Quick Quizzes 60 - 67

Question 1

obdurate

Answer 1

obdurate (AHB duh rit) adj stubborn and insensitive
Obdurate contains one of the same roots as durable and endurance; each word conveys a different sense of hardness
The committee’s obdurate refusal to listen to our plan was heart-breaking to us since we had spent ten years coming up with it.

Question 2

obfuscate

Answer 2

obfuscate (AHB fuh skayt) v to darken; to confuse; to make confusing
The spokesman’s attempt to explain what the president had meant merely obfuscated the issue further. People had hoped the spokesman would elucidate the issue.
To obfuscate something is to engage in obfuscation.

Question 3

oblique

Answer 3

oblique (oh BLEEK) adj indirect; at an angle
In geometry, lines are said to be oblique if they are neither parallel nor perpendicular to one another. The word has a related meaning outside of mathematics. An oblique statement is one that does not directly address the topic at hand, that approaches it as if from an angle.

Question 4

oblivion

Answer 4

oblivion (uh BLIV ee un) n total forgetfulness; the state of being forgotten
To be oblivious is to be forgetful or unaware.

Question 5

obscure

Answer 5

obscure (ub SKYOOR) adj unknown; hard to understand; dark

The comedy nightclub was filled with obscure comedians who stole one another’s jokes and seldom got any laughs.

Question 6

obsequious

Answer 6

obsequious (ub SEE kwee us) adj fawning; subservient; sucking up to
Ann’s assistant was so obsequious that she could never tell what he really thought about anything.

Question 7

obtuse

Answer 7

obtuse (ahb TOOS) adj insensitive; blockheaded

The obtuse student couldn’t seem to grasp the difference between addition and subtraction.

Question 8

officious

Answer 8

officious (uh FISH us) adj annoyingly eager to help or advise
The officious salesperson refused to leave us alone, so we finally left without buying anything.

Question 9

onerous

Answer 9

onerous (AHN ur us) adj burdensome; oppressive
We were given the onerous task of cleaning up after the prom.
This word can also be pronounced (OH nur us).

Question 10

opaque

Answer 10

opaque (oh PAYK) adj impossible to see through; impossible to understand
The windows in the movie star’s house were made not of glass but of some opaque material intended to keep his fans fro spying on him.
The noun form of opaque is opacity (oh PAS uh tee).

Question 11

opulent

Answer 11

opulent (AHP yuh lunt) adj luxurious
Everything in the opulent palace was made of gold–except the toilet-paper holder, which was made of platinum.
Opulence is often ostentatious.

Question 12

orthodox

Answer 12

orthodox (OR thuh dahks) adj conventional; adhering to established principles or doctrines, especially in religion; by the book
Austin’s views were orthodox; there was nothing shocking about any of them.
The body of what is orthodox is called orthodoxy.

Question 13

ostensible

Answer 13

ostensible (ah STEN suh bul) adj apparent (but misleading); professed
Blake’s ostensible mission was to repair a broken telephone, but his real goal was to eavesdrop on the boss’s conversation.

Question 14

ostentatious

Answer 14

ostentatious (ahs ten TAY shus) adj excessively conspicuous; showing off

Question 15

pacify

Answer 15

pacify (PAS uh fye) v to calm someone down; to placate
A parent gives a baby a pacifier to pacify him.
A pacifist is someone who does not believe in war.

Question 16

painstaking

Answer 16

painstaking (PAYN stay king) adj extremely careful; taking pains painstaking = pains-taking = taking pains
The jeweler was painstaking i his effort not to ruin the $50 million diamond.

Question 17

palliate

Answer 17

palliate (PAL ee ayt) v to relieve or alleviate something without getting rid of the problem; to assuage; to mitigate
You take aspirin in the hope that it will palliate your headache.
Aspirin is a palliative (PAL yuh tiv).

Question 18

palpable

Answer 18

palpable (PAL puh bul) adj capable of being touched; obvious; tangible
The opposite of palpable is impalpable.

Question 19

paltry

Answer 19

paltry (PAWL tree) adj insignificant; worthless

The lawyer’s efforts on our behalf were paltry; they didn’t add up to anything.

