. “They fell on the food like a pack of ravenous wolves”

Synonyms: insatiable, rapacious, voracious

Question 12

circumscribe

Answer 12

restrict (something) within limits
e.g. “The minister’s powers are circumscribed both by tradition and the organization of local government”

Synonyms: hamper, limit, confine, restrain.

Question 13

sycophant

Answer 13

a person who pleases a lot in order to gain an advantage
e.g. “Because he is high-ranking, he’s surrounded by sycophants”

Synonyms: fawner, flatterer, bootlicker

Question 13

gauche

Answer 13

unsophisticated and socially awkward
e.g. “We’re all a bit gauche when we’re young.”

Synonyms: awkward, gawky

Question 14

pedestrian

Answer 14

lacking inspiration or excitement; dull
e.g. “disenchantment with their pedestrian lives”

Synonyms: dull, turgid, monotonous, mundane, unremarkable, insipid, humdrum

Question 15

taciturn

Answer 15

(of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech
e.g. “One is more taciturn, accepting what goes on with a shrug.”

Synonyms: reticent, unresponsive, antisocial

Question 16

constituent

Answer 16

1. an abstract part of something

e.g. “the constituent minerals of the rock”

Synonyms: component, integral, elemental, essential, inherent, integrant

2. being a voting member of an organization and having the power to appoint or elect.

e.g. “the constituent body has a right of veto”

Question 17

hegemony

Answer 17

leadership or dominance, especially by one state or social group over others
e.g. “Under this strategy they are going to bring the whole world under their hegemony.”

Synonyms: leadership, dominance, dominion, supremacy, ascendancy, sovereignty

Question 18

insolent

Answer 18

showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect
e.g. “She hated the insolent tone of his voice”

Synonyms: impertinent, impudent, ill-mannered

Question 19

subversive

Answer 19

seeking or intending to subvert an established system or institution
e.g. “He has even banned subversive activities such as opera, ballet and the circus.”

Synonyms: riotous, insurgent, seditious, disruptive

Question 20

myriad

Answer 20

countless or extremely great in number
e.g. “He gazed at the myriad lights of the city”

Synonyms: innumerable, countless, infinite

Question 21

ostracize

Answer 21

exclude from a society or group
e.g. “She was ostracized from the scientific community for many years because of her radical political beliefs.”

Synonyms: blacklist, exclude, excommunicate, expel, shun

Question 22

antithetical

Answer 22

directly opposed or contrasted
e.g. “There are people whose religious beliefs are antithetical to mine”

Synonyms: contradictory, contrasting, polar, opposing

Question 23

sporadic

Answer 23

occurring at irregular intervals or only in a few places; scattered or isolated
e.g. “The situation is easing, although sporadic fresh outbreaks are still occurring.”

Synonyms: occasional, infrequent, irregular, desultory, intermittent, capricious, unpredictable

Question 24

trite

Answer 24

1. repeated too often 2. (of a remark or idea) lacking originality or freshness e.g. "Children need to be aware of the real world, not force-fed trite fairytales." Synonyms: hackneyed, banal, clichéd, platitude, vapid

Question 25

reverent

Answer 25

feeling or showing deep and solemn respect e.g. "They called him Uncle, their attitude reverent yet familiar." Synonyms: venerate, dutiful, deferential

Question 26

rescind

Answer 26

revoke, cancel, or repeal (a law, order, or agreement) e.g. "The navy rescinded its ban on women sailors." Synonyms: abolish, abrogate, annul, revoke, dismantle

Question 27

irrevocable

Answer 27

not able to be changed, reversed, or recovered e.g. "They are spending a fortune preparing for this irrevocable step." Synonyms: immutable, irreversible, permanent

Question 28

inveterate

Answer 28

having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established e.g. "One of the pleasures of the TV show, The Simpsons is Homer's inveterate stupidity." Synonyms: ingrained, deep-seated, deep-rooted, entrenched

Question 29

arcane

Answer 29

understood by few; mysterious or secret e.g. Synonyms: covert, clandestine, enigmatic, recondite, esoteric

Question 30

obsequious

Answer 30

obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree e.g. "Barrow was positively obsequious to me until he learned that I too was the son of a laboring man." Synonyms: ingratiating, unctuous, sycophantic, fawning, toadying

Question 31

tractable

Answer 31

(of a person) easy to control or influence e.g. "She has always been tractable and obedient, even as a child" Synonyms: malleable, governable, yielding, amenable, complaisant, compliant