Question 20

panacea

Answer 20

panacea (pan uh SEE uh) n something that cures everything
Granny believed that her “rheumatiz medicine” was a panacea. No matter what you were sick with, that was what she prescribed.

Question 21

paradigm

Answer 21

paradigm (PAR uh dime) n a model or example

Mr. Hufstader is the best teacher in the whole world; his classroom should be the paradigm for all classrooms.

Question 22

paradox

Answer 22

paradox (PAR uh dahks) n a true statement or phenomenon that nonetheless seems to contradict itself; and untrue statement or phenomenon that nonetheless seems logical
Mr. Cooper is a political paradox; he’s a staunch Republican who votes only for Democrats.
A paradox is paradoxical.
Pasquale’s dislike of ice cream was paradoxical considering that he worked as an ice-cream taster.

Question 23

parochial

Answer 23

parochial (puh ROH kee ul) adj narrow or confined in point of view; provincial
A lot of people think a parochial school is a religious school. Traditionally, a parochial school is just the school of the parish or neighborhood. In other contexts parochial has negative connotations.

Question 24

parody

Answer 24

parody (PAR uh dee) n a satirical imitation

Question 25

parsimonious

Answer 25

parsimonious (pahr suh MOH nee us) adj stingy

Question 26

partisan

Answer 26

partisan (PAHR tuh zun) n one who supports a particular person, cause or idea The mountain village was attacked by partisans of the rebel chieftain. Partisan can also be used as an adjective meaning biased, as in partisan politics. An issue everyone agrees on regardless of the party he or she belongs to is a nonpartisan issue. Bipartisan means supported by two (bi) parties.

Question 27

patent

Answer 27

patent (PAYT unt) adj obvious | To say that the earth is flat is a patent absurdity since the world is obviously spherical.

Question 28

paternal

Answer 28

paternal (puh TUR nul) adj fatherly; fatherlike Doug is paternal toward his niece. Maternal (muh TUR nul) means motherly or momlike.

Question 29

pathology

Answer 29

pathology (puh THAHL uh jee) n the science of diseases Pathology is the science or study of diseases, but not necessarily in the medical sense. Pathological means relating to pathology, but it also means arising from a disease. So if we say Brad is an inveterate, incorrigible, pathological (path uh LAHJ uh kul) liar, we are saying that Brad's lying is a sickness.

Question 30

patriarch

Answer 30

patriarch (PAY tree ahrk) n the male head of a family or tribe The adjective is patriarchal (pay tree AHRK ul) A female head of a family is a matriarch, and such a family would be described as matriarchal.

Question 31

patrician

Answer 31

patrician (puh TRISH un) n a person of noble birth; an aristocrat Patrician can also be an adjective. Polo is a patrician sport.

Question 32

patronize

Answer 32

patronize (PAY truh nyze) v to treat as an inferior; to condescend to Our guide at the art gallery was extremely patronizing, treating us as though we wouldn't be able to distinguish a painting from a piece of sidewalk without her help. Patronize also means to frequent or be a regular customer of. To patronize a restaurant is to eat there often, not to treat it as an inferior.

Question 33

paucity

Answer 33

paucity (PAW suh tee) n scarcity

Question 34

peccadillo

Answer 34

peccadillo (pek uh DIL oh) n a minor offense

Question 35

pedantic

Answer 35

pedantic (puh DAN tik) adj boringly scholarly or academic

Question 36

pedestrian

Answer 36

pedestrian (puh DES tree un) adj unimaginative; banal | A pedestrian is someone walking, but to be pedestrian is to be something else altogether.

Question 37

pejorative

Answer 37

pejorative (pi JOR uh tiv) adj negative; disparaging | "Hi, stupid" is a pejorative greeting. "Loudmouth" is a nickname with a pejorative connotation.

Question 38

penchant

Answer 38

penchant (PEN chunt) n a strong taste or liking for something; a predilection Dogs have a penchant for chasing cats and mailmen.

Question 39

penitent

Answer 39

penitent (PEN uh tunt) adj sorry; repentant; contrite

Question 40

pensive

Answer 40

pensive (PEN siv) adj thoughtful and sad

Question 41

peremptory

Answer 41

peremptory (puh REMP tuh ree) adj final; categorical; dictatorial Someone who is peremptory says or does something without giving anyone a chance to dispute it.