Question 32

winsome

Answer 32

charming in an innocent, child-like way e.g. "This last one, in particular, wasn't much heeded by the program's winsome presenter." Synonyms: appealing, captivating

Question 33

audacity

Answer 33

1. a willingness to take bold risks e.g. "He whistled at the sheer audacity of the plan" 2. rude or disrespectful behavior; impudence e.g. "She had the audacity to suggest I'd been carrying on with him"

Question 34

intrepid

Answer 34

fearless e.g. "An intrepid adventurer will persist all the way to the end of the line." Synonyms: dauntless, fearless, courageous

Question 35

sanction

Answer 35

1. official permission or approval for an action. e.g. "he appealed to the bishop for his sanction" 2. a threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule. e.g. "a range of sanctions aimed at deterring insider abuse"

Question 36

prodigious

Answer 36

remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree e.g. "The stove consumed a prodigious amount of fuel" Synonyms: enormous, huge, colossal, immense

Question 37

brazen

Answer 37

bold and without shame; unphased e.g. "He went about his illegal business with a brazen assurance" Synonyms: presumptuous, brash, gutsy, insolent

Question 38

poignant

Answer 38

emotionally touching e.g. "He gave a poignant cry of despair." Synonyms: touching, moving

Question 38

austere

Answer 38

1. severe or strict in manner or attitude e.g. "he was an austere man, with a rigidly puritanical outlook" Synonyms: exacting, forbidding, formal, rigid, stringent 2. (of living conditions or a way of life) having no comforts or luxuries e.g. "conditions in the prison could hardly be more austere" Synonyms: frugal, spartan, ascetic 3. having a plain and unadorned appearance e.g. "the cathedral is impressive in its austere simplicity" Synonyms: sober, subdued

Question 39

dilettante

Answer 39

an amateur engaging in an activity pretending to have knowledge e.g. "At Athens he must have been a dilettante, an idler, without political rights or duties." Synonyms: amateur

Question 40

foment

Answer 40

instigate or stir up (an undesirable or violent sentiment or course of action) e.g. "they accused him of fomenting political unrest" Synonyms: instigate, inspire, incite

Question 41

garrulous

Answer 41

excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters e.g. "Her garrulous neighbour quickly spread the news." Synonyms: talkative, loquacious, voluble, chatty

Question 42

propitious

Answer 42

giving or indicating a good chance of success; favorable e.g. "There was a brief, perfect Elizabethan moment when conditions were propitious and all was well." Synonyms: advantageous, auspicious, opportune

Question 43

inscrutable

Answer 43

impossible to understand or interpret e.g. "The relationship between artist and subject can be inscrutable." Synonyms: enigmatic, unreadable, impenetrable, abstruse, opaque

Question 44

precipituous

Answer 44

done with great haste and without careful thinking e.g. "He made a precipitous intervention in the main event of the show" Synonyms: reckless, foolhardy, hasty

Question 45

munificent

Answer 45

characterized by or displaying great generosity e.g. "That position includes not only a munificent salary, but travel opportunities." Synonyms: generous, bountiful, beneficent

Question 46

pernicious

Answer 46

having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way e.g. "The pernicious effects of air pollution" Synonyms: deleterious, harmful, inimical, detrimental

Question 47

inimical

Answer 47

1. tending to obstruct or harm 2. unfriendly; hostile e.g. "the policy was inimical to Britain's real interests" Synonyms: deleterious, harmful, pernicious, detrimental

Question 48

vacillate

Answer 48

waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive e.g. "He vacillates between different perceptions of his life." Synonyms: dither, fluctuate, oscillate, seesaw, waver

Question 48

nuance

Answer 48

a diff. facet - in meaning, opinion or attitude e.g. "he was familiar with the nuances of the local dialect" Synonyms: subtlety, facet

Question 49

impartial

Answer 49

free from undue bias or preconceived opinions e.g. "The minister cannot be impartial in the way that a judge would be" Synonyms: dispassionate, equitable, unpartisan, neutral

Question 50

arduous

Answer 50

demanding considerable mental effort and skill e.g. "It was an arduous seven-hour journey to get there" Synonyms: backbreaking, burdensome, exhausting, laborious, onerous, painful, rigorous, strenuous

Question 51

bolster

Answer 51

to support and strengthen e.g. "The fall in interest rates is starting to bolster confidence" Synonyms: buoy, buttress, fortify