Question 42

perennial

Answer 42

perennial (puh REN ee ul) adj continual; happening again and again or year after year Flowers called perennials are flowers that bloom year after year without being replanted. Biennial (bye EN ee ul) and centennial (sen TEN ee ul) are related words. Biennial means happening once every two years (biannual means happening twice a year). Centennial means happening once every century.

Question 43

perfidy

Answer 43

perfidy (PUR fuh dee) n treachery I was appalled at Al's perfidy. He had sworn to me that he was my best friend, but then he asked my girlfriend to the prom. To engage in perfidy is to be perfidious (pur FID ee us).

Question 44

perfunctory

Answer 44

perfunctory (pur FUNGK tuh ree) adj unenthusiastic; careless Sandra's lawn mowing was perfunctory at best: She skipped all the difficult parts and didn't rake up the clippings.

Question 45

peripatetic

Answer 45

peripatetic (per uh pet TET ik) adj wandering; traveling continually; itinerant Groupies are a peripatetic bunch, traveling from concert to concert to follow their favorite rock stars.

Question 46

periphery

Answer 46

periphery (puh RIF uh ree) n the outside edge of something

Question 47

perjury

Answer 47

perjury (PUR jur ee) n lying under oath

Question 48

permeate

Answer 48

permeate (PUR mee ayt) v to spread or seep through; to penetrate A horrible smell quickly permeated the van after Kinsey farted. Something that can be permeated is said to be permeable.

Question 49

pernicious

Answer 49

pernicious (pur NISH us) adj deadly; extremely evil | Lung cancer is a pernicious disease.

Question 50

perquisite

Answer 50

perquisite (PUR kwuh zit) n a privilege that goes along with a job; a "perk" Free access to a photocopier is a perquisite of most office jobs. A perquisite should not be confused with a prerequisite (pree REK wuh zit), which is a necessity.

Question 51

pertinent

Answer 51

pertinent (PUR tuh nunt) adj relevant; dealing with the matter at hand The suspect said that he was just borrowing the jewelry for a costume ball. The cop said he did not think that was pertinent. By the way, impertinent means disrespectful.

Question 52

perturb

Answer 52

perturb (pur TURB) v to disturb greatly Ivan's mother was perturbed by his aberrant behavior at the dinner table. Ivan's father was not bothered. Nothing bothered Ivan, Sr. He was imperturbable.

Question 53

peruse

Answer 53

peruse (puh ROOZ) v to read carefully This word is misused more often than it is used correctly. To peruse something is not to skim it or read it quickly. To peruse something is to study it or read it with great care. To peruse something is to engage in perusal.

Question 54

prerequisite

Answer 54

prerequisite (pree REK wuh zit) n a necessity | Chemistry is a prerequisite to Physics; you must take Chemistry before you can take Physics.

Question 55

pervade

Answer 55

pervade (pur VAYD) v to spread throughout A terrible smell pervaded the apartment building after the sewer explosion. Something that pervades is pervasive.

Question 56

petulant

Answer 56

petulant (PECH uh lunt) adj rude; cranky; ill-tempered The petulant waiter slammed down our water glasses and spilled a tureen of soup onto Roger's kilt. To be petulant is to engage is petulance, or rudeness.

Question 57

philanthropy

Answer 57

philanthropy (fi LAN thruh pee) n love of mankind, especially by doing good deeds A charity is a philanthropic (fi lun THRAH pik) institution. An altruist is someone who cares about other people. A philanthropist (fi LAN thruh pist) is actively doing things to help, usually by giving time or money.

Question 58

philistine

Answer 58

philistine (FIL i steen) n a smugly ignorant person with no appreciation of intellectual or artistic matters

Question 59

pious

Answer 59

pious (PYE us) adj reverent or devout; outwardly (and sometimes falsely) reverent or devout; hypocritical This is a sometimes confusing word with meaning that are very nearly opposite each other. A pious Presbyterian is one who goes to church every Sunday and says his prayers every night before bed. Pious in the sense means something like religiously dutiful. Pious can also be used to describe behavior or feelings that aren't religious at all but are quite hypocritical. The adulterous minister's sermon on marital fidelity was filled with pious disregard for his own sins.

Question 60

pivotal

Answer 60

pivotal (PIV uh tul) adj crucial Pivotal is the adjective form of the verb to pivot. To pivot is to turn on a single point or shaft. A basketball player pivots when he turns while leaving one foot planted in the same place on the floor. A pivotal comment is a comment that turns a discussion. It is an important comment.

Question 61

placate

Answer 61

placate (PLAY kayt) v to pacify; to appease; to soothe | The tribe placated the angry volcano by tossing a few teenagers into the raging crater.

Question 62

plaintive

Answer 62

plaintive (PLAYN tiv) adj expressing sadness or sorrow You could also say that there was plaintiveness in that bird's song. don't confuse plaintive with plaintiff. A plaintiff is a person who takes someone to court--who makes a legal complaint.

Question 63

platitude

Answer 63

platitude (PLAT uh tood) n a dull or trite remark; a cliche The principle thinks he is a great orator, but his loud, boring speech was full of platitudes.

Question 64

plebeian

Answer 64

``` plebeian (pluh BEE un) adj common; vulgar; low-class Plebeian is the opposite of aristocratic. ```

Question 65

plethora

Answer 65

plethora (PLETH ur uh) n an excess | We ate a plethora of candy on Halloween and a plethora of turkey on Thanksgiving.

Question 66

poignant

Answer 66

poignant (POYN yunt) adj painfully emotional; extremely moving; sharp or astute The words poignant and pointed are very closely related, and they share much of the same range of meaning. A poignant scene is one that is so emotional or moving that it is almost painful to watch. Poignant can also man pointed in the sense of sharp or astute. A poignant comment might be one that shows great insight.

Question 67

polarize

Answer 67

polarize (POH luh ryze) v to break up into opposing factions or groupings The issue of what kind of sand to put in the sandbox polarized the nursery school class; some students would accept nothing but wet, while others wanted only dry.

Question 68

polemic

Answer 68

polemic (puh LEM ik) n a powerful argument often made to attack or refute a controversial issue The book was a convincing polemic that revealed the fraud at the heart of the large corporation.

Question 69

ponderous

Answer 69

ponderous (PAHN dur us) adj so large as to be clumsy; massive; dull The wedding cake was a ponderous blob of icing and jelly beans.

Question 70

portent

Answer 70

portent (POR tent) n an omen; a sign of something coming in the future Portentous (por TENT uhs) is the adjective form of portent, meaning ominous or filled with portent. But it is very often used to mean pompous, or self-consciously serious or ominous sounding. It can also mean amazing or prodigious.

Question 71

postulate

Answer 71

postulate (PAHS chuh lut) n something accepted as true without proof; an axiom A postulate is taken to be true because it is convenient to do so. We might be able to prove a postulate if we had the time, but not now. A theorem is something that is proven using postulates. Postulate (PAHS chuh layt) can be used as a verb too. Sherlock Holmes rarely postulated things, waiting for evidence before he made up his mind.

Question 72

pragmatic

Answer 72

pragmatic (prag MAT ik) adj practical; down to earth; based on experience rather than theory A pragmatic person is one who deals with things as they are rather than as they might be or should be. Pragmatism (PRAG muh tiz um) is the belief or philosophy that the value or truth of something can be measured by its practical consequences.

Question 73

precedent

Answer 73

precedent (PRES uh dunt) n an earlier example or model of something Precedent is a noun form of the verb to precede, or go before. To set a precedent is to do something that sets an example for what may follow. To be unprecedented is to have no precedent, to be something entirely new.

Question 74

precept

Answer 74

precept (PREE sept) n a rule to live by; a principle establishing a certain kind of action or behavior; a maxim

Question 75

precipitate

Answer 75

precipitate (pri SIP uh tayt) v to cause to happen abruptly The police were afraid that arresting the angry protestors might precipitate a riot.

Question 76

precipitous

Answer 76

precipitous (pri SIP uh tus) adj steep | Precipitous means like a precipice, or cliff.

Question 77

portentous

Answer 77

portentous (por TENT uhs) is the adjective form of portent, meaning ominous or filled with portent. But it is very often used to mean pompous, or self-consciously serious or ominous sounding. It can also mean amazing or prodigious.

Question 78

preclude

Answer 78

preclude (pri KLOOD) v to prevent something from ever happening

Question 79

precursor

Answer 79

presursor (pri KUR sur) n forerunner; something that goes before and anticipates or paves the way for whatever it is that follows A sore throat is often the precursor of a cold.

Question 80

predilection

Answer 80

predilection (pred uh LEK shun) n a natural preference for something Joe's predilection for saturated fats has added roughly a foot to his waistline in the past twenty years.

Question 81

preeminent

Answer 81

preeminent (pree EM uh nunt) adj better than anyone else; outstanding; supreme

Question 82

preempt

Answer 82

preempt (pree EMPT) v to seize something by prior right A preemptive action is one that is undertaken in order to prevent some other action from being undertaken. When the air force launched a preemptive strike against the missile base, the air force was attacking the missiles in order to prevent the missiles from attacking the air force.

Question 83

premise

Answer 83

premise (PREM is) n an assumption; the basis for a conclusion Based on the premise that two wrongs don't make a right, I forgave him for insulting me rather than calling him a nasty name.

Question 84

prepossess

Answer 84

prepossess (pree puh ZES) v to preoccupy; to influence beforehand or prejudice; to make a good impression on beforehand This word has several common meanings. Be careful. When a person is prepossessed by an idea, he or she can't get it out of his or her mind. Unprepossessing means unimpressive, but the word is only mildly negative.

Question 85

prerogative

Answer 85

prerogative (pri RAHG uh tiv) n a right or privilege connected exclusively with a position, a person, a class, a nation, or some other group or classification Giving traffic tickets to people he didn't like was one of the prerogatives of Junior's job as a policeman.

Question 86

prevail

Answer 86

prevail (pri VAYL) v to triumph; to overcome rivals; (with on, upon, or with) to persuade When justice prevails, it means that good defeats evil. My mother prevailed on me to make my bed. She told me she would punish me if I didn't, so I did. The adjective prevailing means most frequent or predominant.

Question 87

pristine

Answer 87

pristine (PRIS teen) adj original; unspoiled; pure An antique in pristine condition is one that hasn't been tampered with over the years. It's still in its original condition.

Question 88

prodigal

Answer 88

prodigal (PRAHD uh gul) adj wastefully extravagant The chef was prodigal with his employer's money, spending thousands of dollars on ingredients for what was supposed to be a simple meal.

Question 89

prodigious

Answer 89

prodigious (pruh DIJ us) adj extraordinary; enormous The little boy caught a prodigious fish--it was ten times his size and might more easily have caught him had their situations been reversed.

Question 90

prodigy

Answer 90

prodigy (PRAHD uh jee) n an extremely talented child; an extraordinary accomplishment or occurrence Barry was a mathematical prodigy; he had calculated pi to 100 decimal places almost before he could walk.

Question 91

profane

Answer 91