Question 51

misconstrue

Answer 51

interpret (a person's words or actions) wrongly e.g. "She said Harris had misconstrued her comments." Synonyms: distort, exaggerate, misinterpret, misread, misunderstand

Question 52

disseminate

Answer 52

spread (something, especially information) widely e.g. "Health authorities should foster good practice by disseminating information" Synonyms: circulate, publicize, disperse, diffuse, proclaim, promulgate

Question 52

banal/banality

Answer 52

so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring e.g. "they attempted to placate the students with promises of increasing financial well-being" Synonyms: hackneyed, trite, clichéd, platitude, vapid

Question 53

flux

Answer 53

a state of uncertainty about what should be done e.g. "The list is in a state of flux and will continue to be." Synonyms: alteration, change, flow, fluctuation, instability

Question 54

mundane

Answer 54

repetitive and boring; relating to the ordinary world e.g. "The truth is far more mundane and less interesting than the story might suggest." Synonyms: humdrum, dull, boring, tedious, monotonous, wearisome, prosaic

Question 55

craven

Answer 55

pathetically cowardly e.g. "They condemned the deal as a craven surrender." Synonyms: cowardly, timorous, timid, chicken, spineless

Question 55

reproach

Answer 55

express criticism - to (someone) one's disapproval of or disappointment in their actions e.g. "The critics reproached him for his failure to tackle the deficiency" Synonyms: rebuke, reproof, reproval, lambast, admonition, scolding

Question 56

dispassionate

Answer 56

not influenced by strong emotion, and so able to be rational and impartial e.g. "She dealt with life's disasters in a calm, dispassionate way" Synonyms: nonchalant, calm, collected, temperate, tranquil, placid

Question 57

placate

Answer 57

make (someone) less angry or hostile. e.g. "they attempted to placate the students with promises of increasing financial well-being" Synonyms: appease, assuage, mollify, pacify, reconcile

Question 58

elicit

Answer 58

bring about; call forth responses e.g. "I tried to elicit a smile from Joanna" Synonyms: bring out, evoke, extort, extract, wring

Question 58

imprudent

Answer 58

not showing care for the consequences of an action e.g. "It would be imprudent to leave her winter coat behind" Synonyms: hasty, rash, reckless, heedless, injudicious, foolhardy

Question 59

indecorous

Answer 59

not in keeping with good taste and propriety; improper e.g. "a pub crawl with sundry indecorous adventures" Synonyms: indecent, indiscreet, immoral, shameless, loose, wanton

Question 59

transient

Answer 59

lasting only for a short time e.g. "the transient nature of the labour force in catering" Synonyms: ephemeral, transitory, temporary

Question 59

economical

Answer 59

giving good value or return in relation to the money, time, or effort expended e.g. "the book discussed the most economical way of running a home" Synonyms: cost-effective, efficient, prudent

Question 60

rebuke

Answer 60

an expression of sharp disapproval or criticism e.g. "she had rebuked him for drinking too much" Synonyms: reprimand, admonish, scold, reprove, upbraid, chastise, chide, censure, castigate, lambast, berate, reproach

Question 60

jovial

Answer 60

cheerful and friendly e.g. "But he was mostly in a jovial mood as he conducted a round of interviews." Synonyms: affable, amiable, buoyant, cheery, sanguine

Question 61

maladroit

Answer 61

inefficient or inept; clumsy e.g. "both men are unhappy about the maladroit way the matter has been handled" Synonyms: inept, clumsy, incompetent

Question 61

antipathy

Answer 61

a deep-seated feeling of dislike or aversion e.g. "his fundamental antipathy to capitalism" Synonyms: hostility, antagonism, animosity, aversion, abhorrence

Question 62

truncate

Answer 62

shorten; reduce the length of something e.g. "The river conglomerates are truncated by the sheet conglomerates." Synonyms: abbreviate, abridge, curtail

Question 63

timorous

Answer 63

timid; to reveal fear e.g. "Sarah took a timorous step forward and spilled the details of their plight in one long ramble, barely stopping for breath." Synonyms: apprehensive, timid, quaking, cowering, shy, diffident, bashful.