``` profane (proh FAYN) adj not having t do with religion; irreverent; blasphemous Profane is the opposite of sacred. Worshiping the almighty dollar is profane. Profane can also mean disrespectful of religion. Cursing in class would be profane. ```

Question 92

profess

Answer 92

profess (pruh FES) v to declare; to declare falsely or pretend Jason professed to have taught himself calculus.

Question 93

proficient

Answer 93

proficient (pruh FISH unt) adj thoroughly competent; skillful; good (at something) Proficiency is the state of being proficient.

Question 94

profligate

Answer 94

profligate (PRAHF luh git) adj extravagantly wasteful and, usually wildly immoral

Question 95

profound

Answer 95

profound (pruh FOUND) adj deep (in several senses) | To say something profound is to say something deeply intelligent or discerning.

Question 96

profuse

Answer 96

profuse (pruh FYOOS) adj flowing; extravagant | The grieving widow's tears were profuse. She had tears in profusion.

Question 97

proletariat

Answer 97

``` proletariat (proh luh TER ee ut) n the industrial working class The proletariat is the laboring class--blue-collar workers or people who roll up their shirtsleeves to do an honest day's work. ```

Question 98

proliferate

Answer 98

proliferate (proh LIF uh rayt) v to spread or grow rapidly

Question 99

prolific

Answer 99

prolific (proh LIF ik) adj abundantly productive; fruitful or fertile A prolific writer is a writer who writes a lot of books.