Question 64

stringent

Answer 64

demanding strict attention to rules e.g. "Chelsea rules are stringent, although regulars do try to test them to the limits." Synonyms: strict, firm, rigid, rigorous, draconian

Question 64

pejorative

Answer 64

expressing contempt or disapproval. e.g. "permissiveness is used almost universally as a pejorative term" Synonyms: disparaging, vituperative, disapproving, contemptuous

Question 64

fastidious

Answer 64

very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail. e.g. "She dressed with fastidious care" Synonyms: over-scrupulous, punctilious

Question 65

maverick

Answer 65

an unorthodox or independent-minded person. e.g. "he's the maverick of the fashion scene" Synonyms: trendsetter, bohemian

Question 66

contrition

Answer 66

the state of feeling remorseful and penitent e.g. "to show contrition for his crime he offered to do community service" Synonyms: penance, penitence, remorse, repentance

Question 66

efficacious

Answer 66

effective; (of something inanimate or abstract) successful in producing a desired or intended result e.g. "This treatment was efficacious in some cases" Synonyms: effective

Question 67

ignominous

Answer 67

deserving or causing public disgrace or shame e.g. "The party risked ignominious defeat" Synonyms: dishonourable, discreditable, ignoble, inglorious

Question 67

posit

Answer 67

put forward as fact or as a basis for argument. e.g. "the Confucian view posits a perfectible human nature" Synonyms: postulate, put forward, predicate, propound

Question 68

anomaly

Answer 68

something different, abnormal e.g. "the apparent anomaly that those who produced the wealth were the poorest" Synonyms: aberration, abnormality, deviation

Question 69

harried

Answer 69

feeling strained as a result of having demands persistently made on one; harassed. e.g. "harried detectives answer ringing phones" Synonyms: agitated, beset, bothered, distressed

Question 70

appease

Answer 70

appeal to the demands of a side e.g. "amendments have been added to appease local pressure groups" Synonyms: conciliate, placate, pacify, demand

Question 70

deleterious

Answer 70

causing harm or damage. e.g. "divorce is assumed to have deleterious effects on children" Synonyms: detrimental, injurious, adverse pernicious

Question 71

nonplussed

Answer 71

so surprised and confused that one is unsure how to react. e.g. "Henry looked completely nonplussed" Synonyms: bewildered, confounded, confused, dazed

Question 72

opulence

Answer 72

great wealth or luxuriousness. "rooms of spectacular opulence" Synonyms: affluence, lavish

Question 72

edifying

Answer 72

providing moral or intellectual instruction e.g. "Seeing a person blind drunk is not an edifying sight" Synonyms: illuminating, enlighten, indoctrinate, inspiring

Question 73

erudite

Answer 73

having or showing great knowledge or learning. e.g. "Ken could turn any conversation into an erudite discussion" Synonyms: knowledgeable, literate, sagacious

Question 74

askance

Answer 74

with an attitude or look of suspicion or disapproval. e.g. "the reformers looked askance at the mystical tradition" Synonyms: skeptically, suspiciously

Question 75

polemic

Answer 75

a speech or piece of writing expressing a strongly critical attack on or controversial opinion about someone or something. e.g. "his polemic against the cultural relativism of the Sixties" Synonyms: argumentative, disputatious, quarrelsome

Question 76

specious

Answer 76

plausible, but wrong e.g. "What he required of us was that we avoided specious or muddled argument." Synonyms: deceptive, erroneous, false, spurious

Question 77

sullen

Answer 77

bad-tempered and sulky e.g. "He grew sullen and bitter; she suspected him of having an affair." Synonyms: churlish, dour, gloomy, glum, grumpy, petulant

Question 78

dilatory

Answer 78

slow to act - intended to cause delay e.g. "he had been dilatory in appointing a solicitor" Synonyms: slow, unhurried, tardy, stalling, temporizing

Question 79

mendacity

Answer 79

fabrication e.g. "With characteristic mendacity, the duke spread the report that the prisoner had died a natural death." Synonyms: fraud, deception, duplicity, fabrication, falsehood

Question 80

esoteric

Answer 80

intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest e.g. "He is fond of pointing out how esoteric this debate is to the wider public." Synonyms: abstruse, arcane, mystical

Question 81

capricious

Answer 81

given to sudden and unaccountable changes in mood or behavior e.g. "It's terrible to feel our livelihood hinges on a capricious boss" Synonyms: fickle, mercurial, arbitrary, fickle

Question 82

furtive

Answer 82

attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble; secretive e.g. "It's almost unbearably tempting to suggest a furtive flick on the nose." Synonyms: sneaky, conspiratorial, covert, surreptitious

Question 83

duress

Answer 83

threats, violence, constraints, or other actions used to coerce someone into doing something against their will or better judgment e.g. "I maintained that I had signed the document under duress" Synonyms: coercion